August 30, 2007
The society for the free immigration of Allien Armidillos
Via email....
Him: Just saw an armadillo stroll across the parking lot - a couple of customers had to wait in their cars while he waddled down the drive-up lane.... Ò¿Ö
Me: Heeee…does he have an account?
Him: Nope - he no speaka de Eeenglis.....
Me: ILLEGAL ALLIEN!!!!!! HE MUST BE DEPORTED!!!!
Him: Yeah! He doesn't have a valid AI number! Call the Border Patrol! Notify the Media! Warn all the churches that they'll lose their tax-exempt status if they offer sanctuary!
Me: Where is the honorable Reverend Jackson? Why, he’s getting ready for a press conference!!! Save Juanita Dillo! The little Dillo’s are all American citizens and if you deport her, they will be left with no one.
Him: And then? Why, Brothers and Sisters, we will demand reparations to compensate the descendants of the victims of this evil.....
Me: This is Betty Battschittz reporting for the 6:00 news. The judge refused the reverse the deportation order for Mrs. Dillo. Neighbor’s are rallying around the rejected Dillo chanting “Save the Dillo, Punch a Pillow.” It is reported that there will be a candle light vigil later on this evening. The Rev. Jackson is expected to make an appearance.
Him: Thank you, Betty. CAAR, the Council on American-Armadillo Relations has called for the ACLU to represent the Dillos in a Federal Court action to ensure that the Dillos receive free housing and medical care for the forseeable future. In other news, Tour de France officials are blaming the positive doping test of the Norwegian national champion on the CIA....
This is Barry Blowdry signing off.
Posted by Moogie at 8:09 PM | Comments (17)
August 28, 2007
There is nothing to fear but fear itself
I hate the word fear, with a passion. I hate how it robs me of my true self. I am a slave to fear, letting it control my every action. I am at a loss as to how to deal with it.
It sneaks up on you. I, in my "look at me, I am so powerful self," cower in its shadows. I can't sleep, I can't eat, I lose control at the simplest situations, be it at work or home. My skin crawls. I sweat. I can not concentrate. I can not cope.
That very thought eats at me. Why? Because I am the "all powerful Mom, wife, and worker. I can control everything."
Except for fear. I've had people tell me to pray, and conversely, I've had people tell me to "just get over it already." I've had lots of advice on how to cope. For once, I would really like to hear someone just say "I understand." I guess in today's world, that is just too much to ask.
Posted by Moogie at 8:20 PM | Comments (7)
August 27, 2007
Nothing to see here but just us chickens
Really quick. A semi-busy, but fun evening. Homework, taxi service, baths, and playing each other in a massive tournament over on Webkinz. The girls beat me into the ground! But they caught me in a weak moment.
Meelie landed her ROBHS (round off back handspring) several times tonight with no assistance. Then there was that time that she kind of fell on her head, and I had to get up and leave the gym, trusting the coaches to handle it.
Godzilla Math Teacher has arrived for Chickie. She told them that for the first few weeks she was letting them off easy, but now all bets are off. The textbooks have been assigned, and homework (if tonight is any indication) will be flowing out the wazoo. I'm thankful this happened after the whole probabilities incident.
Birthday weekend was AWESOME (if you don't count the blood).
I'm trying to remain calm about my dentist appointment on Wednesday. So far so good, but then again it's only Monday.
Lots of thunder and lightening and RAIN! And power outages! When I walked out of the house, and through the garage this evening, I was reminded of a scene from the Alfred Hitchcock movie "The Birds." About 25-30 birds were swarming in circles all around our front yard. In this particular instance they weren't attacking humans but were intent upon feasting upon all of the insects that showed up after a particularly nasty storm.
As for me? I'm coping. Schedules are falling into place and as we are getting into more of a routine (loose), I've come to realize that this year is much better than last. It's all good. I just need to keep plugging away. Your words of support and encouragement have done a lot for me. For that, I thank you.
On that note, I bid you adieu. I need to put my youngest's hair in a braid, and then we are off to read another chapter of Charlotte's Web.
As you can see, there really was nothing here but us chickens for this post. But, if you are still with me, I thank you for reading this far. As for tonight? I'm feeling like things are going to be ok. Tomorrow is another day. Life is good.
Posted by Moogie at 8:52 PM | Comments (3)
August 24, 2007
Udates on the tooth post
Update of this post.
UPDATE #1 - 9:30 am: She is still bleeding. She woke up this morning with blood on her pillow and face. The clot was rather large in size. I paged the dentist (he is off on Fridays) and he thinks that she is just playing with it too much, so it's not really able to form a good clot. So, as little rinsing as possible, no physical activity, and soft foods for the next 24 hours. We'll just have to see how it goes. If anyone has some advice on this, I would love to hear it.
UPDATE #2 - 7:37 pm:I think the bleeding has stopped. We ran some easy errands and I ended up bumping into a lady who works at the salon where I get my hair cut. She used to be a dental hygienist. We got to talking and I told her what was going on. She took one look at it and immediately recommended tea bags. We wet a tea bag down and plopped it gently over the affected area and she lightly bit down. She had it in there for about 1 1/2 hours. The bleeding hasn't started back up and the "lump" has not grown, and as of this writing, it continues to get smaller. It's turning the rather grayish, whitish, yellowish color the dentist warned me about, which means it's healing. I don't mind telling you that at the time of the first update? The lump had spread and was partially covering each surrounding tooth. It was not making me comfortable, but I felt I needed to follow the dentists advice. Which I'm doing, well, I'm forcing Meelie to do. But I threw in the tea bag, which really did the trick. Keep your fingers crossed.
Posted by Moogie at 7:39 PM | Comments (5)
August 23, 2007
WARNING: Not for the faint at heart
Meelie broke a tooth last weekend. Fortunately, it was a baby tooth. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough of it to build back up so she had to have it pulled. Dad took her this morning, and when it was all over and they were headed back to school, she called me at work.
The first shot really hurt bad but I didn't cry. The second shot didn't hurt all that bad. So then the dentist pulled out this "wrenchie thingie" and I looked at him like he was crazy. Then he grabbed the tooth with the "wrenchie thingie" and he started twisting. Then he pulled. It was all crackling and popping and then it just came out. It hurt when he pulled it and there was a lot of blood on it.
She has the uncanny ability to gross you out in her description of things. Additionally, she is always one to give it to you straight. It reminds me of the time that we went to see a Righteous Brothers concert. Bill Medley was talking about his son, who was an avid surfer and wanted to become a doctor.
Bill: I can see it all now. A patient comes in with an acute case of appendicitis. My son, the doctor, walks into the room, looking at the x-rays and exclaims: "Looks gnarly dude! We're gonna have to rip that sucker out!"
Posted by Moogie at 7:54 PM | Comments (6)
August 22, 2007
Probabilities
I've always hated probabilities and next to word problems, they are the bane of my existence in the subject of Math. Chickie is smack dab in the middle of said probabilities and needing some help. I did what any mature, sane mother would do. I handed that one over to Dad. I don't particularly care for probabilities in real life situations either, but at least they deal with subjects that are near and dear to me, instead of "spinning Spinner A and Spinner B a predetermined number of times, and what is the probability that the arrow will land on Spinner A?" That one was simple. It gets ugly after that.
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I have a dentist appointment on Wednesday for cleaning. My enamel keeps leaving my teeth reminding me of some type of mass exodus. I had to cancel my last appointment due to some conflicts in scheduling (we were on vacation) and hadn't rescheduled. They called tonight to do just that. That just pretty much blew my chances of putting it off. I took it as a sign. You should be proud of me. I didn't back out or make excuses. Just get it over with already Moogie!
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Recently, I've joined Meelie on Webkinz. It's something she has been wanting me to do for a long time, so a couple of weeks ago, I "adopted" a pet and am now the proud Mommy of Pudge. He's a cute little buckaroo, with his squished in nose, looking much like you would think a stuffed Pug would look like.
Oh, the responsibilities! I must keep him happy, healthy and fed! To do this I play a variety of games, take any number of tests, and perform different jobs to earn my Kinzcash so I can pay for it all. For any of you that have younger children (I would say grade school age) this is a great way to get involved in something your child loves. It teaches them about responsibility, but also teaches them about earning, and then spending money (they have to save up), and making sure that you have enough money (Kinzcash) to purchase food. There are a wide variety of "jobs" that you can perform for the extra Kinzcash, and in order to move up the ladder, you have to take quite a few tests. Each level you master yields you a higher "salary."
The stuffed animals which you can buy at various stores, range anywhere from about $8 (babies), to $15. I would recommend staying away from Hallmark because they tend to charge more than your smaller stores. It doesn't cost anything to join (other than buying your Webkinz), and the adoption is good for a year. I haven't looked at what happens after that, but even if we had to buy another one in a year (provided Meelie is still into it), it's not a huge investment. The payoffs are really worth it.
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It's been wicked hot here the last couple of weeks. The temperatures range from around the mid 90's to the low 100's, complete with a heat index that really makes being outside intolerable. You know it's going to be a hot one when you climb into your car at 5:30 am and the temperature reads at a cool 86 degrees. That is life in the south, and thankfully, these types of days don't last really long. The upside of the whole thing is that the bugs pretty much disappear. On the flip side, they come into your house looking for water. On a side note, so do the snakes.
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Between helping with probabilities, trying but failing to avoid making a dentist appointment, talking about Webkinz and complaining about the weather, I have completely exhausted my repertoire for today. In other words, when I sat down at the computer I had nothing to say, and in taking a look at what I just wrote, I should have just left it at that.
Posted by Moogie at 4:19 PM | Comments (2)
August 21, 2007
What do you want for your birthday?
I hate that question. Why? Because I never know the answer. I should probably point out that, for whatever reasons, it's not hard to come up with ideas for my parents. I generally ask for clothes or household items from them. Mom has awesome taste in clothes, and knows just what I like. She also knows that I love all things practical. It's easy to come up with stuff for her (and Dad).
But for my husband? Not so much so. I can't really tell him clothes, because unless I can point him to exactly what I want, and where to get it, it's not going to work. For the record, I am NOT bad mouthing him. He admits it, I agree, and I'm fine with it. He's gotten me some beautiful jewellery from time to time and it's been wonderful. Last Christmas, I asked for a deep fryer and a photo printer. What I got was a deep fryer and a printer that could do everything but cook your dinner and clean your bathroom. I LOVE it! I can even scan pictures!
But I digress. This shouldn’t be a big surprise to you.
What do you get for someone who really doesn't know what she wants? I love the practical stuff, but my husband is of the opinion that birthday presents should be something that you love, but that you wouldn't get for yourself. It took me years to convince him that the practical stuff (provided that's what I asked for) was the most excellent gift EVAH!
So what do I ask for, for my birthday? I love kitchen gadgets. I love my George Foreman grill. We have had a Webber since we got married which was 19 years ago. I don't think we will part with that any time soon (sentimental value and great tasting food!), but I've been wanting a gas grill for a while. It's much easier to use and you don't have to worry about starting the coals and the temperature outside would not be an issue. But. They are expensive. A little pricey for us now.
So I was considering one of these. Kind of a go between until we can get what we want.
What do you think? Do you have any ideas? Any and all suggestions are welcome. What should I ask for, for my birthday? Since the big day is Saturday, the sooner I get your answer, the better.
Posted by Moogie at 6:44 PM | Comments (5)
August 20, 2007
Easy Peezie, Lemon Squeezie
The subject refers to how Chickie feels about her Language Arts class this year. She loves her teacher (so far), and is sailing right through (so far). She's always been stronger in that class, but it's not hard to understand once you know her love of reading and anything to do with it. The child reads anything from cereal boxes to encyclopaedias. Right now, she's really into an author named Sarah Dessen. She's already read 2 of her books. Right now, it's "Keeping the Moon." She has a requirement to read 2 hours a week and she's usually met it by Tuesday. Ok, so that's one class I don't have to worry about.
So, she is working on her grammar workbook today, and starts to test me. People, do you know how long it has been since I have studied sentence structure? You could probably write what I remember on the head of a stick pin. Here are some examples of questions:
- Underline the possessive or demonstrative adjective in each sentence below, and circle the noun it modifies.
- Fill in the blank below with the appropriate possessive or demonstrative adjective.
- In each of the following sentences, a possessive adjective is underlined. Write the underlined word in the first column, then find the noun it modifies, and its antecedent, and put them in the second and third columns
- Underline the interrogative or indefinite adjective in each sentence below, and circle the noun it modifies. Then write whether the pronoun is indefinite or interrogative.
- Underline the the word "which, what or whose" in each of the sentences. If the word is used as a pronoun, write pronoun in the blank. If it is used as an adjective, write the noun it modifies.
Oh SH**! I failed miserably. But people, I am the Algebra Goddess. She had a word problem that she needed to put into an algebraic equation and I was all over it. At least I know I can rock on when it comes to Algebra. Actually, she was pretty close and I had to clear some cobwebs out (I had to try it a couple of times) before I figured out what she was doing wrong. That felt really good because people, she HIGH FIVED me! And when a 12 year old hive fives you, you are hot spit! Well I am as long as I don't give her a kiss and a hug in front of her friends.
As for Science, I'm just praying that she doesn't ask me to help with anything that has to do with dissection. On another note, did you know that her teacher feeds the snakes that are in aquariums in his class LIVE MICE? The kids love to watch it, and Chickie thinks it's cool.
Personally, I think I'll just pass anything Science related over to Dad.
Posted by Moogie at 8:45 PM | Comments (1)
August 19, 2007
I am therefore I think
Hi there! Remember me? Well, we are going to move away from the extreme and cleverly disguised Pitty Party I threw for myself in the last post, and talk about something really important!
Do you remember how I talked about not finding any cheer leading shoes (not the Cheer Leading again, anything but that!) that I hadn't been able to find for Meelie? Well, I didn't really cop out. Well it was a semi-cop out. We did go to the big city, and fought with traffic, and drivers that were maniacs and sitting at an inordinately long red light observing a grown man trying to find a bat in a cave. Would you care for a tissue? Three points and a shout-out to anyone who gets that reference.
We went to the mall and visited several sports establishments and finally found someone who knew what it was that they were talking about. I can pretty much tell you anything you want to know about which store carries what brand/type of tennis shoes. Fell free to drop me a line. I did a bunch of research on line, and found what I was looking for. I was just hesitant about ordering them, because I was afraid of getting the wrong size.
We finally stumbled into Lady Foot Locker, and discovered, that while they did not carry them in the store, they had them in their on-line catalog. I asked the lovely Serena if I could have my Meelie's foot measured to make sure I had the right size. She willingly did this, and then went so far as to recommend I go about 1/2 size bigger. She also told me that cheer leading shoes are pretty hard to find in stores, and generally, you have to get them on line. I just wish that someone had told me this 27 stores and countless malls ago. But hey, lessons learned. I'm not bitter. To celebrate, Meelie and I went and purchased some frozen yogurt. Anybody who is anyone knows that frozen yogurt will take all of your frustrations away. Just ask me I'm an expert (former drip under pressure).
The shoes should be here in 5-10 days, via UPS. The neat thing is that because I actually ordered them while I was in the store, I get free shipping. It also doesn't hurt that they were on sale.
Posted by Moogie at 5:49 PM | Comments (4)
August 16, 2007
Pep Talk
Dear Self,
Hey there! Howzit? I sensing you are struggling again. Anything I can do to help?
I wouldn't know what it is. I'm heading back down again. Why is it, that when I finally feel like I've got it together, I start to feel like I'm falling apart? I can't seem to get a break.
Look, you've got a lot on your plate. Your kids have a lot of activities, and then there's the whole homework situation. And don't get me started about work. It happens every year. End of fiscal year. Things get crazy. Responsibilities are dumped on your shoulders. Anybody would crack under that pressure. But every year, you prove yourself. You prove that you can handle it. What's different this year?
I know. I know you're right, at least in my heart but my brain is taking the other road. I love my kids but they are driving me nuts. Meelie does NOTHING but whine and moan. And cry. It makes me want to scream. And she's a worrier. So much so that it drives me to distraction and Lord only knows, I'm distracted enough myself. I don't know how to fix it! I'm her MOTHER! I've tried everything. And don't even get me started on my pre-teen. The attitude! It's too much! One minute she's happy, the next she goes off in a huff and slams the door. It's like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I never know which one I'm going to get! Oiy..the mood swings. I can't cope. She and I used to be so close. Almost like friends, in a mother-daughter sort of way. What's going on?
I understand. You feel extremely helpless right now. But you are doing all of the right things. I know it doesn't seem like it now, but one day, things will get better. You are still close. She knows she can come to you when things are tough. You know this. It's all part of growing up and becoming independent. Believe me, you and the big guy are the one stable thing in her life. Just ask your mom. Come on. Be honest here. Do you think you didn't do the same thing when you were growing up? Why don't you ask her how she coped? It's part of the job description. You are a MOM. Get used to it. It's not going to get better for a while.
Yeah, easy for you to say. YOU don't have to go through it. You don't have to deal with a demanding job, with increasing responsibilities. You don't have to deal with the long hours, and the fact that you have to work weekends. Weekends are ok, don't get me wrong. Especially this time of year. But they expect me to work on my birthday! Which falls on a Saturday this year. On my friggin birthday. I was planning on going to my parent's house and spending the weekend there with my family. We always have a celebration with the family on birthdays. It was supposed to be MY DAY. MINE! It's not fair!
Now who's whining? Get a grip woman. It's part of life. You have family responsibilities, work responsibilities. It's all a juggling act. Get off your high horse and get it together. You can do this. It's always hard at the beginning of the school year. You just need to get the schedule down pat and float into the groove of things. You can DO this. Oh, and, have you called the doctor yet?
Fine. Whatever. Far be it from me to think my alter ego would understand. Why would you be any different than anyone else? It's typical of my life. Everyone thinks I should just get over it already. And no, I haven't made the appointment with the doctor yet.
I understand more than you know. Look, your having the dreams from Hades and waking up at o-dark thirty. You don't go back to sleep until about 15 minutes before your alarm goes off. You are not getting enough sleep. You know how things are when you don't get enough sleep. Everything is too much. And truth be told? I'm getting sick of the whole gagging thing in the morning. You have not only the whole drainage thing into the stomach going on, but the reflux is acting up and most morning you spend at least 10 minutes settling your stomach. This is not right. You know this. Why don't you ask for help?
Because it would mean that I am weak. That I cannot cope. That I am not meant to be a mother or a wife, or a career woman for that matter. I am a failure. I want to crawl up in a little ball and hide.
Well you can't. You have a family. You have work. You have a life. You have countless humans that rely on you. You know you can do this. You need to reach out and ask for help. It does not mean you are a failure. It means you know that you are struggling, but you are smart enough to realize when enough is enough. It's time to get off of the roller coaster. Get thee some help woman. So that you can continue to move forward with your family and with your job. I am so proud of you. You can DO this. You just don't have to do it on your own.
I know. Deep down I know that you are right. It's just so hard to ask for help.
I realize that. But trust me. When you let go, and you get help, life will get easier. And I will be with you every step of the way. You are, after all, Moogie. And you have come so far.
Posted by Moogie at 6:26 PM | Comments (8)
August 15, 2007
Something different
Author's note: I'm about to to discuss breast feeding in public. Any questions? If you don't want to read about boobies used as feeding machines, you may want to skip this.
Breast feeding. Oh the controversy. Should it be allowed in public? You decide.
I nursed both of my children, at least for a while. With Chickie, I tried to make it last but was only able to make it to around 6 months. With the pressure of going back to work full time, and trying to pump, I just wasn't that successful. Add in the fact that she was a voracious eater? I just was not cutting the rug. It was hard to give up, but her Pediatrician told me that stressing myself out was not going to help matters any. And he was right. Once I started to feed exclusively with a bottle, she was so much more content.
With Amelia, I didn't last nearly as long. Looking back, I realize the stress of having a toddler, working full time and having to pump at work was just too much. As a rule, I'm a rather private person. My place of employment had "lounge" areas in which you could have limited privacy. I use to pump several times a day in there, for both Chicke and Meelie. I went all out. I bought an electric breast pump, in which I could take care of both boobs at once. Two! For the price of one! Sigh.
It was good while it lasted but people would just walk into the lounge, while I was pumping and start talking to me as if I didn't have two suction cups attached to my hooters, sucking nutrients into a bottle. Hello? I am fine thank you. Did you come in here by accident or are you just wanting to know how my day is going? I'm sorry, but that doesn't make a good environment for things like that.
Ok, so I failed at the nursing thing. But I'm ok with that.
Becca, over at Smoochy4life wrote an interesting piece about discrimination against breast feeding in public. I have to admit that I have never experienced anything like she describes (dirty looks, etc). I also have to admit that I was one who always avoided breast feeding in public. And when I did have to do it, I covered everything up, because by God people, I was NOT going to show my boobs in public. End of discussion.
Well, not so much.
Turns out, over time, I've come to realize that it was only my perception that made me uncomfortable. Perhaps it was a byproduct of my upbringing? I don't know. I just know that I wasn't comfortable with it. On the flip side, I would never look down upon, nor discriminate against those women who don't have a problem with it. Does the discriminization come from society marking breasts as a sexual object? Or should we look at breasts in context? They are a tool to provide nutrients to our children.
The arguments are endless, and many of them are valid. What are your thoughts? Read Becca's post and let me know what you think.
Bonus Question: When you encounter a woman breast feeding in public, and you engage her in conversation, where do you look? This one still has me baffled.
Posted by Moogie at 6:35 PM | Comments (5)
August 14, 2007
Just another manic Tuesday
"Butts belong in seats! Now take your butt out of my face, and put it back where it belongs!"
You have to love Middle School, and no, that wasn't said to my daughter or I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have told me about it
Yay! School is in full motion now, complete with massive amounts of homework, especially for Chickie! She already has (we only started August 1st) a huge Science Project due Friday. Yay! All of the extra curricular activities are up to full speed so we spend a lot of time coming and going and going and coming! Yay! I finished sewing all of the ribbons and elastic on Chickie's dance shoes! Boo! I haven't got Meelie's Cheer Leading shoes yet. It looks like I'll have to travel to the "big city" this weekend, or you know, cop out and order them on-line. Yay! It's coming up on the end of the fiscal year at work and I'm looking at spending a lot of extra hours trying to keep up with the demands (Or was that boo? I'm never sure).
Lord love a duck people! Here we go again. Keep all hands and feet inside the car until it comes to a complete stop. It's gonna be a bumpy ride!
Posted by Moogie at 7:01 PM | Comments (2)
August 13, 2007
Taking a look around
I was perusing the endless amounts of blogs that I love over the weekend and came upon a couple of items of interest. Truth be told, I'm short on time tonight as I had to feed Meelie and my other half (he is driving tonight, wooohoo) before cheer leading practice. The older one had quite a bit of homework dumped in her lap, plus is working on a Science Project (Periodic Table Time Line) that is due this Friday. I've been having her work on that for a while now, because dance starts this week and from Tuesday through Thursday, her time is limited. Time management. It's not just for managers any more.
On top of that, I need to sew on some elastic to Chickie's ballet slippers, and some elastic and ribbon on her pointe shoes. While Chickie is out fund raising (Cookie Dough and Coffee) for band, I thought I would share with you some things I found interesting.
First up, Jenn over at Mommy Needs Coffee, wrote about Bringing Back Family Night over at EA. I really loved this article because this is something that my family really enjoys. While we don't have a Wii, we are into card games (particularly Uno, Crazy Eights, Hearts and Gin Rummy) as well as board games such as Monopoly. The girls and I enjoy time on Webkinz, and yes, I even have adopted a pet named Pudge. We also love to bake (dad is the taste tester), do different projects and watch movies together. I think the whole concept of Family Night comes in so many different forms. I'm now reminded that, due to our busy schedules, those nights have become few and far between. We've all decided that once we settle into our schedules, we will try to bring them back, even if it's only a few times a month. It's a start. Do any of you have a family night you would like to share?
Secondly, Busy Mom has a post up about how to load the silverware in a the dishwasher. Anyway, she asked the question "How do you load your sliverware into the dishwasher? Handles up? Handles down? Something else? My response?
Handles up. And knives go with knives, forks go with forks...etc. That way, you not only avoid putting your hands on parts that go into your mouth or on your food, you have the added bonus of grabbing a section...and putting it away with ease, rather than having to sort it out. I also take it a step further. I have a "good set" of every day silverware, and then and older, sort of mixed bag. If I have the room, I even separate them that way as well. It's just easier to put away, and baby, I'm all aboutlazyeasy.
What about you?
Lastly, here is my question to you. Toilet paper roll over, or under?
Posted by Moogie at 6:14 PM | Comments (6)
August 12, 2007
Wake me when it's cold
I normally love the warmer weather. In fact, I crave it. I hate everything about cold. This last week or so, I have discovered that there definitely can be too much of a good thing. It's been seriously hot. Like in the 100's hot, with a heat index anywhere from 110 to 115 hot. Not. Fun.
No one had any energy to do anything, and that includes my children and dogs. Not that I am putting them in the same category, but there are days that the similarities are there and the only way I can tell them apart is that the human terrorists use silverware. Sometimes.
I forgot where I was. Oh, I remember now!
It's hot.
The kids were grumpy. And whiny. Nothing I suggested for them to do met their approval. And then I had an idea. Suddenly I was brilliant. No! Better than brilliant. I was the best! People, you have no idea how hard I work for that title.
Ingredients to a successful idea on a hot summer day:
- 2 storage bins from Walmart (these had not yet been filled with "stuff')
- Garden hose that can squirt out water (in other words, it works)
- Naked Barbies (you do not want to ask)
- Leggos (any size will do)
- Old Rags (make sure they are clean)
- Goggles (duh, how can you get wet without them?)
Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going to lie on the floor with the dogs and pant under the fans. Suddenly, that scene from Stick It, where Haley lowers her bad self into a tub of ice cubes doesn't seem like a bad I idea.
Maybe being cold isn't so bad after all.
Posted by Moogie at 6:29 PM | Comments (5)
August 9, 2007
NOW I remember
Gack!
It's funny how your mind plays tricks on you and turns unpleasant memories into mush, or turns them into something of beauty. Much like the pain of childbirth. In the beginning, there is NO way you are going to go through that ever again THANK. YOU. VERY. MUCH. Or like the time when your husband put your cashmere sweater into the dryer and when all was said and done, your 6 month old daughter looked adorable in it. Ok, perhaps it took me a lot longer to get over that one, but you get the picture.
What I am talking about here is school, or, to be more specific, getting used to school, and homework, and really mean teachers who do absolutely nothing but yell at you even though you do nothing wrong, and changes, and getting up early...and did I mention really mean teachers? Run-on sentence anyone?
Can you guess who I am referring to? If your answer was Meelie you are correct and you get the prize. Chickie has never had a problem with adjusting. She just kind of goes with the flow. Meelie does not handle change well, at all. She's into structure. And schedules. If you dare waiver from that one iota, she melts down faster than an ice cube in our lovely summer weather here. To be fair, she's gotten much better with a lot of it, but not school.
Every year it's the same thing and I have to keep reminding myself that it WILL get better. The constant whining and crying and making excuses. The not wanting to do homework because it is just too hard. The frustration of having to calm her down and then sit with her to help her, only to find out that once I plant my butt in the chair, she suddenly has a "come to Jesus" moment, and can do it all on her own. Glory be! It wasn't that hard at all.
The stories about how the teachers YELL AT HER ALL THE TIME! I am positive the meanest group of educators all congregated into the 4th grade and they were intent on making Meelie's life absolutely miserable. Of course, it's NEVER her fault. She never talks out of turn, she always pays attention and does whatever she is told to do.
I need to remember that this little child of mine wears her heart on her sleeve. I don't know where she gets that from (hush Mom). One cross-eyed look from a teacher, or a sharp word or two and her whole world is turned completely upside down, and things have a habit of being blown way out of proportion. I think she has gotten into "trouble" (and I use that term loosely...it's all normal stuff) maybe twice but to hear her talk about it, you would think it was all the time. For goodness sake, the Math teacher is a stickler for being organized and remembering to bring your book and all materials to class and won't let you go back to get them if you forget. Imagine that! How horrible of her!
My baby is not organized, but she will learn. I continually remind her that it only gets harder as she progresses so she needs to keep working at it. She continually reminds me that she is just not ready for 4th grade and wants to go back to third. If I were completely honest, there are times when I am ready to agree, just go get past this point.
The hardest thing for me to do is not to cave. Do your homework. You will NOT play until you do your homework. You will read for a half an hour every night. You need to focus. You need to pay attention in class, and make sure you write down all of your assignments. She is capable of all of this. Yes, it's harder for her, but she has come such a long way. We have struggled with this in the past. Each and every year, she proves the teachers wrong and I am determined that we will do it again. Her grades are a testimony to all of her hard work.
I'm proud of her, and I know I will be again this year. We just have to get through the adjustment stage. I just have to reign in my temper enough to gently show her what she needs to do. I need to remind her that she is smart, that she can do this, and that nothing can get in her way. I just have to find a way to make her believe it, and believe in herself.
I will and I know she will. It's just so hard right now because I do not know the words to help her. But I will learn, and so will she.
In the meantime, I live for the day that I can have my little pig headed, demonstrative, funny, delightful, exasperating girl back. Complete with the little curl.
Posted by Moogie at 4:59 PM | Comments (15)
August 8, 2007
Where ducks walk on fish - Vacation Part III
"Thousands LITERALLY THOUSANDS ... no Billions and Billions.. of Carp, their mouths poking out of the water looking like a lake of cheerios.. people tossing bread... the fish so thick, that the ducks literally walk across them to get to the water. It's disgusting, it's beautiful, only in America. I was horrified and mesmerized at the same time."
That about sums it up people. But of course, I cannot stop here because, hey! Where are the pictures that you have been waiting for? Stop laughing.
Internet? Meet Uncle Mikey and Miss Debbie, our wonderful hosts for the day.
The spillway, is located at Pymatuning Reservoir, near Linesville, PA. There are several locations that you can purchase old bread (for CHEAP!) to feed them. It's an absolute and total frenzy. The ducks really do walk across the fish, and it gets really funny when they compete for the bread. I don't know why, but it reminds me of the movie "Animal House" in which they shout out "FOOD FIGHT!" Take a look at the video below to see what I mean.
Feeding Frenzy! from Moogie and Vimeo.
We had a great time there, and the girls absolutely loved it! I heard a lot of "Ew Gross! This is cool!" That's about the best description ever. This would make a great outing for a field trip for school kids.
I do have to share a funny story about this. Meelie kept referring to the Carp as "Crap." After my repeated attempts to correct her failed miserably, the following conversation ensued:
Me: Why do you keep calling them Crap?
Her: Rolling eyes (where DOES she get that from?)
Me: ......
Her: Hello Mom??? They are bottom feeders ya know!
I simply cannot fight a 9 year old's logic. I should have learned that by now.
Posted by Moogie at 5:45 PM | Comments (4)
August 7, 2007
Tax free weekend
As I stated here, we completed the school supply shopping and purchased the girls shoes as well. I survived the experience and even lived to tell about it.
This was tax free weekend, and because I'm masochistic by nature, I took the girls out again to see if I could clothe them in something that was not riddled with holes, did not shout "Hootchie Mama," or was not permanently stained.
I bought those jeans for you last year and paid good money. I can't believe you are complaining that they are too short. Just roll them up and call them Capri’s. I don't know what it is about kids these days. I remember mom would by one pair of really big pants and we would all three wear them. At the same time. It made it difficult when our schedules were not the same but we managed.
As difficult as it may be to believe, I've gotten smarter over time. I've learned to take the girls shopping, one at a time. Saturday it was Chickie's turn and I came within a hairs width of me deciding she could spend the school year butt naked. She is that picky. The jeans weren't light enough. They were too light. They didn't have the right pockets. They didn't flair out enough at the bottom. They flared out too much. The shirt wasn't "fitted." There was too much bling bling. OMG Mom, it's pink! You get the idea. Nearly 4 hours later, we pretty much had her outfitted, at least until the next growth spurt, which I am estimating will take place within the next 39 days. Give or take a week.
All of that for only 5 pairs of jeans, and 5 shirts.
Sunday, Meelie and I headed out to pick up her clothes. We scored big time at TJ Max. To be fair, they didn't have a lot of stuff for Chickie (even though we did get a few things). All of that took a little over an hour and 45 minutes of that was her painstakingly trying on all of her clothes and then coming out to show me. It was that easy. I'm not dumb enough to believe it will last, but I will take it for as long as it does. It was interesting to observe how her taste in clothes has changed over time. In the beginning it was all things pink. If it has bling bling? All the better. Now, a little pink is ok. She enjoys the camouflage look to a certain degree. There's a lot more tomboy present in her than there used to be. I probably should have been ready for that because of her sudden love of all things Hot Wheels and Monster Trucks.
So we've survived another year of school shopping and I'm glad I have that behind me. Tax free weekend was a great help, and with all of the back to school sales, the financial side of things were even better. I must say that even though there were several times I felt like pulling my hair out, I enjoyed the one-on-one time I had with each girl. On the flip side Dad took over and did the same (took them to lunch and then the bookstore) with the one who wasn't with me.
All in all it was a very productive and wonderful weekend. Even if Meelie and I did have a wee bit of trouble finding the car when we came out of the mall.
Carry on.
Posted by Moogie at 5:38 PM | Comments (3)
August 6, 2007
Vacation - Part II
For those of you just joining us, Part I can be found here.
Moving on to the next item on the list, we have the Trolley. In this particular instance, Meelie got the hang of it right away. Her sister Chickie did not fair as well. These videos are pretty short (like the above), but the last three come with the warning label "DO.NOT.BLINK."
Trolley Success! from Moogie and Vimeo.
Now, here is Chickie getting ready for her first try. Will she make it?
Take 1 from Moogie and Vimeo.
Alrighty then! Great effort. You can do it! Just concentrate...concentrate....
Take 2! from Moogie and Vimeo.
Ok honey. Wait until Mommy catches her breath (oh Lord, I haven't laughed like that in a long time). You can do it! I've got the camera ready. Just don't think about falling ok? Picture yourself making it all the way across. Wait, I'm not ready. I can't take decent videos when I'm giggling.
Take 3 from Moogie and Vimeo.
You're heading on back to the Tarzan swing? No problem, I'll be right over.
Before you think I was making fun of her I want you to know that we were ALL laughing really hard, especially Chickie. I didn't post all of the videos of her first attempt but one of them shows her laughing so hard that when she reached up to get the bar, she fell directly in the water.
I'll keep putting up various posts and pictures from the trip throughout the next week. Until then, I hope you've enjoyed them so far.
Posted by Moogie at 4:52 PM | Comments (2)
August 3, 2007
Vacation - Part I
Tarzan Swing! from Moogie and Vimeo.
I've been slowly adding pictures from our vacation and since I have a little bit of free time on my hands, I thought I would add some more.
I'm trying out Vimeo for the first time for my videos. So far, it's ridiculously easy to use. I've used YouTube (nothing to write home about, but good if you want a basic program) and Dropshots (I've run out of free space, but I like the service quite a bit). It has become painfully obvious to me that I am going to have to fork over real money to pay a service to host them, but before I do, I want to look around and see what's out there. Suggestions are welcome.
I had previously written about the Tarzan Swing, which was by far, the most popular thing in the "World's Largest Pool" (remind me to get Uncle Mikie to send us the panoramic picture he took so I can post it - hey wait a minute, he is supposed to be reading my blog so it best be in my inbox by the time I get back from dinner tonight).
Where was I? Oh yes, the Tarzan Swing. No, I did not try it. Why do you ask?
The above video is Chickie, trying it out for the first time. The next one is Meelie. Pretend you don't notice the hesitation. Later she told me she was "just wanting to make sure I had my camera ready."
Tarzan Swing with a Twist! from Moogie and Vimeo.
Now and again, everyone needs a little help. There's nothing like teamwork to tackle the most daunting of tasks.
Posted by Moogie at 2:30 PM | Comments (9)
August 1, 2007
First day of school
They survived. I went into work late today, per their request, so that I could walk them to the bus stop and wave them off. I'll take it for as long as they will let me. Apparently, it's not uber cool to have your mom drop you off at school the first day, much less, walk to you class. Sniff.
This is the stuff that is guiding me towards the path of a complete and total mental breakdown. Not just the aforementioned changes, but the whole growing up and not needing me thing. Don't get me wrong, I know they still need me, but it's all on their terms now. I'm delighted that I am raising girls that are learning to become independent and are able to move out into the world, but does it have to happen all at once?
Chickie, first day of 8th grade
Oiy! Ouch! Where did my baby go? One minute I was putting your hair in whatever style you wanted, and the next? You spend an inordinate amount of time styling it yourself. It took me years to get you to brush your own hair and now? I think you pull your brush out on an average of about every half an hour.
I remember your first day of school like it was yesterday. You were so excited! I took you to school and you went into the classroom like nobody's business. You didn't even glance back at me. You just stuck that little hand up in the air and waved, shouting "by mom!" The teacher came up to me and said "I don't think we are going to have any problems with this one, do you?"
It's been the same for you every single year. You tackled leaving the only school you had ever known, and bravely entered a new school that was not only far from home, but also public. Before then, your class size only ran about 15. It didn't take you long to make friends, and even less to have teachers that loved you. I was so proud. Truth be told, I was more worried about the change than you.
This year you have graduated to carrying a purse, complete with a wallet, brush, hand sanitizer and scented lotion. You have your "organizer" with you which is supposed to be used to track assignments, but for now, it is filled with all of your friend's phone numbers and MySpace addresses.
You have a pretty tough load this year, what, with your AP classes and heavy dance class schedule. I backed off a bit this year, because you are determined that you can do it all, and succeed. And I am determined to let you try.
Chickie, you rock my socks. I hope I can be like you when I grow up. I hope you know just how much I love you.
Meelie No, first day of 4th grade
Oh Lord people, this is my baby. Well, my OTHER baby. The youngest one. She's now taken the place of the older child who doesn't want to brush her hair, but wants to let it grow down to her buttox. Unlike her older sister, if the clothes fit, who cares if they match. This attitude has forced me to make sure the girls have their clothes picked out the night before. Because people, my darling husband is color deaf. Or unaware. Look, according to him (and he will admit this so I'm not bad-mouthing him), if the top fits, and the bottom fits, who cares if they match? I've been working with him so that he can realize that the whole matching thing is just as important as the whole fitting thing. You probably don't want to ask.
Oh my little baby. My youngest. I remember your first day of school. You were/are different from your sister. When I took you to your first day of Kindergarten, you were terrified, among other emotions. Luckily, the teacher let me stay with you for a bit. When I finally decided to leave, you acted as if I broke your heart. I had to go. I know you understand that now because we have talked about it so many times.
Bless your heart. It took you about three weeks to stop crying when I would drop you off to school. Then we went and changed the whole damn thing on you and moved across country, and you had to do it all over again. You didn't cope as well as your sister with the change. Oh my word. I had suspected as much, so I took the day off work. I went to school with you and you did nothing but sit on my lap for three hours. The other kids tried to get you to play with them, but you would have nothing to do with them. At lunch time I informed the teacher that if I did not leave, you would NEVER take part in any of the acivities.
I think she understood but was uncomfortable with it. It broke my heart to leave you, but it was for the best. As it turns out, I was right. You and your teacher waved to me from the door, and apparently, you settled in right away. I on the other had, broke down in the car and cursed myself for ever moving across country.
Little one, you are the most stubborn, hard headed child I have ever met. I love you to death, but child? I predict we are going to butt heads on a daily basis. We are so much alike. Unlike your sister, you hate to have your hair brushed in any way, shape or form. I keep threatening you with a buzz cut or mohawk. It's not working, but I keep trying.
You used to be girlie. Bah...the whole frilly girlie thing now makes you barf. No bows. No lace. No dresses. You still love the color pink, but you also love the Georgia Bulldogs, and to top that off, you are obsessed with Tinkerbell. You keep me hopping, and I love you for that.
Ah my precious Meelie No...we may butt heads but I think/hope that the future will turn that around. I love you Gidget, and I hope you realize how much.
Da Gurlz
So you see internet? These are my girls. If you have any suggestions to slow down the growth, please let me know.
Posted by Moogie at 5:51 PM | Comments (8)
