Last night at the dinner table Cooper asks whether he can talk to us about something.
Jon- nods
Me- Sure buddy, what's up?
Him- Well, I learned this new way to change my clothes in the locker room. All the big kids put their shirts on 1st and that way, nobody can see you when you take off your bathing suit.
Jon- nods.
Me- Huh, sounds like a pretty good idea, is it working for you?
Him- Yes, I do it every day. Except there is this one kid named Russell and he doesn't do it. He just takes off all his clothes at the same time and he's all naked.
Jon- nods.
Me- Well, that's ok. Some kids are just more modest than others. Maybe Russell just isn't that modest. You know, everyone is different.
Him- Well Momma...there is something else.
Jon- senses something interesting could be about to happen, so he looks up
Me- What else?
Him- When he's naked....(big pause) he dances.
Jon- drops his fork and spews the bite of dinner he just placed in his mouth
Me- (trying to maintain composure) Really...huh. Well, you can just look the other way and not pay attention to him.
Him- Yes, that's what I do. It's DISTURBING.
Jon- says nothing but concentrates on not choking
Me- I can understand why you might think that. Just try to concentrate on something else. Hey- how's your chicken tonight??
One never knows what may come up at the dinner table. The thing that I can be sure of though is that my husband continues to be ill-prepared for difficult conversations. The teenage years aren't looking good.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
How Hot Was It?
Hot enough that we were all running for the water.....
Hot enough that the 12-pack of drinks in the back of my car exploded! I never gave them another thought and then, while we were driving back from friends tonight we heard a little pop...and then a big one, and another.
So, yup- that's hot.
(and a tad bit scary.....and then hilariously funny...and then a big pain to clean up)
Hope you had a great weekend!
Hot enough that the 12-pack of drinks in the back of my car exploded! I never gave them another thought and then, while we were driving back from friends tonight we heard a little pop...and then a big one, and another.
So, yup- that's hot.
(and a tad bit scary.....and then hilariously funny...and then a big pain to clean up)
Hope you had a great weekend!
Friday, June 25, 2010
44 Years
Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!
This picture makes me smile. It was taken on Christmas Eve at my sweet friend Sallie's house. Her family tradition is to give everyone a Christmas cracker- and inside are tiny treats and a crown. Never ones to let an opportunity for fun pass by, my parents donned their crowns and wore them for the remainder of the evening.
I admire their spirit, their love and respect for each other, their values and how hard they worked to make sure that my brother and I had opportunities in our lives.
We all love them dearly.
Wishing you many more happy years!!
xoxoxo
This picture makes me smile. It was taken on Christmas Eve at my sweet friend Sallie's house. Her family tradition is to give everyone a Christmas cracker- and inside are tiny treats and a crown. Never ones to let an opportunity for fun pass by, my parents donned their crowns and wore them for the remainder of the evening.
I admire their spirit, their love and respect for each other, their values and how hard they worked to make sure that my brother and I had opportunities in our lives.
We all love them dearly.
Wishing you many more happy years!!
xoxoxo
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Hey, Annie-
get your gun!!
My mother is many, many things....all of them wonderful. One that doesn't come to mind however, is gun toting.
Until now!
Why in the world my dad decided that he needed this crazy pellet gun is beyond me- but he did....and my mom is very accepting.
When I'm having a bad day....I'm going to come to this post and get a good chuckle. If only Cooper had lent her his hat!
Can you imagine??
Love you Ma!!!!
My mother is many, many things....all of them wonderful. One that doesn't come to mind however, is gun toting.
Until now!
Why in the world my dad decided that he needed this crazy pellet gun is beyond me- but he did....and my mom is very accepting.
When I'm having a bad day....I'm going to come to this post and get a good chuckle. If only Cooper had lent her his hat!
Can you imagine??
Love you Ma!!!!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Eight
365 days seems to just fly by.
It feels like yesterday that you turned 7.
And now you're 8.
You've had such a great year.
One of trying new things,
and being a part of a team.
A year with lots of hard work,
an amazing discovery,
and 10 minutes of fame.
Time spent traveling to far away places,
and spending the day with your best friend,
Having so many adventures- feeling the sun & wind on your face,
and the cold tingle of more snow than you've ever seen before!
A year of playing games (and loving when you win),
drinking milkshakes (too many to count),
being obsessed with your DS,
making a lifetime of memories with your dad,
and with me.
You are determined, smart, thoughtful, kind, inquisitive, hilarious and just generally a really good kid.
and we adore you.
Happy Birthday Cooper-
Love, Momma
It feels like yesterday that you turned 7.
And now you're 8.
You've had such a great year.
One of trying new things,
and being a part of a team.
A year with lots of hard work,
an amazing discovery,
and 10 minutes of fame.
Time spent traveling to far away places,
and spending the day with your best friend,
Having so many adventures- feeling the sun & wind on your face,
and the cold tingle of more snow than you've ever seen before!
A year of playing games (and loving when you win),
drinking milkshakes (too many to count),
being obsessed with your DS,
making a lifetime of memories with your dad,
and with me.
You are determined, smart, thoughtful, kind, inquisitive, hilarious and just generally a really good kid.
and we adore you.
Happy Birthday Cooper-
Love, Momma
Monday, June 14, 2010
the best parents in the world...
actually belong to cooper's friend luke (according to cooper).
he came home from a sleepover and made the declaration.
emphatically.
so, i asked about the things that were standing between jon and me & being the best parents in the world.
all I have to do to move into 'BEST' status is deliver on this list of things that luke has-
2 x-boxes
a PS3
tons of toys
bunk beds
and 3 cats
yeah- not gonna happen (although 1 cat could be manageable)
that kid makes me laugh!!
he came home from a sleepover and made the declaration.
emphatically.
so, i asked about the things that were standing between jon and me & being the best parents in the world.
all I have to do to move into 'BEST' status is deliver on this list of things that luke has-
2 x-boxes
a PS3
tons of toys
bunk beds
and 3 cats
yeah- not gonna happen (although 1 cat could be manageable)
that kid makes me laugh!!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Hello, Poison Control?
To be clear, this post has a happy ending....equally as clear should be the disclaimer that I am certainly not winning the mother of the year award.
It started so innocently.
Cooper had a play date today. They played outside for a while, played inside a bit and were settling into a bit of friendly Wii competition. I asked a simple question- 'hey, how would you like to mix up some concoctions?'
And just like that, I had the full attention of two giddy boys.
We started with 3D sidewalk chalk. Very cool-
Mix 1/2 C cornstarch, 2 T flour, 1/4 C water and 6 drops of food coloring. Mix well and pour into a plastic bag. Snip off the corner and you're ready for some crazy chalk drawings.
They asked whether we could make some sort of clay. So, I checked my book and my pantry and decided that Cinnamon & Applesauce Dough would fit the bill.
Very simple- Mix 1/2 C applesauce and 1/2 C cinnamon in a plastic bag.
Check, check and check.
They loved it!
The fact that it resembled "poo" helped greatly, I'm sure.
And then things turned south.
H. said, "Oww, this hurts"
Huh??
And then he said, "it's burning me"
His hands were completely covered with our newly mixed up dough and so are his forearms.
Cooper was less zealous with his-
And H. is starting to get a bit worried, and so am I.
We go to the sink and I start rinsing him off and his arms are bright red.
I officially become panicked but am really trying to remain calm- my mind is racing and I submerge him in cold water and run to g**gle. Turns out that cinnam@n causes the blood to rise to the top of your skin and can actually burn you. I think that may have been an important tip that got left out of the pages of my book FOR KIDS.
Grrrrr.
I can't get in touch with H's mom or my across the street neighbor who I thought used to be a nurse (turns out she was a physical therapist...Ellen, if you're reading this- THANK YOU for calling me back!!) So, I decide to call Poison Control- surely they'll be able to tell me whether I need to shove him into the car and get to the emergency room or not. I've also decided to rub olive oil into H's arms. I felt like it would sooth him a little bit.
By this time H's arms have raised bumps (ok, actual welts) and I've got Ben on the line from Poison Control. And I have to explain that we were making dough with cinnamon....that poor man. I get through the story and he's silent (he was probably g**gling it too!). He asks me some questions about H's breathing and determines that it's topical, which is good. He said that the olive oil wouldn't hurt and once I got in touch with H's mom that perhaps B@nedryl would be helpful.
Ok, crisis averted.
H's mom calls- and she's SO KIND. She thought he ATE clay so evidently getting burned by it was the lesser of the two evils. She assured me that he had sensitive skin and that "these things happen all the time, don't worry a minute over it". She talked to him, discussed the option of taking some medicine and told us to call if it didn't get better.
We ended the day with some board games and when Poison Control called back to check on us 2 hours later, all was right with the world and there were no signs of the earlier events (ie, welts and redness gone).
So, for you mom's who are still in the running for mother of the year- I leave you with a few thoughts.
1) 3D sidewalk chalk is an awesome concoction for kids- simple & fun
2) I do not recommend making Cinnamon & Applesauce dough with children- ever.
3) Tape the number to Poison Control near your telephone so you'll have it in an emergency.
Lastly, a Thankful Thursday list-
I am thankful- that H's reaction wasn't more serious and that he and Cooper had such a wonderful day together
I am thankful- for a whole week of vacation which allowed me to participate fully in some stay at home mom activities
I am thankful for my sweet Domino friends
I am thankful for being able to call on some experts in a time of crisis and have help be just an 800# away.
It started so innocently.
Cooper had a play date today. They played outside for a while, played inside a bit and were settling into a bit of friendly Wii competition. I asked a simple question- 'hey, how would you like to mix up some concoctions?'
And just like that, I had the full attention of two giddy boys.
We started with 3D sidewalk chalk. Very cool-
Mix 1/2 C cornstarch, 2 T flour, 1/4 C water and 6 drops of food coloring. Mix well and pour into a plastic bag. Snip off the corner and you're ready for some crazy chalk drawings.
They asked whether we could make some sort of clay. So, I checked my book and my pantry and decided that Cinnamon & Applesauce Dough would fit the bill.
Very simple- Mix 1/2 C applesauce and 1/2 C cinnamon in a plastic bag.
Check, check and check.
They loved it!
The fact that it resembled "poo" helped greatly, I'm sure.
And then things turned south.
H. said, "Oww, this hurts"
Huh??
And then he said, "it's burning me"
His hands were completely covered with our newly mixed up dough and so are his forearms.
Cooper was less zealous with his-
And H. is starting to get a bit worried, and so am I.
We go to the sink and I start rinsing him off and his arms are bright red.
I officially become panicked but am really trying to remain calm- my mind is racing and I submerge him in cold water and run to g**gle. Turns out that cinnam@n causes the blood to rise to the top of your skin and can actually burn you. I think that may have been an important tip that got left out of the pages of my book FOR KIDS.
Grrrrr.
I can't get in touch with H's mom or my across the street neighbor who I thought used to be a nurse (turns out she was a physical therapist...Ellen, if you're reading this- THANK YOU for calling me back!!) So, I decide to call Poison Control- surely they'll be able to tell me whether I need to shove him into the car and get to the emergency room or not. I've also decided to rub olive oil into H's arms. I felt like it would sooth him a little bit.
By this time H's arms have raised bumps (ok, actual welts) and I've got Ben on the line from Poison Control. And I have to explain that we were making dough with cinnamon....that poor man. I get through the story and he's silent (he was probably g**gling it too!). He asks me some questions about H's breathing and determines that it's topical, which is good. He said that the olive oil wouldn't hurt and once I got in touch with H's mom that perhaps B@nedryl would be helpful.
Ok, crisis averted.
H's mom calls- and she's SO KIND. She thought he ATE clay so evidently getting burned by it was the lesser of the two evils. She assured me that he had sensitive skin and that "these things happen all the time, don't worry a minute over it". She talked to him, discussed the option of taking some medicine and told us to call if it didn't get better.
We ended the day with some board games and when Poison Control called back to check on us 2 hours later, all was right with the world and there were no signs of the earlier events (ie, welts and redness gone).
So, for you mom's who are still in the running for mother of the year- I leave you with a few thoughts.
1) 3D sidewalk chalk is an awesome concoction for kids- simple & fun
2) I do not recommend making Cinnamon & Applesauce dough with children- ever.
3) Tape the number to Poison Control near your telephone so you'll have it in an emergency.
Lastly, a Thankful Thursday list-
I am thankful- that H's reaction wasn't more serious and that he and Cooper had such a wonderful day together
I am thankful- for a whole week of vacation which allowed me to participate fully in some stay at home mom activities
I am thankful for my sweet Domino friends
I am thankful for being able to call on some experts in a time of crisis and have help be just an 800# away.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Maybe Not-
Hmm- It has come to my attention that my sweet kid looks a bit sickly in my edited picture.....so, maybe I need a little more time at the Picnik!
To prove that he's healthy and happy....here's another one.
Minus the dog, but still with that pesky shadow that insists on following me around.
Better??
Happy Wednesday-
To prove that he's healthy and happy....here's another one.
Minus the dog, but still with that pesky shadow that insists on following me around.
Better??
Happy Wednesday-
Editing....
Everyone says that Ph*toshop is fabulous. I think it's frustrating- and that's after the lesson in my class specifically dealing with it. And so I was faced with some options. I could either 1) figure it out 2) use it with limited success or 3) find an alternative to relieve the stress and perhaps give me some of the benefits of post processing.
I chose option 3. I'm all about instant gratification and discovered that using the premium Picnik allows some PS type tools on a much less technical level. I like it!
I wanted to love this picture, but the shadows were bad and the dog was in the way. So I fiddled around and came up with something that makes it better.
Before-
After-
I think there is some potential.
I chose option 3. I'm all about instant gratification and discovered that using the premium Picnik allows some PS type tools on a much less technical level. I like it!
I wanted to love this picture, but the shadows were bad and the dog was in the way. So I fiddled around and came up with something that makes it better.
Before-
After-
I think there is some potential.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Last Day
Today was the last day of 2nd grade.
It seems like just yesterday we were sending him off to the 1st day.
We've come a long way since then....
Our puppy has grown
So has our kid...
We've got a lot to show for 2nd grade...new friends, less teeth, beautiful cursive handwriting, multiplication and division, the ability to count money, tell time and spell tons of new words, great memories and maybe a few that we'd rather forget (and probably will).
It was a good year. I'm sad to see it end, but only because it means 8 is right around the corner and with it comes 3rd grade.
I can't even deal. Let's hope summer lasts forever!!
It seems like just yesterday we were sending him off to the 1st day.
We've come a long way since then....
Our puppy has grown
So has our kid...
We've got a lot to show for 2nd grade...new friends, less teeth, beautiful cursive handwriting, multiplication and division, the ability to count money, tell time and spell tons of new words, great memories and maybe a few that we'd rather forget (and probably will).
It was a good year. I'm sad to see it end, but only because it means 8 is right around the corner and with it comes 3rd grade.
I can't even deal. Let's hope summer lasts forever!!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Sun Flare-
One of the lessons in my class was on lighting. And there were these amazing examples of sun flare that I couldn't stop staring at. Evidently you can fake sun flare in ph*toshop....but it tends to look, well- fake. Therefore, it's nice to be able to actually make your own with some level of skill and the actual sun.
I'm a little short on the actual skill....but I'm great at trial and error!
And so, I give you my sun flare (which evidently is most easily achieved about 30-45 minutes before the sun sets).
Very exciting! (The flare, not the rest of the composition. I can only focus on one thing at a time.)
Oh, and speaking of our friend the sun.
This was the view as we left town early this morning to head back to reality.
Friday can't come soon enough!
I'm a little short on the actual skill....but I'm great at trial and error!
And so, I give you my sun flare (which evidently is most easily achieved about 30-45 minutes before the sun sets).
Very exciting! (The flare, not the rest of the composition. I can only focus on one thing at a time.)
Oh, and speaking of our friend the sun.
This was the view as we left town early this morning to head back to reality.
Friday can't come soon enough!
Crabby-
It's that time again.....
CRABS!!
Jon and Cooper put in the 1st pots of the season.
After checking at every possible opportunity, it was finally time to pull them up. Cooper couldn't have been more proud of the bounty.
Goodness I do love summertime!!
CRABS!!
Jon and Cooper put in the 1st pots of the season.
After checking at every possible opportunity, it was finally time to pull them up. Cooper couldn't have been more proud of the bounty.
Goodness I do love summertime!!
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