Kids say the darndest things.

Yup. I was driving Lucy, Alex and 2 of Alex's friends to the movie theater last week, and this is what I heard.

"You know I like motorcycles." I nod in agreement. "I am getting my husband one, even if he doesn't like it." - Lucy
Guess we know who will be in charge in that relationship!

The boys are talking about a poetry assignment they had in class. "My poem is this: I have a dog named yoda.
He likes to drink soda.
He only likes cookies
If they taste like my sister Gabby." - Friend 1
"Luuuucky! I want a dog that will eat my sister!" - Friend 2

my babies aren't really babies anymore

I am going to miss how my babies talk.  I should have written these things down as they happened but I never seem to do that.  When Alex was 2, everytime we went for a walk he would "ssssmell ssssumsing."  It was always BBQ or dog poop.  When CSI first started, AJ was 3.  He would sing the theme song, "ooooo, ah deee, oo-oo, oo-oo" Today, Lucy told me that she "earned a bruise."

Back in the day...

I have a uni-brow. I always have. In high school, I tweezed.  It hurt. I made a promise to myself that once I was on my own I would never pluck again. I had dreams of lying in a salon chair, wearing a fluffy robe, while my eyebrows were masterfully sculpted by a stylist.


I found out that there are no fluffy robes and the chairs are uncomfortable and waxing HURTS.  But the pain is quick and I can bear the 6 hours of swollen red eyebrow.  So I wax, and I am very happy with letting someone else rip off my uni-brow.

Some where along the way, I forgot about tweezers.  We have made a plan to get out of debt and that includes cutting out frivolities.  I tried to explain that my self-esteem would plummet if I had a uni-brow and mustache but Adan did not understand.  No more salon. Boo.

Then I remembered!  I used to do something before salons.  It took me a while to remember, but finally I remembered this tweezer thing.  I remembered how I marked with a pencil how far to tweeze, and voila! no more uni-brow.  Doin' it old school.

Yesterday, Alex and I were making waffles.  I had to melt some butter, so I popped it in a measuring cup and threw it in the microwave.  Alex said he loved the microwave, and could not imagine living with out one.  So I told him that I was about 11 when we got our first microwave. He looked horrified and told me that he could not live with out PS2 or PS3 or PSP.  I let him know we did not have one of those or a DVD player.  I thought he was going to fall out.

Competitive Sports

I will not ever be a sports coach again. I also think I should not attend the games. I am just not competitive. I have an inner sense of justice that says we should help the less talented learn, and bench the better ones until everyone plays well. I don't like the feeling of striking out or missing the pop fly in left field. I don't like to see other people experience those feelings. I am just not a competitive sports kind of gal.

So how do you reconcile your non-love for super strong and competitively driven coaches with your children who love sports, and your child who wants to love sports but isn't good? How do you "go with the game" while feeling bad for your benched child? The mother in me wants to come out and say.. Hey stupid head coach.. HELP him get better at the game instead of benching him!! But that's not how the game is played. Team over individual. :P

Maybe I should just put Adan in charge of the sports?? Got any tips for a for a sensitive mommy?

Little Lu

Is not so little anymore :( I was sick in bed on Tuesday and she ran up the stairs to me all out of breath and excited. "MOM! Great News!" I asked her what the news was and she replied "MY TOOTH is LOOSE!" She allowed me to feel the wiggle and if I squeeze my eyes really tight, I can feel a tiiiiny bit of movement. Go Lu!

Fires don't go near grammies

Lucy has become obsessed with fires. Apparently she has been having bad dreams where our house catches on fires and turns black. It has her super freaked out. In her dreams we evacuate to Grammie's house. She has taken to packing bags of belongings and leaving them near the exits, just in case. She tells me that the bags are packed in case we have a fire, we can grab then when we leave. (She says "grap"). She has asked us a few times if the firemen are at the station, and when it closes. Yesterday, she asked me if she could pack her bags and I could drive her to Grammie's house and drop her off when all the daycare kids leave.

She won't talk about this at all. When asked what she is afraid of, she just says she doesn't want to talk about it. When I asked her why she wants to go to Grammie's house so urgently, she just says she misses her. I asked if she would miss me and she said "I have an idea! We can both go to Grammie's house!"

I feel so bad for her. She is obviously scared to death of a fire and thinks the only fire-safe place is Grammie's house. :( She is scared to go to sleep at night and has an absolute fit if I don't make it up right away to say a no-bad-dreams-prayer with her.

I scheduled an appt with the fire station for next week. I am hoping they can put her mind at ease. Anyone else have any other ideas on how to ease her mind??

Compost yer diapers

in no. california!

http://www.earth-baby.com/home.php

Chores

I was talking with the mom of the children I watch and she was telling me how her oldest is really, really disrespectful to her. She does have some extenuating family circumstances that I don't have, but I have to wonder if it isn't partly because she doesn't expect him to be respectful. For example, he really has no chores around the house. He does one thing, clean the cat box. It made me think about the chores my children have.

I think I must be a slave driver. My kids have a LOT of chores.

Now, the boys do sleep in the same room, so the bedroom chores are split between them as opposed to both having to mop the whole room. Also on busy weekends, we may not get all the Saturday chores done because we just aren't at home. But we try to stick to this plan.

For our system, we have a master list that is on the fridge. It includes all the daily and weekday chores. It is laminated, and each day they check off what they completed.

We also assigned each child a room, and that is their Sat. chores. I have a list with all the chores for each room, laminated, posted on the door to that room. As they do the chores that day they check it off with a projector marker that is hanging from a string on the door. So far this works best for us.

I found the nifty chore charts at Chart Jungle, http://www.chartjungle.com/chores.html I found this site about 7 years ago, and have loved this zone cleaning type of system ever since!

What chores do your kids have? What are your thoughts on children having lots of chores vs. not many chores?

*edited to add in response to comments*
I really feel that it is important for the children to help out because they live here as well. I don't pay allowance for doing chores because chores are just something you have to do as part of a family. Sometimes family duties aren't fun, but you do them anyway! LOL

The kids don't enjoy doing chores and generally don't do them unless told to. Everyday we have chore time, and we all go down our checklists and do our respective tasks. The 5 year old is a pain about this, and occasionally spends 4 hours on one item, but she doesn't get to do anything else until those are done.

We started handing out chores at age 2. Something simple like feed the dog, or put the shoes in the shoe closet. It helps to have the chart, that they can check off when a job is done.

Lucy, age 5

Everyday:
Brush Teeth
Clean Room
Make Bed
Take Bath
Feed Dog
Sweep Upstairs Hallway #1(We have 2)
Take Out Recycling

Tuesday:
Empty Dishwasher

Saturday:
Sweep and Mop bedroom
Dust bedroom
Clean Doorknob and light switch
Wash Window
Clean bathtub in bathroom #2
Clean Sink
Clean Toilet
Clean Mirror
Clean Doorknob
Wash out Trash Can
Sweep and Mop
Clean Light Switch
Wash Window


Alex, age 8

Everyday:
Brush Teeth
Clean Room
Make Bed
Take Bath
Empty Upstairs Trashes
Clean out Cat Box
Sweep Kitchen
Sweep Landing of Stairs

Wednesday:
Empty Dishwasher

Saturday:
Sweep and Mop bedroom
Dust bedroom
Clean Doorknob and light switch
Wash Window
Clean bathtub in bathroom #3
Clean Sink
Clean Toilet
Clean Mirror
Clean Doorknob
Wash out Trash Can
Sweep and Mop
Clean Light Switch
Wash Window

AJ, age 10

Everyday:
Brush Teeth
Clean Room
Make Bed
Take Bath
Empty Downstairs Trashes
Feed and Water Cat
Clean up Dog poop
Sweep Stairs #2
Sweep Hallway #2

Thursday:
Empty Dishwasher

Saturday:
Sweep and Mop bedroom
Dust bedroom
Clean Doorknob and light switch
Wash Window
Dust Living Room
Clean TV Screen
Straighten Bookshelves
Clean Door Knobs
Clean Light Switches
Clean Walls
Wash Windows

Our foster son, age 15, also has a similar list, but I didn't list because when he leaves it will go back to being my list LOL.

Thanks to Swiffer...

Human League is here to stay. I caught the 8 year old singin this one today.

My poor birthday boy :(

today was Alex's birthday party, on his birthday! How often does that happen? My poor son was sick yesterday, with a fever of 103.5. We dosed him with motrin and his fever would come down, especially after cool showers. Poor dude was miserable. Today we decided we would just have to cancel the party. He was so sad and crestfallen that we decided if he was feeling better right before the party we would go. So we went. And probably infected the whole bowling alley including our 12 party guests with strep and/or the flu. Yeah I suck. He was fine during the party, but once it was over, he just crashed. I ended up taking him to the ER. Thank goodness Adan was working, as he got us right in. (Which makes me feel bad for those "regular" people who have to wait to go to the ER. I suppose there are *some* perks to having a husband who works craptastic hours in the ER) He has been diagnosed with the flu and possibly early strep. boo hiss for being sick on your birthday. On a good note, he is pleased with his presents. He got 2 gift cards, a spider man with a sticky web thing, a venom with a long tongue, a nerf gun and from us a soccer ball and a goal net. yeah baby!

Our very first meeting

On Sunday, my second baby turns 8. He has his own ideas, and thoughts, and marches to his very own drummer.

That's him in my profile pic, approx. 6 years ago.

A few minutes ago, he walked up to me as I was talking to Adan, and said, "Mom, guess what?"

"What?"

"Chicken Butt!"

He did not even crack a grin. :D

The following was written in 2002 when he was about 18 months old.

The First Meeting

We sit in the dark watching bright images jump out at us from the television. He snuggles deep into the space created by my hip and the arm of the couch. His fleece sleeper is soft against my skin and I can smell the Johnson's shampoo from his bath. As I rub the stubbly hair of his shaved head, it's hard to remember how it all started. (Of Course I remember the very beginning- I mean our first meeting!)

We walked AJ to the neighbor's house and I climbed into the car. We had everything prepared- clothes for both of us, diapers and a book to read, and Lire (this was before the Euro) in the ashtray for the tolls. We drove up to the tollbooth.

"Cinquecento Lire."

We handed over the Lire and drove through Soave's medieval city walls. I remember peering through the thick February darkness searching for the tiny sign that signaled the alley to the hospital. In between breaths I waddled up the steps and onto the elevator. Nurses clad in white greeted us.

"Buone notte."

As if in a dream, I climbed up on the table and the nurse examined my progress. While under the electrodes, She asked a series of unknown and indistinguishable questions.

"Dove in tensione?"
"Dove eravate sopportate?"
"Avete altri bambini?"
"Quanto anni avete?"

I answered to the best of my abilities and with our contrived sign language, she communicated to me that I was not progressing. Exhausted and frustrated, I left the room and walked out to the covered bridge between the buildings. I looked out the wall of windows. The sight took my breath away- Soave castle- surrounded by medieval walls and towers, back lit, stood out to me in the darkness.

I stood on the bridge, admiring my amazing surroundings. A nurse hustled by carrying two bags, and running behind her was a very pregnant woman, her breath puffing out her cheeks in her struggle to keep up. A few minutes later, the nurse returned and escorted me to my room. My room contained 2 narrow beds with a window on the far wall. I opened the window and leaned out over the crown moldings. I could still see the beautiful view of the castle beyond the trees.

My husband and I lay down on the narrow beds and tried to sleep. Despite the excitement we drifted off to sleep to the sound of the frogs croaking in the stream below our window. A few hours later I awoke to severe pain in my abdomen. I knew it was finally time.

I woke Adan up and we again waddled down the long corridor covered with pictures of babies. Again I climbed up on the table and was examined. This time the nurse gave me an encouraging smile. She escorted me down the hallway and into a dark room.

Through the haze of pain I thought I had walked into a B-rated hospital horror movie. The room had green ceramic tile on the floor, walls and ceiling. The only light in the room shone down upon a reclined chair in the center of the room. Gleaming stainless steel legs and stir-ups rose from the seat. At least 4 people stood around in the room, dressed in green scrubs and facemasks, conversing in low Italian tones.

I climbed onto the chair. The light blinded my eyes. One of the green clad figures put up some handrails on the sides of my chair. Then, pain, all around me and in me, filling my ears and blinding my eyes. In the background I could hear many voices, shouting.

"Spinta!"
"Push!"
"Spinghere!"

I tried to understand, but the pain in my ears kept the Italian words from being translated. Moments later it was over. One of the green clad figures handed me the prize, my son, and we had our first meeting. I allowed a nurse to take him and clean him and weigh him and do all those necessary trifles. He was returned to me and we walked to the recovery room.

I held him as he drifted off to sleep. Adan and I counted his fingers and toes. He was all there. Our Alexander David.

Sitting in the dark with him now, I sigh with love. I know this peaceful moment will not last. In five minutes, I will have to put him to bed and we will start another round of our battles. He will snuggle into his bed, and trick me into thinking he will go quietly, just like he has done since that February morning in Italy. No matter how much he fusses, and how much I complain about his fussing, in 20 years, I will think back with tears in my eyes, to the bedtime battles we used to have, just like I look back at our first meeting now.

Glorious Day!

Today, we had rain showers in the AM and rain showers in the PM but we had a couple hours of glorious cloud-free sunshine in between. As Lucy and I sat in the car, waiting to pick the boys up from school, I drew Lucy's attention to the beautiful weather outside the car. She exclaimed, "I know! I could kiss the world!"

I think we need some sunshine.

Happy Valentine's Day

Alex showing off his Valentine's Day Miracle Chip. He bit the chip and the remains were in the shape of a heart. Although, it could be a Valentine's Day Nightmare as 2 minutes later it broke, down the middle. A Valentine's day broken heart.

Lucy is Smaaaaht!

So we are sitting here watching wonder pets.. yes, wonder pets. I wasn't really paying attention (cake mania 3 has been calling my name!) but i heard cow, and stuck in a tree. So I ask Lucy why a cow was stuck in a tree, seeing as they aren't known for their tree climbing abilities. she tells me "The cow was blown into the tree by a twister. That's a tornado. Hot and cold mix together and it goes around and around (with appropriate hand gestures showing me how the wind goes around and around in a conical shape) and picked up the cow and blew it into the tree."

Hmm. She's pretty smart :D

Ice and snow and snow and ice and chinese food

So Kentucky has been declared a state of emergency. Yup... we had an ice storm. A big one. So tonight we decided to go for Chinese food. A little background first. We had not left the house since Sunday afternoon. Tuesday school was canceled. (We are hoping school will be back in session on Monday.) Wednesday our power went out and was out all day. It was pretty dang cold in the house so we decided not to chance it over night. We were packing up to go the shelter when the power came back on. YAY us! the world is icy cold and sparkling so we did not venture out of the house the rest of the week either. Today, seeing as we had no food left in the house, and everything is still closed except the one Chinese buffet in town, we decided to go to dinner. First we chiseled the 8 inches of ice off the top and sides of the car. Then we spent 20 min. trying to start the car. We finally got it all good and started and the kids packed in, and we tried to back up. Yeah, the tires were iced to the ground and the whole car was pretty much surrounded with ice. We had to get out of the car and chisel away the ice that was under the tires. Finally, we made it out of the parking lot and to the chinese restaurant. As we slid across the icy parking lot, Lucy declares: It smells delicious here! It makes me want to eat the walls!

Guess it is time to feed the kids!!

You can see pics of the weather on this other local blog...

Jerking skills

Alex has created a new weapon. He showed me his shoe lace tied to a hanger contraption, and told me:

Mom look I combined my jerking skills and my fighting skills to create this weapon. I can jerk really fast.

Lucy Channels Grannie

The other day Lucy asked me to go pee for her. She told me she really had to go and could I please go and do it for her. I did a double take. I have NEVER EVER asked her that. Took me back to when I was her age and Grannie would ask me the same thing, in the exact same way. weirdness.

Lucy is an angel

Today Lucy declared that she wished she could be an angel. An angel of Christmas who talks to shepherds, an angel of Fall Break, and an angel of babies, specifically to make babies stop crying.

Santa is out of touch!

Lucy and I were driving in the car yesterday and discussing Christmas Presents. We talked about the various relatives we have and what we are going to make for them. Out of the blue, Lucy mentions Santa. She decides that we need to get Santa a present also. When asked what she would like to give Santa, she thought for a minute, and then replied, "A cell phone!"

When I get my drivers license....

I am going to go to the sewing machine store! Lucy exclaimed this morning. When asked why, she replied that she wants to sew. Well, guess I should have seen that answer coming!