Easter egg decorating pictures

A tasty root beer float and some of the eggs in progress, and Leanna getting ready.......

I couldn't resist

Laura put all her eggs in one basket, silly girl!!

Twas the Night before Easter.....

The scanner program isn't loaded on the computer right now, so I just took a picture of the picture (Sue I have a keychain for you, it has room on the other side for a picture of Maree or Jonathan or both).

The night before Easter was extremely hectic-it was the only time Tom was home and the only chance I had to Easter shop. Timothy needed a new Easter outfit as he is too big to fit in the one his older brothers wore for their first easters. And Justin also needed something to wear (Timothy wore last year's Justin clothes and Leanna used her Christmas dress again with Easter gloves and hat). Tom needed a clean pair of pants to wear-all his are covered in paint and ripped etc. and new shoes. We got started way later than we had planned and it took an hour and a half to wait in line for the Easter Bunny, then K-Mart didn't have Tom's size so we ended up taking longer to shop, and everyone was starving at that point, plus we still had to get eggs and root beer/ice-cream. We have a traddition of having root beer floats while we decorate eggs the night before Easter! And all the kids needed baths, and of course that had to be AFTER egg decorating. But by the time we got home it was 9:30 or 10:00 and the boys were sleeping. So only Leanna got to decorate eggs! And the baths all had to be done Easter morning. After I cleaned up the egg decorating mess, I had to straighten the living room, lay out all the clothes/shoes/socks and make the baskets and clean the floor for nice-looking bunny tracks. I couldn't find the powder so this year I used flower. It didn't look quite as much like bunny tracks but it did the job.

humidifiers

Laura, go here
Also comes in Hello Kitty, dragon, Thomas the Train, frog, etc. So cute!

Painting last night

If you look closely at Leanna's face you can see all her new paint freckles. The middle picture was her most detailed work-a picture of Daddy. I love how Justin is busy washing some dishes that were in the sink, but he's completely oblivious to the warpaint covering his own body.



The young artists were at work last night, painting up a storm. They really love painting! Well, ok, Timothy mainly likes dipping his hands in the paint, the other two actually use it.

I'm with this person.......

With great interest, I was reading an article on mcall.com about the real costs of insuring the unisured. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to read the comments people left because generally there are a lot of really really nasty total morons who comment. But I was surprised to find that there were a number of decent comments like this this one. This person put it better than I did on my mom's blog:

What the blank
Philadelphia, PA
It is often just a stroke of luck that a person has a good job and good health care benefits. Often people who don't have those jobs are better workers, better educated, and more intelligent. A lot of jobs go to the people who know the right people and that probably says a lot about the state of our economy today. Some people can get on a gravy train and stay there all their lives because they khow how to smooze the boss and/or they are sneaky enough to get over on their coworkers. I've seen it a million times.Why should our health benefits even be tied to employment. It makes us slaves of the corporation and really prevents us from living up to our full potential. We're afraid of making a move because we might lose our health benefits.I think the government should handle health insurance. We don't all need the same amount of health care but we all need some, especially as we get older. The people in this blog who complain that people are asking for a handout are really don't understand fundamental decency. They must be of the "I've got mine, who cares about you crowd." They should be ashamed but they won't be because of their sociopathic upbringings. They really don't feel the pain and they sneer at anyone who does. There is something wrong with those people, really, really wrong.

General venting on the subject.....

Multiple posts on discipline follow this one. Mainly I am angered by the idea people have that if you don't spank your child you are not disciplining them at all. That you are just wishy-washy about correcting bad behavior or you are afraid they won't like you anymore or just afraid to parent. People seem to think spanking is the way to get results and I personally have not found this to be true at all. What works best as a deterrent for me is to sent the kids upstairs-they don't like to be removed from the action. And Leanna particularly doesn't like to be sent anywhere alone.
I was also angered by people purporting to know how we handle things when they really have no idea. I actually hate having to discipline in front of other people. I try to avoid it if I can. I always feel like I am being judged, especially by my family. Therefore my most effective discipline is never in front of other people. Then again some of my worst efforts in discipline have also been while alone with the kids also.

I also get very very annoyed by people constantly offering me the same old advice and thinking they're telling me something I must not be aware of. (I think my Dad is the worst offender on this one). In the past two weeks I have had not one but two people tell me, "Having four kids is harder than having two." As though I had no idea! You don't say!!
I've also had people tell me how I need to have my kids doing work around the house-ummm......they do! People think that my house is a mess because I let the kids run amok and not take any responsiblility. Not so, I protest!! Because of their young ages, you can only expect so much. Right now the chores the boys do don't really help me as it takes more time to fix their "work" than it does save me time. But that's ok, it will pay off later. They do pick up toys, but at this stage that means having me give specific dirctions which is time and attention consuming. Even with Leanna, I still have to tell her, ok put the books in the bookcase, the barbies in the drawer, the dirty clothes go to the hamper.......a whole list of what to do. And it can't be a long list because she'll forget most of it then. I have no doubt that there are some children who are capable of following a whole list of chores, but that doesn't work for all kids, it's a specific personality thing. My point is just that I get a lot of the same advice from people over and over and at some point it makes you start to wonder......do they think I'm a moron that I don't know this???

Another thing I would like to add: my kids are stuck spending a very large portion of their time indoors. I think this greatly contributes to the problems they have getting into things and getting on each other's and my nerves. Unfortunately we do live in the city and have a tiny backyard. My yard is accessible from the street and is visible from the street behind us, therefore I don't feel safe leaving them outdoors alone. I occasionally do let them outside if I will be staying in the kitchen where I can hear them. But they really do lose out big time on sunshine and positive ways to expend energy like running jumping bike-riding, etc because of the indoor time and such a tiny space outside. We really do lose out on a lot with kids not be able to safely roam and explore their neighborhoods like they did several generations ago. I mention this because I feel it does affect their behavior and it's something most people don't take into account.

On hand slapping.....

Ok, this relates to Sue's story about when Leanna was little and kept going after something on the end table. Tom did correctly say that we don't hit our kids. At that time we had never-she was too young. And at that age I think it's really more the adults' responsibility to keep dangerous things and knick-knacks away from kids. It is the kid's job to explore the world-that is how they learn and develop their minds.

At the time I wouldn't have gone into an explanation of why we didn't hit her for it. Since that time I am more secure in my relationship with my mother-in-law and know that I can disagree with her and she won't get mad at me for it. She may argue with me and we may never feel the same, but I know she won't get mad at me for seeing things differently than she does. We can post the way we did the other day and still we spent the afternoon together yesterday and had a pleasant time together.

I read this years ago, it's just something for you to consider when you think about how you discipline a child:

SLAPPING HANDS

How tempting it is to slap those daring little hands! Many parents do it without thinking, but consider the consequences. Maria Montessori, one of the earliest opponents of slapping children's hands, believed that children's hands are tools for exploring, an extension of the child's natural curiosity. Slapping them sends a powerful negative message. Sensitive parents we have interviewed all agree that the hands should be off-limits for physical punishment. Research supports this idea. Psychologists studied a group of sixteen fourteen-month-olds playing with their mothers. When one group of toddlers tried to grab a forbidden object, they received a slap on the hand; the other group of toddlers did not receive physical punishment. In follow-up studies of these children seven months later, the punished babies were found to be less skilled at exploring their environment. Better to separate the child from the object or supervise his exploration and leave little hands unhurt.

Spanking

Ok, this does not encompass everything I have to say on the subject, but I know it would just bore everyone so I'll try to keep it as short as I can. That is hard for me. : )

I first tried spanking when I was pregnant with Justin because Leanna went through a horrible horrible phase-NOTHING worked. And guess what, spanking didn't work either. In fact, I abandoned it as a tactic well, mainly because of how bad it made me feel, but also because it seemed to increase her aggression. She started to hit-me, toys, etc. which was something she hadn't done before. It has lately crept back into the repertoire again but I am not proud to say that it has more to do with my own personal frustration with life than with it being effective. This is absolutely wrong and it is something I am working on. It is hard because it's reflexive, it you were spanked as a child than it's something you automatically think of as a way to discipline. It takes a lot more effort to remain calm, and if I'm being honest, if I spank it has more to do with relieving my own anger at the misdeeds than it has to do with teaching them how to behave. Then I"m modeling hitting as a way to relieve anger which can cause all kinds of problems. And consider that not all that long ago people used to think it was fine for a husband to "discipline" his wife as a way to control her, just as we "discipline" our children now to control them.

From Dr. Sears:
Spanking guidelines usually give the warning to never spank in anger. If this guideline were to be faithfully observed 99 percent of spanking wouldn't occur, because once the parent has calmed down he or she can come up with a more appropriate method of correction.........Spanking also devalues the role of a parent. Being an authority figure means you are trusted and respected, but not feared. Lasting authority cannot be based on fear. Parents or other caregivers who repeatedly use spanking to control children enter into a lose-lose situation. Not only does the child lose respect for the parent, but the parents also lose out because they develop a spanking mindset and have fewer alternatives to spanking. The parent has fewer preplanned, experience-tested strategies to divert potential behavior, so the child misbehaves more, which calls for more spanking. This child is not being taught to develop inner control.

I know how you guys feel about studies, but this presents not one, but : A meta-analysis of spanking studies conducted by Gershoff found 93 percent agreement among studies that spanking can lead to such problems as delinquent and anti-social behavior in childhood along with aggression, criminal and anti-social behavior and spousal or child abuse as an adult.

"I've been researching corporal punishment for 30 years and, in the course of that time, the evidence has accumulated that it doesn't work any better than non-corporal punishment but has harmful side effects. I have come to the conclusion that parents should never, ever spank because, although it does work, it's no better than non-hitting methods that don't have harmful side effects. If there was an FDA for spanking, they'd say use an alternative that doesn't have harmful side effects."

Just because you were spanked as a child and you don't feel it had any harmful or lasting effects doesn't mean that it's a method that works or should be used by everyone. Everybody knows someone who smoked, drank, and generally led a bacchanalian existence with no side-effects and live to be 103! That does not mean that this will work for everyone. And previous generation traveled without carseats or seatbelts and the majority of them managed to survive-that doesn't make it safe or something I would ever consider for my own children. Also, consider that possibly you do have side effects from it that you are not aware of. Plus something that can cause terrible scars in one child may not affect another at all.

Discipline

This passage is also from the Dr. Sears website. I believe more than any other factor that this explains why I have problems with the kids now. It does not however explain why I started having problems with Leanna when she was our only child. That is where I believe there may be some sort of genetic factor influencing things. We weren't as frazzled, we weren't in such a financially difficult situation, I wasn't as isolated and Tom wasn't up half the night & then working all day and the other half of the night. Maybe she was predisposed to certain behaviors? I don't know, I don't pretend to know the answers here. I'm just trying to do the best job I can in less than perfect circumstances. I really wish the kids would pick up on more than just my worst qualities, but that just seems to be the way it's been going.

Discipline is everything you put into children that influences how they turn out.

MODEL DISCIPLINE
A model is an example your child imitates. The mind of a growing child is a sponge, soaking up life's experiences; it's a video camera capturing everything a child hears and sees, storing these images in a mental vault for later retrieval. These stored images, especially those frequently repeated by significant persons in the child's life, become part of his personality—the child's self. So, one of your jobs as parents is to provide good material for your child to absorb.
It's the overall impression that your child receives that counts, not the occasional blunders or outbursts. If a parent is habitually angry, anger becomes part of the child's self. The child learns that this is the way people deal with life. If a parent models happiness and trust, with an occasional angry tirade, the child sees a healthier model: People are happy most of the time, but sometimes difficulties make you angry. You handle the situation and go back to being happy.
Parents, you are the first people your child knows. You are the first caregivers, authority figures, playmates, male and female. You set the standard for your child's attitude toward authority, her ability to play with peers, and her sexual identity. Part of yourself becomes part of your child. Yes, much of a child's behavior is genetic. More than one parent has been known to remark, "He came wired that way," but much is also influenced by the child's behavioral models.

Parenting can be therapeutic. It can show you where your problems are and motivate you to fix them. If your past is loaded with unresolved anger, take steps to heal yourself before you wind up harming your child. Studies have shown that children whose mothers often express anger are more likely to be difficult to discipline. Identify problems in your past that could contribute to present anger. Were you abused or harshly punished as a child? Do you have difficulty controlling your temper? Do you sense a lack of inner peace? Identify present situations that are making you angry, such as dissatisfaction with job, spouse, self, child. Remember, you mirror your emotions. If your child sees a chronically angry face and hears an angry voice, that's the person he is more likely to become.

Swings & Monkeys

Last night Tom fixed (I hope!) the baby swing. Jacob wasn't interested in it last night, but he was also tired at the time. He barely fits in it, he's so chubby! It still needs to be restarted because the swinging just stops sometimes. I'm worried that it will still fall apart because I had visions in my head of the exact scene pictured here. I had enough trouble keeping Leanna and Justin out of it when Timothy was a baby-now with three little monkeys to keep off, well, we'll just say I won't be surprised if it doesn't last long. (Yes I did pull him off right after I took a picture. Many times.)

And they're not even webbed!

Many many thanks to Laura for her backbreaking efforts this weekend! And to think she did it all with her two hands that have a normal amount of fingers!
No, seriously, thanks!!

More on baby names

You know I can't resist a link to bad baby names.......What would compel a parent to bestow a newborn with a name like “Tiny Hooker” or “Fanny Large”?

Smiles

Smiles. (the smiles were provoked by Justin)

Cutie

The colorful quilt was a Chirstmas present made by Aunt Cindy over a year ago.

Another day at the office......

Timothy told me today that he was going to work. I asked where he worked and he told me "crashing cars."

Sleeping

One day Jacob fell asleep while playing with this airplane. He's sitting up with his head tipped forward.

*The bassinette was washed before Jacob was born, but a constant flow of sibling hands on the rim leave it looking like it does. It looks worse in the picture than it does in real life.

Double Stroller

I'm resigning up under Tom's address for our local freecycle site. (We were inactive for too long and the account was deleted) I'm looking for another double stroller. I figured I should mention it here though, in case anyone knows of anything......Ours was a hand-me-down and it's now on it's last legs. Last winter the basket underneath broke-which is an important feature for me because I use it to carry groceries, diapers, etc. The bar that holds the basket up broke off on both sides, so I can't step on it to lift the stroller over curbs, etc. And now the one wheel keeps coming off over and over and over. Last week I took the kids to the Girl Scout fundfest and the wheel fell off once going there and 5 times while we were there. It was a 2 hour event. So if anyone knows of someone who might want to get rid of their old double stroller, I'd be happy to take it off their hands!

I recommend the Freecycle groups-just google Freecyle and your city-it's a way to get or get rid of things. It's a great way to "be kind to mother earth" as my Mom would say, by reusing things instead of buying new. And someone gets rid of junk and someone gets something useful!

Random recent stuff.

I cannot wait until Easter vacation!

Jacob has a tooth bud poking through on the front bottom of his mouth.

I watch Jacob when he's sitting and falls backwards. He pulls his body back into an upright position using only his muscles. I really wish I could borrow some of that strength and energy the kids have. Sit ups would do me a lot of good right about now!!

Leanna's really into magic tricks thanks to school rewards programs where they go watch a magic show at a local church. One time she was the volunteer who got to float in the air (you know the trick where they run a hoop around you to prove there's nothing holding you up).

Justin's been generally trying to be very helpful, running to bring me a diaper or whatever I need. He's also been very defiant at the same time. One good trait, one bad.

Leanna decided to try carrots at school. Since they made that big fuss over her having to take 3 items to qualify for the free lunch she's just been eating what they call "power pack" which is peanut butter & jelly and then she was just choosing chocolate milk. She almost never takes a third item anyway and no one bothers her because she doesn't have a packed lunch at the table(which makes no sense, but whatever!). Anyway she occasionally tries a third item like applesauce (didn't like theirs) and she decides to try carrots and dip! We enjoyed a breif period at home a couple years ago where she ate this but since had decided she didn't really like it. So yay! It's a vegetable and she's eating it!!

Dreams

Today Tom had another dream about having multiples-this is the second time within the last couple months. In the first dream he dreampt we were having sextuplets (6 babies) and I was so mad at him that I ripped out the bathroom sink and threw it at him! This morning he drempt we had triplets and they were really long (heightwise). I think he has babies on the brain, LOL. He's really enjoying Jacob I think.

(And because I know a post like this worries people, no I am not pregnant)

Justin & clothes

I should mention, for a month or two now Justin's been getting himself dressed-as in picking out his own clothes and putting them on. I tell him, go get dressed, and he does. I have only had to remind him about underwear a couple times, lol.
This morning he reported to me and said, "I have a shirt and underwear and pants and underwear and underwear!" Good job!
If I don't have Timothy's clothes put away yet he also gets clothes for Timothy and helps him get dressed. (If Timothy's clothes are put away they are too high for the boys to reach). This is very nice because it buys me a couple more minutes to sleep. Oh yeah, and the whole independance thing for him too! : )

Next on My List to Try

I've been trying a couple different muffin recipies lately.....this one is egg and dairy free......

Cinnamon Applesauce Muffins
These are so quick to make! Kids can help stir the batter, and spoon it into muffin tins. These muffins are egg- and dairy-free, and you can easily double the recipe.1/4 cup oil1/2 cup molasses (for increased sweetness use half molasses and half honey)1 cup applesauce1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour1/2 tsp. baking soda1 1/2 tsp. baking powder1/2 tsp. salt1 tsp. cinnamon 1/8 tsp. cloves 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin. Mix the oil molasses, and applesauce. Mix together the dry ingredients. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Stir in the raisins. Drop into muffin cups and bake 18-20 min. Makes about 12 muffins.

(I don't feel like fixing the formatting here, just go here to print.

I think I like Jenny McCarthy a little more

I know this makes most people think she's crazier than ever, but I think I like her more. First the realistic pregnancy books, and now she's advocating for a change in diet as a way to control problems affecting your kids.

Mom, you'll like this post and most of the comments. For example:

SKL said...
My cousin is autistic, and I was aware of recommended diet adjustments since I was eight years old. Since then, I have read some very compelling articles on this subject.It's not that a certain diet cures autism, but that a certain diet aggravates it.Personally I believe that this is also true of other behavioral issues such as ADHD, but every time I mention it, someone slams me. This is probably a reason why diet isn't one of the first things people work on with autistic kids. There are some really "effective" drugs out there, and there's no money in advocating non-pharmaceutical treatments, so people advocating a comprehensive dietary approach are seen as being "on the fringe." Personally, I would always try diet, exercise, and behavioral therapy first and then use meds only if and to the extent that these non-invasive approaches couldn't help.

ATTN: THERE IS MORE THAN ONE ANNONYMOUS

Apparently I incorrectly identified the long-winded annonymous poster as Claire, because she posted after a call was made to identify the commentor. BUT THAT WAS NOT CLAIRE. I repeat, CLAIRE DID NOT WRITE THE LONG POST COMMENTING ON ANGELINA AND HER SELF-MEDICATING. SO SHE IS NOT "RAMBLING LIKE HER MOTHER, LOL. "

RE: Bread Machines

It looks like you can find a bread machine on ebay for $20.oo typically and I saw one for $3.00 (but shipping was $18.95) I did find a loaf slicing guide for about $15.00. I know the slices would still be big, but we tend to waste a lot of the sandwhich getting the crusts off, especially when we're in a hurry, so that wouldn't be horrible. Realistically I doubt we'd use it in place of regular sandwhich bread forever. But it might be nice for times when money's especialy tight or when they're in a sandwhich phase (like now). Like I said, we love homemade bread. My Mom has a bread machine and she used to make some whole wheat bread that I loved! I think my sister has one also, so I could probably borrow one to give it a test run before buying one myself. It'd probably be fun to play around with every now and then.

Isn't it funny what things prompt people to comment on? It's almost never the posts I'd expect to generate interest!

Maree and Aaron, sitting in a tree........

I almost forgot-when Maree was here last weekend I was teasing her about Aaron Carter, as I always do. It's a running joke between us. Years ago she had a huge crush on him which she has since transferred to Jesse McCartney and Chris Brown. She vehemently denies any feelings for poor Aaron now.
I asked Maree if she'd heard that her husband Aaron had been arrested recently. She exclaimed,"What! He didn't mention that on his blog!" Hmmmm.....someone with no interest in Aaron Carter still reads his blog?? Funny, she had no reply to that, LOL.

ok, I lied

Ok, I will make a small comment about the self-medicating motherhood thing, can't help it:

From the article:
Having babies can sometimes keep personal problems at bay.
"[It] keeps you busy — if not through adoption, than in pregnancy, you get the oxytocin [often called the 'hormone of love'] bursts," said Honos-Webb. "You get attention from other people and you define your own role — all those things manage depression."

That sounds good, all official and everything. Definitely not true for everyone though (in fact very very few, I would speculate). But personally I can say that I HATE pregnancy. Love the end result, but hate pregnancy. I do not feel great, no bursts of love hormone. No extra attention, unless it's for my Mom to yell at me to eat healthier cause I'm pregnant. But really she does that when I'm not pregnant too. In fact that's been for my whole life! The first pregnancy was the only one where I got any extra attention and it really wasn't all that much, mainly focusing on how to get around problems my pregnancy caused (my being too tired to handle a long shift on the 6th workday, my needing help climbing on the counter tops to put up signs, needing someone else to use oven cleaner on the ovens, etc. and Look how swollen she is!! ). And after the 2nd pregnancy I've always got a lot of negative attention, so really for me pregnancy would be a possible cause of depression, not a reprieve from it!

Angelina Jolie and addictive motherhood

I certainly didn't think I'd ever find myself feeling sympathetic towards Angelina Jolie but........here is a link to a short blog post contemplating the idea that she is self-medicating with motherhood (she's pregnant with her fifth child-three adopted, two biological). There is an awful lot I could say on this subject but I'm too busy self-medicating right now!

Does this clutter make my butt look fat?

It sounds kind of strange, but when you read about it it does kind of make sense. Here's a quote, check out the write up on the book(linked above) for more:

The reality is that we worship large. Our cars are the biggest and the fattest—we drive vehicles that consume a gallon of gas every ten miles. Our houses are huge—the average home size is steadily increasing while the average family size is decreasing. Our homes are overflowing with the fat of the things we consume—we spend more time shopping than any other people on earth. Our meals are gargantuan—portion sizes have tripled in the United States over the last twenty-five years. Boeing has increased the assumed weight for each passenger by more than twenty pounds. Office chairs are being made larger to accommodate our bigger butts. Even Disneyland, the happiest—but obviously not the thinnest—place on earth, is redesigning some of its costumes and uniforms to accommodate ever-increasing waist sizes. You'll be happy to know that even if you have a fifty-eight-inch waist and want to work at Disneyland, they have a pair of pants for you! Everywhere we see the effects of an increasingly heavy population—from office chairs to bra sizes, everything is getting bigger. And, most noticeable of all, our pants no longer fit most of us—no surprise since the average waist size has grown four inches in less than ten years. With two-thirds of Americans overweight or obese, it's impossible to deny that we love, love, love fat. As a nation we are reveling in an orgy of consumption and it shows no sign of letting up. We can't get enough of anything. The American mantra has become "more is better" and we are applying that motto with gusto to almost every aspect of our lives. If consuming is good, then consuming more is better.

Bread machines

Does anyone know if bread machines are cheaper or more expensive than buying loaves from a grocery store? I'm looking for ways to cut costs.

(Currently we can just about go through a loaf a day. No comments Mom)

Retorts

Yesterday when we came home from school, a neighbor from down the street was also headed home. As they passed us the little boy, probably in 2nd or 3rd grade, said to me,"I can't believe you have four kids!" And the Dad said, without missing a beat, "I can't believe what a big mouth you have!" to the kid. LOL. I don't mind something like that from a kid. But if an adult said it rudely, I would love to say something like that in return. :)

Jacob, development

I was videotaping a couple moments of the kids yesterday. I tried to get Jacob to say I love you, and naturally he was only interested in trying to grab and eat the videocamera. I put it aways and walked back over to him. Then he starts screeching it out, naturally. I didn't bother to go get the camera again because I know how that one would go!



Jacob can crawl backwards but not forewards. I saw him hold his arms out to be picked up for the first time this weekend. Justin was holding him and Maree was standing in front of them. Jacob held his arms up for Maree to pick him up. That's one of those little milestones I always look for, it's just cute when they start holding out their arms to be picked up (or in this case, rescued) (Not that he doesn't like Justin-Justin just didn't have a secure enough hold on Jacob). Tom always likes when they find their feet, that's one of his favorite baby milestones.

Creative Cutting

Justin has an obsession with scissors. Tonight he cut out a perfect square and said it was for Nanny Sue. He said it was a doggy door. I guess he was listening to Daddy talk about the doggy door problems.
Then he cut another square and told me it was Patches (the dog).

Book Review

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler

Not everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed it. I wouldn't recommend it if you haven't read Jane Austen though. An excerpt I found amusing, here they are talking about a riot at a school for wayward girls:
"It was blamed on violent lesbians." "Ah," Allegra said, "of course," when Sylvia could see no of course about it. How many riots blamed on violent lesbians had Allegra heard about?
Or maybe that had been an impressed "of course." Maybe Allegra felt a sneaking admiration for toilet-hurling lesbians."

The last sentence is my favorite-it's not just an admiration, it's a sneaking admiration!

Fleeting Moment

It was just a fleeting moment, but the kind you carry in your heart for a while.
I carried sleeping Justin upstairs tonight. I stopped to make sure he was still sleeping, that I didn't wake him when I picked him up. As I looked down at him he just smiled in his sleep and looked so snug and content in my arms, as though my presence alone was what made him content. I don't know how to explain it exactly, but it just filled my heart up.

Kinda cool

For $9.00 you can turn your handwritting into a computer font.
So if I wanted to preserve Leanna's handwritting, I download their form, have her fill it out, scan it, and then have fun.

Opinions please.......

I think it's a really scary time to be a parent. I really hate that you can't even send your child off to school worry-free anymore. Locally, in several cities there are gang rumblings about some sort of resistance to authority that will occur in school on February 29th. They didn't even start in my city, but things like that can spread. The school district sent a letter and a phone message home saying that they are aware and are working with police. The letter asks that we send our children to school anyway, "We need your support and cooperation by having your children in school. Friday, February 29, 2008 will be a regular school day for all students in the School District."
I am wondering how it makes a difference, security-wise, to have all kids in school. Wouldn't it be easier to manage, should anything occur, with less kids to protect? I know the chances of something happening at the elementary school level are slim, but it's not unheard of, and it would make more of a statement. School shootings are becoming increasingly common, so it occurs to me that doing something to an elementary school would have more shock value. I also worry that, forgive me for saying it, but in a sea of minority students, a caucasion student is more likely to stand out and and thus become a target. I've been seriously considering keeping her home that day-I hesitate mainly because she has so recently missed school from getting sick twice and then attending the funeral.
Any advice to offer? What would you do?

too cute not to post

Ok, I resisted the urge to post the pictures of him in nothing but a hardhat, carrying a box of Cheerios. But these somehow seem more modest. That would be a pink Barbie couch he has planted his little tushie on, LOL.

It seems he has lately taken over Justin's title as Nature Boy!!

(*On as side note, the Barbie house was a yard sale find of Nanny Sue's and the Barbie couch-and matching chair-were a yard sale find of Grammy's)

Superbaby!!

He looked down last minute, but I still love the huge grin you can see on his face.

I thought I'd finally mention superbaby's vocal skills that I was afraid to put out there before. I don't think I'm going to catch it on video, it's too hard to get him to cooperate and to have decent enough lighting to pick it up (our house is really dark).
My sister, the professional, was the person I was most afraid of disbelief from-and she has since heard a few demonstrations on her own-so I feel I can brave scoffing from anyone else.

Jacob repeated back to me the phrase "I Love You". Very clearly at first then after multiple repeats it degraded a bit. But he's repeated it to me on multiple occasions, and my Mom's heard it more than once as well. I'm not saying he understands the words, though I think he gets the gist of it. Laura swore she heard Jacob say her name (I was doing something and I didn't actually hear that one, but I don't doubt it).
He calls for me: Mamamama! or Mum-mum He has different tones he uses, depending on his mood. When he's calling for me to pick him up! Now! it often comes out with as a longer repetition of ma-ma-ma-ma-ma! versus when he's happy and just calling out, then it's usually mum-mum or mama.
He says hungry, though it comes out more like hun-gee

*And although I've heard him say Da several times before, last night was the first time I've seen him use it in connection with Tom. Before that it was more like a familiar sound he was repeating, but last night I saw him use it clearly as a way of calling his father.

I've also heard him try to say Justin's name before.

If nothing else, four kids have certainly taught me that many kids do many things earlier than the guidelines, and it doesn't make them geniuses or future star athletes. All kids develop differently and there's such a huge range of what constitutes normal. I find it impressive that Jacob is able to repeat an entire phrase, as opposed to a single word, but I am also aware that it doesn't necessarily mean anything at all. My kids have all been on the early side in the vocabulary department, and I'd imagine that since Jacob had three older siblings constantly chattering for him (even while in the womb) that plays a part in his verbal prowess.
: )
I'm a proud Mama, nonetheless!!

Genetic?

I forgot to add these the other day.....much like his sister and father, Jacob seems to have a propensity for sticking out his tongue! He does it frequently but I don't often catch it on "film" because he is still awestruck by the flash. It's like the effort of pushing off the bed requires him to stick out his little tongue, LOL.

Anne Frank's Diary

If you've read The Diary of Anne Frank, this link shows a picture of the boy she wrote about from school. Someone apparently found a picture in an attic and it's been authenticated.
He also died in a concentration camp.

Return of the teacher

Leanna was so excited because her teacher had promised she'd be back in school today. Her teacher left to have a baby around a week after their winter break. They had a substitute, but then about three weeks ago that sub went to a different class and they had another substitute. We've gone from homework and folders and and books to read and words to go over everynight, along with papers to be signed-to bringing home only math papers, to now nothing comes home at all. I wan't really thrilled with the change-why switch subs halfway through? It's hard on young kids to keep adjusting. They really bond with the teacher and get used to certain ways of doing things. And running across articles like this show that it's more than just difficult emotionally, it can affect grades. Plus it makes you wonder, gee did they switch teachers so they didn't have to send a note home?

Leanna made cards for her teacher and popsicle stick people. She forgot the cards, but pictured are the people she made as a gift for her teacher's return. She was all excited to go to school this morning. Unfortunately, she had a sub again. A new one.

It'll be nice for me as well to know which door to look for Leanna to come through each day, and to know there's someone I can ask if we have a question about what she's learning or her progress in school.

Just braggin'

Just pictures of my bouncin' baby boy......

Justin

I love how I can see both our faces in him at once.

Update on future professions

Currently Leanna wants to be an art teacher and also a person who works at Giant. She wants to work at Giant in particular because we go there a lot so that she could see me while she's working. Her plan is for the school to let her leave early to go work at Giant.

Brownie Activities

Unfortunately Leanna's field trip for tomorrow is cancelled, thanks to all the snow. But last week Leanna helped out with booth cookie sales. She actually had a lot of fun there and got a free home depot apron, a star, and an indian headdress with a pink feather. Yeah, I'm not sure why either, but she was really happy with them all. It's really cute, all week long she's been playing store.

Sweatpea

Tom's always said that Timothy reminds him of sweatpea, the baby from the Popeye cartoons. I think he does look like a cartoon character here.

.

Penguin Baby

I've had this outfit since Leanna was a baby. It was a hand-me-down from someone. None of my kids fit in it in time to wear it until now. Makes you want a baby, doesn't it Laura??

Outerspace

Leanna's rendition of outer space. She was a little confused on the concept though. She told me it was a picture of her in outerspace but then she said she was standing on a space ball, and that the other ball was a globe. She sounded a little confused as she tried to explain it, but I'm impressed as it is a difficult concept to grasp. There's an airplane on top. I love that it looks like she's trying to juggle some stars.

Only in our house

Only in our house do children wear a purple wig (or scarf) and carry liquid nails. Their memories of childhood toys will include:

hammers, screwdrivers, saws, paintcans, spackel buckets, paintbrushes, and tilesaws, etc.

(For the record, yes, many of these items are dangerous. We hide them, they find them. Sometimes they are just here breifly and there is a small window of time until they are caught playing with them. And sometimes Tom just has nowhere to go with the tools so I just have to try to keep my eyes open and immediately stop them when they are touched).

You knew this was coming......

SNOWDAY pictures!!

Aunt Cindy's house

This picture doesn't show all the land that they own, but it gives a general idea of the area. I can't give a good description of the wood and land around them because I haven't seen it in many years (didn't get a chance to look around on this trip) but Tom got to tour it with Travis. He also had fun on the four wheeler, although Ryan claims he screamed like a girl during the ride. (I wasn't there, so I don't know?!)

Family fun

The kids had so much fun with cousins Betsy and Chrissy while we were in Bellwood. They were practically tireless when it came to spinning the kids, giving piggy-back rides, and watching Leanna dance. Aunt Cindy gave Leanna a bag of clip on earrings that she LOVED!

Also pictured are Chrissy and her fiance, Travis.

Family

Timothy kissing cousin Kayla, Justin sitting with Kayla, and McKenzie (McKINsy) who wouldn't smile for me until her mother ordered that she was definitely not allowed to smile for a picture!! They're always fashionably dressed and looked adorable.

First foods-belated

From about two weeks ago-Jacob's first try of solids, bannanas. He liked it but was more interested in playing with the spoon and bowl. As you can see, the exema is still really really bad, though currently it's a little better than in the pictures.

As Aunt Cindy says, he really was the poster child for breastfeeding-no solids whatsoever until almost 7 months old, all breastmilk and in the 90s percentile-wise for weight! So beautifully chubby!!

Parade moving-for a few of you.......

The St. Paddy's DAy parade is moving, we usually try to go to these things........

My Uncle and a host of other thoughts.........

I've been quiet lately because I've had a lot to process.......still working on that. My Uncle, the one who had prostate cancer and recently beat it, decided to take his life. This was just such a shock. Not only because he had just beat cancer, but because he was an extremely religious man, and he had a very close beautiful relationship with his wife. They had three children and a good relationship with them as well.
Intellectually I can understand that depression caused this-but still I just can't wrap my head around it. Yes, I know that religious people are faliable too-they do bad things, they make mistakes. They are human too. But his faith was so strong I just wouldn't have expected it. And he and his wife were so close. He and Aunt Cindy had the kind of relationship everyone dreams of......nothing on earth is perfect, but theirs was as close as it gets. They did everything together, they made their choices together, they were true partners, "a wall of solidarity" as the minister called them. I remember as a teenager one of their daughters told me that she'd never heard her parents fight. I didn't believe her at first, but after extensive questioning, it turned out to be the truth. It's important to note that the reason they rarely faught (because apparently there were a few fights, it was just an extremely rare occasion) was NOT because they held it all in. That would be unhealthy. They were just so in sync and so adept at coming to an agreement that fighting wasn't necesary. So that is part of why it is so hard to understand his decision to leave her, and so abruptly on purpose.
My Uncle was a pretty quiet man, at least around us. He was generally just the bored husband, along on a family trip with little to do. He would just sit and listen or watch tv while my Aunt interacted with her family. He was always good spirited about it, I remember him laughing a lot. He willingly drove my Aunt around and did favors for her parents or relatives. I was only really getting to know him in recent years. Although he didn't talk much to me when I was growing up he was a good uncle to my kids. He talked and joked with them, reading them stories and throwing a ball around with Justin. The kids really liked him, particularly Justin. And because my husband got along with him they would talk on family occasions as well. It made him more of a person to me, and not just my uncle. He was a good religious influence as well, gently questioning Tom about religion. If anyone else would have done it I think my husband would have instinctively withdrawn and not listened to a word of it. His stubornness would have kicked in. But my Uncle didn't need to be pushy about it as his life was the best witness to true Christian beliefs. It's a shame that influence is no longer there.
Since before Justin was born we'd been trying to arrange a trip to visit Aunt Cindy's house. I know Tom would have enjoyed walking around with my Uncle, seeing the house he'd built and the land they owned, his tree-stands for enjoying nature, whatever tools he had and all that manly stuff. We never did manage to make it there until last week, for the funeral.
He had the kind of eulegy everyone would want-devoted husband, father, teacher, religious and humble man. The pastor shared stories of his sense of humor and his children wrote him a letter declaring their love and appreciation.
There really was a lot of food for thought in our trip to pay our respects. It inspired thoughts of how I want to be remembered, on the differences between our reality and others' perceptions, on the qualities of a good marriage, on the effects of a good marriage on children, on the importance of expressing love for those in your life, on life and death itself, on the importance of family connections, on specific aspects of my Aunt and Uncle's life I admire, and on changes I'd like to make in my own life.......and so much more. It's funny how life seems to throw certain messages that you need to hear in your face, and yet you ignore them. Figuring out how to overcome this and allow good things to happen appears to be my own personal challenge.

awesome website

So I'm sitting here trying to rock the baby to sleep and I ran across this really interesting website for products: The Spoon Sisters

Hey Claire, if the unthinkable ever happens, they sell a Street Art Coloring book.

Or how about a clock that runs and hides if you don't get up the first time it goes off? Then you have to find it to shut it of the second time! (Clocky!) I like the family dinner box of questions(-now if I could just get my family to the table!!) They also sell a cute duckie shower cap, an adorable baby airplane spoon, pee-pee teepees, the wheel of responsibility , Happy Spoons, dinosaur utensils, bandaids in the shape of kisses and of course the world's largest underpants. And much more.

Blue eyed people have a single common ancestor

Kinda interesting......

Playtime for Grandma: Council opens new playground for the over-60s

sounds fun to me