Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Things I never thought I'd say

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I've got a little list going I call it "Things I Never Thought I'd Say."
Here's a sample of ....

* Please take that salami off of your brother's head.

* Please don't lick the sink.

* We don't rub our bodies all over the walls of a public bathroom.

Here are a couple some friends have added

* Please don't put cheese on the dog.

*Please don't pick your nose and eat it.

I have a new one tonight.

I prepared another healthy delicious and nutrious meal with love and tenderness. ahem.
It was chicken salad....with chicken. carrots, mayo, salt and pepper on bread....all things my children eat in great quantities, I may add. But something about the combination of all of them together was enough to make one son start to retch and gag at the table. We have a rule, everyone must at least try their food. I am sooooo against preparing more than one meal for the people at the table. If you cannot eat what is prepared, you will go hungry for the night.

But his brother happily ate his entire sandwich and asked for dessert -- in his case popcorn. (because for some reason and at some time, pop corn became a dessert in our house) So fine, permission granted which caused the urping party great distress, weeping and whaling.
So the retching brother tried mouthful after mouthful and spit them in napkins which orbited his plate. Then he stood on his chair hovering over me with food in his mouth gagging-- eyes watering.

"Please don't throw up on me while I'm eating," I said calmly and put another bite in my mouth.

Friday, February 23, 2007

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letterboxing and clubs

The boys and I have discovered a new hobby-- "Letterboxing"
I read about it in Family Fun Magazine a few months ago and it looked way to complicated and like a lot of work.
On further review, my friend Jenny helped simplify it for me. Her kids are even younger than mine and if she could scratch interest in it, I thought I could give it a try.
So with stamp pads and directions in hand we started out. Part scavenger hunt, part nature hike, part math/reading assignment and stamping project we hunted for the hidden treasure.
The boys were thrilled.

This morning, as K readied for school he said, "Me and Joey have started a 'Get Rich Quick Club." As part of their public school experience, they have fast learned fund raising and salesmanship.
This is a marked departure from last year when he said to me as a kindergartener, "Lindsey and Erin let me in their "Girls Only Club." And they let me be the president!"

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

of boys and dogs

The baby is better. Praise God.
He is still out of sorts though, because his sleep schedule is all out of whack. We brought him into bed with us during his illness so we could get a little sleep. Now he is having a hard time being by himself in his bed.
He has developed what appears to be a run of the mill cold and is still a little clingy.

But life is good.

Thank you for Fat Tuesday. I am giving up desserts for lent. So next to me sits a Godiva chocolate cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. I am waiting for my friend to arrive and hope she will share her turtle cheesecake with me.

I thought I should give up my biggest vice...diet pop, but I know that I am not ready for that yet.

The older boys are great. Q has been taking swimming lessons at the Y. K has begun rock wall climbing there too and soccer is about to begin for both of them.

They are in love with the two puppies of our neighbors (who were pictured in an earlier post). And luckily the neighbors endulge them and let them play and walk them and it gives everyone just enough of a puppy fix to get us through until 2.3 years go by and we get our own.

At this point, my carpet is trashed. The furniture is in rough shreds covered with slip covers. We'll get a dog before we get new anything.

My hunka is not thrilled about a dog. He says we should give the money we'd spend on a dog to the church. My friend AE says it is spending money taking care of God's kingdom.

The debate goes on.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

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a sunday for the dogs

So the baby is sick again. Oh how I hate it.
A fever this time. This is the third day in a row he's had this mysterious fever. He shivers and shakes when his Motrin wears off and is just generally miserable.
And to add another mark in my "Mother of the Year" resume, I left the sick baby and two older perfectly healthy children ((Griper and Hyper)) in my husband's care all day yesterday so I could go scrapbook.
I tend to get in a bit of a downward spiral when I have a sick kid. I start to worry. And then I obsess.... maybe this is the start of something worse? Isn't this just how Ebola begins? ! General malaise and a fever? OH wait. I'm starting to not feel so well myself. Oh wait you over there, do you have a runny nose... Isn't that how a brain hemorrhage starts?
So needless to say, it probably was better I was out of the house.

Speaking of obsessing, I am warning you I may write about this for 2.3 years until the event finally takes place, but I've begun looking at taking the plunge and getting a dog. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know. I've been on petfinder and a local Lab rescue website, looking for that hole in my head which I've been so desparately missing.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

vday

befoe I stat i have to mention on thing....i am typing on my hubby's laptop....and the "R" key is broken off....which means sometimes it types and sometimes it doesn't....so please keep this in mind while eading.....
I'm about to sound like a foagie here, but I remember the day when Valentines Day at school was about making those constuction paper coveed boxes and eveyone put in the small little cards.
Nowadays, it is not enough to put just a card....there must be attached a pencil, candies, rubber animal, eraser....some kids....(childen of the alpha moms)....come with an entie gift bag full of crap.
i miss the letter R.....I will sign off for now..

Monday, February 12, 2007

Weekend Warriors

We have emerged from the wreckage.
Bruised but not broken.
Weak but not worn.

Operation Stomach Influenza commenced Thursday night.

Son #2 woke to the pounding pains of stomach turmoil.

One by one we fell.
literally.
For me, I had my first fainting experience.

Over the days and nights of infantry battle, younger troops shouted and cried,
"This is the worst _____ ever." Fill in the blanks here, because it was used many times.

Though we tried hard for days to protect the youngest and perceived weakest in our company, the babe woke from his nap and played happily in his own vomit, Sunday 2100 GMT. The last of our battalion to go.

Now we walk among the wreckage, piles of laundry and linens piled high and low like the forgotten dug trenches of war. Cups, spoons and crusts litter the landscape. Lysol and bleach wipes laugh at our attempts to do damage control.

The worst is over, for now.

As one of the soldiers proclaimed in the heat of battle, "this is the worst night of my life."
All I could tell him was "Oh how I wish it could be."

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

oh baby


We are in full blown climbing stage around here. KC also got his first dose of "what happens when you torment a cat." It usually only takes one facial scratch, and the babies' tend to learn.

black hole of the internet

I am sucked into the internet tonight like an addict chasing a fill.
I bounce from bill pay to a charity search.
I check the baby care schedule of a friend to a search for a dog which I clearly do not need.
I have six email accounts.
I check my sister's, niece's my space pages. I check in on two blogs that I like.
I delete 2893 emails from my work account....I do this one at a time until I cleverly call the tech guy at work to ask him how to highlight the emails to speed this thing up....so now I delete 25 at a time. brutal.
I check out the vacation bible school curriculum for ideas for charities the kids can work for.
I try to put money in an IRA, but the page has rejected me.
I want to pay a bill, but can't find the account number.

I am so tired, but yet I cannot stop. I will regret this at 6am when my morning son will come and wake me for the day.

I feel like I get nothing done, and this is why I don't.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

OH brother....

Yesterday these are the words I heard my four-year old speak to his brother, "Who art thou?"

"Who art thou?"

As I type this I can hear him upstairs....chanting that classic Queen song "We Will Rock You."
The boys were exposed to this ditty at a Braves baseball game. Here's how it goes in our house, You know how it starts.....STOMP STOMP CLAP....STOMP STOMP CLAP....STOMP STOMP CLAP....
"we will we will....rock you
and sock you
and flush you down the toilet.
We hope you enjoy it. "

Oh brother who art thou?