I asked Peanut this morning if he was going to tell his babysitter about his new found ability with his bike. And he exclaimed, "OH yes! I will tell her that I can ride with out training wheels."
You are now a member of the two wheeler bike club.
"Yup! I am."
And you are a member of the "I don't need training wheels anymore club".
"And also, I don't ride into little girls anymore either...club."
I think the last club is probably the best one! That was his experience last summer. He kind of mowed down a little girl from church and felt so awful about it that he declared he would never ride a two wheeler again.
Wise Mom knew it was a confidence issue and the day would come when the desire to be like his brothers would surpass his fear. That day has come. And we are both so proud.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Wheels
Unfortunately, my mini-van "Jade" has passed from this life and into her next...most likely a scrapyard where perhaps she will be salvaged for parts or usable metal. In the words of Peanut, "But I loved that van...". As my older kids were exploring the wonders of the new van, Princess turned to Peanut and said, "It was a good van but it died and this van is WAY better and in time, you will learn to love this one." I did have to chuckle at that.
Here is, as they say...the rest of the story. I really am in many ways naive and ever the optimist. Even when it comes to automobiles, I hold out for some sort of miracle that leaking hoses will heal themselves long enough to make it to next payday or at least until that rebate check comes. I was so naive or blindly optimistic that I continued to drive my van while it was leaking anti-freeze to the point that the sickly sweet aroma was infiltrating the van's interior and Peanut was holding his nose, and I was listening to a loud "clunk" coming from under the hood...my optimism fading as I thought to myself, "This is not good but maybe I can make it til Monday where I can drop it off on my way to work..."
I continued to be optimistic and drove my leaking, now clunking mini-van that would also stall at the corners...and drove to meet my friend Debbie for dinner. But when I was a mere mile from my exit...I started losing power and hope...and I began pulling off onto the shoulder when Jade completely died. At first, she started up again but wouldn't stay running...so I held onto a glimmer of hope. But then I heard a strange "Pop", and then a "Hiss" and then billows of smoke or steam (I couldn't tell which and I wasn't going to take much time to sort it out) began to pour out from under my hood. I grabbed my purse and my cell phone, checked for traffic and leaped out of the van and walked back away from it in case it was going to blow up.
And I began to dial Debbie's husband to let him know where I was and could he tell Debbie I couldn't make it. He was kind enough to offer to come and get me and I accepted. A stranger did pull off and walk over to me and he heard me on the phone and told me that my car was not in danger of blowing up but I had blown something with the coolant...I assured him I had help on the way and he drove off.
I felt safer, so I hopped in the passenger side to get out of the wind and called my Dad. He too offered to help but I told him Scott was coming for me and if I needed anything, I would call again.
While I sat there, staring out the window, I was frustrated, scared, angry...all sorts of jumbled emotions all hitting me at once. I also felt very stupid and naive. I started to pray and quite honestly said, "Lord, you say we are to praise you in every circumstance but I just can't. I'm not there. I don't know what I can find to be thankful for."
At that moment, it struck me that if I had not had this dinner planned, then the next time I would have been in my van, I would have been heading off to church on Sunday, on this very same stretch of road and would have, no doubt, wound up in this same spot but I would have had my 4 kids with me and they would have been really frightened by all the steam coming out and I would have really started to panic as I would have had to deal with their fear as well as my own.
Ok, Lord. I can praise you for that. And I can praise you for my good friends who are willing to come to my rescue.
Worry began to set in. What was I going to do about a vehicle? How would I get to work? How much was this going to cost? I think at this point, the tears came. But I felt the Lord speak in to my heart and He said, "Scott will lend you his car."
Ohhh that is too much. I wouldn't ask them to do that. Just a ride home is all.
A few minutes later, Scott and Debbie pulled up behind me and we headed up the road to a gas station to figure out what to do. Scott did a lot for me. He got the number of a towing company and called and made arrangements for the tow. And then he dropped Debbie and I off at the restaurant so that we could have our dinner together. As we drove over to Applebee's, Scott and Debbie began talking and Scott says, "You know, I don't think we have anything going on where we need two vehicles. I can drive this to work. We can lend you our other car for a few days while you get yours fixed."
I could have been knocked over with a feather. I don't remember if I said anything or if I just nodded. I was struck dumb, for sure. Because the Lord had told me that this was what He was going to do. How could I refuse? It was a very humbling moment and one I will not forget.
What a blessing! Sunday was an important day at church. It was the annual business meeting and there were some important things on the agenda to vote on. I really wanted to be there. And I was able to go. I also knew I would be able to go to work on Monday.
However, even that plan was out of my hands. Because on Sunday night, I started to itch. And I looked down at my arm and noticed a funny rash. Then I looked at my other arm and it too was covered in the same rash. Come to think of it, I was kind of itchy all over. So I looked at other areas and saw that I had a red lacy rash from head to toe, front to back. My nose was itching and so were my ears. That freaked me out a little. What now??
Since I couldn't figure out what it could be. And I looked all over the web to figure it out. I had already figured out it was not hives. It looked nothing like hives. I was stumped. I went to bed and figured if it didn't go away, then I would go to the doctor.
I woke up at 6 am, my skin was flaming red. I was itching like crazy and nothing was improved. I figured I better not go to work until I figured out what this was. So, I called my boss and went back to bed for a couple more hours.
It turns out that it is Fifth disease. It's more common in children. Go figure. This is not the first time I have caught something that adults typically don't get...I got Foot and Mouth disease when I was 30...That one stumped the doctor, since I don't drool or go around sticking toys in my mouth. But I had the itchy blisters on my hands and feet and all around the inside of my mouth. Lots of fun. Fifth disease in children presents in a "slapped cheek" rash on the face then spreads to the extremities but other than that it is nothing to really worry about. And I read today, that once you have the rash appearing, you are no longer contagious. So, you were probably contagious and didn't know it. I also realized that PH (aka Punkin-Hee 4) has had the "slapped cheek" look going for a few days and also bright red ears. And then Princess was complaining about swelling in her mouth and I looked her over and sure enough, she's got the "slapped cheeks" too.
And if my day was NOT crazy enough, I get home from the doctor and find a note on my garage door saying that BB had thrown up and needed to be picked up ASAP. I also called the garage where my van was to see what the damage was. That is when the mechanic told me the bad news....I had blown the head gaskets and the car will not start...the cost to repair was going to be a minimum of $2600 plus the tow plus some other tests....He offered that if I decided not to keep the van, they would take it and then consider it even as far as the tow and charges I had already accrued were concerned. I tried not to cry on the phone but it was hard and I told him I needed to think things over. He was very nice and told me to take my time.
I called My Hero, My Dad and pretty soon, I was looking at vehicles on the internet. I had BB home but he seemed to have perked up and was hungry. (I wonder if he just got a little car sick...it's happened a few times before). So I decided that I could go and look, talk to someone about financing...see if it would work for me....
I pretty much new that the van was not really going to be worth the $2600 and that it meant that I was turning a very expensive corner with this vehicle...things were going to just keep breaking down. It was time to let it go.
BB and I began looking at minivans and met with a very nice salesman named Neil. I had been doing some research a few weeks ago on car sales, so I was feeling pretty comfortable with how things work at the dealer. I also knew what I could afford and I figured that if I was upfront with what I could do, then I would be in a better position to get what I wanted and not be sucked into something that was more than I could afford.
To make a long story short, BB and I drove off the lot a few hours later in our new van...a 2005 Black Dodge Grand Caravan. BB approves of the dual sliding doors with the buttons that open the doors automatically. He also likes the stow-and-go seating and was planning how we could arrange the seating when we go camping. He wanted to show his sister and brothers how everything worked. He was so proud. He could also rattle off the sticker price and what my monthly payment is going to be as well as how much I put down. Hopefully, he won't go blabbing that around to everyone! In a way, he feels that he has bought this van as much as I have. I am glad he had the chance to go through that experience with me. He really had a good time and was good company to have.
I'm still itching like crazy and when I am out in the sun, my cheeks flare up and I look like I have been slapped. But I'm driving a beautiful new van. I said my good-byes to Jade today when I dropped off the title and cleaned out the stuff we had inside.
And in other news related to Wheels...Peanut can ride a two wheeler! He hopped on this little bike we have that has no training wheels and took off....he wiped out at the end of the driveway but I was saying over and over, "Honey...you did it! You did it!! You rode it!"
He was so proud, he announced the next door neighbor that he can now ride a two wheeler and does not need training wheels any more. He was so excited to biking with his brothers. I of course, took some pictures. BB tried to steal Peanut's thunder by showing me some of his bike tricks. But it was still a happy moment. All in all, it was a really fine day. Praise God.
Here is, as they say...the rest of the story. I really am in many ways naive and ever the optimist. Even when it comes to automobiles, I hold out for some sort of miracle that leaking hoses will heal themselves long enough to make it to next payday or at least until that rebate check comes. I was so naive or blindly optimistic that I continued to drive my van while it was leaking anti-freeze to the point that the sickly sweet aroma was infiltrating the van's interior and Peanut was holding his nose, and I was listening to a loud "clunk" coming from under the hood...my optimism fading as I thought to myself, "This is not good but maybe I can make it til Monday where I can drop it off on my way to work..."
I continued to be optimistic and drove my leaking, now clunking mini-van that would also stall at the corners...and drove to meet my friend Debbie for dinner. But when I was a mere mile from my exit...I started losing power and hope...and I began pulling off onto the shoulder when Jade completely died. At first, she started up again but wouldn't stay running...so I held onto a glimmer of hope. But then I heard a strange "Pop", and then a "Hiss" and then billows of smoke or steam (I couldn't tell which and I wasn't going to take much time to sort it out) began to pour out from under my hood. I grabbed my purse and my cell phone, checked for traffic and leaped out of the van and walked back away from it in case it was going to blow up.
And I began to dial Debbie's husband to let him know where I was and could he tell Debbie I couldn't make it. He was kind enough to offer to come and get me and I accepted. A stranger did pull off and walk over to me and he heard me on the phone and told me that my car was not in danger of blowing up but I had blown something with the coolant...I assured him I had help on the way and he drove off.
I felt safer, so I hopped in the passenger side to get out of the wind and called my Dad. He too offered to help but I told him Scott was coming for me and if I needed anything, I would call again.
While I sat there, staring out the window, I was frustrated, scared, angry...all sorts of jumbled emotions all hitting me at once. I also felt very stupid and naive. I started to pray and quite honestly said, "Lord, you say we are to praise you in every circumstance but I just can't. I'm not there. I don't know what I can find to be thankful for."
At that moment, it struck me that if I had not had this dinner planned, then the next time I would have been in my van, I would have been heading off to church on Sunday, on this very same stretch of road and would have, no doubt, wound up in this same spot but I would have had my 4 kids with me and they would have been really frightened by all the steam coming out and I would have really started to panic as I would have had to deal with their fear as well as my own.
Ok, Lord. I can praise you for that. And I can praise you for my good friends who are willing to come to my rescue.
Worry began to set in. What was I going to do about a vehicle? How would I get to work? How much was this going to cost? I think at this point, the tears came. But I felt the Lord speak in to my heart and He said, "Scott will lend you his car."
Ohhh that is too much. I wouldn't ask them to do that. Just a ride home is all.
A few minutes later, Scott and Debbie pulled up behind me and we headed up the road to a gas station to figure out what to do. Scott did a lot for me. He got the number of a towing company and called and made arrangements for the tow. And then he dropped Debbie and I off at the restaurant so that we could have our dinner together. As we drove over to Applebee's, Scott and Debbie began talking and Scott says, "You know, I don't think we have anything going on where we need two vehicles. I can drive this to work. We can lend you our other car for a few days while you get yours fixed."
I could have been knocked over with a feather. I don't remember if I said anything or if I just nodded. I was struck dumb, for sure. Because the Lord had told me that this was what He was going to do. How could I refuse? It was a very humbling moment and one I will not forget.
What a blessing! Sunday was an important day at church. It was the annual business meeting and there were some important things on the agenda to vote on. I really wanted to be there. And I was able to go. I also knew I would be able to go to work on Monday.
However, even that plan was out of my hands. Because on Sunday night, I started to itch. And I looked down at my arm and noticed a funny rash. Then I looked at my other arm and it too was covered in the same rash. Come to think of it, I was kind of itchy all over. So I looked at other areas and saw that I had a red lacy rash from head to toe, front to back. My nose was itching and so were my ears. That freaked me out a little. What now??
Since I couldn't figure out what it could be. And I looked all over the web to figure it out. I had already figured out it was not hives. It looked nothing like hives. I was stumped. I went to bed and figured if it didn't go away, then I would go to the doctor.
I woke up at 6 am, my skin was flaming red. I was itching like crazy and nothing was improved. I figured I better not go to work until I figured out what this was. So, I called my boss and went back to bed for a couple more hours.
It turns out that it is Fifth disease. It's more common in children. Go figure. This is not the first time I have caught something that adults typically don't get...I got Foot and Mouth disease when I was 30...That one stumped the doctor, since I don't drool or go around sticking toys in my mouth. But I had the itchy blisters on my hands and feet and all around the inside of my mouth. Lots of fun. Fifth disease in children presents in a "slapped cheek" rash on the face then spreads to the extremities but other than that it is nothing to really worry about. And I read today, that once you have the rash appearing, you are no longer contagious. So, you were probably contagious and didn't know it. I also realized that PH (aka Punkin-Hee 4) has had the "slapped cheek" look going for a few days and also bright red ears. And then Princess was complaining about swelling in her mouth and I looked her over and sure enough, she's got the "slapped cheeks" too.
And if my day was NOT crazy enough, I get home from the doctor and find a note on my garage door saying that BB had thrown up and needed to be picked up ASAP. I also called the garage where my van was to see what the damage was. That is when the mechanic told me the bad news....I had blown the head gaskets and the car will not start...the cost to repair was going to be a minimum of $2600 plus the tow plus some other tests....He offered that if I decided not to keep the van, they would take it and then consider it even as far as the tow and charges I had already accrued were concerned. I tried not to cry on the phone but it was hard and I told him I needed to think things over. He was very nice and told me to take my time.
I called My Hero, My Dad and pretty soon, I was looking at vehicles on the internet. I had BB home but he seemed to have perked up and was hungry. (I wonder if he just got a little car sick...it's happened a few times before). So I decided that I could go and look, talk to someone about financing...see if it would work for me....
I pretty much new that the van was not really going to be worth the $2600 and that it meant that I was turning a very expensive corner with this vehicle...things were going to just keep breaking down. It was time to let it go.
BB and I began looking at minivans and met with a very nice salesman named Neil. I had been doing some research a few weeks ago on car sales, so I was feeling pretty comfortable with how things work at the dealer. I also knew what I could afford and I figured that if I was upfront with what I could do, then I would be in a better position to get what I wanted and not be sucked into something that was more than I could afford.
To make a long story short, BB and I drove off the lot a few hours later in our new van...a 2005 Black Dodge Grand Caravan. BB approves of the dual sliding doors with the buttons that open the doors automatically. He also likes the stow-and-go seating and was planning how we could arrange the seating when we go camping. He wanted to show his sister and brothers how everything worked. He was so proud. He could also rattle off the sticker price and what my monthly payment is going to be as well as how much I put down. Hopefully, he won't go blabbing that around to everyone! In a way, he feels that he has bought this van as much as I have. I am glad he had the chance to go through that experience with me. He really had a good time and was good company to have.
I'm still itching like crazy and when I am out in the sun, my cheeks flare up and I look like I have been slapped. But I'm driving a beautiful new van. I said my good-byes to Jade today when I dropped off the title and cleaned out the stuff we had inside.
And in other news related to Wheels...Peanut can ride a two wheeler! He hopped on this little bike we have that has no training wheels and took off....he wiped out at the end of the driveway but I was saying over and over, "Honey...you did it! You did it!! You rode it!"
He was so proud, he announced the next door neighbor that he can now ride a two wheeler and does not need training wheels any more. He was so excited to biking with his brothers. I of course, took some pictures. BB tried to steal Peanut's thunder by showing me some of his bike tricks. But it was still a happy moment. All in all, it was a really fine day. Praise God.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Tween Drama
I think that my family is all going through an awkward transition right now. I am having a hard time dealing with the facts that my youngest baby is going to go to Kindergarten. He will never be completely "mine" again. The tug-o-war between school and home will begin. It's normal. It's life. But it is hard to let go. It sounds so cliche but it is absolutely true that he was just a baby yesterday and then I blinked and he is now 5 years old.
And my daughter is 11 and beginning to go through changes that show me that adolescence is much closer to us then I would like it to be. Take last night for example. BB put his foot in his mouth. It's nothing new. He does it a lot. It's a battle he is always going to fight..."Foot in mouth" disease(I think it's hereditary. I seem to suffer from the same disease). He said to all of us at dinner, "I liked Princess better before she was a teenager."
You can imagine the next event. Princess buried her head in her elbow and began to sob.
BB, that was very unkind and hurtful. I don't think you meant it to come out like that. You need to apologize to your sister.
Then I turned to Princess,
Sweetie, I like you just the way you are and I know it's hard to be growing up. I think maybe BB is a little jealous because there are things you will get to do that he won't get to do for a while yet... I'm sorry that he hurt your feelings.
She looked up at me, tears in her eyes, "He didn't hurt my feelings by what he said. I just feel like my life is going by so fast."
Me too, honey, me too.
And my daughter is 11 and beginning to go through changes that show me that adolescence is much closer to us then I would like it to be. Take last night for example. BB put his foot in his mouth. It's nothing new. He does it a lot. It's a battle he is always going to fight..."Foot in mouth" disease(I think it's hereditary. I seem to suffer from the same disease). He said to all of us at dinner, "I liked Princess better before she was a teenager."
You can imagine the next event. Princess buried her head in her elbow and began to sob.
BB, that was very unkind and hurtful. I don't think you meant it to come out like that. You need to apologize to your sister.
Then I turned to Princess,
Sweetie, I like you just the way you are and I know it's hard to be growing up. I think maybe BB is a little jealous because there are things you will get to do that he won't get to do for a while yet... I'm sorry that he hurt your feelings.
She looked up at me, tears in her eyes, "He didn't hurt my feelings by what he said. I just feel like my life is going by so fast."
Me too, honey, me too.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
An Interesting Encounter
A couple weeks ago, I took my kids out to eat at Arby's after church. BB was not happy with my choice of restaurant and proceeded to pout in the car and then refused to exit the van when we got to the restaurant. So, I told him that he was welcome to join us inside but I would not be spending any more time trying to convince him to join us. I walked in and did not look back until I was sure he could not see me. When I did look back, I saw him slowly slinking out of the van.
He then continued to pout and grump. I asked him if he wanted food. He just made a grunt.
You will have to speak English. I don't understand grunting. Do you want a meal or just a drink.
Grunt...."a drink."
So I ordered and then BB draped himself across the counter by the soda fountain. I leaned in and whispered in his ear,
Get your drink or get out of the way. You are being rude to the other customers.
He continued to drape himself and refused to get his drink. So I grabbed his cup and carried it over to our table, while grabbing his elbow and leading him away from the drinking fountain. He continued to stand in his affected, hostile posture, refusing to join us at our sunny, cheerful table. So I ignored him, determined to enjoy the meal with the other children. He eventually, sat down at another table behind us and laid his head down, continuing his pouting and dagger-eye glaring at me and his siblings.
At this point, an elderly gentleman came over and said, "Ma'am, I know I am just being nosy but your son over there, is he sick or just angry?"
Oh...he's angry.
"Well, he can certainly hold a grudge." And he then walked quietly back to his table. I was feeling a little embarrassed by this but I tried to stuff that down and continue with my meal. I know my son, and I know what works and I knew that eventually, BB would calm down and would either join us or not but he would not spoil lunch for the rest of us.
What I do know about my ADHD kid is that he will do these little Power Play's when he doesn't get his way. And having tried many different approaches, a lot of trial and error, I have learned that ignoring his silent tantrums is the best method. So I was willing to ride it out. It does not work to yell at him or chew him out or do anything that brings a lot of attention to him. I gently and softly remind him of what I expect of him and then I carry on. He often loses out on some fun when he chooses to pout but that's ok. The lessons he learns will last longer than 30 minutes of pleasant dining or a Happy Meal toy. I have also learned that he will usually come around in about 10 to 15 minutes because he cannot stand to be out of fellowship and harmony with me any longer than that.
And sure enough. About 15 minutes after we sat down to eat, he slid over next to me and mumbled something.
Speak up and speak clearly, BB. I don't understand you when you mumble.
"Can I have some lunch?"
Sure.
A few minutes later, the elderly man and his wife were getting up to leave and this time the wife came over. She said to me, "Your children are beautiful. I had 6 children. You are doing a fine job with them. They are very sweet."
I'm glad I didn't follow my gut and assume that earlier the gentleman was making a judgement of me. I wonder if he and his wife were sitting over their lunch remembering a time when their 6 children were young. Perhaps they had a son like my BB who could "really hold a grudge". I appreciated the wife coming over to make a comment and to validate me for what I am trying to do with my children.
We left Arby's with all 4 children chatting happily, with full bellies. I felt like I had made some sort of connection across the generations. It was a good reminder to me that these days with my kids will go by quickly. But the impact will last a lifetime.
He then continued to pout and grump. I asked him if he wanted food. He just made a grunt.
You will have to speak English. I don't understand grunting. Do you want a meal or just a drink.
Grunt...."a drink."
So I ordered and then BB draped himself across the counter by the soda fountain. I leaned in and whispered in his ear,
Get your drink or get out of the way. You are being rude to the other customers.
He continued to drape himself and refused to get his drink. So I grabbed his cup and carried it over to our table, while grabbing his elbow and leading him away from the drinking fountain. He continued to stand in his affected, hostile posture, refusing to join us at our sunny, cheerful table. So I ignored him, determined to enjoy the meal with the other children. He eventually, sat down at another table behind us and laid his head down, continuing his pouting and dagger-eye glaring at me and his siblings.
At this point, an elderly gentleman came over and said, "Ma'am, I know I am just being nosy but your son over there, is he sick or just angry?"
Oh...he's angry.
"Well, he can certainly hold a grudge." And he then walked quietly back to his table. I was feeling a little embarrassed by this but I tried to stuff that down and continue with my meal. I know my son, and I know what works and I knew that eventually, BB would calm down and would either join us or not but he would not spoil lunch for the rest of us.
What I do know about my ADHD kid is that he will do these little Power Play's when he doesn't get his way. And having tried many different approaches, a lot of trial and error, I have learned that ignoring his silent tantrums is the best method. So I was willing to ride it out. It does not work to yell at him or chew him out or do anything that brings a lot of attention to him. I gently and softly remind him of what I expect of him and then I carry on. He often loses out on some fun when he chooses to pout but that's ok. The lessons he learns will last longer than 30 minutes of pleasant dining or a Happy Meal toy. I have also learned that he will usually come around in about 10 to 15 minutes because he cannot stand to be out of fellowship and harmony with me any longer than that.
And sure enough. About 15 minutes after we sat down to eat, he slid over next to me and mumbled something.
Speak up and speak clearly, BB. I don't understand you when you mumble.
"Can I have some lunch?"
Sure.
A few minutes later, the elderly man and his wife were getting up to leave and this time the wife came over. She said to me, "Your children are beautiful. I had 6 children. You are doing a fine job with them. They are very sweet."
I'm glad I didn't follow my gut and assume that earlier the gentleman was making a judgement of me. I wonder if he and his wife were sitting over their lunch remembering a time when their 6 children were young. Perhaps they had a son like my BB who could "really hold a grudge". I appreciated the wife coming over to make a comment and to validate me for what I am trying to do with my children.
We left Arby's with all 4 children chatting happily, with full bellies. I felt like I had made some sort of connection across the generations. It was a good reminder to me that these days with my kids will go by quickly. But the impact will last a lifetime.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Reguarding Tiger's Impending Motherhood....
My sister makes me laugh often so I thought I would share this quote from her email:
"I’m not sure if I should send condolences or congratulations on Tiger’s impending kittens. Either way, I demand pictures."
I am getting a kernel of an idea for scrapbook for Tiger and her babies. That could be quite fun. She is doing some funny things now, that she has not done before. For one thing, she is even more affectionate than she usually is. Today she was stretching out on her belly with her legs splayed out to the sides. She is also eating like a horse...albeit a small horse that weighs only 7 lbs but for her, she is eating a lot.
My kids are pretty excited about having baby cats around. We are going to check out some books at the library about taking care of kittens. My daughter is very protective of the little Momma and will chide her brothers about how to carry Tiger or what not to do with Tiger. It's really quite cute to see her doing this kind of mothering. And I think it is quite appropriate for her to act in this motherly way. It's good practice.
I discussed with Princess today that when she is 12, she can begin babysitting her brothers for longer periods of time and possibly even babysit other kids at church during Bible study. She is kind of excited about the idea. She got a chance to practice a little tonight when I had a short meeting to go to that was not very far away. So, I explained what it meant when Princess was in charge and what I was looking for.
The woman I was meeting with, who also has 4 children but she is further along in that a couple of her children are teenagers, had a great idea for an incentive. She said that she would pay her oldest daughter a small amount to babysit her siblings and then if the parents did not get any phone calls or reports about misbehavior (to which I interpret to mean...The house is still standing and there is food left in the fridge...) then they would also give the other kids $0.50 each. I think this is absolutely brilliant.
I have some time yet to prepare my daughter for this next step in growing up. And I have some time to get my head around the fact that I have a child who is almost old enough to babysit. Somehow, I think it will take me longer to get used to the idea than it will to get her prepared. I am going to look into a babysitting class for her and we will do some short practices like I did tonight.
(I was gone a little over an hour and the house was still standing but the boys had eaten a whole package of six applesauce cups and Peanut had made some sort of concoction with my tea mix and ketchup...ewww. No one was fighting or bleeding. I will count it a success. )
"I’m not sure if I should send condolences or congratulations on Tiger’s impending kittens. Either way, I demand pictures."
I am getting a kernel of an idea for scrapbook for Tiger and her babies. That could be quite fun. She is doing some funny things now, that she has not done before. For one thing, she is even more affectionate than she usually is. Today she was stretching out on her belly with her legs splayed out to the sides. She is also eating like a horse...albeit a small horse that weighs only 7 lbs but for her, she is eating a lot.
My kids are pretty excited about having baby cats around. We are going to check out some books at the library about taking care of kittens. My daughter is very protective of the little Momma and will chide her brothers about how to carry Tiger or what not to do with Tiger. It's really quite cute to see her doing this kind of mothering. And I think it is quite appropriate for her to act in this motherly way. It's good practice.
I discussed with Princess today that when she is 12, she can begin babysitting her brothers for longer periods of time and possibly even babysit other kids at church during Bible study. She is kind of excited about the idea. She got a chance to practice a little tonight when I had a short meeting to go to that was not very far away. So, I explained what it meant when Princess was in charge and what I was looking for.
The woman I was meeting with, who also has 4 children but she is further along in that a couple of her children are teenagers, had a great idea for an incentive. She said that she would pay her oldest daughter a small amount to babysit her siblings and then if the parents did not get any phone calls or reports about misbehavior (to which I interpret to mean...The house is still standing and there is food left in the fridge...) then they would also give the other kids $0.50 each. I think this is absolutely brilliant.
I have some time yet to prepare my daughter for this next step in growing up. And I have some time to get my head around the fact that I have a child who is almost old enough to babysit. Somehow, I think it will take me longer to get used to the idea than it will to get her prepared. I am going to look into a babysitting class for her and we will do some short practices like I did tonight.
(I was gone a little over an hour and the house was still standing but the boys had eaten a whole package of six applesauce cups and Peanut had made some sort of concoction with my tea mix and ketchup...ewww. No one was fighting or bleeding. I will count it a success. )
Sunday, April 20, 2008
One Shoe on the Side of the Road...Mystery Solved
While at the vet on Friday, I was writing out the check and Princess was getting her clawed up hand tended by a tech, another tech came out and said, "Do you want to know what your boys are doing outside?"
There is nothing good that can come after that sentence. I knew she would not be saying "They are sitting pleasantly in the car, buckled and ready to go. It's amazing. How do you get them to do that?" or "They just helped a little old lady across the street" or "They just saved a puppy from being swept down the storm drain." I knew she was not going to say anything that was going to make my mother's heart swell with pride.
I looked her in the eye and said, "I think I already know it's nothing good. Thank you." And we promptly left the building. My heart began to race in anticipation at what sort of mayhem 3 boys could have possibly created in 5 short minutes.
The first thing I noted was that none of them was in the van, as per my instructions. And none of them were wearing shoes. With a sense of impending doom, I opened my mouth to ask a question I really didn't want the answer to, "What are you doing out here?"
PH: "We were kicking our shoes off, to see how far they could go...and one of my shoes landed on this guy's truck...And he drove away."
So, where is your shoe?
PH: It's still on the roof of his truck.
Get in the car now. Which way did he go? And you may want to start praying that your shoe has fallen off the roof of his car soon, so that we can pick it up.
The boys found this to be absolutely hilarious. I watched closely along the road to see if I could see one small black tennis shoe. But to no avail. A lecture ensued about how much this was a real inconvenience to me because it meant that we would now have to go and get him another pair of shoes and these shoes were less than 2 weeks old, so I am really, really unhappy about having to buy another pair for a reason this stupid.
We were driving along the freeway and BB says, "I think I see his shoe...oops, you drove over it." And laughter erupts from the back row of the peanut gallery.
Smart boys would know that right now would NOT be a good time to bring this up, nor would they be laughing about it right now. There is nothing funny about this. And PH, you will be working off the cost of these shoes.
I tried to find the ugliest pair of shoes I could find. Every pair of shoes I found, for a price I was willing to pay, PH thought were "So Cool". Hopefully, when he is working off the $13 for his shoes, he will think a little harder about taking care of his shoes. I'm not holding my breath.
It didn't help my sore feelings too much when I told my parents the story and my Dad covered his mouth and his chest started shaking, as he tried to suppress his laughter. This is one of those stories for the "It will be funny someday" category. I think I will take a picture of PH's lonely shoe before I throw it away and put it in the scrapbook I plan to make called "The Naughty Book" which will include these little tales of mischief and mayhem that I will embarrass my children with later...like when they bring home a prospective mate. Revenge is a dish best served cold.
There is nothing good that can come after that sentence. I knew she would not be saying "They are sitting pleasantly in the car, buckled and ready to go. It's amazing. How do you get them to do that?" or "They just helped a little old lady across the street" or "They just saved a puppy from being swept down the storm drain." I knew she was not going to say anything that was going to make my mother's heart swell with pride.
I looked her in the eye and said, "I think I already know it's nothing good. Thank you." And we promptly left the building. My heart began to race in anticipation at what sort of mayhem 3 boys could have possibly created in 5 short minutes.
The first thing I noted was that none of them was in the van, as per my instructions. And none of them were wearing shoes. With a sense of impending doom, I opened my mouth to ask a question I really didn't want the answer to, "What are you doing out here?"
PH: "We were kicking our shoes off, to see how far they could go...and one of my shoes landed on this guy's truck...And he drove away."
So, where is your shoe?
PH: It's still on the roof of his truck.
Get in the car now. Which way did he go? And you may want to start praying that your shoe has fallen off the roof of his car soon, so that we can pick it up.
The boys found this to be absolutely hilarious. I watched closely along the road to see if I could see one small black tennis shoe. But to no avail. A lecture ensued about how much this was a real inconvenience to me because it meant that we would now have to go and get him another pair of shoes and these shoes were less than 2 weeks old, so I am really, really unhappy about having to buy another pair for a reason this stupid.
We were driving along the freeway and BB says, "I think I see his shoe...oops, you drove over it." And laughter erupts from the back row of the peanut gallery.
Smart boys would know that right now would NOT be a good time to bring this up, nor would they be laughing about it right now. There is nothing funny about this. And PH, you will be working off the cost of these shoes.
I tried to find the ugliest pair of shoes I could find. Every pair of shoes I found, for a price I was willing to pay, PH thought were "So Cool". Hopefully, when he is working off the $13 for his shoes, he will think a little harder about taking care of his shoes. I'm not holding my breath.
It didn't help my sore feelings too much when I told my parents the story and my Dad covered his mouth and his chest started shaking, as he tried to suppress his laughter. This is one of those stories for the "It will be funny someday" category. I think I will take a picture of PH's lonely shoe before I throw it away and put it in the scrapbook I plan to make called "The Naughty Book" which will include these little tales of mischief and mayhem that I will embarrass my children with later...like when they bring home a prospective mate. Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Bundles of Joy...and Fur
We took our cat, Tiger, to the vet on Friday. What a fun family adventure that was (note the hint of sarcasm). There was a lot of claws, fur and blood flying. It was not a pleasant experience and I have decided that it will be worth the investment to purchase a cat carrier. My daughter has most of the wounds from Tiger's nervous scratching. I mostly got bit because I got the job of holding her while she was given her immunizations and she let me know, with her teeth, that SHE was not happy with that.
We were also there to discuss getting her spayed and declawed. But I needed to ask the vet to check for possible pregnancy. She has gone into heat once about a month ago and there was a male cat hanging out while Tiger was repeatedly making frantic dashes out the door. We were not always successful at keeping her quarantined during this time. So, I suspected she may be "with kitten".
The vet leaned over close to my ear and said, "Her uterus is a little swollen. How do you feel about that?" I told him I'm not entirely happy about it but we will deal with it. Then he said, "Well, if you want to, we can take care of it."
I was kind of stunned. He was proposing to do an abortion with my cat. I just smiled at him and didn't get "political" and said, "No, we will let nature take it's course. I think this will be a good experience for my kids. It's something all kids should get the chance to see at least once. We're ok." He then also told me that if we have trouble finding homes for the kittens they can take care of that too with a charge for "disposal".
I found this to be a little bothersome. I don't intend to get real political because I am talking about a cat. However, when it comes to my children, particularly my daughter, I know that I am very accountable to her for the decisions I make in regards to the life of our pet. And this is an opportunity to demonstrate in a small way what the sanctity of life means. I am not a person who puts animals above people. However, I do believe that as a Christian, I have a duty to be a good steward of the earth and it's inhabitants so I need to care about issues pertaining to other creatures. I find that I would not be able to live with myself if I were to kill unborn kittens because they were an inconvenience to me for a few months and yet tell my children that it is my belief that it is wrong to kill unborn human babies.
There is a lot of room here for talk about natural consequences. I talked to the kids about how important it was to keep Tiger indoors when she was in heat, granted she made it very challenging, but because we were not successful, she got herself "knocked up" so the natural consequence of that is that we will have a pregnant cat to take care of and then a litter of kittens to care for and find homes for.
On a lighter note, when I was sharing the news of the maternity of my cat with my co-workers, who are all social workers, we made some jokes about whether or not the father-to-be was going to step up to the plate and take care of his children or whether I would have to pursue him for kitten-support. (We folks in social services often have dark humor. It's how we cope with some really tough, icky issues. )
We were also there to discuss getting her spayed and declawed. But I needed to ask the vet to check for possible pregnancy. She has gone into heat once about a month ago and there was a male cat hanging out while Tiger was repeatedly making frantic dashes out the door. We were not always successful at keeping her quarantined during this time. So, I suspected she may be "with kitten".
The vet leaned over close to my ear and said, "Her uterus is a little swollen. How do you feel about that?" I told him I'm not entirely happy about it but we will deal with it. Then he said, "Well, if you want to, we can take care of it."
I was kind of stunned. He was proposing to do an abortion with my cat. I just smiled at him and didn't get "political" and said, "No, we will let nature take it's course. I think this will be a good experience for my kids. It's something all kids should get the chance to see at least once. We're ok." He then also told me that if we have trouble finding homes for the kittens they can take care of that too with a charge for "disposal".
I found this to be a little bothersome. I don't intend to get real political because I am talking about a cat. However, when it comes to my children, particularly my daughter, I know that I am very accountable to her for the decisions I make in regards to the life of our pet. And this is an opportunity to demonstrate in a small way what the sanctity of life means. I am not a person who puts animals above people. However, I do believe that as a Christian, I have a duty to be a good steward of the earth and it's inhabitants so I need to care about issues pertaining to other creatures. I find that I would not be able to live with myself if I were to kill unborn kittens because they were an inconvenience to me for a few months and yet tell my children that it is my belief that it is wrong to kill unborn human babies.
There is a lot of room here for talk about natural consequences. I talked to the kids about how important it was to keep Tiger indoors when she was in heat, granted she made it very challenging, but because we were not successful, she got herself "knocked up" so the natural consequence of that is that we will have a pregnant cat to take care of and then a litter of kittens to care for and find homes for.
On a lighter note, when I was sharing the news of the maternity of my cat with my co-workers, who are all social workers, we made some jokes about whether or not the father-to-be was going to step up to the plate and take care of his children or whether I would have to pursue him for kitten-support. (We folks in social services often have dark humor. It's how we cope with some really tough, icky issues. )
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