You know those commercials where the parents surprise their kids on Christmas morning with a trip to Disney World? They're so fun to watch. All the clever and creative ways people come up with to let the cat out of the bag. And the kids' reactions are sometimes almost as surprising as the news they receive.
I have one child who wants to be surprised like that. Part of it is the surprise itself, but the real reason he wants to wake up and be told, "We're going today! Pack your bags," is that he doesn't want to have to endure the anticipation.
When I was young, I felt the same way.
But that presents a problem. A big part of a vacation is all the stuff that leads up to it. Like I said before, we do a little something every day, whether it's checking EMH's, watching YouTube videos, browsing the Disney website, reading the Unofficial Guide, making lists, checking the Moms' Panel, ordering our free Vacation Planning DVD, watching our free Vacation planning DVD - whew! - I can't imagine not being able to do all of that or having to do it in secret.
Besides, they'd miss out on so many things they enjoy. Would they really want to miss curling up on the couch at lunch time and watching one of the DVDs from our 6-disc set of Disney Parks: The Secrets, Stories, and Magic Behind the Scenes?
Not being able to handle the anticipation, not having the patience and self-control to wait, is something he'll outgrow. After all, it is my job to help him develop self-control.
Is it terrible that I might not ever surprise my kids like that?
Like Rapunzel's mother, Gothel, said, "Mother knows best!"
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
February 6, 2012
June 20, 2007
Bowling for Ants
Well, the ants are losing their appeal. I'm not finding them so fascinating anymore. They've come into this house everyday since Sunday. From under the window sill by the kitchen table. Which is now caulked. CB and I couldn't find where they were coming in from outside either. But we sprayed anyway. Just to have the rain wash it away. It rains every day so that's not helping.
This particular group of ants prefers FM#3's high chair. Let it be known that I sweep almost every day and I clean his tray after every meal. This group has a very keen sense of smell.
Case in point: the cleaning ladies came yesterday so the floor was really, really clean. FM#3 dropped one drop of his ice cream and within 5-10 minutes they had detected it and come in FROM OUTSIDE! Not a lot. Maybe 6 or 8. Just the scouts, I think. But I couldn't see where they were coming in. Annoying.
Back to the ice cream.
Some friends asked us to go bowling yesterday. Lovely surprise. We had a great time. We discovered that three of the four of us really, really like bowling shoes.
It didn't take FM#3 long to catch on to the object of the game. His big bro helped him push his ball down the lane and when it knocked over quite a few pins, he threw up his arms and gave a big, "Woo hoo!!!"
His ball got stuck in the lane twice. It was going so slow it just stopped.
I wish I had video of my two older boys. Their technique was quite, um.....interesting. Not a lot of bending at the waist which just results in a horrible cracking sound when the bowling ball hits the wooden floor.
Ouch. Wish you could've been there.
Afterward, since it was so hot we stopped for ice cream.
Today I'm sore in strange places.
But now I think I have to buy bowling shoes.
This particular group of ants prefers FM#3's high chair. Let it be known that I sweep almost every day and I clean his tray after every meal. This group has a very keen sense of smell.
Case in point: the cleaning ladies came yesterday so the floor was really, really clean. FM#3 dropped one drop of his ice cream and within 5-10 minutes they had detected it and come in FROM OUTSIDE! Not a lot. Maybe 6 or 8. Just the scouts, I think. But I couldn't see where they were coming in. Annoying.
Back to the ice cream.
Some friends asked us to go bowling yesterday. Lovely surprise. We had a great time. We discovered that three of the four of us really, really like bowling shoes.
It didn't take FM#3 long to catch on to the object of the game. His big bro helped him push his ball down the lane and when it knocked over quite a few pins, he threw up his arms and gave a big, "Woo hoo!!!"
His ball got stuck in the lane twice. It was going so slow it just stopped.
I wish I had video of my two older boys. Their technique was quite, um.....interesting. Not a lot of bending at the waist which just results in a horrible cracking sound when the bowling ball hits the wooden floor.
Ouch. Wish you could've been there.
Afterward, since it was so hot we stopped for ice cream.
Today I'm sore in strange places.
But now I think I have to buy bowling shoes.
May 21, 2007
Preserving Intergalactic Relations
It's been over two weeks since I posted?! Wow, things have been busy around here.
Our history co-op ended a couple of weeks ago and we had our last den meeting. You'd think -- or I thought -- things would slow down to a nice pace and we would be uninterrupted in our quest for The End of School.
Not.
Lots of emails, various scout stuff to tend to, doctor's appointments, haircuts. I had a little meltdown. I'm fine now, pretty much, but I realized I already have a tidy little to-do list for summer and I'm bound and determined to GET IT DONE!
One nagging thing on my list is that I have to frame some pictures.
A UFO landed in our backyard and the aliens inhabited the bodies of my children. This is the only explanation for the fact that a ball bounced off the stairwell wall and knocked the pictures off it. Fortunately, for the little aliens, nothing broke, but the pictures in one of the frames shifted so I might as well take them out and fix them, and while I'm at it, hang the pictures we had taken of the kids (last summer!) But first, I needed frames for them.
I scoured a few stores looking for frames. Four stores actually. My first visit was to Aaron Bros. because this is where I purchased my first installment of dark brown frames that are currently adorning my stairwell wall.
Unfortunately, brown is out; black is in.
I rather like the look of pictures framed in black, but I had committed ($$$) to dark brown frames in my stairwell figuring they would be lovely and warm against the fabulous paint color on the walls (in my fantasy world - Watch it, CB.)
But this framing is proving quite a hurdle to be hurdled. It's not that I mind framing them. It's the hanging them. You know, figuring out the right spot on the wall and trying to line the hooks up and get the nail right. And they're quite different than the frames currently/formerly on the wall. They're more contemporary and I'm worried they'll stand out in a not so good way. Oh, well, they're going up good or bad.
Now, what to do with the aliens.....
Our history co-op ended a couple of weeks ago and we had our last den meeting. You'd think -- or I thought -- things would slow down to a nice pace and we would be uninterrupted in our quest for The End of School.
Not.
Lots of emails, various scout stuff to tend to, doctor's appointments, haircuts. I had a little meltdown. I'm fine now, pretty much, but I realized I already have a tidy little to-do list for summer and I'm bound and determined to GET IT DONE!
One nagging thing on my list is that I have to frame some pictures.
A UFO landed in our backyard and the aliens inhabited the bodies of my children. This is the only explanation for the fact that a ball bounced off the stairwell wall and knocked the pictures off it. Fortunately, for the little aliens, nothing broke, but the pictures in one of the frames shifted so I might as well take them out and fix them, and while I'm at it, hang the pictures we had taken of the kids (last summer!) But first, I needed frames for them.
I scoured a few stores looking for frames. Four stores actually. My first visit was to Aaron Bros. because this is where I purchased my first installment of dark brown frames that are currently adorning my stairwell wall.
Unfortunately, brown is out; black is in.
I rather like the look of pictures framed in black, but I had committed ($$$) to dark brown frames in my stairwell figuring they would be lovely and warm against the fabulous paint color on the walls (in my fantasy world - Watch it, CB.)
But this framing is proving quite a hurdle to be hurdled. It's not that I mind framing them. It's the hanging them. You know, figuring out the right spot on the wall and trying to line the hooks up and get the nail right. And they're quite different than the frames currently/formerly on the wall. They're more contemporary and I'm worried they'll stand out in a not so good way. Oh, well, they're going up good or bad.
Now, what to do with the aliens.....
May 2, 2007
Green Marble
This green marbel (aka marble) was such a great idea I just had to post on it. My CB is quite creative, is he not? The kids need exercise? Throw a green marble out in the backyard and tell them to find it.
It's actually not a bad idea, but I don't think they'll get the physical workout they need on their hands and knees, although the whining they'll do will up their respiration rate. Whining as a form of exercise.....this just might work.
I have given serious thought to the Y.....again. The trick is that by the time we're finished with school in the afternoons, so is every other child in this town, so we'd be there just in time for the after-school rush. But then again, I'm not sure what the Y offers so there may be ways around that.
Now, on to the crock pot.
Just last night I thought, "I really need to commit to crock pot meals on the nights we're out. It would be wonderful if dinner were ready right now." So great minds think alike, MathMom!
A mutual friend of ours got me thinking about crock pot meals a few years ago when her schedule was out of control crazy. Following her lead, I went to the bookstore to pour over crock pot cookbooks (say that 5 times really fast) and found that a disproportionate number of recipes require you to sear the meat before you put it in the crock pot, meaning you have to do some thawing and "cooking" and dirtying of dishes beforehand and we all know we just want to throw the frozen meat in the pot with some water or soup and leave it alone for the rest of the day, throwing in vegetables later on for nutritional effect.
Needless to say, I abandoned that plan primarily because 'crock pot' in the ancient Dutch language is "krohken potje" and it means "dump and go" and I respect the Dutch because they have contributed much to the modern world like Rembrandt and microscopes and gouda and those adorable wooden shoes.
But Life is looking like I may have to revisit this culinary option because I am not the kind of person to cook a lot of meals and stockpile them in the freezer as in Once-a-Month Cooking.
It's actually not a bad idea, but I don't think they'll get the physical workout they need on their hands and knees, although the whining they'll do will up their respiration rate. Whining as a form of exercise.....this just might work.
I have given serious thought to the Y.....again. The trick is that by the time we're finished with school in the afternoons, so is every other child in this town, so we'd be there just in time for the after-school rush. But then again, I'm not sure what the Y offers so there may be ways around that.
Now, on to the crock pot.
Just last night I thought, "I really need to commit to crock pot meals on the nights we're out. It would be wonderful if dinner were ready right now." So great minds think alike, MathMom!
A mutual friend of ours got me thinking about crock pot meals a few years ago when her schedule was out of control crazy. Following her lead, I went to the bookstore to pour over crock pot cookbooks (say that 5 times really fast) and found that a disproportionate number of recipes require you to sear the meat before you put it in the crock pot, meaning you have to do some thawing and "cooking" and dirtying of dishes beforehand and we all know we just want to throw the frozen meat in the pot with some water or soup and leave it alone for the rest of the day, throwing in vegetables later on for nutritional effect.
Needless to say, I abandoned that plan primarily because 'crock pot' in the ancient Dutch language is "krohken potje" and it means "dump and go" and I respect the Dutch because they have contributed much to the modern world like Rembrandt and microscopes and gouda and those adorable wooden shoes.
But Life is looking like I may have to revisit this culinary option because I am not the kind of person to cook a lot of meals and stockpile them in the freezer as in Once-a-Month Cooking.
March 9, 2007
Where There's Smoke, There's Fire
We went camping with the Cub Scouts last weekend and my fingers are finally thawed out enough to type. It was cold, campers! How cold? I've heard it was in the 30's.
The weather was beautiful, but cold. Did I mention it was cold? Friday night when I jumped into my icy bed, the one comforting thought was that I could always go to the bath house and sleep. It was warm in there and I could just turn on the air hand dryer every now and then. But thankfully that wasn't necessary.
I hopped from fire to fire all day Saturday it seemed, to spite the fact that I was wearing three layers plus gloves and a hood. Still cold.
But the most important thing is - was I warm at night? Yes, due to warm layers, a down comforter, and two bits of advice from CeanBounter:
(1) Put on clean dry socks at night.
(2) Something must go between you and the air mattress (which in our case was a wool army blanket).
Both nights I was surprisingly toasty. Except for my nose which had to stay out from under the down comforter so I wouldn't suffocate on my own carbon dioxide.
Another good thing about the campout was the fellowship. I got to know several of my fellow Christian homeschoolers a bit better. We probably had 12 or more families there. FM#1's group of teens and pre-teens totalled probably 10 or 12. They were great! They huddled together periodically to play dice games, but they also socialized with the adults and the younger set. They even got the whole gang together for kickball and they participated in our campfire with a funny skit - all of them! They were stupendous!
Quotes from the weekend:
FM#2: This is the best campout ever!
FM#3: I want to go home. (because he was a popsicle)
This campout is really hard! (because he was still a popsicle)
The weather was beautiful, but cold. Did I mention it was cold? Friday night when I jumped into my icy bed, the one comforting thought was that I could always go to the bath house and sleep. It was warm in there and I could just turn on the air hand dryer every now and then. But thankfully that wasn't necessary.
I hopped from fire to fire all day Saturday it seemed, to spite the fact that I was wearing three layers plus gloves and a hood. Still cold.
But the most important thing is - was I warm at night? Yes, due to warm layers, a down comforter, and two bits of advice from CeanBounter:
(1) Put on clean dry socks at night.
(2) Something must go between you and the air mattress (which in our case was a wool army blanket).
Both nights I was surprisingly toasty. Except for my nose which had to stay out from under the down comforter so I wouldn't suffocate on my own carbon dioxide.
Another good thing about the campout was the fellowship. I got to know several of my fellow Christian homeschoolers a bit better. We probably had 12 or more families there. FM#1's group of teens and pre-teens totalled probably 10 or 12. They were great! They huddled together periodically to play dice games, but they also socialized with the adults and the younger set. They even got the whole gang together for kickball and they participated in our campfire with a funny skit - all of them! They were stupendous!
Quotes from the weekend:
FM#2: This is the best campout ever!
FM#3: I want to go home. (because he was a popsicle)
This campout is really hard! (because he was still a popsicle)
February 7, 2007
Una Dia Mas
I can almost walk on all of my floors. At least the computer is back in the office, but it's as slow as dial-up which is why I'm not posting much today. I'd love to read all of you, but it takes forever to load a page. CeanBounter, aka CB, aka ComputerBoy, will have to work on it this weekend.
Hope to be back in the saddle soon...riding into town alone by the light of the moon.
Just for chuckles, FM#3 likes to sing Old MacDonald at night before bed. Here's a list of the animals he chooses for the farm: alligator, turtle, fish, dinosaur, and camel.
Whatever happened to the traditional pig and cow?
Hope to be back in the saddle soon...riding into town alone by the light of the moon.
Just for chuckles, FM#3 likes to sing Old MacDonald at night before bed. Here's a list of the animals he chooses for the farm: alligator, turtle, fish, dinosaur, and camel.
Whatever happened to the traditional pig and cow?
January 17, 2007
Ice Panic of 2007
Well, it finally made it - a day late. The drizzle, barely freezing temps, kind of a let-down.
The boys think the icicles are cool and have been outside banging the ice off of everything. I'm sure the noise attracted the neighbors and CPS will be knocking at our door any minute wondering why the children are not in school. Have you never heard of recess?
"Please, can we stay outside? Besides, the icicles are melting."
"What's the temperature?"
"33.3 and rising by the second!"
"Okay, but wear real shoes, not houseshoes. And gloves."
The Tree is down, courtesy of CeanBounter. I'm glad because now I have to start getting ready for the Flooring People.
Yes! I said it! I did it! I Made A Decision!
With a TON of help from HolyChow. She came down for a week and dragged my sorry wiffle-waffling behind around to every flooring store west of the beltway! Wood in the den and tile everywhere else. The wood is scrumptious, hand-scraped, warm, yummy, golden, gooey...no, wait, I'm describing chocolate chip cookies. Anyway, it will look really nice next to that stone behemoth of a fireplace.
A friend's husband asked me about The Flooring on Sunday. I was so excited...he was the first person to ask since I made The Decision. I jumped when he asked and I might've squealed a little. I think I startled him with my excitement. Seriously, this has taken me a year and a half. I think I'll go raise a toast to myself and HolyChow.
Only family would do something like that. Gotta love that chica!
The boys think the icicles are cool and have been outside banging the ice off of everything. I'm sure the noise attracted the neighbors and CPS will be knocking at our door any minute wondering why the children are not in school. Have you never heard of recess?
"Please, can we stay outside? Besides, the icicles are melting."
"What's the temperature?"
"33.3 and rising by the second!"
"Okay, but wear real shoes, not houseshoes. And gloves."
The Tree is down, courtesy of CeanBounter. I'm glad because now I have to start getting ready for the Flooring People.
Yes! I said it! I did it! I Made A Decision!
With a TON of help from HolyChow. She came down for a week and dragged my sorry wiffle-waffling behind around to every flooring store west of the beltway! Wood in the den and tile everywhere else. The wood is scrumptious, hand-scraped, warm, yummy, golden, gooey...no, wait, I'm describing chocolate chip cookies. Anyway, it will look really nice next to that stone behemoth of a fireplace.
A friend's husband asked me about The Flooring on Sunday. I was so excited...he was the first person to ask since I made The Decision. I jumped when he asked and I might've squealed a little. I think I startled him with my excitement. Seriously, this has taken me a year and a half. I think I'll go raise a toast to myself and HolyChow.
Only family would do something like that. Gotta love that chica!
December 23, 2006
Good Taste
The making of the pralines is complete! Three batches and only the last one was a flop---and I didn't need it anyway---got all the gifts covered with two batches. Let the gift wrapping begin!
Quote of the day by FM#1: "Pralines are comfort food."
Quote of the day by FM#1: "Pralines are comfort food."
December 22, 2006
Does someone need a hug?
A few days ago some conversation was going on around here -- probably several conversations at once, but FM#2 asked CeanBounter something to which Cean snapped back with a grumpy response. FM#2 leaned over to me and said in a low tone, "He's an angry elf."
December 16, 2006
Ben Who?
Ben 10 Omnitrix F/X; it's all the rage this year;
For boys who watch the cartoon it's a must-have, I hear.
It's black and green and really cool;
A supply shortage I fear.
Ben 10!
The stores are sold out, only ones are waiting on Ebay,
For three times the retail price you can own one today.
Remember PS2 and Elmo,
Hurry, don't delay!
Ben 10!
UPDATE: HolyChow and my algebra buddy (nephew) found one! Score!
For boys who watch the cartoon it's a must-have, I hear.
It's black and green and really cool;
A supply shortage I fear.
Ben 10!
The stores are sold out, only ones are waiting on Ebay,
For three times the retail price you can own one today.
Remember PS2 and Elmo,
Hurry, don't delay!
Ben 10!
UPDATE: HolyChow and my algebra buddy (nephew) found one! Score!
October 26, 2006
Good Day Sunshine!
Yesterday was a good day. We had tickets to the RenFest, but FM#2 has been under the weather so we had all agreed it was best for him to stay home. The morning of our would-be outing, FM#1 announced he was very sad we weren't going at which time FM#2 (aka the sick one) started sobbing. Sobbing! They really wanted to go. So I told them if we could be ready in an hour we'd go and if FM#2 started feeling bad or itchy (a reaction to his antibiotic) we'd come home.
All in agreement, say "aye". "Aye!"
Off we go with diapers and lunch and water bottles and camera and cell phone and money and.....thankfully enough umbrellas for all of us.
Wrong Turn #1 - Have you ever been driving down a road and in order to stay on that road you actually have to turn? Otherwise, the road magically becomes another road? This happened to us.
During Wrong Turn #1 a friend calls and asks where I am. "Are you here?" "I'm about ten minutes away."
Wrong, so very wrong.
My gut tells me to turn around; this way doesn't feel right. So I call CeanBounter who is at lunch with the Sox auditors and doesn't hear his phone. I turn around anyway and take the turn I should've taken in the first place. Off we go. Pretty countryside. Nice little towns. I come upon the next road I need and take a right. Which leads us to.....
Wrong Turn #2 - "Should've taken a left", says the KwikLube guy. Back we go, eating our lunch now because we need to save time thanks to my detours! Get a call from CeanBounter and he admits the maps are way too general. It's confusing to him, too.
But hey! A sign! Turn here, it says. What a concept! We make it just in time for the rain. A mizzle, a drizzle, a downpour. So pushing a stroller with one hand and holding the umbrella with the other, we meander our way through the crowds, the rain, the mud. We see some interesting characters (all G-rated 'cause this is School Days at RenFest after all), a joust, Celtic jewelry (those penannulas they used to hold their cloaks on in Eagle of the Ninth), and swords for everyone!
FM#2 was getting cold and starting to itch and we were all soaked so we sloshed our way back to the car. Dry, comfy, and munching on Pringles ("Mom, you got the King Can!").
We got back to the main intersection and I saw a sign that directed me to what I thought might be a more interesting route home. Less 80 mph traffic, more scenery. Let's go that way! Pleas from the backseat: "Mom! No!" And we find ourselves in the midst of.....
Wrong Turn #3 - After a few miles I call CeanBounter who, now at Full Alert by the phone with Google Maps on his computer, tells me I'll end up halfway to A&M if I proceed down this road. Not entirely a bad thing, mind you, but not today. So I turn the old SUV around on a dime and go back from whence I came.
Boring.
The FM's have now fully loaded their arsenal with ammo for the next time Mom sets off to points unknown. My "shortcuts" turn into adventures.
All in agreement, say "aye". "Aye!"
Off we go with diapers and lunch and water bottles and camera and cell phone and money and.....thankfully enough umbrellas for all of us.
Wrong Turn #1 - Have you ever been driving down a road and in order to stay on that road you actually have to turn? Otherwise, the road magically becomes another road? This happened to us.
During Wrong Turn #1 a friend calls and asks where I am. "Are you here?" "I'm about ten minutes away."
Wrong, so very wrong.
My gut tells me to turn around; this way doesn't feel right. So I call CeanBounter who is at lunch with the Sox auditors and doesn't hear his phone. I turn around anyway and take the turn I should've taken in the first place. Off we go. Pretty countryside. Nice little towns. I come upon the next road I need and take a right. Which leads us to.....
Wrong Turn #2 - "Should've taken a left", says the KwikLube guy. Back we go, eating our lunch now because we need to save time thanks to my detours! Get a call from CeanBounter and he admits the maps are way too general. It's confusing to him, too.
But hey! A sign! Turn here, it says. What a concept! We make it just in time for the rain. A mizzle, a drizzle, a downpour. So pushing a stroller with one hand and holding the umbrella with the other, we meander our way through the crowds, the rain, the mud. We see some interesting characters (all G-rated 'cause this is School Days at RenFest after all), a joust, Celtic jewelry (those penannulas they used to hold their cloaks on in Eagle of the Ninth), and swords for everyone!
FM#2 was getting cold and starting to itch and we were all soaked so we sloshed our way back to the car. Dry, comfy, and munching on Pringles ("Mom, you got the King Can!").
We got back to the main intersection and I saw a sign that directed me to what I thought might be a more interesting route home. Less 80 mph traffic, more scenery. Let's go that way! Pleas from the backseat: "Mom! No!" And we find ourselves in the midst of.....
Wrong Turn #3 - After a few miles I call CeanBounter who, now at Full Alert by the phone with Google Maps on his computer, tells me I'll end up halfway to A&M if I proceed down this road. Not entirely a bad thing, mind you, but not today. So I turn the old SUV around on a dime and go back from whence I came.
Boring.
The FM's have now fully loaded their arsenal with ammo for the next time Mom sets off to points unknown. My "shortcuts" turn into adventures.
September 28, 2006
It's Not Easy Being Green
Last night for dinner I made a pasta carbonara dish. I got the idea from Holly's blog except I pumped up the fat by making an alfredo sauce. Along with it I managed to tweak my sauteed haricot verts and they came out mmm, mmm, good.
Now, FM#3 takes after CeanBounter in his disgust of all things 'vegetable'. Honestly, the kid can't stand vegetables. But I made him eat the green beans. I heard someone somewhere say you had to offer something 30+ times before a child will come around. I'm up to around 20-25. Time's running out.
But I put the green beans on a fork and FM#3 willingly opened his mouth and chewed. He got the pirate face. You know, that face you get when you suck on a lemon? With the one eye that goes closed? Except these were green beans, for goodness sake! But he swallowed them.
After a while I put more on the fork and he grabbed his milk cup and started guzzling. Everytime he'd put his cup down I'd put the fork up and he'd grab the cup again. His brothers loved this show. At least I found a way to get him to drink all of his milk. Hey, that organic stuff is expensive! After a while, the milk was gone and there was no other choice than to eat the green beans. In they went.
Pirate face. Gagging. Smiling. Chewing. Gagging. Coughing.
I told him to swallow. He said, "Hold my hand."
Now, FM#3 takes after CeanBounter in his disgust of all things 'vegetable'. Honestly, the kid can't stand vegetables. But I made him eat the green beans. I heard someone somewhere say you had to offer something 30+ times before a child will come around. I'm up to around 20-25. Time's running out.
But I put the green beans on a fork and FM#3 willingly opened his mouth and chewed. He got the pirate face. You know, that face you get when you suck on a lemon? With the one eye that goes closed? Except these were green beans, for goodness sake! But he swallowed them.
After a while I put more on the fork and he grabbed his milk cup and started guzzling. Everytime he'd put his cup down I'd put the fork up and he'd grab the cup again. His brothers loved this show. At least I found a way to get him to drink all of his milk. Hey, that organic stuff is expensive! After a while, the milk was gone and there was no other choice than to eat the green beans. In they went.
Pirate face. Gagging. Smiling. Chewing. Gagging. Coughing.
I told him to swallow. He said, "Hold my hand."
The Clapper
We've lost our DVD remote. That means we can't rewind the scene over and over again on our favorite parts. We have to use the TV remote which is an inferior substitute.
To complicate matters, we've now lost the TV remote. FM#3 and I were home alone. I put him to bed andskipped, happily bounded, went downstairs to enjoy my only night of network TV. The New Adventures of Old Christine, love it! What?! No remote?!
I looked everywhere and I do mean everywhere. Couch cushions, in the dark recesses behind the TV, DVD drawers, cabinets, under the couch, kitchen, fridge, pantry, trash can, office, bedroom, back upstairs.
Nothing.
I came to the conclusion that FM#3 must have some secret hiding place for the remotes and wherever the TV remote was, there we would joyfully find its cousin, the DVD remote. I'd ask him the next day. Meanwhile, I'll just sit here and enjoy my show and try not to go crazy without a remote during the commercials.
Oh, what the heck. Why not check the obvious place? I mean I have looked EVERYWHERE! I opened the official Remote Control Drawer and, voila! TV remote! Who put that there?!
Alas, the DVD remote is still MIA.
To complicate matters, we've now lost the TV remote. FM#3 and I were home alone. I put him to bed and
I looked everywhere and I do mean everywhere. Couch cushions, in the dark recesses behind the TV, DVD drawers, cabinets, under the couch, kitchen, fridge, pantry, trash can, office, bedroom, back upstairs.
Nothing.
I came to the conclusion that FM#3 must have some secret hiding place for the remotes and wherever the TV remote was, there we would joyfully find its cousin, the DVD remote. I'd ask him the next day. Meanwhile, I'll just sit here and enjoy my show and try not to go crazy without a remote during the commercials.
Oh, what the heck. Why not check the obvious place? I mean I have looked EVERYWHERE! I opened the official Remote Control Drawer and, voila! TV remote! Who put that there?!
Alas, the DVD remote is still MIA.
September 18, 2006
Not exactly my cup of tea
I have a few ninos en mi casa. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that I might one day have to buy a cup, and by that I mean the athletic-protect-your-sensitive-man-parts kind of cup. Several thoughts occurred to me:
what do they look like?
how are they installed?
how do they stay put?
do you try it on before you leave the store?
will they be bulgingly embarrassed if they end up being the only ones in class with one?
What to do?
Send the husband.
For some reason he was less than enthusiastic himself and felt perfectly confident that I could accomplish the task. In the words of Dana Carvey's George H. W. Bush, "Not gonna do it."
So CeanBounter took my bittle loys to Cups-R-Us and they came out with what might be called "the coolest cups" in the world of cups.
So we're good here.
what do they look like?
how are they installed?
how do they stay put?
do you try it on before you leave the store?
will they be bulgingly embarrassed if they end up being the only ones in class with one?
What to do?
Send the husband.
For some reason he was less than enthusiastic himself and felt perfectly confident that I could accomplish the task. In the words of Dana Carvey's George H. W. Bush, "Not gonna do it."
So CeanBounter took my bittle loys to Cups-R-Us and they came out with what might be called "the coolest cups" in the world of cups.
So we're good here.
August 18, 2006
Sage Advice
You know you haven't posted in a while when your own husband accuses you of shutting down your blog.
I have been doing school stuff and scout stuff and trying to suck one last summer-ish day out of a not-so-very-summerish summer. (Sally sells seashells by the seashore.) Plus los ninos have been sick - muy malo. After a week of fevers and smoker's cough we went to the doc.
While we were waiting for the doctor to come in I thought I'd read a bit -Shakespeare, The Federalist Papers, PEOPLE magazine. FM#1 was looking at a magazine, too, and FM#2 was spinning FM#3 round and round and round on the doctor's spinny chair. Now normally this extensive wait would put me on edge (aka-make me crazy mad), but los ninos were being good and I was finding out who the 100 sexiest people were. (Hey, I might need to know that one day.)
Out of the corner of my eye I saw FM#3 go flying. Not just any flying, but an all-out horizontal, frisbee kind of flying. He landed face-down on the floor and began to sob into said floor. His well-intentioned bro had spun him too fast and, because he doesn't know any better, he wasn't holding on for dear life.
I picked him up from his horizontal position and inspected him. Sure enough, a boo-boo. Not a bump, per se. A vein to be exact. It was purple and protruding. "Everybody sit down and be quiet and don't touch that chair again for the rest of your life!" The doc came in ("breathe, breathe, say 'ah'" times 3) She mashed (hard) on the veiny area and declared, "He'll be fine."
Sinus infections. Antibiotics all around.
For the next few days, FM#3 had a bruise that ran in a rather straight line above his eyebrow. It made him look like he was frowning and mad. Nothing like a 2-1/2 year old sportin' a 'tude.
A bit of advice for the youngsters in the crowd: if you're going to fling your brother off a spinny chair, make sure you do it in the doctor's office.
I have been doing school stuff and scout stuff and trying to suck one last summer-ish day out of a not-so-very-summerish summer. (Sally sells seashells by the seashore.) Plus los ninos have been sick - muy malo. After a week of fevers and smoker's cough we went to the doc.
While we were waiting for the doctor to come in I thought I'd read a bit -
Out of the corner of my eye I saw FM#3 go flying. Not just any flying, but an all-out horizontal, frisbee kind of flying. He landed face-down on the floor and began to sob into said floor. His well-intentioned bro had spun him too fast and, because he doesn't know any better, he wasn't holding on for dear life.
I picked him up from his horizontal position and inspected him. Sure enough, a boo-boo. Not a bump, per se. A vein to be exact. It was purple and protruding. "Everybody sit down and be quiet and don't touch that chair again for the rest of your life!" The doc came in ("breathe, breathe, say 'ah'" times 3) She mashed (hard) on the veiny area and declared, "He'll be fine."
Sinus infections. Antibiotics all around.
For the next few days, FM#3 had a bruise that ran in a rather straight line above his eyebrow. It made him look like he was frowning and mad. Nothing like a 2-1/2 year old sportin' a 'tude.
A bit of advice for the youngsters in the crowd: if you're going to fling your brother off a spinny chair, make sure you do it in the doctor's office.
August 10, 2006
Tagging - Not a Fan
But I'll succumb just this once for Su-Z-Q. Three things about each of my FM's, suitable for worldwide blog readers, of course.
1. FM#1 has a surprising sense of humor and good comedic timing.
2. He has a slightly loose tooth that won't come out even though the new tooth is growing in.
3. Doesn't complain when I ask him to unload the dishwasher.
1. FM#2 has a great pitching arm.
2. Read today without being asked.
3. Is not afraid of his big bro. Probably secretly thinks he could take him.
1. FM#3 is hanging on to this fever thing.
2. Was a post-vas, we-followed-the-doctor's-instructions baby.
3. Looks suspiciously like my lawn man.
1. FM#1 has a surprising sense of humor and good comedic timing.
2. He has a slightly loose tooth that won't come out even though the new tooth is growing in.
3. Doesn't complain when I ask him to unload the dishwasher.
1. FM#2 has a great pitching arm.
2. Read today without being asked.
3. Is not afraid of his big bro. Probably secretly thinks he could take him.
1. FM#3 is hanging on to this fever thing.
2. Was a post-vas, we-followed-the-doctor's-instructions baby.
3. Looks suspiciously like my lawn man.
July 19, 2006
Mmm, Peanut Butter
It's been a blow slog week. Things have been either too mundane or too salacious to write about, but I'll give it go.
A friend called the other day to ask me two things: (1) if I wanted to go to an informational meeting about a co-op and (2) since it was near my house, could she leave her son here during the meeting. Yes, to both counts. Really, whether I went to the meeting or not her son was welcome. Are you kidding me? An impromptu visit from a friend? To play? I can just hear it now, "Mom! You're the greatest! We love you! What can we do for you, oh, Beloved Mother?"
I was still basking in Fun Mom Status from last week. FM#1 planned a patrol meeting and in order for one of the guys to make it we brought him home from a birthday party the day before to spend the night. I had seven Boy Scouts in my house on Friday. They were good kids. Worked hard. Produced a good looking patrol flag. Anyhoooo, the look on FM#1's face was most excellent when I told him Adam was coming over.
Now, I wasn't looking for a co-op, mind you, but thought I'd go anyway to check it out. I hadn't seen the hostess in forever and at the very least I'd get to spend time conversing with other women. While we were gone CeanBounter and the boys taught our guest how to playpoker, quarters, dominoes.
So I went and the co-op looked good, oh so good. In attendance were four women I knew and liked plus others I had met here or there. Good crowd. The cooperative effort would be to teach ToG Year 2, but they were starting in Unit 3. This sounded pretty good because we're in Year 2 although Week 8. No prob. We could work around that. The classes are grouped according to Lower Grammar, Upper Grammar, etc. which means my little FM#2 would have his own little Lower Grammar class complete with age appropriate material and projects. They primarily concentrate on history, literature, and timeline. They add in some geography and vocabulary every now and then. The hands-on is done there. And the best part is they do NOT generate writing assignments every week - maybe a report here or there or an oral presentation. And they do not grade anything. And the first semester ends before Thanksgiving. Oh, and did I mention they have a nursery? See? Good!
Now the bad news. It's almost 45 minutes away. Yuck. Ick. Boo hiss. I joined a local homeschool support group in order to be able to have groups like this close to me. I am tired of driving to that side of town. I did it for three years for scouts. ShelledPeas and I have been doing our own little co-op and if she wanted to join this one it would be over an hour drive for her from Tornado Alley! I even put out an email on my local group's email loop asking if there were any co-ops out here. Wouldn't it be great to find another one like this and close to home? It's been two days. No takers. Absolutely none. Crap. What to do.....
So, today we're having lunch with Grandpop. Hoping to bring over rice krispie treats. We're trying them with peanut butter.
A friend called the other day to ask me two things: (1) if I wanted to go to an informational meeting about a co-op and (2) since it was near my house, could she leave her son here during the meeting. Yes, to both counts. Really, whether I went to the meeting or not her son was welcome. Are you kidding me? An impromptu visit from a friend? To play? I can just hear it now, "Mom! You're the greatest! We love you! What can we do for you, oh, Beloved Mother?"
I was still basking in Fun Mom Status from last week. FM#1 planned a patrol meeting and in order for one of the guys to make it we brought him home from a birthday party the day before to spend the night. I had seven Boy Scouts in my house on Friday. They were good kids. Worked hard. Produced a good looking patrol flag. Anyhoooo, the look on FM#1's face was most excellent when I told him Adam was coming over.
Now, I wasn't looking for a co-op, mind you, but thought I'd go anyway to check it out. I hadn't seen the hostess in forever and at the very least I'd get to spend time conversing with other women. While we were gone CeanBounter and the boys taught our guest how to play
So I went and the co-op looked good, oh so good. In attendance were four women I knew and liked plus others I had met here or there. Good crowd. The cooperative effort would be to teach ToG Year 2, but they were starting in Unit 3. This sounded pretty good because we're in Year 2 although Week 8. No prob. We could work around that. The classes are grouped according to Lower Grammar, Upper Grammar, etc. which means my little FM#2 would have his own little Lower Grammar class complete with age appropriate material and projects. They primarily concentrate on history, literature, and timeline. They add in some geography and vocabulary every now and then. The hands-on is done there. And the best part is they do NOT generate writing assignments every week - maybe a report here or there or an oral presentation. And they do not grade anything. And the first semester ends before Thanksgiving. Oh, and did I mention they have a nursery? See? Good!
Now the bad news. It's almost 45 minutes away. Yuck. Ick. Boo hiss. I joined a local homeschool support group in order to be able to have groups like this close to me. I am tired of driving to that side of town. I did it for three years for scouts. ShelledPeas and I have been doing our own little co-op and if she wanted to join this one it would be over an hour drive for her from Tornado Alley! I even put out an email on my local group's email loop asking if there were any co-ops out here. Wouldn't it be great to find another one like this and close to home? It's been two days. No takers. Absolutely none. Crap. What to do.....
So, today we're having lunch with Grandpop. Hoping to bring over rice krispie treats. We're trying them with peanut butter.
July 11, 2006
The House That GLOG Built
It's been a few days since we last spoke and I was starting to feel bad about it. I thought I'd give you a little glimpse of the festivities going on around here. I've been doing lesson plans. (Confetti, streamers.) Remember? I told you I was going to do them this year. I guess I really meant it. I even laid out the next two weeks which are dedicated to finishing Math and Grammar for FM#1 and Phonics for FM#2. Yes, I do realize we should've finished already, but we got sidetracked on Cub Scout problems, swim team, VBS, vacation.....hey, wait a minute.....don't even try to tell me you haven't had the same sort of stuff happen around your place. Shame!
In fact, today was Day 1 of Finishing Math and I was met with a little resistance. Can you believe it? The Big One ran from me! Into my bedroom! He thought he could lock me out, but I chased him, blocked the door open with my foot, and reached around the door trying to grab his arm, his shirt, his face, anything. This was really a lot of fun and we all got a great chuckle out of it, but then I finally had to put my proverbial "foot down" and crack ye olde whip. The first words out of his mouth were, "Hey, Mom, you said I didn't have to do this one, but I love this kind with the chart." Methinks the little stinker doth protest too much.
As for next year's lesson plans, it's taken me three nights to get the first writing lesson sorted out. I'm pitiful that way.
In fact, today was Day 1 of Finishing Math and I was met with a little resistance. Can you believe it? The Big One ran from me! Into my bedroom! He thought he could lock me out, but I chased him, blocked the door open with my foot, and reached around the door trying to grab his arm, his shirt, his face, anything. This was really a lot of fun and we all got a great chuckle out of it, but then I finally had to put my proverbial "foot down" and crack ye olde whip. The first words out of his mouth were, "Hey, Mom, you said I didn't have to do this one, but I love this kind with the chart." Methinks the little stinker doth protest too much.
As for next year's lesson plans, it's taken me three nights to get the first writing lesson sorted out. I'm pitiful that way.
June 30, 2006
I Need a Powder
I'm freaking out about school. Not so much for FM#2, but the big one. The decision as to what to teach and how is getting more and more serious every year. We're jr. high now and only a couple of years away from "credits". Don't even mention dual-credit because, oops, see, I threw up a little bit in my mouth.
I've always struggled with Tapesty of Grace - using it to its full potential - which I haven't. I'm not a Fun Mom who does those oh-so-memorable projects which invariably involve sewing some sort of blasted costume - I don't sew. Or cooking some sort of gosh awful food. Have you read a medieval cookbook?
Ultimately, I want to give him writing assignments that correlate with IEW, but use his history reading because, let's face it, Tapestry's reading assignments don't leave much time to read anything else. But I can't. Maybe I'm genetically predisposed to not being able to think that way. I'm an engineer by training and we work with formulas, within parameters. I don't know. Maybe I should be able to do this. Add to that the fact that next year we really need to do Latin. And I hear people talking about Logic. And he needs to learn to type correctly and ouch, my head hurts.
Why is it that some moms seem to know exactly what to teach their children, the absolute best materials to use, and how to teach so their children will absolutely love it? It's like they've taken some super-secret course or something. On top of that, their children seem to love reading Beowulf and the Iliad in their spare time.
And I'm particularly talking about boys because I have a few over here. My big one acts like he deplores reading. I am tired of the TV this summer (already) and if they can't watch TV they want to be on the computer (I'm tired of that, too) so I made "A Rule!" that they had to read two hours everyday and we'd have very little TV and computer. That went over like a lead balloon.
"Aw, Mom!"
The middle one would read to me and I picked out two books for the big one to choose from, The Adventures of Robin Hood and Twenty-One Balloons.
"Mom! Those are boring. I tried to read that one and it was terrible! How about a Hank the Cowdog?"
Okay, says I. I figured I'd ease him into this slowly. First Hank, then the hard stuff, but "it has to be finished by Friday."
"FRIDAY?!"
So he mapped out how many chapters he needed to read each day (4) and determined it was doable. Like I said, he acts like he deplores reading. The whining. In actuality, he likes it. Once he's into a book he can't put it down. He read six chapters his first day and that was because I finally said, "Lights out."
So maybe I'd be more effective and sure of myself if it weren't for the whining. Do they ever stop that? It makes me think I'm doing something terribly wrong and surely I must be because all these other moms have children who love to learn and seem to do it with great zeal.
Seriously, my head hurts.
I've always struggled with Tapesty of Grace - using it to its full potential - which I haven't. I'm not a Fun Mom who does those oh-so-memorable projects which invariably involve sewing some sort of blasted costume - I don't sew. Or cooking some sort of gosh awful food. Have you read a medieval cookbook?
Ultimately, I want to give him writing assignments that correlate with IEW, but use his history reading because, let's face it, Tapestry's reading assignments don't leave much time to read anything else. But I can't. Maybe I'm genetically predisposed to not being able to think that way. I'm an engineer by training and we work with formulas, within parameters. I don't know. Maybe I should be able to do this. Add to that the fact that next year we really need to do Latin. And I hear people talking about Logic. And he needs to learn to type correctly and ouch, my head hurts.
Why is it that some moms seem to know exactly what to teach their children, the absolute best materials to use, and how to teach so their children will absolutely love it? It's like they've taken some super-secret course or something. On top of that, their children seem to love reading Beowulf and the Iliad in their spare time.
And I'm particularly talking about boys because I have a few over here. My big one acts like he deplores reading. I am tired of the TV this summer (already) and if they can't watch TV they want to be on the computer (I'm tired of that, too) so I made "A Rule!" that they had to read two hours everyday and we'd have very little TV and computer. That went over like a lead balloon.
"Aw, Mom!"
The middle one would read to me and I picked out two books for the big one to choose from, The Adventures of Robin Hood and Twenty-One Balloons.
"Mom! Those are boring. I tried to read that one and it was terrible! How about a Hank the Cowdog?"
Okay, says I. I figured I'd ease him into this slowly. First Hank, then the hard stuff, but "it has to be finished by Friday."
"FRIDAY?!"
So he mapped out how many chapters he needed to read each day (4) and determined it was doable. Like I said, he acts like he deplores reading. The whining. In actuality, he likes it. Once he's into a book he can't put it down. He read six chapters his first day and that was because I finally said, "Lights out."
So maybe I'd be more effective and sure of myself if it weren't for the whining. Do they ever stop that? It makes me think I'm doing something terribly wrong and surely I must be because all these other moms have children who love to learn and seem to do it with great zeal.
Seriously, my head hurts.
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