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!
Monday, June 17, 2013
Summer Break, Day 11
The inhabitants have been enjoying their vacation. This afternoon, lessons in the form of martial arts were planned. A pleasant surprise awaited the oldest resident as she received a most high reward for her dedication to the sport: Student of the Month. The middle inhabitant showed great envy for her achievement and was slow to congratulate her. As a result, the oldest asked Master King if she could share her award with her younger sibling. Shaking his head, Master King explained that this award was meant for only one person at a time and must be earned, not given--otherwise, where is the value of the hard work to earn such a reward? Kudos to their great teacher for gently explaining such a difficult life lesson.
This photograph is a fuzzy rendition. However, you can see the pride in the inhabitant's face. Her Co-Creator and I are so pleased and proud of how hard she has been working!
»»»» We're proud of you, Aurora!««««
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Summer Break, Day 9: Co-Creator's Day
The inhabitants awoke this morning to shower their Co-Creator with cards and gifts. This day was all about him, after all.
The male inhabitant waged a difficult battle, in which he lost. Dinner was chosen and made especially for the residents' Co-Creator. He choose BBQ chicken sandwiches, curly fries, a salad and my specialty chocolate cookies. Our middle child refused to eat salad. The resulting mutiny led me to force-feed him every bite. That was exhilarating (not).
After dinner, the restless natives went hunting for fireflies. Many were caught and, subsequently, released. It has been a beautiful evening.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Summer Break, Day 8
The inhabitants have an immense amount of energy this day. Co-Creator took them to the largest multi-store shopping facility in the area, hoping to ensure naps for everyone. The results were that the Co-Creator and the youngest resident were exhausted upon departure. The 2 exhausted ones took a nap; the remainder of the inhabitants somehow acquired more energy. After nap time, restless natives were banished to the outdoors. Upon their allowance back into the house, all 3 decided to take up adventures in the playroom. Such antics resulted in this living artwork. This piece is called Mutiny in Black Marker :
Summer Break, Week 1: Days 1-7
Day 1: The natives are angry that their previous institutionalized incarceration has ended. Not knowing what to do with all their newfound freedom, they have protested by killing my micro-USB charger and my favorite straw cup. These incidents were masqueraded as "accidents", but as their co-creator, I am now very suspect. The youngest is confused about our new schedule and is rebelling at nap time. I have separated the inhabitants and sufficiently laid down the law. Mutiny is always but a whisper away.
Day 2: I placed household items for sale on the List of Craig. Incidentally, 4 people wanted to rendezvous at the same time today to purchase said items. Basically, I performed a yard sale out of my geriatric station wagon in the neighborhood pharmacy's parking lot. Said geriatric automobile staged its own kind of mutiny, refusing to remain started when I turned the ignition. The youngest inhabitant was asleep at this time. Their Co-Creator and I decided to abide by Rule #1: Never wake a sleeping child. Thus, I was to await the end of nap time in the heat of my vehicle, or walk the neighborhood roads to home. Having seriously underestimated the distance from my home, I walked through the door an hour later, just in time for the nap to have ended. Co-Creator drove to the mutinous vehicle and, rather quickly and unbearably easily, was able to drive it home--and back to get the other automobile in our possession. Later this evening, I overheard a suspicious mechanical laughter from the driveway as I was nursing my newly acquired sunburn.
Day 3: The rains are incessant. So are the requests for electronic screens. The youngest, in an attempt to defend her territory, continually grabs objects from the other inhabitants, causing them to chase her down. Soon the rains will cease and the restless natives can go into the great outdoors for their entertainment. Thus far, we have avoided mutiny. Tomorrow is another day.
Day 4: The male inhabitant awoke at 5am, in mutinous fashion. He insisted I connect an electronic screen to WiFi. Having ignored his request, I sent him back to bed with a good book. I knew it was just a matter of time before the other inhabitants would join him. The day was going quite well until I attempted to use the electrified floor sweeper. It was at this time that, over the din of the electric suction, the restless natives found the acrylic paint and brushes. I have now found myself in possession of a dozen half-emptied paint bottles. I am, however, entirely unsure where the contents of said paint bottles currently are housed; all 3 of these cherubic residents have no evidence of paint on their persons or their clothing. This mystery shall be solved in due time, I suppose.
Day 5: Dental appointments for all 3 inhabitants this morning. The damage consisted of 4 cavities. In one mouth. The female residents are both dentist-free for another 6 months. The male resident will suffer greatly for his constant thievery of the pantry dried fruit candies. Currently, as I record this, the Co-Creator is in with the littlest mutineer. He is singing a song, which she will, in turn, sing at ear-piercing volume to her roommate as soon as Co-Creator exits premises. This is not their first show-down. Native roommate is asleep. Correction, roommate WAS asleep, became awakened long enough to holler "Shut up!" to current mutineer. The night is still young!
Day 6: Update, 12:32 a.m.: Little mutineer is currently viewing an animated movie. As her Co-Creator, I am exhausted. I will dock nap hours tomorrow as disciplinary action for such insolence.
Day 7: After such a long night of unrest, our Day 6 was incredibly, blissfully uneventful. The inhabitants helped work on Co-Creator's gift for his Day this weekend. The residents fully enjoyed every messy moment. Storms blew in last evening and broke the front yard foliage. Branches are everywhere. Today begins the Co-Creator's first vacation of the season. His reward? Neither the chain saw nor Ol' Busty Blue will start up. The replacement part for Ol' Busty went on quickly and easily, however, it was not the cause of vehicular mutiny. Back to the drawing board...
Day 2: I placed household items for sale on the List of Craig. Incidentally, 4 people wanted to rendezvous at the same time today to purchase said items. Basically, I performed a yard sale out of my geriatric station wagon in the neighborhood pharmacy's parking lot. Said geriatric automobile staged its own kind of mutiny, refusing to remain started when I turned the ignition. The youngest inhabitant was asleep at this time. Their Co-Creator and I decided to abide by Rule #1: Never wake a sleeping child. Thus, I was to await the end of nap time in the heat of my vehicle, or walk the neighborhood roads to home. Having seriously underestimated the distance from my home, I walked through the door an hour later, just in time for the nap to have ended. Co-Creator drove to the mutinous vehicle and, rather quickly and unbearably easily, was able to drive it home--and back to get the other automobile in our possession. Later this evening, I overheard a suspicious mechanical laughter from the driveway as I was nursing my newly acquired sunburn.
Day 3: The rains are incessant. So are the requests for electronic screens. The youngest, in an attempt to defend her territory, continually grabs objects from the other inhabitants, causing them to chase her down. Soon the rains will cease and the restless natives can go into the great outdoors for their entertainment. Thus far, we have avoided mutiny. Tomorrow is another day.
Day 4: The male inhabitant awoke at 5am, in mutinous fashion. He insisted I connect an electronic screen to WiFi. Having ignored his request, I sent him back to bed with a good book. I knew it was just a matter of time before the other inhabitants would join him. The day was going quite well until I attempted to use the electrified floor sweeper. It was at this time that, over the din of the electric suction, the restless natives found the acrylic paint and brushes. I have now found myself in possession of a dozen half-emptied paint bottles. I am, however, entirely unsure where the contents of said paint bottles currently are housed; all 3 of these cherubic residents have no evidence of paint on their persons or their clothing. This mystery shall be solved in due time, I suppose.
Day 5: Dental appointments for all 3 inhabitants this morning. The damage consisted of 4 cavities. In one mouth. The female residents are both dentist-free for another 6 months. The male resident will suffer greatly for his constant thievery of the pantry dried fruit candies. Currently, as I record this, the Co-Creator is in with the littlest mutineer. He is singing a song, which she will, in turn, sing at ear-piercing volume to her roommate as soon as Co-Creator exits premises. This is not their first show-down. Native roommate is asleep. Correction, roommate WAS asleep, became awakened long enough to holler "Shut up!" to current mutineer. The night is still young!
Day 6: Update, 12:32 a.m.: Little mutineer is currently viewing an animated movie. As her Co-Creator, I am exhausted. I will dock nap hours tomorrow as disciplinary action for such insolence.
Day 7: After such a long night of unrest, our Day 6 was incredibly, blissfully uneventful. The inhabitants helped work on Co-Creator's gift for his Day this weekend. The residents fully enjoyed every messy moment. Storms blew in last evening and broke the front yard foliage. Branches are everywhere. Today begins the Co-Creator's first vacation of the season. His reward? Neither the chain saw nor Ol' Busty Blue will start up. The replacement part for Ol' Busty went on quickly and easily, however, it was not the cause of vehicular mutiny. Back to the drawing board...
Friday, June 14, 2013
Hello, again
I cannot believe I have neglected this blog since October of last year! I had so many intentions of updating it when we moved into our new house in November. We did get the house from my last post and have fully enjoyed living here
The girls are sharing a room together. I was concerned about how that would go, since Aurora is 8 years older than Ellie. It's actually going quite well. We send Ellie to bed first, then remind Aurora to go back to bed in absolute silence, so as not to wake the little one. Ryan is fortunate that he gets his own room. It's much smaller than the one in Tulsa (all our rooms are, even though the house is 1400 sq ft; our house in Tulsa was 2400). My theory was: Smaller room, smaller mess. That theory may have been true, but it never actually LOOKS true. His room is just such a mess. An enter-at-your-own-risk mess, with Lego and Squinkie boobie traps everywhere! He loves it that way and cleans the mess well enough on his own when I tell him I need to vacuum his room. That's good enough for me. Aurora has been doing an amazing job keeping her room clean, too. It's almost like this parenting thing is finally starting to work. And, then I step into the playroom...
But I digress...
We switched the kids to a new school in January and had some issues with the new school, at first. The culture was different and quite shocking to the kids. Having lived in Oklahoma their entire academic life, going to school with anything less than a 98% Caucasian population would be a shock to anyone. They have adjusted by now and are excited to start school again this fall so they can go see their friends.
Currently, we are on summer break. Ellie had a difficult time the first couple days the kids were home. She felt like she needed to defend her territory from them. Once she figured out that she could play WITH them, she was more pleasant towards them. The kids have been playing well together--for the most part--but we are only on week 1.
Last night, storms blew in fast and furious. We have a tree down in our front yard. Today begins Rob's first vacation of the summer. He went out to the shed to start up our incredibly old, unreliable chain saw. Of course, it wouldn't start. To purchase a new one is over $100; to rent one for the day is $100. Explain that logic to me...?
To top off our fun day, Rob replaced a part in our vehicle which we were sure was causing a problem. After replacing said part, the car behaved the exact same way. So, now we must go back to the drawing board and figure out why Ol' Busty Blue is giving us fits. Could it be because she has over 192,000 miles, is a 2002 and runs a family of 5 around the country on demand? Poor Busty. She's so abused. I hate the thought of purchasing a newer vehicle. With 3 kids and a dog, the interior of any vehicle becomes ruined rather quickly. My automobile life kinda looks like Mom My Ride. Thank God for Febreze. Just last week, I almost gagged when I got into my car. Someone had spilled their milk on the floor and the interior smelled like stale, spoiled milk. There is nothing on earth quite like that smell. I used half a bottle of the fabric refresher in order to get rid of the smell.
In the meantime, Rob is much more concerned about getting that tree cleared from our yard. A neighbor has loaned him an electric chain saw and he is working on it as I type this. So far, our summer break has been quite eventful. I have been putting some wacky updates on facebook about our daily events, calling my children the "inhabitants", "residents" or "restless natives". Rob and I, as Co-Creators of these 3 children are attempting to avoid the summer mutiny that these 3 children inevitably commit. Someone on facebook said I should start a blog. I thought, "Well, I already have a blog! I should get back to it and post there!" So, there you have it.
We don't do fancy things during the summer like a lot of people do. My kids, like me, are home bodies. They like to stay home, have pajama days and eat breakfast for dinner. We don't get to do that very much during the school year, so we do it as much as we want to in the summer. Let's see what kinds of trouble we can get into this summer here in the confines of the Rose Household.
The girls are sharing a room together. I was concerned about how that would go, since Aurora is 8 years older than Ellie. It's actually going quite well. We send Ellie to bed first, then remind Aurora to go back to bed in absolute silence, so as not to wake the little one. Ryan is fortunate that he gets his own room. It's much smaller than the one in Tulsa (all our rooms are, even though the house is 1400 sq ft; our house in Tulsa was 2400). My theory was: Smaller room, smaller mess. That theory may have been true, but it never actually LOOKS true. His room is just such a mess. An enter-at-your-own-risk mess, with Lego and Squinkie boobie traps everywhere! He loves it that way and cleans the mess well enough on his own when I tell him I need to vacuum his room. That's good enough for me. Aurora has been doing an amazing job keeping her room clean, too. It's almost like this parenting thing is finally starting to work. And, then I step into the playroom...
But I digress...
We switched the kids to a new school in January and had some issues with the new school, at first. The culture was different and quite shocking to the kids. Having lived in Oklahoma their entire academic life, going to school with anything less than a 98% Caucasian population would be a shock to anyone. They have adjusted by now and are excited to start school again this fall so they can go see their friends.
Currently, we are on summer break. Ellie had a difficult time the first couple days the kids were home. She felt like she needed to defend her territory from them. Once she figured out that she could play WITH them, she was more pleasant towards them. The kids have been playing well together--for the most part--but we are only on week 1.
Last night, storms blew in fast and furious. We have a tree down in our front yard. Today begins Rob's first vacation of the summer. He went out to the shed to start up our incredibly old, unreliable chain saw. Of course, it wouldn't start. To purchase a new one is over $100; to rent one for the day is $100. Explain that logic to me...?
To top off our fun day, Rob replaced a part in our vehicle which we were sure was causing a problem. After replacing said part, the car behaved the exact same way. So, now we must go back to the drawing board and figure out why Ol' Busty Blue is giving us fits. Could it be because she has over 192,000 miles, is a 2002 and runs a family of 5 around the country on demand? Poor Busty. She's so abused. I hate the thought of purchasing a newer vehicle. With 3 kids and a dog, the interior of any vehicle becomes ruined rather quickly. My automobile life kinda looks like Mom My Ride. Thank God for Febreze. Just last week, I almost gagged when I got into my car. Someone had spilled their milk on the floor and the interior smelled like stale, spoiled milk. There is nothing on earth quite like that smell. I used half a bottle of the fabric refresher in order to get rid of the smell.
In the meantime, Rob is much more concerned about getting that tree cleared from our yard. A neighbor has loaned him an electric chain saw and he is working on it as I type this. So far, our summer break has been quite eventful. I have been putting some wacky updates on facebook about our daily events, calling my children the "inhabitants", "residents" or "restless natives". Rob and I, as Co-Creators of these 3 children are attempting to avoid the summer mutiny that these 3 children inevitably commit. Someone on facebook said I should start a blog. I thought, "Well, I already have a blog! I should get back to it and post there!" So, there you have it.
We don't do fancy things during the summer like a lot of people do. My kids, like me, are home bodies. They like to stay home, have pajama days and eat breakfast for dinner. We don't get to do that very much during the school year, so we do it as much as we want to in the summer. Let's see what kinds of trouble we can get into this summer here in the confines of the Rose Household.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
The Longest Move Ever!
It has now been 6 months since we learned we were moving from Tulsa, OK to Charlotte, NC. Six months of making decisions, 6 months of living in temporary housing with temporary furniture and beds on boxsprings on the floor. I know, I know. It could be worse. It really could have been in a lot of ways! We have been blessed over and over again with this move.
Every time I think "I just can't handle it anymore--something's gotta give!", something gives! In a good way! When I thought "We have GOT to get that house in Tulsa SOLD!", we got a bid for a Lease-Purchase that week. When I thought "We have GOT to find a place to live permanently", we found a house in our price range, put a bid on it and it was accepted. However, that was a short sale and we then had to wait and wait and wait on Bank of America to answer our bid and let us know if it was "good enough". When we placed the bid on August 13th, BoA asked for us to have a closing date of October 31st. Our lease at our apartment ended September 28th. We knew there was a chance we could get an answer before our lease was up, but we were also aware that short sales could take anywhere from 30-90 days to be answered by the bank.
So, we waited and waited some more. When our lease was up at our apartment, I had to find a place for us to live. For one month. With 3 kids, a dog and a rabbit! Oh, yeah, and the Democratic National Convention was taking place here in Charlotte. ALL of the temporary housing was taken. Fortunately, the DNC would be gone by the time we needed a place, but when I was calling around to get everything set up, the prices were astronomical! We couldn't afford a place for just a month. Because of Equal Housing Opportunity laws, we couldn't find an apartment in a family-friendly area with a lease option of any less than 3 months. IF we were to close on a house Oct 31st, that option just wasn't going to work. That Oct 31st date was crucial. Just when I thought "We are going to be HOMELESS in October!", something came up on Craigslist where a woman wanted out of her lease a month early because her home was ready to move into. Jackpot! So, I jumped on that and we got that all set up.
We ran into a problem when we were moving into the apartment--it was overrun with FLEAS!!! The complex didn't know the lady had a cat and, apparently, the lady didn't know her cat had fleas! There were so many of them! I counted 13 on Ellie's right leg--just one leg! Immediately, I called the front office and asked what I should do. Two hours later, an exterminator was in the apartment, explaining it could take as much as 3 weeks before they all die. I had to vacuum every day and empty the vacuum canister each time after I vacuum. I have been doing that EVERY DAY and we are finally waking up without flea bites. Talk about a nightmare. But, God was faithful. We didn't have the money for an extended stay or a furnished apartment (we're talking 3 times my budget!), and who's to say that any of those places wouldn't have had roaches, or bedbugs, or anything even worse. There was a neighborhood that did month-to-month leases and it looked like it was our only chance, but when I called the police station to get the crime statistics there... Let's just say it was a VERY bad neighborhood. Rob and I decided we would live in our station wagon before living there.
So, we waited another week after moving into this second temporary apartment and we heard nothing else from the bank. Our mortgage broker said it would take 3 weeks once we got confirmation from BoA to go through with the purchase. When Oct 9th rolled around and we still hadn't heard anything, we decided to remove our bid, fire our realtor (who refused to take us to see any other houses because he was so sure we would hear something "any day now". He'd been saying that for 3 weeks!), and find a new realtor. Day one with the new realtor, we found a house, placed a bid on it and it was accepted!!!
We are now in the process of purchasing this house. It's not as new as the short sale house and the kitchen and bathrooms, though they are all in full working order, need to be updated. Blessedly, it's available and it's in our price range. Because we didn't truly sell the house in Tulsa just yet, we have a VERY limited budget. Yes, God is good all the time. Charlotte has taken such a hit in the housing market as a result of the economy. As a result, we can purchase a house for our needs in our price range in a pretty decent area and the house is not a member of a Home Owners Association. Not HOA! After our run-ins with the HOA in Tulsa, I am ecstatic about this feature!!! I could paint my house purple, put red shutters on it and a green roof above it all and no one could knock on my door and tell me that it doesn't meet the neighborhood criteria. Now, the house has gray vinyl siding with green vinyl shutters and a safe gray roof, so I'm probably not going to go with that color scheme ever. My point is: I could if I darn well want to, though! Being completely rebellious in nature--both Rob and I are, and so are our children, who inherited that lovely characteristic from us--this is such a relief to us. I don't have to worry about keeping up with the Jones', or whether my grass is the proper length. I don't have to worry about what happens if my kids or my dog dig up my front azaleas. My house doesn't have to maintain a status quo. And, this is a good thing!
I'm so weary after these many months. I don't want to have to worry about impressing you, or my neighbors, or anyone who drives by. I just want a place where my children can stomp on the floors and play without bothering the person downstairs. I want a place where we can bring in our belongings PERMANENTLY. Somewhere that I can place my furniture and sit on it again (oh, how I have missed my nice, fluffy, cushiony couch!). I'm ready to have my bed up on its frame and off the ground. I want my pictures up on the walls--I'm so tired of staring at blank white walls. I can't wait to be able to bring out my Fall decorations and prepare for Thanksgiving with my family--and then to put the Fall decorations away and set up for the Season of true Thanksgiving--Christmas. I'm ready for it.
I'm grateful for the provisions my Father in Heaven has given me these many months. I've been a brat many a time, asking God WHEN He is going to prove faithful; it's been stressful and I've been to the end of my rope a few times. However, there has not once been a time that I have doubted that we are exactly where He wants us to be. I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am in this time around. That's more than I can say about the move out to Tulsa--I was a lot younger then. I have a much more mature and respectful view of God now. He is not out for MY best interests; He is out for His Glory. I don't have to like how He goes about glorifying Himself; I just have to know that He is to be the Glory in my life. If it takes 6 months to get me settled into a city to teach me that I am to like it no matter what happens, then so be it. I still love it here and I am still waiting for His calling on my life here. We have not found a church home yet because we have not settled into a home-home yet! But, we are still finding new ways to worship as we visit churches each week. He is still the God of the Universe and I am still His Child. Nothing has changed except my coordinates on the globe. My coordinates in Heaven are still the same; as are His. Praise Him!
Every time I think "I just can't handle it anymore--something's gotta give!", something gives! In a good way! When I thought "We have GOT to get that house in Tulsa SOLD!", we got a bid for a Lease-Purchase that week. When I thought "We have GOT to find a place to live permanently", we found a house in our price range, put a bid on it and it was accepted. However, that was a short sale and we then had to wait and wait and wait on Bank of America to answer our bid and let us know if it was "good enough". When we placed the bid on August 13th, BoA asked for us to have a closing date of October 31st. Our lease at our apartment ended September 28th. We knew there was a chance we could get an answer before our lease was up, but we were also aware that short sales could take anywhere from 30-90 days to be answered by the bank.
So, we waited and waited some more. When our lease was up at our apartment, I had to find a place for us to live. For one month. With 3 kids, a dog and a rabbit! Oh, yeah, and the Democratic National Convention was taking place here in Charlotte. ALL of the temporary housing was taken. Fortunately, the DNC would be gone by the time we needed a place, but when I was calling around to get everything set up, the prices were astronomical! We couldn't afford a place for just a month. Because of Equal Housing Opportunity laws, we couldn't find an apartment in a family-friendly area with a lease option of any less than 3 months. IF we were to close on a house Oct 31st, that option just wasn't going to work. That Oct 31st date was crucial. Just when I thought "We are going to be HOMELESS in October!", something came up on Craigslist where a woman wanted out of her lease a month early because her home was ready to move into. Jackpot! So, I jumped on that and we got that all set up.
We ran into a problem when we were moving into the apartment--it was overrun with FLEAS!!! The complex didn't know the lady had a cat and, apparently, the lady didn't know her cat had fleas! There were so many of them! I counted 13 on Ellie's right leg--just one leg! Immediately, I called the front office and asked what I should do. Two hours later, an exterminator was in the apartment, explaining it could take as much as 3 weeks before they all die. I had to vacuum every day and empty the vacuum canister each time after I vacuum. I have been doing that EVERY DAY and we are finally waking up without flea bites. Talk about a nightmare. But, God was faithful. We didn't have the money for an extended stay or a furnished apartment (we're talking 3 times my budget!), and who's to say that any of those places wouldn't have had roaches, or bedbugs, or anything even worse. There was a neighborhood that did month-to-month leases and it looked like it was our only chance, but when I called the police station to get the crime statistics there... Let's just say it was a VERY bad neighborhood. Rob and I decided we would live in our station wagon before living there.
So, we waited another week after moving into this second temporary apartment and we heard nothing else from the bank. Our mortgage broker said it would take 3 weeks once we got confirmation from BoA to go through with the purchase. When Oct 9th rolled around and we still hadn't heard anything, we decided to remove our bid, fire our realtor (who refused to take us to see any other houses because he was so sure we would hear something "any day now". He'd been saying that for 3 weeks!), and find a new realtor. Day one with the new realtor, we found a house, placed a bid on it and it was accepted!!!
We are now in the process of purchasing this house. It's not as new as the short sale house and the kitchen and bathrooms, though they are all in full working order, need to be updated. Blessedly, it's available and it's in our price range. Because we didn't truly sell the house in Tulsa just yet, we have a VERY limited budget. Yes, God is good all the time. Charlotte has taken such a hit in the housing market as a result of the economy. As a result, we can purchase a house for our needs in our price range in a pretty decent area and the house is not a member of a Home Owners Association. Not HOA! After our run-ins with the HOA in Tulsa, I am ecstatic about this feature!!! I could paint my house purple, put red shutters on it and a green roof above it all and no one could knock on my door and tell me that it doesn't meet the neighborhood criteria. Now, the house has gray vinyl siding with green vinyl shutters and a safe gray roof, so I'm probably not going to go with that color scheme ever. My point is: I could if I darn well want to, though! Being completely rebellious in nature--both Rob and I are, and so are our children, who inherited that lovely characteristic from us--this is such a relief to us. I don't have to worry about keeping up with the Jones', or whether my grass is the proper length. I don't have to worry about what happens if my kids or my dog dig up my front azaleas. My house doesn't have to maintain a status quo. And, this is a good thing!
I'm so weary after these many months. I don't want to have to worry about impressing you, or my neighbors, or anyone who drives by. I just want a place where my children can stomp on the floors and play without bothering the person downstairs. I want a place where we can bring in our belongings PERMANENTLY. Somewhere that I can place my furniture and sit on it again (oh, how I have missed my nice, fluffy, cushiony couch!). I'm ready to have my bed up on its frame and off the ground. I want my pictures up on the walls--I'm so tired of staring at blank white walls. I can't wait to be able to bring out my Fall decorations and prepare for Thanksgiving with my family--and then to put the Fall decorations away and set up for the Season of true Thanksgiving--Christmas. I'm ready for it.
I'm grateful for the provisions my Father in Heaven has given me these many months. I've been a brat many a time, asking God WHEN He is going to prove faithful; it's been stressful and I've been to the end of my rope a few times. However, there has not once been a time that I have doubted that we are exactly where He wants us to be. I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am in this time around. That's more than I can say about the move out to Tulsa--I was a lot younger then. I have a much more mature and respectful view of God now. He is not out for MY best interests; He is out for His Glory. I don't have to like how He goes about glorifying Himself; I just have to know that He is to be the Glory in my life. If it takes 6 months to get me settled into a city to teach me that I am to like it no matter what happens, then so be it. I still love it here and I am still waiting for His calling on my life here. We have not found a church home yet because we have not settled into a home-home yet! But, we are still finding new ways to worship as we visit churches each week. He is still the God of the Universe and I am still His Child. Nothing has changed except my coordinates on the globe. My coordinates in Heaven are still the same; as are His. Praise Him!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Ryan's Book, Funny of the Day
Ryan has become quite a good reader over the past year. In fact, he even writes his own books. Just tonight, I ran across his newest masterpiece, "How to be a Vet" by Ryan. Lately, Ryan has been expressing his desire to become a veterinarian. I have told him there is a lot of school involved and he is definitely smart enough to do well in school. He says he wants to get good grades so he can get into "Vet school". I'm not really sure where he learned about "Vet school", but I'm so grateful he has! He is really passionate about this!
How to be a Vet, by Ryan
To be a Vet, you have to take care of pet's.
The End.
I'll tell you what, when this thing comes out in print, I'm buying a dozen copies! New York Times Best Sellers List, here he comes!
How to be a Vet, by Ryan
To be a Vet, you have to take care of pet's.
The End.
I'll tell you what, when this thing comes out in print, I'm buying a dozen copies! New York Times Best Sellers List, here he comes!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The Actual "B Word"
Yesterday morning, while I was making the kids' lunches for school, Ryan came up to me and asked, "Mommy, why can't I say the 'B word'?"
Stupidly, I asked, "What 'B word'?" I was thinking that maybe he was talking about "butt", which is considered a bad word at school. Never in a million years did I think he would say the word that came out of his mouth in the following moment.
Yes, he said it! That "B word". I was so shocked, I sucked in a breath and asked him where he heard that word. He never did say where he heard it, but I explained to him what it meant and how derogatory it was. I further explained that it was a word meant to tear people down, especially girls, and make them feel unloved.
Ryan was listening rather intently and I further explained that, because we are loved by God and we want other people to know that God loves them, too, we ought to only say words to people that would encourage and uplift them. After all, we may be the only way people see God's love in this world. He seemed to absorb that for a moment and I thought that would be the end of the conversation.
In the car, on the way to school, he brought the subject up again. This time, he was contemplating getting in trouble by saying the word. He asked what would happen if Aurora said the word, if he said the word, how much trouble each of them would be in and what would happen as punishment. I explained that Mommy and Daddy would be more disappointed than angry because we know our children are smarter than that and are more loving than that. Besides, have you ever heard either of us say bad words? He admitted that he hadn't. (Thank God! I have let a few quietly slip in near-misses while the kids were in the car.)
I haven't heard anything about this subject since yesterday morning, but I sure hope he took to heart what I said. When Aurora was younger and asking about these words, I explained to her that curse words were used by people with limited vocabulary; I told her that smart people were able to come up with more intelligent descriptions than curse words. Basically, I said curse words were used by people not smart enough to use words that would end up on a college entrance exam. That spoke to her. Aurora is more interested in being smarter than everyone else than she is interested in being like everyone else. Ryan, however, is a different story; he just wants to fit in and have people like him. I have to appeal to his social side, in contrast to appealing to Aurora's intelligence.
Whew! We'll see how long this holds out. I can't believe that my Kindergartner is coming home with these words. Guess it means I'm old if I can say things like, "When I was in Kindergarten, the worst words we knew were 'fart' and 'stupid'." Yup, I'm old. I know this because of my next line: What is happening to the youth of our nation?
Stupidly, I asked, "What 'B word'?" I was thinking that maybe he was talking about "butt", which is considered a bad word at school. Never in a million years did I think he would say the word that came out of his mouth in the following moment.
Ryan was listening rather intently and I further explained that, because we are loved by God and we want other people to know that God loves them, too, we ought to only say words to people that would encourage and uplift them. After all, we may be the only way people see God's love in this world. He seemed to absorb that for a moment and I thought that would be the end of the conversation.
 |
| How could you expect anything but love from this face? |
I haven't heard anything about this subject since yesterday morning, but I sure hope he took to heart what I said. When Aurora was younger and asking about these words, I explained to her that curse words were used by people with limited vocabulary; I told her that smart people were able to come up with more intelligent descriptions than curse words. Basically, I said curse words were used by people not smart enough to use words that would end up on a college entrance exam. That spoke to her. Aurora is more interested in being smarter than everyone else than she is interested in being like everyone else. Ryan, however, is a different story; he just wants to fit in and have people like him. I have to appeal to his social side, in contrast to appealing to Aurora's intelligence.
Whew! We'll see how long this holds out. I can't believe that my Kindergartner is coming home with these words. Guess it means I'm old if I can say things like, "When I was in Kindergarten, the worst words we knew were 'fart' and 'stupid'." Yup, I'm old. I know this because of my next line: What is happening to the youth of our nation?
Saturday, December 24, 2011
FOD: That Apple
I'm instructing Ryan to clean up the play area in the kitchen. He had a tough time getting the floor straightened up, so when I told him that he needed to clean up the table, it didn't go over too well.
"Why!?!?!?" --Ryan
"Because it's a big mess. Santa Claus is coming tonight and we need to show him that you're a good boy, so clean up the mess, please." --Me
"Oh, dag-gummit!" --Ryan
"Wow. Where'd he learn that from? Huh, Mommy?" --Aurora, implying that I taught Ryan that phrase.
I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, as they say. Both my speaking children just repeated my lines back to me in perfect form. I'm doomed!
Of course, it does make me feel better to know that they will have children someday and hear these same phrases repeated back to them, as well.
"Why!?!?!?" --Ryan
"Because it's a big mess. Santa Claus is coming tonight and we need to show him that you're a good boy, so clean up the mess, please." --Me
"Oh, dag-gummit!" --Ryan
"Wow. Where'd he learn that from? Huh, Mommy?" --Aurora, implying that I taught Ryan that phrase.
I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, as they say. Both my speaking children just repeated my lines back to me in perfect form. I'm doomed!
Doomed, I tell you!!!
Of course, it does make me feel better to know that they will have children someday and hear these same phrases repeated back to them, as well.
Muahahaha!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Birthday Mayhem
Today was Ryan's 6th Birthday Party. It was spectacular!
Apparently, the last full Saturday before Christmas is a GREAT time to have a party where lunch is served. Moms were more than happy to bring their kids with gifts in tow and drop them off for 2 hours while they got those last-minute Christmas items. We had such a great attendance, I think I might plan his party on the same Saturday next year. Last year, we only had 2 kids come from his class. This year, he had BOTH of his best buddies from school! He was stoked!
We started off expecting only 8 kids, but had to change our plans when moms kept sending us their RSVP. By the morning of the party, we expected 12 kids. When you include our 3 kids, that means we had 15 kids in this house! I've never been more glad for the square footage of this house than I was today! It didn't feel overwhelming for a single minute. Ok, maybe for a minute... But, the kids were all well-behaved, played nice together and had a blast! We only did one craft, one game and of course all the actual party activities (lunch, cake, presents). The rest of the time, we filled up with free play.
I do have to mention, however: Of the 12 kids in attendance, 5 of them were girls--at a Captain America themed birthday party!!! I became even more suspicious when Ryan opened his presents and 2 of the girls wrote "I like you" in their cards to him.... I think we may be raising a little stud. And, he may already be caught in a love triangle! Oh, those sweet Kindergarten romances.
Our craft was a small red frisbee that we turned into Captain America shields (see above). The kids just thought those were the best things ever and spent the majority of their free play using their shields against each other. As far as I know, nothing is broken as a result of those little frisbees.
Apparently, the last full Saturday before Christmas is a GREAT time to have a party where lunch is served. Moms were more than happy to bring their kids with gifts in tow and drop them off for 2 hours while they got those last-minute Christmas items. We had such a great attendance, I think I might plan his party on the same Saturday next year. Last year, we only had 2 kids come from his class. This year, he had BOTH of his best buddies from school! He was stoked!
I do have to mention, however: Of the 12 kids in attendance, 5 of them were girls--at a Captain America themed birthday party!!! I became even more suspicious when Ryan opened his presents and 2 of the girls wrote "I like you" in their cards to him.... I think we may be raising a little stud. And, he may already be caught in a love triangle! Oh, those sweet Kindergarten romances.
 |
| We turned this.... |
 |
| ...Into THIS!!! |
Our craft was a small red frisbee that we turned into Captain America shields (see above). The kids just thought those were the best things ever and spent the majority of their free play using their shields against each other. As far as I know, nothing is broken as a result of those little frisbees.
 |
| At the end of the afternoon, the kids were enjoying Ryan's birthday loot together. |
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Best Laid Plans
So, remember all those 10 Year Anniversary ideas I was playing around with? Well, as it turns out, none of them were really feasible.
Originally, we were going to celebrate with my side of the family at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. That is, until we tried to nail down a date that we ALL could go. Since the kids are in school, Rob works retail, my sister is in college and my Mom and Paul have to work around Paul's crazy ship-check schedule with Northrop Grumman, we just couldn't seem to find a week that worked for everyone.
So, we thought about sending the kids to my Mom's house and heading off to New Orleans or somewhere else on the Gulf Coast near her house. That idea lasted a whole 10 minutes. You see, my mom's house wasn't child-friendly when my sister and I were kids, so there was NO WAY I was going to send my 3 hurricane-force children to her house. I can't tell you how many Hummel, Lladro, and Capodimonte figurines I broke in my life. I'm sure that I owe her a fortune!
Then, I found this great resort out in New Mexico that I thought looked like a great retreat for me and Rob. It had a spa (for me) and a golf course (for Rob)!!! And, it was 10 hours from everywhere. We could go and pretend that the whole wide world didn't exist for a day or two. Just the two of us. We could make it if we try... Ok, so I got carried away there. Going to NM would have meant that Mom had to come here to watch the kids for a few days. Since she's coming here at the end of December, she didn't think they could make a trip back so soon for our anniversary at the end of February, first of March. So, we had to improvise.
Which leads me to our newest plan: Here in Tulsa. Mom and Paul are coming in December 26th, give or take, and they will be here for Ryan's birthday on the 28th and Ellie's First Birthday on the 30th. This will also mean that Mom and Paul will be present for all 3 of my children's First Birthdays! That makes me happy--that they are willing to make the special efforts to be here for things that I feel are so important. I know that my children aren't going to remember their 1st birthdays, but I will.
So, between the 2 birthdays, Rob and I will probably be staying at a hotel here in town. If you see us out and about on the 29th, pretend you don't know us; we are pretending we're on a special anniversary trip and we don't want to feel "local". Help us with the facade, ok?
I must end this post saying how blessed we are to have lasted 10 years. Of course, I'm the blessed one to have found ANYBODY to put up with me and all my idiosyncrasies for this long! Rob's so easy to live with (no matter what I say to the contrary) and he's a better husband than a girl like me ever dreamed of having!
Originally, we were going to celebrate with my side of the family at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. That is, until we tried to nail down a date that we ALL could go. Since the kids are in school, Rob works retail, my sister is in college and my Mom and Paul have to work around Paul's crazy ship-check schedule with Northrop Grumman, we just couldn't seem to find a week that worked for everyone.
So, we thought about sending the kids to my Mom's house and heading off to New Orleans or somewhere else on the Gulf Coast near her house. That idea lasted a whole 10 minutes. You see, my mom's house wasn't child-friendly when my sister and I were kids, so there was NO WAY I was going to send my 3 hurricane-force children to her house. I can't tell you how many Hummel, Lladro, and Capodimonte figurines I broke in my life. I'm sure that I owe her a fortune!
Then, I found this great resort out in New Mexico that I thought looked like a great retreat for me and Rob. It had a spa (for me) and a golf course (for Rob)!!! And, it was 10 hours from everywhere. We could go and pretend that the whole wide world didn't exist for a day or two. Just the two of us. We could make it if we try... Ok, so I got carried away there. Going to NM would have meant that Mom had to come here to watch the kids for a few days. Since she's coming here at the end of December, she didn't think they could make a trip back so soon for our anniversary at the end of February, first of March. So, we had to improvise.
Which leads me to our newest plan: Here in Tulsa. Mom and Paul are coming in December 26th, give or take, and they will be here for Ryan's birthday on the 28th and Ellie's First Birthday on the 30th. This will also mean that Mom and Paul will be present for all 3 of my children's First Birthdays! That makes me happy--that they are willing to make the special efforts to be here for things that I feel are so important. I know that my children aren't going to remember their 1st birthdays, but I will.
So, between the 2 birthdays, Rob and I will probably be staying at a hotel here in town. If you see us out and about on the 29th, pretend you don't know us; we are pretending we're on a special anniversary trip and we don't want to feel "local". Help us with the facade, ok?
I must end this post saying how blessed we are to have lasted 10 years. Of course, I'm the blessed one to have found ANYBODY to put up with me and all my idiosyncrasies for this long! Rob's so easy to live with (no matter what I say to the contrary) and he's a better husband than a girl like me ever dreamed of having!
Friday, December 2, 2011
Date Night aka "Yes, We're Married."
Tonight, our church had a Children's Party and all 3 of our kids were being watched by SOMEBODY ELSE!!! So, Rob and I took this opportunity to go on a date. Now, let me set the stage for our dating experiences:
Rob and I met in Feb 2001, started dating in August and were engaged by Christmas Eve 2001. Then, we had a whirlwind engagement, getting married March 1, 2002. We didn't really have a whole lot of time to create fun, exciting date nights; we really just liked hanging out and watching movies, or going bowling and playing pool. Nothing overly exciting. We've now been married nearly 10 years and have 3 kids (which means date nights are few and far between, but are much appreciated when they come). Our date nights usually consist of dinner and a movie. If there isn't a movie out that we are willing to pay to go see, we opt instead to go walking around the mall after our dinner--which is what we did tonight.
I got a little dolled up tonight, I'll admit that. More so than usual... I guess, since I got asked if I was Rob's girlfriend not only once, but 3 different times! When we were at the restaurant, the waitress asked if our check was going to be separate!!! I smiled, stifling a laugh, and said it would be all on one ticket. Now, I have a blingy set of diamonds on my left ring finger, but I guess I should have cleaned them up before we went out. While we were walking around the mall, I had 2 separate people in 2 different stores assume we were unmarried again--one was just another customer and the other was a store clerk. We were not hanging all over each other, sucking face and being all PDA, so I don't know what the deal was. It kind of made me wonder if I was a little overdressed/made-up. I was wearing dress pants (because they were the only ones that didn't cause muffin top) and a chocolate brown knit faux-wrap shirt, topping off my look with some copper-colored jewelry from Premiere Design. Nothing overly fancy; even my heels were a simple brown. Rob was dressed well, too, wearing khaki pants, a light blue polo shirt and his black wool jacket.
Sitting here typing all this in my yoga pants and fluffy slippers while Rob plays his video game kinda makes me want to giggle, though. It's amazing that, after all these years, we still look like a couple very much in the first stages of dating--doting on one another and paying attention to what the other says as though it's the most wonderful feeling in the world to just be together. At least, that's what I'm telling myself they saw. Wouldn't it be awful if instead they were actually witnessing us being awkward together. What if they assumed we were on a first date? Oh, I don't even want to go down that train of thought...
I'm going to live in fantasy land and think that we looked very nice together and people assumed we were in puppy love. That's where I live; that's how I roll. In La-La Land.
Rob and I met in Feb 2001, started dating in August and were engaged by Christmas Eve 2001. Then, we had a whirlwind engagement, getting married March 1, 2002. We didn't really have a whole lot of time to create fun, exciting date nights; we really just liked hanging out and watching movies, or going bowling and playing pool. Nothing overly exciting. We've now been married nearly 10 years and have 3 kids (which means date nights are few and far between, but are much appreciated when they come). Our date nights usually consist of dinner and a movie. If there isn't a movie out that we are willing to pay to go see, we opt instead to go walking around the mall after our dinner--which is what we did tonight.
I got a little dolled up tonight, I'll admit that. More so than usual... I guess, since I got asked if I was Rob's girlfriend not only once, but 3 different times! When we were at the restaurant, the waitress asked if our check was going to be separate!!! I smiled, stifling a laugh, and said it would be all on one ticket. Now, I have a blingy set of diamonds on my left ring finger, but I guess I should have cleaned them up before we went out. While we were walking around the mall, I had 2 separate people in 2 different stores assume we were unmarried again--one was just another customer and the other was a store clerk. We were not hanging all over each other, sucking face and being all PDA, so I don't know what the deal was. It kind of made me wonder if I was a little overdressed/made-up. I was wearing dress pants (because they were the only ones that didn't cause muffin top) and a chocolate brown knit faux-wrap shirt, topping off my look with some copper-colored jewelry from Premiere Design. Nothing overly fancy; even my heels were a simple brown. Rob was dressed well, too, wearing khaki pants, a light blue polo shirt and his black wool jacket.
Sitting here typing all this in my yoga pants and fluffy slippers while Rob plays his video game kinda makes me want to giggle, though. It's amazing that, after all these years, we still look like a couple very much in the first stages of dating--doting on one another and paying attention to what the other says as though it's the most wonderful feeling in the world to just be together. At least, that's what I'm telling myself they saw. Wouldn't it be awful if instead they were actually witnessing us being awkward together. What if they assumed we were on a first date? Oh, I don't even want to go down that train of thought...
I'm going to live in fantasy land and think that we looked very nice together and people assumed we were in puppy love. That's where I live; that's how I roll. In La-La Land.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
FOD: The Devil in New Orleans
FOD: Funny Of the Day
I am attempting to find an alternative 10 year anniversary getaway, since our Disney vacation just doesn't seem plausible. In talking with Rob about a New Orleans, LA getaway, I mentioned that my mother said to stay away from Bourbon Street. Aurora asked why we had to stay away from Bourbon St. I told her that's where people get really drunk and we just don't want to deal with that on our anniversary vacation.
While I was explaining this, Rob said over me "Because that's where the devil lives!" Aurora started laughing and said "The devil lives on Bourbon Street!?" Ryan, not to be outdone by all the hoopla, said "The devil takes drugs!" Aurora's reply, "No, the devil eats your souls!" took the cake, though.
Now, I'm thinking that we should look for a more demure location for our romantic anniversary getaway... Perhaps somewhere that isn't infested with local soul-eating, drunken, drugged-out devils.
I am attempting to find an alternative 10 year anniversary getaway, since our Disney vacation just doesn't seem plausible. In talking with Rob about a New Orleans, LA getaway, I mentioned that my mother said to stay away from Bourbon Street. Aurora asked why we had to stay away from Bourbon St. I told her that's where people get really drunk and we just don't want to deal with that on our anniversary vacation.
While I was explaining this, Rob said over me "Because that's where the devil lives!" Aurora started laughing and said "The devil lives on Bourbon Street!?" Ryan, not to be outdone by all the hoopla, said "The devil takes drugs!" Aurora's reply, "No, the devil eats your souls!" took the cake, though.
Now, I'm thinking that we should look for a more demure location for our romantic anniversary getaway... Perhaps somewhere that isn't infested with local soul-eating, drunken, drugged-out devils.
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