I spent all day reading "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. What a wild ride it's been. I couldn't put it down. I had to know what happened! And so I kept reading until I was done.
And now I'm exhausted!
It's such a good book. I highly recommend it for 10 and older kids and for ALL adults. It took me a long time to get it from my public library and even then they made it a 14 day book. So it has to go back now. But I'll put a hold on it again so I can read it again-- once the adrenaline exits my system!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
How the Swine Flu Started
I stole this one from an email off the internet. Must be in a stealing mood this morning! ;oD
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Hermy the tortoise
Here's one of the latest pictures of Hermy. She's eating her favorite dish-- fresh cut dandelions. Luckily for us, our neighbors haven't gotten around to spraying their yards so we have a constant supply.
She's the most fascinating animal I own. I just love her!
p.s. Hermy is short for Hermoine. But she's not named after Harry Potter.
Rats!
Just by way of update. Lily the rat was returned to her previous owners two weeks ago and is doing well. What an experience & trial she was!
Last Wednesday we bought two boy rats-- Lilo and Desi. They are 7 weeks old and are also dumbo rats. We are working on getting them used to us.
Today I took them to the vet (I love my vet!!) because they are showing signs of a cold. $56 later, I have high-powered antibiotics for them and more confidence that they'll be fine. After struggling through Lily, I'm not taking any chances.
I'll post a picture of them soon. I've already traumatized them enough for today so it will have to wait until they are calm.
Last Wednesday we bought two boy rats-- Lilo and Desi. They are 7 weeks old and are also dumbo rats. We are working on getting them used to us.
Today I took them to the vet (I love my vet!!) because they are showing signs of a cold. $56 later, I have high-powered antibiotics for them and more confidence that they'll be fine. After struggling through Lily, I'm not taking any chances.
I'll post a picture of them soon. I've already traumatized them enough for today so it will have to wait until they are calm.
Nannies
Yesterday I started reading (and finished) a book called "White House Nannies" by Barbara Kline. She writes about running a nanny agency in Washington DC and how tricky it is to find nannies for Washington's high powered families. It was completely fascinating (that's why I finished it in one day), and it gave me a lot to think about.
These women are so in to their careers that they pay thousands of dollars to someone else to care for their babies & children. Even though they miss their kids' milestones, but they feel it is a necessary sacrifice so they can continue their careers as journalists/lobbyists/politicians/government workers/etc. They run ragged everyday with 50 to 80 working hours, plus social events, plus child events. It's a crazy life they lead. Nannies go to playgroups, take the kids to school, teach them to walk and talk, buy Christmas & birthday presents, take photos, provide enrichment activities. They are the mom.
There are some days when I feel like my brain is turning to mush. There are days when I feel like this current phase of my life WILL NEVER END!!! There are days when I would like to pay someone to raise my children and I think the kids might be better off with a stranger than with me as a grouchy mom who wants to scream all the time!
But I wouldn't trade their growing up for anything. At all. Ever.
I want to be the one my toddler runs to. I want to be the one who listens to my daughter's day (on those few days when she actually talks to me). I want to answer most of my son's constant questions (except when he's in a manic state and NO person can answer all of them).
I want to be the mom.
And one day when they are grown, I will pick one of my things to be when I grow up and I will start working on it when my kids are in school.
Until then, I am the mom for better or for worse. For health and for sickness. For love and for anger. For everything (even if I don't really care to do it-- like cleaning up vomit.)
These women are so in to their careers that they pay thousands of dollars to someone else to care for their babies & children. Even though they miss their kids' milestones, but they feel it is a necessary sacrifice so they can continue their careers as journalists/lobbyists/politicians/government workers/etc. They run ragged everyday with 50 to 80 working hours, plus social events, plus child events. It's a crazy life they lead. Nannies go to playgroups, take the kids to school, teach them to walk and talk, buy Christmas & birthday presents, take photos, provide enrichment activities. They are the mom.
There are some days when I feel like my brain is turning to mush. There are days when I feel like this current phase of my life WILL NEVER END!!! There are days when I would like to pay someone to raise my children and I think the kids might be better off with a stranger than with me as a grouchy mom who wants to scream all the time!
But I wouldn't trade their growing up for anything. At all. Ever.
I want to be the one my toddler runs to. I want to be the one who listens to my daughter's day (on those few days when she actually talks to me). I want to answer most of my son's constant questions (except when he's in a manic state and NO person can answer all of them).
I want to be the mom.
And one day when they are grown, I will pick one of my things to be when I grow up and I will start working on it when my kids are in school.
Until then, I am the mom for better or for worse. For health and for sickness. For love and for anger. For everything (even if I don't really care to do it-- like cleaning up vomit.)
Monday, April 27, 2009
It was one of those mornings
I woke up still sick with a cold and not having slept well and I had two extra dogs in the house that both needed to be carried outside because one has an injured leg and the other tries to escape and I had to get my kids fed and ready for school and I wanted to eat breakfast myself but then the tortoise pooped and the dog started vomiting and the toddler didn't want that cereal for breakfast and the son had to finish his homework and didn't want to and the daughter was deciding what to do for lunch and I had to make them look good because it was class picture day and they-- the son and daughter-- had to take their order form with their check to school to pay for the picture except the son has recently stopped taking anything out of his backpack at school to turn it in and I had to have him get turned in so I taped the envelope to his chest with clear packing tape and hoped someone at school would notice the envelope and not take a picture with it on him and I was checking my 17 email messages and trying to respond to them and check my families website and follow up on the writing project I've been in charge of and I had to put the medicine in the gummy vitamin and give the wounded dog his medicine so he would stop limping so much and the birds wanted out and were screeching and when I let them out they started flying around in crazy circles and I'm still wondering if the pet rat's sneezing is a problem or not and I noticed that my daughter is wearing the same pair of pants that she's worn for a week without them being washed and I made her --gasp!!-- change her unders and brush her hair and I'm wondering when I'll have time and energy to sew a few more pairs of pants for her to wear and I didn't want my strawberries & cream Mini-Spooners to get soggy while I was taking care of everything else but my husband started IMing me about the toddler and his sleep (or lack there of) and how to fix it so we can both sleep and the tortoise needed lettuce for breakfast and the dogs wanted to eat it and the news was talking about the swine flu epidemic and telling people to not panic and stay home and I wish I could stay home in bed but there's too much to do like the two loads of laundry that have to be done this morning even though the black pair of pants won't be in it because they are on the daughter and suddenly it's almost time to go and I have to finish my breakfast so I can take my vitamins and medicine and then lock the dogs into the kitchen and hope they leave the tortoise alone and get the kids out to the car but first I had to change the toddler's stinky diaper and put some real clothes on and decide if it was cold enough for him to need a sweatshirt or not so I finish breakfast and take a drink and herd the kids out the door and lock it behind me and take them to school but not before grabbing the book on "No Cry" solutions to toddler/preschooler sleeping so I can read it while I wait for the son to go into school so I have an idea of what to do with the toddler and thus try to appease the husband and keep myself sane and we were off in the van right after we prayed for safety and a good day and picked up the neighbor boy to take to school too and .......
And it was that crazy! (and it all happened in the space of about 35 minutes)
And I survived.
And I'll have to do it again tomorrow.
Except without two extra dogs. And hopefully less poop & vomiting.
And maybe I'll feel better. And it won't be so chilly.
It was a day for Pepsi, I tell ya. For Pepsi. The hard kind-- with caffeine.
And it was that crazy! (and it all happened in the space of about 35 minutes)
And I survived.
And I'll have to do it again tomorrow.
Except without two extra dogs. And hopefully less poop & vomiting.
And maybe I'll feel better. And it won't be so chilly.
It was a day for Pepsi, I tell ya. For Pepsi. The hard kind-- with caffeine.
Friday, April 24, 2009
More San Diego pics
Here are some more of my favorite pics:
The seagull started drooling! It was cute-- sort of.
Then we scared him off.
A momma and baby sea lion
A sleeping koala
The peacock was showing off for us!
The seagull started drooling! It was cute-- sort of.
Then we scared him off.
A momma and baby sea lion
A sleeping koala
The peacock was showing off for us!Thursday, April 23, 2009
Another one for the Backyard Cemetery
On our way home from buying collard greens, tomatoes, hair combs, and summer sandals, we passed by a lump in the road. As I swerved to miss the lump, I noticed it was a pigeon.
And it was still alive.
I turned my car around as fast (and as safely) as I could and went back to the middle of the road to rescue it. Right as I got there, a long line of cars came down the road and I stood and prayed that I wouldn't have to stand there and watch the bird be crushed. Thankfully, they all swerved.
I wrapped the bleeding bird in an old airline blanket and carried into my car. It obviously had a broken wing and foot and there was a significant amount of blood on the road. With my daughter cradling the injured bundle, I rushed to my vet's office.
Unfortunately once I got there the vets were all occupied-- one with a client, one with emergency surgery. I stood in the waiting room with my bleeding (and then twitching) bundle and hoped my kids would be okay for a few minutes in the car. As the minutes dragged on, I finally handed off the bird to one of the vet techs and got my kids out of the car. Then we all waited together.
When we were finally in the exam room, the poor bird took its last breath. Its head fell limply to the side and I gently tried to close its eyelids.
I walked out of the room and told the tech at the desk it had died. She asked if the doctor had ever come in, and then, as if on cue, he entered. I told him what had happened and then we discussed my other animals for a bit. (He's such a nice guy!) I had a feeling as I waited that the bird might die before anything could be done. And it was just as well. Its death saved me the $20 I was willing to spend to put it out of its misery.
My daughter burst into tears. "It's so sad," she sobbed. It is. But at least it died being held and cared for instead of being crushed by someone's tire.
We brought it home and buried it in our pet cemetery. It joins three chickens, a sparrow, and a hamster. It's in good company! In the presence of other animals that we've loved and lost. The whole experience created a 40-minute detour in our crazy schedule, but it was worth it.
I told my daughter that I want to be an animal talent fairy when I grow up. If' you've watched the Tinker Bell movie, then you'll know what I mean. Until then I'll just keep doing my best to save the animals, large and small, that I come across. (Now you see why I cannot allow myself to go into the feed store. Or animal shelters. Or pet stores that don't charge $900 for dogs. Or look at animal classifieds online. Or....)
And it was still alive.
I turned my car around as fast (and as safely) as I could and went back to the middle of the road to rescue it. Right as I got there, a long line of cars came down the road and I stood and prayed that I wouldn't have to stand there and watch the bird be crushed. Thankfully, they all swerved.
I wrapped the bleeding bird in an old airline blanket and carried into my car. It obviously had a broken wing and foot and there was a significant amount of blood on the road. With my daughter cradling the injured bundle, I rushed to my vet's office.
Unfortunately once I got there the vets were all occupied-- one with a client, one with emergency surgery. I stood in the waiting room with my bleeding (and then twitching) bundle and hoped my kids would be okay for a few minutes in the car. As the minutes dragged on, I finally handed off the bird to one of the vet techs and got my kids out of the car. Then we all waited together.
When we were finally in the exam room, the poor bird took its last breath. Its head fell limply to the side and I gently tried to close its eyelids.
I walked out of the room and told the tech at the desk it had died. She asked if the doctor had ever come in, and then, as if on cue, he entered. I told him what had happened and then we discussed my other animals for a bit. (He's such a nice guy!) I had a feeling as I waited that the bird might die before anything could be done. And it was just as well. Its death saved me the $20 I was willing to spend to put it out of its misery.
My daughter burst into tears. "It's so sad," she sobbed. It is. But at least it died being held and cared for instead of being crushed by someone's tire.
We brought it home and buried it in our pet cemetery. It joins three chickens, a sparrow, and a hamster. It's in good company! In the presence of other animals that we've loved and lost. The whole experience created a 40-minute detour in our crazy schedule, but it was worth it.
I told my daughter that I want to be an animal talent fairy when I grow up. If' you've watched the Tinker Bell movie, then you'll know what I mean. Until then I'll just keep doing my best to save the animals, large and small, that I come across. (Now you see why I cannot allow myself to go into the feed store. Or animal shelters. Or pet stores that don't charge $900 for dogs. Or look at animal classifieds online. Or....)
Signs of Spring
Tulips!
Daffodils!
Peach blossoms!
Purple Leaf Plum Blossoms!
Cherry Blossoms!
Lilac Blossoms!Aaaaahhhhhh, Spring! What a wonderful time of year.
I would post pics of baby animals, but I'm currently not allowed to look at them. It's a self-imposed regulation. No feed store for several months every Spring on account of I'm not capable of resisting the baby ducks and turkeys and chicks. I'm a recovering addict. So just imagine all the baby bunnies, chicks, ducks, turkeys, lambs, goats..... ooohh! Baby animals are even better than flowers!
Deep sigh. Enjoy the flowers. And try not to think too much on those babies...... ;oD
Monday, April 20, 2009
Happiness is.....
a sunny day, a warm beach, a full tummy, and the company of family & friends.Ah, life IS good!
A Fabulous Time was had by All
A room with a view-- the view off our balcony at our hotel.
The Welcoming Committee--
I took my kids to the places I had visited with my family--
the San Diego temple
La Jolla Cove beach and sea wall (I showed them the sea lions' beach)
We went to the San Diego Zoo where my daughter's lifetime dream (at age 9) came true. She saw a panda for the very first time. She's adored pandas for years and was so excited to see two live ones.
After two days in San Diego, we went back to LA where we went to the beach with my mom-
We played at the beach for an hour that morning and played in the pool that afternoon. Somewhere along the way, I ended up with a nice sunburn. But it's already fading into a lovely tan.
I'm so grateful the weather is good. I'm outside tying in the sun while I watch my boys chase bubbles on the backyard lawn. Ah. It was a great vacation, an exceedingly long drive, and a happy homecoming. Today is beautiful and sunny and very, very mellow.
Ah..... such is life!
The Welcoming Committee--
I took my kids to the places I had visited with my family--
the San Diego temple
La Jolla Cove beach and sea wall (I showed them the sea lions' beach)
We went to the San Diego Zoo where my daughter's lifetime dream (at age 9) came true. She saw a panda for the very first time. She's adored pandas for years and was so excited to see two live ones.
After two days in San Diego, we went back to LA where we went to the beach with my mom-
We played at the beach for an hour that morning and played in the pool that afternoon. Somewhere along the way, I ended up with a nice sunburn. But it's already fading into a lovely tan.
I'm so grateful the weather is good. I'm outside tying in the sun while I watch my boys chase bubbles on the backyard lawn. Ah. It was a great vacation, an exceedingly long drive, and a happy homecoming. Today is beautiful and sunny and very, very mellow.
Ah..... such is life!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Auto Reply: Out of Office
I'll be taking a bit of a blogging break thanks to a much needed vacation. Will return on Monday, April 20th.
Best of days to you.
Best of days to you.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Fragile
Yesterday during church I watched a lady in our ward and thought about the time not too long ago when I told her how much I admired her hair. I watched her sing and admired her cute hair again.
This morning I found out first from the news and then from my bishop that she had been hit and killed last night while crossing the highway near our house.
She called me last week to offer me her old ASL videos and books and thought I'd like them and use them. I told her several times how much I appreciated her thinking of me and that I'd look forward to getting them. She never did get a chance to bring them by.
Now she's gone. It's mind-boggling to me.
Life is so fragile. Only our Heavenly Father knows the end of our days. Her end was yesterday-- at the end of a beautiful Easter day. And it may seem senseless to us here, but that's only because we don't know the whole game plan.
Live life today fully. Enjoy your moments. Not because you expect them to be your last, but because you'll never have this day in your life. Never another "April 13, 2009." Do you want this day to be marked with life or with excuses or with regret or with happiness. Or what?
God bless all of you. With a good day and another beautiful tomorrow.
This morning I found out first from the news and then from my bishop that she had been hit and killed last night while crossing the highway near our house.
She called me last week to offer me her old ASL videos and books and thought I'd like them and use them. I told her several times how much I appreciated her thinking of me and that I'd look forward to getting them. She never did get a chance to bring them by.
Now she's gone. It's mind-boggling to me.
Life is so fragile. Only our Heavenly Father knows the end of our days. Her end was yesterday-- at the end of a beautiful Easter day. And it may seem senseless to us here, but that's only because we don't know the whole game plan.
Live life today fully. Enjoy your moments. Not because you expect them to be your last, but because you'll never have this day in your life. Never another "April 13, 2009." Do you want this day to be marked with life or with excuses or with regret or with happiness. Or what?
God bless all of you. With a good day and another beautiful tomorrow.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Oh for Rude!
Every other month I teach a Disaster Psychology class for the CERT program (Community Emergency Response Team). I've been teaching since last summer and I really enjoy it. I love teaching and disaster psychology is something that really interests me. I've never had any problems with teaching the class. That is until last night....
Oh my gracious! I had a guy in my class who was so rude to me. He wouldn't stop talking to the guy in the seat next to him and finally I jokingly said "hey now, I can separate you two." Holy cow! He snapped. He started telling me in a snotty voice that he paid to be there (as if somehow that allowed to him to come in late and be rude...). When I said so did everyone else, he started demanding icily that I continue teaching. He kept repeating it, each time becoming more and more venomous.
I have to say that I'm proud that I was able to continue to teach while completely ignoring his glares. But it did bother me how the incident upset the fun and uplifting tone of the class. So about 10 minutes later, I tried to clear the air by acknowledging that he was angry. Whoa! That was the final straw for him. He stood up and declared he didn't have to take this (meaning me) and he was out of here. I tried to keep my eyes from getting too wide. I smiled graciously and said "have a good evening" to which he snottily replied "I will now." Yikes!
Later in the class I told the rest of the class I was highly disturbed and I wanted to make sure they were fine. The other guy in the whispering duo was really cool with me and told me I was fine. Another guy told me it seemed Mr. Grouchy Pants wasn't willing to let the issue go and wanted to be provoked. Needless to say, I felt much better!
After the class let out, one woman pulled me aside and told me that Mr. Grouchy wasn't worth stewing about. She knew him personally and knew him to be rather hot-headed. A couple of people thought it was staged! How funny! Like somehow I tried to create a disaster to help prove my point! Then I found out from another one of the CERT teachers, a firefighter, the same guy was rude to him during his class two weeks earlier. So why on earth does a person pay $35 to pay for classes that he doesn't want to attend?? I don't get it.
The class went great. We had a lot of fun and I think everyone enjoyed the class. We certainly laughed a lot. It was great--except for the small run in with a student.
Now I can almost say I've seen everything while teaching. Almost... I certainly plan to leave the option open for more interesting students.
Oh my gracious! I had a guy in my class who was so rude to me. He wouldn't stop talking to the guy in the seat next to him and finally I jokingly said "hey now, I can separate you two." Holy cow! He snapped. He started telling me in a snotty voice that he paid to be there (as if somehow that allowed to him to come in late and be rude...). When I said so did everyone else, he started demanding icily that I continue teaching. He kept repeating it, each time becoming more and more venomous.
I have to say that I'm proud that I was able to continue to teach while completely ignoring his glares. But it did bother me how the incident upset the fun and uplifting tone of the class. So about 10 minutes later, I tried to clear the air by acknowledging that he was angry. Whoa! That was the final straw for him. He stood up and declared he didn't have to take this (meaning me) and he was out of here. I tried to keep my eyes from getting too wide. I smiled graciously and said "have a good evening" to which he snottily replied "I will now." Yikes!
Later in the class I told the rest of the class I was highly disturbed and I wanted to make sure they were fine. The other guy in the whispering duo was really cool with me and told me I was fine. Another guy told me it seemed Mr. Grouchy Pants wasn't willing to let the issue go and wanted to be provoked. Needless to say, I felt much better!
After the class let out, one woman pulled me aside and told me that Mr. Grouchy wasn't worth stewing about. She knew him personally and knew him to be rather hot-headed. A couple of people thought it was staged! How funny! Like somehow I tried to create a disaster to help prove my point! Then I found out from another one of the CERT teachers, a firefighter, the same guy was rude to him during his class two weeks earlier. So why on earth does a person pay $35 to pay for classes that he doesn't want to attend?? I don't get it.
The class went great. We had a lot of fun and I think everyone enjoyed the class. We certainly laughed a lot. It was great--except for the small run in with a student.
Now I can almost say I've seen everything while teaching. Almost... I certainly plan to leave the option open for more interesting students.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
The Truth about Parent Bedtimes
One of my favorite cartoon strips is called "the Pajama Diaries." A couple of months ago it had a cartoon in the Sunday paper that I wish I had cut out. I will try to recreate it for you.
1st box: husband & wife sitting bleary-eyed on the couch; clock says 10 pm; they both agree to go to bed.
2nd box: husband in bed sound asleep; clock says 10:05 pm.
3rd box: shows wife cleaning kitchen, loading dishwasher, picking up clothes, making kids lunches, switching out laundry, washing face, etc.
4th box: wife crawls into bed bleary-eyed; clock says 11:30 (or something like that).
Ah, some days I wish I could just crawl into bed and fall asleep without thinking of a single thing I didn't do or that I forgot to do or that should have been done or.....
I think I'm going to go to bed now. The dishes will still be dirty in the morning and we have enough clean bowls for breakfast.
Good night.
1st box: husband & wife sitting bleary-eyed on the couch; clock says 10 pm; they both agree to go to bed.
2nd box: husband in bed sound asleep; clock says 10:05 pm.
3rd box: shows wife cleaning kitchen, loading dishwasher, picking up clothes, making kids lunches, switching out laundry, washing face, etc.
4th box: wife crawls into bed bleary-eyed; clock says 11:30 (or something like that).
Ah, some days I wish I could just crawl into bed and fall asleep without thinking of a single thing I didn't do or that I forgot to do or that should have been done or.....
I think I'm going to go to bed now. The dishes will still be dirty in the morning and we have enough clean bowls for breakfast.
Good night.
Problem Solving Muse
I've been puzzling about a problem I'm facing and I've come to the conclusion that problems can be like knotted/sore muscles or like bruises. With sore muscles, the more you work on them, the better they get; working them out-- through exercise or massage-- hurts, but in the long run it improves the amount of pain you feel. With bruises, the more you work on them, the worse they become and the worse they hurt.
The problem with this is figuring out which type of problem you have. And that's where I'm stuck now. Do I keep pursuing the course of action I'm taking (all the while agonizing about it) or do I acknowledge that more work will do nothing to improve the situation and move on?
What makes my problem even more traumatic is that it involves one of my pets. Lily, our latest addition, does not seem to be improving on the antibiotics though we are more than half way done. She's not overly friendly, is very timid & skittish, and hates being taken out of her cage (though I keep working on that). Do I give up? Am I calling the game too soon, so to speak? Do I keep waiting? Or what?
For now I'm just agonizing over it. Some days are more traumatic than others-- like when I discovered blood in her box from her bloody noses or when she bites me-- and other days-- like last night when she was cute and friendly and non-biting-- I think maybe I haven't given it enough time.
So is Lily a knot or a bruise?
I don't know, and there lies the agony.
The problem with this is figuring out which type of problem you have. And that's where I'm stuck now. Do I keep pursuing the course of action I'm taking (all the while agonizing about it) or do I acknowledge that more work will do nothing to improve the situation and move on?
What makes my problem even more traumatic is that it involves one of my pets. Lily, our latest addition, does not seem to be improving on the antibiotics though we are more than half way done. She's not overly friendly, is very timid & skittish, and hates being taken out of her cage (though I keep working on that). Do I give up? Am I calling the game too soon, so to speak? Do I keep waiting? Or what?
For now I'm just agonizing over it. Some days are more traumatic than others-- like when I discovered blood in her box from her bloody noses or when she bites me-- and other days-- like last night when she was cute and friendly and non-biting-- I think maybe I haven't given it enough time.
So is Lily a knot or a bruise?
I don't know, and there lies the agony.
Monday, April 6, 2009
..sniff, sniff...... It's the first day of Spring Break
We've made it to lunch time with only 2 of the 3 kids pouting/whining/screaming/crying. Not bad, I think.
WAH! There's still 4 1/2 days to go!
I was trying to sew a pair of black pants since my daughter refuses to wear any other pants and the toddler woke up cranky and the 5 year old decided I was not adequately fulfilling my role as his personal social/activities director and that's when things started to fall apart.
And of course as I was sewing and ignoring the crying, I was listening to the local talk radio show discuss whether or not local school districts should cut 5 school days in order to save money. NNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! No more days off. Please, I'm begging.
Just when the whining really starts revving up, a mother calls in and says that she'd positively LOVE more days with her children so she can take them to cultural events and free museums and bond with them.
Huh?
OK, so am I a mother wimp? I don't think I am. The difficulty is that I have a 5 year old son whose world falls apart when he's not in school. Holidays, school breaks, and even weekends are a struggle with him. He hates them and the rest of us try hard NOT to suffer. He's the kind of kid who would like year-round boarding school. I could probably appease him if I planned my days full of constant activity for him, but I can't. I have a toddler who must nap once or twice and a daughter who is a homebody. I try to reconcile the three personalities and most of the time I do a good job.
But not for my son. It's not enough for him. He is forced to direct himself and his activities and he resents it (read: me, his mother). I've got activities planned to stimulate and amuse them this week, but I thought I'd just try to get that sewing started while the toddler was sleeping and the children were watching kid shows on PBS. Bad idea.
I suppose I'll be staying up late this week so I can finish the pants so my daughter can wear them and I can wash the other two pairs of her pants.
WAH! There's still 4 1/2 days to go!
I was trying to sew a pair of black pants since my daughter refuses to wear any other pants and the toddler woke up cranky and the 5 year old decided I was not adequately fulfilling my role as his personal social/activities director and that's when things started to fall apart.
And of course as I was sewing and ignoring the crying, I was listening to the local talk radio show discuss whether or not local school districts should cut 5 school days in order to save money. NNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! No more days off. Please, I'm begging.
Just when the whining really starts revving up, a mother calls in and says that she'd positively LOVE more days with her children so she can take them to cultural events and free museums and bond with them.
Huh?
OK, so am I a mother wimp? I don't think I am. The difficulty is that I have a 5 year old son whose world falls apart when he's not in school. Holidays, school breaks, and even weekends are a struggle with him. He hates them and the rest of us try hard NOT to suffer. He's the kind of kid who would like year-round boarding school. I could probably appease him if I planned my days full of constant activity for him, but I can't. I have a toddler who must nap once or twice and a daughter who is a homebody. I try to reconcile the three personalities and most of the time I do a good job.
But not for my son. It's not enough for him. He is forced to direct himself and his activities and he resents it (read: me, his mother). I've got activities planned to stimulate and amuse them this week, but I thought I'd just try to get that sewing started while the toddler was sleeping and the children were watching kid shows on PBS. Bad idea.
I suppose I'll be staying up late this week so I can finish the pants so my daughter can wear them and I can wash the other two pairs of her pants.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Library Binge
I got to go to the public library today ALL BY MYSELF!! It was great. I actually got to spend some time wandering around the grown-up racks. Aaahhh! So good. That's why I binged. I reached my check out limit. Which leads me to wonder why they have to limit me to 35 books. I don't limit myself to 35 so why should they?? It's just unpatriotic!
I got a wide range of topics on my library shelf in the hall closet.
The titles on my shelf?
-The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers
-Juggling Step-by-Step
-The Remarkable & Very True Story of Lily and Snowcap
-a Cirque du Soleil DVD (another one downstairs)
-Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers
-Secret of Castle Cant
-The Spark- unlocking the creativity within
-Animals Make Us Human
-What to Expect the Toddler Years
-Spark
-The Door Within
-The Mousehunter
-One Frog can make a Difference by Kermit the Frog
-Jack Hanna's Guide to Pets
-On Call
-Horseradish by Lemony Snicket
-The Red Leather Diary
-Drinking Problems at the Fountain of Youth
-Cactus Trails and Cowboy Philosophy
-Vet Confidential
-The Salamander Spell
-No Place for Magic
-The Frog Princess
-If Only They Could Speak
-Alex & Me
-Fowl Weather
-Dogs that Know when Their Owners are Coming Home
I'm most excited about "Fowl Weather" because it's a sequel to one of my most, most, most favorite books-- "Enslaved by Ducks" by Bob Tarte. I love that book! It's about a man & his wife who love animals and own 34 of them. Yeah, I totally know what you're thinking--what a dream!
So from looking at this list can you tell why I'm having a hard time deciding what I want to be when I grow up?
I got a wide range of topics on my library shelf in the hall closet.
The titles on my shelf?
-The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers
-Juggling Step-by-Step
-The Remarkable & Very True Story of Lily and Snowcap
-a Cirque du Soleil DVD (another one downstairs)
-Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers
-Secret of Castle Cant
-The Spark- unlocking the creativity within
-Animals Make Us Human
-What to Expect the Toddler Years
-Spark
-The Door Within
-The Mousehunter
-One Frog can make a Difference by Kermit the Frog
-Jack Hanna's Guide to Pets
-On Call
-Horseradish by Lemony Snicket
-The Red Leather Diary
-Drinking Problems at the Fountain of Youth
-Cactus Trails and Cowboy Philosophy
-Vet Confidential
-The Salamander Spell
-No Place for Magic
-The Frog Princess
-If Only They Could Speak
-Alex & Me
-Fowl Weather
-Dogs that Know when Their Owners are Coming Home
I'm most excited about "Fowl Weather" because it's a sequel to one of my most, most, most favorite books-- "Enslaved by Ducks" by Bob Tarte. I love that book! It's about a man & his wife who love animals and own 34 of them. Yeah, I totally know what you're thinking--what a dream!
So from looking at this list can you tell why I'm having a hard time deciding what I want to be when I grow up?
The Joy of Children
"We're pretending that you're a witch, Mom, and that you are evil. And we're running away from you until we can kill you."
ah. thank you.
"I don't want children," my daughter shrieked as we played the game Life, "they are too hard!"
ah. glad I'm a good role model.
My son wore one snow boot and one tennis shoe for 10 minutes before he noticed his shoes were different.
ah, yes. remind me not to ask you to pay close attention to the toddler.
ah. thank you.
"I don't want children," my daughter shrieked as we played the game Life, "they are too hard!"
ah. glad I'm a good role model.
My son wore one snow boot and one tennis shoe for 10 minutes before he noticed his shoes were different.
ah, yes. remind me not to ask you to pay close attention to the toddler.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Children's Books
I love reading kids' books-- picture books, early readers, middle grade novels, and young adult. I spend most of my time in the public library in the children's section downstairs so that's what I end up reading. I love it! That's why I want to be a children's librarian when I grow up. I'm always telling friends about the great kids' books I've read. In my reading list on the right side of the blog, you can see that most of the books read are kids.
I love: (just to name a few, but these are definitely not the only ones)
-Fablehaven series
-Skippy Jon Jones books
-the Pigeon books by Mo Willems
-Harry Potter series
-books by Andrew Clements
-Artemis Fowl series
-Baby Brains books
So what are your favorite kids books? Leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite books are. I'm always looking for recommendations and new books to read.
I love: (just to name a few, but these are definitely not the only ones)
-Fablehaven series
-Skippy Jon Jones books
-the Pigeon books by Mo Willems
-Harry Potter series
-books by Andrew Clements
-Artemis Fowl series
-Baby Brains books
So what are your favorite kids books? Leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite books are. I'm always looking for recommendations and new books to read.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
It's CLEAN!
With the exception of the sewing stuff on the far left corner, I think I finally got my kitchen clean! Hooray! Break out the Pepsi!Uh-uh...................(see below).................................
Then again, maybe not!
Betcha can guess who did this? Starts with a "T" and rhymes with "Soddler."
Yep, the toddler. That's why I don't try to keep the house as clean as I used to!
Welcome to my house! Come on in!
Please come in and take a seat on the couch.
Oh, but please watch where you walk. Just step over the:
-slighty soiled cloth napkin
-5 year old son
-tortoise
-a pair of flip flops
-two wooden blocks
-pair of snow shoes
-pink fuzzy slippers
-scattered dog food
-spilled dog water
-empty reusable shopping bag
-Arthur coloring book
-school lunch calendar
-newspaper
-open notebook
-two pages of graded homework
-crumpled up Post-It note
-more spilled dog food
-bunched up rug
-baby sock
-one pink & purple glove
-spilled Gatorade on the floor (don't worry, it dried days ago!)
-baby bib
-stuffed bear magnet
-dried grape peel
-dog
-more spilled dog food
-5 year old son
-paper on "Fear"
-toy airplane
-toy tractor
-toy pig
-toy cow
-toy luggage
-plastic airplane pilot
-board book on kittens
-"Hand, hand, fingers, thumb" board book
-plastic Easter egg
-yesterday's Sippy cup
-set of scriptures
-library book
-bouncy ball
-singing tool set
-5 year old son
-my nice white sweater
-bird seed
-small animal bedding
-leftover rawhide strip
-more dog food
-empty pill container
-part of a marker box
-jump rope
-large stuffed chicken head pillow
-5 year old son
-misplaced throw cushions (Mom, they're called THROW pillows! Duh!)
-toy radio
-toy phone
-small blue piano
-dog's dirty toy puppy
Please, make yourself comfortable. Oh! Let me take that toy car from you-- you don't need to sit on that. And, Son, move out of the way; you don't need to sit on top of them. So, please pardon the mess. I have children. I've tried childproofing, but they just keep getting in!
:oD
I find that by lowering my standards and altering my definition of what "clean" is, I actually feel better about the house that I -- and my three children-- live in. I would highly recommend it!
Oh, but please watch where you walk. Just step over the:
-slighty soiled cloth napkin
-5 year old son
-tortoise
-a pair of flip flops
-two wooden blocks
-pair of snow shoes
-pink fuzzy slippers
-scattered dog food
-spilled dog water
-empty reusable shopping bag
-Arthur coloring book
-school lunch calendar
-newspaper
-open notebook
-two pages of graded homework
-crumpled up Post-It note
-more spilled dog food
-bunched up rug
-baby sock
-one pink & purple glove
-spilled Gatorade on the floor (don't worry, it dried days ago!)
-baby bib
-stuffed bear magnet
-dried grape peel
-dog
-more spilled dog food
-5 year old son
-paper on "Fear"
-toy airplane
-toy tractor
-toy pig
-toy cow
-toy luggage
-plastic airplane pilot
-board book on kittens
-"Hand, hand, fingers, thumb" board book
-plastic Easter egg
-yesterday's Sippy cup
-set of scriptures
-library book
-bouncy ball
-singing tool set
-5 year old son
-my nice white sweater
-bird seed
-small animal bedding
-leftover rawhide strip
-more dog food
-empty pill container
-part of a marker box
-jump rope
-large stuffed chicken head pillow
-5 year old son
-misplaced throw cushions (Mom, they're called THROW pillows! Duh!)
-toy radio
-toy phone
-small blue piano
-dog's dirty toy puppy
Please, make yourself comfortable. Oh! Let me take that toy car from you-- you don't need to sit on that. And, Son, move out of the way; you don't need to sit on top of them. So, please pardon the mess. I have children. I've tried childproofing, but they just keep getting in!
:oD
I find that by lowering my standards and altering my definition of what "clean" is, I actually feel better about the house that I -- and my three children-- live in. I would highly recommend it!
...ppssssttttt.... it's me..... you know, my son's 'terrible' mother??....
I'm sitting on a small plastic chair in front of the rat's cage trying to finish up some research for a story I need to have written this week and I am forcing my 5, almost 6, year old son to actually play by himself while I'm racing to do it while the toddler is sleeping. Cruel of me, isn't it?
I greeted him when he got home from school, looked at the green paper, smiled through a grimace at the April Fool's joke he brought home, answered a few questions, and then told him nicely that I needed to finish this project.
That's when he stormed off to his room (after I called after him that he would be in BIG trouble if he slammed his door behind him) and threw himself down on his bed to bemoan the fact that his mother is an actual woman and not his slave. Well..... OK, so I don't think he actually thought that. You see, that would require him to think past the end of his nose and developmentally he's not at that point. The world begins and ends with him, I've discovered. It's a very small world. But it's all about him.
I have hopes that he'll grow out of it soon-- like, before he's 18. But if not, he's moving out where he can be the master of his own universe and apartment. And potentially find a maid/servant/butler/counselor who can help meet his every need.
Until that day, I confess that he will most likely continue to suffer...... Sad, isn't it?
I will continue to struggle with not feeling like I really am a bad mother and that just because he sends me the message "you're terrible" doesn't mean that I have to accept it or believe it. Reality and truth are concepts that aren't learned by children until they become older, like parents themselves and then they see how skewed their visions of their parents were.
Now, after being forced to play by himself for 10 whole agonizing minutes, he is now sitting on the floor by the small yellow chair and gazing up longingly at my computer screen.
Sigh. It's lunch time. Perhaps that will help realign his universe so that he is numero uno. And I will try to figure out when to finish my story. Maybe, if I'm lucky, the toddler will take another nap...... One can hope, right?
I greeted him when he got home from school, looked at the green paper, smiled through a grimace at the April Fool's joke he brought home, answered a few questions, and then told him nicely that I needed to finish this project.
That's when he stormed off to his room (after I called after him that he would be in BIG trouble if he slammed his door behind him) and threw himself down on his bed to bemoan the fact that his mother is an actual woman and not his slave. Well..... OK, so I don't think he actually thought that. You see, that would require him to think past the end of his nose and developmentally he's not at that point. The world begins and ends with him, I've discovered. It's a very small world. But it's all about him.
I have hopes that he'll grow out of it soon-- like, before he's 18. But if not, he's moving out where he can be the master of his own universe and apartment. And potentially find a maid/servant/butler/counselor who can help meet his every need.
Until that day, I confess that he will most likely continue to suffer...... Sad, isn't it?
I will continue to struggle with not feeling like I really am a bad mother and that just because he sends me the message "you're terrible" doesn't mean that I have to accept it or believe it. Reality and truth are concepts that aren't learned by children until they become older, like parents themselves and then they see how skewed their visions of their parents were.
Now, after being forced to play by himself for 10 whole agonizing minutes, he is now sitting on the floor by the small yellow chair and gazing up longingly at my computer screen.
Sigh. It's lunch time. Perhaps that will help realign his universe so that he is numero uno. And I will try to figure out when to finish my story. Maybe, if I'm lucky, the toddler will take another nap...... One can hope, right?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)
