We left the house early today to take one child to Running Club. Yep, they get to school an hour and a half early to run about 2 miles.. for fun.. Yes, I am sure he is my child. No, I don't know why he wants to do that.
Then I drove straight to Shipley's to get the other one a donut for breakfast. Yes, I see the imbalance. But no, today I don't really care. Some days a filled bar with no nuts is just what it takes to get the day rolling.
Oh, And I neither ran, nor ate donuts. I figure I am as neutral as I can be.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
What?? No drama??
It has been a wonderful weekend. Nothing special, just a nice, relaxing weekend. Laughs, family working together, no drama, these are the things I enjoy. This week, I am hopeful for more of the same. This year is moving quickly and I can hardly believe that the end of October is upon us. Before I blink I know that Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here. I guess I should get the plastic Easter eggs out of the decorative vase. And the Mother's Day cards off the mantel. And the summer pool schedule off the fridge. Maybe. Although, if I work it right, I might have something of every holiday up around the house and I'd never have to remember to decorate! We'll have to wait and see.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Too long!
Ok, here is the short version of life for the last few weeks:
Get up, go to school, teacher/do paper work, chat with coworkers, teach/more paperwork, head home to cook dinner/buy burgers, read kid books/do my homework, check facebook, play facebook scrabble, do more homework/read boring textbook, hug my kids and send them to bed, look my husband in the eyes and say "Man, am I tired".
Throughout I have moments of shotgun questioning as I drive the boys home, time where I load the dishwasher or throw very specific items into clothes washer so people aren't naked, go to the Walmart so we don't starve, and watch a little TV. I have cleaned up the floor and stairs multiple times where the dog has taken to peeing if not attended to immediately. Oh, and my firstborn turns twelve soon. My youngest has a very forward girl making brash advances at school. And the love of my life has a birthday next week. I feel like I need to start Christmas shopping soon. And really need to pay some bills.
No time to be poetic or thoughtful. Maybe one day...
Get up, go to school, teacher/do paper work, chat with coworkers, teach/more paperwork, head home to cook dinner/buy burgers, read kid books/do my homework, check facebook, play facebook scrabble, do more homework/read boring textbook, hug my kids and send them to bed, look my husband in the eyes and say "Man, am I tired".
Throughout I have moments of shotgun questioning as I drive the boys home, time where I load the dishwasher or throw very specific items into clothes washer so people aren't naked, go to the Walmart so we don't starve, and watch a little TV. I have cleaned up the floor and stairs multiple times where the dog has taken to peeing if not attended to immediately. Oh, and my firstborn turns twelve soon. My youngest has a very forward girl making brash advances at school. And the love of my life has a birthday next week. I feel like I need to start Christmas shopping soon. And really need to pay some bills.
No time to be poetic or thoughtful. Maybe one day...
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Thoughts on Puberty
11 almost 12 year old boys are a whole new species. They smell funny. They act weird. Almost everything they have learned since birth about authority is magically deleted from their conscious being. Even the younger brothers notice ("Mom, I don't think I'm going to make it through his puberty time" lamented #2 with a sigh recently).
These beings vascillate nonsensically between childhood and teendom. One moment they are trying to curl in your lap, the next they are looking at you with undisguised disgust because you dared to require they wear a collared shirt to church. Chores are a personal assault on their "fun time", even though it has been an established routine for years. And the food! Oh my! The pickiness mixed with volume makes grocery shopping a new level of Dante's Hell. "Since when don't you like peanut butter? You've always loved peanut butter." "But not now, Mom. I just don't like it. And those apples were, um, not good. And I really don't like the crusts on my bread." Mom stares uncomprehendingly. Who is this child?
I'm just on the tip of this stage of life and I hear the snickers of the moms who have gone before me. I know, it just gets "better". But I already miss my little boy. The one who smelled like lavender baby shampoo and put himself to bed early. I miss the innocent questions and creative discussions. I miss being able to trust him to tell the truth.
So I look into the coming years of The Battle. I am so glad Daddy is here to step in and teach him the things I no longer can.
These beings vascillate nonsensically between childhood and teendom. One moment they are trying to curl in your lap, the next they are looking at you with undisguised disgust because you dared to require they wear a collared shirt to church. Chores are a personal assault on their "fun time", even though it has been an established routine for years. And the food! Oh my! The pickiness mixed with volume makes grocery shopping a new level of Dante's Hell. "Since when don't you like peanut butter? You've always loved peanut butter." "But not now, Mom. I just don't like it. And those apples were, um, not good. And I really don't like the crusts on my bread." Mom stares uncomprehendingly. Who is this child?
I'm just on the tip of this stage of life and I hear the snickers of the moms who have gone before me. I know, it just gets "better". But I already miss my little boy. The one who smelled like lavender baby shampoo and put himself to bed early. I miss the innocent questions and creative discussions. I miss being able to trust him to tell the truth.
So I look into the coming years of The Battle. I am so glad Daddy is here to step in and teach him the things I no longer can.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Shot gun questions
Son #2 loves to shotgun questions at me on the way home for school. He is just asking what has popped into his mind recently, but sometimes the thought train can be a bit intense. Today's round of Shotgun Questions went like this:
Son: Hey Mom, do you remember when you told me where I drank milk from as a baby? (We had a discussion about 3 weeks ago about this, also on the way home from school)
Me: Yes, I do
Son:Well, I am scarred for life! So how does that work? I mean, do you still have milk in there now?
Me: No
Son: Whew, Good, because that would just ruin life for me. So you have to have a baby to have that. Got it. Why do women wear bras?
Me: Um, because we live in America. In other countries sometimes women don't.
Son: So why does Canada have so much snow?
At this point I am shellshocked from trying to keep up. And cannot figure out how he went from bras to Canada, but he proceeded to rant about the lack of REAL bacon in the great North and I had no more questions to answer.
Time spent in conversation: 35 seconds
Son: Hey Mom, do you remember when you told me where I drank milk from as a baby? (We had a discussion about 3 weeks ago about this, also on the way home from school)
Me: Yes, I do
Son:Well, I am scarred for life! So how does that work? I mean, do you still have milk in there now?
Me: No
Son: Whew, Good, because that would just ruin life for me. So you have to have a baby to have that. Got it. Why do women wear bras?
Me: Um, because we live in America. In other countries sometimes women don't.
Son: So why does Canada have so much snow?
At this point I am shellshocked from trying to keep up. And cannot figure out how he went from bras to Canada, but he proceeded to rant about the lack of REAL bacon in the great North and I had no more questions to answer.
Time spent in conversation: 35 seconds
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Hey Mom, Why do we get dizzy?
What I wanted to say: Well, son, when Mommy has had a hard day, she drinks a little and that makes her dizzy.
What I really said: Oh there is fluid in your ears and when you spin it goes round and round which makes you dizzy.
Both answers are valid.
What I wanted to say: Well, son, when Mommy has had a hard day, she drinks a little and that makes her dizzy.
What I really said: Oh there is fluid in your ears and when you spin it goes round and round which makes you dizzy.
Both answers are valid.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Feeling the Pressure
I'm feeling like I haven't had any good stories to tell lately. Between the Raccoon Chronicles and Scrambled School I just don't think I have the creative juices or brain power to share anything remotely blog worthy.
So to recap: We had a couple of raccoons decide to redo our siding on the house by the chimney. They thought it should be removed so they could party in our walls. After a few times of this, where they destroyed my sleep patterns, we have had them relocated. I am hoping none of their friends remember our address.
And school started, not just as a teacher, but as a student. So I spend my days teaching and my nights reading books and creating stuff with them. Some days I forget if I'm supposed to be a teacher or a student. And then this week we got to add another teacher to our team to reduce class size. Yay! Then our team leader's mother died. So now we are facilitating a classroom addition and room shift minus one. I'm feeling kind of scrambled.
So, sorry for the lack of family tales. I'll let you know when there are some good ones.
So to recap: We had a couple of raccoons decide to redo our siding on the house by the chimney. They thought it should be removed so they could party in our walls. After a few times of this, where they destroyed my sleep patterns, we have had them relocated. I am hoping none of their friends remember our address.
And school started, not just as a teacher, but as a student. So I spend my days teaching and my nights reading books and creating stuff with them. Some days I forget if I'm supposed to be a teacher or a student. And then this week we got to add another teacher to our team to reduce class size. Yay! Then our team leader's mother died. So now we are facilitating a classroom addition and room shift minus one. I'm feeling kind of scrambled.
So, sorry for the lack of family tales. I'll let you know when there are some good ones.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Plodding through the Prophets
I got it.. I finally got it.. kind of.. Alright, I'm just starting to get it.. but it's there.
I've been reading through the Bible with our church chronologically. And I have made it to Ezekiel. We have spent weeks reading about how God's people walked away from Him. Ran away from Him. Turned their backs on Him. I have read prophet after prophet share truth through dire circumstances. I have heard the heart of God for his people, His longing for them to trust him, obey him, and recognize that He has their best interests at heart.
And I have watched this stupid, proud, selfish people get absolutely decimated by world powers. I have read of the starving, plague infested, homeless reprobates and I have wept for the loss of their potential. All at their own doing in failing to return to their Father.
I am beginning to see the pain of loss when God's people are not obedient. And today I read a beautifully sad portion that flashed me forward to the Salvation that God eventually sends. And I finally began to have a wee tiny wisp of an idea of how thirsty God's people must have been for the Messiah to come and what that Messiah would mean to them. After centuries of domination and slavery and separation from their God, just a remnant was left to welcome God's gift of salvation. And I have started, in fact just begun, to understand more fully the specialness of Jesus and the reality of his power. And I also see just how amazing it is that I was included in His plan.
I've been reading through the Bible with our church chronologically. And I have made it to Ezekiel. We have spent weeks reading about how God's people walked away from Him. Ran away from Him. Turned their backs on Him. I have read prophet after prophet share truth through dire circumstances. I have heard the heart of God for his people, His longing for them to trust him, obey him, and recognize that He has their best interests at heart.
And I have watched this stupid, proud, selfish people get absolutely decimated by world powers. I have read of the starving, plague infested, homeless reprobates and I have wept for the loss of their potential. All at their own doing in failing to return to their Father.
I am beginning to see the pain of loss when God's people are not obedient. And today I read a beautifully sad portion that flashed me forward to the Salvation that God eventually sends. And I finally began to have a wee tiny wisp of an idea of how thirsty God's people must have been for the Messiah to come and what that Messiah would mean to them. After centuries of domination and slavery and separation from their God, just a remnant was left to welcome God's gift of salvation. And I have started, in fact just begun, to understand more fully the specialness of Jesus and the reality of his power. And I also see just how amazing it is that I was included in His plan.
