Make Models! That's the answer!

"What could you possibly do with it that would make you miss it?"  This is the question I posed during my Oct. 5 blog.  The crazy obsession with the red wax from those goofy cheese rounds!  Recently, from the back seat of the van I heard, 'Isn't my monster cute?'  When I turned around, there was a creature about the size of a baseball that was completely red and quite reminiscent of a gargoyle.  Oh my gosh!!!  It's the wax.  It really was.  My 9 year old had molded and manipulated the originally designed cheese protector into a red, finger print impressioned, monster!

Absolute disbelief!  In fact, I wondered if you'd think I was making it up so, I took pictures!!!!

This could start another discussion.  When I was a kid, we made all kinds of things out of nothing.  Remember those beads we made out of old magazines?  Cutting strips of paper longer on one end and then rolling them tightly until we got to the other end.  My sister and I made those all the time.  It was a good use of old magazines.  We also made paper baskets out of construction paper.  So, maybe this prehistoric creature is an equally good use of the wax?  No, I still think it's just weird!  It's not the same at all. There were never chunks of food left on the magazines!

Daily Giggles

My oldest son received a vet kit, complete with a stuffed dog, for his third birthday  He picked up the plastic bone and threw it over the heads of the party attendants and the picked up the dog.  As he threw the dog in the same direction, he yelled, 'GO FETCH!'

We had entered that state of being potty trained where kids have to be reminded all the time to go.  My oldest son was 3 and was getting very annoyed with me checking up to see if he needed to go.  I asked him while we were out if he needed to go to the bathroom.  He turned to me squarely and said, 'No!  Do you?'

When leaving the last day of swimming lessons with a new report card, my then 4 year old son and I were discussing the card.  I asked him why the card mentioned he was afraid of the water when he'd never shown any sign of that to us.  He said, 'I'm not scared of the top of the water, just the bottom.'

At about 5, my oldest son was over joyed to come tell me he had handled a bug on his own.  'Mom, I smashed him with a Rescue Hero and then got rid of him all by myself.'  I asked what he did with the bug.  'I wiped the juice off onto the carpet and put the bug in the airvent!'

My middle child / son was about 2 and we were having corn on the cob.  After he had a few bites he was holding it in his fist and banging it on the table.  To distract him, my husband used the opportunity to show him the cob and how the corn was attached and that's why we call it corn on the cob.  My son said, 'No, Daddy, it's corn on the table.'

10/17/10 - We had a busy day of Sunday School and church.  Our 9 year old son had played with the band (him guitar, a base guitar, piano, and drums) while the children's choir sang during the service.  Shortly after their performance, the kids returned to the front of the church to listen to a children's sermon.  The leader discussed a basic principle of Christianity - Faith - and how you can see how 2 plus 2 equals 4 but, you have to have faith when it comes to religion.  You can't 'see' it.  The service continued and the children left the front of the church.  Later we were having dinner.  My husband told me that the base player had said he had not wanted to turn our son's guitar up too loud in case he got nervous and had many blunders but had said he'd done extremely well.  My son heard this and, being quite the perfectionist (and accomplished guitar player), laughed and said, 'Oh, come on!  Have a little faith!'  And people say kids don't listen.

10/20/10 - At the dinner table with two boys, let's face it, there are fart jokes.  My youngest son has earned the name of 'Sir Fartsalot' from my oldest.  While having dinner, he made some fart joke and I said something about Mr. Fartsalot.  'That's SIR Fartsalot to you!'  He declared.  Yeah, and we're not supposed to laugh.

10/20/10 - Doing math homework, my youngest son was looking over the errors his dad had marked.  He walked through a problem with his dad and my husband admitted he had marked it incorrectly.  My son said, 'I knew it! I mean, I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to prove you wrong.'

"We're having family time and we're having fun.... whether you like it or not!

A long weekend and a nice family camping trip.  That was the original idea.  My husband and I thought we'd have one more camping trip before putting our camper away for the winter.  We chose McCormick's Creek State Park in Indiana.  He remembered it from camping as a kid and I was excited that it wasn't hot.  Perfect!  I had directed the boys on what to pack and then made the appropriate number of 'follow up requests' (nagging) as to if they had achieved those goals.  Yes, they have jackets, yes they have two pairs of shoes, yes they have tooth paste and soap and deodorant.  You're sure?  Yes.  Ok.

My mother - in - law and I had planned meals, planned treats, talked about hikes, and mulled over activities to do with the kids and by Friday morning, we were on the road.  The one delightful side effect of my not sleeping at night is that I have found I can finally sleep in the car.  This made the trip much faster for me.  We arrived by mid afternoon and circled the beautifully wooded park to find our previously reserved campsite.

There it was.  What's that?  It looks like that camper is over our fire ring from the sight to the back.  Surely not.  Wait, he's in the right place.  There's his electric box.  But, yes, the camper was definitely hanging over the edge of our fire pit.

And it began:  'No guys, everyone stay in the car.'
'What? Yes, we're here.  But there's some problem with the space and dad is talking to the man who owns that camper to see about moving.'
'What?  Yes, he says now he will pull it forward.  Oh, look, someone is putting up a tent just to the left of the camper.'
'Oh, my!  These are small spaces!
'No, you can't get out yet.  Wait for dad to back the camper up.'
 'What, yes, I know you want to get out.  NO.  Not now.'
'Stop kicking her seat.  No, no more snacks.  We'll fix hot dogs as soon as we set up camp.'
'What?  No, I didn't tell her she could have some and you couldn't.  I said no.'
'Why don't you listen to me and not her?'
'Stop teasing him.'
'OK.  Stop fighting over something you're not getting anyway or you'll go to bed as soon as there is one.'  'What, yes, I know I can't set them all up at once but, I can make yours first.  What?  No, I can't make two at once.  I don't know who's I'd make first if two of you had to go to bed right away.  Why don't you behave and then I won't have to make that decision.'

And so, the argument.  They had that same argument the next day.  No, it wasn't about snacks or kicking someone's seat but rather someone pushing someone else on the path while we hiked.  Or picking up sticks to swing. You get the idea.  By the third day, we sent the kids off to fight amongst themselves so we could pack up in peace and we were elated when 2 of the 3 passed out in the car on the way home.

AAAHHHHHHH TOGETHERNESS!  This is why God makes us forgetful!  So we forgot all the bickering and just tell our grandchildren about the camp fire songs and hot dogs!  It may prevent us from becoming extinct, I'd guess.

Things you should never hear your kids say.

Among the books of phrases I could publish is one entitled, Things You Should Never Hear Yourself Say.  Over the weekend I heard my youngest son say something that made me think of the sequel to this yet published book.  "Mom, he won't give me my wax ball back."

Really, could this possibly, on any level, really be an issue?  Yeah, I guess so.  If you're a BEE!  Or maybe a Candle maker.  But, as both of those imply work, my sons have certainly never been in a position to need either of these.

The item of debate was a piece of wax off of the individual cheese rounds that you can buy.  I am pretty certain that they only like the cheese because of the wax.  This suits me fine as I will save a lot of money by simply not buying it anymore.  Until it's gone, however, is this the banter I will get to listen to?  What can you possibly do with it that would make you miss it?  I remember playing with the same kind of wax as a kid.  My grandmother sent us a box of cheese, sausage, and the like every Christmas.  The cheese wheels were larger but, the idea was the same.  Yes, I would sit and play with it.  Softening it up in my hands into dice, usually.  What's my point?  By the time I was done chewing up the cheese, the fascination was over! Yes, this will be the last time I buy these!

I will now go and put this event and title in my notebook to use in my book.  Guess I better get to the first one since the sequel is underway.  Wait!  Just let me finish these bon bon's first!!!

Have a happy day!
Lynette

Opening Oddity

As my first post, it seems fitting that it should be at 3:30 in the morning.  See, this is the same time of night that I am up almost every night.  No one knows why.  Everyone has a theory.  "Are you worried about your dad?' someone will ask.

My Dad was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer July 2009 and is, obviously, always on my mind.  It is thrill to live near both sets of our parents.  A joy to have such close ties with our families throughout our children's lives.

"Or are you eating something you shouldn't before bed?"  Another issue.  No, I didn't but,  This seems like as good a time as any to mention my never ending battle with maintaining my weight.

"Does the cat wake you up?  Maybe you should lock her out of your room."  Well, no.  Probably more likely I wake her up.   My husband, I never wake up.

And so it goes.  My daily struggle with getting enough sleep.  I assume it will get better as the kids get more independent but, I do occasionally entertain the idea that this may not work either.  It's all I've got for now.

So, why then, does my 13 year old son need more help now than when he was 6?  Then I simply had to ask him to brush his teeth.  Four times, of course, but, eventually he'd do it.  Now I have to ask him to brush his teeth, remind him to put toothpaste on first, but not too much, then brush his teeth.  OH YEAH!  AND DON'T FORGET TO TURN THE TOOTHBRUSH ON!!!  Yes, I actually have to tell him that.  And then to get his socks on and then to get the shoes and it's time for the bus and, one of my favorites, if you're waiting for the bus, shouldn't you KNOW that you need to watch for it?!  Seems they left that out of the 'How to be an effectively ineffective middle schooler' hand book.  If I can find it in his room, I'll have to look that up.

Enough of the 'getting to know me' for now.

Today, well, yesterday, I took my children to get flu shots.  As usual, every detail of timing had to come off without a hitch to make it possible to arrive at the dr. on time.  Pick up the 9 year old son 20 minutes early, have the 13 year old walk over from the school next door to meet us and off we go.  It worked like clock work.  And then it started.  My normally unusual family started fighting over who would get their flu shot first.  Not how you're thinking.  It wasn't, 'Make him go first, I went first last time.'  but rather,'I want mine first!'
'No, I do.'
No, I get to.  I'm the youngest.'  This is my 4 year old daughter who, though it remains to be seen, may end up being the greatest hostage negotiator of all times.  She and my 9 year old son are vying for either that or car salesperson of the year.  They are relentless debaters!

And so it went.  The whole time the office staff giggling because who ever argues about who GETS to have their shot first?  Well, my normally unusual family does.

Have a great day but, wait until the sun's up!