the man cannot find the traps. so, we're off to buy some. he does not believe me, I think. he keeps saying things about "field mice" and "all of this rain we've had have driven them up to the house from the woods to be nice and dry."
umm, I'm not the Rodent Holiday Inn and they are not welcome and they better get their little rat tails out of here before they get the 'ole "chop chop" with the trapitty trap. (in case you're wondering, I'm talking in baby talk because in my worst nightmares, these rats can read my blog and will know where we set the traps and just hang out a bit longer for the pure joy of causing me terror and twitches).
so, you should have seen us this morning. I took everything out of my side of the garage and cleaned the floor with bleach water. no mice/rats were found. little droppings were found, however. I actually used this as an excuse to do a major clean out/declutter and got rid of a lot of junk that has just been sitting out there, apparently looking like a cozy home for a rat. so, I pitched a bunch of stuff.
all of this time, my son was standing at the ready...Pirates of the Caribbean sword in hand, ready to protect his Momma and/or beat a rat. he was a little disappointed that no rats jumped out at me. I, however, was just fine with that.
so, we got the clean side of the garage cleaner. now the man can do his side on Tuesday. his side involves a lawnmower and other yard stuff and a workbench. and his side is way dirtier than mine was. I told my son that he maybe would get a chance to use that sword on Tuesday.
and now, we are back from a swim and all fed and dry and the baby is sleeping. I am almost caught up on laundry. and the kids are watching some really odd show on TV. something called the 2008 Euro Finals or something. it's soccer. anyways, the halftime show was people dresses as Amadeus and people inside balloon covered Christmas trees. I kid you not...in June. so, want to hear what an American child has to say about this? of course you do, I can't make up the stuff she says, she is hilarious!
me-"so, E, what are you watching?'
E-"umm, it's in Yourrrrroooo. is that near North Carolina?"
me-"nope honey, Europe is a different country across the Atlantic Ocean."
E-"ohhhhhh, so it's near the Queen?"
me(impressed!)-"yes! the Queen does live in Europe. I'm not sure which country this game is in, but maybe the Queen is there, watching."
E-(rolling her little eyes a bit)"umm, Momma....Queens do NOT like soccer."
me-"how do you know?"
E-"well, you can't wear your crown and dress when you play soccer! they would get all dirty and a Queen can never be seen dirty. it's the truth. it's a law."
so, they are still watching the soccer. they are impressed with the amount of sweat that is flying off of these guys' heads when they do a hard kick. other than that, we're all still confused on the Christmas trees.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
oh dear Jesus, rodents that I did not purchase are in my garage
Lord....I bought and paid for 4 hamsters in my lifetime. 2 have passed away and have been given a nice Christian burial in our backyard. 2 are currently very happily running like crazy on their wheel in the family room, inside their cage.
however, I have just seen 4 additional rodents in my garage that I did NOT purchase from Petsmart.
SHIT!!!!!!! there are mice in my garage. there are mice in my garage. omg. mice.
and, they looked very...healthy. what if they are pregnant and give birth to a million little tiny mice in my garage?
shudder. shake. twitch. sweat.
the children have clearly seen way too much Animal Planet. their response after Momma collected herself and was able to speak and tell them what was in the garage...
son "cool! can we keep them?"
daughter "are they carnivores?"
no, ewwwws, icks, yikes, or screams. who's children are these kids, anyways? I had to tell them about all of the terrible diseases and the huge knife like fangs on wild mice to keep them out of the garage. (a little white lie here and there is OK as long as you are a Mom. I'm sure Mary told Jesus to stay away from bugs because they were evil at some point in his childhood. then of course, he went and blessed everything and made it all "part of His world". sheesh, He could have left out the mice as part of God's living creatures"
the man was ever so helpful. (insert extreme sport eye rolling here)I called him, and told him as calmly as I could about the giant flesh eating, disease yielding, evil rodents that are calling our garage, "Home Sweet Home".
his response- "well, keep the door shut". noooooo, really? I was pondering keeping the door open and maybe setting out a cheese ball for the little effers.
then he says- "we have traps. I know we have traps. in fact, they may be out in the garage. hahahahahaha (not me laughing) you wouldn't want to go out there and see if the traps are on my workbench, would you?"
I believe the silence was enough of an answer here.
so, I now have 2 more hours before he gets home. 2 hours to see little things moving on the ground out of the corner of my eye.
maybe I could call the neighbor and borrow her cat for the night.
however, I have just seen 4 additional rodents in my garage that I did NOT purchase from Petsmart.
SHIT!!!!!!! there are mice in my garage. there are mice in my garage. omg. mice.
and, they looked very...healthy. what if they are pregnant and give birth to a million little tiny mice in my garage?
shudder. shake. twitch. sweat.
the children have clearly seen way too much Animal Planet. their response after Momma collected herself and was able to speak and tell them what was in the garage...
son "cool! can we keep them?"
daughter "are they carnivores?"
no, ewwwws, icks, yikes, or screams. who's children are these kids, anyways? I had to tell them about all of the terrible diseases and the huge knife like fangs on wild mice to keep them out of the garage. (a little white lie here and there is OK as long as you are a Mom. I'm sure Mary told Jesus to stay away from bugs because they were evil at some point in his childhood. then of course, he went and blessed everything and made it all "part of His world". sheesh, He could have left out the mice as part of God's living creatures"
the man was ever so helpful. (insert extreme sport eye rolling here)I called him, and told him as calmly as I could about the giant flesh eating, disease yielding, evil rodents that are calling our garage, "Home Sweet Home".
his response- "well, keep the door shut". noooooo, really? I was pondering keeping the door open and maybe setting out a cheese ball for the little effers.
then he says- "we have traps. I know we have traps. in fact, they may be out in the garage. hahahahahaha (not me laughing) you wouldn't want to go out there and see if the traps are on my workbench, would you?"
I believe the silence was enough of an answer here.
so, I now have 2 more hours before he gets home. 2 hours to see little things moving on the ground out of the corner of my eye.
maybe I could call the neighbor and borrow her cat for the night.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
no, you're not seeing things...2 posts in the same day
there is a God! the man came home early(gasp!!!) and saved, umm, helped me with the karate class schedule.
you see, when our son started karate, the baby was 2 months old. easy to transport. easy to keep happy. feed him, snuggle him, make sure diaper was clean...he was happy. now, he's mobile, loud, and well...a bit difficult.(yes, I know...a Momma is not supposed to admit that her offspring is anything but absolutely 100% perfect, but, well, I'm not the average Momma.)he's a bit of a challenge. OK, let me spell it out, he can be a little terror on wobbly legs with extremely high functioning lungs sometimes. and, karate class has become a whole ordeal. I have to pack double snacks, pack toys, pack extra wipes, plan on him starting to scream anywhere from 5-15 minutes into class and having to make a hasty retreat outside. so, the man coming home early meant I could take our older son to karate all by myself. ahhhhhhhhh. one child. pure bliss.
and, surprise surprise...tonight was testing! umm, I missed a memo somewhere. but, he did great!
notice the crazy hair
he left home as a purple belt, and came home as a blue belt! yeah!!!!!
you see, when our son started karate, the baby was 2 months old. easy to transport. easy to keep happy. feed him, snuggle him, make sure diaper was clean...he was happy. now, he's mobile, loud, and well...a bit difficult.(yes, I know...a Momma is not supposed to admit that her offspring is anything but absolutely 100% perfect, but, well, I'm not the average Momma.)he's a bit of a challenge. OK, let me spell it out, he can be a little terror on wobbly legs with extremely high functioning lungs sometimes. and, karate class has become a whole ordeal. I have to pack double snacks, pack toys, pack extra wipes, plan on him starting to scream anywhere from 5-15 minutes into class and having to make a hasty retreat outside. so, the man coming home early meant I could take our older son to karate all by myself. ahhhhhhhhh. one child. pure bliss.
and, surprise surprise...tonight was testing! umm, I missed a memo somewhere. but, he did great!
notice the crazy hairhe left home as a purple belt, and came home as a blue belt! yeah!!!!!
Zombie Momma
I have slept no more than 2 hours at a stretch for the past 5 nights. I'm officially in walking zombie state. started as a slight runny nose, then severe crankiness, then I could see 2 molars coming through(UR,LL) and now it is an all out whatever just worked 5 minutes ago to make me happy, it doesn't work anymore so you'd better try something new and I will just sit here and scream until you figure out what I want. the other 2 have taken to rolling their eyes and leaving the room.(hey, why can't I do that and get away with it? oh..right...I'm the Momma)
Motrin, teething tablets, cold stuff to chew on, Ambesol, Benadryl have all been tried. some work for about 2 hours, and then all Hell breaks loose again. also, last night he had a slight fever, but that could be due to the absolute screaming, writhing fit he had prior to me taking his temp. I'm sure his mouth hurts. it looks painful. if the teeth would just come all of the way through the gums we'd all be a lot happier. and geeze, he only has, what...10 more teeth to come after these 2 finish up? I'd better buy stock in MAC concealer right now, 'cuz these black circles are not fading anytime soon.
I had forgotten how fun this stage was.
Motrin, teething tablets, cold stuff to chew on, Ambesol, Benadryl have all been tried. some work for about 2 hours, and then all Hell breaks loose again. also, last night he had a slight fever, but that could be due to the absolute screaming, writhing fit he had prior to me taking his temp. I'm sure his mouth hurts. it looks painful. if the teeth would just come all of the way through the gums we'd all be a lot happier. and geeze, he only has, what...10 more teeth to come after these 2 finish up? I'd better buy stock in MAC concealer right now, 'cuz these black circles are not fading anytime soon.
I had forgotten how fun this stage was.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Vacation Bible School
if you are reading this and are friends with me, please remind me next year that I do not need to volunteer at VBS every year. I simply don't. other Moms don't, why do I? heck, other Moms who have never been to my church bring their kids and drop them off for 3 hours every day for 1 week. and some were there at 8AM trying to drop off. VBS starts at 9. a little free babysitter happy time, anyone?
all in all, where I am is not too bad. it could be a lot worse. however, they forgot to feed us. mental note to bring more snacks tomorrow. I don't function well on 2 cups of coffee and graham cracker until 1PM.
Tuesday 6/17 - well, ladies and gentlemen...we have a biter in the Nursery. broke the skin, blood, the whole deal. I'm sure there will be a nasty bruise on a belly tomorrow. Mom of victim was very nice(moreso than I would have been). Mom of biter was...unconcerned. wondering if this little one has done this in the past and Mom just did not feel it necessary to share that news with us.
Wednesday 6/18 - bite victim did not return. I called the Mom and left a message asking if she was OK, etc. never returned my call. assuming she may have been a bit more peeved than she appeared the day of the incident. biter was there, happy as can be. no further victims today.
Thursday 6/19 - biter and another 2 year old got promoted to the 2 year old classroom. (they had 2 that left on vacation and space opened up....I warned teacher of biter) room was much calmer...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. my child is bound and determined to teach the other 1 year old how to use chairs and any other movable furniture on how to climb to high, unsafe places. he seems to find joy in being up high. perhaps he'll be a pilot. or a high-ride window washer.
in other news, I got to hold a 2 month old baby today:) she was so sweet. her Dad has been watching her M-W, but today and tomorrow, she'll be in the Nursery with us. Luke was not impressed with his Momma holding a baby. he actually grunted at me, fell to the ground at my feet, and did a baby cry impression with a very pitiful expression on his face. it was kind of comical, but he really was so out of sorts over it.
Friday 6/20 - oh my.
2 one year olds, 1 two month old, 2 two year old twin boys. today was supposed to be nice and easy like yesterday was. the twins(the other employee's grandsons)decided that they did not want to finish VBS withthe other 2 year olds. in fact, they made it LOUD and clear that there was no way in H*ll they were going into that room today. so, Grandma say, "oh, they can stay with me down in the Nursery today. we have plenty of room." famous last words, my friend, famous last words.
these 2 are, what a nice person would call, "full of life", "energetic", even, "playful".
I call them little 3 foot tall holy terrors. times 2!
these kids dumped every bucket, turned every toy over, dumped 20 books and then demanded to be fed...all within the first 20 minutes of their arrival. the 1 year olds were awestruck by their destruction power. I was busy with the 2 month old, trying to get a breastfed baby to drink for a bottle is not so easy.
let's just say that by the time the day was over, it took us about 30 minutes to put the room back together.
Saturday 6/21 - no, I did not have more VBS today. tonight was the wrap-up party at the 6:30PM church service. it was fun, the kids all sang and danced and then we had desserts afterwards. (always a good end to the day to have a nice, sugary cake served to you)
but, with all of the thank yous and the recognitions for people's hard work....not one mention to the Nursery staff. again. this always perplexes me that we are not thanked. people just sort of expect us to be there. every single year it's the same. don't know why I was surprised.
all in all, where I am is not too bad. it could be a lot worse. however, they forgot to feed us. mental note to bring more snacks tomorrow. I don't function well on 2 cups of coffee and graham cracker until 1PM.
Tuesday 6/17 - well, ladies and gentlemen...we have a biter in the Nursery. broke the skin, blood, the whole deal. I'm sure there will be a nasty bruise on a belly tomorrow. Mom of victim was very nice(moreso than I would have been). Mom of biter was...unconcerned. wondering if this little one has done this in the past and Mom just did not feel it necessary to share that news with us.
Wednesday 6/18 - bite victim did not return. I called the Mom and left a message asking if she was OK, etc. never returned my call. assuming she may have been a bit more peeved than she appeared the day of the incident. biter was there, happy as can be. no further victims today.
Thursday 6/19 - biter and another 2 year old got promoted to the 2 year old classroom. (they had 2 that left on vacation and space opened up....I warned teacher of biter) room was much calmer...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. my child is bound and determined to teach the other 1 year old how to use chairs and any other movable furniture on how to climb to high, unsafe places. he seems to find joy in being up high. perhaps he'll be a pilot. or a high-ride window washer.
in other news, I got to hold a 2 month old baby today:) she was so sweet. her Dad has been watching her M-W, but today and tomorrow, she'll be in the Nursery with us. Luke was not impressed with his Momma holding a baby. he actually grunted at me, fell to the ground at my feet, and did a baby cry impression with a very pitiful expression on his face. it was kind of comical, but he really was so out of sorts over it.
Friday 6/20 - oh my.
2 one year olds, 1 two month old, 2 two year old twin boys. today was supposed to be nice and easy like yesterday was. the twins(the other employee's grandsons)decided that they did not want to finish VBS withthe other 2 year olds. in fact, they made it LOUD and clear that there was no way in H*ll they were going into that room today. so, Grandma say, "oh, they can stay with me down in the Nursery today. we have plenty of room." famous last words, my friend, famous last words.
these 2 are, what a nice person would call, "full of life", "energetic", even, "playful".
I call them little 3 foot tall holy terrors. times 2!
these kids dumped every bucket, turned every toy over, dumped 20 books and then demanded to be fed...all within the first 20 minutes of their arrival. the 1 year olds were awestruck by their destruction power. I was busy with the 2 month old, trying to get a breastfed baby to drink for a bottle is not so easy.
let's just say that by the time the day was over, it took us about 30 minutes to put the room back together.
Saturday 6/21 - no, I did not have more VBS today. tonight was the wrap-up party at the 6:30PM church service. it was fun, the kids all sang and danced and then we had desserts afterwards. (always a good end to the day to have a nice, sugary cake served to you)
but, with all of the thank yous and the recognitions for people's hard work....not one mention to the Nursery staff. again. this always perplexes me that we are not thanked. people just sort of expect us to be there. every single year it's the same. don't know why I was surprised.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Father's Day
I have not banned all mention of Happy Father's Day like I previously said I would do.
there, fine, I'm a big fat liar liar pants on fire. I'm OK with that.
we have said Happy Father's Day. we have made the man his favorite 2 meals (steak and spaghetti with meat sauce, yeah, he's my favorite carnivore), a card was made, much hugging and kissing and singing has happened.
which brings me to another favorite guy of mine, my Dad. he is in his old person cabin right now, in North Carolina. and if any of you ever wonder what the weather is there, please feel free to call him. he loves to tell you the exact weather conditions, every time you call, even if it's still the same day. today was 64 and chilly. they even needed a blanket last night. and the rain gauge read 1.16 inches. I get these informative tidbits EVERY TIME I CALL. and every time he tells me this crap, I wonder to myself...wth does he care what the weather is doing? he is retired. it's not like the weather is gonna mess up his 9AM coffee with cream and newspaper time. but, he loves it.(and I should mention, the man is reading over my shoulder right now and thoughtfully pointed out that The Weather Channel is listed under my favorite places and the apple does not fall from the tree, hee hee hee. well, listen, if your ass paid attention to The Weather Channel you would not have been trying to drive to work during Hurricane Floyd in 1999 when your wife was ready to pop at any given moment with your firstborn. and what about Hurricane Charley where you left us sitting in the closet with 2 children, a dog and 2 cats and then you got stuck at the Happiest Place on Earth because of fallen trees. oh yeah, I hold a grudge, buddy. if I am going to be stuck inside a master bedroom closet with all 3 of our children and pets, you damn well will be right there with me next time. Mr. "Oh I'm So Unworried and Not Phased that We Live in Hurricane Central USA because my Wife is a Weather Maniac").
wow, I didn't realize I had so much anger still inside of me pertaining to weather. got a bit off-topic, sorry.
so, it's Father's Day 2008. do you think he would fall for it if I told him he gets to spend Father's Day taking care of the kids while Momma takes a nap? because he is a good Daddy. the kids tell me so all of the time. especially in the mornings when they tell me what he fed them for breakfast while I was in the shower. (cole slaw, leftover spaghetti, and blueberry muffins) breakfast of champions.
there, fine, I'm a big fat liar liar pants on fire. I'm OK with that.
we have said Happy Father's Day. we have made the man his favorite 2 meals (steak and spaghetti with meat sauce, yeah, he's my favorite carnivore), a card was made, much hugging and kissing and singing has happened.
which brings me to another favorite guy of mine, my Dad. he is in his old person cabin right now, in North Carolina. and if any of you ever wonder what the weather is there, please feel free to call him. he loves to tell you the exact weather conditions, every time you call, even if it's still the same day. today was 64 and chilly. they even needed a blanket last night. and the rain gauge read 1.16 inches. I get these informative tidbits EVERY TIME I CALL. and every time he tells me this crap, I wonder to myself...wth does he care what the weather is doing? he is retired. it's not like the weather is gonna mess up his 9AM coffee with cream and newspaper time. but, he loves it.(and I should mention, the man is reading over my shoulder right now and thoughtfully pointed out that The Weather Channel is listed under my favorite places and the apple does not fall from the tree, hee hee hee. well, listen, if your ass paid attention to The Weather Channel you would not have been trying to drive to work during Hurricane Floyd in 1999 when your wife was ready to pop at any given moment with your firstborn. and what about Hurricane Charley where you left us sitting in the closet with 2 children, a dog and 2 cats and then you got stuck at the Happiest Place on Earth because of fallen trees. oh yeah, I hold a grudge, buddy. if I am going to be stuck inside a master bedroom closet with all 3 of our children and pets, you damn well will be right there with me next time. Mr. "Oh I'm So Unworried and Not Phased that We Live in Hurricane Central USA because my Wife is a Weather Maniac").
wow, I didn't realize I had so much anger still inside of me pertaining to weather. got a bit off-topic, sorry.
so, it's Father's Day 2008. do you think he would fall for it if I told him he gets to spend Father's Day taking care of the kids while Momma takes a nap? because he is a good Daddy. the kids tell me so all of the time. especially in the mornings when they tell me what he fed them for breakfast while I was in the shower. (cole slaw, leftover spaghetti, and blueberry muffins) breakfast of champions.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Poop!!!!!!!!!
well, I thought the current bathing situation that occurs in my house was OK for the time being. my poor, sweet daughter. she is so....gaggable. poor thing!
so last night, oldest son was in the shower by himself. daughter and baby were in the bathtub together. they play well, they love to dump water on one another, and generally get along very well. so I take this time as my child-free time to clean up the kitchen post dinner.
last night, I am loading up the dishwasher and am listening to giggling and laughjing and splashing and then all of a sudden, I hear a very serious 4 year old voice scream out, "POOP! POOP! POOP!".
and I knew, he did it again. he pooped in the tub. but this time, daughter was in the tub with him, the other times he has been alone.(well, not alone, I was in the bathroom...but alone as in he was the only person in the tub.)
sigh. I go in there, and yes. yes. there is poop. lots of poop. floaters and sinkers. and my daughter is STILL SITTING IN THE TUB. surrounded by poops. I tell her to get out right now and step onto the rug. she does and is dry heaving all over the place. I looked at her eye to eye and told her point blank, "I have no time to clean up puke right now, I'm busy with poop. look over the other way and think of a happy thought." (seriously, where do I find these words sometimes? "think of a happy thought"? way too many Disney movies)
so I am draining the tub, one hand on son who is now trying to help me by catching the poops(he got 1...flung it into the open toilet and then sat down and clapped for himself), other hand scooping poops and trying to not smell. got it all emptied, took son out and cleaned tub with Clorox wipes, re-filled tub and the bathing resumed. my daughter was traumitized. she kept looking at her baby brother with this look of utter disgust and saying, "you can just be so gross sometimes". lol (I had to take this opportunity to tell her that she also did the poop bath a few times as a baby, to which she vehemently denies)
I asked her if she was done taking baths with the baby. her response, "as long as he doesn't poop, he's an OK kid."
thinking back on the weeks in the hospital due to the fact that the boy couldn't poop, I found that statement amusing.
so last night, oldest son was in the shower by himself. daughter and baby were in the bathtub together. they play well, they love to dump water on one another, and generally get along very well. so I take this time as my child-free time to clean up the kitchen post dinner.
last night, I am loading up the dishwasher and am listening to giggling and laughjing and splashing and then all of a sudden, I hear a very serious 4 year old voice scream out, "POOP! POOP! POOP!".
and I knew, he did it again. he pooped in the tub. but this time, daughter was in the tub with him, the other times he has been alone.(well, not alone, I was in the bathroom...but alone as in he was the only person in the tub.)
sigh. I go in there, and yes. yes. there is poop. lots of poop. floaters and sinkers. and my daughter is STILL SITTING IN THE TUB. surrounded by poops. I tell her to get out right now and step onto the rug. she does and is dry heaving all over the place. I looked at her eye to eye and told her point blank, "I have no time to clean up puke right now, I'm busy with poop. look over the other way and think of a happy thought." (seriously, where do I find these words sometimes? "think of a happy thought"? way too many Disney movies)
so I am draining the tub, one hand on son who is now trying to help me by catching the poops(he got 1...flung it into the open toilet and then sat down and clapped for himself), other hand scooping poops and trying to not smell. got it all emptied, took son out and cleaned tub with Clorox wipes, re-filled tub and the bathing resumed. my daughter was traumitized. she kept looking at her baby brother with this look of utter disgust and saying, "you can just be so gross sometimes". lol (I had to take this opportunity to tell her that she also did the poop bath a few times as a baby, to which she vehemently denies)
I asked her if she was done taking baths with the baby. her response, "as long as he doesn't poop, he's an OK kid."
thinking back on the weeks in the hospital due to the fact that the boy couldn't poop, I found that statement amusing.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
my son, the future mountain climber
so I have mentioned I have 3 children. the youngest was a bit of a "surprise" who has caused us much worry and brought lots of love and happiness into our family. he is a wonderful little charmer. to look at him all you see is this big gummy smile with drool spilling out over his lower lip and these big, bright sparkling eyes. he is truly a very "pretty" child. (well, of course I think so, but total strangers tell me this, too, so don't read this and think , "omg, this Momma is totally full of herself and her brilliant, beautiful children", kwim?)
my children have always been...limber. firstborn child climbs trees, climbs up slides, climbs on top of swing sets....you know, typical heart failure Momma moments at any given time of day. he started this at about age 1. hasn't stopped yet.
my daughter, not to be outdone by a big brother, climbed out of her crib at 10 months old. she could not walk yet, but damn, she could climb! she undid the little crib tent thingy we installed and then we just said "eff it" and turned the crib into a toddler bed. she has slightly calmed down in the climbing department.
which brings us to the baby. he just turned 1.
guess what he can climb?
changing tables....done- got rid of it.
ladders....if it's within his reach, he'll climb it.
windows...not quite sure but I think he must have suction cups hidden somewhere.
stoves...that handy dandy broiler rack is a perfect step stool.
tables....easy schmeasy.
couches...doesn't even break a sweat with these.
stairs...easy as pie.
crib- shut your mouth! he has not figured out as of yet that the crib could be
scaled.(thank you, God, for this 1 safety zone.)
the latest accomplishment was today...his big brother's IKEA loft bed. and he
carried a car up with him, so I'm assuming that means at times he was 1 handing
the climbing.(insert Momma shudder here)
thank goodness he has not been hurt. I, on the other hand, had a minor panic/anxiety attack once I got him safely down and the started to think about what COULD have happened.
and I think to myself, he can do all of this at 1. what does the world hold for him at say, 25? Everest? Kilimanjaro? skyscraper window washer? ski jumper? will he turn to the camera 1 day and say "hi Momma"? I sure hope so.
my children have always been...limber. firstborn child climbs trees, climbs up slides, climbs on top of swing sets....you know, typical heart failure Momma moments at any given time of day. he started this at about age 1. hasn't stopped yet.
my daughter, not to be outdone by a big brother, climbed out of her crib at 10 months old. she could not walk yet, but damn, she could climb! she undid the little crib tent thingy we installed and then we just said "eff it" and turned the crib into a toddler bed. she has slightly calmed down in the climbing department.
which brings us to the baby. he just turned 1.
guess what he can climb?
changing tables....done- got rid of it.
ladders....if it's within his reach, he'll climb it.
windows...not quite sure but I think he must have suction cups hidden somewhere.
stoves...that handy dandy broiler rack is a perfect step stool.
tables....easy schmeasy.
couches...doesn't even break a sweat with these.
stairs...easy as pie.
crib- shut your mouth! he has not figured out as of yet that the crib could be
scaled.(thank you, God, for this 1 safety zone.)
the latest accomplishment was today...his big brother's IKEA loft bed. and he
carried a car up with him, so I'm assuming that means at times he was 1 handing
the climbing.(insert Momma shudder here)
thank goodness he has not been hurt. I, on the other hand, had a minor panic/anxiety attack once I got him safely down and the started to think about what COULD have happened.
and I think to myself, he can do all of this at 1. what does the world hold for him at say, 25? Everest? Kilimanjaro? skyscraper window washer? ski jumper? will he turn to the camera 1 day and say "hi Momma"? I sure hope so.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Tales of a dance recital and more musings
omg. tween and teen aged girls can talk a lot. I once was a teen, did I talk as much as this? omg, I need to give my Mom a hug. and a Tylenol. and maybe a beer or some other yummy alcoholic drink.
so...Friday was the dress rehearsal. I had to get my niece to a local high school by noon in full make-up and hair done ready for her first dance.
applying false eyelashes....for the 1st time in my life!
Just got to the High School in Monkey Make-up and Hair
The Dressing Room (before show)
The Dressing Room(other side of room)
the after the show dressing room
![]()
but, rehearsal did not actually start until 2. we needed those 2 hours to first carry all of her 5 costumes and various shoes and accessories(see above pic...I carried all of that stuff) and a rolling garment rack and a make-up kit and snacks and a decorated umbrella and a decorated top hat into the theater. then, we were told that the 1 dressing room was being used by only senior members of the dance company. that left everyone else...dressing in the hall. wonderful. then, someone got the brilliant idea that the other dressing room could be utilized if we moved all of the stored chairs and tables from there in another classroom. whew....we are now in a room with about 10 girls and all of their dance paraphernalia. this sounds odd, but it was much better to be closed in a dressing room that to be out in the hallway. (how the heck were these girls supposed to change clothes and do make-up in a hallway with everyone else(boys) walking around?)so, I must admit. I was brilliant with this recital crap. I laminated the schedule and hung it on her dressing rack so we had 1 page to see for each show(there were 3...each completely different)with her dances highlighted with costume listed. we had extras of everything thanks to my sil. these extras were used a lot. there was 1 other Mom who was with her daughter in the dressing room pre-show and rehearsal set up day. these girls had forgotten hair nets, hairspray, bobby pins, you name it.
and, they had all apparently not eaten prior to dress rehearsal(what Momma drops off their child at a dress rehearsal for 10+ hours without breakfast?). the snacks I picked up were devoured by 2PM. luckily, they did provide a food table at about 4PM. good thing, too, because we were there until almost midnight. they got through all 3 show rehearsals. everything went relatively smoothly. (1 girl was in a bit over the top drama queen mode, but I was told later that this was actually here everyday self...nothing special for the recital)
In Flying Monkey costume with a Munchkin friend
Munchkin Colleen(this is the dress that I made!)
and, somehow I became in charge of a group of 4 year olds for show B. they were dancing to Witch Doctor and were absolutely adorable. and loud. and there was crying and hitting and fighting involved at one point. but, I'm used to that so I separated the 2 that were not meshing well and then it quieted down a lot. well, I say it quieted down. as quiet as 104 girls crammed into a band room waiting for their turn to go dance could possibly be. (same drama queen made a short appearance in the band room to scream out, "little girls need to shut their mouths!", and then left again. really special, huh? she is a graduating senior who all of these littles look up to...yeah, there was more crying after she left.
so, I got my girls through the waiting and we made it onto stage and did their dance. they all got back to the band room. then we waited for a practice bow. then they all went home. aren't they cute?
we got ready for the next show rehearsal. these girls were all absolutely amazing. the dances, the costumes, the back stage crew....with all of the chaos backstage, the show looked flawless from the audience.
here are some pics that I took from the backstage area(I wasn't supposed to be here, so forgive the quality of the pics...I was hiding in the curtains, lol)
group notes on stage
Flying Monkeys rehearsal
"Wicked" rehearsal
more of "Wicked"
(below)the cast afterwards, minus Dorothy and Toto
all done and ready to go to the after party!
1 tired dancer
who donated her hair to Locks of Love the next day!
whew, glad that is over with. I'm going to bed!
so...Friday was the dress rehearsal. I had to get my niece to a local high school by noon in full make-up and hair done ready for her first dance.
applying false eyelashes....for the 1st time in my life!
Just got to the High School in Monkey Make-up and Hair
The Dressing Room (before show)
The Dressing Room(other side of room)
the after the show dressing room
but, rehearsal did not actually start until 2. we needed those 2 hours to first carry all of her 5 costumes and various shoes and accessories(see above pic...I carried all of that stuff) and a rolling garment rack and a make-up kit and snacks and a decorated umbrella and a decorated top hat into the theater. then, we were told that the 1 dressing room was being used by only senior members of the dance company. that left everyone else...dressing in the hall. wonderful. then, someone got the brilliant idea that the other dressing room could be utilized if we moved all of the stored chairs and tables from there in another classroom. whew....we are now in a room with about 10 girls and all of their dance paraphernalia. this sounds odd, but it was much better to be closed in a dressing room that to be out in the hallway. (how the heck were these girls supposed to change clothes and do make-up in a hallway with everyone else(boys) walking around?)so, I must admit. I was brilliant with this recital crap. I laminated the schedule and hung it on her dressing rack so we had 1 page to see for each show(there were 3...each completely different)with her dances highlighted with costume listed. we had extras of everything thanks to my sil. these extras were used a lot. there was 1 other Mom who was with her daughter in the dressing room pre-show and rehearsal set up day. these girls had forgotten hair nets, hairspray, bobby pins, you name it.
and, they had all apparently not eaten prior to dress rehearsal(what Momma drops off their child at a dress rehearsal for 10+ hours without breakfast?). the snacks I picked up were devoured by 2PM. luckily, they did provide a food table at about 4PM. good thing, too, because we were there until almost midnight. they got through all 3 show rehearsals. everything went relatively smoothly. (1 girl was in a bit over the top drama queen mode, but I was told later that this was actually here everyday self...nothing special for the recital)
In Flying Monkey costume with a Munchkin friend
Munchkin Colleen(this is the dress that I made!)
and, somehow I became in charge of a group of 4 year olds for show B. they were dancing to Witch Doctor and were absolutely adorable. and loud. and there was crying and hitting and fighting involved at one point. but, I'm used to that so I separated the 2 that were not meshing well and then it quieted down a lot. well, I say it quieted down. as quiet as 104 girls crammed into a band room waiting for their turn to go dance could possibly be. (same drama queen made a short appearance in the band room to scream out, "little girls need to shut their mouths!", and then left again. really special, huh? she is a graduating senior who all of these littles look up to...yeah, there was more crying after she left.
so, I got my girls through the waiting and we made it onto stage and did their dance. they all got back to the band room. then we waited for a practice bow. then they all went home. aren't they cute?
we got ready for the next show rehearsal. these girls were all absolutely amazing. the dances, the costumes, the back stage crew....with all of the chaos backstage, the show looked flawless from the audience.
here are some pics that I took from the backstage area(I wasn't supposed to be here, so forgive the quality of the pics...I was hiding in the curtains, lol)
group notes on stage
Flying Monkeys rehearsal
"Wicked" rehearsal
more of "Wicked"
(below)the cast afterwards, minus Dorothy and Toto
all done and ready to go to the after party!
1 tired dancer
who donated her hair to Locks of Love the next day!
whew, glad that is over with. I'm going to bed!
Friday, June 6, 2008
Dance Recital Weekend
it has begun. I will take lots of photos and document all of the madness. I found this cool site that will take your photos and make them into a book. it's called My Publisher. thinking I can maybe do this for my sil so she can experience the recital.(she'll have a dvd, too, but this will show the rehearsal and dressing area and stuff).
may the force be with me. I have to put false eyelashes on a 12 year old. I've never even worn them on me.
may the force be with me. I have to put false eyelashes on a 12 year old. I've never even worn them on me.
well, I can now say I have a 3rd grader and a Kindergardener
yikes.
so I had the parent teacher conference with my son's teacher and was relieved to hear all good things and that he is, indeed, brilliant, in his own way. very artistic. loves to write short stories. still struggles with telling time and making change. however, he can add, subtract, multiply and divide. his handwriting is somewhat legible now, also. got some names to ask for teachers for next year for him.
also spoke about my daughter and got some names for possible teachers for her. I have no fears for her, she's ready to skip K and go right into third grade with her brother if it were up to her.
thankfully, the baby slept through the whole conference. he was tuckered out from filed day that happened earlier. he was a trooper and went from station to station in 90+ degree heat for 3 hours. I think a few sprinklers and a water balloon fight would be better. I'll make sure to maybe not be the only class Mom there for this next year. do you know how difficult it is to push a stroller loaded down with 18 water bottles(cuz the kids all thought the stroller was there for me to carry their stuff...poor baby was stuffed amongst plastic all morning)and then finding each individual water bottle for each child numerous times? yeah, Momma had a beer when we all got home.
so I had the parent teacher conference with my son's teacher and was relieved to hear all good things and that he is, indeed, brilliant, in his own way. very artistic. loves to write short stories. still struggles with telling time and making change. however, he can add, subtract, multiply and divide. his handwriting is somewhat legible now, also. got some names to ask for teachers for next year for him.
also spoke about my daughter and got some names for possible teachers for her. I have no fears for her, she's ready to skip K and go right into third grade with her brother if it were up to her.
thankfully, the baby slept through the whole conference. he was tuckered out from filed day that happened earlier. he was a trooper and went from station to station in 90+ degree heat for 3 hours. I think a few sprinklers and a water balloon fight would be better. I'll make sure to maybe not be the only class Mom there for this next year. do you know how difficult it is to push a stroller loaded down with 18 water bottles(cuz the kids all thought the stroller was there for me to carry their stuff...poor baby was stuffed amongst plastic all morning)and then finding each individual water bottle for each child numerous times? yeah, Momma had a beer when we all got home.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
well, check out the increased number of pets
for those of you who follow the blog, you'll notice that the number of pets has increased by 2. my son tried really hard to convince me that his next pet should be a snake, and when he realized his defeat, he decided another hamster would be OK. (by the way, he also tried to sell me on the idea of a tarantula(yeah, umm, so I could kiss any further visits from a certain Canadian family goodbye forever) and a large lizard. I was OK with the lizard, except after doing some research on them, they do not really like to be handled very much, and that is a definite negative. my son enjoys carrying his pets everywhere with him. and cuddling with them. and doing the whole attachment parenting thing with his hamster.
so, we went to the pet store, and looked at the hamsters. they are so darn cute. somehow, the cuteness worked on me and I heard the words, "maybe we should get 2 so they can continue to cuddle and have a friend all of the time". I swear, those words just flowed out of mouth and before I knew it, we were in the car on the way home with 2 hamsters.(both are female, so no, we will not have a million little cuties anytime soon)
the black one is named Callie. she is named Callie because my son has a friend in his class named Callie, but she is not his girlfriend. he made this point very clear to us about 4 times yesterday.
the golden one is Skipper. Skipper is definitely the less "skippy" one of the 2, but it does fit. I tried to get him to name the black one Barbie, but he said no way. he had no idea that there is a Barbie friend named Skipper. when I was little, Skipper was the cool one. she was the one who was sort of a tomboy and had fun while Barbie seemed too preoccupied with matching her eye shadow to her dress color. but, I digress.....
anyways, here is a pic of true 8 year old happiness. a boy and his hamsters.
oh, and Happy 2008 Hurricane Season! we have already begun with a tropical storm (Arthur)...but no where near me.
so, we went to the pet store, and looked at the hamsters. they are so darn cute. somehow, the cuteness worked on me and I heard the words, "maybe we should get 2 so they can continue to cuddle and have a friend all of the time". I swear, those words just flowed out of mouth and before I knew it, we were in the car on the way home with 2 hamsters.(both are female, so no, we will not have a million little cuties anytime soon)
the black one is named Callie. she is named Callie because my son has a friend in his class named Callie, but she is not his girlfriend. he made this point very clear to us about 4 times yesterday.
the golden one is Skipper. Skipper is definitely the less "skippy" one of the 2, but it does fit. I tried to get him to name the black one Barbie, but he said no way. he had no idea that there is a Barbie friend named Skipper. when I was little, Skipper was the cool one. she was the one who was sort of a tomboy and had fun while Barbie seemed too preoccupied with matching her eye shadow to her dress color. but, I digress.....
anyways, here is a pic of true 8 year old happiness. a boy and his hamsters.
oh, and Happy 2008 Hurricane Season! we have already begun with a tropical storm (Arthur)...but no where near me.
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