Monday, April 27, 2009
Druebie Makeover
Not that she needed a makeover because she is uber adorable in the first place...but I was trying to think out loud of a title for this post and she suggested "Druebie Makeover".
I love my girls in curls...but this way could grow on me as well.
I love my girls in curls...but this way could grow on me as well.
Safe Haven
This was where I found the kids playing after I had shooed them out of every other room in the house I was trying to clean.
They were safe here for awhile...until I needed to vacuum the steps anyway!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
So Proud
David invited a co-worker from out of town to come have supper with us this evening and watch American Idol. (She is an avid fan of the show like me and he thought it would be more fun for her to watch with us rather than alone in her hotel room).
I raced home from work, threw the kids in the bath, put some squash and chicken on to boil, and tore through the downstairs with the vacuum like a mad woman. I combed through the girls hair, pulled off Tate's jammies he dressed himself in after his bath, and exchanged it for something a bit more appropriate for entertaining.
I was a frazzled mess by the time our guest arrived but greeted her at the door with a smile.
One would think we hide our kids in a closet and never let them encounter people from the outside world the way they descend upon each and every unsuspecting guest who enters our home.
They drag them up to their room, have an impromptu show and tell with all their toys, pull out all their books and plop themselves down on their laps for a story. Or they put on a talent show choosing to either showcase their singing ability or somersault ability...it's a toss up.
I was putting the finishing touches on the meal as everyone gathered in the living room. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Drue burst through the kitchen and head towards the guest bathroom. Ugh. It is next to impossible for my kids to exit a bathroom leaving it in the same condition as when they entered it. There is the forgotten flush, the crumpled towel on the floor, the smeared soap or toothpaste on the mirror and/or wall, the toilet paper pulled out to the end of the roll. So I made a mental note to dash in after she finished so I could fix the damage.
But she was out in a flash. Too fast to have wrecked anything. And definitely too fast to have done her deed. She tiptoed up to me and whispered proudly in my ear, "I held my toot all the way until I made it to the bathroom!".
Small victories are celebrated around these parts!
I raced home from work, threw the kids in the bath, put some squash and chicken on to boil, and tore through the downstairs with the vacuum like a mad woman. I combed through the girls hair, pulled off Tate's jammies he dressed himself in after his bath, and exchanged it for something a bit more appropriate for entertaining.
I was a frazzled mess by the time our guest arrived but greeted her at the door with a smile.
One would think we hide our kids in a closet and never let them encounter people from the outside world the way they descend upon each and every unsuspecting guest who enters our home.
They drag them up to their room, have an impromptu show and tell with all their toys, pull out all their books and plop themselves down on their laps for a story. Or they put on a talent show choosing to either showcase their singing ability or somersault ability...it's a toss up.
I was putting the finishing touches on the meal as everyone gathered in the living room. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Drue burst through the kitchen and head towards the guest bathroom. Ugh. It is next to impossible for my kids to exit a bathroom leaving it in the same condition as when they entered it. There is the forgotten flush, the crumpled towel on the floor, the smeared soap or toothpaste on the mirror and/or wall, the toilet paper pulled out to the end of the roll. So I made a mental note to dash in after she finished so I could fix the damage.
But she was out in a flash. Too fast to have wrecked anything. And definitely too fast to have done her deed. She tiptoed up to me and whispered proudly in my ear, "I held my toot all the way until I made it to the bathroom!".
Small victories are celebrated around these parts!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Love your neighbor as yourself?
I don't think Jesus ever had a neighbor who drained their entire above ground pool into his yard! And I'm sad to say I didn't act very neighborly this evening and am still shaking from my ordeal as I write this.
EVERY YEAR the neighbors behind us drain their pool into our yard! Last year David actually called the city who said that it wasn't a very nice thing to do but there was no ordinance or law against doing it. This peeved me. I get highly irritated by people who get away with doing wrong things.
The kids had been playing outside this evening and had been inside for about 30 minutes. I happened to look out our living room window and see a huge flood in the yard and under the swingset. What in the world?! 2 things tipped me off that this flood must have just occurred. (1) It had been a beautiful 60 degree day today. (2) Tate had come inside from playing and was dry. If there had been a flood of water in our yard he would have dove headfirst into it and been soaking wet.
So I asked David, "Where did all that water come from?".
He took one look out the window and said crossly, "The neighbors are draining their pool again."
I. Was. Livid. And that is an understatement.
My first thought was that I wanted to throw all our hard boiled Easter eggs into their yard and on top of their pool cover. David asked, "Is that what Jesus would do?".
But I was so upset and I didn't want them to think they were getting away with something. I hopped on top of the privacy fence to make sure that was, indeed, what was happening. There was the drain hose. Coming out of their pool and positioned just right so it would drain down their yard right into ours.
I hopped off the fence and dashed inside to get the camera. I was hoping they were watching me from their window and would get nervous when they saw the camera and be lured outside so I could yell at them.
When I scrambled to the top of the fence again, I started snapping away. But there was no memory card in my camera so no actual pictures were being taken. So I pretended to snap some more just for the illusion.
David came onto the deck at this point and said, "Hey, take some pictures of our yard also."
Oops. I dashed back inside and got the memory card and again hoisted myself to the top of the fence. I almost fell completely backward because there, standing by the pool, was the lady who lived there!
There was no way out now. And I wish I could remember what the first words out of my mouth were but I can't. Something to the effect of, "Why do you do that?".
She looked up from what she was doing and just stared at me. Silently. For about 5 seconds. So I went on. "You have flooded our yard!", I confronted her.
Again, she said nothing.
"Every year you do this. You drain your pool into our yard and now it is completely flooded."
She finally spoke.
"Ok," was all she said.
Which infuriated me even more.
"Why do you think that is ok?". I pleadingly asked.
"That's just where it goes," she said.
She was making this more and more difficult.
I gathered up the last of my courage and said, "That is so...NOT NICE!". Yes, those were my exact words...my big finish...I am sad to say.
She just looked at me and said, "I'll change it." Yet made no move to change the direction of the drain hose.
Well I was so embarrassed by my last pansy reprimand that I didn't say anything else, but I wanted to make a grand departure so I snapped a few more pictures of her pool and drain hose and our yard for effect. Then hopped back off the fence for the last time.
Did I mention I was barefoot and wearing pajama pants? Yeah, I looked really tough. And I am still pulling out the splinters.
David suggested we toss a dog poop into their pool once a week when they start using it as revenge. Yeah, I can see Jesus doing that dear.
EVERY YEAR the neighbors behind us drain their pool into our yard! Last year David actually called the city who said that it wasn't a very nice thing to do but there was no ordinance or law against doing it. This peeved me. I get highly irritated by people who get away with doing wrong things.
The kids had been playing outside this evening and had been inside for about 30 minutes. I happened to look out our living room window and see a huge flood in the yard and under the swingset. What in the world?! 2 things tipped me off that this flood must have just occurred. (1) It had been a beautiful 60 degree day today. (2) Tate had come inside from playing and was dry. If there had been a flood of water in our yard he would have dove headfirst into it and been soaking wet.
So I asked David, "Where did all that water come from?".
He took one look out the window and said crossly, "The neighbors are draining their pool again."
I. Was. Livid. And that is an understatement.
My first thought was that I wanted to throw all our hard boiled Easter eggs into their yard and on top of their pool cover. David asked, "Is that what Jesus would do?".
But I was so upset and I didn't want them to think they were getting away with something. I hopped on top of the privacy fence to make sure that was, indeed, what was happening. There was the drain hose. Coming out of their pool and positioned just right so it would drain down their yard right into ours.
I hopped off the fence and dashed inside to get the camera. I was hoping they were watching me from their window and would get nervous when they saw the camera and be lured outside so I could yell at them.
When I scrambled to the top of the fence again, I started snapping away. But there was no memory card in my camera so no actual pictures were being taken. So I pretended to snap some more just for the illusion.
David came onto the deck at this point and said, "Hey, take some pictures of our yard also."
Oops. I dashed back inside and got the memory card and again hoisted myself to the top of the fence. I almost fell completely backward because there, standing by the pool, was the lady who lived there!
There was no way out now. And I wish I could remember what the first words out of my mouth were but I can't. Something to the effect of, "Why do you do that?".
She looked up from what she was doing and just stared at me. Silently. For about 5 seconds. So I went on. "You have flooded our yard!", I confronted her.
Again, she said nothing.
"Every year you do this. You drain your pool into our yard and now it is completely flooded."
She finally spoke.
"Ok," was all she said.
Which infuriated me even more.
"Why do you think that is ok?". I pleadingly asked.
"That's just where it goes," she said.
She was making this more and more difficult.
I gathered up the last of my courage and said, "That is so...NOT NICE!". Yes, those were my exact words...my big finish...I am sad to say.
She just looked at me and said, "I'll change it." Yet made no move to change the direction of the drain hose.
Well I was so embarrassed by my last pansy reprimand that I didn't say anything else, but I wanted to make a grand departure so I snapped a few more pictures of her pool and drain hose and our yard for effect. Then hopped back off the fence for the last time.
Did I mention I was barefoot and wearing pajama pants? Yeah, I looked really tough. And I am still pulling out the splinters.
David suggested we toss a dog poop into their pool once a week when they start using it as revenge. Yeah, I can see Jesus doing that dear.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Sweetness at Storytime
Reese requested a made up story tonight at bedtime. Well, she requested it about 30 minutes past bedtime but I obliged. I made up a story a few years ago for the girls about a rainbow slide. They made me tell it to them over and over so it has stuck in my head ever since. But it has probably been a year since I told it to them. So they were all ears to hear a Mommy story from their toddler years.
About halfway through telling it, I realized that it really had been geared towards, well, toddlers! Basically the plot centered around a mother and her two girls who found a rainbow and climbed up one side then slid down the other. About 4 times in a row.
So at the end of the story tonight I said, "That was a story for you girls when you were very little. Let's add to it now that you are bigger."
They liked that idea. So we each took turns adding a little part. Reese brought up looking for the pot of gold in one of her parts. So when it got back around to me I purposefully left off right when they found the pot of gold to see what Reese would have them spend it on.
Here was how her next part went:
"But they didn't buy anything with the gold. They gave it all to the poor people. So they could be regular people. They got clean water and warm soup and didn't have to wear yucky clothes anymore."
About halfway through telling it, I realized that it really had been geared towards, well, toddlers! Basically the plot centered around a mother and her two girls who found a rainbow and climbed up one side then slid down the other. About 4 times in a row.
So at the end of the story tonight I said, "That was a story for you girls when you were very little. Let's add to it now that you are bigger."
They liked that idea. So we each took turns adding a little part. Reese brought up looking for the pot of gold in one of her parts. So when it got back around to me I purposefully left off right when they found the pot of gold to see what Reese would have them spend it on.
Here was how her next part went:
"But they didn't buy anything with the gold. They gave it all to the poor people. So they could be regular people. They got clean water and warm soup and didn't have to wear yucky clothes anymore."
Egg Dying
Yes, it looks like these pictures were taken in the dark of night. And, yes, it's because I am a procrastinating mother and we didn't dye them until 8:00pm the night before Easter.
Early Easter morning...right before David woke us up to see what the Easter Bunny brought. We put them down to sleep in their own beds and one by one throughout the night they make their way into ours. C-O-Z-I-N-E-S-S.
Early Easter morning...right before David woke us up to see what the Easter Bunny brought. We put them down to sleep in their own beds and one by one throughout the night they make their way into ours. C-O-Z-I-N-E-S-S.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
That Makes Two of Us
I got Reese up a few minutes early this morning because she had to get in the shower before school. She came downstairs with squinty eyes not ready to face the sun peeking in from behind the living room shades.
"I think I got up too soon," she sleepily announced whilst rubbing her squinty eyes with her hands.
She went on to explain, "My eyes feel like I need to sleep a little more...".
Welcome to Mommy's world little one. Except it's not just my eyes that feel that way, it's my legs, my back, my arms, and on down the list.
"I think I got up too soon," she sleepily announced whilst rubbing her squinty eyes with her hands.
She went on to explain, "My eyes feel like I need to sleep a little more...".
Welcome to Mommy's world little one. Except it's not just my eyes that feel that way, it's my legs, my back, my arms, and on down the list.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
The Karaoke Kid
**Still trying to figure out how to transfer a video from my phone to the computer so you will just have to settle for a word picture for now**
At Reese's school carnival (see post below) there was karaoke in the cafeteria as entertainment while everyone ate dinner.
I mentioned it excitedly to Reese hoping she might like to try it. She said yes so we headed over to look at the song list. There were a few Hannah Montana songs on there but none that she would remember all the words to and I knew she wasn't quite ready to follow along with all the words on the screen yet.
I wrote her name on the list and she backed out before we picked a song. I assured her I would be up there with her. "You'll sing with me?" she asked hopefully. "Ummmm...well....no....but I will be standing right by the stage," I offered. It's not that I didn't want to sing with her, I just hadn't seen any other parents up there...just kids. So I scratched her name out. No harm done. No pressure here. We headed over to eat.
But I could tell she was still thinking about it. "I would do it if someone did it with me," she said. I suggested Drue. They have done countless duets on our fireplace hearth. She came running back a minute later saying Drue didn't want to do it. After we sat down to eat, David suggested she go ask a little girl in her class. She was gone in a flash. The girl agreed to sing with her. Their song of choice...Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
They waited their turn then bee bopped up on stage and sang their hearts out. Reese had so much fun singing with a real microphone in front of a real audience.
Right before we left for the night I discovered that we still had a few tickets left. So I asked Reese if she wanted to try another song. She didn't even hesitate. "Yes! This time I want to do it by myself."
She did B-I-N-G-O this time and was so cute! The audience even got into it and clapped along with her during the part where you take some letters out of the word BINGO. I was so proud of her! She wasn't even timid about it once she got started. She sang loud and clear.
American Idol 2018 here we come.....
At Reese's school carnival (see post below) there was karaoke in the cafeteria as entertainment while everyone ate dinner.
I mentioned it excitedly to Reese hoping she might like to try it. She said yes so we headed over to look at the song list. There were a few Hannah Montana songs on there but none that she would remember all the words to and I knew she wasn't quite ready to follow along with all the words on the screen yet.
I wrote her name on the list and she backed out before we picked a song. I assured her I would be up there with her. "You'll sing with me?" she asked hopefully. "Ummmm...well....no....but I will be standing right by the stage," I offered. It's not that I didn't want to sing with her, I just hadn't seen any other parents up there...just kids. So I scratched her name out. No harm done. No pressure here. We headed over to eat.
But I could tell she was still thinking about it. "I would do it if someone did it with me," she said. I suggested Drue. They have done countless duets on our fireplace hearth. She came running back a minute later saying Drue didn't want to do it. After we sat down to eat, David suggested she go ask a little girl in her class. She was gone in a flash. The girl agreed to sing with her. Their song of choice...Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
They waited their turn then bee bopped up on stage and sang their hearts out. Reese had so much fun singing with a real microphone in front of a real audience.
Right before we left for the night I discovered that we still had a few tickets left. So I asked Reese if she wanted to try another song. She didn't even hesitate. "Yes! This time I want to do it by myself."
She did B-I-N-G-O this time and was so cute! The audience even got into it and clapped along with her during the part where you take some letters out of the word BINGO. I was so proud of her! She wasn't even timid about it once she got started. She sang loud and clear.
American Idol 2018 here we come.....
Just one meltdown at the carnival...and it was Mommy
Tonight was Reese's school carnival. She was ready to head over there at 10:00am this morning. It didn't start 'til 4pm.
Of course, it was complete mayhem. The school was filled with kids and their families, lines for games, face painting, etc. I was trying the best I could to keep our little family together. David was restless and kept asking when we were going to eat. Reese kept pulling me to all the games. At one point David walked out of the gym and Tate followed him but David didn't know it. So I ended up running after Tate with Drue in tow and finding him alone in the lobby yelling, "Daaaaddddy". We returned to the gym to collect Reese after her game and found her calling "Mooooommmmmmy".
Events like this are anxiety producing for me. As are most events which take me out of my comfort zone. Tate's balloon animal dinosaur popped so we went to get in line for another one. The fun loving clown creating them came back to the end of the line where we were and said cheerily, "Hi. I'm set to leave in 5 minutes." Uh oh...she was about to drop the bomb that we couldn't get our animal. "Don't worry," she assured me, "I will get to you guys...but would you mind being the last ones in line and..."
I finished her request as a stunned question, "...telling anyone who comes up behind me?!".
I just stared at her for a full 10 seconds as my jaw dropped. Me? Be the one to tell some excited 6 or 7 year old who has probably been planning what balloon animal they are going to ask for since last Tuesday that they can't get one?! Wow! The other parents in line in front of us cast sympathetic glances my way as if to say, "I'm sure glad I'm not in her shoes."
Did this clown want me to go ahead and break it to these unsuspecting elementary sweethearts that there was no Santa Claus or Tooth Fairy while I was at it?
When she saw my hesitation she offered to find someone who worked there to come stand behind me and do the dirty work. Which made me feel like a pansy. But come on, these were kids we're talking about.
I went into panic mode. I alternated between looking behind me hoping no one else would get in line, to looking in front of me, desperately waiting for the promised carnival worker who never came.
Then I spotted them. Two girls about 10 years old coming toward us in slow motion. Laughing and eating their cotton candy sporting their freshly painted face designs.
I froze. I couldn't do it. It's the same feeling I get when I have to save seats for people. I HATE IT! People spot some seats that appear open, they get all the way over to them, and I have to be the one to say, "Sorry these are taken". I would rather be hung upside down by my toes.
My mom still laughs about the time I helped her with a garage sale. She went inside for just a minute and a little old man wandered over to the sink in our garage and grabbed her good garden shears...which were not for sale. He hobbled over to me and said, "How much for these?". I wasn't about to tell him they weren't for sale...so I said, "25 cents". And off he went with her new $8 garden shears after plopping a quarter in my hand.
But back to the carnival. I turned back around and didn't say anything to these girls. I had to get myself out of that situation. My plan was to just duck out of line and let them take my place. But I now have the offspring factor. I didn't want to let them down and not get their balloons. I spotted David about 15 feet away and called over to him. He started ambling my direction but I was getting more and more nervous about these girls behind me. So I hollered his name again...which he didn't like very well. But I have come to depend on him to smooth things over when I get like this.
I ran out of line and desperately explained to him my situation. Of course, he got a good laugh out of the whole thing like he usually does. He waltzed up to the dad that was in front of me, still with a smirk on his face, and explained that I had passed the torch to him...to tell any other kids that got behind him that the clown was closed for the night.
Whew. A wave of relief swept over me.
Oh...just so you don't worry about my little dears. They had already each gotten one balloon animal earlier in the evening. So I didn't feel quite so bad since this was our second time through. And they were still on hyper mode from their cotton candy and suckers, that they weren't phased at all when their crazy mom pulled them out of line.
Of course, it was complete mayhem. The school was filled with kids and their families, lines for games, face painting, etc. I was trying the best I could to keep our little family together. David was restless and kept asking when we were going to eat. Reese kept pulling me to all the games. At one point David walked out of the gym and Tate followed him but David didn't know it. So I ended up running after Tate with Drue in tow and finding him alone in the lobby yelling, "Daaaaddddy". We returned to the gym to collect Reese after her game and found her calling "Mooooommmmmmy".
Events like this are anxiety producing for me. As are most events which take me out of my comfort zone. Tate's balloon animal dinosaur popped so we went to get in line for another one. The fun loving clown creating them came back to the end of the line where we were and said cheerily, "Hi. I'm set to leave in 5 minutes." Uh oh...she was about to drop the bomb that we couldn't get our animal. "Don't worry," she assured me, "I will get to you guys...but would you mind being the last ones in line and..."
I finished her request as a stunned question, "...telling anyone who comes up behind me?!".
I just stared at her for a full 10 seconds as my jaw dropped. Me? Be the one to tell some excited 6 or 7 year old who has probably been planning what balloon animal they are going to ask for since last Tuesday that they can't get one?! Wow! The other parents in line in front of us cast sympathetic glances my way as if to say, "I'm sure glad I'm not in her shoes."
Did this clown want me to go ahead and break it to these unsuspecting elementary sweethearts that there was no Santa Claus or Tooth Fairy while I was at it?
When she saw my hesitation she offered to find someone who worked there to come stand behind me and do the dirty work. Which made me feel like a pansy. But come on, these were kids we're talking about.
I went into panic mode. I alternated between looking behind me hoping no one else would get in line, to looking in front of me, desperately waiting for the promised carnival worker who never came.
Then I spotted them. Two girls about 10 years old coming toward us in slow motion. Laughing and eating their cotton candy sporting their freshly painted face designs.
I froze. I couldn't do it. It's the same feeling I get when I have to save seats for people. I HATE IT! People spot some seats that appear open, they get all the way over to them, and I have to be the one to say, "Sorry these are taken". I would rather be hung upside down by my toes.
My mom still laughs about the time I helped her with a garage sale. She went inside for just a minute and a little old man wandered over to the sink in our garage and grabbed her good garden shears...which were not for sale. He hobbled over to me and said, "How much for these?". I wasn't about to tell him they weren't for sale...so I said, "25 cents". And off he went with her new $8 garden shears after plopping a quarter in my hand.
But back to the carnival. I turned back around and didn't say anything to these girls. I had to get myself out of that situation. My plan was to just duck out of line and let them take my place. But I now have the offspring factor. I didn't want to let them down and not get their balloons. I spotted David about 15 feet away and called over to him. He started ambling my direction but I was getting more and more nervous about these girls behind me. So I hollered his name again...which he didn't like very well. But I have come to depend on him to smooth things over when I get like this.
I ran out of line and desperately explained to him my situation. Of course, he got a good laugh out of the whole thing like he usually does. He waltzed up to the dad that was in front of me, still with a smirk on his face, and explained that I had passed the torch to him...to tell any other kids that got behind him that the clown was closed for the night.
Whew. A wave of relief swept over me.
Oh...just so you don't worry about my little dears. They had already each gotten one balloon animal earlier in the evening. So I didn't feel quite so bad since this was our second time through. And they were still on hyper mode from their cotton candy and suckers, that they weren't phased at all when their crazy mom pulled them out of line.
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