It is time to entice the inhabitants to change into their Martial Arts uniforms. Mutiny is upon us. The oldest resident desperately wishes to attend her training. The middle resident, however, wishes to wreak havoc in a minute-by-minute fashion. *sigh* Off we go!
Update: The oldest inhabitant changed her mind, saying she would rather stay home. Looking at her with my mutiny-reducing stare, I informed her she was going anyway. With a level gaze, she asked, "Who's gonna make me?" I darkened my stare, her eyebrows lifted and her mouth began to speak, "You know, on second thought, I really DO want to go today!"
Monday, July 8, 2013
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Summer Break, Day 26
Our male inhabitant requires an extensive amount of supervision. He is constantly climbing up on furniture in completely inappropriate ways. One example of such behavior is the toddler's bed. It is a "Snooze 'N Cruise" molded plastic bed from many many years ago (see photo). Our resident loves to jump off the top, slide down the sides, crawl up through the sunroof, and literally just make a monkey of himself on this bed.
I cannot begin to number the ways I have told this masculine member of our family to stay off the bed completely! Catching him upon the bed once again today, I decided to give him a good talking-to and remove privileges. During this conversation, he blurted out "You're not the boss of me!" He regretted it immediately, I tell you, dear reader! I explained that, as his Co-Creator--the one who carried him for 9 months, had miserable morning sickness and was in labor with him for 12 hours--I was most certainly the boss of him. I then dared him to test me further!
Thus far, said male resident in question has not tested me further. Mutiny was dispelled this afternoon, but the inhabitants may yet rally. After all, at only 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the day is still young!
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Summer Break, Day 19
Our male resident uses the same bedroom set I had as a youngling. The rails for the headboard and footboard are set about 1-2 inches too wide for a standard twin bed. While growing up, I always had 1x4 boards to prop the boxspring up into the rails. Along the way, those have gone missing. I had a solid MDF board cut to the measurements I took, but having moved cross-country twice now, the corners of the MDF have gotten ruined. The mattress set keeps falling between the rails--a very dangerous situation, indeed. I made the executive decision today to remove the bed frame until we can cut our own 1x4 boards.
This now means our oldest 2 residents dwell upon a mattress set simply placed directly on the floor. The youngest is the only one with a proper raised bed. In August, my Maternal Unit will bring a bunk bed set for the female residents to share in their room. The goal now is to have the middle resident's bed repaired by then. Our timing depends on the Co-Creator's willingness to utilize the table saw so he can cut the boards necessary for this repair.
The male inhabitant is disappointed in this decision to remove his bed frame. While placing the boxspring on the floor, I discovered a secret stash of junk under the bed. Said inhabitant must now clean his room without shoving items under the bed. Mutiny is at hand. I must go fight the good fight now.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Summer Break, Day 17: VBS
Ah, the joys of the School of Vacation Bibles... er... That is, Vacation Bible School. Yes. The inhabitants all attended their first evening of VBS. The youngest remained in a state of confusion about the darkness of the eve while at church. After all, we have only ever been to this house of worship in the morning hours with her. She also constantly felt teased because she saw me over and over again in the hallways, but I was not there to remove her from the premises. Needless to say, the littlest resident was not overly thrilled with her evening. She did, however, get marshmallows for snack. That soothed her grumpy soul.
The middle inhabitant had a difficult transition from Tae Kwon Do to VBS. In the first activity, he was able to move about freely and received his new High White belt (the physical belt, as an award for his test last week); not so much in the second activity. There was dancing at VBS--a much detestable action according to our middle youngling. This male resident requires a lot of physical outlets for his excessive energy--dancing is a very rare occurrence. Would that I could have 3 acres of land to send him out exploring bugs and other testosterone-inducing counterparts. Alas, our 1/3 acre will have to make do for now.
The firstborn had a pleasant day. As always, her day began with an electronic screen. She chose, of her own volition, to then read a book for a lengthy stretch. At TKD, she also received her physical belt. The Yellow Belt now means she can begin sparring with her fellow Martial Artists. The Co-Creator and I are excited to see her reaction to the first sparring lesson she receives. Will she be shocked at how difficult it is, or will it be simple for her? Time will tell. This particular inhabitant is difficult to predict. Her reaction to VBS tonight was predictable, however. She loved every minute of it! Dancing, singing, making crafts and talking about the Savior are her most favorite things. Combine them like this and she has a certain euphoria in the aftermath. Bedtime was most difficult tonight, as she was still on a high from her experience. In fact, both female residents were difficult to put to bed this evening. The male inhabitant, however, was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. These young ones are so precious in their sleep.
The middle inhabitant had a difficult transition from Tae Kwon Do to VBS. In the first activity, he was able to move about freely and received his new High White belt (the physical belt, as an award for his test last week); not so much in the second activity. There was dancing at VBS--a much detestable action according to our middle youngling. This male resident requires a lot of physical outlets for his excessive energy--dancing is a very rare occurrence. Would that I could have 3 acres of land to send him out exploring bugs and other testosterone-inducing counterparts. Alas, our 1/3 acre will have to make do for now.
The firstborn had a pleasant day. As always, her day began with an electronic screen. She chose, of her own volition, to then read a book for a lengthy stretch. At TKD, she also received her physical belt. The Yellow Belt now means she can begin sparring with her fellow Martial Artists. The Co-Creator and I are excited to see her reaction to the first sparring lesson she receives. Will she be shocked at how difficult it is, or will it be simple for her? Time will tell. This particular inhabitant is difficult to predict. Her reaction to VBS tonight was predictable, however. She loved every minute of it! Dancing, singing, making crafts and talking about the Savior are her most favorite things. Combine them like this and she has a certain euphoria in the aftermath. Bedtime was most difficult tonight, as she was still on a high from her experience. In fact, both female residents were difficult to put to bed this evening. The male inhabitant, however, was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. These young ones are so precious in their sleep.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Summer Break, Day 14: A Job for Me!
We interrupt this regularly scheduled, oddly written update to announce that I got a job!!!
Rob and I had been trying to figure out a budget which would allow us to continue both Aurora and Ryan in their Tae Kwon Do training once their 6 month contract was up in August. We could only come up with ways to put one child through, but could not squeeze the remaining tuition out of anywhere. I was not going to choose only one child to continue training. I'm just not that Mom. So, I started praying for God to make a way. I have seen such positive emotional and physical growth in both of them, especially Aurora. Her self-esteem has increased significantly and that is so important in a girl her age! Keeping them in TKD was beyond my ability, but I fully believed that if God thinks it is good enough for them, He would make a way for it to happen.
Shortly after I began praying about this, I had heard that Master King was looking for some help at Black Belt USA and offered to volunteer now to start racking up credit so the kids could continue taking classes in August. I explained that I had experience that was relevant to the work that he needed to be done and left it at that. I did not oversell myself and was not pushy. In fact, I left the conversation wondering if I had said enough--which is usually not the case for me; I usually wonder if I said too much! So, I let it ride and didn't mention it again.
Fast forward to Wednesday, June 19th. The kids were at TKD and had a fairly good workout. After their class, I was gathering children and visiting with some of the other moms as they were picking up their kids. Master King looked at me and asked if he could speak to me. My first thought was, "Oh, no! What has [Ryan or Aurora, in that order] done now?" Wouldn't you know it, he offered me a job! Like, the kind that pays money per hour! I wish I could say that I was just blown away, but as soon as he said it, I just smiled and silently began singing the Hallelujah Chorus while paying very close attention to every word being spoken. When I had a moment to reflect upon this later that evening, this verse came to mind: God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (1Cor 9:8)
The benefits: I get a few hours a week to come to work, my kids are welcome to come with me so long as they are not disruptive and allow me to be on the phone, the kids get a discounted tuition, I get to train for FREE (Hello, Muay Thai!) and I will make a few bucks while doing all this. Now, I am not disillusioned enough to think that this is going to ADD to our budget above and beyond training at Black Belt USA, but my goal was to keep the kids there. Goal met. This is one Happy Mom here!!!
Today was my second day at BBUSA. Yes, I know absolutely squat about Martial Arts training. So far, that's all I've learned, haha! No, of course, I'm kidding. The more I'm learning, the more I'm becoming passionate about Tae Kwon Do, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It must be contagious because Rob is contemplating taking Muay Thai with me. Well, not WITH me, because we would have to take separate classes so one of us can be home with the kids while the other is off kicking butt. Can you imagine me kicking butt? I'm having a mental block on that one... I mean, in many of my inflated daydreams and fantasies, I am a butt-kicking chick, but in real life I'm truly a wimp. So, this should be interesting!!!
Rob and I had been trying to figure out a budget which would allow us to continue both Aurora and Ryan in their Tae Kwon Do training once their 6 month contract was up in August. We could only come up with ways to put one child through, but could not squeeze the remaining tuition out of anywhere. I was not going to choose only one child to continue training. I'm just not that Mom. So, I started praying for God to make a way. I have seen such positive emotional and physical growth in both of them, especially Aurora. Her self-esteem has increased significantly and that is so important in a girl her age! Keeping them in TKD was beyond my ability, but I fully believed that if God thinks it is good enough for them, He would make a way for it to happen.
Shortly after I began praying about this, I had heard that Master King was looking for some help at Black Belt USA and offered to volunteer now to start racking up credit so the kids could continue taking classes in August. I explained that I had experience that was relevant to the work that he needed to be done and left it at that. I did not oversell myself and was not pushy. In fact, I left the conversation wondering if I had said enough--which is usually not the case for me; I usually wonder if I said too much! So, I let it ride and didn't mention it again.
Fast forward to Wednesday, June 19th. The kids were at TKD and had a fairly good workout. After their class, I was gathering children and visiting with some of the other moms as they were picking up their kids. Master King looked at me and asked if he could speak to me. My first thought was, "Oh, no! What has [Ryan or Aurora, in that order] done now?" Wouldn't you know it, he offered me a job! Like, the kind that pays money per hour! I wish I could say that I was just blown away, but as soon as he said it, I just smiled and silently began singing the Hallelujah Chorus while paying very close attention to every word being spoken. When I had a moment to reflect upon this later that evening, this verse came to mind: God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (1Cor 9:8)
The benefits: I get a few hours a week to come to work, my kids are welcome to come with me so long as they are not disruptive and allow me to be on the phone, the kids get a discounted tuition, I get to train for FREE (Hello, Muay Thai!) and I will make a few bucks while doing all this. Now, I am not disillusioned enough to think that this is going to ADD to our budget above and beyond training at Black Belt USA, but my goal was to keep the kids there. Goal met. This is one Happy Mom here!!!
Today was my second day at BBUSA. Yes, I know absolutely squat about Martial Arts training. So far, that's all I've learned, haha! No, of course, I'm kidding. The more I'm learning, the more I'm becoming passionate about Tae Kwon Do, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It must be contagious because Rob is contemplating taking Muay Thai with me. Well, not WITH me, because we would have to take separate classes so one of us can be home with the kids while the other is off kicking butt. Can you imagine me kicking butt? I'm having a mental block on that one... I mean, in many of my inflated daydreams and fantasies, I am a butt-kicking chick, but in real life I'm truly a wimp. So, this should be interesting!!!
Summer Break, Day 13: Tae Kwon Do, Pacifier NO!
This was a day of great accomplishments for the older 2 inhabitants; a day which ended in near tragedy for the youngest.
On the eve of our 13th day of Summer Break, our Martial Arts residents were tested on their knowledge and ability to exhibit their learned arts. The oldest female resident was awarded her Yellow Belt (belt #3) and the male inhabitant was awarded his High White Belt (belt #2). Their Co-Creator and I found it interesting that our creations were the only two in attendance at this particular Belt Test. This did mean, of course that we were privilege to a lot of attention given to our younglings. We were also awarded with exhibitions of the Red and Black Belt attendees' self-defense forms and weapons forms. I found myself watching the faces of my young ones more than I watched the exhibitors. The amazement in their eyes was contagious. I could almost hear them thinking, "That could be ME, someday!" I am proud of the hard work they have both given to this form of martial arts and hope to see many more years of their enjoyment to come.
The residents were awarded for their accomplishments with a late bedtime this evening. However, the youngest rebelled--not quite a full mutiny, much more a pitiful pleading to be put to bed. Needless to say, she went to sleep very well. So well, indeed, that I was forced to waken her at midnight for a trip to the lavatory. This is usually a nightly occurrence, one which I began with the oldest inhabitant until she would get up on her own volition and have continued on through numbers 2 and 3. It ensures a full bladder release into a toilet instead of onto a mattress. However, resident #3 still uses a pacifier. Upon placing her on the loo, she yawned. Now, as I'm sure the reader is aware, when a yawn occurs, the mouth opens wide, thus tossing anything that a yawner would have in her mouth. Yes, the pacifier went right into the water! It was mayhem, utter mayhem! Toilet paper could not be used immediately after evacuation; it would have gotten in the way. Thus, I had to leave the bathroom--with the toddler sitting on the facilities--to find a utensil to fish out the binky. Once the pacifier was retrieved, I was then charged with the task of sterilizing it. Remember, it is past midnight and the little one was begging to be put to bed just a few hours prior... She was nearly inconsolable! I had to assure her that we could salvage her beloved binky. She was not entirely convinced. We microwaved the pacifier in a glass of water for 5 minutes, removed it with oven mitts and dumped the pacifier into a glass of ice water immediately. Within 6 minutes of "The Incident", all was well with the world. Mutiny was avoided this day, once again!
On the eve of our 13th day of Summer Break, our Martial Arts residents were tested on their knowledge and ability to exhibit their learned arts. The oldest female resident was awarded her Yellow Belt (belt #3) and the male inhabitant was awarded his High White Belt (belt #2). Their Co-Creator and I found it interesting that our creations were the only two in attendance at this particular Belt Test. This did mean, of course that we were privilege to a lot of attention given to our younglings. We were also awarded with exhibitions of the Red and Black Belt attendees' self-defense forms and weapons forms. I found myself watching the faces of my young ones more than I watched the exhibitors. The amazement in their eyes was contagious. I could almost hear them thinking, "That could be ME, someday!" I am proud of the hard work they have both given to this form of martial arts and hope to see many more years of their enjoyment to come.
The residents were awarded for their accomplishments with a late bedtime this evening. However, the youngest rebelled--not quite a full mutiny, much more a pitiful pleading to be put to bed. Needless to say, she went to sleep very well. So well, indeed, that I was forced to waken her at midnight for a trip to the lavatory. This is usually a nightly occurrence, one which I began with the oldest inhabitant until she would get up on her own volition and have continued on through numbers 2 and 3. It ensures a full bladder release into a toilet instead of onto a mattress. However, resident #3 still uses a pacifier. Upon placing her on the loo, she yawned. Now, as I'm sure the reader is aware, when a yawn occurs, the mouth opens wide, thus tossing anything that a yawner would have in her mouth. Yes, the pacifier went right into the water! It was mayhem, utter mayhem! Toilet paper could not be used immediately after evacuation; it would have gotten in the way. Thus, I had to leave the bathroom--with the toddler sitting on the facilities--to find a utensil to fish out the binky. Once the pacifier was retrieved, I was then charged with the task of sterilizing it. Remember, it is past midnight and the little one was begging to be put to bed just a few hours prior... She was nearly inconsolable! I had to assure her that we could salvage her beloved binky. She was not entirely convinced. We microwaved the pacifier in a glass of water for 5 minutes, removed it with oven mitts and dumped the pacifier into a glass of ice water immediately. Within 6 minutes of "The Incident", all was well with the world. Mutiny was avoided this day, once again!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Summer Break, Day 12
The day of reckoning arrived for the cavity-infested male inhabitant. This morning he was escorted back to the dental facilities for the first portion of his treatment. Nitrous oxide was used to dull his senses while the Novocain was injected into both sides of his upper jaw. Once the numbing took effect, 3 of the 4 cavities were filled and 2 sealants were placed on his upper molars. I was proud of how well he behaved during the entire procedure. There was an impressive lack of thrashing and screaming coming from our operating room. This self-controlled behavior must have taken quite the toll on the boy, for he came home and went straight to his bedchamber. Within the next 5 minutes, he fell fast asleep!
The effects of the morning worked their way out of his system during his nap. Once he awoke, fully rested and famished, he was back in full form. I was glad to see there were no ill effects from what may have been a traumatic experience.
Kudos to Charlotte Pediatric Dentistry at Mallard Creek! Every time we visit their establishment, I become more and more impressed!
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