Hope is enjoying preschool.
She's already got a best friend, who is also her boyfriend. "We have to be, mama" she says. "We're both the only fours in the class, and Salem pushes me on the swing whenever I want him to!".
I picked her up today, only to watch Salem blow her a kiss goodbye. Not sure how I feel about that. She didn't return the kiss, but certainly felt it was her due. "I love him, and he loves me Mom".
She's taken to calling me "Mom" lately. The boys still call me Mommy or Mama, and I'm spoiled. I don't like it as much, it seems too grown up. She is growing fast right now, and I'm proud of her, but I'd like to squeeze a bit more babying into her.
Right now, she's showing her brothers how she salutes the flag. "It's only a little boring, you put this hand on your heart, and the other hand on your hip, like this". Then you sing a song and pledge some stuff, but I can't remember it all"....the boys actually started to teach her the wrong words....so I had to be the Mom and a "Good American", and stop them. Can you imagine, Friday in preschool, my daughter using potty talk during the pledge?? This town just couldn't handle it.
9.17.2006
Mini-break
So I took the kids out of school for a week.
Because of our track change, they missed out on their regular vacation time. Both are excited and happy in their classrooms, but their next break doesn't come until November. They've been in class since July 10th. It was time for a break.
We wanted to go to Oregon for a few days, but just couldn't swing it. There wasn't a hotel room for 100 miles because of the Oklahoma game (Yell - O Ducks!). David really can't take much time off right now, as his company has been threatening a lockout every week for the past month.
So David took them to the movies on Thursday, and we both took them up to the gold country on Friday. I showed them a candy store in Jackson that still sells all the "old" candies from Sen-Sen to PopRocks to Sky Bars, and jawbreakers as big as a baseball! I let them choose something, and then bought a big butterfly lollipop for Hope (she stayed home with Grandma, because she didn't want to miss pre-school).
On Saturday, we all watched the Duck game on TV, and boy was that fun. It was a real "family" party, with the kids cheering and going wild!! Monday and Tuesday we're going to the Monterey Bay Aquarium to see the new Great White Shark. I'll send them back to school on Thursday, Wednesday's only a half day anyways.
We've managed to pack a lot into this mini-vacation, right here at home.
Because of our track change, they missed out on their regular vacation time. Both are excited and happy in their classrooms, but their next break doesn't come until November. They've been in class since July 10th. It was time for a break.
We wanted to go to Oregon for a few days, but just couldn't swing it. There wasn't a hotel room for 100 miles because of the Oklahoma game (Yell - O Ducks!). David really can't take much time off right now, as his company has been threatening a lockout every week for the past month.
So David took them to the movies on Thursday, and we both took them up to the gold country on Friday. I showed them a candy store in Jackson that still sells all the "old" candies from Sen-Sen to PopRocks to Sky Bars, and jawbreakers as big as a baseball! I let them choose something, and then bought a big butterfly lollipop for Hope (she stayed home with Grandma, because she didn't want to miss pre-school).
On Saturday, we all watched the Duck game on TV, and boy was that fun. It was a real "family" party, with the kids cheering and going wild!! Monday and Tuesday we're going to the Monterey Bay Aquarium to see the new Great White Shark. I'll send them back to school on Thursday, Wednesday's only a half day anyways.
We've managed to pack a lot into this mini-vacation, right here at home.
Too Melancholy
Last week had me feeling more than a bit melancholy. Besides the 9/11 stuff, my kids are feeling the pain of losing someone they loved, again.
If you're a regular here, you know my FIL died last November. My husband still misses his Dad every single day. He's doing fine, but the pain is there, and it's palpable. Still, he's doing well enough, and setting a great example to our sons about feelings and how to handle them.
Then Steve Irwin died. No, he is not a personal friend of the family. However, my boys literally grew up with Steve on TV. Matthew is the same age as his daughter, and then there is the Eugene, Oregon connection. The boys know that Steve's wife is from Eugene, and my brother (their Uncle) was Terri's neighbor before she up and moved to Australia. Both of them watched Steve on TV regularly and wildlife programming is a favorite.
Let me digress for a moment. The boys TV watching habits were almost exclusively Animal Planet for a long time. They both care a lot about animals and the zoo is still a favorite outing. About 3 years ago, someone gave me free tickets to the circus, so I took the boys. They were excited to see the performers and the animals. The Ringmaster really talked up the Lion and Tiger experience. My sons HATED it. They thought it was cruel to make the animals perform, instead of just having a chance to learn about their "real" behavior. They were 5 and 6 at the time.
Anyways, back to the original point. Steve's death is very, very real to the boys. They are both tying the event back to their beloved Papa as well. The Croc Hunter programming is still all over the TV. Add the promos that Animal Planet and Discovery are running and, well, I've had to put a ban on both channels for a few days, while they both work thru this a bit. I spent last Sunday with Joey sobbing in my arms on three separate occasions thru the day. I would do anything to take away the pain, but I'm settling for him actually understanding that I know what kind of pain he feels.
Matthew is taking the avoidance route, and it's not good. He didn't do well at the funeral last year, and my Mom had to take him home. I made a bad parenting call for the sake of seeing my seven year old in a suit. I still regret it, and have tried to talk to Matthew about it more than once, but he still gets very upset.
My SIL has already scheduled a visit in November, so that we can spread her Dad's ashes. Matthew doesn't know that they are in a box in the living room, and have been for almost a year. He may very well FREAK OUT when I tell him. I haven't a clue what Joey will do either. I just know I have to start talking about this now, so that they will be OK bu the time the East Coast contingent arrives, right after Halloween.
If you're a regular here, you know my FIL died last November. My husband still misses his Dad every single day. He's doing fine, but the pain is there, and it's palpable. Still, he's doing well enough, and setting a great example to our sons about feelings and how to handle them.
Then Steve Irwin died. No, he is not a personal friend of the family. However, my boys literally grew up with Steve on TV. Matthew is the same age as his daughter, and then there is the Eugene, Oregon connection. The boys know that Steve's wife is from Eugene, and my brother (their Uncle) was Terri's neighbor before she up and moved to Australia. Both of them watched Steve on TV regularly and wildlife programming is a favorite.
Let me digress for a moment. The boys TV watching habits were almost exclusively Animal Planet for a long time. They both care a lot about animals and the zoo is still a favorite outing. About 3 years ago, someone gave me free tickets to the circus, so I took the boys. They were excited to see the performers and the animals. The Ringmaster really talked up the Lion and Tiger experience. My sons HATED it. They thought it was cruel to make the animals perform, instead of just having a chance to learn about their "real" behavior. They were 5 and 6 at the time.
Anyways, back to the original point. Steve's death is very, very real to the boys. They are both tying the event back to their beloved Papa as well. The Croc Hunter programming is still all over the TV. Add the promos that Animal Planet and Discovery are running and, well, I've had to put a ban on both channels for a few days, while they both work thru this a bit. I spent last Sunday with Joey sobbing in my arms on three separate occasions thru the day. I would do anything to take away the pain, but I'm settling for him actually understanding that I know what kind of pain he feels.
Matthew is taking the avoidance route, and it's not good. He didn't do well at the funeral last year, and my Mom had to take him home. I made a bad parenting call for the sake of seeing my seven year old in a suit. I still regret it, and have tried to talk to Matthew about it more than once, but he still gets very upset.
My SIL has already scheduled a visit in November, so that we can spread her Dad's ashes. Matthew doesn't know that they are in a box in the living room, and have been for almost a year. He may very well FREAK OUT when I tell him. I haven't a clue what Joey will do either. I just know I have to start talking about this now, so that they will be OK bu the time the East Coast contingent arrives, right after Halloween.
9.12.2006
September 11th
I should probably leave this topic alone, but I'm full of rage.
Monday was a day of significance, a day to honor those who died, and a day to appreciate all the things that make America...well, American. It's a day to remember. Here's what I remember:
George W. Bush sitting in a classroom, with his mouth hanging open like the idiot he is, doing nothing. Then "hiding" on Air Force One while real men and women tried to do anything to help their fellow human beings, regardless of skin color, gender, beliefs or any other reasons.
Watching news footage and thinking that I was seeing a movie promo for something that just wasn't real. Then, the absolute horror of finding out that it was so very real.
Wondering if I knew anyone who was on the San Francisco bound plane.
Realizing that my children should NOT be watching this (they were 3 and 4 at the time).
Having contraction after contraction (I was 24 weeks pregnant at the time). Calling the advice nurse, and having her explain to me that this was serious, and that if they didn't stop, I needed to go to San Francisco, as they had a NICU that specialized in severe preemies. The first realization that this baby wasn't really "viable" if born that day, and that I needed to make it stop...NOW!
The crushing feeling that I'd lost all hope. I HATED that feeling, and resolved not to let it happen again.
This year, it fell on my BUNKO night, and the hostess thought "it would be cute" to commemorate the occasion by using a 9/11 theme on our scorecards. Then one woman wanted to talk about the movie that ABC ran and how "factual" it was. Another launched into a diatribe about "those Muslims and how they are all trying to "kill us good Christians". I finally suggested that we talk about something more appropriate, without actually throwing a hissyfit.
I came home, and looked at my precious, almost 5 year old daughter sleeping, and whispered to her that she truly was "the most beautiful baby ever". I hold Hope in my arms every day, and I thank all the powers that be that she is mine.
No one can ever take that away from me. I just want to love my family, and be left alone by this asinine government, and the idiotic folks who believe anything that comes out of a preacher or president's mouth. Right now, I'd give my left boob for some intelligent leadership...or is that an oxymoron?
Monday was a day of significance, a day to honor those who died, and a day to appreciate all the things that make America...well, American. It's a day to remember. Here's what I remember:
George W. Bush sitting in a classroom, with his mouth hanging open like the idiot he is, doing nothing. Then "hiding" on Air Force One while real men and women tried to do anything to help their fellow human beings, regardless of skin color, gender, beliefs or any other reasons.
Watching news footage and thinking that I was seeing a movie promo for something that just wasn't real. Then, the absolute horror of finding out that it was so very real.
Wondering if I knew anyone who was on the San Francisco bound plane.
Realizing that my children should NOT be watching this (they were 3 and 4 at the time).
Having contraction after contraction (I was 24 weeks pregnant at the time). Calling the advice nurse, and having her explain to me that this was serious, and that if they didn't stop, I needed to go to San Francisco, as they had a NICU that specialized in severe preemies. The first realization that this baby wasn't really "viable" if born that day, and that I needed to make it stop...NOW!
The crushing feeling that I'd lost all hope. I HATED that feeling, and resolved not to let it happen again.
This year, it fell on my BUNKO night, and the hostess thought "it would be cute" to commemorate the occasion by using a 9/11 theme on our scorecards. Then one woman wanted to talk about the movie that ABC ran and how "factual" it was. Another launched into a diatribe about "those Muslims and how they are all trying to "kill us good Christians". I finally suggested that we talk about something more appropriate, without actually throwing a hissyfit.
I came home, and looked at my precious, almost 5 year old daughter sleeping, and whispered to her that she truly was "the most beautiful baby ever". I hold Hope in my arms every day, and I thank all the powers that be that she is mine.
No one can ever take that away from me. I just want to love my family, and be left alone by this asinine government, and the idiotic folks who believe anything that comes out of a preacher or president's mouth. Right now, I'd give my left boob for some intelligent leadership...or is that an oxymoron?
9.01.2006
Go fly a kite!
It's Friday!!!!!!
After dinner, I took the kids over to the park so the boys could play with their AirHogs. Toy rating: 4 out of a possible 10. The batteries wear out too quickly and the things don't fly nearly as well as they do on TV.
Hope has a Strawberry Shortcake kite my Dad brought her earlier this week. We put it together, and had it up in about 40 seconds flat. The wind was absolutely perfect, and she was able to hold and fly it really well. I taught her that she could sit down and fly it too. Me? I was laying on the grass, soaking it all in.
Summer nites are just the best!
After dinner, I took the kids over to the park so the boys could play with their AirHogs. Toy rating: 4 out of a possible 10. The batteries wear out too quickly and the things don't fly nearly as well as they do on TV.
Hope has a Strawberry Shortcake kite my Dad brought her earlier this week. We put it together, and had it up in about 40 seconds flat. The wind was absolutely perfect, and she was able to hold and fly it really well. I taught her that she could sit down and fly it too. Me? I was laying on the grass, soaking it all in.
Summer nites are just the best!
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