What the Bobos Have Been Up To

This may be one of those posts where the short list is what they haven't been up to.  The Bobos have not visited the Eiffel Tower, they did not join the Peace Corps, or hit it big in Vegas.  They have however been quite busy.

 

 They've been to the dresser top

They found a new indoor sandbox

They visited the hedgehog

And they've given mom more than a few gray hairs!  But they are awfully cute, and good thing!

An 8 year old's Christmas List

I'm including a photo, just to prove I did not make this up!  This is her list, although I have edited the spelling.

• ten dollars
• make-up
• laptop
• phone (as in cell phone)
• candy canes
• conditioner
• shampoo
• soap
• mints
• Kinect
• bunk bed
• art kit
• sister
• hair dyed red
• face paint kit
• monkey bars
• maid
• I want to meet Ke$ha

The list garnered plenty of snickers and smirks from her dad and I.  From the simple, to the impossible, the girl knows what she wants!

I Have a Plan

This plan came to me at about 3 a.m. the other morning.  No matter how hard I try, I can't shake the idea.  Maybe I should up the dose on my happy pills, or take a nap, but here is the plan:

I will strip off all my clothes and light my hair on fire.  Then I will run around my neighborhood.  Hopefully this will be insane enough to secure a bed on the psych ward of the local hospital.  While there, I can sleep without hourly interruptions, my meals will be cooked for me, and I may even score some good drugs.

It sounds like a perfect plan, but I hear from a nurse that psych is full.  It usually is, and I wonder how  many are sleep deprived moms?

How to tell if you are having a bad day

You may be having a bad day, if on the way out the door, your 2 year old let's the expensive indoor cat out.  And as you run down the stairs in your high heels you yell "dammit" loud enough for the neighbors to hear.

You may be having a bad day, if once outside, you have to chase said 2 year old down the driveway and snatch him out of the road while yelling to your daughter, "we need to catch the grey piece of #@$%"

You may be having a bad day, if you get to the supermarket and realize that you forgot to pack your daughter's lunch, so the $1.50 in cash you scrounged up won't be sufficient to purchase the hard candy (cough drops not being allowed at school) and a lunchable.

You may be having a bad day, if while walking through the supermarket, you look at the woman who is approximately your age, maybe a bit older, calmly shopping in her name brand workout gear (the gym is just next door) and want to strangle the life out of her for her child free, healthy, and peaceful morning.

I'm not an expert, but if those things happen, you may be having a bad day!

A Memory Saved

At the end of Despicable Me, the Minions line up to get a goodnight kiss from Gru.  One minion keeps cutting back into line to get an extra kiss.  I was blessed to watch this scene play out live, every weekday evening as I picked the boys up from Grammy and Papa's house.  The twins would go give Papa a kiss, and then head to the door, then run back for one last kiss.  And run back again for just one more.

Yesterday, we said good bye to Papa Gordie.  He passed a few hours after we left.  It breaks my heart knowing that I won't ever see this sweet scene again.  Also, I know from my own experience, that the boys will have limited memories of Papa, if they remember him at all.  So I will hold on to this memory, and more to share with them as they grow.   

Beginnings and Endings

It's been a full week, and it's only Wednesday.  Monday I started Morgan's enrollment in Columbia Virtual Academy.  Technically this way, he isn't home schooled.  He is enrolled in a school district, that then partners with me to provide the curriculum, and to which I will make weekly reports.  This will ensure that he starts 1st grade with all the other 6 year olds next year.  It also means that the money the school district gets for having Morgan enrolled is paid out to us in curriculum and support.

Kaia started 3rd grade on Tuesday.  She was so excited.  Her only apprehension: she has the teacher that doesn't allow you to rest your chin on your hand.  She's sure that she cannot not do this.  I think it will be an excellent lesson in sitting up and paying attention.

Tuesday, after dropping off the boys with Grammy and Papa, and Kaia at school, we said good bye to our dear sweet cat Callie.  She was suffering from paralysis, which was only getting worse, and the vet said nothing could be done to help.  She would continue to lose more and more function.  It wasn't fair to make her lay around in her feces because her back legs couldn't hold her up long enough to finish business.  It was hard holding her as she purred, knowing it would be her last.  But at the same time, I knew that's how I would want to go out of this world.  Happy.  And as she drifted off to sleep from the sedative they give first, she was happy.

Brendon's Conversation

A few weeks ago, Brendon had a conversation with Grammy that was too cute and had to be written down.
Brendon: Buh Bye.  Buh Bye.
Grammy: Buh Bye Brendon.
Brendon: Nuh-uh (with head shaking no)
Grammy: Nuh-uh?  No Buh Bye?
Brendon: Meow

This Summer Left Us in Stitches!

We've had children for 8 years, and not one set of stitches, and then this summer, we are already on our second set!  I guarantee this will not be the last set.  Our kids are far to wild for that. 

I do believe Bryce may have ruined his chance at ever pulling a switcheroo on teachers.  He is going to have a scar from his tumble off the couch. 

 This is right after we got home from the doctor.  We opted for the liquid stitches because holding down a screaming toddler didn't sound like fun.  He had the area bleeding again within a few hours.

Here he is this morning.  Dana has now nicknamed the boys, Scarface and Babyface.

Getting Published

Lately our family is being highlighted in a few local magazines.  One happens to be available to read online, and shows a photo of Kaia at the beach on page 30.  Another magazine recently quoted me regarding having pets and kids.  I was slightly misquoted, as we didn't have all the animals at once, but that's ok, the point is still there. 

The most exciting piece though, is that I have written an article about our TTTS story that will be published in an upcoming edition of Playdate Magazine.    I'm very happy about this, as I've spent over a year trying to get someone to notice the importance of telling our story.  Not for our publicity, but to create awareness around TTTS.  I hear of too many parents losing their babies to TTTS, and it's not ok.  I want all moms pregnant with twins to know about TTTS, whether they may be at risk, and the symptoms that a mom will have, if there is TTTS.  This story is a step in the right direction.  And once it is published, I will try to scan a copy or at least publish my story.

To My Favorite Daughter!

A big Happy 8th Birthday to my favorite daughter!

Back In Time

I've always reluctantly kept up with technology.  Pagers were becoming a thing of the past when I finally purchased one at the age of 17.  I held out on getting a cell phone until 2003, and I only was convinced then because Dana had a job that kept him traveling all over Washington, and I was due in a few months with Kaia.  I didn't give in to the Smart Phone age until a few months ago.  And now, for the first time since 2003, I do not have a cell phone. 

It's not that I willingly gave up my cell phone.  No, I wouldn't do that.  My phone is my watch, my weather forecaster, my link to friends and family, and is currently sitting in a plastic bag full of rice.  Bryce made off with my cell phone, and when I realized he was in the bathroom, I went running.  My phone was on the floor, and I was thrilled.  Phew... Dodged a bullet that time.  Except when I picked it up, I realized, I hadn't.  He dipped my phone into water.  Either the cat's bowl or the foot bath.  Which one doesn't matter, the result is the same, a dead phone that needs the moisture extracting rice to revive it. 

So until it's resurrection 48-72 hours later, I'm unreachable.  And while right now I feel naked, and out of sorts, I may just survive this!

The Book of Mo

The joke on the Popsicle stick: Which birds are always sad?  Mo's answer: Vegetarians

The other night Morgan became so upset over dinner he was crying.  I told him I was making burritos.  And he cried because he doesn't like Chinese food.

Morgan has a callous on his foot.  If you ask him about it, he got it in the military.  He told Grammy that Dana and I went on vacation and left him in the military camp, but he told me that we were there too.  Apparently he had a scope, a gun and a chainsaw.  And he got the mark from a stamp in the military.

Morgan also told Grammy that  I cook up some really good octopus eyes, in my octopus eye cooker of course.  We salt them and they are deee-licious. He told us that all militaries eat octopus eyes  and when he was a kid in the military they were his favorite meal.

According to Morgan, a house of horrors is full of hores.  

Morgan told Grammy he bought  his camo hat at the Chinese people's yard sale.  I told Morgan our neighbors weren't Chinese, they are Mexican. And I also told him that we probably should just say our neighbor's yard sale, as it really doesn't matter.

Morgan's favorite food is roasted snail.  And the bestest bug to eat is cooker ants.  And you roast them and make bug pancakes with bug syrup. 

You honestly never know what will come out of his mouth.  Yes, he's one funny kid!

Monster Truck Show aka The Day We Spent a Small Fortune to See Our Kids Smile

This weekend we went to the Monster Truck Show.  Dana had been considering taking Morgan, and Grandma Owie offered to pay for their tickets.  In the end, all 6 of us went with friends, and had a great time!  It was definitely worth it!

 Kaia gets a good view of Captain USA's rollover

 Brendon did enjoy it, in spite of the serious face.

We had great seats, as you can see.

Now She has a Story!

Saturday night, Kaia was riding her bike at the end of the driveway when she fell.  The neighbor was over visiting with Dana, and he came into the house to tell me I had better get out there.  I rushed out to see what the damage was, and saw blood.  Lots and lots of it!  Dana had given Kaia a clean shop rag and instructed her to hold it to her chin.  I had her remove it so I could take a look, and we all agreed, she needed stitches.

Kaia was distraught the whole way to the hospital.  She didn't want stitches and wanted to know every little detail about how getting stitches would feel.  We arrived in emergency and were immediately given a room.  The nurse came in and was very nice to Kaia, and explained that she was going to put some medicine on to numb it.  The nurse practitioner came in and explained what she was going to do and had Kaia lay back, and covered her eyes with a towel. 

It was a long process of cleaning the wound and stitching.  There was a fair amount of asphalt in it.  But in the end, Kaia did great.  She has 2 interior stitches, and 7 exterior stitches.  And for Kaia, best of all, she now has huge audiences to retell the story to!  She loved telling everyone at church Sunday morning.  And she was excited to show her class. 

Easter anda Birthday

This post has been delayed while I try to retrieve photos.  I've sent them to my pc twice, and still don't have them!  So photos will come soon.
 
We did it!  We pulled off an Easter Sunday, Easter celebrations and Birthday Party all in one very crazy day!
First a photo of the actual Birthday.  He loved his gift, as he no longer has to use sissy's pink DS to play games.

Easter Sunday started like they always do.  Me tearing through the church parking lot because we are 5 minutes late to Sunrise Service that starts at 7:15 a.m. under the picnic shelter.  After the beautiful service (with nice weather for once) we had a yummy breakfast served by the Elders and Deacons, and I gathered the kids for a photo.

We all met up after church at our home.  We had a wonderful ham dinner, with lots of fruit salad, green salad, and of course deviled eggs.  The birthday party included an egg hunt.  Anna is just the right age to understand this concept, Brendon was following her lead, but still only picked up a few eggs.  Bry couldn't understand why we picked them up at all.


There were lots of gifts.

And a monster truck cake.  I watched Katie Brown Workshop late one night, and saw her bundt cake idea, and converted it to a chocolate mountain.  Her frosting tip was to add flour to store bought frosting, then microwave 45 seconds.  I actually microwaved longer to produce a chocolate coating.  I don't care for cake or chocolate, but I admit this was pretty good.

After the party we had a blast throwing the Boing Putty all over the place.  It really was a great day!

Backyard Improvements

As I mentioned earlier, we are reclaiming our backyard this year.  For too long we've allowed the dogs full reign while we stayed inside or out front.  We started with a fence, then some major poop pick up, followed by Dana pressure washing the deck, and now the play set.  We'll continue by planting the previously lush garden bed with flowers once again!

The kids, are thrilled with the new development.

Nothing To It

Gates are for climbing over, right?

Parenting with an Open Mind

So quick question, answer it as quickly as possible (in your head is fine):

Is it ok to send your child to school with pink or blue spray streaks in their hair?

Got your initial answer?  Now think about it.  Was your initial answer based on what others have told you was ok?  Or was your answer something that you feel strongly about?

This exact question was a daunting one for me, and for Dana as well.  I admit that my first answer to my question, is not the same as it is now.  A few months ago my mom gave Kaia a can of pink hairspray.  I admit right now, my first reaction was, "Oh no, she didn't..."  The "mom" in me was cringing.  It wasn't ok to put pink spray in my 7 year old's hair. 

A few days later, the "me" in me grabbed the mom in a choke hold and called her a big hypocrite that had somehow lost touch with her own ideas.  Somehow the "mom" in me was listening to what society might think, or what other parents might think, rather than what I might think.  And it's true.  Prior to Kaia starting school I looked at all the local options.  First off, I'm a huge proponent of public schools.  I strongly believe that while they may be underfunded, the teachers are there not for the great pay and benefits (which they don't have) but because they have a passion for the next generation.  So I was ready to put Kaia into our local public school, but was concerned about child care before and after, and felt it would be best to look at all of our options.  The problem was, every single private school whether Catholic, Christian or Seventh Day Adventist all had a student handbook. And every student handbook had some rule about the length of hair for boys, and color of hair for boys and girls.  There were also rules on nail polish use, the banning of use by boys.  Most also had policy on clothing and it wasn't just about modest clothing.  With each rule I became upset. 

Dana and I are the parents of our kids.  If Dana and I are ok with our boys having long hair or painting their nails, I don't want a school telling us it's inappropriate.  If Dana and I allow Kaia to dye her hair purple and spike it, then it is our decision, And if our kids want to wear jeans with holes in the knees, and sneakers that are falling apart as part of their self-expression, then so be it.  We draw the line when clothing is immodest, or when the alteration is permanent like a tattoo or piercing, or last if the self-expression is actually rebellion that comes with attitude.  But most of all we don't need a school telling us what is acceptable for our children. 

I have heard the arguments that rules in school prep our kids for rules at work, and I'm fine if you feel that way.  I strongly feel that childhood and adolescent years are for figuring out who you are, and if you are too busy trying to fit into someone else's box of what is acceptable, how can  you do that?

Sure my initial reaction was very anti-pink hair, but this morning I sprayed 2 pink stripes into Kaia's hair, just like I did a few days ago.  Pink hair doesn't hurt anyone.

I'm definitely going to start doing a check on myself when I have gut reactions to things.  Too often, my initial reaction is not my own.  Have you spotted any areas in  your life where you are listening to others rather than listening to yourself?

Snow Day

It's hard to believe that yesterday we had very little snow left on the ground.  It started falling this morning, and hasn't stopped.  The kids of course, love it!

Christmas Time

Or it's already Christmas if you ask Morgan.  It's been snowing, and we've been to a Christmas play already, so of course presents are coming any day... right?!

These photos were taken after the first snow, more has fallen, and more is on it's way.  This has actually been a bit of a rough spell for us.  The snow is beautiful, and the tree is up and decorated by Kaia and Morgan, but so much has been going on.

First was the death of a friend of mine.  He suffered from diabetes and kidney failure and was only 40 years old.  It was unexpected, completely a shock.  Everyone believed that he would get a transplant and live a long life.  He was so full of life he just had to.  For Dana and I, it's scary to consider the parallels.  Dana is just 2 years younger, and also suffers from diabetes.  While his kidneys have held out, he has dealt with his fair share of health issues, and it really put things in perspective.

2 days after the funeral the snow began to fall.  Snow means extra work for Dana.  It means very early mornings and going into work on days off.  It's tiring for him, and it isn't easy on the rest of us.  The kids miss seeing daddy in the evenings, and Dana misses spending time with them.  Right now our evenings are a rush to eat dinner and go to bed.

Then this weekend my great aunt Ruby died.  It is a blessing that she is no longer in pain, but she will be missed.  She was such a sweet lady, and Kaia had grown to love spending time with Aunt Ruby. 

Through all of this though, Christmas approaches and it's not all sad news.  My VISTA worker started this week, and is staying with us temporarily.  A new face in the house means very excited and talkative kids.  I'm also preparing for a conference in New Orleans.  A city I've wanted to visit for a very long time, but wondered if I'd ever make it there.  The twins continue to grow and are becoming quite the characters.  And we all continue to enjoy good times spent with family.