Thinking of MissM Today ~

Today we all teeter on the edge of a Brand New Year.........and MissM has an operation that will make that year even better. However it is a big deal operation because it involves drilling a hole into her skull - something no parent EVER wants to contemplate worrying about. And I know both her parents are sitting somewhere right now doing exactly that.

MissM is a lively Princess. She and TheKing run round and round - she can tackle with the best of them and has the spunk that draws me to a kid. So today - while thinking about my own New Year - I am thinking about MissM .........and her mom.......and her dad..........and her sister (another one of my personal favorite girls in the world).

Saying a Prayer.......

Don't Stop Believing....

I know I kinda bagged out through the holidays in reference to blogging - but I was really really sick and in denial about the whole thing(that is another blog). Had I been feeling better most likely I would have blogged about all the fabulous and note worthy things that happened - and there were a few cute ones, but my brain has turned them off - my favorite was the GS getting kicked out of the nursing home (I really thought that was a HOOT!). Alas the illness clogging my sinus's sucked up some of my memory too. Perhaps as the days go by I will slowly recover some of it.

However, in my TOP 10 list of things that I find Wonderful and Amazing about the Christmas hoilday - is that All 3 of my Children STILL Believe in Santa!

BigGuy and I do not lie to them about it. They have point blank asked us (especially SuperStar) whether Santa exists and each time we point blank ask them back "Do You Believe That He Does?" and they say "yes" and we respond with "If you Believe in something then it is REAL for you". And when SuperStar tells us that there are few kids in her class who do Believe anymore we respond that their Parents probably don't Believe either ...........and that is when the magic is lost.

This year SuperStar had an especially hard time. I know there are several kiddo's in her school that have told her they talked to their parents about it - and there are also several kids who are so incredibly sweet that they Believe along side SuperStar even though they don't really Believe. And I love those kids! Each year SuperStar writes a note to Santa - this year her note stated that she is finding it very hard to Believe in him because she has never seen him. And she asked him for Proof.

When I read that line all I could think was CRAP. See when I was little I found the gifts in my parents closet - tried to convince myself they were for the Kacin Kids (our family friends) and waited for Mr. Kacin to come pick them up. He never did - and the next morning they were under our tree. CRAP. So I want my kids to not find out in an anticlimactic way - and until they are ready to find out (because let's be honest - our answer pretty much says that he isn't real if you don't pretend) I am going to give them the fun beauty and mystery of it all. My parents did "proof" things - a boot mark from the soot of the fireplace - cookie crumbs someplace they should not be - but I was little so I bought into it - and let's face it......the world was way simpler. Spidey suggested we hook up a video camera to catch him because we could get a motion sensor that would trigger it to work when he came into the room - thus not wasting the battery. Ah.............we didn't have those in the 70's......we had soot made boot marks. And we LOVED it! My kids wanted proof - high tech style.

This particular Christmas we stayed home. And since I had the luxury of time I decided to set up the tripod for photos of ALL of us to prove I do exist. When we went to bed the tripod still held the camera so it was logical that Santa might use it to try to take a self portrait. And in his response letter (yes, Santa writes back each year - a shortish note) he said he would try to work the digital camera, but that technology like that is hard for him. Apparently that was totally true - because these are the photos we got:





See him...on the hearth reaching for the cookies...he is kinda blurry. But totally cool right? Before I took really good pictures - I took really bad pictures - so this was not so hard to manage. Convincing right? Only......Santa brought DSi's this year and guess what - I could have brought an elephant giving birth into our living room Christmas Day and NONE OF MY CHILDREN WOULD HAVE NOTICED........because their heads were stuck in their DSi's. Well, okay - TheKing would have noticed - and then he would most likely have tried to pound the elephant with his new toys because he was fairly agressive that day. So all that hard work and cleverness was lost completely.

Until last night.

SuperStar had one of my favorite girls over to spend the night. And during the evening SuperStar asked me to bring up the Christmas pictures - I did - and then SuperStar brought out the letter Santa wrote her - the stationary matches the other letter that was sent from Santa's work shop (see it pays to be in charge of EVERY fundraiser attached to Santa Letter fundraisers) - and I noticed that apparently the letters and photos had made an impression on my children. It did help to continue the magic of it all. Now it just so happens that this little friend ALSO received a Santa Letter - so everyone's letter was written on the same paper, in the same style with the same signature - and even though this little girl no longer believes - after looking at the photos and sizing up the paper everyones letter came on - she took me aside and asked me if Santa was real..........and I said....."Do You Believe That He Is?" and she said, "I Want To" and I said, "He is Real if You Believe In Him, but when you stop then he is then a Wonderful Way To Give Back To Those You Love" and she smiled and walked back to SuperStar looking back at the photos still on the computer screen.

Don't Stop Believing..........

Ho Ho Ho ..........You Have Got To Go!

So how totally adorable are these Girl Scouts? They are all Holiday'd (my word......let's all start using it in the real world okay?) Up to go Caroling at a local Retirement Center. One that has 3 levels of care....Independent living, Assisted living and then Lock Down living (safety for the people with Alz). The place (the name is withheld so I can't be brought up on slander charges later) is very close to our school. I didn't honestly know that it existed. One of the mothers in the younger Daisy troop at our school put the event together. They gave her 3 nights to choose from. She was given no guidelines as to what would be expected - except I would imagine the commen sense kinda like "no one with a contagious disease please". And the girls were all so tickled to go caroling that we didn't care which night was chosen. So she picked one.

Everyone dressed in casual best - made certain to wear their sashes and add any yet to be attached badges and patches - brushed their hair and donned their Santa cap - and into the vans we went.....



One of our girls even brought her Sax!! She had been practicing Jingle Bells for the school band. I will say she did a very nice job! Way to be MissB! The only draw back was she was kinda slower in playing then the girls were in singing. So she never really played WITH the girls.........she played behind the girls and then kinda gave up. We figured after the girls made it through their song medley we would put MissB up in front and let her play her song solo. There was little break between songs as the girls were singing at a tempo that even we couldn't recognize or keep up with. It was almost - I think - part of the entertainment to see how THEY put the song verses together. I mean.......they had the words right (hard to goof that up as they were written down on paper in front of them)......but they were singing things so fast that there was no break in between verses and you never could recognize a refrain in a song as being a "break". What was even more entertaining was watching the face of the Brownie Leader and Daisy Dad (the mom leader had to work) that were "leading" the songs........each time the girls left the beat they were singing the song in they kinda rolled their eyes a bit, made a sweet face and waited until they could figure out where the girls were to catch up and try to get them back on track - it was kinda like herding cats.









And then..........a bit more then half way through the singing........it happened. One of the facility directors - oh did I mention that this was a VERY VERY SWANKY retirement facility? Like VERY VERY....I can not mention how many VERY's it would take. This place had large screen tv's....furniture nicer then the Hilton Lobby.....shoot the wing we were in had a chef making omelets to order AND Banana's Foster as a demonstration!! There was wifi.........we passed a dining room that was all made up with a beautiful holiday theme......Christmas decorations like you see in Macy's....it was GORGEOUS! It smelled beautiful too - I say this because I have been in many retirement facilities and then NEVER smell so beautiful - shoot my own house hardly smells that good! Someone said later that it cost $2,400 a month to live there. That is more then my mortgage!

So you get the picture......it is Beautiful! Back to the story.......

The director comes in - she is obviously trying to figure out where one song the girls are singing ends and where one begins - she false starts at one point to interrupt, but the girls don't "get it" and keep going. Then as soon as the girls take a breath in unison she breaks in clapping........"Well that was wonderful girls! We all really appreciate you coming and we hope you have a very Merry Christmas!"

I don't know which one, but some girl says "We aren't done." and the Director kinda - no, not kinda - totally ignores her and says, "Maybe you can come back next year." Now......we have only been there for about 17 minutes. We were thinking after doing a Lounge Act we would move into the Assisted living area and sing door to door - that was the prearranged plan at least. Parents aren't picking girls up for another hour - we got PLENTY of time. And then the Director begins to shoo us down the hall toward the parking lot door we came in from.

What did we do? Well apparently the beautiful dining room we saw set up was for a party some of the residents were having with their children and they needed the parking spaces we were using emptied up because the children of the residents were complaining about having to park far away in the "back" parking lot. Did I mention how much the residents children were paying to have their parents live there? Yes.....you see why we got the Santa Boot right?

Next year when we go we will add "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" to our medley.

Performance Time!

TheKing had his first Preschool Recital. I love love loved the way they did it! See we have kids who are from the US, India and some who are Jehovah Witness - so it really is unrealistic to believe that everyone would enjoy a complete recital filled with music celebrating Christmas only.........and our teachers are also smart enough to realize that our 3 year olds are not quite ready to learn enough songs within a short amount of time to fill just a Christmas venue - so they cleverly had the children sing a large combintation of songs and recite poems with hand and body motions that they have been learning through out the year. And I must say TheKing was a True Performer!! Not at all shy.....placed strategically between two girls that he does not wrestle to the ground......he promptly pointed me out to the crowd - waved - said "Hi Mom I am right here" and then waved again and again - tapped MissC and pointed me out - looked for BigGuy and after seeing him pointed him out and waved too. It was just Too Sweet!! Without further ado........TheKing and The Great Big Spider - followed by - The Teenie Tiny Spider......

Happy Birthday Little Man!

Today is TheKing's 4th Birthday! Where did the time go? Seems like just yesterday he was coming home from the hospital. This is the year he 100% understands that his birthday is the BIG DAY that he gets to choose things. The Grands were all in over the weekend and we celebrated with candles and cupcakes. Today BigGuy and I will go to school with him to celebrate with the kids and be the parent helpers in honor of TheKing. Then on Saturday he will have a party with 10 friends. He is SO EXCITED!!

Happy Birthday Little Man! We love you!

What I Can Easily Find

Remember I asked the other day "Where Is Precious"? Well a movie that I can find EVERYWHERE is Blind Side. At first I thought that this was a "comfort" zone kind of race thing. Well......honestly a little bit I still do think that. But not completely anymore. I understand through a little reading that one was a big budgeted film to begin with - big stars - big intent and hope attached for returns probably even. The other was a smaller film that was seen by a largely influential woman who was able to help push it into the lime light and it has grown in popularity to become a box office success. And I believe both films are doing very well. I have only seen the easily found film so far. And I must say that I did like the film.......but I think it fell a little short on its teachable moments.

Remember February? My month of White Privilege blogs? Well I must say that I believe the family in this movie probably now fully understands what I am talking about. However, I think the film could have touched much more strongly on it. This probably sounds funny coming from me because our family photos will some day look similar to this families photos (minus the football uniforms I hope). But what I was hoping to see in this movie was a more blatant picture of how white people are often closed off to any experience that is not their own - and how that changes. Often times we (whites) see our history as every one's history. We have been taught that White History is every one's history. But it isn't. Especially my generation and any generation that came before my group. We are are taught White Male History - shoot the word alone is HIS-tory. I can easily go to the library and find books about American History that includes what white males did for us. Easy.........there are volumes and volumes of it. Ask anyone on the street to name a famous person who changed our world and I bet you the highest percentage will answer the name of a white male. Is it our fault? Well it is if you let it continue.

Does it seem like I am getting off subject? Well I am not. I am trying to explain that I think because our society has always been conditioned to see things through the White Experience........I find myself disappointed in this movie. Maybe it is just me though. Maybe because in some ways my own experience is the Mothers experience in this movie and I can identify with her - I see that it is written from the white persons experience. Maybe I went in there wanting to more see it from the Sons experience. And don't get me completely wrong......it does show his experience......but it is from a very strong metaphor through football - which alienates me a bit. Yes, I understand why football plays such a strong role in this film.........because the young man in the movie became a very wonderful professional football player. The rags to riches (both emotionally and financially) story is inspiring. To me maybe more so then others. But lets just say that the story didn't depict such a wealthy white family - or a black youth who has become so successful - would the story still have been made into a movie? What if the white family had been only middle class......and the black youth had only become a teacher - would the story have still been made? Would it still inspire so many?

I think the story would still inspire others......but I question weather the story would have been made. Maybe. I hope.

The one thing that I truly hope to see come out of this film is an opening up of our society to embrace the children of African American decent here in the United States. I am asked just about once a month what part of African our youngest son is adopted from. When I tell them that he is a child born in the United States many of them seem genuinely confused. They assume that we would cross the ocean to adopt. They are much less interested when I tell them he is from the same country they are. In some instances they have told me that they hoped he was from Africa because they plan to adopt from there and hoped I could give them some tips about the process. When I suggest that if they are comfortable adopting cross race lines there is a much closer to home way to adopt and help a US child - they aren't interested. I have asked myself why many times.

Is it their love for Africa? Don't they love the United States as much?

Is it their need to help a child living in horrible conditions? Don't they understand kids in foster are there because of horrible conditions?

Is it their need to do what is popular and cool? Don't they realize a child is not an accessory? They can save $20,000, adopt here through foster care for free and then bank that money to send the child to college.

Course I know some of these families. China, Russia, Africa. And I know that their choice was the perfect one for them. And I wouldn't change their experience at all. But maybe Blind Side will begin to change the attitude of those families who have yet to adopt. Then it will become more common - maybe.

I am hoping.

Where Is Precious?

Why are there so few theatres showing Precious? In our town not a single theatre is showing it on a daily basis. There was a "special" - 1 Night Only - viewing a few Mondays ago. I hadn't realized that they wouldn't be showing it or I would have taken that evening to go and see it. Now it is gone.

So I began to search for it. Precious is not in a single theatre in our area......and I don't just mean our Twin Cities.......it isn't even within simple driving distance. Why is that? Is it the content - which is on the dark side of bleak? Is it too real for people? Is it too hard to admit that situations like that exist? Why is it still "by demand"? Is it because we are afraid?

I found this article in The New York Times as I did some searching for the movie -
The Audacity of Precious - and now I want to see it even more. Where is Precious?

Upside Down Christmas

Now .............. seriously.........I googled Upside Down Christmas and this is what I found!! Tons and Tons of them! Upside Down Christmas Trees! What are these for?? To make someone's Christmas Unique and Different? To help that persons home become the spotlight of Christmas? I have to admit that I don't find them repulsive......in fact I think they are quite clever in a space saver kind of a way. Because if you think about it - there is TONS of space on our ceiling for the width of a tree - but so much furniture and such competing for floor space that really it would be easier to fit the Tip of the Christmas tree on the Bottom.

My question would be......how do you get the presents Under the Bottom of the Tree on the Ceiling?

Now I also think that this sort of Christmas Tree fits very well with the twist that is the more recent kind of Christmas. Christmas seems to have become a holiday of lists and extreme shopping. Through this past week I have heard that ToysRUs will be opening their doors at 12:00am on the day after Thanksgiving! Kohl's is something like 3:00am........Walmart is deciding not to do any crazy specials and they are just staying open ALL NIGHT LONG with specials starting at 5:00am. To me that is all insane.........I can't imagine any reason to head out and shop that early....because isn't Christmas supposed to be about something else? Everyone complains about the commercialism of Christmas - it is too much about the stress of giving and not enough about the love for one another and religion. So what I am thinking is ............... if you are getting up at crazy hours to make "special" purchases the day after Thanksgiving - then do not complain to me about how the meaning of Christmas is being lost - because you are part of the fast fade that is the lost meaning of Christmas. Just like the Upside Down Christmas Tree - it is fun, it is crazy and exciting and the prices fit a budget better.......but it isn't Christmas.

It is not about the BEST price on the Best Gift - it is about showing your family, friends, neighbors and God how much you love them - no gift needed.

Tis The Season.......

Tis The Season To Be Thankful...........Happy Thanksgiving!!

Mornings are Kinda Lonely Now

Close to every morning I am the first person up. I head down the steps and see our dog, Jake, in his crate on the landing - standing up trying to gather his ball or lovie - whatever he has taken into his crate with him - preparing to head out with me. I open the crate, he bangs into my leg because he is so big and there isn't a ton of space there with his giant crate - and he runs down the stairs. Half dancing, half wanting to get out side. He drops his ball somewhere and runs for the door. The game is you are supposed to find the ball......then pick it up and throw it out the door. Then he runs out after it and dances around it pretending he has no clue where it is. Takes him forever to bring it back. So usually we go back inside and when he has sufficiently pretended not to know where it is........he finds it - and runs back throwing his body against the glass door to let you know it is time to throw again. Now mornings are quiet. Crate is still there. But there is nothing there. No annoying ball game...........no Jakey. Just empty.

I have no idea what day this will post.....my head is a bit muddled.....but last Sunday our sweet, goofy, ball obsessed dog intentionally bit TheKing. It was not provoked. It was not expected. It was not okay. I was standing right near where Jake was laying on the ground. TheKing came into the room and very sweetly began to count Jake's paws. "Look Mom Jake has four feet." I looked over and Jake seemed fine - still laying there. TheKing was standing near, but not over him. TheKing moved a bit closer to count Jakes ears and eyes - not poking or pointing. Jake jumped up without malice - TheKing tried to kiss him - Jake moved toward TheKing and bit him in the face. It was all a split second - no forewarning of a growl - just a quick action. If it had been any other dog and not our sweet, loved Jake I would have easily called it An attack really.

But it was Jake. And our minds wanted to try to reason it away. Only there was no good reason for this.

TheKing was not seriously hurt. He has 4 wounds - 2 deep scratches and 2 superficial puncture wounds. No stitches. A week later the swelling is all gone - the red is gone and the scabs are already brushed off. He will have some tiny scars, but those are primarily due to the fact that he is 3 and keeps butting his head into things and losing the scabs. He is a trooper and we are so happy that the outcome was this simple.

We reported the incident to the vet. Who alerted the Animal Control. We were required to either surrender Jake for a 10 day quarentine or waive that by putting him down and having tests done to his body. We put him in quarentine until we could figure out what to do next. That meant phone calls to many no-kill shelters - who we found would not take dogs with a bite history. We considered training, but we knew even if we put him through training we would never be able to trust him with our kids again. Some close friends asked if they could take Jake in - train him and find another home for him. We considered training him and putting him into a better home - one without kids. Then we were asked this simple question.........

If your child was biten by a dog and then you found out that dog had biten before, but the family didn't keep him because they didn't trust him......but adopted him into a new home - how would you feel?

So if we didn't trust Jake with our own family, friends and neighborhood kids....why would we risk the safety of those we haven't met yet. And our decision was sadly made.

The hard part was - he bit our child - and yet we felt absolutely awful putting him down. Awful. Tears for days. A friend, who is a vet, told me that he wasn't a bad or evil dog - he was just a dog that mixed up where he belonged in our family in a way that was dangerous. It might have been easier had he been evil.

Jake was always the greatest dog EVER. He was obsessed with his ball - if you ever visited you know exactly what I am talking about.........over and over and over - he was never ending with the ball. He used to try to sneak onto the couch by sitting like a human. Butt on the custion, front paws on the floor and his head on the coffee table. Dork dog. He was patient with the kids in general. He loved his crate - sleeping in it every night and never complaining or trying to dodge it. I can remember when we were moving from STL to here. We had him in the hotel in a travel crate....he was way too big for that pop up thing and yet he was a team player and scrunched up inside it looking all happy to be there. He was really the greatest dog ever - I could list far more Wonderful Jake things then negatives.

We took the kids to say goodbye to Jake. That was the Saddest Day Ever. He was in his kennel - they couldn't open it for us. All the dogs there were frantically barking - trying to get our attention. Jake was frantically barking.......probably trying to get us to open the door. He didn't recognize us at first and his barking was not friendly. The kids immediately put their hands over their ears because it was all so deafening and they cried. We all were crying. The people who worked there disappeared - I know that one woman who had spent a great deal of time the two days prior talking to me was crying. Spidey wanted to leave. TheKing wanted to leave. We started to leave and I looked back and there was SuperStar with her hands over her ears.......scraming, "But I didn't get to say goodbye yet!" So I went back and took her hand to leave as she said goodbye. Only she still didn't see it as a done task because we thought we would get to be in a room with Jake, pet him and say goodbye properly. We didn't realize that his restrictions of quarentine would require him to stay in his kennel - with a giant padlock on the fence.

It was very hard. It was impossible.

"But I want Jakey to come home."

"Don't worry TheKing. Jake will always love you. He will always be in your heart."

That is what my oldest son said to my youngest son as we were driving away from the Animal Control building. And he is right. He will always be in our hears. He is in mine right now.

Girl Scout Extravaganza

This was a Super Fun day. I will admit that this was a Saturday that followed a crazy few weeks. Wait........now that I type that out and think about it I can not remember a Saturday that didn't follow a very crazy week - not crazy like "I can't handle another thing", but more crazy like "gosh a down day would be nice". So on this particular day I was border line with a cold......tired from lack of sleep due to the cold.....and it was the first weekend after many VERY busy ones. The thought of just staying in bed was a nice one.....but two days before this Girl Scout event we were informed that our troop was a Honor Troop and we had been invited to participate in the Opening and Closing Flag Ceremonies. Which was a big honor as this was a Large Scale Girl Scout event including troops for all over.

There were only 5 of our 18 girls that attended that day. That made everything a lot easier to manage. As the girls practiced I could see that they were very excited. SuperStar was invited to be one of the Callers......very big for her. All the other girls were lucky enough to do exactly what they requested too - 2 Flag Bearers and 2 Guards. So everyone was happy - making it even more exciting. And I was a bit surprised at the pride that swelled up in me as the girls walked down the isle. It was very cool. After the Annual Meeting and the retiring of the Flags the girls got to meet and take a picture with the Head of all Girl Scouts - Connie Lindsay. That also is a pretty bit honor! The girls had lunch and my co-leader and I attended a real live sit down luncheon in another ball room. Then we played - rock climbing, archery, crafts, cookie tasting - it was all there. Very fun twist.

A Day In The Life Of Me

I am always talking about what the kids do...........and BigGuy.......and I am often listing off the things that I don't get accomplished in a day. So I thought that perhaps I would take a day to follow myself around and make a picture list of the things that I DO get accomplished. I even did pretty well - I made it all the way to about 6pm. Then things started to get hectic and I lost track of the camera.........and that is part of my life too! So here is a peek into my daily activities...

Someone Needs To Explain How This Happened

About what..............7 weeks ago I think.....September 14thish - or was it the weekend after that? Does anyone remember when the Pork & Apple Festival was? Because it was THAT Sunday that GranmaR bought SuperStar & Spidey the 2 hamsters for their birthday. Sweetest little things. Oreo & Raven. Pretty certain we did a post introducing them..........well tonight I was cleaning their cage and there was Oreo eating food - there was Raven pogo bouncing to the opening trying to leap out into freedom............Raven does this - she will literally escape from her house at least 2x a week. And then in the morning I will be walking around - I am almost always the first one up - and she will eventually scurry to me to be picked up and placed back into her house. What in heavens name is that about? When have you ever - EVER - ever heard of a hammie that escapes their house and then comes straight to you in the morning to be picked up to go to bed for the day? Anyone?

I didn't think so.

Anyway.........I am cleaining the cage - Oreo is eating as usual - and Raven is begging to be picked up and put in her ball. And then I noticed another hamster. A very small gray hamster.....who was walking around like a drunk. We didn't buy that one. We bought 2 FEMALE hamsters. The store helper explained to Spidey why they only sold them in SAME SEX PAIRS.........so there was no mating........no surprises.........well looky here!!! This is either emaculate conception - or someone doesn't know how to pick out a hammie penis. Hmmm............

That figured out - see I am not saying emaculate conception doesn't exist, but I don't think God is going to waste that miracle on our hamsters - I could be wrong and I suppose if tomorrow a bush in the back yard goes up in flames I will reconcider.......but for now I am going to say the store helpers can't decipher what a hammie penis looks like (and honestly I can't either).

















and now we have 5 more hamsters...........

Anyone trying to figure out what to get their kids for Christmas? Because we will be weaning baby hammies mid December.......anyone? anyone?

Here is a last funny - the store helper said that if we brought them back in at 4 weeks old they would decipher the sex for us so we can divide them up. Now tell me - do we trust the store workers who helped us buy 2 FEMALE hamsters to begin with?

I have been told that this is where Pumpkin Pie comes from..............

So Here We Go...........

Know what this is? Ack! This is the beginning of all the romance drama to come. This is the very first official Love Letter SuperStar has received. Now she has had a kiss from her "first boyfriend" - a childhood friend from the age of about 6 months. And that was sweet - and he had some moves - but it was still Our Best Friends Son...........no some schmuck raised by people we have NO CLUE ABOUT! In fact, I know a lot of kids at their school and this kid is not one that I can say would be easy to find in a line up. So this little hooligan has taken a shine to our SuperStar - to the point that he was willing to create art and sign both their names in a heart AND give it to her through a friend. Oh the Audacity he has!

So Here We Go..........

Now this is probably only funny to me......but a few months ago I was talking with a friend. This friend happens to be the first boy that I held hands with in Jr. High, first shy kiss and first boy who let me wear his jeans jacket. He now also has a daughter - just one year older then SuperStar. She just this year started Jr. High. I asked him what he knew about any crushes she had. He assured me there were NO crushes - she was far too young for that sort of thing. I reminded him that we were her and SuperStars age when he first held my hand, pecked my cheek and wrote me notes. And I also reminded him that it was all sweet and innocent and just part of growing up. He said something about boys that age not being trusted based on what he remembered and wanted to change the subject and talk about something else. And I laughed at him - because it is all sweet and innocent.

I am not laughing as much now. Dang I hate when things bite me in the butt.

So What Do You Think? Don't you just LOVE LOVE LOVE this new background on the blog? I do..........and I thank Household Executive. Went to her blog yesterday and noticed that she had some fabulous new look to her blog and thought "dang when did she learn how to twist the HMLwhatchamathingy?" and then figured out just how she did it. And then.......I copied her - using a different background though. And then.......I changed my other blog too...and I changed its name to IpsyBipsySpider.

Why did I change the other blogs name? Well because I am going to start a little business and it turns out that PattiCakes is already taken. DamnIt! Although I think I can still use it in the state I live, but if someone is searching PattiCakes they are likely to hit ALL of them.....and there are quite a few.......which makes IpsyBipsySpider unique.

HoHo Mr. MailPerson!!

We are doing a fun fundraiser in TheKing's preschool. Santa Letters!!

Touch a Child's heart today with the Magic of the Holiday Season by sending them a Personalized Letter from Santa Claus


Imagine the face of the person when they receive a
Personalized, Hand Signed letter from Santa this season
on beautiful Holiday paper enclosed in an embellished envelope.

Our child's preschool, A Child's View Cooperative Preschool, will mail a letter to your Child OR Adult (really, it can be fun for an adult to get a letter too! Imagine THIER surprise!) anywhere you need it to go. Simply fill out the attached order form - send it back to the person who sent this email to you - and then we will do the rest.

Attached forms include a sample of the text included in the letter.
All Letters are $5.00 ~ Letters will be mailed as soon as payment is received.

If you have ANY questions please do not hesitate to email me at pattipattygsell@yahoo.com

All Proceeds Benefit A Child's View Cooperative Preschool
a not-for profit community preschool

Two Sides To Every Coin

There is a mom in our school that another friend and I like to jest about. It is nothing very mean..........this mom is just somewhat specific about how she likes her children to be raised............who seems to like to keep her kids surrounded by certain types of people (meaning smarties).........who has a very high academic bar for them to achieve towards......and who has made comments about my son to her very young daughter - which honestly is what started my joking with this other mom -

Really quick here is the back story........we are at a school Young Authors event - both SuperStar and Spidey have written books so they are both there. My kids have spent much time with this mom and her family over the past few years. So she is quite familiar with my kids and truthfully I would have not been offended AT ALL had this come from her own mouth to me......but it didn't. Her daughter, who was 4 at the time, approached me. I love this kid - too cute for words and smart as a whip (whatever that means). She comes up, I hug her, she hugs me, and then she looks up and says, "My mom says Spidey is a rude boy." and off she trotted.....leaving me there with my mouth open - half giggling and half wondering "what the heck?"

I wander to another friend and without mentioning names ask her what she would have done.......she just wanted to know who it was. Never told her. She had not good suggestions (if you are reading my dear....you had no good suggestions). Then a few months later I said something without thinking about it while with this second friend that gave away who that mom was. And we giggled because she had similar experiences. And we afterward made fun of EACH OTHER and how we would fall short of this persons expectations as a parent.......which also kinda made fun of the person directly. Bad Us.

Then last week SuperStar told me about something at school. SuperStar remembered that they had not passed out the BooGrams her class purchased for one another. She was disappointed because she can't WAIT to see how many she got. Remember BooGrams? They were like a status symbol in a way - a popularity measurement. If you didn't get one then it meant that no one was thinking about you as special. That can really hurt a kid. I remember. In fact I buy one for each of my kids each time something like this comes up just to make sure they get one. SuperStar and I reasoned that the next week they would hand out the BooGrams. And then she told me about how The Specific Mom had come in the day before they were supposed to be handed out. She had asked to purchase a BooGram for every child in both her children's grades that DID NOT already have one purchased for them. She wanted to make certain that every child in Kindergarten and 5th grade were treated to the feeling that someone thought they were special.

I had only thought to do it for my own kids. She had thought to do it for EVERY kid. She Rocks.

I forgot to look at both sides of her coin and just bothered to look at one.

Driving Round In Circles

Do you plan your errands out in a circle? I mean.........when you think of how you are going to complete the errands that you have in front of you do you create the motion you will travel in to be close to a circle that brings you back to your home?

If you live here in my area it will be easy for you - if you don't try to picture it in your head -
My list of things to do:
* Aldi
* Meijers
* Girl Scout office
* Blockbuster
* Gym
* Elementary School
* Bank
* Target
The gym has to go first because if I don't do it right away then it might be reasoned away as a time problem. So we go there first.
Then we take a left and head down the main street away from our home - next has to be the Girl Scout office because it is on the Right and next on the street (no doubling back) - then Meijers because it is on the Right and next on the street - then Aldi - because it is further on the Right - then we cross the main street and are now traveling back in the direction of our home - Target first because it is next on the road and on the Right - then Blockbuster because, yes, it is next on the Road and on the RIGHT - continue to the Bank - on the Right and next on the road - then all the way down to the Elementary school because it is closest to home and then home.

Now..........seems to make sense right? Except we went to the grocery stores very early in our trip and there were some freezer things (always there are).......and still it makes more sense TO ME to continue in a complete circle rather then double back and forth taking up more time to keep something frozen. God Help the Ice Cream.

Does this make sense to you? Or are these early signs of OCD? Or am I just want too anal retentive?

Fly Away Fly Away Fly Away Home.......

These Ladies are EVERYWHERE lately. They came streaming into our house just after the first real chill down in the area. At first they were dying almost as quickly as they were coming in through the garage and front door (note - we need to get better insulation around the front door!).........but now they aren't dying anymore. The Ladies that are here now are the ones who survived the trip and they seem ready to hunker down for the winter. They have NO FEAR of us what-so-ever. And we don't want to kill any of them so we find ourselves picking the ones up who are in the way and moving them to a safer spot. There are 2 Ladies inparticular who like to hang out around the sink.............they just sit around on the coutners right near the sink......

and at first glance they look like a spec of something that we need to clean up - and then you get close up with the towel and find......shoot it is a Lady Bug (Asian Lady Beetle) and instead of cleaning we go find a piece of paper to slide under it and move it to the window sill or some other "safety zone". Friends who visited recently even began to get into the act - switching them from one place to another - I mean honestly......no one wants to hear the crunch of a Lady under their shoes. That just sounds like bad luck all around.

Who would have ever thought that when the song went, "Fly Away Fly Away Fly Away Home" they meant for them to be flying to our house? Sheesh!

The Grass Can Always Look Greener I Suppose........

TheKing is getting dangerously close to 4 years old now. Can you believe that? 4 years old! SuperStar is 10. Spidey is 8. Where did it all go? Makes my head spin honestly. As TheKing gets older the conversations we have had are also getting older. What I mean is they make a heck of a lot more sense now..........and they are about who he is and how he relates to others.

A few days ago he and I were snuggling on his bed and just talking. No TV. No books. Just laying there trying to calm down after a bit of an emotional stint over a toy that would not work the way he wanted it to. He had been put to bed for the night and even though the ending was supposed to have been somewhat of a discipline move.........I felt like a snuggle might make things a bit better and had snuck back into his room. So it was also dark - which can make snuggling better on certain occasions.

On this occasion he wanted to talk about things - like most kids do they want to hear stories about when they were little. Littler then 3 doesn't leave much - but you can always find something can't you? As we were laying there he placed his baby on his belly. I asked him if he remembered laying on my belly snuggling when he was a baby....and how he used to fall asleep and I would listen to him breath? He said he did. He said he remembered when he was really little and he would be inside my tummy and he would eat food from my belly until he could come out and I would hold him. That surprised me. I didn't expect him to remember all that just yet. He is only 3 after all. And it made me sad too........because that wasn't me. I wish that were me, but that is some other lucky woman. And although I have never really found myself feeling genuinely jealous of her......at that moment I was. I wished sincerely that I was that woman so that I could say without any other thought in my head, "Yes, I remember that too." and then snuggle him a smidge closer knowing that we shared nine months that no one else in the world would be able to have a piece of. But I can't.

It is moments like this that remind me that I am connected to a woman that I am thankful for everyday. Without her there would be no TheKing. And I am envious of the connection she has with him. Although I know that he is now as much my son as he will ever be hers. And I know that somewhere in the world she is envious of the connection I have with him. So we now share envy as well as a blinding love for TheKing. And I an realistic that if we look hard enough at something the grass can always look greener I suppose, but honestly I am just very thankful for the grass, regardless of it greenness, that surrounds me right here. There isn't more that I could wish for really.

Does She Know?

On the main road (really.......it actually turns into Main St.) into the town we live near there is a white house. Cute. Olderish. Medium size type bungalow. It is in an area that probably once was kinda residential, but now the street is a 4 lane road and the houses are turned into businesses. The rather large sign on the outside reads "Psychic - Tarot Card Readings".

In the 2.5 years we have lived here I have NEVER seen anyone going in or coming out until yesterday. However, the sign is still up and the electricity is still on - so I will guess that the business is doing well enough to continue.

Almost every time I drive past this business I wonder, "Does the Psychic KNOW that I am just outside Wondering if she (I am making stereotype judgements) KNOWS I am wondering about her?"

Do any of you who live here and read ever do this when you pass by?

Yesterday I added, "Will she be upset that I will be mocking Psychics by dressing up as one for Halloween? Or take it as a compliment? AND Does she know I am just outside thinking about this?"

She MUST right? She is a psychic after all.

Solidarity

What exactly is the definition of Solidarity? Maybe I won't be using it correctly - but I will let you all worry about that. I am using the word to say that I am totally backing SuperStar 100% through the next 8 weeks of what I remember to be a very trying time when I was her age.

See..........look really closely at this picture. Look at my exposed ear and then look at her exposed ear (or do it the other way around and look at hers first - I really won't be insulted if I am the second look). Do you see anything? It was hard to get a good pic that showed what I am talking about really really well - but you do see that we both have on sparkly earrings - right? Well, if you could see us in REAL LIFE - you would see that we have pretty much identical earrings on.

Yes........SuperStar overcame her fear of shots and got her ears pierced!! But it wasn't an easy process.

About 2 years ago I suggested she get her ears pierced for her birthday. When I was little I begged to have my ears pierced - and my mom said not until you are 10 years old. I think I was in 3rd grade when I first started asking.........and I waited.......and I waited.......I think I counted those days more intensely then I counted down to my drivers license. I really really wanted my ears pierced. So when SuperStar was in 3rd grade I offered to take her. BigGuy and I had taken CuznM when she was that age (her mother said we could). But SuperStar wanted not a single thing to do with that kinda pain. Which didn't surprise me. I mean, she is the kid that I have to make sure has a doctors appointment scheduled when BigGuy can go IF there is a shot involved. We have had to restrain her physically (the two of us working together with a nurse) for her shots. So there was no way we would be able to get her ears pierced - in a very public window of Claires at the mall - using anything but her free will.

Then just a bit more then a week ago she came up and said, "Can I get my ears pierced?" Thinking she would back out I said, "Sure we can do it this weekend." And I waited for her to come back having changed her mind.

Only she didn't. In fact.....she jumped BigGuy as soon as he got home from work and told him ALL ABOUT her plan to do it. And so it was decided.

On Friday (they were off school) we went to the mall. The ride was hilarious - she was nervous - anything I said she told me I was making her MORE nervous - evne when I said I was hungry - so I stayed quiet. We got into the store easy enough and she was all about signing up to get it done. SuperStar picked the most inexpensive earrings they had - and then (because I talked with BigGuy and he said "give her the works") I suggested she get the pair that she would most like wearing for 3 months. So she upgraded to some sparkly daisies. And it was on. They put the dots on her ears - they talked about what they were going to do - they made sure the sparkles were what she wanted because, they explained, after they opened the boxes there was no turning back - she was ALL IN - and the boxes were opened, the earrings were loaded onto the little guns - and she started to turn red and break into a sweat.

Now I had mentioned (quietly) to the woman that SuperStar generally needed restraints for shots - so the plan was to have both store workers do the ears at the same time - no backing out after the first. But the anxiety was already settling into SuperStar - she took a few laps around the store. Then she backed out. The woman explained again that they wanted to give her time to think it through and they went back to the work the store. I explained that the earrings now belonged to us - that we would be leaving with a $40 pair of earrings (earrings, piercing & the care kit all came together) regardless of if they were in her ears. AND that if they were not in her ears the next pair to pierce her ears would be paid for by her. She did the math quickly - it came up to about 2 months of allowance IF she didn't buy any candy. Priorities you know. She even told me that I was making her feel guilty about money ............... hmmmm..........if that all it took then perhaps I have been doing it wrong..........I assured her I had no intentions of forcing her to have her ears pierced - I just wanted her to understand what would be up the next time she wanted to pierce her ears - and I added that she should just do it now and after we would go get a soda and have a giggle and that I would be totally jealous I missed out on wearing the sparkly pair that she decided to keep to herself. In the end she changed her mind. The girls came over - counted faster then SuperStar could react to and BOOM her ears were pierced.

And to stand by her I bought a pair of earrings they had that matched the ones she had - and I vowed that if she could overcome her fear of having her ears pierced I could wait 2 months to change the earrings just like she would have to (turned out 3 months wasn't the time frame - my mom must have lied to me). And then she said I promised her a Smoothie - which I hadn't!

So we went and got a Smoothie to celebrate her most recent step toward being an adult. And I put my earrings in. And she told me she thought it was silly that I was doing that and I could take them out when ever I wanted - dang - she could have told me that BEFORE I made the purchase. However now I am very happy to be wearing them because I have overheard her telling her friends, "My mom is wearing earrings just like mine because she loves me." I might have to wear them forever.........
The girls came back

1 Pound at a Time

1 Pound at a Time. So everyone that knows me knows that when I am not so happy I will self medicate myself with yummy foods. Well........honestly sometimes they aren't really all that yummy....sometimes they are fast foods and they are replacing the foods that I am not feeling quite up to creating because of whatever obstacle is in my way in life that I a avoiding addressing.

For the past 2.5 years the obstacle has been moving and losing having friends and family so close. Duh - been here - read that.

As you also know - I have been working very hard on creating a happy place here by embracing all the wonderful things that are My Life. I mean I blog about 4 of them on a weekly basis. And there are some wonderful friendships being built and I blog about them..........and there are of course continued wonderful friendships and I blog about those. Funny how still those insecurities can creep in and make you think about the negatives though - but lately they don't creep in far enough to reverse the positive forward direction.

In refocusing on the Wonderful I am also finding that the Extra Me I gained along the backward route is disappearing. 1 pound at a time. So I feel way better physically as well as emotionally.

Now if I could just address this Volunteer-A-Holic problem that I have. Sign - where is that sponsor of mine?

Why Is It Only Octomom we Criticize?

"Carolyn Savage won't have another chance to carry her own baby because of her age and difficulties during her earlier pregnancies. She and her husband plan to hire a surrogate and try again for a fourth child."

Through the past year I have heard so much said about Octomom. That she is creating children that she can't take care of. I kinda understand that argument - although I don't support it. Then there is that she is abusing the science of fertility. Totally don't support that statement. I mean she is using it in a way that is not very supportive to her financial state, but who is responsible for setting the rules about how many kiddo's you can create with these scientific abilities? Is she the person? If she is then are we saying that she is Morally Responsible for making smart decisions regarding the children she brings forth? I could support that argument. Or are we saying that because she can't financially support the children in the manner that would make her independent from state supports she should not be having more children? Would I say she is abusing the miracle science of creation? No. I would personally say that the doctor who said "Oh yeah let's give this a go" is just as responsible as Octomom is. Because if we are saying that she is being irresponsible we have to place a number on how many children can be created per person using this science. And if we do that then we have to look at every family that is using the science and perhaps we should also put the limit per family as one that also is compared to financial statements. Yes?

No.

See I think it is just as tragic that people with the funds to support the children they have are continuing to create more children. The above quote is one that I found in several places. Most have probably heard the more recent fertility tragedy that occurred. The couple who became pregnant only to find out that the clinic had placed some other couples fertilized eggs into the woman. And that the woman then gave birth to the child instead of aborting the pregnancy and then gave that baby back to the parents who created the baby with the use of the fertility science. Now there is no denying that the story in itself is a selfless and beautiful one - I mean the part about going through with the pregnancy and giving the baby to the family that created the baby. The disappointment of the mistake must have been just awful and I can't begin to imagine it. I can imagine the act of placing the child in the rightful family - but still that is amazing and wonderful.

Here is where I have difficulty. When I read the story I thought that this was going to be their first child. But it wasn't - it was to be their fourth child. Fourth. All that money to create a child when they already had experienced the miracle of having children of their own biologically. And still they spend thousands and thousands of dollar to create more children. And there are thousands and thousands of children right here in the Foster care system waiting to be adopted. Family-less. And we are to embrace their loss of a child (which I can) and then nod in approval as they hire a surrogate to give birth to another child they will create. When there are so many children already created that would benefit from the love that would be a family. So are we okay with this because they can afford to hire people to help them create a family because they have the funds? Or are we okay with it because we don't really cherish the kids who are already created and waiting for a family?

This can get very confusing. I do understand that if you have not experienced creating your own child biologically you would want to. This understanding comes through friends I know who have this experience - so I am still detached from really understanding it personally. I would have a very hard time not wanting to embrace using this science of fertility for that experience. However, if you have experienced it several times - and then still want to spend more money to do it when there are so many children that are in the world needing a home - I have less understanding. That same amount of money could help a child be adopted into a family - shoot it would cost tons less to adopt a child here in the US!

So why are we so quick to question the choices of Octomom and not to question the choices of others? There are so many kids who need to a home that are already here in the world. Why do we need to spend thousands and thousands to create more? Aren't we Morally Responsible to be there for the children waiting for families? Love the ones that are here already.

A Week Later I Finally Thawed Out

So one week and one day ago we were in the Homecoming Parade of the local college. The theme was "Rock the Red" - much better then last year when it appeared to be "Roast and Kill the Bears", BigGuy's almamater from MO. That theme didn't go over very well with SuperStar - she kept approaching floats and telling them that killing the bears was not nice. This year everyone seemed much more at peace with the theme.

And we added something new - Boy Scouts!! It was kinda fun - we made our own theme be Bobcat Scouts - our school mascot - and we had both Girl & Boy Scouts present. We even made banners to reflect the groups - only none of the scouts would carry them so the parents ended up doing it.

Bonus was that TheKing's preschool was right behind us too! So we had all three of the kids covered and included in their school's part in the parade. It was cold, but it was a lot of fun!

My Daughter is a Changeist

So we are working really hard to raise our kids with an open mind about everything - don't judge - consider all angles of the people that you encounter in life - the situations you find yourself in - and take each gift you receive as an opportunity.............so how did SuperStar become a Changeist!?!

Do you wonder what a changeist is? Well............at school the student council are selling Boo Grams. Remember them? Your school probably had something similar. It is early morning at our house during Boo Gram sales. SuperStar says, "I need $3.00 so I can buy some Boo Grams for my friends".

Boo Grams cost $.25 each - this means that there are 12 friends who will be receiving them from her. Note that she has TOLD me she NEEDS the money. One of the things we are very consciously (although we do tend to forget) trying to teach the kiddo's is that we aren't going to just Hand Over money - and also the much needed concept of NEED vs WANT. So many of thier NEEDS are really WANTS. Boo Gram money is a WANT. So I suggested that she use her allowance for the purchase.

"No, they won't take a five dollar bill. They only want change." was the response.

"Well you could give me your five and then I will give you change." I told her.

"Well actually if you could just give me quarters then it will be better." she smiled.

I am seeing where this is going. This money is being seen as inconsequential because it is not a BILL - it is simply change. So I asked her, "Buying Boo Grams is not something you have to have, so you will need to earn the money for it - or - if I give you three dollars in change what will you do to earn it?"

"Why would I need to earn change?" she was no longer smiling and she had a look like people throw change away........work for it? Seriously?! And then we worked out an agreement - she really wanted to buy all 12 of her friends Boo Grams. She did an extra chore that night, sweeping the pine off the back porch, and I would give her three dollars in change. Everyone was happy.

Then I began counting out the change from the pink ceramic baby foot planter that the people who lived here before us left. Hey, what else was I going to do with a planter like that? It had change collector all over it. I counted out eight quarters and ten dimes. A total of $3.00. SuperStar looked at it and said, "Ah I don't want the dimes."
"Why not? They are change and make a full dollar." I was clearly confused.

"My friends will see them." and she began to gather up the quarters.

"Why does it matter if they see the dimes? They are valid money." still confused.

Looking at me like I was a real goof she said, "Well if we don't have any more quarters then I will just take these to buy Boo Grams." and she started to pocket the quarters - she was not taking the dimes.

"But that means that four of your friends won't get Boo Grams. You are telling me that you dislike using dimes in public so much that you would cut four of your friends off of your list to receive Boo Grams?" what in the world was I missing? How totally not cool am I these days?

Her response was simply, "Yes."

My daughter is a Changeist. She hates small currency - pennies, nikels and dimes - for no apparent reason other then it seems to make her feel as though others will look at her using this form of payment and think we are out of money and have to use small change. She explained this in the slightly extended version of our conversation. I repeated this to a friend later in the day........thinking they would (like me) roll their eyes at the prejudice against small change - but I was surprised because they didn't! The friend also hates using small change in public - or even real money - instead preferring a debit card or credit card - because other people might think they are on a budget. Realy? What is wrong with budgets? Aren't we all on a budget these days? I thought saying "oh that doesn't fit our budget" is the new cool thing to say. She even offered up that maybe SuperStar is putting together that we give away our small change to homeless people who ask on the streets and if she uses change people will think she is poor. Really?! I hate those debit card commercials where the world stops and makes the person paying by check or cash look like an idiot.

So now we have a new goal -
1) Teach the kids to manage their money
2) Teach the difference between a NEED and a WANT
3) Teach the children to embrace CHANGE!

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Happy Happy Birthday BigGuy!!!
(he is still not 40)

Do You Know Your Neighbors?

In an area where there are 192 churches (I googled it - although some of the names of the churches left me wondering if they are legit) for approximately 150,000 people (googled this too and the closest stat is from 2007) - I find myself a tad surprised to hear that there will be a Nudist Fall Festival in the area. As I drove to drop off my youngest at preschool today I was amazingly allowed to listen to the radio - without Bear in the Big Blue House playing!! And on the radio was an announcement/discussion of an upcoming even in our area. A Fall Festival Nudist Gathering - complete with a Bon Fire!!

Now lets stop for a minute and envision the (most likely) guy who will be leaveing his twig and berries completely uncovered as he stand in front of that fire and stokes it. What will happen when a spark hits him?

Now........getting past the hilarity that there will be a nudist fall gathering in an area that is stock full of people who would probably not think it appropriate (my guess)...........after the people on the radio kinda made fun of the whole thing a woman phoned in. She lives right here in the area. She went on and on about how wonderful the life of a nudist is - that they are raising their kiddos to be nudists too - that they walk around their house all the time naked - that the only time they really have clothes on is when they are out of the house. She didn't say what I wanted to know - her name - what school her kids go to - where she or her hubby work - or where they live..........

............because maybe they are one of MY neighbors..........I would totally want to sell them cookies!

Best Ever Hot Cocoa Recipe

I have no idea where I got this recipe - someone on line is the only thing I remember.........but it is THE BEST HOT COCOA RECIPE EVER. Next time you are in the mood for some real Hot Cocoa - try this one.......

Recipe ~
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Cocoa
Dash of Salt
1/3 Cup Hot Water
4 Cups Milk (we use skim)
3/4 tsp Vanilla

* Mix it all into a pot and stir over a medium heat until it comes to a light boil. Then serve with Mini Marshmallows.......or if you are lucky......Warm Brownies!

Children Not Allowed

Seems to be a TheKing week............oh well, the pictures are make up for the fact that lately all my stories include him - right?

Well as most know TheKing has been in swim lessons since we moved here. Primarily because he has no inkling of fear of the water. Zero. So to keep woman from freaking out all over the pool when he jumps in - we put him in swim class. He can now 15ft. in a fairly recognizable free style stroke. He has legs that pump him further then that, but the arm coordination thing messes him up a bit still.

This season we put him in private lessons. He seems to learn more and they are so inexpensive that it is way worth it. His teachers name is Mindy - and she is just the best! In fact, for the most part I love the gym we go to. The child care is fabulous and they all know TheKing's name.......he loves being there........they love having him (or at least they fake it way better then I do).

The only down side is that not EVERYONE loves having TheKing - or any other small person under the age of 16 - around at the gym. And they are making the silliest stinks. At first my thought was that they were mostly directed at me - because we all know that the universe revolves around me right? However, I am not learning that these "Older Ladies" have made moms cry. One mom had her twins in swim class early while there was an water aerobics class going. The little ones were afriad of the water and crying - throwing a fit - the usual start of swim class kinda stuff - they get over it after a bit. And the older women in the class complained directly to the mom about how her children were ruining their class and that if she couldn't control them she should take them out. And they made her cry - because you know her heart was already being torn by the kids who were crying. If that is their goal - the break parents down into tears - then they might as well forget me - I just get sneaky and work around them.

What am I talking about?

Well........TheKing's swim lesson starts at 9am and goes until 9:30am. My pilates (love the pilates!!) class starts at 10am. Perfect!! Swim class, dry and dressed, snack while watching the next class, then sign TheKing in to the BusyBee's program and I am off to stretch and strengthen. Only....as we sat QUIETLY on the couch in the LOBBY WHERE NO ONE EXERCISES AND IT IS ONLY A PASS THROUGH TO THE GYM........we were approached by the kindly gentleman that I now refer to as "Gym Police Guy". Gym Police Guy comes over in his kindly grandpa way and says........."are you having a snack?" I thought he was being kind and said, "Yep." Only he wasn't really cuz he said, "Oh, well technically the gym is not open to children until 10am and it is 9:45 right now." "Yes, well we aren't technically in the gym we are in the lobby having a snack and I will be signing him into the BusyBee's in 5 minutes before I go to class." He smiles all sweet and says, "Oh I totally understand" and places his hand on my shoulder (ick) and continues with, "but I get yelled at if I do not abide by the rules for everyone and this is still the gym so you can't be in here either. Your son needs to be in the child care if he is here before 10am. The gym is not open for children before then."

I probably sighed - I probably looked confused - I know I said, "But we had swim class at 9am so obviously the parts of the gym is open for children before 10am." Now he looked confused - I don't think he was used to people not falling for his grandpa sweet charm straight off.......but came back with, "Oh, yes, swim class. Well after that is over you need to leave or take him to child care. Otherwise I will be yelled at for not doing my job." And he said that like I really was going to be upset if he got yelled at. Making one last ditch to be understood I explained that there was only 15 minutes in between TheKing's swim class ending and mine starting.............and that we needed to get a snack in him quickly......and I asked if he had a suggestion as to where we might be able to do that without causing a problem. His suggestion was, "Well I suppose you could go out to your car."

Seriously? Go to my car?

Okay, well I didn't get upset. I finished the snack with TheKing - first telling Gym Police Guy that we would be finishing our snack before moving on - and then went to my class. Pilates is like Yoga so it soothed the edges a bit. Then I went home and calmly phoned an aquaintance who works at the gym - she runs the swim program. She said they are being very strict about it and to just see if I can find a niche to hang out - or ask one of the woman in the BusyBee's if they would take TheKing out for a snack after 10am.

This week we decided to do the first suggestion. After class we sat In The Pool Area a smidge longer to warm up a bit and kill a second of time. Snuggled. Talked to the swim instructor a smidge. We were there about 5 minutes and I was just getting ready to move TheKing toward the FAMILY dressing room (because the Older Ladies get snippy at the youngsters in the main dressing room so I avoid that area) when here comes Gym Police Guy.........crap......."Hey" as he touches my leg (ick), "are you just finishing up a swim class?" Because what he really wants to know is do I plan to let my kid swim in the pool - because he CAN'T - because it is OFF LIMITS to little kids until 10am - and I say, "Yes, we are just warming up before we get him dressed." He smiles warmly, "Oh, well remember that he has to get moving......smile.....the gym is....." "off limits to anyone with a heart before 10am.....yes I know." I finished for him. He smiled and just thanked me and walked on (I don't think he heard what I said about the heart).

We sat a few minutes more just because I am ornery. Then we walked to the Family dressing room......got dressed....and sat and ate some Cheez It's. Nothing better then Cheez It's in a gym changing room. Sigh.

You know perhaps the parents in the gym should rise up and demonstrate. Perhaps we should complain about how slow the Older Gym Patrons are moving and how dang quiet they are all the time. Down right creepy if you ask me. They should have their gym times limited - really only be allowed in the gym from about 5am to 10am........after that it is probably time for them to go home and clean their brooms...........

Spidey's Skatin' Party

I can remember when I was a kid Roller Skating being the COOLEST thing ever! There was even that movie with - shoot what is her name..........she played Sandy in Grease.........she was incredibly popular..........and I am too lazy to google it......so someone leave it in the comment section - anyway, the movie was Zanadu - remember that? With Gene Kelly. Probably one of the worst movies ever, but I remember that the skating was really cool and that will forever be what I think about when I go skating. So Spidey's party was all about Zanadu to me.....

Too Funny Not To Share

Here is a quick "TheKing" story.

I am sitting at the computer trying to complete a blog for MJB about having lost my child - only I am being so easily distracted by the millions of things that do NOT need my attention............

TheKing is in the living room watching Zathura (seen it? - the Jumanji sequel). He is watching and singing a 3 year old versions of TV theme songs.........and he sings The Bob the Builder theme....or at least part of it.......




"Bob The Builder.......CAN WE FIX IT?(totally shouting - probably scaring the hammies to death)"
"Bob The Builder.........NO WE CAN'T cuz it's TOO HARD!!"

Where did his second verse come from? Too Funny!