No really, we do. Talon comes downstairs hollering that RéAnna just sprayed him with the spray bottle that we use for animal control. There's water on his face and shirt, in his hair. Legitimate compaint... or so it would seem!
So, we holler for RéAnna to come to us so that we can talk. Well, RéAnna explains how Talon WANTED her to spray him and asked her to squirt him in the mouth and that when she did he moved and shook his head side to side spritzing him all over his face! So, then he says, "I'm telling Dad!"
So, Daddy says to Talon, "Well, you didn't tell us about all of that."
Then the girls (Alyssa was over, too) proceed to pour out all of the things that Talon's been doing... "He's been pulling my hair!" Talon replies, "No, I didn't! My hand got stuck in her hair!" / "He kicked me!" Talon replies, "No, I did not. I laid my foot on your shoulder!"
So, then, my husband and I can't hold back our laughter, which makes Talon mad b/c he thinks we're laughing at him (which we are really) and he in a very calm tone says... "Well, I've decided that I'm going to move into another house."
Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention that as we were giggling and Talon was sulking all of the sudden I see Lucifer coming in from the Living Room soaking wet, looking terrible, shaking each paw as she lifted it off of the ground. I said, "What happened to Lucy?!" and then, RéAnna (in the most natural tone) says, "Oh yeah. I gave Lucy a bath." Uuuhhh, would you please stop bathing the cats! They're good, really! They're already static-e enough! We should have got a gold fish!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Almost Monday
Oooohhh... My weekend has whizzed by. Really the entire week has flown by really fast. We had company from Virginia come up and visit us last weekend (we had a blast- they're great peeps!). They left Monday, but it took all week to get back into my routine. Don't know why. My heart just hasn't been into doing what I know that I need to do. Behind in laundry, bills, studying, dishes - chores in general, blah! Well, it may help if the weather would stay somewhat warmer and stop raining and being all cloudy. I don't want to complain too much, though. My plants are sprouting up everywhere and my grass is growing that I planted a couple of weeks ago.
So, preping for the week... Get all of the kids outfits out and ironed for the week. Laundry. Dishes. Have to open enroll Talon Wednesday morning for Possum (I want to be there at like 6:45a to make sure we're the first to arrive. They open at 7a and last year the lady said they didn't take any for K b/c they had their limit of kids, so I'm hoping that if there's a spot or two for 1st grade he'll be the first to get in...). Preschool Transition Committee is Wednesday @ 3:30 and I'm supposed to go out in service with Dawn in the am. I need to work on Ré's talk on the 16th of April.
UGH! One last breathe and then I'll get started...
So, preping for the week... Get all of the kids outfits out and ironed for the week. Laundry. Dishes. Have to open enroll Talon Wednesday morning for Possum (I want to be there at like 6:45a to make sure we're the first to arrive. They open at 7a and last year the lady said they didn't take any for K b/c they had their limit of kids, so I'm hoping that if there's a spot or two for 1st grade he'll be the first to get in...). Preschool Transition Committee is Wednesday @ 3:30 and I'm supposed to go out in service with Dawn in the am. I need to work on Ré's talk on the 16th of April.
UGH! One last breathe and then I'll get started...
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Paint anyone?
So, my son, Talon, is learning about his spheres, cubes, cylinders, and cones in his kindergarten class this week. He's had to identify the shapes on worksheets and what-not... Well, his Friday assignment was to bring in just a couple of things that resembled these shapes. So, I was so proud of him for finding everything very quickly on his own and without my help. For the cube he found and old block. For the sphere he took one of the dog's old chewed up tennis balls (it was completely bald of any green fur, but who am I to correct the boy, everything he had was perfectly fine). For a cone, he grabbed a tiny funnel I kept under the kitchen sink (how'd he even know that was in there?...hhhmmmm). And for the cylinder, he decided to grab a brand new quart size can of paint. These items were absolutely perfect! Yet, without stunting his likeliness to handle his assignments independently, I kindly mentioned that he may not want to take the can of paint b/c it may break open and spill. (It was so hard not to just snatch that can right out of his hand in a shocking panic. That was what I was going to use to paint the trim in the hallway! GGRRRRR) But, he was so excited about the items that HE came up with, apparently he didn't take my advice... and here is the end result...
Thursday, March 19, 2009
21 Things I'm going to try...
21 Things that I'm going to try...
1. Keep my voice low, even when I'm certain the only way anyone will hear me (or listen) is if I scream at them.
2. Pray. Not that I don't. I'm going to pray as if my life depended on it!(Which it does!) I need to truly depend on Him and make Jah my intimate friend.
3. Pick up my guitar again and stop making excuses!
4. Dare I say it.... think before I speak!
5. Laugh! Laugh when I'm alone. Laugh when I'm hurt. Laugh when I'm feeling unworthy, laugh (or at least smile) when I don't believe the compliments I'm given...
6. I'd like to have someone over for dinner that I would have never considered until now.
7. Breathe. All of this is going to end at some point. Good/bad. It'll all be gone. Enjoy. Learn. Breathe.
8. Try to be humble, really humble. Remember that in the face of complaint, I have it so much better than others that never asked for or deserve what they ended up with.
9. Love. In every aspect of the sense of the word. When others are angry, love.
10. Let go of pasts. It's like you taking poison and trying to watch someone else die. You're the one that it'll kill. It wastes too much time. You never get that back.
11. Don't worry. You know, no matter what we do to our kids, they still (for some reason) turn out okay. Pick my battles. Know that we're protected by a very big God!
12. Think pretty. Big girls are beautiful! Rolls are okay. Stretch marks are battle wounds of the 'play'ground, a beauty mark of the life we carried. Now, if I could just convince myself that's TRUE!
13. Just listen. Don't always offer advice. People don't always want to hear my stories that are similar to their tribulations. Sometimes people just wanna vent and feel as though they are the only ones on the planet that are experiencing their trials. They know they're not alone. They know what to do. They know the advice. Just listen.
14. Do things for myself. Not in a selfish way. Children need to see their folks enjoying life. In turn they enjoy one another. Just make what I'd like to eat sometimes. Write again! I used to write all day long. I loved everything. Poems, stories, agendas, ideas, thoughts...
15. Try a diet. Not "diet". Diet, meaning "lifestyle". I'd like to change my outlook on food. It really is just to fuel you throughout your day. It doesn't always have to be a form of art, enhancing the flavors, eating more, sampling everything, critiquing.
16. Let someone else teach me. Accept that I don't need to do everything. I don't need to teach others always. Stop being so independently stubborn. It's okay to learn something that I'm uncomfortable with and look like a fool.
17. Dance again. Try it. I used to love to dance. Then once I felt my husband smirk as I was dancing. Immediately I closed up. I only dance silly for my kids. Not seriously... I feel like I'm too big... I'm so afraid of proving the stereotypes true! Letigo!
18. Patience. I'll try it. Some say I have it. I don't see it!
19. I want to try to travel without a guide. Appreciate everything that I lay my eyes on, that I smell, that I taste. Be cautiously naive.
20. Talk to those I need to. Don't ignore them when they're really wanting to know. Don't push away... I know I'm a talker to most, but sometimes, to avoid conflict, those that I need to communicate with get silence.
21. Finally. I'd like to try trusting people. I do. I don't. Not just trusting them once. Trusting them always. Let stupid stuff go. Don't hold grudges. Wasted time.
1. Keep my voice low, even when I'm certain the only way anyone will hear me (or listen) is if I scream at them.
2. Pray. Not that I don't. I'm going to pray as if my life depended on it!(Which it does!) I need to truly depend on Him and make Jah my intimate friend.
3. Pick up my guitar again and stop making excuses!
4. Dare I say it.... think before I speak!
5. Laugh! Laugh when I'm alone. Laugh when I'm hurt. Laugh when I'm feeling unworthy, laugh (or at least smile) when I don't believe the compliments I'm given...
6. I'd like to have someone over for dinner that I would have never considered until now.
7. Breathe. All of this is going to end at some point. Good/bad. It'll all be gone. Enjoy. Learn. Breathe.
8. Try to be humble, really humble. Remember that in the face of complaint, I have it so much better than others that never asked for or deserve what they ended up with.
9. Love. In every aspect of the sense of the word. When others are angry, love.
10. Let go of pasts. It's like you taking poison and trying to watch someone else die. You're the one that it'll kill. It wastes too much time. You never get that back.
11. Don't worry. You know, no matter what we do to our kids, they still (for some reason) turn out okay. Pick my battles. Know that we're protected by a very big God!
12. Think pretty. Big girls are beautiful! Rolls are okay. Stretch marks are battle wounds of the 'play'ground, a beauty mark of the life we carried. Now, if I could just convince myself that's TRUE!
13. Just listen. Don't always offer advice. People don't always want to hear my stories that are similar to their tribulations. Sometimes people just wanna vent and feel as though they are the only ones on the planet that are experiencing their trials. They know they're not alone. They know what to do. They know the advice. Just listen.
14. Do things for myself. Not in a selfish way. Children need to see their folks enjoying life. In turn they enjoy one another. Just make what I'd like to eat sometimes. Write again! I used to write all day long. I loved everything. Poems, stories, agendas, ideas, thoughts...
15. Try a diet. Not "diet". Diet, meaning "lifestyle". I'd like to change my outlook on food. It really is just to fuel you throughout your day. It doesn't always have to be a form of art, enhancing the flavors, eating more, sampling everything, critiquing.
16. Let someone else teach me. Accept that I don't need to do everything. I don't need to teach others always. Stop being so independently stubborn. It's okay to learn something that I'm uncomfortable with and look like a fool.
17. Dance again. Try it. I used to love to dance. Then once I felt my husband smirk as I was dancing. Immediately I closed up. I only dance silly for my kids. Not seriously... I feel like I'm too big... I'm so afraid of proving the stereotypes true! Letigo!
18. Patience. I'll try it. Some say I have it. I don't see it!
19. I want to try to travel without a guide. Appreciate everything that I lay my eyes on, that I smell, that I taste. Be cautiously naive.
20. Talk to those I need to. Don't ignore them when they're really wanting to know. Don't push away... I know I'm a talker to most, but sometimes, to avoid conflict, those that I need to communicate with get silence.
21. Finally. I'd like to try trusting people. I do. I don't. Not just trusting them once. Trusting them always. Let stupid stuff go. Don't hold grudges. Wasted time.
21 things about me! (I'm so self-consumed.)
21 things about me:
1. When I go to someone's house and use their bathroom, I always turn their toilet paper around so that it goes over the roll, not under!
2. I was married at 18! And I'm still married to the same guy! SHEESH!
3. I absolutely love Celtic music.
4. My heart melts when I see "older" folks holding hands or opening the car door for one another.
5. I've been known to cry over a commercial.
6. I would like to use the restroom just once every now and again without an audience.
7. I love company.
8. Matt drives me insane! LOL
9. I love to try new things. Very domesticated. But, my heart lies where there is warmer weather and the open road.
10. There was a time where I could easily do 80 pushups (boy style, with chin touching the floor. I got an A in gym for doing that). Now, I don't think I could do 4.
11. I don't manage my time as wisely as I should. Like right now, I should be cleaning or studying...
12. I love to read! Fiction and self-help stuff! and the watchtower publications. They always have intriguing facts.
13. Man, this list is taking 4EVER... Sometimes, I wish I could go back to work just to get a break from the things at home. But, noone else does what I do the way I do it.
14. I like to talk a little bit... I'm catching myself offering unsolicited advice. Trying to work on that.
15. I hate hotdogs UNLESS we're at a baseball game. For some reason they just taste better there and my desire to comprehend all that I am ingesting is overshadowed by tradition.
16. Spring and Autumn are my favorite seasons. Summer comes next.
17. I'm more like my grandmother than I am my own mother.
18. I love thunder storms.
19. Did I mention I like to talk?
20. No matter how much I tell you that your kids are cute, I'm secretly thinking inside that they're definitely not cuter than mine! LOL TEEHHEEE.
21. Cyndi Lytle is a keeper. She's one of my best girlfriends. She puts up with all my crap. No matter how mad I make her, I know she's still gonna call me over for dinner!
1. When I go to someone's house and use their bathroom, I always turn their toilet paper around so that it goes over the roll, not under!
2. I was married at 18! And I'm still married to the same guy! SHEESH!
3. I absolutely love Celtic music.
4. My heart melts when I see "older" folks holding hands or opening the car door for one another.
5. I've been known to cry over a commercial.
6. I would like to use the restroom just once every now and again without an audience.
7. I love company.
8. Matt drives me insane! LOL
9. I love to try new things. Very domesticated. But, my heart lies where there is warmer weather and the open road.
10. There was a time where I could easily do 80 pushups (boy style, with chin touching the floor. I got an A in gym for doing that). Now, I don't think I could do 4.
11. I don't manage my time as wisely as I should. Like right now, I should be cleaning or studying...
12. I love to read! Fiction and self-help stuff! and the watchtower publications. They always have intriguing facts.
13. Man, this list is taking 4EVER... Sometimes, I wish I could go back to work just to get a break from the things at home. But, noone else does what I do the way I do it.
14. I like to talk a little bit... I'm catching myself offering unsolicited advice. Trying to work on that.
15. I hate hotdogs UNLESS we're at a baseball game. For some reason they just taste better there and my desire to comprehend all that I am ingesting is overshadowed by tradition.
16. Spring and Autumn are my favorite seasons. Summer comes next.
17. I'm more like my grandmother than I am my own mother.
18. I love thunder storms.
19. Did I mention I like to talk?
20. No matter how much I tell you that your kids are cute, I'm secretly thinking inside that they're definitely not cuter than mine! LOL TEEHHEEE.
21. Cyndi Lytle is a keeper. She's one of my best girlfriends. She puts up with all my crap. No matter how mad I make her, I know she's still gonna call me over for dinner!
Where the heart is...
Ohhhh. How I've longed through all of the winter and ice to recieve a bit of vitamin D through the most natural source available. And it's finally time to be able to enjoy it! The sun. I know it's only March 19th, but I'm already calling my grandmother for reminders on when to plant things. Last weekend we spent time trimming down rose-of-sharon and planting grass seed in the bare spots that the dogs dug up.
When we were gathering all of our yard debris, we spotted some debris that some kind neighbor relocated behind our privacy fence (which we have to keep clean in order for the city not to fine us!). Well, apparently there was some poison ivy in this heaping pile of someone else's laziness. Now, when it's blooming, I know just what to look for in the leaves and berries. When it's naked, it just all looks like crap to me. So, guess what we did... We took everything over to our friends' house and had a bonfire! Her dad came out when the fire was almost entirely gone and says, "Who brought all of the poison ivy?" AAAAAHHHHH!!!! My heart sank. We had all these people and ALL of us had kids. OMG! If any of them gets poison ivy internally, I will just die! He seemed to feel it looked "old". D@m& those people who left me their mess. OOOHHHH, you just wait. I do a lot of yard work Spring - Fall. I've got an incling as to whom it may be, b/c last year I was hanging laundry on the line and noticed my rose-of-sharon that's behind my privacy fence moving around. Then, I saw the old man that lives behind us walking to his house.... his yard all neat and crap. Well, I have TWO DOGS buddy! ...and "crap" is right! Anyway, guess what I have all over my arms and the creases of my elbows and my fingers! Yep, poison ivy! I don't think it came from when we burned it. It was when we were loading it all up in the truck to take over, I bet! André didn't get anything... Black people!
So, that story is actually a little off subject from what I wanted to right about (A.D.D. much?). My heart truly lies in the open road. OHHH how I long to visit my family out of state! I think I'm going to plan a two week road trip for this year, perhaps when André gets laid off. I don't know. I want to stop by Kentucky, first and visit André's Aunt Cleo (her middle name's Patra. Isn't that cool?) She lives in Louisville. She's much older that André's father (in her 80's) and we'd like to spend some time with her. Then, we have some of the DEAREST friends ever, that I miss so much, in Virginia. Kim and James and the girls. They are really our family more than friends! I forced Kim to be my friend and have been bugging her ever since! They have the most delicious girls around, Jada and Olivia. They left Ohio and went back to VA and we've seen them...twice. They only live 6 hours away (but the roads are so windy, I'm car sick every time we show up!).
Then, we have friends that live in North Carolina, Guy and Veda, who are always up for the company. I believe they just had their 3rd baby! Congrats!
But, our final and last stop will be where my heart has lied since I was 2... Where the humidity takes your breathe away and every beach you go to has a different color of sand. A place that, no matter where you go, has a man on the corner selling boiled peanuts! Aaaahhhh. Boiled Peanuts! The home of the Gators. Florida! My family lives in Jacksonville. Well, actually, McKlinney, but it's just a little town near Jacksonville. My favorite spot, though is St. Augustine! I'm not exactly sure what we're going to do this year b/c I'd really like to see the golf side. It's amazing how the difference is from one side to the other. We'll see. I'll have to do some research. Ugh! But, it'll be worth it!
When we were gathering all of our yard debris, we spotted some debris that some kind neighbor relocated behind our privacy fence (which we have to keep clean in order for the city not to fine us!). Well, apparently there was some poison ivy in this heaping pile of someone else's laziness. Now, when it's blooming, I know just what to look for in the leaves and berries. When it's naked, it just all looks like crap to me. So, guess what we did... We took everything over to our friends' house and had a bonfire! Her dad came out when the fire was almost entirely gone and says, "Who brought all of the poison ivy?" AAAAAHHHHH!!!! My heart sank. We had all these people and ALL of us had kids. OMG! If any of them gets poison ivy internally, I will just die! He seemed to feel it looked "old". D@m& those people who left me their mess. OOOHHHH, you just wait. I do a lot of yard work Spring - Fall. I've got an incling as to whom it may be, b/c last year I was hanging laundry on the line and noticed my rose-of-sharon that's behind my privacy fence moving around. Then, I saw the old man that lives behind us walking to his house.... his yard all neat and crap. Well, I have TWO DOGS buddy! ...and "crap" is right! Anyway, guess what I have all over my arms and the creases of my elbows and my fingers! Yep, poison ivy! I don't think it came from when we burned it. It was when we were loading it all up in the truck to take over, I bet! André didn't get anything... Black people!
So, that story is actually a little off subject from what I wanted to right about (A.D.D. much?). My heart truly lies in the open road. OHHH how I long to visit my family out of state! I think I'm going to plan a two week road trip for this year, perhaps when André gets laid off. I don't know. I want to stop by Kentucky, first and visit André's Aunt Cleo (her middle name's Patra. Isn't that cool?) She lives in Louisville. She's much older that André's father (in her 80's) and we'd like to spend some time with her. Then, we have some of the DEAREST friends ever, that I miss so much, in Virginia. Kim and James and the girls. They are really our family more than friends! I forced Kim to be my friend and have been bugging her ever since! They have the most delicious girls around, Jada and Olivia. They left Ohio and went back to VA and we've seen them...twice. They only live 6 hours away (but the roads are so windy, I'm car sick every time we show up!).
Then, we have friends that live in North Carolina, Guy and Veda, who are always up for the company. I believe they just had their 3rd baby! Congrats!
But, our final and last stop will be where my heart has lied since I was 2... Where the humidity takes your breathe away and every beach you go to has a different color of sand. A place that, no matter where you go, has a man on the corner selling boiled peanuts! Aaaahhhh. Boiled Peanuts! The home of the Gators. Florida! My family lives in Jacksonville. Well, actually, McKlinney, but it's just a little town near Jacksonville. My favorite spot, though is St. Augustine! I'm not exactly sure what we're going to do this year b/c I'd really like to see the golf side. It's amazing how the difference is from one side to the other. We'll see. I'll have to do some research. Ugh! But, it'll be worth it!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Sophie, Kitty #2
(This is an older, updated post.)
Okay... we did it again. Why? Don't know. Really I have felt Lucy needed a playmate for a while now. I came in contact with this woman that literally ran into a box of kittens someone had abandoned on the side of a busy road. They were in sore condition and it's been hard for her to keep them on her own (she already has 3!) So, I gave in and accepted one. I'll post her picture later. She's really cute. Her name's Sophie. We're not sure her age. I'm gonna say about 7 weeks.
-That was the old post. Sophie is just what Lucifur needed. Sophie is the sweetest furball ever and she's tough enough to stand up to LuLu! She was a pretty smart addition.
Our Kitty, Lucy
We've adopted a kitten and named her Lucy. At 4 weeks old, her mommy (who is a stray) was hit by a car and left Lucy and her 3 siblings orphaned. So, it wasn't a difficult decision to welcome her into our family home! However, Lucy has become a demon cat from Hades. We call her Luci'fur'. She was such a sweet little thing. The first time I bathed her (she was a stray) she pierced my thumb with her tooth. OUCH!!! She ain't been right ever since. But, for some reason, I think it's histerical the way she keeps her distance and hisses at anyone her comes her way. She loves André, tho. I think it's b/c he never messes with her. I'd say it's b/c he's a man, but she doesn't care for Talon much... of course, that could be b/c of obvious reasons. He's Talon... She does like Ré most of the time. I like how Ré handles her. She just says, "Oh ,be quiet."
Here's Lu @ 4 weeks and Lu NOW!
Found this cute video of Talon.
Talon was about 2 1/2 in this video. I just think that it was too cute... Why I love 2 year olds!
Life Skills... I thought I had 'em.
I'm reading this really informative book on "Life Skills". What attracted me to it was that I've always been flooding my mind with ideas of homeschooling my children... Right now my daughter is doing amazing in her school... I don't really care for my son's school so, I volunteer quite a bit and hope to get him into Ré's school next year. However, I'm always looking for ways to empower me as their first teacher and keep the door open for homeschooling if the circumstance arises.
So, I found this book. As I began reading it, I felt as though we already do most of the suggestions... Ya know, we pretty much have the children do everything we do, along side us... for the most part. My daughter is an amazing cook (scrambled eggs, fried eggs, omelets, pancakes, brownies... that kind of thing) and my son, who has no fear, insists on using the saw or axe to chop wood. They clean, sometimes better than others. But, there's still something I'm not doing quite right. Like, I'm very anal when it comes to my house being clean. I know, it's all me... It's kinda an OCD thing. So, if they fuss or are bored, I give 'em a broom or a rag. It's not always a great job, but it keeps 'em busy and I figure, with practice, one day they'll be great.
Now, I know that most people don't enjoy being "responsible" but I do want my kids to see the need in it (I don't want my kids to be able to read every book in the library, but lack the skills to dry dishes well) so, I was hoping that the book would give me some good ideas (I'm always game for a good idea). But, what I've found is that there were some things that I never thought of. For instance, about my own life.... I don't think my mother intended on this, but she didn't really "teach" me life skills. Now let me explain before everyone assumes I'm saying she was a terrible parent (we could go on for days). What I'm saying is that there weren't very many "skills" she literally taught me. Like, she cooked... and I'd watch. I don't recall much of her allowing me to do something entirely on my own with her over my shoulder giving me step-by-step instructions. But, I remember when I moved out having to call her for step-by-step instructions on things like how to make spaghetti or how to do my laundry. Now, as a kid I had chores and there were certain things that I'd figured out. But I learned to sew from a fashion design course I took in high school. My mother can sew beautifully, but, I didn't connect with her on it until after I had already learned from school. And I have family members that can make jewelry or quilt or paint a car or sew anything that you'd ever dream of or cook like they were born with garlic in one hand and perfect temperature in the other hand. Ohhhh, how I wish Aunt Elsie would have taught me to quilt or widdle wood (she's made so many amazing pieces of furniture, tables, chairs, etc.).
I didn't know how to fill out a time sheet for field service. Mom would dictate certain things and then leave it at that. Not that she didn't teach me things, I learned a lot. But, as far as "life skills" go... I really wish I would have learned much more. I did chores perfectly b/c my parents ran a tight shift with that. My dad is really OCD, he had somewhat of an unstable childhood and had to have something in control. Plus he was in the Navy and trained to keep everything spotless, ironed and organized. If I went to bed without doing dishes I was awakened (no matter what the hour) by pan lids being banged together or my mom would spray me with a water bottle to waken me... (needless to say, I hate dishes, ugh!) I was also taught to mow the lawn pretty well, ya know with a pattern and all.
I just think that we, as parents, feel we teach our kids a lot (which we do) but there's still holes in our parenting that we tend to overlook. Sometimes it's hard to stand back and let them do their own thing. Like, I want teenagers that actually clean their room and do dishes well....Which means I'm going to have to give step-by-step instructions several times and walk with them as they sweep the floor - otherwise, they just do one line down the middle of the room. I have to take time out and teach and be okay with the outcome. I have a huge problem with refolding the towels or socks that my kids have folded.:-/
My daughter loves to read (many times I've awoken in the middle of the night to use the restroom and found her with a book STILL AWAKE, reading...) but, I don't want her to not be able to change a tire or iron her shirts... My son is very hands on, I don't want him to fail at helping to keep a clean home and helping his wife and family to do things like cooking or braiding his daughter's hair.
In reading this book, I've found that there were a few things that made sense that my husband and I didn't come into our own marriage with. Truthfully, we lacked a lot. I could do most things, but when kids came, we assumed these steriotypical "roles" that we talked so much about never assuming. It was 50-50, yeah right! I would like my children to be responsible and then have responsible marriages and raise their own children to have these life skills. I think it will help to lead to their happiness later, do ya know what I mean? There have been many times where my hubby (whom I love dearly) could have just helped a little bit or cooked when I was pregnant... not that he can't cook, it just wasn't enforced and he had no desire, so we had a lot of take out... And don't let me get sick! The entire house seems to fall apart.
I hope I'm explaining this well... I'm not trying to come across as berating anyone, I'm simply saying there are some things that we tend to take for granted and forget about. I love being reminded of things that I never thought much about before. And I love my life. I love being domestic... most of the time.
So, I found this book. As I began reading it, I felt as though we already do most of the suggestions... Ya know, we pretty much have the children do everything we do, along side us... for the most part. My daughter is an amazing cook (scrambled eggs, fried eggs, omelets, pancakes, brownies... that kind of thing) and my son, who has no fear, insists on using the saw or axe to chop wood. They clean, sometimes better than others. But, there's still something I'm not doing quite right. Like, I'm very anal when it comes to my house being clean. I know, it's all me... It's kinda an OCD thing. So, if they fuss or are bored, I give 'em a broom or a rag. It's not always a great job, but it keeps 'em busy and I figure, with practice, one day they'll be great.
Now, I know that most people don't enjoy being "responsible" but I do want my kids to see the need in it (I don't want my kids to be able to read every book in the library, but lack the skills to dry dishes well) so, I was hoping that the book would give me some good ideas (I'm always game for a good idea). But, what I've found is that there were some things that I never thought of. For instance, about my own life.... I don't think my mother intended on this, but she didn't really "teach" me life skills. Now let me explain before everyone assumes I'm saying she was a terrible parent (we could go on for days). What I'm saying is that there weren't very many "skills" she literally taught me. Like, she cooked... and I'd watch. I don't recall much of her allowing me to do something entirely on my own with her over my shoulder giving me step-by-step instructions. But, I remember when I moved out having to call her for step-by-step instructions on things like how to make spaghetti or how to do my laundry. Now, as a kid I had chores and there were certain things that I'd figured out. But I learned to sew from a fashion design course I took in high school. My mother can sew beautifully, but, I didn't connect with her on it until after I had already learned from school. And I have family members that can make jewelry or quilt or paint a car or sew anything that you'd ever dream of or cook like they were born with garlic in one hand and perfect temperature in the other hand. Ohhhh, how I wish Aunt Elsie would have taught me to quilt or widdle wood (she's made so many amazing pieces of furniture, tables, chairs, etc.).
I didn't know how to fill out a time sheet for field service. Mom would dictate certain things and then leave it at that. Not that she didn't teach me things, I learned a lot. But, as far as "life skills" go... I really wish I would have learned much more. I did chores perfectly b/c my parents ran a tight shift with that. My dad is really OCD, he had somewhat of an unstable childhood and had to have something in control. Plus he was in the Navy and trained to keep everything spotless, ironed and organized. If I went to bed without doing dishes I was awakened (no matter what the hour) by pan lids being banged together or my mom would spray me with a water bottle to waken me... (needless to say, I hate dishes, ugh!) I was also taught to mow the lawn pretty well, ya know with a pattern and all.
I just think that we, as parents, feel we teach our kids a lot (which we do) but there's still holes in our parenting that we tend to overlook. Sometimes it's hard to stand back and let them do their own thing. Like, I want teenagers that actually clean their room and do dishes well....Which means I'm going to have to give step-by-step instructions several times and walk with them as they sweep the floor - otherwise, they just do one line down the middle of the room. I have to take time out and teach and be okay with the outcome. I have a huge problem with refolding the towels or socks that my kids have folded.:-/
My daughter loves to read (many times I've awoken in the middle of the night to use the restroom and found her with a book STILL AWAKE, reading...) but, I don't want her to not be able to change a tire or iron her shirts... My son is very hands on, I don't want him to fail at helping to keep a clean home and helping his wife and family to do things like cooking or braiding his daughter's hair.
In reading this book, I've found that there were a few things that made sense that my husband and I didn't come into our own marriage with. Truthfully, we lacked a lot. I could do most things, but when kids came, we assumed these steriotypical "roles" that we talked so much about never assuming. It was 50-50, yeah right! I would like my children to be responsible and then have responsible marriages and raise their own children to have these life skills. I think it will help to lead to their happiness later, do ya know what I mean? There have been many times where my hubby (whom I love dearly) could have just helped a little bit or cooked when I was pregnant... not that he can't cook, it just wasn't enforced and he had no desire, so we had a lot of take out... And don't let me get sick! The entire house seems to fall apart.
I hope I'm explaining this well... I'm not trying to come across as berating anyone, I'm simply saying there are some things that we tend to take for granted and forget about. I love being reminded of things that I never thought much about before. And I love my life. I love being domestic... most of the time.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Columbus Zoo. Who hasn't?
Dad invited us, so graciously, to the zoo over the summer(2008). He is a cancer survivor and every year they have some sort of special event. It was really nice! We raced around trying to see everything. It was us 4, Dad, Missy and the kids. It was a really nice time...
Where's Dad's Phone????
I (Heather) was just talking to dad on the phone. He started freakin' out. He said he couldn't find his cell phone. Now, if you know my father... he's a very interesting chap! It doesn't take much to fascinate him and he hasn't always been up to date on electronic gadgets. Needless to say this was one of his first cell phones...
He checked his pocket, not there. He checked the table, not there. It took him all of 45 seconds to realize he WAS TAKLING TO ME ON IT!!! I just had to share it.
Early sign of alzheimer's/ old timers?
He checked his pocket, not there. He checked the table, not there. It took him all of 45 seconds to realize he WAS TAKLING TO ME ON IT!!! I just had to share it.
Early sign of alzheimer's/ old timers?
"Natural Stimulation"
This was a picture that I took of RéAnna on the day she turned 1 year old. I entered it into a contest and won. My photograph was published in a book of many photos. I really didn't expect anything to come of it. I just thought she was cute...
Talon's First Day of School! Sept. 12, 2008
Well, I thought it'd never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever...(you get the point) happen. But, it did. September 12th, 2008. Talon had his first day of kindergarten! His teacher's name is Mrs. Bohn (pronounced 'bone', which Talon loves. He said it's like Dinosaurs.) and she's really nice and Talon really likes her. She has an assistant teacher working with her, Ms. Turner. And boy does she need it. She handles 25! kids in her class. So, hopefully all will go well. Talon has his first field trip to a pumpkin farm October 3rd. We'll post some pics for that whence it happens.
Dogs!
This was another "older post" on my family site...
But, THEY'RE JUST SO SWEET!!!....
You know there was a time where I just wanted a moment to myself while I used the restroom, ya know, with having a husband and 2 kids. Now, I would love to be able to walk into a room without having my crotch sniffed! Let me start from the beginning. My kids (and husband) had been talking about wanted to get a pet for awhile. I said that if we removed the carpeting and finished the hardwood underneath and got a couple of air purifiers I would consider. Well, we did... so, I thought we'd just get a cat. I like cats, you know. They come over to snuggle and then, when they're done with you, they go away and sleep all day. All you have to worry about is the litter (so, my naive mind thought) and I clean that thing 2x a day. Well, my friend had called me one day and said that the stray cat her mother had been feeding had just been hit by a car. Which wouldn't faze me so much, but she had just had a litter of kittens about 4 weeks before this happened and was keeping them under their hot tub. So, immediately I began thinking. I could come and see them and surprise the kids with a new baby kitten. I was doing the humane thing. I'm RESCUING! Not so bad, right? WRONG! The first day I brought her home, everyone loved her and wanted to hold her, she was adorable. But, I figured since she was a stray I needed to bathe her. So, I got on the internet (keep in mind, I've always HAD pets, but my parents did the 'caring' for them, and she was only 4 weeks so I was getting advice on how to bottle feed her and such) and there was a 'care for your kitten' site. It said that a kitten should be blow dried so that they don't get chilled and get sick. So, upstairs we went to wash the cute little furball. As I did the blow drying thing, I could tell she wasn't enjoying herself. However, no harm was being done... until she pierced my thumb with her cute little baby tooth! Okay. I can take a hint. However, ever since that, she has been like the cat from HELL! You know the expression "meaner than cat dirt". I'm thinking that's somehow connected to Lucy. Which, by the way, we named her after "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", now we call her Luci-fur! So, still just a kitten, we figured in order for her to release some of her aggression we'd get her a buddy. That's how we ended up with Sophie (which is my absolute favorite pet). Well, the first 3 days Sophie (which was an abandoned kitten I found on Craig's List) was with us, I really thought Lucy was going to hack her up and gobble her down. But, after the 3rd day they have been best buds. It was exactly was Lucy needed. Now she's still a witch to us, but her and Sophie are cool. I don't know why, but I still like that little heifer! That was in March-May of 2008. Well, it didn't take very long for the kids to figure out that cats "don't do anything" and I really didn't want a dog. Not just yet. Dogs require so much effort and I just got Talon and Ré BOTH in school. However, I was on Craig's List (D@%* you Craig's List!) and I happened upon these puppies and just mentioned to my husband that if I was to ever get a dog these would be the kind I would get. They were amazingly beautiful. Their mother was full-blooded Treeing Walker Coonhound and I guess their "dad" was a neighbor's (wink wink) Black Lab. There were puppies she had birthed. I was scared that if I didn't at least go and look at these that I may "pass up the only dog that's out there for me". (Stupid girl) So, we went to see them, long story short: adorable, piled high pot bellied puppies came to greet us, picked a beautiful gray one, owner (sad they may not all find a home) handed André a second one and said, "Buy one, get one free"! We were sooooo stupid. They were soooo cute! Who could say no to them? Well, if there was ever a moment I'd like to go back to... So, within a matter of 6 months we went from 12 years of having NO animals to having 4 animals, a chewed/tore-up couch, chewed up leather chair, an enormously large dog kinnel that has nowhere else to go except for my dining room, about 20 squeek toys and 30-40 dollars a month in pet food.
Tell me again, why....
Tell me again, why....OOOHHHH, that's why...
My Heart Was Crushed!
I was just on one of my best childhood friends websites, you know just seeing what was new in her life, (and I probably shouldn't be doing this... I know it's gonna get me in trouble... letigo!) but I read a blog that she posted and I was so heartbroken by it.
So, you know I'm a J.W. and she was raised by Witness parents... As she got older she decided that it wasn't for her. Which is completely fine, people choose their own paths.
Okay. Here's a copy of her blog:
Knock, knock (Who’s there?)
Jehovah.
I just had a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses at my door. Some of you may know that I was raised by parents under the influence of that religion. It was kinda weird to be on the other side of the door. I let them ramble on for a few minutes; they seemed nice enough, but cut her off with "I'm not really interested" when she offered to leave an Awake magazine and come back later to talk about it. Should I have told her about my upbringing and how I never believed any of the stuff that church tried to brainwash me with? Probably not. It wouldn't have made any difference with her. Or maybe they would have put me on their "do not call" list. They actually have one of those. Eh. I'm glad that I'm a grown-up now and I don't have to let an organization make my life decisions for me.
~ Then here were some of the comments:
*Heh. That happened to me once. I didn't answer the door. :) Posted by lydia on Saturday, August 30, 2008 - 3:08 PM
* I was tricked, because I was expecting someone else. So when my buzzer sounded, I thought it was my friend. Oh boy, was I wrong... Posted by Naomi on Sunday, August 31, 2008 - 12:12 AM *i just tell them i'm an atheist. if that doesnt work i invite them in for pasta...in my shower. that usually does the trick. Posted by Lettus on Saturday, September 06, 2008 - 3:48 AM
Okay, now, I'm trying not to take things personally and when I see us being made fun of by comedians or on TV, I actually find it somewhat humerous... You know, at least we're known for going door to door. Jesus did the same thing and was chastised. So, I'm cool with it, too. But, this was my dearest childhood friend. Now, I could go on an endless ride that would list the many things she's done in her life that I've worried about. Some were down right dangerous. But, she's my friend and I'm NO ONE to judge, I've got my own list, ya know.
But, I feel so slandered by her. It's one thing to say, I'm moving on. It's another to talk about "brainwashing" and what not... And that's still her family! Who have done more than most families would do for someone.
So, of course, I had to leave a message... and I probably should have let it go. It's not my site. She can say whatever she wants. You know, if she was talking about me... I'm not so sure I'd care as much. Well, anyway... this is a copy of the comment that I posted:
Do you really feel you were brainwashed by "that religion" that you couldn't make decisions on your own or that maybe you just had strict parents? Whether you were raised Catholic, Buddist or with no "religion at all" you'd still have something to complain about b/c you hated how your parents "controlled" you. Your dad would always be just that, your dad. It wasn't the "religion" that caused him to be a jerk to you (as you've mentioned to me more than once, twice or thrice). He was just a jerk! You know the funny thing is that we've never hurt anyone and the society really tries to teach us how to be peaceful people. If you have a bad apple, does that mean the whole tree's rotten?
Sometimes when we "grow up" it's nice to let things go. And if you were an athiest, I'd still love you and I would never judge you for your decisions the way I get judged for mine... Truly "happy" people always seem to find time to bother themselves with the lives of others and chastise them for their decisions, even tho they wouldn't want the same in return. Did you ever think that these "Jehovah's Witnesses" may have liked to make other plans for their Saturday afternoon/morning? Maybe spend time with their family or take their kids to the park or "wait on someone else" to come over and visit them? Maybe they'd just like to sleep in one day, but they didn't. Instead they VOLUNTEERED (that means "not getting paid for" what is being done! The only motivation is compassion for others...) their time and resources just to offer an encouraging word to someone (obviously it wasn't you) who may have been really needing it...
You know, I'm sure that my grandmother will never accept "those beliefs" as her own, but she absolutely enjoys it when they come to "visit her" b/c for that day, that may be all the company she gets. She has family members that literally live within walking distance that don't even CALL her, but she knows that when they (JW's) say they'll come, there they are. They don't ask for ANYTHING in return from her, no money, no commitment, half the time she doesn't even take the literature. But, as long as she's still willing to open her door and would like to talk, they'll keep coming back... I'm sorry I've rambled on. You know I love you, Naomi. I'm just a little hurt. And I've had a little too much coffee! But, I feel the need to defend this issue... I know this is just your thoughts. And maybe you never thought I'd see it, or maybe you knew I would and didn't care. That is still your family. I am sooooo glad that you've found the love of your life and true happiness. Why do you still bash us? And didn't you just go to the Kingdom Hall with your family recently? Why? You've never been one to do something you didn't want to. You know, when your parents get Maddie, they always bring her to the hall and she's so popular with all of the kids that she's always being invited to someone's house. Do you think we "brainwash" her? She had a blast at the tea party. She comes to my home and she's "another one of MY kids". I just don't understand... I'm sorry. I truly am. Please forgive me for spewing my guts out on your site. I do love you... Posted by Lady of Ire! on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 2:22 PM
So, you know I'm a J.W. and she was raised by Witness parents... As she got older she decided that it wasn't for her. Which is completely fine, people choose their own paths.
Okay. Here's a copy of her blog:
Knock, knock (Who’s there?)
Jehovah.
I just had a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses at my door. Some of you may know that I was raised by parents under the influence of that religion. It was kinda weird to be on the other side of the door. I let them ramble on for a few minutes; they seemed nice enough, but cut her off with "I'm not really interested" when she offered to leave an Awake magazine and come back later to talk about it. Should I have told her about my upbringing and how I never believed any of the stuff that church tried to brainwash me with? Probably not. It wouldn't have made any difference with her. Or maybe they would have put me on their "do not call" list. They actually have one of those. Eh. I'm glad that I'm a grown-up now and I don't have to let an organization make my life decisions for me.
~ Then here were some of the comments:
*Heh. That happened to me once. I didn't answer the door. :) Posted by lydia on Saturday, August 30, 2008 - 3:08 PM
* I was tricked, because I was expecting someone else. So when my buzzer sounded, I thought it was my friend. Oh boy, was I wrong... Posted by Naomi on Sunday, August 31, 2008 - 12:12 AM *i just tell them i'm an atheist. if that doesnt work i invite them in for pasta...in my shower. that usually does the trick. Posted by Lettus on Saturday, September 06, 2008 - 3:48 AM
Okay, now, I'm trying not to take things personally and when I see us being made fun of by comedians or on TV, I actually find it somewhat humerous... You know, at least we're known for going door to door. Jesus did the same thing and was chastised. So, I'm cool with it, too. But, this was my dearest childhood friend. Now, I could go on an endless ride that would list the many things she's done in her life that I've worried about. Some were down right dangerous. But, she's my friend and I'm NO ONE to judge, I've got my own list, ya know.
But, I feel so slandered by her. It's one thing to say, I'm moving on. It's another to talk about "brainwashing" and what not... And that's still her family! Who have done more than most families would do for someone.
So, of course, I had to leave a message... and I probably should have let it go. It's not my site. She can say whatever she wants. You know, if she was talking about me... I'm not so sure I'd care as much. Well, anyway... this is a copy of the comment that I posted:
Do you really feel you were brainwashed by "that religion" that you couldn't make decisions on your own or that maybe you just had strict parents? Whether you were raised Catholic, Buddist or with no "religion at all" you'd still have something to complain about b/c you hated how your parents "controlled" you. Your dad would always be just that, your dad. It wasn't the "religion" that caused him to be a jerk to you (as you've mentioned to me more than once, twice or thrice). He was just a jerk! You know the funny thing is that we've never hurt anyone and the society really tries to teach us how to be peaceful people. If you have a bad apple, does that mean the whole tree's rotten?
Sometimes when we "grow up" it's nice to let things go. And if you were an athiest, I'd still love you and I would never judge you for your decisions the way I get judged for mine... Truly "happy" people always seem to find time to bother themselves with the lives of others and chastise them for their decisions, even tho they wouldn't want the same in return. Did you ever think that these "Jehovah's Witnesses" may have liked to make other plans for their Saturday afternoon/morning? Maybe spend time with their family or take their kids to the park or "wait on someone else" to come over and visit them? Maybe they'd just like to sleep in one day, but they didn't. Instead they VOLUNTEERED (that means "not getting paid for" what is being done! The only motivation is compassion for others...) their time and resources just to offer an encouraging word to someone (obviously it wasn't you) who may have been really needing it...
You know, I'm sure that my grandmother will never accept "those beliefs" as her own, but she absolutely enjoys it when they come to "visit her" b/c for that day, that may be all the company she gets. She has family members that literally live within walking distance that don't even CALL her, but she knows that when they (JW's) say they'll come, there they are. They don't ask for ANYTHING in return from her, no money, no commitment, half the time she doesn't even take the literature. But, as long as she's still willing to open her door and would like to talk, they'll keep coming back... I'm sorry I've rambled on. You know I love you, Naomi. I'm just a little hurt. And I've had a little too much coffee! But, I feel the need to defend this issue... I know this is just your thoughts. And maybe you never thought I'd see it, or maybe you knew I would and didn't care. That is still your family. I am sooooo glad that you've found the love of your life and true happiness. Why do you still bash us? And didn't you just go to the Kingdom Hall with your family recently? Why? You've never been one to do something you didn't want to. You know, when your parents get Maddie, they always bring her to the hall and she's so popular with all of the kids that she's always being invited to someone's house. Do you think we "brainwash" her? She had a blast at the tea party. She comes to my home and she's "another one of MY kids". I just don't understand... I'm sorry. I truly am. Please forgive me for spewing my guts out on your site. I do love you... Posted by Lady of Ire! on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 2:22 PM
Jokes? Got any?
Much of our time is "go go go", so one of our favorite things to do is sypher through wholesome riddles and jokes and see if the kids know. It's really great when we're dining out or in the car or whatever. The kids love it, but I must admit, I think it's histerical! I have a few, does anyone have any more?
RIDDLES
1. What occurs once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in an hour?
2. What can you catch but not throw?
3. What gets wetter the more it dries?
4. Forward I am heavy, backward I am not. What am I?
5. The man who bought it doesn’t need it. The man who needs it doesn’t know it. What is it?
6. What goes around the world but stays in the corner?
7. Light as a feather there is nothing in it. The strongest man can’t hold it much more than a minute. What is it?
8. What object has keys that open no locks, space but not room, and you can enter but not go in?
9. The more you take, the more you leave behind. What are they?
10. No sooner spoken than it’s broken. What is it?
11. There is a thing that nothing is, and yet it has a name. It’s sometimes tall and sometimes short. It joins our talks and joins our sports, and plays our every game. What is it?
12. Pronounced as one letter and written as three. Two letter there are and two only in me. I’m double, I’m single, I’m blue, green, and gray. I’m read from both ends and the same either way. What am I?
13. We are little creatures; all of us have different features. One of us is set in glass, one of us you’ll find in jet. Another you may see in tin, and the fourth boxed within. If the fifth you should pursue, it can never fly away from you. What are we?
Did you get any? Well, here are the answers:
1. The letter M
2. A cold
3. A towel
4. A ton
5. A coffin
6. A stamp
7. A breath
8. A keyboard
9. Footsteps
10. Silence
11. Shadows
12. Eye
13. The vowels A, E, I, O. and U"
Here's another one:
Q: If a plane crashed on the border of England and Scotland, where would they bury the survivors?
A: you don't bury survivors
Q: Twelve pears hanging high, twelve men passing by, each took a pear and left eleven hanging there. How can this be? How can eleven pears be left?
A: 'Each' is a mans name!
Q: If there's a frog, dead in the centre of a lilypad which is right in the middle of the pond, which side would it jump to?
A: neither, the frog is dead!
Q: You're a bus driver. At the first stop 4 people get on. At the second stop 8 people on, at the third stop 2 people get off and, at the forth stop everyone got off. The question is what color are the bus drivers eyes?
A: The same as yours, you're the bus driver.
Q: David's father has three sons : Snap, Crackle and _____ ?
A: David
Q: What has a mouth but doesn't eat, a bank with no money, a bed but doesn't sleep, and waves but has no hands?
A: a river.
Q: If the red house is on the right side and if the blue house is on the left side where's the white house?
A: Washington DC
Q: A cowboy rode to an inn on Friday. He stayed two nights and left on Friday. How could that be?
A: His horse was called Friday.
RIDDLES
1. What occurs once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in an hour?
2. What can you catch but not throw?
3. What gets wetter the more it dries?
4. Forward I am heavy, backward I am not. What am I?
5. The man who bought it doesn’t need it. The man who needs it doesn’t know it. What is it?
6. What goes around the world but stays in the corner?
7. Light as a feather there is nothing in it. The strongest man can’t hold it much more than a minute. What is it?
8. What object has keys that open no locks, space but not room, and you can enter but not go in?
9. The more you take, the more you leave behind. What are they?
10. No sooner spoken than it’s broken. What is it?
11. There is a thing that nothing is, and yet it has a name. It’s sometimes tall and sometimes short. It joins our talks and joins our sports, and plays our every game. What is it?
12. Pronounced as one letter and written as three. Two letter there are and two only in me. I’m double, I’m single, I’m blue, green, and gray. I’m read from both ends and the same either way. What am I?
13. We are little creatures; all of us have different features. One of us is set in glass, one of us you’ll find in jet. Another you may see in tin, and the fourth boxed within. If the fifth you should pursue, it can never fly away from you. What are we?
Did you get any? Well, here are the answers:
1. The letter M
2. A cold
3. A towel
4. A ton
5. A coffin
6. A stamp
7. A breath
8. A keyboard
9. Footsteps
10. Silence
11. Shadows
12. Eye
13. The vowels A, E, I, O. and U"
Here's another one:
Q: If a plane crashed on the border of England and Scotland, where would they bury the survivors?
A: you don't bury survivors
Q: Twelve pears hanging high, twelve men passing by, each took a pear and left eleven hanging there. How can this be? How can eleven pears be left?
A: 'Each' is a mans name!
Q: If there's a frog, dead in the centre of a lilypad which is right in the middle of the pond, which side would it jump to?
A: neither, the frog is dead!
Q: You're a bus driver. At the first stop 4 people get on. At the second stop 8 people on, at the third stop 2 people get off and, at the forth stop everyone got off. The question is what color are the bus drivers eyes?
A: The same as yours, you're the bus driver.
Q: David's father has three sons : Snap, Crackle and _____ ?
A: David
Q: What has a mouth but doesn't eat, a bank with no money, a bed but doesn't sleep, and waves but has no hands?
A: a river.
Q: If the red house is on the right side and if the blue house is on the left side where's the white house?
A: Washington DC
Q: A cowboy rode to an inn on Friday. He stayed two nights and left on Friday. How could that be?
A: His horse was called Friday.
Wise ol' Heather. Age 30...
Well, I've had many firsts over the last couple of years... Mostly thanks to my children. Well, 2 years ago was a new first. ReAnna's 2nd grade teacher was 3 years my junior! Never had that happen before. I began with a very skeptical attitude, but it turned out to be a very pleasant year. She was just amazing, not only with my baby, but great with all of the others, too. I truly have a place in my heart for this particular teach b/c she really helped to set the foundation for the attitudes of the children towards ReAnna's religious beliefs.
Well, she has recently (last few months) had a baby girl of her own. Going along with all of the stresses and worries, I gave her a bit of unsolicited advice.
Here goes:
Teacher wrote: February 27 at 6:40pm "Thanks for the websites...I will check them out out... and I know what you mean about feeling like I am doing everything wrong. Does the worrying ever go away?
I hope I get to have Talon in class.
Sounds like you are busy with puppies! Mine our driving me crazy..I feel like I have 3 children!
I need to post pics of (baby)...although recently an administrator told me that teachers should not have facebook pages. OOPS! I love this, it has helped me reconnect with people I have not heard from in years.
Sounds like (baby) needs me! More later! So good to hear from you! Molly:)"
Then, I wrote:
"Well... the bad news is: the worrying never ends. The good news is: the worrying never ends. It's just like the stages of your child's life. You trade one stage in for the next. Ya know, like... crying for sassing. As they grow, they prove that they're not as fragile as we think. I remember when I had Ré. I went over to a friend's house that was selling a product and I was supportin' the cause, blah blah blah. Well, she had a lady that was attending also. She was a very kind lady, and it shocked me to death to find out that she had birthed 8 BABIES! She looked GOOD! Well, so I figured she knew what she was doing when she asked to hold my precious gem... She threw her around like a rag doll. Ohhhh. It was so hard to bite my tongue, thinking every swing on this lady's hip would be Ré's last bit of survival. But, ya know... Ré (who didn't go to many others at first) was so unbelievably comfortable with this woman. Now, she was only about 2 months old. Ya know, the times before there's much neck strength. But, she was just fine. Our kids tend to show us that they'll be fine.. We just choose not to see it right away. There's also a whole lotta hormonal crap that goes on initially. I had post partum with both of mine. Once I found out that many women dealt with it, I was able to think rationally about it. I noticed this overwhelming feeling of "aloneness" (even if my husband was sitting right next to me!) towards the evening hours. So, I would make sure that I was home and comfortable around that time. I tried to talk to hubby about it, but I truly think they go through some stuff, too. He used to cry b/c everytime he'd want to hold the kids (when they were new) they'd cry. They only wanted me and he felt he 'failed as a father'.... Ya know.. when you're pregnant there are so many things people tell you..."Get plenty of sleep now, you won't have any when the baby comes" (yeah right. were they ever pregnant. I didn't sleep for about 7 months b4 Talon came along. And the lack of sleep didn't bother me as much as the "crying and I'm not sure why" sinarios.) or blah blah blah "poopy diapers"... There are 3 main things noone tells you: 1. They've been in you for 10 months. They only know and want YOU! Your smell, feel, sound. UGH! Don't feel bad dads, it does go away. It has nothing to do with their lack of skills! 2. It doesn't last forever. Sometimes you feel that this is what you'll deal with the rest of your life. Nope. They grow. You never hear anyone say that. "Guess what. Your daughter is going to be a fourth grader!" and 3. You'll be an amazing mother. Noone says that. They tell you all of the things that they did wrong or express their unsolicited opinions of "not to have any". Never, "Man. I couldn't have picked a better mother for a child." If you heard that stuff, koodos to your supporters. So, I always try to remember that kinda stuff when I get my chance to talk to the mommies. Motherhood is THE MOST EMPOWERING THING YOU WILL EVER DO WITH YOUR LIFE! That lack of confidence you feel... that's the sign letting you know, you are doing everything just right! It's one of those hine sight things. You won't see it just yet. But, like I said b4... we try hard not to scar them for life or screw them up, we end up doing more harm than good, yet, they turn out absolutely fine! We care. We try. We love them to no end! They drive us nuts. We want to throw them out of the window or drop them off at the local shelter. But, they turn out fine! ... and the best part! They LOVE us! (Until 13 when they think we are no longer the smartest people on the planet! LOL. You wait. It won't be long b4 Averi looks up at ya and says, "Mom. You're so smart." When she does, record it... for proof! :-) Anyhoo, did I ever mention that I tend to talk a lot?... I'm sure you never noticed when you had Ré...;-) I truly hope you get Talon. I just hope his desire to learn isn't entirely demolished by then! I just never remember being in K and telling my parents that I didn't want to go to school... oh, well.
Well, I'll let you go. Take care of yourself, first! It's not selfish. It's the most loving thing you can do for her. I didn't realize that until I was ready to leave!!! Not that I EVER would have.
Oh, yeah. Also, hold her as much as possible. That whole cry it out crap and holding a baby spoils her is a bunch of B.S. They become much more comfortable with you and then before you know it, they can sleep anywhere. They develop that comfort and confidence that you'll give 'em what they need right away. Again, unsolicited advice. Never listen to other people... including me! ;-) It's called "instinctive parenting". It's the best kind. Most tried and true. Ask you grandmother!"
"P.S. Oh. And the facebook thing... It's not wrong for a teacher to have one. Just don't post any NUDES and show them to the students! LOL What morons!"
So, yes, I know... a very long-winded use of a platform that I have only stood on for a few short years. But, I do have to admit, it can be very invigorating to share just a little something you've learned with another woman. What do you think?
Well, she has recently (last few months) had a baby girl of her own. Going along with all of the stresses and worries, I gave her a bit of unsolicited advice.
Here goes:
Teacher wrote: February 27 at 6:40pm "Thanks for the websites...I will check them out out... and I know what you mean about feeling like I am doing everything wrong. Does the worrying ever go away?
I hope I get to have Talon in class.
Sounds like you are busy with puppies! Mine our driving me crazy..I feel like I have 3 children!
I need to post pics of (baby)...although recently an administrator told me that teachers should not have facebook pages. OOPS! I love this, it has helped me reconnect with people I have not heard from in years.
Sounds like (baby) needs me! More later! So good to hear from you! Molly:)"
Then, I wrote:
"Well... the bad news is: the worrying never ends. The good news is: the worrying never ends. It's just like the stages of your child's life. You trade one stage in for the next. Ya know, like... crying for sassing. As they grow, they prove that they're not as fragile as we think. I remember when I had Ré. I went over to a friend's house that was selling a product and I was supportin' the cause, blah blah blah. Well, she had a lady that was attending also. She was a very kind lady, and it shocked me to death to find out that she had birthed 8 BABIES! She looked GOOD! Well, so I figured she knew what she was doing when she asked to hold my precious gem... She threw her around like a rag doll. Ohhhh. It was so hard to bite my tongue, thinking every swing on this lady's hip would be Ré's last bit of survival. But, ya know... Ré (who didn't go to many others at first) was so unbelievably comfortable with this woman. Now, she was only about 2 months old. Ya know, the times before there's much neck strength. But, she was just fine. Our kids tend to show us that they'll be fine.. We just choose not to see it right away. There's also a whole lotta hormonal crap that goes on initially. I had post partum with both of mine. Once I found out that many women dealt with it, I was able to think rationally about it. I noticed this overwhelming feeling of "aloneness" (even if my husband was sitting right next to me!) towards the evening hours. So, I would make sure that I was home and comfortable around that time. I tried to talk to hubby about it, but I truly think they go through some stuff, too. He used to cry b/c everytime he'd want to hold the kids (when they were new) they'd cry. They only wanted me and he felt he 'failed as a father'.... Ya know.. when you're pregnant there are so many things people tell you..."Get plenty of sleep now, you won't have any when the baby comes" (yeah right. were they ever pregnant. I didn't sleep for about 7 months b4 Talon came along. And the lack of sleep didn't bother me as much as the "crying and I'm not sure why" sinarios.) or blah blah blah "poopy diapers"... There are 3 main things noone tells you: 1. They've been in you for 10 months. They only know and want YOU! Your smell, feel, sound. UGH! Don't feel bad dads, it does go away. It has nothing to do with their lack of skills! 2. It doesn't last forever. Sometimes you feel that this is what you'll deal with the rest of your life. Nope. They grow. You never hear anyone say that. "Guess what. Your daughter is going to be a fourth grader!" and 3. You'll be an amazing mother. Noone says that. They tell you all of the things that they did wrong or express their unsolicited opinions of "not to have any". Never, "Man. I couldn't have picked a better mother for a child." If you heard that stuff, koodos to your supporters. So, I always try to remember that kinda stuff when I get my chance to talk to the mommies. Motherhood is THE MOST EMPOWERING THING YOU WILL EVER DO WITH YOUR LIFE! That lack of confidence you feel... that's the sign letting you know, you are doing everything just right! It's one of those hine sight things. You won't see it just yet. But, like I said b4... we try hard not to scar them for life or screw them up, we end up doing more harm than good, yet, they turn out absolutely fine! We care. We try. We love them to no end! They drive us nuts. We want to throw them out of the window or drop them off at the local shelter. But, they turn out fine! ... and the best part! They LOVE us! (Until 13 when they think we are no longer the smartest people on the planet! LOL. You wait. It won't be long b4 Averi looks up at ya and says, "Mom. You're so smart." When she does, record it... for proof! :-) Anyhoo, did I ever mention that I tend to talk a lot?... I'm sure you never noticed when you had Ré...;-) I truly hope you get Talon. I just hope his desire to learn isn't entirely demolished by then! I just never remember being in K and telling my parents that I didn't want to go to school... oh, well.
Well, I'll let you go. Take care of yourself, first! It's not selfish. It's the most loving thing you can do for her. I didn't realize that until I was ready to leave!!! Not that I EVER would have.
Oh, yeah. Also, hold her as much as possible. That whole cry it out crap and holding a baby spoils her is a bunch of B.S. They become much more comfortable with you and then before you know it, they can sleep anywhere. They develop that comfort and confidence that you'll give 'em what they need right away. Again, unsolicited advice. Never listen to other people... including me! ;-) It's called "instinctive parenting". It's the best kind. Most tried and true. Ask you grandmother!"
"P.S. Oh. And the facebook thing... It's not wrong for a teacher to have one. Just don't post any NUDES and show them to the students! LOL What morons!"
So, yes, I know... a very long-winded use of a platform that I have only stood on for a few short years. But, I do have to admit, it can be very invigorating to share just a little something you've learned with another woman. What do you think?
Out of the mouth of babes!
I've got a feeling I'm going to write a lot of blogs similar to this one... Oh, where do I begin?... So, you know my kids... they're very interesting and funny and 100% honest (well, except for Talon... he's realized sometimes when he tells the truth, it gets him into trouble... Ré on the other hand constantly tells the truth, even when it's to her deficit:-/ ).
Well, anyhoo... I'm getting the kids up and ready for school this morning. The kids are sitting on my bed talking, when Talon says, "Mommy, what's 'classic' mean?" So, I proceed to explain that it involves things that are old, but good; tried and true. Something that was invented, sung, driven, written, or made a long time ago and has proven it's test of time. It was such a great thing way back when that it's lasted or stuck with us up to now. I thought it was a pretty good question and I was really impressed with my answer, b/c Talon seems to ask these intriguing questions that I never really thought about. RéAnna always asked questions about life and reality, sometimes it was difficult to explain, but for the most part I simply overwhelmed her with the knowledge I carried.
Talon on the other hand asks things like, 'how does the picture come on the tv?' or 'why did dinosaurs eat meat when Jehovah made them to be nice?'. You know, stuff that I really don't know quite how to explain to a 5 year old boy that seems to maybe not be listening to me anyway, I just take for granted that someone else figured it out.
Well, after about 10-15 minutes of me fixing my hair, I hear Talon holler from the bedroom, "Mom! You're Classic!" .....hhhmmmmmm???? Then, I hear RéAnna yell back, "Talon. You just called Mommy old! I mean she is up there and she knows quite a bit..."
Thanks Guys! Now there was something else that happened this morning... Something Ré did that was funny... I just can't remember what it was... GGGRRRRR!!! Maybe I am getting old... UGH!
Circle S Pumpkin Farm Field Trip
This is Tyra!
Another mother volunteer walking with her girl.
My Guy, Taligator!
Going on the hay ride!
Back in the classroom.
Not in any kind of order...
This is a class picture with assistant teacher, Ms. Turner. She was excellent! We miss her very much.
Talon and Sarai, Amari's sister that's 'helping'.
On the bus!
Talon had 2 firsts today!
One was his first field trip.
The other was his first ride on a school bus!
He went to the Pumpkin Farm and rode a hay ride, got lost in a maze of haystacks, played in the barn full of hay and slides, sat on big fat pumpkins and picked his own pumpkin.... I'm pumpkined out!
Yes, I volunteered... yeah, speechless... I'll keep my comments to myself. This day was about Talon! Gosh, he had so much fun and it was a gorgeous day to do it!
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