I think I picked a good name for the blog.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Rainy Saturday
Apparently April 20 - 24 is TV Turn Off Week. I saw it on posters at S's school all this week when I dropped off and picked up. We even got a paper our family had the option to sign saying we would commit to turning off our TVs and doing something else. So, what are my kids doing this rainy Saturday afternoon? They're downstairs, watching their second movie of the day. Let me explain. I am not anti-establishment. I am all on board for most of the school activities. Science Fair optional for my first grader? No, I think we'll do that.
Extra library research on the Core Knowledge weekly topic? Let's do that too. Attend the (insert activity here) Shakespearean Festival, Core Knowledge Fair, goofy Faculty Talent Show? Let's go! Turn off the TV for the whole week? Well...we usually do that. No TV during the week and usually not weekends. It's my last resort on Fridays and Saturdays when the boredom hits and the fighting sets in. We will (insert activity here) go to the grocery store, play outside, read books, hit a museum or two, even get crafty (which is odd for me) before we stick a movie in. So, why this rebellion against the school's attempt to unplug our family? Here's the profound answer: I don't know. I really don't care. It's that simple. I think the class with the most commitments gets some kind of prize. Yeah, I don't really care. The few hours on Saturday when the kids are watching a movie -- not fighting, not bugging me for food, not making a huge mess of the playroom -- are mine. I love my monkeys dearly, but I really don't get breaks from them during the week. I am trying to love all the precious moments I have with them and really treasure them, because I know, soon enough, they will all be in school, off to play with friends, on their missions, out of the house, but in order for me to love my time with them, I need the TV to babysit for just a fraction of the day on the weekends. That is all. Sorry, Reagan Academy. I think I do pretty well to not let them watch TV during the week. Cut me some slack.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Material Girl
If you know me at all, you will know that I am not a wanter of things. It's true that I have a weakness for books, but other than that, there are not a lot of things I could say I want to have. It's evidenced by the way I dress (jeans and a t-shirt, anyone?), by the way my house is decorated (maybe 3 pictures hung up in the entire house and two clocks. no cutesy decorative stuff -- it would just get destroyed by monkeys 1,2, and 3), and by the scraggly appearance of my house and yard.
J's not really into too much stuff either, but when he gets in his head that he wants something, watch out! I get an anxious little knot in my stomach when he comes to me with that glint in his eye and says,"I bought something." He doesn't do anything small. He also is terrific at spoiling me. It all evens out since I have a hard time buying anything for myself.
For our running endeavors, he bought himself a Garmin with a heart rate monitor and GPS. I started running more and more consistently, so he decided I needed one. He gave me his old one and bought himself another one with the heart rate monitor and GPS. It's a lot more than I use and need, but it is kind of fun to see where I've been and how slow I truly am. When I made the commitment to run the Ragnar, I vacillated on the treadmill. They're huge, heavy, and they just stare at you when you're not using them, telling you that you will pay for that cookie in your hand later on. I mentioned it to J, knowing that there is great power in suggestion, and this is what he came up with:
The Nordic Track Elite 7500. It arrived on Tuesday. We had to have our neighbor come help us carry it up one flight of stairs and down two. He stayed to help us set it up, which was a blessing, because J is not allowed to lift anything too heavy, but was too eager to set it up and get it going. (Thanks, Jer!) When J told me that he bought a treadmill, he added that I would be proud of him because he didn't buy the fanciest, most expensive model -- he went four steps down from that. When we set it up I thought that while it wasn't the fanciest model, it sure was fancy -- too much for me. I just needed it to move and incline -- that's it. Later on, after the kids were in bed we met at the treadmill to check out all the features. When J hooked up the DVD player and put in Ocean's Eleven (the new one) and I got going on it, I fell in love. So glad that man spoils me. Of course, when I ran on Wednesday for 40 min on a 4% incline, I didn't love it so much. Overall, though, the treadmill is one thing I'm really glad to have.
J's not really into too much stuff either, but when he gets in his head that he wants something, watch out! I get an anxious little knot in my stomach when he comes to me with that glint in his eye and says,"I bought something." He doesn't do anything small. He also is terrific at spoiling me. It all evens out since I have a hard time buying anything for myself.
For our running endeavors, he bought himself a Garmin with a heart rate monitor and GPS. I started running more and more consistently, so he decided I needed one. He gave me his old one and bought himself another one with the heart rate monitor and GPS. It's a lot more than I use and need, but it is kind of fun to see where I've been and how slow I truly am. When I made the commitment to run the Ragnar, I vacillated on the treadmill. They're huge, heavy, and they just stare at you when you're not using them, telling you that you will pay for that cookie in your hand later on. I mentioned it to J, knowing that there is great power in suggestion, and this is what he came up with:
The Nordic Track Elite 7500. It arrived on Tuesday. We had to have our neighbor come help us carry it up one flight of stairs and down two. He stayed to help us set it up, which was a blessing, because J is not allowed to lift anything too heavy, but was too eager to set it up and get it going. (Thanks, Jer!) When J told me that he bought a treadmill, he added that I would be proud of him because he didn't buy the fanciest, most expensive model -- he went four steps down from that. When we set it up I thought that while it wasn't the fanciest model, it sure was fancy -- too much for me. I just needed it to move and incline -- that's it. Later on, after the kids were in bed we met at the treadmill to check out all the features. When J hooked up the DVD player and put in Ocean's Eleven (the new one) and I got going on it, I fell in love. So glad that man spoils me. Of course, when I ran on Wednesday for 40 min on a 4% incline, I didn't love it so much. Overall, though, the treadmill is one thing I'm really glad to have.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Date Night
Tonight O and I went on a date. O is the "Jan" of the family and, I'm sorry to say, gets neglected from time to time. His is a mild temperament, so it's not hard to get him to concede to the stronger-willed brothers and give up doing exactly what he wants. I often think I should spend some more one-on-one time with him, and tonight I finally did it.
Before we went, he laid out the plan: Dinner, go get a book for daddy. Find a store to buy toys for S, H, and himself. Get me whatever I would like. How do you argue with such thoughtfulness? We went to the restaurant he requested. He ate half of his dinner and half of mine. I couldn't blame him -- both were very yummy. After dinner we bought J a book. I thought that I would like a book too, and O agreed that would be fine. Then we headed for the dollar store. Thank heaven for the dollar store! We spent a happy 20 minutes there contemplating toys all the boys would enjoy. So fun. Then ice cream and home. Sleepy and feeling loved, he went to bed phenomenally well. And tonight must be a blue moon, because I'll go to bed thinking I'm not such a bad mom after all.
Before we went, he laid out the plan: Dinner, go get a book for daddy. Find a store to buy toys for S, H, and himself. Get me whatever I would like. How do you argue with such thoughtfulness? We went to the restaurant he requested. He ate half of his dinner and half of mine. I couldn't blame him -- both were very yummy. After dinner we bought J a book. I thought that I would like a book too, and O agreed that would be fine. Then we headed for the dollar store. Thank heaven for the dollar store! We spent a happy 20 minutes there contemplating toys all the boys would enjoy. So fun. Then ice cream and home. Sleepy and feeling loved, he went to bed phenomenally well. And tonight must be a blue moon, because I'll go to bed thinking I'm not such a bad mom after all.
(He only ate another inch of it before he pronounced himself done and threw it away. Still totally worth $1.07)
Thursday, April 16, 2009
By Hook or By Crook...
I have a thinker. He is most likely to be found sitting in or behind his favorite chair with a book. I also have an act upon-er. His actions and reactions are, mostly due to his age, not tied to his thought processes. Then there is the thinker/act upon-er. He is a great combination of both. For example, today I made cookies ("ickies" in H-speak). I don't know how he knew they were done and out of the oven, but he appeared in the kitchen just as they made it to the plate. It was just before dinner was ready, so I answered his request for an "ickie" with a,"No, after dinner". He became more and more insistent. Finally, he pushed the stool over and climbed up. I moved the cookies further back on the counter and then resumed making dinner. When I looked over 5 seconds later, this is what I saw:
Now, how could I not be proud of that? (I still didn't give him a cookie, by the way. Should I have?)
Now, how could I not be proud of that? (I still didn't give him a cookie, by the way. Should I have?)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Funny Weather
Monday was a beautiful day. Here are the little ones sharing an apple snack.
I went on two runs that day. The Bonneville Shoreline Trail kicked my butt in the morning, but at night I went three miles with a friend down and back up a hill. I had to do something to redeem myself from the abysmal morning run.
The boys found an anthill up the street...
Concentrating on getting there...
The next day it rained. Before the picture washed away, it looked like this. Pretty neat.
And Wednesday, the first day of Spring Break. I dropped off the van at the dealership for some maintenance and repairs and then ran 4 miles home in the rain and snow with a friend. We even threw a hill in for good measure.
The boys played well inside for most of the day. When things got contentious, we went outside to shovel snow.
I went on two runs that day. The Bonneville Shoreline Trail kicked my butt in the morning, but at night I went three miles with a friend down and back up a hill. I had to do something to redeem myself from the abysmal morning run.
The boys found an anthill up the street...
J came out in the afternoon to draw a picture of his happy place.
Concentrating on getting there...
The next day it rained. Before the picture washed away, it looked like this. Pretty neat.
And Wednesday, the first day of Spring Break. I dropped off the van at the dealership for some maintenance and repairs and then ran 4 miles home in the rain and snow with a friend. We even threw a hill in for good measure.
The boys played well inside for most of the day. When things got contentious, we went outside to shovel snow.
We had chili for dinner. It seemed appropriate for the cold day.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Easter Candy: The Aftermath
I am not a fan of mountains of candy for holidays. Especially the religious holidays whose significance gets overshadowed by commercialism and CANDY. The funny thing is, I really like candy. I have a very insistent sweet tooth that hounds me until I satisfy it. I'm just anti-candy for my energetic kids. They have plenty of hyperactivity stored up in them without all that sugar. Having said this, here are our Easter 2009 Candy Experiences:
S is the first to wake up and hunts down and eats all the jelly beans randomly placed in his bedroom and the hallway before J and I are even coherent.
When all the monkeys are awake, we go downstairs to hunt jelly beans. Trying to keep it fair, we tell them to put all of their finds in a pile and then we will divide them up. I go into the kitchen to make Swedish Pancakes and J follows the boys around in their hunting pursuits. A few minutes later, he comes into the kitchen and asks where the pile of jelly beans went. Had I moved them? No, I had not. We look down at H, who has meandered into the kitchen -- mouth bulging, sugary juice dribbling out of the corners of his mouth. Mystery solved.
Somehow manage to put a little nutrition into their bellies. Church goes well. H can't sit still during Sacrament Meeting. He is two, after all. And full of jelly beans.
After church we come home and the steady working through of the Easter baskets continues. Dinner, then to Grandma's. She goes all out and the egg hunt is a hit. S & O retire downstairs with some cousins to count their eggs. S knows how many eggs each person has. He may grow up to be an accountant. H settles in at the table to work on his eggs. I manage to sneak out the hard candies and the Now and Laters. 15 minutes later, he is done with all of his candy. O plays happily and well until he decides to poke his cousin with a stick and throw sand on her. Our cue to go home.
In the car, S buckles in, H is buckled, O droops over his seat, complaining of a belly ache. We gently suggest that excessive candy is not really a good idea. He falls asleep on the way home. Hooray! We think that bedtime will be a snap. Then S says that his belly hurts. O goes from car to bed. He wakes up enough for two songs and to tell me his game plan for the next day:"We'll put the candy away tonight, because my belly hurts. Then in the morning, I'll have some more. My belly will hurt, so we'll put it away tomorrow night. The next morning, I'll wake up and have some more. Then my belly will hurt. That night, we won't put the candy away, because it will be all gone!" S climbs into bed docily enough and drops off to sleep ok. H takes a little while to calm down, and then he drifts off to sleep too. Whew! J and I spend some time talking then head upstairs to bed. It is 10 o'clock. (Can you hear the ominous music?)
Just before we open our door, J hears O stirring. I hear him ask,"O, are you ok? Oh, are you sick?" Then he comes running out of the room. I dash in there and am abruptly stopped short by the smell. Now, I generally don't get sick from the puke smell, but this was bad. All the Easter candy O had consumed was in a puddle on his bed, blanket, and pillow -- and the puddle was getting bigger. I waited for the heaving to subside, then hustled O to the bathroom, where J sat by him, while I cleaned up the mess. It was bad. I had to keep leaving the room for fresh air until the task was complete. 15 minutes later, O is asleep on a towel on the bathroom floor. Sheets are in the washer, blankets outside, fresh sheets on the bed, Scentsy plugged in in the boys' room. He goes back to bed and sleeps well throughout the night. This morning, the first thing he asks for? His Easter candy.
We've decided that next year we will hide the jelly beans around the house (J likes to watch them run around looking them), and then do all non-food items in their baskets -- chalk, bubbles, cheapie toys, etc. Then we'll ration the Grandma candy.
H intent on the hunt
O on a mission
S & O scoping out the egg scene
S is the first to wake up and hunts down and eats all the jelly beans randomly placed in his bedroom and the hallway before J and I are even coherent.
When all the monkeys are awake, we go downstairs to hunt jelly beans. Trying to keep it fair, we tell them to put all of their finds in a pile and then we will divide them up. I go into the kitchen to make Swedish Pancakes and J follows the boys around in their hunting pursuits. A few minutes later, he comes into the kitchen and asks where the pile of jelly beans went. Had I moved them? No, I had not. We look down at H, who has meandered into the kitchen -- mouth bulging, sugary juice dribbling out of the corners of his mouth. Mystery solved.
Somehow manage to put a little nutrition into their bellies. Church goes well. H can't sit still during Sacrament Meeting. He is two, after all. And full of jelly beans.
After church we come home and the steady working through of the Easter baskets continues. Dinner, then to Grandma's. She goes all out and the egg hunt is a hit. S & O retire downstairs with some cousins to count their eggs. S knows how many eggs each person has. He may grow up to be an accountant. H settles in at the table to work on his eggs. I manage to sneak out the hard candies and the Now and Laters. 15 minutes later, he is done with all of his candy. O plays happily and well until he decides to poke his cousin with a stick and throw sand on her. Our cue to go home.
In the car, S buckles in, H is buckled, O droops over his seat, complaining of a belly ache. We gently suggest that excessive candy is not really a good idea. He falls asleep on the way home. Hooray! We think that bedtime will be a snap. Then S says that his belly hurts. O goes from car to bed. He wakes up enough for two songs and to tell me his game plan for the next day:"We'll put the candy away tonight, because my belly hurts. Then in the morning, I'll have some more. My belly will hurt, so we'll put it away tomorrow night. The next morning, I'll wake up and have some more. Then my belly will hurt. That night, we won't put the candy away, because it will be all gone!" S climbs into bed docily enough and drops off to sleep ok. H takes a little while to calm down, and then he drifts off to sleep too. Whew! J and I spend some time talking then head upstairs to bed. It is 10 o'clock. (Can you hear the ominous music?)
Just before we open our door, J hears O stirring. I hear him ask,"O, are you ok? Oh, are you sick?" Then he comes running out of the room. I dash in there and am abruptly stopped short by the smell. Now, I generally don't get sick from the puke smell, but this was bad. All the Easter candy O had consumed was in a puddle on his bed, blanket, and pillow -- and the puddle was getting bigger. I waited for the heaving to subside, then hustled O to the bathroom, where J sat by him, while I cleaned up the mess. It was bad. I had to keep leaving the room for fresh air until the task was complete. 15 minutes later, O is asleep on a towel on the bathroom floor. Sheets are in the washer, blankets outside, fresh sheets on the bed, Scentsy plugged in in the boys' room. He goes back to bed and sleeps well throughout the night. This morning, the first thing he asks for? His Easter candy.
We've decided that next year we will hide the jelly beans around the house (J likes to watch them run around looking them), and then do all non-food items in their baskets -- chalk, bubbles, cheapie toys, etc. Then we'll ration the Grandma candy.
H intent on the hunt
O on a mission
S & O scoping out the egg scene
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