Life at Lothlorien

Economics at work

2010-08-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

When I was in school, one of the economic theories I heard was that if you gave everyone in the class a dollar, by the end of the day, some people would have lots of money, some the same dollar, and some no money. With children, you get to see that in practice.

Me: "CC, why are you putting away the bathroom towels? That's B's job."

CC: "He said he'd like to play instead, so he's paying me $1 if I'll put them all away."

And I decided to keep my mouth shut because all I wanted was for the towels to be folded and put away by someone other than me.

Looking through my child's eyes

2009-05-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

It's very interesting to see myself through my child's eyes. This is what my second grader did at school for Mother's Day. It really made me smile!

Teachings are coming back to haunt me

2009-05-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

I've written before about the evils of teaching your children to read and write. Now I have a new parental caution.

I have often encouraged my kids to try new foods -- sometimes just a bite. Even if you didn't like it before, your tastes may change. Well, that one came back to bite me.

You see, my kids are fairly purist when it comes to chocolate. So, I am able to keep a stash to myself by buying things like Hershey bars with Almonds. The other day I am having one and B asks if he can try a bite -- after all, he says, he may like them now. Sure enough, he thinks they're great and I now have to compete with him for an afternoon snack.

Be warned!

Kid words

2009-05-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

CC's new words/phrases:

For lunch today, we had tater-totters.

Rubber band bands

Ol' Stewball was a race car (the lesser known Peter, Paul and Mary song)

Balance is important in life

2009-02-07T13:53:00.000-08:00

At least my laundry duties balance out somehow.

CC changes clothes 2-3 times a day (or more), while B has taken to wearing the same shirt and pants for 3 days in a row.

I really can't decide if it's worth it to say something on either front.

Christmas quotes from CC

2009-01-04T09:53:00.001-08:00

CC: "I got the most presents. I must have been very nice." A few minutes later: "Grandpa only got three presents. Oooh, he must have been very naughty!" (which Grandma agreed with -- Gpa didn't get many presents because he went out and bought whatever he wanted, so not much you could get him -- very naughty)

CC: "I drew this Christmas tree. Do you know what the purple stuff is around it? It's the garlic." (Ah, the garland. I love the funny pronunciations they have -- Grandma is proud of how B is growing up, but still misses the year of the Crackernuts)

Store clerk on December 23: "Is Santa going to come to your house?" CC: "No, he already came." Clerk: "What do you mean?" CC: "There's already a bunch of presents under our tree!"

Me: "CC, you kept Gma's Cat in the Hat fingerpuppets!" CC: "Yeah, I'm tricky!"

Monkey see, monkey do

2009-01-04T09:50:00.000-08:00

I found a piece of paper on the cabinet. It had B's name, with a big circle around it and a slash through it.

"CC, did you make this sign?"

"Yes, I was going to put it up on my door because I was mad at B, but we had a discussion and he let me watch Scooby Doo, so I put it away."

She picks up on things so quickly. She also has pretty good handwriting for a 5-year old.

My little gourmet

2009-01-04T09:48:00.001-08:00

B loves pancake puffs -- you know, they advertise the pan on TV. My DH often makes them on Saturday mornings and they are really good. He made them yesterday, then came and told me this story in amazement.

B took a bite of the puff, chewed it slowly, then announced, "Dad, you forgot the nutmeg!"

And you know what? He was right.

Ahh, the gourmet tastes of a 7 year old.

2008-11-09T18:36:00.000-08:00

There are good things to every thing a child learns, but there are also bad things. This is what I found on my shopping list today.

"CC," I asked. "Did you write chocolate on my list?"

"Yes," she replied. "I couldn't find any chocolate that I liked, so I want you to buy some at the store."

"And how did you learn to spell chocolate?"

"Oh, I just looked on my brother's paper." (He had been surveying us and graphing our favorite ice cream flavors. He is disappointed that more people don't like strawberry ice cream. Note his contribution to the list.)

So, if you think it's a good think to teach children to write, just remember that it also enables them to add things to your grocery list.

Timing is everything

2008-11-09T18:30:00.000-08:00

B came running out. "CC swallowed a bouncy ball!"

I checked on her and she seemed fine -- no choking. She was only a little remorseful (I think mostly at being caught doing something she knew she shouldn't.

So, we decided to give her Ipecac and make her throw it up. We figured if we waited, we were looking at an ER trip, bowel obstruction, etc. Besides, throwing up is a good negative consequence for putting something in your mouth that you shouldn't.

Of course, after we administered the Ipecac, we got more details. It was a ball that she had bitten in half a week earlier and she only swallowed about 1/4 of it. I had thrown away half, and other bits and pieces were in the floor in the bedroom. No cause for panic now, but still thinking that throwing up is a good consequence for her.

She took the Ipecac and randomly would say that her stomach didn't feel good, but nothing happened. We got everyone ready for bed, read stories, etc. and were giving hugs and kisses goodnight.

"I don't want to kiss CC goodnight," says B, "'cause she is going to throw up."

"You're fine." I lectured. "You're not going to catch anything from her. Go and kiss your sister on the cheek and give her a hug."

Just as he leaned in to hug her, I saw her face look funny, but it didn't register on me until too late. Yep, she threw up right on him -- got his shoulder, his ear, and so forth.

As he rushed to the bathroom, he yelled, "See, Mom, that's why I didn't want to hug her!"

She's got his number

2008-10-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

CC's birthday was recently and it became apparent that she was well aware of her special status.

One evening, B came running in, all distressed. "CC says if I don't let her pick what to watch on TV first in the morning, she's going to give all my stuff to Goodwill. Can she do that?"

I can't believe he thought she might be able to follow through on that one.

Existentialism

2008-09-05T16:41:00.000-07:00

Cece's question for the day:

Mom, when you die, you go to heaven. If you die in heaven, do you come back as a baby?

I don't even want to know

2008-08-26T19:38:00.000-07:00

My DH was checking on B, who was out of bed using the bathroom. B was acting a bit surly.

"Is there something you're upset about?" queried Dad.

"I'm mad at my sister."

"Why?"

"Because she came into my room, squirted water from my squirt gun on the floor, and then drank the rest out of the squirt gun. And I was saving that to be ready for tomorrow."

"Go to bed."

Dad then walks into CC's room. She turns away from him. He asks her if she was in her brother's room. She doesn't want to talk, and Dad realizes it's because she has something in her mouth. He takes her into the bathroom to spit out the gum she is apparently chewing and speaks very strongly to her about NEVER, EVER chewing gum in bed.

Then, my DH comes to tell me the story. "BTW, he says, is CC allowed to chew gum?"

"She has a few times," I replied, "but not lately because she just swallows it."

"Well she was chewing it in bed."

I was puzzled, because I don't think there's any gum in the house. It's all in the car. So, I ask, "Was it yellow?"

Sure enough, it was. That explains why her Scooby Doo poster keeps falling down. She's chewing the Ticky-Tac that was holding it up.

Parental control

2008-08-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

I finished reading CC's bedtime stories and we went to join B and Dad. B gave me a look and pointed to the sign on his door. It had my name with a big circle around it and a slash through it.

I was banned from his room because I had taken some of his toys away (he hadn't cleaned up before the timer went off). I was a bit hurt by the ban, but I'm trying to see it as a positive way of him expressing his anger.

It was a lot funnier when he put up a similar sign banning his father a few days earlier.

Creativity

2008-08-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

Creativity abounds in my family . . .

So far this summer, the children have made their own pond in the backyard, put an empty gift wrap tube in a bookcase to make a tank (for the monsters in the closet), snuck up on me as sharks in the swimming pool, and used tube pasta as finger extensions.

Speaking of the tube pasta, CC also found it makes a great horn. When it broke, she flattened it out and told me it would make a good yoga mat for her Little Pet Shop puppies.

I hope they always have that ability to see things as more than what they appear.

Bundt cake

2008-07-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

Never, ever, ever utter the phrase "Bundt cake" in front of two small children. It will ensue at least 15 minutes of hilarity in the back seat, then random giggles for days and days later as you hear from another room "butt cake! butt cake!"

At least he doesn't have a credit card yet . . .

2008-07-04T15:46:00.000-07:00

I found a piece of paper with a 1-800 number written in my 7-year old's handwriting.

"What is this for?" I asked.

"That's because it's not available in stores," he started.

"No, I mean what THING is it for?"

"Oh, the pancake puff maker. But I am missing one of the numbers, so I have to watch and try to finish it."

I think we need to go back to DVDs and stop watching commercial television. In the long run, it would probably be cheaper.

Who took the cookie from the cookie jar?

2008-07-01T10:07:00.001-07:00

I went to get an Oreo the other day. We have the new easy open/easy seal package. All I found it the package was cookies. No cream filling, just the cookie part of the Oreos.

I'm betting on the local chocoholic, CC, although she tries to smile and look innocent when I explain that you MUST eat the entire Oreo, not just the middle.

We're all wet

2008-06-30T12:16:00.001-07:00

B has learned how to tie water balloons. Heaven help us now.

Polka dot, polka dot, where is Spot?

2008-06-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

I have always loved polka dots and got to show my creativity lately by repainting the kids' bathroom. My DH said I had to wait until after the new floors were done, then was surprised to come home and find the wallpaper ripped off only 2 days after the floor guys left. (Does he not know me at all?)

I forgot to take "before" pictures, but that's okay. The bathroom wasn't hideous or anything, it was pink floral -- not a kids' bathroom and not to my taste. Plus, it was painted over wallpaper and the seams bothered me. Now, I think it is just right. Besides, it matches the SpongeBob toilet seat much better.

High school reunion

2008-06-24T12:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was my 20-year high school reunion. How is it that the 1st 18 years of my life went by so much slower than the last 20 years? Most people looked pretty much the same -- just a little rounder, a little more settled, a little more confident (or in my case, a lot more confident).

The organizers did a great job. The big surprise was having the fire truck show up for our group picture. One of the things we always did at my high school was take a senior class group picture with the fire truck, so it was a really fun trip down memory lane. Thing is, getting up on that fire truck was a lot harder and a lot scarier than 20 years ago.

What do you do without the children?

2008-06-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

The kids are at G'ma & G'pa's for a week and I am still trying to adjust. It's been weird not having to be home at a certain time, not worrying about meals, and just doing whatever I want.

Unfortunately, what I want seems to be very random. When they were littler, sending them off for a week meant I got to take a bath, go grocery shopping, and read a book. Now, they are pretty good with that kind of stuff, so I really have to concentrate and ask myself what I don't do because it's too hard with the kids.

So, the first day I spent 3 hours in the bookstore just browsing and wandering. I only wandered into the children's section once, caught myself, and skedaddled out of there. Today I'm going shopping for a bathing suit -- with no one playing hide and seek under the clothes racks.

I also realized this was a good time to seal the grout in our new tile floors -- easy to avoid foot traffic while the sealer dries. Yesterday I did the laundry room as a test; today was the kids' bathroom and the front entryway (just had to block the dog from entering). Tomorrow will be the kitchen and breakfast room (guess we'll have to eat out -- darn).

Then, I got excited and started talking about how easy it would be to paint the kids' rooms while they are gone. The walls are just plain off-white and I want some color like we used to have in the old house. My DH just looked and me and said, "No." He pointed out my tendency to get WAY too ambitious and then get freaked out and wants me to spend this time doing some house things (like the floor) and some things for ME and sometimes just relaxing. Okay, okay.

And now I'm off to go shopping -- all by myself. Yeah!

You get what you ask for

2008-05-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

This is a story from my DH.

B came running out of the house yelling "CC bit me!"
Dad: "Well, does it hurt?"
B: "Sort of."
Dad: "That means it really doesn't hurt, does it?"

Then CC arrives.
Dad: "CC, did you bite your brother?"
CC: "Yes. He said he was a Pop-Tart and to take a bite, so I did."

Just a reminder to get the rest of the story before taking any action.

A life of luxury

2008-05-05T20:21:00.000-07:00

I am becoming so spoiled.

Tonight, I was really tired and didn't feel like making anything for dinner. (We had guests all weekend and I was cleaning up and recouping.) B came and told me he was hungry, so I said we would go to McDonald's as soon as Daddy got home.

He thought for a minute and said, "Mom, I can make dinner." And sure enough, he did. He made cheese pizzas with in the toaster oven. He split the English muffins, added pizza sauce, grated the mozzarella, and toasted everything. All I did was set out some fruit to go with it. He even made mine first because, he said, "Ladies first."

And then he went and tortured his sister somehow while getting ready for bed and lost a bedtime story, so life is balanced.

Not clueless, after all

2008-02-12T10:06:00.001-08:00

Turns out CC isn't as clueless as we thought.

On Saturday, I reminded them that we were going to a birthday party. CC immediately looked worried and said, "Oh, Mama. We're going to the King's birthday. Since I got the Baby Jesus, I need to bring the cake."

I explained that we were going to her friend K's birthday and that her mom would provide the cake.

Ever since then, CC continually checks to see when she is going to need to bring the cake for the King's birthday. The phrase "next year" is just a concept that she doesn't understand yet. Right now, we're on "a lot of days from now" and "I will tell you when."

I am doomed.

Back to life . . . back to reality

2008-02-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

I feel like the world is back right. After being so ultra-proud of my 6-year old, he proved that he was still 6.

Monday was the celebration of 100 Days of school and he informed me while getting dressed that morning that he was supposed to collect 100 things and bring them to school.

I started to lecture him about doing these things ahead of time, when he reminded me that he had 100 marbles and that all we needed to do was count them out. So, I showed him how to count by 2s and make sets of 10s while eating his breakfast and we were done.

It was just a relief to have him be a normal kid again.

Do I feel manipulated?

2008-02-05T18:52:00.000-08:00

I didn't even realize I was being manipulated until I got the rest of the story from my DH.

We were tucking the kids into bed. I was reading CC's story. She only got one story because she wasn't brushing her teeth after being told several times. Dad was reading B's two stories.

After I finished CC's story, she joined B and Dad and I went into my room to watch TV. B comes in a few minutes later and asks if I will read his second story because Dad's eyes are tired from the flu. I agree and read "Pinkalicious" to both kids (CC gets to listen to his story, but can't pick or interact -- that's the rule).

My DH later tells me that B came up with the tired eyes reasoning second -- his first comment was to have Mom read his second story so that CC really got a second story, too.

I have never felt so proud of being manipulated in my life.

What did I do right?

2008-02-05T18:48:00.000-08:00

I am still trying to figure out how I came to have such an amazing son. He has decided to do the laundry. He is 6 (almost 7).

He has helped me with the laundry off and on. His loved sorting the colors as a preschooler. He has always loved adding the soap. Now, we have a front-loading washer and dryer with see-through doors, so he watches the laundry spin. Finally, I showed him how to empty the pockets and allowed him to pour the soap on his own and he just took off.

He sorts the clothes, puts each load in a laundry basket, zooms it through the house, loads the washer, adds the soap, and starts it. He listens for the beep, moves stuff to the dryer, empties the dryer and piles it all on my bed. He collects dirty laundry and empty hangars. He wants to know what all the compartments on the washer are and how the soap actually goes in.

He empties the lint filter.

I feel I must make a video tape of this because in a few years he will never believe that he voluntarily did chores.

Mardi Gras trickery

2008-02-05T18:41:00.000-08:00

Today was Mardi Gras and I was a bit sad. We were supposed to spend the weekend in New Orleans with friends at the parades and such but, one by one, we all came down with the flu and had to stay home. The kids and I are all well; my DH is the final victim.

So, to cheer myself up, I bought a King's Cake. I know that you are supposed to eat the King's Cake on 12th Night -- it was just the closest I could come to Mardi Gras (especially since I really couldn't drink Hurricanes on flu meds).

The rest of this story is actually from my DH.

The kids loved the King's Cake, of course, and wanted some of it for breakfast on Sunday. Dad agreed for a special occasion if they could answer his questions. I was proud of him for talking them through the tradition and meaning of the King's Cake and proud of their knowledge of things like: Who is the King of Kings? Who is God's son? Who came to visit the Baby Jesus? etc.

Both kids want the Baby Jesus. At the end, Dad explains the tradition that whoever gets the piece with the baby buys the cake for the next year. B immediately decides that his sister can have the baby Jesus. She isn't paying attention to anything other than the baby.

When I got up, B was so proud to tell me that he gave his sister the baby and tricked her because she doesn't know the Mardi Gras secret.

If I didn't laugh, I would have to cry

2007-12-14T18:04:00.000-08:00

This has certainly not been Lothlorien here this week.

First, I never realized I would miss the humidity. My hair is straight as a board, my sinuses hurt, and I keep getting nosebleeds. I am actually having to run a humidifier in my house!

Now, on to the trials from my children.

First, imagine the horrified expression on my face as CC announced "B pee-peed in the sink!" Sure enough, he had relieved himself in the bathroom sink. As I stood paralyzed in stupefication, my DH was much more philosophical and took this as an opportunity to teach B the many wonderful qualities of 409 and bleach.

Tuesday, CC and I were at home, with each of us doing our own stuff. She came by at one point and I thought she looked a bit odd, but dismissed it as not having her hair combed. Then I found locks of hair in the kitchen floor and took a better look at her. Yep, she had given herself a mullet. An emergency call to the hairdresser resulted in her new Dorothy Hamill look. After having to explain to everyone why she needed a haircut (and me calling her CC Scissorhands all day), she has now taken to asking me every time she wants to use the scissors on anything. (We'll see how long that lasts).

Finally, B stood in his sister's dresser drawer in an attempt to touch the ceiling and broke the drawer. My DH was home for that one (and I wasn't), so I only heard about the aftermath.

And CC brought me a flower from our garden today and they both give me hugs and kisses and play their new games together and I know that everything is right with the world. (But I'm still going to harass her about that haircut for quite a while.)

Big purple mommy

2007-12-01T17:35:00.000-08:00

Got this story second-hand:

My DH was walking B to the bus the other morning. They were looking at the sky -- it was striped oranges and blues and whites. My DH asked B what he though it looked like.

"It looks like Mommy sewed the sky," he replied.

About Thanksgiving

2007-11-21T10:37:00.001-08:00

B: "CC, a cornucopia is an ice cream cone that you turn upside down and fill with things you are thankful for."

A Bee in his bonnet

2007-11-13T16:30:00.000-08:00

We were leaving the house to go to the chiropractor's today. B looked a bit uncomfortable and seemed to be holding his private parts.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Do you need to go to the bathroom?"

"No."

He moved his hands away from his pants. There seemed to be a bit of a bulge there, but I thought it was probably one of those things that little boys go through and, being female, I really didn't understand and didn't want to start a conversation about.

As we got to the front door, he moved his hand back to his pants. I noticed that the bulge had moved and was actually at the top of his leg.

"B, take the toy out of your pants."

"How did you know I had a toy in there?"

"Because I'm your mother, that's why."

"So you can see through pants?"

"Yes."

And out came a Bee Movie toy from McDonalds. Why he needed to hide it in his pants I don't know -- and don't want to know.

New marketing idea for cleaning products

2007-11-13T13:38:00.000-08:00

I had been wondering for a couple of days what the white stuff was. First, it was on CC's shirt. Then, some appeared on her dresser. The final straw was when it appeared all over her mirrored closet door.

"CC, what is this?" I asked.

"The doggies are playing in the snow," she replied.

Sure enough, there were two little doggie stickers in the midst of the blizzard. "But where did you get the snow from?" I continued to question.

"From your bathroom."

I racked my brain for what it could be. It didn't seem like toothpaste (her previous choice for home decorating). "What is it from my bathroom?"

"You know, the stuff you put under your arm." And she proceeded to demonstrate how it was used.

And I realized that cleaning products are mismarketed, because none of them tell you what will remove underarm deodorant from a mirror. Then again, something like that probably wouldn't sell, because who could anticipate needing it?

Priorities

2007-11-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

One of the things about moving into a smaller house is that I'm having to decide what my priorities are. I can't fit everything in, so I have to decide what kind of a person I really am. And I don't mean a good person or a bad person, but what I really want to spend my time (and money and space) doing and keeping.

So, I gave away a lot of kitchen stuff (I am coming to grips with the fact that I really don't cook) and stocked my cabinets in the breakfast room with all of our art stuff.

I realized that something was definitely different about me when I had lived here 6 weeks and suddenly realized that I didn't know where my iron was. And, no, I wasn't doing laundry at the time. I was trying to iron hem tape in some brightly colored cloth for some curtains.

BTW, I found the iron a week later.

Too scary

2007-11-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

CC is alternately fascinated with Halloween and petrified by it. She tells me she can't go in the dark (or whatever else she doesn't want to do) by saying "I'm too scary."

And all too soon, she will grow older and say it correctly and I will miss her being "scary" as much as I miss her brother's fascination with Christmas "crackernuts."

Airmail

2007-11-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

My son has taken to sending us messages via paper airplane. So far, we've gotten "I'm hungree," "I'm thirstee," "Hi," "Thank you," and "I'm sick" (he's fine now).

Then I found one in his sister's room that said "Kuleen Up!"

I can't wait to see what comes next.

Disillusioned

2007-09-22T10:09:00.001-07:00

I was very shocked yesterday to realize that there are people in this world who have not seen the movie "The Princess Bride." Of course, I started spouting off quotes from it, which got me some very strange looks.

I'm not sure what my favorite quote is, but the one I use most often is:
"Bye, bye boys. Have fun storming the castle!"
Aside: "Think it'll work?" "It'll take a miracle."
"Bye, bye!"

So, what's your favorite quote? -- just post it in the comments section.

Stick with what you know

2007-09-20T05:35:00.000-07:00

B has been harassing me for quite a while to back our SUV into the driveway like Daddy does. We have a shorter driveway here, so I figured I could do it. Also, the driveway is quite sloped, so I was worried about everything falling out when I open the hatch on the back.

I successfully backed in for several days. Then, my DH had to move his car and I realized that I was using it for a visual guideline. Without it, I ended up crooked in the middle of the driveway every time.

So yesterday I decided that I was going to accomplish this. I opened my door and watched the center line of the driveway closely as I backed in.

And KAWHUMP. I ran over my own mailbox with the right front fender.

When I checked my e-mail last night, my SUV had gotten a birthday message from the dealership. I'm glad the SUV can't e-mail back, because I don't want to know what it would say about how its birthday went.

Jobs for Elementary students

2007-09-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

B said today that he wants to work at Target when he grows up.

We went to Super Target today to get some stuff. He and CC unloaded the stuff in the card onto the conveyer belt. At the other end, there is a second conveyer belt for the stuff once it's bagged. He asked the cashier if she would turn that one on, so he could get the bags and put them in the cart.

She showed him that there was a switch on the end that controlled the conveyer belt and that he could operate it himself. You would have thought that she gave him a key to a treasure chest, he was so happy.

Preschool logic

2007-09-16T19:24:00.000-07:00

CC has really done well with this move to a new city. She has been excited to make new friends. She thinks it's neat that some of her teachers and friends have the same names as teachers and friends from our old town.

While talking about this the other day, she became contemplative and asked "Will we get a new Grandma and Grandpa, too?" (Gma and Gpa live in our old town.)

"No," I replied. "We'll have the same Grandma and Grandpa. But they'll get to come and have sleepovers at your house now."

That was enough for her.

Pictures of the piles

2007-09-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to post the stunning photographs of my new kitchen.

Marco . . . Polo

2007-09-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

Well, we are here in the new house. The moving van arrived bright and early Saturday morning with all of our stuff. Benny, the supervisor, cocked an eyebrow at me and said, "All of the stuff in that truck is supposed to fit in that house?" "Yep, " I confidently replied.

For the past week we have been maneuvering around the maze of boxes in our home. My DH continually says, "We've got a lot of stuff." Okay, he uses a much more derogatory term. I actually thought with a smaller, one-story house we would be able to find each other easier, but I have already lost him twice and CC lost me three times just today.

The unpackers came on Tuesday. Now instead of piles of boxes, I just have piles of stuff everywhere. I am finding many things that we were keeping just because we had the room for it.

It's slowly coming together. Boy, do I have a hard time stopping at night and going to bed, though. Once I get going, I just want to keep plugging away until the entire room I'm working in is liveable. But, alas, I must stop to make ravioli for B, to find a Barbie band-aid for CC, and some sleep for myself (my DH is on his own right now).

I've been gnomed!!!

2007-09-13T16:57:00.000-07:00

There I was, innocently putting away my china and Christmas dishes in the dining room buffet, when I saw it -- an Aggie gnome.

He has joined his new friends Bob, Not-Bob, and Baby Bob (the concrete geese) in the circle under the tree in the front yard. The movers arranged those, BTW.

But what do you name an Aggie gnome?

The Shop Hop Princess

2007-09-07T20:43:00.001-07:00

CC and I really enjoyed the quilt shop hop. It was a great excuse to drive all around the area. I just had to stop myself before becoming obsessed with making sure I visited ALL of the shops on the list and missing out on other fun for the kids.

CC was a great shopping buddy. She was patient and happy to look around. Actually, she is probably more dangerous as a shopping buddy than anything because she encourages my behavior.

She had several consistent questions for the shop owners: (1) Do you have any toys? (2) Where is the potty? (3) Do you have any candy? (4) Do we get a door prize?

Shop #1: CC drew a candy out of a basket for me and won a small grab bag. Talked me out of a bag of M&Ms and a matching child/doll skort pattern for her and her doll Ruby.

Shop #2: CC found a tiara, a baby doll, and won the hearts of the shop owners. They wrapped her in a turkey feather boa (to go with the tiara), took her picture and printed it out for me. She was definitely a shop hop princess there.

Shop #3: CC found a metal purse and filled it with buttons from a big tub. She then put it all back and came and found me. She asked them where the McDonald's was. I, of course, took her there for lunch and playtime.

Shop #4: CC wanted to step on all the numbers placed on the floor around the shop (for door prizes), asked where our door prize was, ate two brownies, and showed me the Statue of Liberty curtain ("look, Mama, the United States and a America flag").

Shops #5 & 6: We picked up B at school and took him for the last two shops. I figured it would be quick because I had already been to these shops last week (that's how I found out about the shop hop). B wanted to know if they could play hide and seek in the rows of fabric bolts. I don't think he's much of a shop hopper.

At Shop #6, they had placed some footprints on the floor leading to a sale rack. B and CC had a great time walking forwards and backwards on them. An employee said he was waiting for someone to do that -- and was surprised it took until afternoon for it to happen.

I managed to remind myself that I was in a hotel and didn't have room for a lot of quilt shop purchases. However, I did collect all of the new Clover Yo-Yo tools -- they not only have circles, but also hearts and flowers. Now I'm just waiting for my fabric stash to show up tomorrow.

Ghost in the hotel

2007-09-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

"CC, you know not to color on yourself."
"I didn't." (Her stomach has been scribbled all over with a pen.)
"Then who colored on your stomach?"
"I don't know -- a ghost?" she said with a grin.

Perils of bookworms

2007-09-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

There are some issues with raising children who like to read. One almost hurt herself because she was walking through the bookstore while looking at her new book.

The other had trouble staying concentrating in school because he stayed up reading in his bed with a flashlight.

They don't tell you about these dangers on Reading Rainbow.

X-ray vision

2007-09-02T13:51:00.001-07:00

Turns out Dad has x-ray vision just like Mom. B suddenly announced last night that from now on we were going to read bedtime stories in CC's bed only (we had been taking turns). I didn't think and just agreed.

Dad, however, became suspicious, especially as B kept repeating the rule and becoming more adament. Sure enough, under the bedcovers were Megatron, Optimus Prime, Hotshot and some AllSpark cubes.

Three cheers for superhero Dad!

I know where the ER is

2007-09-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

Yep, we've made our first trip to the ER in our new hometown. It was for me, not the kids. I'm fine, but it turns out I am now allergic to amoxicillin and penicillin.

It all started with some itchy bumps yesterday. I kept wondering why I suddenly got bit by mosquitos when I haven't had a problem with them all week. I finally decided it was because we went to a wooded park yesterday for the first time and just left it alone. I put some anti-itch cream on the bumps and went on with my day.

More bumps kept appearing and I kept trying to figure out where those pesky mosquitos were coming from. I went to bed and had horrible dreams about being bit by brown recluse spiders (some tiny, tiny spiders had jumped on me in the deck chair Sat a.m.). Then really started itching and dreamed that I had contracted smallpox. Nothing like a little imagination.

B woke up this morning and got my DH to go watch TV. I got up to go the bathroom and my lips felt funny. I looked in the mirror and my lips and face were swollen and I had a red rash all over my forehead and my shoulders. My lower lip was very puffy on the lower right lip. I felt like Will Smith in Hitch.

I walked in and told my DH that I needed him to take me to the hospital. He started herding the kids in wake-up clothes and sent me to take a shower in case it was poison ivy or such. I sat down on the toilet and thought "he's going to have to come in here and help me because I don't think I can stand up in the shower". Next thing I know, I came to lying on the bathroom floor. I popped one of the lenses out of my glasses. Okay, so no shower for me.

The family took me to the ER and checked me in. The doctor said it was most likely the amoxicillin I've been taking for a sinus infection. Because of the fainting, though, he wanted to give me some fluids and do some tests and keep me for a couple of hours. So, I sent the family away. My DH felt bad for leaving me, but I pointed out that I had a book and would be much less stressed without the two children. They went back to the hotel to eat breakfast and such.

So, I got an epi shot, some steriods, a saline IV, and 75 mg of Benadryl. I then became fuzzy and just chatted with all of the staff who came in about all kinds of things. I know I'm normally talkative, but this was just random. I then fell asleep. They checked my blood pressure sitting and standing (tilt test) and said I needed to stay for another bag of saline. Oh, and I did two EKGs and they took several vials of blood.

I've now been discharged and given prescriptions for Benadryl and some steriods. I also have to rest, stay out of the heat (and no hot baths), no driving for a couple of days, and lots of fluids.

Believe it or not, I was actually relieved when it was confirmed as an allergic reaction and was attributed to the amoxicillin. Much better than spiders or smallpox.

Dilemma

2007-08-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

CC and I checked out a few quilt shops today. The first had a lot of great fabric, but was run by two older guys who seemed to want to pressure people to buy something. Only a couple of other people in the shop and they didn't stay for long.

Found another quilt shop, smaller and fewer choices, but run by some fabulous women who told me all about the local quilt guilds, their shop's clubs, their classes, and anything and everything quilt-wise in the area. They had a basket of toys and books for CC and talked to her as well. Lots of people wandering in and out and sitting on the floor matching colors and picking out fabrics. I was in heaven.

Now, my dilemma is that I found out there's a big Shop Hop scheduled in the area for the same weekend that I move into my new house. Is it wrong to hope that my furniture won't be delivered until Monday so that I can make it to all the stores (the Hop starts on Thursday, so I should get some of it knocked out then).

Decisions, decisions, decisions . . .

Leaving well enough alone

2007-08-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Why is it that I think I must intervene when things are going well? Why do I think that I can always make it better?

The kids were having a great time last night in the hotel pool. B was throwing his life vest and pretending to catch CC, who was being a fish. They were having a great time. Then some other kids and their Mom and Dad joined us and all was fun and games.

So, today I went to Target and bought some diving sticks (various Super Heroes) and my two kids spent at least twenty minutes fighting over who got which one and if they were going to take turns and everything.

I should have just left well enough alone.

First Day

2007-08-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

Well, we are here at the hotel in our new city. My DH noticed that I was getting twitches about the thought of being unconnected for two weeks, so he kindly packed up my computer and reminded me that I had wireless capabilities. I made it through the first evening and then set it up as soon as the kids went to bed tonight.

B had a good first day at school. He was a little nervous, but warmed up quickly. His teacher's name is Ms. Johnston. However, she is still out on maternity leave and won't be back for another couple of weeks. In the meantime, he has a sub -- Ms. Johnson. How's that for confusing a bunch of 1st graders and their parents?!?!?

CC also had a good day. She was excited to make new friends and play with the toys in child care at the preschool. She told me "Bye" and went in without a second look.

I also had a good first day. I have been very blessed with this new preschool job. One of my biggest concerns about my DH getting a transfer was the loss of my support network -- preschool, church, quilting, etc. In this new job, I have already found a wonderful group of people and I just feel at home already.

The hotel is nice. They have a pool to tire out the kids and a light dinner M-Th (tonight was tacos) with beer and wine. I have stocked my fridge with Dr. Pepper and Keebler Elf cookies. I have a separate living area so I don't have to go to bed when the kids do.

Pray for my DH. He's the one who has been left with the dog, a house needing paint and various repairs, and lots of instructions on what NOT to send with the movers. And no firm date for him to actually be on site for his new job.

My MIL gave me addresses for some quilt stores. CC and I have tomorrow off, so we will probably check at least one out after our (of course) trip to Target. I did good -- I remembered all the school supplies and the lunch bags and the cold packs, and only forgot B's backpack.

And now I'm off to settle in for the evening with some crochet and the TV. It's the little things that are frustrating -- like trying to learn new cable channels. And I have no WE -- what am I going to do without Bridezillas??

Worry beads

2007-08-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think I need a set of worry beads just to have a focus for my obsessions. Everything is going smoothly with the new house, so of course I am convinced that there is something that I need to be doing, to be more active on, to be obsessed with.

Letting things happen and especially letting other people be in control of any part of my life just doesn't come naturally to me. At this point, I'm just trying to see what God wants me to learn. It's a slow process and it seems that I need many repetitions of my lessons.

We have a signed sales contract on the house. The inspector came yesterday and everything is structually sound. Some minor things that my dh wants to take care of himself. Yeah!

Relocation package came through, too, so I need to pick a mover. Now there will be an opportunity for growth for me. I am very excited about not having to do the packing. I know, however, that when the day comes, I will worry obsessively about whether or not they will do a good job and whether or not my millions of precious items will arrive safely. I keep wanting to pick out things to transport myself and the next thing you know, I've listed most of the contents of the house. What I need to remember is to take care of me, the kids, and the dog. Those earthly possessions are just stuff.

What a contemplative bent for a Wednesday morning.

House pics

2007-08-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like things are going to work out on buying the new house. Still some final negotiations to do. Here are some pics we took when looking at it. The guy walking up to the house is our agent, John.

The house is 3 bdrms, formal dining and breakfast room, one living room and an enclosed sunroom. It's a narrow, but very long back yard (the property is on a curved corner, so it's pie-shaped).

Mother's Day

2007-05-13T21:43:00.000-07:00

Today was Mother's Day. It was not exactly the idyllic repose featured in advertisements.

Three of us are in various stages of some nasty virus (maybe the flu?). CC already had this, so she's fine and bouncing off the walls and really happy that no one cares that she's spent the day mostly eating butterscotch pudding and fruit snacks. B and my DH have ended up with pinkeye. B still has a fever off and on. I am over the fever, but am still very tired and my throat hurts, so eating is very difficult for me.

I got to sleep in (yeah, me!) and when I woke up, they presented me with a store-bought card (from my DH), a hand-drawn card (from B), an i-Tunes gift card, and a huge Hershey bar. CC kept offering to help me open the chocolate and I kept refusing, so she finally changed tacks and said "Mom, will you share your chocolate with me?" (her real goal, anyway). I got a nice hot bath with a good book, my chocolate, and my Dr. Pepper.

It was the afternoon that made me want to head for the hills. I was in the tired phase again. B was running a fever. Both of his eyes are red. My DH is clearing gunk out of his eyes. CC has shown me that she can log herself into my computer and run Reader Rabbit Preschool. The power goes out (for 4 hours). And, last, but not least, my DH has to go into work to monitor the TV signal of a basketball game.

My kids ended up giving me the best love possible on Mother's Day. They let me take a nap for 2 hours. They played quietly and peacefully together. My DH came home after the game and brought a pizza.

And the best parts? CC would just come and sit in my lap and grin up at me and say, "Hi, Mama." She'd stay for a minute or two and then go back to playing. And B? He'd just randomly come by wherever I was today and say "I love you so much." At dinner, he asked his dad, "Do you know who I love the most in all the world?" "No, who?" "Mom," he says with a huge grin.

I could have asked for a better Mother's Day, but I couldn't have asked for any better way to know I was loved.

New skills

2007-05-05T19:46:00.000-07:00

B is working hard right now to learn a skill that he saw demonstrated in school -- the armpit fart. He says he can do the motions, but not the sound.

My world just gets weirder and weirder, for I will actually be proud of him when he masters this skill, due to his interest, determination, and diligence in practice and understanding.

A Sick Child

2007-05-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

Even though she had a fever and had been diagnosed with a sinus infection, I didn't really realize how sick CC was until she ASKED to go to bed and take a nap.

Staying home with her sick today gave me a flashback. I had forgotten how it was in those first months when she was little and I stayed home all day to soothe and hold her. I couldn't even take a shower today, much less get to the grocery store. She was so hot with the fever and just wanted to lay on me on the couch. The big difference this time around is that I have to watch what she picks on TV instead of getting to choose for myself.

I do see the benefit of those people who don't choose to medicate their children. Before I gave her the Advil at lunch, she was just lying on the couch watching TV and dozing off and on. After the medicine kicked in, she was much better -- still too sick to go anywhere, but well enough to be running around and asking me to play Little People. And all Mommy wanted to do was take a nap.

Thank God for good friends who deliver milk and chocolate pudding (comfort food for the two of us).

More big words

2007-04-30T18:38:00.000-07:00

CC has been sick with a cold and having trouble sleeping. This morning, she kissed me and then said, "Eeww, you got my germs." B, putting in his 2 cents as usual, said, "Yeah, Mom. You better be careful or you'll have to use the vibrator tonight."

"Um, don't you mean the vaporizer?"

"Oh, yeah."

And the more I try to explain that the only vibrator he knows is the foot massager at G'ma and G'pa's, the more I get knowing looks. Nudge, nudge, wink wink.

Caretakers

2007-04-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

I wasn't feeling well last week. I had a cold and basically ended up losing my voice. I was fine, but really couldn't talk. So, my kids decided to take care of me and make my dinner. CC brought my favorite applesauce and a spoon. B brought a can of Chicken Noodle soup, a spoon and a bowl (I stopped him before he got to the can opener).

There are so many days when I wonder if they are listening to me, if I've done a good job as a mother, if I am just failing everyone with my imperfections. Then, they do something like this and I know that it's all going to be okay.

Spelling

2007-04-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

B: "Mom, I know how to spell Arby's. A-R-B-Y-encyclopedia-S"