"The Talk"

I don't know about you but I did not know that I would be getting the where do babies come from question from my six year old.  Truthfully, that is not precisely the question that I got.  My son seemed to understand that the baby came from my stomach.  He either remembers when I was pregnant with the younger boy or maybe seeing my sister in law pregnant with my neice.  Anyway, the question I got was how does the doctor get the baby out of you?  Now I could have tried to put him off but he I think had visions of the doctor cutting me all up to get the baby out.  So calmly without using any pictures, I explained that I pushed the baby out.  Of course now he thinks I pooped (his word) the baby out.  I hope I did the right thing but it seemed to make sense to him and frankly I thought that since I had boys that should be the husbands job!  Anyway, being a reader I went looking for books on the subject.  Unbelieveably, most of the books claimed to be for the 6-8 or 7-9 age range.  I however did not think he was ready for the looking at body parts conversation so will be leaving sleeping dogs to lie at least until I get more follow up questions.

Every Kid Should Know

Childhood is so short.  When you think that childhood lasts until maybe the age of 18 and most people live to at least eighty, being a kid lasts less than a fourth of your life.  So in the vein of youth being wasted on the young, I think children should learn to make the most of childhood.  So if I could teach my kids only three things...

1. Play.  Enjoy the seasons, make snowmen and snow angels in the winter, roll down the grassy hills in the spring, jump into piles of leaves in the fall.  Play hard because snow and leaves are just not the same when you are 35 and have to clean it all up.   
2. Dream.  After adulthood, life sometimes becomes an endless repitition of chores and bills without much change.  (I realize that some people have really creative, fulfilling jobs but you still have to worry about bills and chores)  While a child, kids should use their imaginations, wear crazy mismatched outfits, pretend to be astronauts today and cowboys tomorrow.  I find it amazing that in school the kids are encouraged to conform so much.  You know, no coloring outside the lines kinds of things.  
3. Acceptance  Only the really young child seems to understand that another child is just another friend in the making.  Even the older kids start to not want to hang out with one kid cause he is overweight or another because he has a funny haircut or some other ridiculous reason.  While they are young the make friends with anyone and it is something that they should always remember to do.  I asked the three year old if he made any friends in his pre-k class and he told me  that they are all his friends and that is how it should be.  A whole class of potential friends instead of a scary room full of people you don't know.


Special thanks to Shoplet.com-Purell Hand Sanitizers for sponsoring this blog hop.

If it wasn't me, than who was it?

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week. 
As for me I totally did not send the husband over to buy older boy soccer and football cleats while our bank account is periously near zero.  I am way more financially responsible than that. 
I did not skip Church yesterday because I was too tired to get everybody dressed because I care too much about my family's spiritual well being to do that. 
I did not stay in pajamas until after lunch yesterday and did not pretend to be sleeping while actually reading in bed because I am a responsible involved mother who would never do that. 

mp3

So older boy has decided to spend some of his birthday money on an MP3 player.  My first reaction to this was ridiculous, I don't even have an MP3 player yet!  When he found one on sale in Toys R Us and I thought about it some more, we went for it.  I thought that since it is downloaded music, I would have some control over the music content that he is listening to.  After all every song on the radio is not appropriate for six year old ears.  Some aren't even appropriate for mine!  Anyway, now I have gotten myself in a position where I have to spend hours on the computer with him tomorrow so we can download music and pictures into this thing and  I am very very tired just thinking about it.  I don't know how to begin creating a songlist for him since even when I listen to the radio, I rarely pay attention to who the artist is or what the songs name is, unless it is obvious.  It occurs to me that this might indeed be obvious to you even if it isn't for me.  I mean that an artist like Michael Jackson for instance is had to mistake for someone else but I may not know the name of a Mariah Carey song even though I know it is her singing.  Anyway, neither of those artists are likely to be on my sons top ten list, I happen to know that mostly he is looking for movie soundtracks and Disney numbers with a few exceptions so I am not gonna worry about it now.  Anyway, I am online to train myself in the "new" mp3 technology to keep up with a six year old.  That should be on one of those lists.  "You know you are getting older when your six year old son is teaching you new technology" So sad.  

Lunch

That older boy is such a picky eater.  Okay not really.  He is a picky lunch at school eater.  At home, we might have peanut butter and jelly (not allowed at school cause of peanut allergies) or leftovers from the night before.  Generally he hates sandwiches (as do I) and prefers a hot lunch.  Normally this would make a great case for school lunch.  Apparently he hates the school lunch.  The have a pretty good kid friendly menu, I think anyway.  However, he doesn't like their chicken nuggets, tacos, pizza, hamburgers or spaghetti.  That pretty much leaves stuff he would never eat like chicken patties and tunafish.  So here is my challenge.  I must find a variety of foods I can give him, which can be taken to school and either eaten cold or kept warm in a thermos.  So far this year my successful forays have been, the chili, tacos and chicken ceasar salad.  Last year he ate a bit of beef and macaroni and abc soup but apparently he is tired of that and wants new things.  Any ideas, suggestions??

Fall Food Time

A lot of bloggers are talking about the beginning of fall and today I was especially thinking about it as I got up early to make chili.  My son requested chili for lunch which necessitated my getting up early in the morning to start it going.  Chili is one of those things you never eat in the summer but I make quite a bit of in the fall and winter.  I also end up cooking alot of heavier foods like roast chicken and pot roast.  No wonder that's when I gain weight!  Speaking of weight gain I really have to get back to exercising daily or at least twice a week. With all the illness in the house I have really gotten lazy. It's amazing how much more you have to motivate yourself to get started than to continue on. 

Family

Family is the best.  I don't know what I would do without mine.  I don't mean my husband and kids although they are sometimes useful.  I mean where else can you get free babysitting, party assistance, and facebook page advice for free.  I'm just saying.

Read Me! Read Me!

Well I was thinkng about that quesion of why anyone would want to read my blog. There are a few answers I could give to that. I could say that its because its about my two sons who are of superior intelligence which is totally true but you'd have to take my word for it since you're not here to test their IQ's. I could say its because they are two of the best looking kids you'll ever meet. (Also totally true) Unfortunately kids have this tendency to get older and a lot less cute and then they go through that awkward adolescent stage and then they become men with faces only their moms and girlfriends love, so what good is that? I could say its about all the joys of motherhood which I want to share with the world but then I also share the frustrations and irritations. After all why should I suffer them alone? So I started thinking about why I read other blogs. Some I read strictly because they are funny and everyone needs a laugh now and again. Some I read because I have something in common with the author. For instance I like to read blogs of other moms because I can say 'oh I remember when the 6 year old was doing that' or I can learn something from someone else who did it. It is kind or reassuring to know when you're kids are driving you mad thay it isn't just your six year old who acts maddening, it is all six year olds. I also read some blogs because I aspire to be creative or organized as they are. That's a pretty eclectic list really. I hope that you find my life as entertaining or more so than I do. I certainly have things to share with other moms especially other moms with young kids. I think I could be an effective birth control for the single people out there. Just Kidding. (See comic relief!) Seriously, I believe that anyone can learn from children. (Like how to nap effectively anytime anywhere just because.) So I decided to tell you why I write my blog. I write because I'm a full time mom. That's it. I don't go to the office and become a teacher or banker or manager or nurse although I do all those jobs anyway. I wake up and go to bed as mom. So I needed a bit of a creative outlet. If you knew me personally you would know I love to read. Seriously I have books everywhere, in every room, in drawers and closets. The next best thing is writing. If you have ever taken a creative writing class they tell you that you just have to start writing. You know, make a journal. I could sit home and write all these posts in a notebook, but do you really want all those dead trees on your conscience? See you have to read my blog if only to keep me doing it online and therefore saving many many trees, maybe a whole forest.


Special thanks to Grace Jacobsen for sponsoring this blog hop.

Things Not to do at a Six Year Old's Birthday Party

1. Do not leave ground floor windows open. Since I was cooking in the kitchen and that stupid smoke detector was going off when nothing was burning, I opened the window. I soon found several of my 6 year old guests as well as my son escaping out the window. They were playing some tag or hide-n-seek game. Since we had two operational doors, why they were escaping out windows eludes me but well they are 6 and boys.

2. Do not have a chocolate fountain. We borrowed this chocolate fountain for dipping fruits into and thought it would be cool. Well, my husband got the brilliant idea of dipping marshmallows in the chocolate. Need I say more? Well if I do, the boys had a sugar rush in less time than it took for you to read this. And they got chocolate on themselves, the table, the floors and probably their parents. I know it was on me.

3. Don't believe them when they tell you they like reptiles. My son wanted the reptile show where they bring the live animals to your home. Well the first one they brought out was a junior alligator which sent my son scurrying to hide under the table. After several empty threats and after the alligator returned to his box, he came out but only to hide at the sight of most of the other animals including the snakes. To be honest quite a few of the kids were worried about the alligator.

4. Don't think that they will eat anything. My son was much too busy running and playing in the bathroom with all his friends and cousins to eat anything other than well chocolate covered marshmallows. After all that time and money spent on food and cake my son went to bed with a stomach full of cereal.

5. Don't put a cake with toys on it within reach of little hands. Although they were patient enough to wait until the birthday candles were blown out, hands immediately reached for the desired toys and went home with I don't know who. I don't think my son was too upset about it but still.

6. Don't think that you can escape without cuts and bruises. Besides the bloody lip, and tears during the pinata (those among the guests) my husband and I both somehow ended up with bruised feet. I think that that is just begging for a vacation off my feet for at least three days. Anybody? I guess it's just me then. Oh well back to the daily grind.

Football

My older boy had his first flag football game today. Let me tell you the world of organized sports is much tougher on me than him. After you pay the $99 to join, they supply him with a mouthguard (which having worked in dentistry let me tell you won't do a thing) and t shirt. I am responsible for getting him padded pants, a cup, long sleeved undershirt(considering that the games are at 9am and around 55 degrees in the morn already) and cleats. Then, each parent is responsible for bringing half time refreshments for the team on one weekend. Now if that isn't enough and mostly a financial contribution so far...He has two one hour practices every week...at 6pm...at night. Well on school nights, I try to get them in bed by 8pm. If his practice ends exactly at 7 (hah) we don't get home til 7:20, then there is dinner and bath for both kids in less than forty minutes (a feat we have yet to manage) All in all it has been pretty exhausting thus far since it has been four weeks of practice and no games. The football game I have to say though was a lot of fun. They had the cheerleaders there for the first time and they were very entertaining. Also they had all the trappings of a real game on a shortened field. And I know that winning isn't everything, but my son's team did win and that's always fun too.

Party Stress

So I have been stressing over this reptile party for my son for weeks, okay months. Is he thankful and appreciative? Nooo. So resolution (and I know its not New Years but I'm allowed to resolve anything I want whenever I want. I like it better that way.) Older son will not have a big party at my house ever again. Besides seven year olds are too old for parties anyway. I've decided. So if the party fever comes upon me next summer, feel free to knock some sense into me. Besides, if you've seen the havoc six year old boys can wreak on just about anything you would sympathize.

A craft I can do

Trying Blog Hopping. This is my first post and of course the theme would turn out to be a difficult one for me. "Show us Your Art"




On Saturday, my son received one of those mega Lego sets which first thing Sunday morning we began putting together. Mostly this consisted of looking for the proper piece among the 825 it came with and placing it according to the directions.

These are the completed projects.

This is the as yet uncompleted project.

This is as creative as I get besides writing my blog.


This photo on the right is a project done by my husband and kids. I tried to help but when paint started getting in hair and on the floor and on clothes, I ran for cover. This is our kids' bathroom wall. The other walls are likewise covered.

A day in the life

A lot of people think that the life of a stay at home is easy or at least free of responsibilities. Not!! So for those of you who aren't stay at home mommies and those who just want to commiserate here's my life

6 am wake, put on the news, get dressed

6:15 wake children and get them down stairs, a process which takes only 5 minutes on a good day but twenty or thirty minutes on a bad day.

6:30 make breakfast, make lunch, clean tables, counters, load dishwasher

7:15 get children dressed, teeth brushed, hair combed, beds made (the older one does his own but I still have to do the other and supervise)

7:40 leave to drop older child at school

8:15 return home to clean floors of downstairs rooms (kitchen, living room, dining room)

9:00 start homeschooling of younger child we use letter of the week www.letteroftheweek.com/Preparatory.html Now on week two. Since he attends preschool twice a week. I have condensed everything into three days.

9:45 snack, clean up

10:15 more homeschooling

11:15 laundry interrupted when three year finds a sand bucket and proceeds to pour water on the hardwood floor of the playroom. Good news is now the floor is clean.

12:30 Food shopping. Loads of fun when accompanied with whiny three year old

2:00 Pick up older son from school

2:30 homework for older son, start blog for me, coloring for three year old

3:15 visit to Dairy Queen, reward for completing homework and treat since it is a hot day

3:45 Visit arts and craft store...still working on birthday party for Sunday

4:30 Leave AC Moore since six year old is having temper tantrum

5:00 Start cooking dinner and supervise handwriting practice by older son

6:30 dinner

7:00 baths

7:30 look up stuff on computer for husband

8:00 dole out medications for children, supervise tooth brushing, read bedtime stories

8:30 type blog

9:00 not yet completed but will be done...load dishwasher and drop into bed thankfully

Homework

My first grader received a packet of seven worksheets (back and front so fourteen) for homework practice last night. Since it was his birthday, I didn't make him do any but postponed it until today. All of the worksheets were stapled together with a note from his teacher saying that he needed to practice his handwriting so he can be neater and faster in class. Personally, if I can get him to do one of the two, I'm happy. Anyway she said that I can return it at the end of the week which I took to mean Friday. Now since he will continue to get regular homework during the week, I figured five sheets today, five tomorrow which would leave one each day in addition to his regular homework. Two and a half hours later we are finally done. Of that time one hour maybe an hour and a half was spent complaining and asking that his father help him instead since I'm "mean". I took him at his word and his father came and said that in addition to his regular work he was going to make him write his name 100 times before he went to bed today if he didn't cooperate with me. So he buckled down and did the rest of the work without complaining. Somehow I don't think that threat would have worked for me. After all if I couldn't make him write his ABC's how on earth was I going to make him write his name so many times?

Remembering 9/11

Most people when they talk about 9/11 it is what they were doing on 9/11/2001. Personally I was in a plane. That's right I had a flight early that morning which got diverted to Baltimore after the President grounded all aircraft so I never made my final destination which was Jamaica. (N.B. I still haven't been to Jamaica unfortunately, my hubby thinks it is jinxed) In the airport fear was rampant at one point rumors of a bomb scare set everyone running from the terminal only to be stopped in baggage claim by officers in SWAT uniforms. Anyway I ended up taking Amtrak home. But that isn't the 9/11 I remember most. For me 9/11 recalls 9/11/03 which is my eldest son's birthday. I was admitted the night before and was finally fully dilated that morning and was pushing to the sound of the annual reading of the names from ground zero. All in all a pretty unforgettable day.

Ice Cream and Cake

So my son yesterday was hysterical because it was the deadline to enter the ice cream and cake dance contest. We hadn't entered although we have been talking about it for some time. http://www.brvideocontest.com/ Of course he is firmly convinced that he is going to win us $10,000 so we can go on vacation plus he wants free ice cream. I am not nearly as convinced but am not one to sneeze at opportunity. For some reason the site is not letting you vote today even though it says to vote until October 5. However if you wander over and it works he is rodriguez boy. Do your bit to keep his heart from breaking.

Just discovered that voting doesn't start until September 25. Oh well.

the common cold

Did you know the common cold can last up to 12 days? I may of mentioned that my kids were sick a few days ago. Although they still have some lingering symptoms, (a slight runny nose in one and the occasional cough in the other) they are feeling much better. However, now I have a full on cold which I can't seem to kick. It has been more than a week and I still feel terrible. So I check out Web md to see what the normal duration is and it is a week to twelve days. http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/default.htm Can you believe it? Well on Wednesday everyone is in school so I can visit the doctor if I still feel like this. Apparently, (also according to web md) I could also have several complications including bronchitis because of my asthma and sinusitis. Isn't it interesting, that although all this information is available on the Internet with only a few clicks, the descriptions are vague or overlap enough that you still need to go to the doctor besides the fact that they have all the really good drugs. Well at least it isn't the flu although from the nasty looks I get in public, you can see that fears of swine flu are alive and well in my neighborhood.

Photo download

Ever go to to your digital camera and discover that you have pictures from six months ago still there? Okay true confession, I got the camera for Christmas and the Christmas pictures are still on there. Terrible I know. So finally downloaded 351 pictures. And then only because the hubby was asking for a specific picture from February.

A little trip to a little known place in Orlando.

Success for today anyway

Successful day of homeschooling. Yes!!! My son frequently butts head with me on this issue. He is more of a fan of unschooling which we follow for the most part in the summer. I however like to see completed worksheets and accomplished projects. Today he must have felt like cooperating or was just in the mood for worksheets because he sat down and finished 10 in a single session. Quite a feat for this particular stubborn child. I don't know where he gets it because I am so not stubborn. (this is sarcasm in case it doesn't read that way.) Seriously though, I always loved school and reading and studing. Okay I admit it, I was a nerd. So. He is just such a boy sometimes, it is like we are from different planets.