Probably my favorite preschool song from the past is "orange pumpkin" sung to the tune of "are you sleeping, farmer john".
Orange Pumpkin, orange pumpkin
Soon you'll be, soon you'll be
a smiling jack-o-lantern, a smiling jack-o-lantern
just for me, just for me.
Yesterday we were carving our smiling jack-o-lanterns, or coloring depending on the age of the child. I'm not sure what's scarier, a nine year old with a carving saw or a 4 year old with sharpies.
The youngest three had a ball. Si Guy put green stripes down the creases of his pumpkin. Miss P made a work of abstract scribble art with all the colors of the forbidden markers. Miss D painted a "scene"....a purple unicorn drinking out of a lake. The blue marker made a muddy lake on the orange pumpkin. Maybe next year I'll get her a white pumpkin.
The Ethanator went the scary route, multiple eyes, noses, and a few less teeth than he originally planned. Funny how those things change when you're doing your own carving. E1 did your classic, kitchy, smiley pumpkin face. Our oldest had scout and homework stuff, so he's carving his today.
It turns out E1 is recarving his today too, because who knew squirrels liked pumpkin?! So his non-scary pumpkin now looks a little zombie like with scratches and one eye chewed out. He was at a party when the fat, bushy-tailed invader struck. We pulled into our driveway to see the culprit at work, perched on top and chewing away. His siblings took squirrel sentry duty for the rest of the evening for their "pumpkin protection patrols." While grateful for his siblings efforts, he didn't care for the um, improvements....so he's redoing his today.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Breathe.
Yes I'm breathing. That sums up today pretty well. This weekend was the last game for E2's football & Miss P's green eagles. Both kids had good seasons. E2's last game was a tie. Princess P's team learned how to kick the ball the right direction. Sports are a wrap. I'm kind of sad, kind of relieved. Things slow down for a bit, but it never quite stops.
* We still have Friday night dance class w/ E1.
* There's a choir festival November 1.
* Our oldest has been cast as Othello in I Hate Shakespeare.
* There's a science project due in November. Lasers and gelatin and teens oh my.
* There's still scouts and AWANA and kids choir at church.
* Then there's the other category: parties, field trips, the grocery store gauntlet.
This weekend was sports, kidz world, and shopping. Tonight we have scouts. Today I drove a kid to school, ran the dishwasher, did two loads of laundry, swept/picked up the living room, cleaned a bathroom, played at the park, picked up my other kids, and crashed at the computer in between...because some days just breathing is good.
* We still have Friday night dance class w/ E1.
* There's a choir festival November 1.
* Our oldest has been cast as Othello in I Hate Shakespeare.
* There's a science project due in November. Lasers and gelatin and teens oh my.
* There's still scouts and AWANA and kids choir at church.
* Then there's the other category: parties, field trips, the grocery store gauntlet.
This weekend was sports, kidz world, and shopping. Tonight we have scouts. Today I drove a kid to school, ran the dishwasher, did two loads of laundry, swept/picked up the living room, cleaned a bathroom, played at the park, picked up my other kids, and crashed at the computer in between...because some days just breathing is good.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Happy Birthday to Spike!
That's our eldest child's self selected nickname. I find it funny because it doesn't reflect his personality at all, except possibly in a mario-type dino character kind of way. When I think of our oldest, I think funny, cuddly, companion...not hedgehog. Maybe Sonic is where he got the nickname from.
Yesterday, I became the parent of a resident teen. I'm so glad I get to experience the teen years with a laid back kid first. I'm also glad he's letting me get away with it being a minor event amongst the overly busy fall schedule this year. It's not necessarily out of the kindness of his heart, given what he's scheming for next year, but elaborate rube goldberg type plans are what adolescence is made of.
I love this kids heart. He literally jumps at the opportunity to serve. He's volunteered w/ Boy Scouts, PTA, and our church. His first youth trip was a service missions trip that he earned by selling $1 food at Old Shawnee days. It involved sleeping on a tile floor, wasp spray, and a lot painting. His regular volunteer activities both involve working with younger children. He's a den chief with scouts and a preschool volunteer with AWANA. He really gets our family theme of "a heart to God and a hand to man."
I love that, despite being a teen, he still is very open about his affection for us. The other night I quipped at him "What am I, a pillow?" as he was headbutting his way under my arm on the couch.
"Yes, you're the pillow and Dad's the mattress." hee hee, was his reply.
His Dad, the mattress. This tiny baby that slept on Dad's chest, and nowhere else if Dad was anywhere in sight, who loved his crib gym and almost never cried. That baby is thirteen? Really?
Really. I couldn't be prouder.
Yesterday, I became the parent of a resident teen. I'm so glad I get to experience the teen years with a laid back kid first. I'm also glad he's letting me get away with it being a minor event amongst the overly busy fall schedule this year. It's not necessarily out of the kindness of his heart, given what he's scheming for next year, but elaborate rube goldberg type plans are what adolescence is made of.
I love this kids heart. He literally jumps at the opportunity to serve. He's volunteered w/ Boy Scouts, PTA, and our church. His first youth trip was a service missions trip that he earned by selling $1 food at Old Shawnee days. It involved sleeping on a tile floor, wasp spray, and a lot painting. His regular volunteer activities both involve working with younger children. He's a den chief with scouts and a preschool volunteer with AWANA. He really gets our family theme of "a heart to God and a hand to man."
I love that, despite being a teen, he still is very open about his affection for us. The other night I quipped at him "What am I, a pillow?" as he was headbutting his way under my arm on the couch.
"Yes, you're the pillow and Dad's the mattress." hee hee, was his reply.
His Dad, the mattress. This tiny baby that slept on Dad's chest, and nowhere else if Dad was anywhere in sight, who loved his crib gym and almost never cried. That baby is thirteen? Really?
Really. I couldn't be prouder.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
So what do you guys eat anyway?
This is a common question. To a lot of people, preparing gluten free, soy free, dairy free, meals seven days a week seems impossible. Really it's not. It's just something we get used to. It does mean the days of frequent fast food and "convenience" foods are loooong gone though. Let's look at this last week of dinners though. I think you'll see we're a lot more "normal" than you thought.
Tonight, brisket braised in draft cider w/ roasted carrots, salad and mashed potatoes. (Mashed potatoes we split up and do some non-dairy and some w/ milk.) Snack tonight was baked apples stuffed w/ cranberries.
Yesterday I made my version of sweet 'n sour and served it with rice. It's not breaded and doesn't have ketchup in it, so it's not anything like a chinese restaurant...but it is tasty. ( peppers, carrots, onion, garlic, w/ pineapple chunks in juice, w/ ginger as the predominant spice. Throw in some brown sugar and either lemon or orange juice. Beyond that, it varies. This time it featured chicken and coriander. Sometimes it's a dash of clove & red pepper flakes w/ pork, etc.)
Sunday I didn't make dinner. We had a pot luck lunch at church & I took taco meat w/ diced tomatoes & black beans, and all the other stuff for taco salad.
Saturday we were without a few kids, so we broke the rules & had pizza. Doesn't happen often though, and yes, I paid for it dearly.
Friday night we had company, so we had tacos.
Thursday was lemony chicken spinach artichoke heart sautee.
Wednesday we had smoked sausage skillet. (Cajun seasoning, rice, tomatoes, onion, smoked sausage, green pepper, kidney beans, broth)
We also eat spaghetti, burgers, meatloaf, and breakfast for dinner. We love our grill. Our family is far from starving. I'm rarely bored with what I cook. That's because of instead of focusing on what we can't have, we enjoy what we can.
Does it work? Most of the time.
Are there times it's frustrating? Sure. Especially when money is extra-tight. We can't live on ramen and mac and cheese for a week. Not because we don't want to, but because we really can't! That means that we have to sacrifice other parts of our budget so the food money is there. So sometimes a haircut gets postponed, like two months. Isn't that what hats and pony tails are for?
Overall, we eat well, even if it is different. Compared to Hamburger helper and mac & cheese, I think different is good.
Tonight, brisket braised in draft cider w/ roasted carrots, salad and mashed potatoes. (Mashed potatoes we split up and do some non-dairy and some w/ milk.) Snack tonight was baked apples stuffed w/ cranberries.
Yesterday I made my version of sweet 'n sour and served it with rice. It's not breaded and doesn't have ketchup in it, so it's not anything like a chinese restaurant...but it is tasty. ( peppers, carrots, onion, garlic, w/ pineapple chunks in juice, w/ ginger as the predominant spice. Throw in some brown sugar and either lemon or orange juice. Beyond that, it varies. This time it featured chicken and coriander. Sometimes it's a dash of clove & red pepper flakes w/ pork, etc.)
Sunday I didn't make dinner. We had a pot luck lunch at church & I took taco meat w/ diced tomatoes & black beans, and all the other stuff for taco salad.
Saturday we were without a few kids, so we broke the rules & had pizza. Doesn't happen often though, and yes, I paid for it dearly.
Friday night we had company, so we had tacos.
Thursday was lemony chicken spinach artichoke heart sautee.
Wednesday we had smoked sausage skillet. (Cajun seasoning, rice, tomatoes, onion, smoked sausage, green pepper, kidney beans, broth)
We also eat spaghetti, burgers, meatloaf, and breakfast for dinner. We love our grill. Our family is far from starving. I'm rarely bored with what I cook. That's because of instead of focusing on what we can't have, we enjoy what we can.
Does it work? Most of the time.
Are there times it's frustrating? Sure. Especially when money is extra-tight. We can't live on ramen and mac and cheese for a week. Not because we don't want to, but because we really can't! That means that we have to sacrifice other parts of our budget so the food money is there. So sometimes a haircut gets postponed, like two months. Isn't that what hats and pony tails are for?
Overall, we eat well, even if it is different. Compared to Hamburger helper and mac & cheese, I think different is good.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
On to high school auditions at 11?
Today boy child number two is auditioning for the main stage musical at my Alma Mater, with the same drama teacher that was my drama teacher when I was there, and the same choir director I was under in Chorale and Lyric while I was there. Somehow, this makes me feel like I'm in high school again...but this time it's not about me.
I'm having those same stupid adolescent fears and insecurities for my child, maybe so he won't feel them. Maybe it's because I remember crashing and burning at auditions....and I know he doesn't take failure well. So why let him go?
Well, first of all, because he wants to. He wants to enough to give up mathletics, even though he's really good at math and wins/places regularly. He wants to more than he wants to be on safety patrol after school. He's willing to give up six to ten hours a week of recreational time for it. If he wants it that badly, then I feel he deserves the chance.
Secondly, his choir teacher referred him...and only one other kid from his class was referred. She wouldn't set him up to fail. She's been teaching him music since kindergarten & directed a play with him in it. She knows his talents, downfalls, and quirks. I don't think she'd set him up to fail. I have to trust her.
And lastly, because he is good, and whether he succeeds or fails doesn't change that. An audition is a single moment, a snapshot. Sometimes it's your best. Sometimes not. He's already proven his performance abilities in other venues, and I can use those successes to bolster him if he doesn't succeed here. And if he does succeed here, then I know I've succeeded in raising a child who's better than me.
I'm having those same stupid adolescent fears and insecurities for my child, maybe so he won't feel them. Maybe it's because I remember crashing and burning at auditions....and I know he doesn't take failure well. So why let him go?
Well, first of all, because he wants to. He wants to enough to give up mathletics, even though he's really good at math and wins/places regularly. He wants to more than he wants to be on safety patrol after school. He's willing to give up six to ten hours a week of recreational time for it. If he wants it that badly, then I feel he deserves the chance.
Secondly, his choir teacher referred him...and only one other kid from his class was referred. She wouldn't set him up to fail. She's been teaching him music since kindergarten & directed a play with him in it. She knows his talents, downfalls, and quirks. I don't think she'd set him up to fail. I have to trust her.
And lastly, because he is good, and whether he succeeds or fails doesn't change that. An audition is a single moment, a snapshot. Sometimes it's your best. Sometimes not. He's already proven his performance abilities in other venues, and I can use those successes to bolster him if he doesn't succeed here. And if he does succeed here, then I know I've succeeded in raising a child who's better than me.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
How a 10 minute errand turns into 3 hours.
Yesterday as I was doing some cleaning, (yes it happens on occasion), I decided we needed a new tablecloth. Part of my sanity preservation plan is we don't use real tablecloths. We use el cheapo flannel backed vinyl ones from our favorite local store. I checked my cabinet I keep my reserves in, and it was empty.
"C'mon Si. We need to go to stuff-mart."
"Yeeahahahah! Stuff-mart!"
"Sure."
First is the great shoe hunt.
"I want to wear THESE!" declares the four year old boy in pink princess snow boots.
"Sorry bud, you could if we were going in the car, but we're walking...remember?"
So the great shoe hunt commences. After locating the appropriate shoes and getting them on his feet, we head outside.
"SCOOTER!"
"Fine, but you have to wear a helmet." So he puts on his sister's purple helmet w/ pink flowers. Good enough. We're just going to stuff-mart after all. He then proceeds to scooter up and down the driveway while I find my wallet.
Finally, we're on our way, but so is a playground. Eventually, we get to the store.
"Si, you have to leave your scooter outside. Right here."
"K. No one will take it?"
"I don't think anyone is going to take a four year olds scooter and helmet. It's not a twenty-year-old's bike."
"K"
Inside the store...."Halloween! Trick or treat." So yes, we have to look at every aisle in the holiday section. That's okay. I found something I needed for the yard.
Then we proceed to home goods, and Si Guy picks us a new table cloth. Mission accomplished...except mom remembers the new Rick Riordan book has been released, so we head to the books/magazines. On the opposite side of the aisle is greeting cards...
"Look, Halloween!"
"Yes..now put them back."
By the time we get out of stuff-mart it's time for lunch. So we walk/scoot over to the Bell. We eat inside, and then it's time to head home, walking by the police station and the park on the way.
Once home, I get littlest man set up on the computer and the new tablecloth on the table, and wonder why I didn't get more done that day.
"C'mon Si. We need to go to stuff-mart."
"Yeeahahahah! Stuff-mart!"
"Sure."
First is the great shoe hunt.
"I want to wear THESE!" declares the four year old boy in pink princess snow boots.
"Sorry bud, you could if we were going in the car, but we're walking...remember?"
So the great shoe hunt commences. After locating the appropriate shoes and getting them on his feet, we head outside.
"SCOOTER!"
"Fine, but you have to wear a helmet." So he puts on his sister's purple helmet w/ pink flowers. Good enough. We're just going to stuff-mart after all. He then proceeds to scooter up and down the driveway while I find my wallet.
Finally, we're on our way, but so is a playground. Eventually, we get to the store.
"Si, you have to leave your scooter outside. Right here."
"K. No one will take it?"
"I don't think anyone is going to take a four year olds scooter and helmet. It's not a twenty-year-old's bike."
"K"
Inside the store...."Halloween! Trick or treat." So yes, we have to look at every aisle in the holiday section. That's okay. I found something I needed for the yard.
Then we proceed to home goods, and Si Guy picks us a new table cloth. Mission accomplished...except mom remembers the new Rick Riordan book has been released, so we head to the books/magazines. On the opposite side of the aisle is greeting cards...
"Look, Halloween!"
"Yes..now put them back."
By the time we get out of stuff-mart it's time for lunch. So we walk/scoot over to the Bell. We eat inside, and then it's time to head home, walking by the police station and the park on the way.
Once home, I get littlest man set up on the computer and the new tablecloth on the table, and wonder why I didn't get more done that day.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Late Start
Today is a late start day for middle school. It's too bad they can't start at 10:45 every day, because my child is a much more sociable human being at this hour. On the drive to school today, we were discussing his "review of literature" that's due in honors science tomorrow.
"So, have you started writing it yet?"
"Uh, no."
"Where are the rest of your notes? You're not going to get three pages out of that."
"I haven't finished researching yet."
Ah, yeah. Well....is this poor parenting that I'm letting him fall flat on his face?
Maybe.
"So, what can we do differently next time? Do you think working out a time-line when the project is assigned would help?"
"Yeah. Maybe. I'm just not any good at researching."
"That's not true! What about Nils? That mythology assignment?"
"BUT I had like, fifteen sources for that!"
"That you found yourself. You researched all those Norse gods and monsters because you were interested in them. You found something that drove you to do it, and you did it well."
"But,...."
"No buts. You did the same thing with your hero report. Einstein?"
*Kid smiles sheepishly, looking a little pink around the ears.*
"No baby, it's not the skills you lack but motivation. You didn't pick a topic that drives you...and that's okay. Let's just get through it. You don't have to be in honors science again next year if you don't want to."
*Kid's eyebrows hit ceiling*
"But if you do want to, because you like doing experiments, you're going to have to learn to do the research too. If you really don't like scientific research, then you don't have to be a scientist, because research is the core of what science is."
"Yeah, I know." Eye rolll...and was that a sigh of relief? He feels a lot of pressure to do well in science because there are a lot of science oriented people in our family. His grandparents run labs and teach science on the university level. I was pursuing a science related degree when I met his father. His dad has an engineering degree. Sometimes he needs a reminder it's okay just to be who he is, and to excel because he can and wants to, not because anyone expects him to. I'm pretty sure that's what Einstein would tell him.
"So, have you started writing it yet?"
"Uh, no."
"Where are the rest of your notes? You're not going to get three pages out of that."
"I haven't finished researching yet."
Ah, yeah. Well....is this poor parenting that I'm letting him fall flat on his face?
Maybe.
"So, what can we do differently next time? Do you think working out a time-line when the project is assigned would help?"
"Yeah. Maybe. I'm just not any good at researching."
"That's not true! What about Nils? That mythology assignment?"
"BUT I had like, fifteen sources for that!"
"That you found yourself. You researched all those Norse gods and monsters because you were interested in them. You found something that drove you to do it, and you did it well."
"But,...."
"No buts. You did the same thing with your hero report. Einstein?"
*Kid smiles sheepishly, looking a little pink around the ears.*
"No baby, it's not the skills you lack but motivation. You didn't pick a topic that drives you...and that's okay. Let's just get through it. You don't have to be in honors science again next year if you don't want to."
*Kid's eyebrows hit ceiling*
"But if you do want to, because you like doing experiments, you're going to have to learn to do the research too. If you really don't like scientific research, then you don't have to be a scientist, because research is the core of what science is."
"Yeah, I know." Eye rolll...and was that a sigh of relief? He feels a lot of pressure to do well in science because there are a lot of science oriented people in our family. His grandparents run labs and teach science on the university level. I was pursuing a science related degree when I met his father. His dad has an engineering degree. Sometimes he needs a reminder it's okay just to be who he is, and to excel because he can and wants to, not because anyone expects him to. I'm pretty sure that's what Einstein would tell him.
Monday, October 3, 2011
I don't speak car.
Today this lack of communication led to flashing lights, overheating, and a rumbling engine, not unlike an unexpected bout of PMS. We made it to the park where we were meeting friends and I popped the hood. It was out of coolant. There was nada in the reservoir, kind of like me when I run out of diet soda. I felt so much empathy towards my van I quickly dialed my valium, (husband). He appeared, my knight in shining Vibe w/ coolant in hand and refilled the reservoir.
We had a fantastic play date with our friends on a perfect outdoor day. The kids got along splendidly. On the nature walk back to the van, I discovered Miss P is a budding naturalist. She brought a sack of drawing stuff and a notebook, and would plop down wherever she saw something interesting to "draw" it. Miss D and E2 were holding hands on the way back to the car. Everything seemed so ideal. It probably was the best day we'd had out in a long time.
I started the car, and the drive towards home started off fine until I hit the same intersection the light came on at on the way to the park. Then the van started overheating, again. We managed to run the heat full blast and play engine on, engine off, long enough to get to the dealer that was just a few blocks away. Call that a God thing. My dh had chosen to work from home today, and our oldest had no school too, so we were able to transport home in shifts. Call that a God thing too. He must have known my reservoir was already empty.
We had a fantastic play date with our friends on a perfect outdoor day. The kids got along splendidly. On the nature walk back to the van, I discovered Miss P is a budding naturalist. She brought a sack of drawing stuff and a notebook, and would plop down wherever she saw something interesting to "draw" it. Miss D and E2 were holding hands on the way back to the car. Everything seemed so ideal. It probably was the best day we'd had out in a long time.
I started the car, and the drive towards home started off fine until I hit the same intersection the light came on at on the way to the park. Then the van started overheating, again. We managed to run the heat full blast and play engine on, engine off, long enough to get to the dealer that was just a few blocks away. Call that a God thing. My dh had chosen to work from home today, and our oldest had no school too, so we were able to transport home in shifts. Call that a God thing too. He must have known my reservoir was already empty.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Define productive.
As per http://www.dictionary.com
Lately I've been hung up on that word, productive. How much do I have to do in a day to be worthy of my status as a stay at home mom? The thing is, who defines what is a productive activity anyway?
I find spending a couple hours at the park with Si Guy very productive. I find spending some time coloring and talking about pictures with him productive too. Whereas, what is the generative or creative aspect of loading the dishwasher?
I sometimes feel like we misuse the word productive, or only apply it by definition four:
[pruh-duhk-tiv]
adjective 1. having the power of producing; generative; creative:Lately I've been hung up on that word, productive. How much do I have to do in a day to be worthy of my status as a stay at home mom? The thing is, who defines what is a productive activity anyway?
I find spending a couple hours at the park with Si Guy very productive. I find spending some time coloring and talking about pictures with him productive too. Whereas, what is the generative or creative aspect of loading the dishwasher?
I sometimes feel like we misuse the word productive, or only apply it by definition four:
4. Economics . producing or tending to produce goods and services having exchange value.
This is the heart of the matter right here. Almost every time I feel like I'm not "sufficient", it has to do with economics. What I do doesn't really have an "exchange" value, but that doesn't mean it's not productive. Playing with my kids, writing, home-making is very productive. That's why it's the first definition right?
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