A little one on one time

This afternoon, Lance took Bennett out geocaching while Morgan and I hung out at home doing some stuff, just the two of us. We got half of her Valentine's cards made and addressed. In keeping with the theme of trying to be hands off, I am letting Morgan do her own cards. Even if it kills me! Here's how one of them turned out. Not too bad. She really did try her best to cut the straight lines and to leave a little of the white outside the black line. After constantly reminding her how long this particular friend's name is, she was able to fit it all on one line. She cut out the red heart and glued it on and then she addressed the envelope and put the card in it. 10 down, 10 to go.

After we got the work done, we spent some time having fun! We got started on a 300 piece puzzle that my parents gave her for Christmas. I guess I didn't really think about how intricate a 300 piece puzzle might be for a 5 year old, but she did a great job. Once again, I am super proud of her patience and the strategy that she used to go about putting the puzzle together. As all puzzle doers know, you start out by sorting the edge pieces from the rest, put the frame together and then attack what you know, one thing at a time. After filling out the frame, I worked on the monkey and giraffe while she did the elephant and tiger. We worked on the lion and zebra together. A good way to spent time together! Here she is, with her puzzle after we finished it up tonight. Great job, Morgan!

Spoiled, spoiled, spoiled

I think I just might throw the world's biggest tantrum when Lance goes back to work. I've been getting WAY too spoiled over here. Yesterday, he got the kids up and to school on time while I slept-in and woke up to an empty house. What a treat! Then today, he watched Bennett while I worked in Morgan's classroom and then packed up a lunch for us and met us at the park after school. After we all ate the Daddy-packed-lunch (full bags of chips and foot longs from Subway :) !), I was able to sit on the bench at the park and chit chat with my friend Kristin while the Dads chased the kids around the playground. How nice!! And Morgan and Bennett are just loving all the special attention they are getting from Daddy.

After school, we all came home and when the kids went down for their naps, I was able to get a good long nap in. When I woke up, instead of having to get up and get dinner going, Lance grilled pork chops, made mashed potatoes and green beans. So, I got a glass of wine and relaxed even more by getting one of Morgan's puzzles out and starting the sorting process. Before I knew it, dinner was cooked! After dinner, we got Bennett in bed and then we were both able to work on Morgan's Valentine's Day "mailbox" with her. I'm taking full advantage of having Daddy here to get all the work done that we need to get done over the next few weeks. It makes it so much easier when there's an extra set of hands around.

I know, it's not going to last for long. But I sure am going to savor every moment of it. I know how hard it's going to be when he goes back to work, especially with the long hours that they warned him about.

Again, why can't we be independently wealthy??

Morgan's first school "project"

The task is to collect 100 items and put them on a poster board to display at Open House next week. They are celebrating the 100th day of school and so this fits with that theme. They didn't have to have 100 of the same thing, but they were to count 100 items (grouping into 10s) and put them on a poster board. They were able to make a picture out of it if they wanted.

The very first thing Morgan suggested was pebbles. Then we talked about her shell collection (which she reluctantly agreed to use) and then we thought we'd incorporate some of her fish stickers. Who knew we had so many stickers! :)

Without further ado, here is Morgan's first school project.

We worked on it together, but I'm proud to say that I let go of *some* of my perfectionism and let her finish up the painting and place all the stickers wherever she wanted. Maybe by the time she's in high school I can let go altogether! :)

Once upon a time....

....in a not very far away place, there was a full grown woman who thought that it would be cool...no, rather FUN! to subject herself to making miniature penguins for her daughter's kindergarten class. In the future, said woman's husband is to immediately Google the word "tedious" when the woman sees another "cute project" in Parents magazine, that so nicely coincides with her daughter's school subject. When that happens, Google is going to come back with several links, but one of them is sure to have a picture of this guy.

Not only were they tedious as hell to make, but once they were "set", the little bastards kept falling down. I'm elbow deep in cream cheese and olives and I'm having to reset them like they are melting snowmen. I finally cut their butts off and they have remained relatively still since then. Let that be a lesson to all miniature looks-like-something-else food everywhere!

Oh what we parents won't do for our children.

You have mine beef

This morning, Lance got up and got the kids ready and took Morgan to school while I blissfully slept the craziness away. He got to experience the bickering that starts oh-so-early in the morning on the way to school in the car. But, somewhere along the way, he thought it would be funny to teach Bennett a new phrase. We're always getting him to repeat things like "Whazup Homey?" and other random things.

This morning, it was "Bennett...you got some beef??", said dripping with attitude and with his shoulders all puffed up. Bennett repeated, "Daddy, you have mine beef?"

Every time Lance would say "Bennett, you got some beef?", Bennett would respond with "Daddy, you have mine beef!?" Not sure why it's cracking me up so much. Maybe it's that he sounds like a Persian trying to say a slick American phrase. "You have mine beef?" Cracks me up. Every time.

Dinner time fun

Tonight we were having a baked ham for dinner. Apparently, baked ham reminds Bennett of Grandpa. Don't ask. So, he starts in on "Memaw and Pepaw" and then he busts out with "come for my birthday!". I tell him "That's right, they are coming for your birthday!" and then he wants to know if Uncle Brett and "Mimles" are coming. I tell him that they are not coming for his birthday, but they are going to come this summer. This leads to a full on conversation about where everyone would sleep if my parents and my brother and his family were staying at our house.

Bennett says that Grandpa could sleep in his bed. Everyone else laughs. We tell him that Grandpa is too big to fit in his bed. But Grandma could, right? Riiiiiggghhht!! ;-)

We all laugh because the big joke in my family is how short my mom is. But then Morgan asks where Grandma and Grandpa would sleep for real. I said that we could give them our bed and we'd take her bed and she could sleep on an air mattress or the couch or something. She wanted to know if there was enough room in our bed for Grandma and Grandpa. To which I replied yes until I realized that she was talking about enough room IN ADDITION TO LANCE AND I. Lance and I realized this at the exact same moment, and what I would give to have captured his expression on camera. Oh my! I busted out into laughter and asked him if he could imagine that. To which he replied. NO!!! And I don't want to!!!

Things made easier today

Since Lance has some time off before he starts his new job, things have been a bit easier. Here's the list from just today.

1. He took Morgan to school today. She was SO excited that Daddy was able to drop her off at school today. And I think he was a little excited that he was able to do it.

2. Since he was here, I was able to take Bennett to Little Star Cafe and didn't have to rush home to pick Morgan up from school. AND he fed her. AND cleaned up after. He's a gem, I tell ya!

3. When we got home, I was not feeling well, so I was able to attend to my own needs while someone else put the kids down for their naps.

4. I was able to lay on the couch with a heating pad without worrying about the time or when the kids would be up.

5. I took Morgan to ballet and didn't have to deal with the little shorty who likes to run away from me when I'm yelling STOP!

6. I didn't have to get the kids ready to go out on my own. There was someone else here to repeatedly tell someone to focus and put their socks and shoes on.

7. We were able to go out to dinner, early, and I was able to get to my movie night tonight on time and without our patented Kid Swap.

8. Daddy handled bath time and finishing homework and all the other stuff after I'd left for the movies.

This is all without even mentioning how nice it is to just have him around. Like, to see him interacting with the kids throughout the day. To have him nearby me. I may be getting spoiled. Can't we just become independently wealthy already?

Little bit country, little bit rock and roll

Move over Osmonds. Morgan with her Phoebe-esque guitar playing attitude and Bennett with his impressive lyrics. How could you possibly resist??

Retail therapy

I got up with the kids this morning, and while they seem to be dripping with sweetness and baby breath in the morning, it's really just a facade. Because no sooner had we started the day, then they were fighting, whining, and complaining. After I herded the cats in and out of the bath, through getting dressed and all, we headed off to church. Now, I admit I was a little late getting there since I had to stop for gas, but it appears that ALL of the classes were closed to more kids since they were short on volunteers. Not having many options, I thought I'd give it a shot in the Parents' Room, where the kids could be with me and I could participate in the worship service by watching it on the TV in there. Except that's hard to do with a 2 year old. Sure, Morgan was fine and even Bennett wasn't THAT bad, but I wanted him where I could see him, so I found myself having to get up and down and chasing him all over the room. I wasn't really able to focus. Then there was the mom who was sitting to my right who was letting her son run ALL OVER the room and making LOTS of REALLY LOUD noises. I understand that it was not a good situation for her either, but SERIOUSLY?? Why would you allow your kid to be that loud when other people are trying to pay attention??

Finally we gave up and I gathered the kids to leave. As soon as we walked out of the room, I got to catch a glimpse of the Academy Award that is surely in the future for both of my children. Morgan immediately turned on the water works at the exact same moment that Bennett decided to run away from me, glance back with a mischievous look when I yelled STOP! and then continued to run with a little smirk on his face. Oh, yes. These are my lovely children. I'm pretty sure my third head was sticking out when I was exiting the building and looking for a place to leave my offering.

I couldn't make it home fast enough, particularly with the bickering and complaining in the car on the way home. The first words out of my lips when I walked in the door were, "I AM DONE!!". Now, a few things surprised my husband. First was how early we were home from church. He was in the middle of a re-wiring project when I walked in. Second, my general tossing my hands up in the air and promptly handing the kids off to him, when he was in no way prepared for it. He's no dummy and could read between the lines and promptly stepped in while I tried to regain my sanity.

I emailed my friend Melissa and asked her if she might be up for some shopping. A little while later, I got a text from her asking if I wanted to go shop during nap time. I couldn't type the letters Y-E-S fast enough. Funny thing is, she hadn't even gotten my email yet! Guess she was feeling my desperate "retail therapy" vibes coming across the cosmos. :) I picked her up a little after 2 and we had three glorious hours of kid-free shopping. Nobody to reprimand, nobody to keep an eye on, nothing to worry about except whether or not the hat at the Gap would fit my son's bobble head. It was pure bliss.

Funny thing is, when I got home, Morgan was all about spending time with me since I had been gone. She came over to me and sat on my lap and gave me hugs and kisses. Until then, Bennett had barely noticed I was there. But, once the hugs and kisses were being doled out, he was right there up in the mix.

See? Retail therapy works!

Jump for your love

Tonight, we had a member appreciation party for the mothers' club at a trampoline place. It was basically like one huge birthday party, complete with jumping, pizza and cake.



After witnessing the world's fasted sign spinner (impressive, huh?), I loaded 20 pizzas into my car and then unloaded my energetic kids at the trampoline place. They had a blast! It was really well organized by the staff at Springtime Tumbling & Trampoline. They split the kids into three different age groups and rotated them through the various stations, which included a mini tramp, a long running trampoline and the three big jumping trampolines. With all that equipment, Morgan was in heaven. Bennett was practicing for when he turns 2 and wanted to be wherever his group wasn't. :) He spent most of his time running back and forth on the bouncy floor. :) All in all, we had a great time hanging out with friends, having pizza and cake and letting the kids burn off energy.

Here are a couple of videos of the kiddos in action.

Everyone gets a vacation!

I guess it would not be appropriate for me to go on and on about my cute, smart, funny and ever so demanding children and also not mention my cute, smart, funny and not so demanding husband. You see, you may remember his moronic employer came up with a "scheme" to reduce the pay of all their employees by 20% in an effort to "align everyone in their decision making". When asked, they do not admit that it is, in fact, a pay cut, but rather an "opportunity" to MAKE MORE! Because, when they start making more money, rather than losing it like they've done for 13 consecutive months, they will generously share that with the employees who have been doing 125% of the work they initially signed up for (due to layoffs) at 80% of their pay. Isn't that nice of them?

Yeah, we didn't think so either. So, my husband updated his resume and started pounding the pavement around Christmas. He was fortunate enough to get hooked up with a recruiter who got him in for an interview at a very similar company to where he was already working, shortly after the new year. Apparently, he aced the interview because he was the first person that they've wanted to extend an offer to without even bringing them back for a second interview. So, we were awaiting their offer.

Then, the VP of Engineering at his current company tells him that he may want to start looking for a job since the company is circling the drain. He even recommends him for another job at another company and hooks him up with an interview with the hiring manager, who makes him a verbal offer. This happened the same day that the written offer came in from the first company. The timing starts getting really sticky when the VP tells Lance that they are doing more layoffs and asks if he wants to be on the list. Knowing that Lance is looking and that he's recommended him for another job, he really wants to salvage a different programmer rather than laying him off to have Lance leave the following week.

So, yesterday my husband was laid off (with a severance package) and also accepted the job at the first company due to a deadline on the offer. Today, he is going in for the formal interview at the second company. And now? He's off until February 9th. And you know what that means. Family time, help with the kids, Lance getting to do stuff with the kids that he hasn't been able to do, and over all goodness. I might even get a vacation too. :)

In this tough economic climate, I know that we are extremely blessed to have things go like this. A severance package and possibly two job offers are beyond the things we hoped and wished for back in December. We are truly, truly blessed! Oh, and yeah...my husband is a stud!

Kids and the stories they tell

I don't remember at what age Morgan's imagination took off, but her little brother is running full steam ahead. This morning, while driving home from dropping Morgan off at school, we had the following conversation.

Bennett: Miss Aunt Terry (I miss Aunt Terry)
Me: Oh, did you have fun at Aunt Terry's house?
Bennett: Yeah.
Me: What was your favorite thing you did there? What did you like best?
Bennett: Uhhhh.....DOG!
Me: Oh, you had fun with Toby?
Bennett: Yeah. Toby eat. Toby eat pancake.
Me: What??? Toby ate your pancake?
Bennett (laughing): Yeah!!!
Me: This morning?
Bennett: YEAH!!
Me: That silly Toby! Is he at my house?
Bennett: No. In Daddy car.
Me: He's in Daddy's car??
Bennett: Yeah!
Me: That crazy Toby!
Bennett: At Memaw Pepaw house!
Me: He's also at Grandma and Grandpa's house?
Bennett: Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!!!
Me: Wow. He really gets around!
Bennett: Toby in Momma car.
Me: No he's not! He's not in my car!
Bennett: In Momma car!!!
Me: Where?
Bennett (pointing to Morgan's booster seat): Right here!
Me: Really??
Bennett: Yeah!!!

At this point, he gets distracted because he sees a VW bug.

Bennett: Beetle Bug!
Me: Yep, there's a beetle bug!
Bennett: Me Drive Beetle Bug!
Me: You want to drive a beetle bug?
Bennett: Yeah.....

This kid is not even 2 yet. We are really in for some tall tales! :)

A tiny rant

Okay, I have a complaint. WHY, oh WHY must the bath toy manufacturers make toys that allow the water to go IN easily, but make it nearly impossible to get the water out. It seems that no matter how much I squeeze, push, or strain, I can never get all the water out. And that water that gets stuck inside there? Yeah, it turns to mildew or mold. We have ruined our fair share of rubber duckies because their skins have turned black from the inside out. And there's no way that I can figure out how to save them.

On manufacturer has it right. Morgan got this as a gift several years ago. Dora has no holes to allow the water in. She's completely air tight. So are her twin cousins (they are her cousins, right?) Therefore, I never have to worry about spending the 10-15 minutes a bath night getting the water out of her every crack and crevice.

So, if you think about starting a bath toy making company, please keep my complaints in mind.

My father would have a heart attack

Actual conversation as we were returning from delivering a meal to a friend of mine who is 34 weeks pregnant and on bed rest.

Morgan: How do you know you are pregnant?
Me (grinning): Well, if your belly gets really big and then a baby comes out, you are pregnant.
Me: Nah. Really though, they have tests that you can take to determine if you are pregnant or not.
Morgan: Oh. So do you take one every day?
Me (laughing): No, no. I don't take one every day. Daddy and I aren't trying to have a baby right now, so I don't need to take one every day.
Morgan: Oh. Well, I think that when I am not there anymore and it's just Bennett, you and Daddy might think about having another baby.
Me: What do you mean, when you are older?
Morgan: Like when I move out.
Me: Oh, well when you are old enough to move out, Bennett will be older too, and so will I. I won't be wanting to have a baby then.
Morgan: You quit wanting babies when you get older?
Me: Sort of. Mostly, as you get older, it gets harder to have babies. Older people can't even get pregnant. Like Grandma, she can't have babies anymore.
Morgan: I bet Grandma would like to have more babies.
Me: I don't know about that. But even if she did, she couldn't have them.

Then Bennett pipes in: Memaw have baby!
Me: Bennett, no Grandma can't have a baby.
Bennett: Memaw have baby! Memaw have baby!

Over and over. All the way home.

Manly chores

I think it's awesome that when I'm vacuuming, my son breaks out his toy vacuum and vacuums right behind me. The thing I thought was the best was when he lifted up the rug in the living room to "vacuum" underneath it. I will raise this boy right!! :)

Me time

I've gotten an unusually supple amount of "me" time this weekend. Friday night was date night, Saturday I had a baby shower and then coffee with a friend after, and then today I spent the majority of the afternoon painting a ceramic plate with a friend. Whenever this happens, part of me starts feeling guilty over not spending more of that time with the kids or my husband. Part of me feels guilty about being so self-centered. But mostly, I'm thankful that I have a husband to go out on a date with, friends who want to hang out with me, and a husband who will take charge of the kids when I need or want to get out.

I have a lot of girl friends who have to practically barter for time out of the house without kids. I understand that you don't want someone to be taken advantage of, and that everyone needs their time alone, but really? A lot of times, these are the women that need it the most. One woman I know is the mother of a six year old, a three year old and a less than one year old. She practically NEVER gets out on her own. I just can't imagine! I guess I can't fathom it because I have always been and will always be a very independent person. Just as much as I enjoy going out on my own and being a woman and not a mother or even a wife, I know my husband enjoys the same. For example, he told me he wanted to get some geocaching in this weekend. Well, I took the kids to the park for three hours this morning/afternoon to give him the time he needed. We give and we take. It all works out in the end, and I have to believe it makes us all happier.

It almost makes the disastrous house and bickering kids seem manageable.

My thoughtful daughter

Morgan's friend, Colin, from her classroom is moving to southern California. Yesterday was his last day. On the way home from school, Morgan was a little upset about him leaving, so we started talking about the new girl who starts on Tuesday. My friend Kristin is the other room parent and had emailed the new family to see about getting together this weekend, but hadn't heard back. Morgan was looking forward to meeting her, so I had to tell her that we probably wouldn't get to meet her until she starts school on Tuesday. Morgan decided that she wanted to make a card for the new girl. We talked about what she would like to say in the card - something to welcome the new girl and to let her know that she would be her friend.

Well, this morning, right away, Morgan wanted to make the card. She asked me to write out "Welcome Katie" on a post-it note and then took off with her construction paper and markers. This is what she came up with. I'm so proud of my girl! :)

It's a blue moon

It seems like only once in a blue moon that my husband and I get to go on a bonafide date. We managed to get a movie in while we were in Florida, but that was just a quick out and back. Tonight, my sister-in-law watched the kids (for free!) and we took off for an early movie. We had discount movie passes, and when I used my frequent visitor card, I got a free ticket, so we practically MADE money going to the movies tonight! We saw Gran Torino, which was a really good flick for us to go see together. Lots of moments to laugh, but also emotional. After the movie was over, we had a little time to get some food before. We were going to try out the new Mediterranean restaurant in town, but they had a 30 minute wait, so we opted for a little Mexican joint that John Madden has been known to frequent. We split some food, had some beer and enjoyed each other's company. It's good to reconnect. And believe it or not, we didn't spend the whole time talking about the kids! After dinner, we picked up the kids and put them to bed and then watched some TV together.

Good times. Wish it was more than once every blue moon. Maybe if Lance gets a new job we can try to put this back on the calendar more regularly.

Five life lessons from a five year old

1. You can pass judgments on someone you don't even know just from hearsay.

One of the kids in Morgan's class is moving and tomorrow is his last day. They are anticipating a new girl coming in his place next week. One of the girls in Morgan's class apparently told Morgan that she knows the new girl. That she goes to school with her sister. And that she gets in trouble every day. So, Morgan has now labeled the new girl a troublemaker. It took less than a minute to straighten her out. I told her that she doesn't know this girl, doesn't know her friend's sister and doesn't even know if it's the same girl, so she shouldn't be so quick to pass judgement!

2. Whoever you like the best always tells the truth.

Morgan reported today that one of the boys in her class, we'll call him J, told a lie today. She said that he hit another little boy in the arm. Surprised, I asked Morgan if she had seen it happen. No. Even more surprised, I asked how she knew that he was lying. She said because J said he didn't do it and the other little boy, A, said that he did. I asked her how she knew what happened and she said she knew because she believed A.

I gave her an example of how, maybe Bennett might tell me that she pushed him down. She tells me that she doesn't, but I believe Bennett even though I don't see it. I asked her if she thought that was fair. Obviously, she did not. But, just for good measure, she added, "Well, you know Bennett has lied before!" LOL

3. A five year old has the right to bet and wager her brand new mp3 player to a friend.

Morgan informed me that she made a bet at school with her friend. She has to give her her mp3 player for 6 days. I quickly told her that would be happening over my dead body and that if she'd like to blame it on her wicked-witch-of-a-mother, then so be it.

4. We must buy presents for anyone who's having a birthday.

One of the kids in Morgan's class is having a birthday, so she is bringing cupcakes in to share with the class. Morgan "reminds" me that we need to buy her a present. After I shake the shock off my face, I informed her that we can't possibly buy presents for everyone in her class. I tried my best to explain the social etiquette for when it is appropriate and when it's not necessary. This one is a little tricky. I knew she didn't hear anything I said after "no" when she informed me that her friend was not going to be upset.

5. It's odd that people who look alike congregate together.

I will admit, that a large percentage of the people at the park today were Indian in their ethnicity. But, what exactly caused my daughter to not only point it out, but to comment that it's "weird" is beyond me. I quickly and quietly explained to her that while it was true that a lot of the people that were there were Indian, there was nothing weird about that. I mean, what does one even say to a comment like that??

Gratitude

We've been fortunate to have over a week's worth of weather that has been truly "Spring like". The highs have been in the high 60's, low 70's and it's been just gorgeous. Seeing as how, according to the almanacs, it should be raining cats and dogs right now, how can you not take advantage of it? I mean, isn't this what we pay exurbanite amounts of money for housing and taxes for to live in this beautiful state?

Thursday afternoons we have a playgroup that seems to be faltering. Like, as in it's usually us and one or two other families there. But, I just couldn't keep my kids home on a gorgeous afternoon. So, we went to playgroup, all by ourselves, to a park in Pleasanton. After the park, we met Lance at Sweet Tomatoes for dinner. Now, it's amazing that this little girl of mine who used to ask every day if we could go out to dinner (since we went out so often), was so excited to be GOING OUT TO DINNER. I mean, this must have come a close second to Disneyland, judging by her reaction. And the fact that it was SWEET TOMATOES! Well, that's just her MOST FAVORITE PLACE! LOL

It's amazing, isn't it? When you get something so frequently, you quickly fall into a state of expecting it to be that way. Over the spring and summer, and even most of the fall, we get to enjoy gorgeous weather. And we just expect it to be that way. Sometimes, we aren't even grateful for it. But when it's been cold or frosty or raining and then we get a week's worth of sun, we can totally appreciate it. Much in the same way that when going out to eat is cut back to only occasionally (like once or twice a month), how much more we appreciate it.

I wish I could capture the gratitude and unload it on a day of greediness. Because it makes everything so much sweeter.

Little memories

As the kids get older and older, little things tend to fade away. Like the way that Morgan used to wake up in the morning, practically jumping up and down in her crib. Or the way Bennett used to snuggle into my chest when it's time to read a story. Sure, they still do variations of these types of things now, but they are older and it's different.

With Bennett, one of my favorite times with him has always been that time right before he goes down for his afternoon nap. It's like he knows that if he can be cute and sweet and loving, that I might just hold on to him forever and never put him down. Some days, it's really hard to put him in that crib and walk out!

For posterity's sake, I recorded today's pre-naptime love fest. In a few years, I am sure I will look back on this and sob my eyes out! For now, I will cherish each afternoon for this very reason.

Our little reader

When Morgan started Kindergarten, she was totally ready. Like, she couldn't wait. She was practically bursting at the seams, waiting for it to start. I, equally as excited, had a bit more anxiety to accompany all that excitement. Would she really be ready? I know she's a bright girl, but would she be able to catch on and stay up with the class? Had we done enough to prepare her? I was particularly worried about reading. She started the school year without a firm grasp on phonetics. If you asked her what sound a letter made, it was always a craps shoot as to what she came up with. While that was a little disconcerting, what was even more difficult was to hear her talk over and over about how she couldn't wait to go to Kindergarten so she could learn how to read. I had no idea how long it would take her to learn. No idea what level she would be at. Would she get discouraged before she really got rolling?

Fast forward to now. She's reading. On her own. It's so amazing. The teacher has commented about how she's going to be a fantastic reader. She sounds out words with only slight difficulty at the crazed pronunciations associated with the English language. She has now started writing sentences (phonetically anyway). And she's enjoying it! She still doesn't have to confidence to go to her bookshelf and pick out a book and start reading. She much prefers for us to do it together, or to get read to. We started a book club with her friend Kaitlyn and we devoured The Tale of Despereaux in less than a month.

Her school is doing a fundraiser that's a read-a-thon. You get people to pledge either an hourly rate or a flat donation for her to do this reading. The gold medal in Kindergarten is awarded when the student has reached 12 hours of reading during this 13 day period. I decided that this was a fundraiser I wanted to get behind and sent an email to my friends and family describing the read-a-thon. With every email that comes in, I tell Morgan who of our friends and family is backing her. She is so excited, she doesn't even want to play! She would rather spend time reading. Her goal is to have read the most minutes of anyone in Kindergarten. Nah, she's not an overachiever or anything. ;-)

Today, they had a "Read-in" where the kids went to school in their pajamas and read all day. Some of the parents came in to read to them and it was such a fun thing for Morgan! She picked out a book to share and a book for me to read (Click Clack Moo, When Cows Type) when I came into the classroom to read. She was so proud of the book she picked and loved that everyone thought it was as funny as she does .

I love seeing this side of her. I love that she's a reader. It's a passion of mine that my mother, my grandma, and my great-grandma all shared with me. I'm so happy to have the legacy live on!

A son

My very good friend, Melissa, found out today that she is going to be having a son in May. A son! She is a little nervous and in shock, even though she had a feeling it was going to be a boy. I remember this feeling all too well! I remember finding out in December, two years ago, that we would soon be evening out the gender wars within our house. I remember feeling so many mixed feelings. Feeling so blessed to have a healthy baby, and a boy to experience at that. Feeling lost when I considered what having a boy would entail. Different body parts, sports, cars, voice changes, girlfriends, and eventually - becoming a MOTHER IN LAW! What do I even know about these things? I'm a girl's girl. I like my toes painted and my lipstick on. I like shopping and chocolate and wearing cute clothes. I'd much rather spend time chit chatting with friends than looking at cars. What the heck do I know about a raising a boy?

I think this must be a common feeling that first-time-moms-of-boys must feel. I mean, after all, most of us learn to parent by watching our mothers. We know the relationship between a mother and her daughter. We know how to do slumber parties and when you need a bra. We know all about that time of month and how emotional it really is to just BE a girl. I'm convinced that is why boys come out LOVING their mommas. I know Morgan loves me, and she's a very affectionate girl. The bond we have always had is very special. It's that mother-daughter one that I still hold so dearly with my own mother.

But to a young boy, there's no stronger bond than that between him and him momma. The expression "Momma's Boy" has taken on a new, less negative meaning to me. Boys are cuddly when girls want to be independent. Boys are straightforward when girls need to be complex. And boys eat. Oh man, do they eat! So, if you ever have to figure out something to settle them down, there's always a good chance that food can do the job.

Now, I don't love the part where we have to go through all the various types of trucks/tractors/trailers on a regular basis. If I have to read Monster Trucks one more time, I may very well rip my hair out. I am constantly baffled by the inherent mechanics of the boy's mind to draw him to anything round-like in nature that might need to be thrown. Or why he gets so excited when he sees airplanes or trains. Can't he at least throw me a bone and get equally excited over the big sale at Macy's??

Although I wanted to have a girl and a boy, I never could picture myself being the mother of a boy. Now I can't picture not having a little boy in my life. They are truly special! And while I've still got a lot of uncharted territory ahead of me, I know that it will be okay, because him and I? Well, we kind of have this thing.

Lately, with Bennett rejecting me in preference to just about anyone else, it's nice to remember that beneath it all, he's still just a momma's boy. :)

It's a good thing he's so cute

Bennett has been particularly challenging and feisty lately. Not listening, pushing the limits, screaming, tantruming...all of it. Add to that, the fact that he's beginning to separate from me (asks for Morgan when he wants something, wants her to help him, etc...basically, I'm chopped liver), and you've got a good combination for a momma who's ready to tear her hair out. Except look at him. This was taken this morning, as we were all lounging around before church. Isn't he cute? Sitting there all innocent like, just looking through his Winne the Pooh board books.

Yeah, there's a reason for that. You know how in nature the male birds are brighter and the female birds more plain? It's for their own protection, right? Same thing with him and those stinkin' dimples. There's no other way to explain it.

More protection, comin' your way. This is the part where he accessorizes to make it even cuter. He's cunning, I tell you!

It's an all girls weekend!

Lance had a geocaching thing to go to today. He left right after lunch and got home a little after 9pm. We took this opportunity to have a girls' night IN! We invited Kristin and Kaitlyn over for pizza, nail painting, popcorn, movie, and ice cream! Bennett was pretty cranky; his eye teeth are coming in right now, so I'm not sure if that's what gave us the pleasure of his crankiness or what. So as soon as it was bed time, we got him in bed and then proceeded with sparkly nail paint and popcorn. Coupled with the world's most depressing KIDS chick flick. I rented Kit Kittredge: An American Girl. The setting is during the depression and the main character's father, Mr. Kittredge, loses his job in Cincinnati, Ohio and has to go away to Chicago in search of work. They can't afford a telephone anymore, so Kit has to rely on letters from her father to keep her going. Her friends are losing their homes, her mother has to start taking in transients or people who have lost their homes to help make ends meet. Then, someone steals the only money they have to pay their mortgage and their home goes into foreclosure. NOT a light girls' night in kind of movie. Luckily, it ends up on a happy note, but seriously, 95% of the movie was super depressing! Nothing that a little ice cream couldn't fix, though.

Lance and Dan got home around the same time, so we had Dan meet us here and we played a game of Cranium while the girls played Guess Who, a Dr. Seuss game and Hullabaloo. It was fun to see Kristin's robo cop impression and to watch Dan do somersaults. :)

Girls gone wild!

Last night, my friend Kristin asked me if we were going to go to Bingo for Books at the school tonight. I guess it's the kick off to next week's read-a-thon. I had missed the information that came home about it, with everything else going on, but she told me it was free and it sounded like something Morgan would enjoy. I asked Morgan this morning if she'd like to go and she told me that she was a little nervous because she didn't know how to play Bingo exactly. She used those exact words. That girl of mine! I told her that it wouldn't be a problem since I would be there with her and told her that I thought it would be something fun for us to do together, without Bennett and with her friend, Kaitlyn. At this point, she declared it a "Girls Night Out" and was really looking forward to it. Woohoo!

It was so much fun! Morgan loved Bingo and caught on right away. It was really great for number recognition, too, so also educational. Kristin and Kaitlyn ended up getting FOUR Bingos and we got none, but they gave us two of their Bingos, so we could pick out books. Morgan picked out a Robin Hood book for herself and a Dumpy the truck book for Bennett (how sweet!). Once we had the books, we decided to move the party to Peet's for some hot chocolate for the wee ones and coffee for the adults. I was able to use a gift card I had for Peet's so we didn't even have to spend any money there. We chatted and sipped and had a good time. And I'm not at all embarrassed about it being with five year olds!

For free!

Viva La Girls Night Out!

Viva La Budget!

Another very cute and sweet moment was when Kaitlyn gave Morgan a thank you note for the gift Morgan gave her for Christmas. She hand wrote the card and told Morgan that she did it herself. Morgan told her she loved it and they hugged. Then Morgan told her she did a great job and Kaitlyn said thanks. It was so cute watching the two of them. So cute!

The new math, aka "The Chicken Experiment"

Attention idiot employers of my husband: You may be able to take 20% of our monthly pay, but you cannot take away my ability to stretch a dollar! Here's our new math:

$27.10 for 28 servings = $0.97 per serving!

Roasted chicken with potatoes and salad

1 whole chicken ~$6
15 small red potatoes ~$1
20 baby carrots ~ $0.25
2 lemons ~ free from my tree
fresh rosemary ~ free from my bushes
1 head of romaine lettuce ~ $0.50
2 tomatoes ~ $1

4 Servings ~ $7.85






Chicken noodle soup, salad, and cornbread muffins

Meat from roasted chicken ~ Free
Broth ~ Free, made from roasted chicken
1 bunch of celery ~$0.80
6 carrots ~ $2
1 lb rotini pasta ~ $1.50
fresh flat leaf parsley ~$0.50
fresh minced garlic ~ $0.10
spices ~ free from my cabinet
cornmeal ~ $1
milk ~$0.25
butter ~0.25
1 head of romaine lettuce ~$0.50
2 tomatoes ~$1

16 Servings!! ~ $7.90


Goat cheese chicken pasta with roasted red peppers and artichokes

Chicken ~ Free from roasted chicken
1 lb. bow tie pasta ~$1.50
1 can artichokes ~$2
1 can sliced olives ~$1
1 jar roasted red peppers ~$3.50
fresh sliced mushrooms ~$0.25
goat cheese ~$3
olive oil ~ free from my cabinet
fresh minced garlic ~ $0.10

8 Servings ~ $11.35




Woohoo! I am woman. Hear me roar!

It's a lot of work making these memories!

Today has been a very long and busy day. Even though he was working from home, Lance got up with us in the morning and helped us get out the door with lunches packed and waters filled. Bennett and I met Kristin to walk our standard Wednesday route at Sycamore Grove and then we raced home so I could shower before playgroup. We headed over to Pleasanton for playgroup, where Bennett had lots of fun hanging with his girls: Clare, Taylor, Kylee and Fiona. Clare and Bennett have become quite the buds and they had fun following each other through the crawl tunnels and even spent some time breaking down a song about Clare Bear. :) At one point, Bennett had fallen off the steps and hurt himself and I was comforting him. Clare came over and wanted to give him a hug, so I asked him if he wanted a hug from Clare. "Ohhh yeah!" LOL!

We had lunch at playgroup and then stayed until it was time to pick Morgan up from school after her reading group. We went home and Bennett went down for his nap and then Morgan and I grabbed the rice krispie treats I had made for snack and headed over to the first Daisy meeting of the new year. The girls talked about taking care of the Earth, to earn their light pink "Make the World a Better Place" petal. They made super hero sock puppets that help save the planet. It was very cute!

After Daisy's we came home and I tried to grab a quick nap, but the kids weren't really cooperating. So, I was up and played with them for a bit before I had to get ready for my mothers club board meeting. The meetings seem to keep lasting longer and longer, which is a problem for someone who's already running on empty. I didn't get home until 10:30!

Lots of stuff packed into one day, but also lots of good memories! I can sleep when they are teenagers who care nothing about this stuff, right? :)

Mr. Smarty Pants

While Morgan has been unusually GOOD lately (great, really), Bennett has been unusually....well, we'll say NOT good. He's such a two year old already, though he won't be for another 3 months. You do something he was wanting to do himself?? He will demand that he does it. ME!! Over and over again until he has done it. Tantrum ensuing, even if you allow him to do it, but it didn't start that way.

Even though he's becoming more and more challenging as the days draw closer and closer to the big T-W-O, he continues to fascinate me with everything he catches on to.

Like, he's figured out that we don't ALWAYS come running the moment he wakes up and starts calling us in the morning. So, he's developed new and ingenious methods of getting us in there quicker. First it was "Momma! Poopy! Moooooommmaaaa!!! Poooooooopppy!" Only, I went in there and when I got there, he was laying down on his tummy and he looked up at me with this devious grin on his face and he practically laughed out loud as he said "Momma! Upppy!" And there was no poop to be found. The next time, it was "Daddy! Wipe! Nose! Daaaaadddyyyy! Wipe! Nose!" You can guess where this goes - there were no tissues necessary in this scene. He's tried it with "Momma! Wet!! Mooooommmmmaaa! Weettt!" only to have a perfectly dry diaper.

He's also figured out that the gate between the kitchen and the dining room and be set ajar ever so slightly so that it doesn't latch, allowing complete and full access to all things taboo in the kitchen. He now insists that HE closes the gate. And he closes it slowly, purposefully, and makes sure it is ajar before he runs off, all proud of himself and his clever ways.

A little chat

Right before bed tonight, Morgan was helping to empty the waste basket from her bedroom. With a very serious look on her face, she asks, "Mom, can we have a little chat?"

Me, curious, from the couch, "Sure, come on over and sit down."
Morgan sits down next to me and looks at me with a very serious look. A very serious look indeed. And she says, "I couldn't help but notice that you have thrown out some of my school work"

At this point, I cannot contain myself. I'm laughing hysterically and so is Lance. First at being approached by my FIVE YEAR OLD to have a "little chat". And then being chastised for throwing out her school work. If you saw the amount of work these kids bring home every. single. day, well then you might have an idea of why some of it might accidentally end up in the trash can.

I'm the kind of girl who would very much love to open a card, read it and then promptly toss it in the trash. I hang on to a few sentimental things here and there, but for the most part, once I've seen it, it's served it's purpose. No need to have it hanging around, wasting space and mental energy any longer.

I'm just glad that the laughter distracted Morgan from the cold hard reality that even though she may work very hard on all her school work, we can't possibly keep it all. She's just lucky that stuff made it to her room. Most of it gets tossed as soon as it gets unpacked from her backpack. Speaking of which, MAYBE I should quit throwing stuff out in her room. Hmmmm.

In the past few days, I've noticed a disturbing trend that my daughter is exhibiting. Her behavior is becoming more and more like her father. First it was her freaking out over how the elastic in her empire waist shirt didn't feel good, then it was how "tight" her sleeves were on her shirt were. Yesterday, she was looking for something that was, literally, RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER FACE. Someone please tell me that she is not going to become a pack rat. I will be unable to handle that.

A responsible five year old

At about 4 am last night, Morgan comes barging into our room with tears in her eyes. She has woken up, vomiting. She wasn't upset about being sick, but was upset because she got it "everywhere". I reassured her that it was fine and that I'd get it cleaned up, but she kept apologizing for waking me up and making a mess.

This morning, after Lance noticed that she had changed pajamas once again (she went to bed in one pair, threw up on those and changed them, threw up on those and then changed into some others). When asked about it, she said she had just felt like changing her pajamas. Later, as she was getting dressed, she confessed to me that she had had an "accident" and that's why she changed her pajamas. Again, more concerned with the mess than with the fact that she was sick enough that she was having accidents.

It makes my heart break when I hear her like this. I mean, she's a kid. She was sick. If there's ever a time that it's acceptable to make a mess and not worry about it, that would be it. I mean, it's not like I'm Mommy Dearest here, holding a wire hanger over her head. And I don't think I've been particularly crazy with her about keeping things clean. I think she just really internalizes stuff and knows that she's causing more work for me. I told her last night and this morning that this is my job and she needs to just let me do it and not worry about it. I mean, really. She's FIVE. I spend lots of time worrying about her growing up too fast, but for other reasons that typically involve a boy or Hannah Montana. Today I'm worrying about her growing up too fast because sometimes she takes on too much responsibility. She doesn't understand that she's a kid and that things like that sometimes happen. How did this happen?

Remind me of this tomorrow when she can't manage to get her shoes on or her seat belt buckled by herself or when she's making up songs to sing at the breakfast table instead of eating so we can get to school on time.

A sign of our times

Heard today, from my five year old who was playing with the lion figurine set she got with her Target gift card yesterday.

Speaking as the baby lion, who apparently was on the hunt, "I'll take a medium non-fat deer, please."

What, no decaf?

Chilling out

Did you know that the kids don't fight or scream or whine when you have your earbuds in and your iPod turned up? It's awesome. That's how I'm able to sit here and upload pictures and get my bloggin' on in some semblance of peace. The chicken is roasting in the oven, football is on the TV and the kids are playing with the ginormous blanket that still hasn't been put away from yesterday's "zoo" picnic. Just chillin.

Speaking of chilling out, we had a blast at Clare's 2nd birthday party today. It was a magical winter wonderland, complete with SNOW! It was awesome! At least Morgan thought so. Bennett wasn't too sure about the snow to start. Of course, he was on edge before we even got there. You know how with a toddler, there are certain days where they are "in charge" and ready to "make someone pay"? Yeah, that was today. So, he wasn't too happy when we plopped his oompaloompah butt down in the snow. Or maybe he was too preoccupied with, to quote him, the "ma-A-rowni Clare Bear hooowwwsss". Eventually he warmed up to it, after getting hit by a few stray snowballs. Clare didn't need to be asked twice. As soon as we went outside, she was practically making snow angels from the start! I even caught her throwing snowballs at some of the adults! It was awesome! The kids made a joint-effort snowman and then there was good food and then present opening and then cake. It was a great party!

And then, just to make sure it was memorable for everyone, Bennett decided to scream bloody murder when it was time to go. As we were putting his shoes on, he's screaming NOOOOO. It was so very heartwarming and obviously one of my proudest moments. Ahhh, my sweet, well-behaved children. :) And then that's when I recalled that he also threw a tantrum at Clare's first birthday party. Full on throw-yourself-on-the-floor-kicking-and-screaming-tantrum. So, I'm sure Melissa's family is wondering what is up with that woman and her kids. That crazed boy and his tantrums. See, I've had MANY proud parenting moments!

Making lemonade

On our last free-from-school-Friday of the winter break, we had planned a trip to the zoo as a last hurrah. Unfortunately, the weather didn't get our memo and upon rain fall this morning, plans needed to change. The kids were all geared up to go to the zoo, and Morgan to spend time with her new BFF, Kaitlyn. So, we invited Kristin and Kaitlyn over here to play.

The girls were having a hard time getting going on playing, Morgan wanting to hang around the adults and Kaitlyn wanting Morgan to come play, so after snack, I suggested an activity. Kaitlyn and Morgan said they wanted to make stick puppets, but we only had one Popsicle stick left. I remembered that my mom had given Morgan a sock puppet kit and we had some of the puppets left to make. The girls had so much fun, including Kristin, had so much fun making their puppets. They made cows and Kristin made a super hero, which she plans to use as an example for the Daisy project next week. Yippee!

Since we had both packed lunches for the zoo, we pulled out a blanket and had our zoo picnic minus the real zoo. We let the kids pick out stuffed animals to put around us like we were at the zoo. There was a little drama over the exact placement of the animals by a certain control-freak-bossy-five-year-old-who's-name-starts-with-an-M, but the girls seemed excited by the thought. Even Bennett got into the action, picking a tiger to put in our "zoo".

While I'm sure we all would have had more fun at the REAL zoo, this was a good alternative on a rainy day. Looky there......we made lemonade! :)

A great way to start 2009

Last night, we had just a few friends over for a fondue party to ring in the New Year. It was low key and fun for both adults and kids. Believe it or not, Bennett was up until about 11pm and I tucked Morgan into bed shortly after midnight. We did a cheese course, salad and then went straight for desert, which included Rice Krispie treats, Snickers bars, and madelines. Mmmm. I think the chocolate course was the kids' favorite. We drank champagne and sparkling cider and did poppers and pop-its out in the courtyard. The kids had hats and noisemakers and I believe they all really enjoyed our celebration. Maybe we'll have to make it a tradition!

I'll close with a message from Bennett: