Life-lovin' blogger. Or blogger for life... take your pick.

You know, there are things in my life I could certainly live without. 

Tacos, for one, being absent from my life, might actually make me even live a little longer.  Would I be as happy? I doubt it.  A short, happy life is just about as good as a long, "meh" (shrug shoulders) life in my book.

My blog? I could probably live without it.  I thought I was going to have to.  Due to Google's little "glitch", mine was "removed" for about 24 or so hours.

I know this is a funny thing to blog about, but I was a little bummed today... Funny stories about my kids, Quin's growing up milestones, pictures of just about anything that would hold still long enough... all were lost.  Or so I thought...

It gave me a moment to think about things, what's most important.  Life is what's most important, the things we blog about.  Not the blog itself.

But, my blog is right up there with tacos, people.  Sure, I could live without it.  But do I want to??

That's a big, fat no. 

(I'm so glad it's back!)  :)

The "Y" phase

And, by that, I mean, "Wwwwhhyyyyyyy?" Only, you have to say it with a grumpy/forlorn look on your face, shoulders hunched dramatically, and add a slight nasally whine.

This is Quin's new favorite word.  I'm thinking he's figured out how to use it, too... as in, as long as I keep asking this, an answer will be given, therefore prolonging the moment till I'm in my bed for a nap. 

This phase must last forever.  I'm totally guessing on that... his siblings still use it in the same way, which is where he probably learned it from.  I'm guessing.

And, this, my friends, is why, "Because I said so" was invented.

There's just so many options...

We're all about family goals this year, and one of them is to have more one-on-one time with each of our kids.  We have a limit of $20 to spend, if we choose, and were trying to come up with some ideas last night for things we could do.  Andur came up with some doozies:

Did you know, for instance, that in my huge city of Gillette, WY, you could go see how they make glass?  No? Neither did I.  Andur must have the inside track on that one.

Or, he suggested going to the instrument store.  Not because we actually play instruments, but, you know, just because.  (And actually, we do have one of those.  Albeit, one.)

And last, but certainly not least, we could always go to an animal auction.  'Cuz those are fun.

Anywho, we stuck with the more popular ideas of bowling, movies, dinner, ice cream, etc.

Natalie and I are going to get a manicure because there's a new place in town that's having a Grand Opening BOGO free sale! Woohoo! (And if there IS anything to do in my little town, it's get your nails done.  Or buy a cell phone.  Or go to a bar.  Sadly, none of these things really came up as ideas.)

McDuck in the making

Andur is a walking metal-detector.  He'll find money in parking lots, stores, restaurants... everywhere.  He's also found it in the little vending machines, including gumballs people got but never took.  One time, he found a large-ish Winnie the Pooh in a claw machine that someone won but never claimed.

Tonight, we went to Dairy Queen because I was actually the one craving a treat (usually I don't).  Andur found a penny on the floor.  He said, "I must have, like, a metal radar in my eyes!"  As we were leaving, he found a quarter, too.

How does he do it? He looks.  Everywhere we go he's looking... and he always finds.  The boy knows the value of money, even if it's a little bit.  He said, "An employee walked right over the penny and didn't even take it!" 

If we can ever curb his appetite for spending, he might even be rich someday.  ;)  (I think we'd first have to curb our own...lol)

Crafttime creativity

I actually got some adequate computer time today, so I'm taking advantage with some blog catch-up. There are a few so get yer readin' glasses on. (Actually, there's only one that's real "read-y", so no worries.)

I've been working on a painting project with those old enough in my house during the day to do so, but I think Quin's getting bored with painting... on paper, that is.

The other day, after painting, I decided to switch to crayons.  When I first saw this, I thought, "Quick, grab the camera! I can put it on my blog and title it 'At least he's not eating it'.  BUT, then he took a bite.  You can almost see the smug satisfaction on his stinky little face.

Naked gun

I'm one of those moms that didn't allow guns in my house for the longest time... that is until I realized Andur was going to make a gun out of his hands... or legos... or sticks... or straws... or paper...

Of course, we're in Wyoming.  Everyone has a gun.  Literally.  (Ours are plastic, but we still have some.)

Anywho, Quin's figured out how to make one out of legos... and it looks just like the ones Andur used to make.

Biiiig long handle, itty bitty barrel.  This is actually his smaller verson.  Silly boy.

Ha! You say that now...

Natalie informed me that this is how big she wants to be when she's pregnant.

I'm so going to show her this when she's in her ninth month.

Ramioni

I love it when babies who aren't babies anymore get to the stage of saying so many things that their little mouths can't quite pronounce.

ramioni - ravioli

Tee tee - Natalie

Ah-doh (say it with nose plugged to sound right) - Andur

boop - boot  (now he says it correctly, but I still loved putting on his "boops" for him.)

Roary - what he calls Lightning McQueen, his new absolute favorite toy and show

bayt-dee - blankie

nnn-not - milk, although, today he actually started saying "moke", so we're progressing.

yeh-yoh - yellow

boo - moon

ephnant or ehwphent - elephant

yah-yass - fruit snack

I just wanted to have some sort of record of how he says some things.  Most everything else sounds like it should, but it's just so cute when they don't.  :)

Mommy Power

My plan is working.  My choices (in my mind) were as follows:  Get a job outside the home and put Quin in daycare in hopes of helping his, um, high-spiritedness OR stay home with him and fix the problem, myself.  I'm big on standing up to a problem and facing it head-on.  So...

...I chose to stay home.  But I found myself still toying with the idea of getting a part time job somewhere, for the money and for the sanity.  We don't need the money, but it's come in handy for savings and other things we never plan on. 

Then today, I read this.  I respect Dr. Laura and think a lot of what she has to say is just common sense.  This is what I took from her post (italics added):

"I am frustrated so many of you women have underestimated your importance. What studies like this show is how important you are to the well-being and health of your children. Being told you can dump them in day care and just shove any kind of food and put them into bed and that’s it, as long as there is money in the tiller, belies the fact that you’re really very necessary for their health and welfare, happiness, structure, religion – all of this. We call it 'Mommy Power'. And so many women are willing to give up mommy power for some job, for some money. Even in this economy, it is very important we take care of ourselves as a family."



She's right.  I know the subject of moms who work is a controversial one, so I'm not going to get into that... I just wanted to put it out there that I'm so glad I don't have to be one.  HA! Who'm I kidding?? I work all day, everyday!! Babysitting is my second job.  :)

Game Plan

Last night, I was up not sleeping due to some recent drama in my life.  It got worse after my last post.  No need for me to go into detail, but yesterday left me feeling like a big fat failure as a mother and a child care provider.  I hate this feeling!

I realized later yesterday, that sitting around being angry and feeling frustrated is not the way to solve these issues.

Today, I came up with an idea (I'm quite sure it was inspired) that I'm hoping will solve a lot of my problems.  Basically, though, I'm going to control what I can and hope the rest takes care of itself. 

I've been following this blog for some time, now, and have taken some ideas from it as they are good ones.  Also, I've been following this blog, and feel this person is an excellent example of what kind of mothering skills I would like to acquire (less rigid).  Also, I've been doing a lot of soul searching and learning and realizing a lot about free agency and what my talents are... one of them being I'm good at making things better where I can by learning from what doesn't work. 

Putting all of this and a good dose of prayer together and I've come up with what will hopefully be a good solution to at least half of what's been bugging me.  I'm going to present my idea to "the mother", not to seek her approval, but to show her that you know what? I AM good at what I do.  If she still chooses to see only the scratches on her son's face, so be it.  She can find someone else to put up with her.

Comparatively speaking

I've been thinking a lot about my last post... and this post, too... and I've come to this conclusion:

Quin is no different than any other kid, but still different just the same.  And I really dislike babysitting.

Last Friday, Quin gave his friend Eli a scratch (or three) on his face.  I hate pointing these things out to the mother for obvious reasons.  She acted like it was a big deal without really making a big deal about it.  I might have, too.

But thinking about it this weekend, I realized something:  her boy is a brat.  Brat might be a bit of a strong word - typical almost two year old is probably more fitting.  Her boy pushes and shoves.  And, by that, I mean he'll come up and give a shove or he'll push and push until Quin falls down... then he lays on him and won't move unless I move him.  He throws toys (bruising my child on the forehead), takes toys away, and is, in general, a little naughty-pants.

Do I point these things out to the mother? No. 

Perhaps I should. 

After I told the mother about the scratches, she asked me if I "ever had Quin checked".  Meaning, did I take him down to the Children's Development Center and have him tested for any mental issues. 

Um, excuse me?

Yes, I was a little offended by this.  No mom wants to hear that there might be something abnormal with her child.  I have two older, very smart, nay, gifted, children.  I've been told this by the GATE teacher about them both, so please don't think I'm trying to brag.  (Their gifts are from the Lord, not me, so I have nothing to brag about, anyway.)  To have a child that isn't gifted, is... well... not what I'm used to.

Is he not gifted? I personally think it's too early to tell.  I'm really ok with him just being normal.  To me, it seemed like he was behind for a bit... but now he's understanding things that make me think he's catching up and then some.  I haven't really compared him to any other "normal" kid his age... and even when I do, it seems there really is no such thing.

Every kid is different.  They learn different, they behave different, they develop different. 

He's learning, growing, and very cute.  And I love him.  That's all that matters. 

(I just need to remember that snotty comments from a mom who doesn't even stay home to actually "mother" her children, aren't worth a hill-o-beans.)

So tempted

When my kids were of preschool age, they could read and somewhat write... but they lacked a little in social experience and structure.  So, I put them in preschool.  They got the social aspect of it, as well as the added academic boost and now are well-rounded students who don't require any parent-teacher visits (thank the Maker).

Quin is a whole different ballgame.  He's more rowdy and defiant... our learning time takes place in the bathtub so he's focused and in one spot.  (So far, he knows and can recognize A, B, D, L, M, P, and T.)  He's able to absorb like my kids did, even if it is happening a little later, but he's just so naughty! And such a mama's boy! His favorite thing to do to one of the kids I babysit (and sometimes a couple of the others) is hit and scratch.  He knows how to be nice, say sorry, give hugs, but he makes sure he gets in a good whack first before he does so.  He's also a lap-magnet.  I can't sit down without that kid saying "up, pease?".  He has to sit with his milk within reach and his blankie layed just so across his lap.

This brings me to my point:  I'm so tempted to get a part time job and stick this kid in a daycare! I have him in nursery (I'm the leader, now) and have had him in there since before he was legal... so, almost literally, I have him all day, every day.  (I'm now gone on Thursday nights, but still...)

What would you do? I continue to talk to him, take him out of the situation, show him what's ok, I've even tried time-out (which, really, is a joke at this age).

Maybe I should call Nanny 911... I'm sure it's something I'm doing (or not doing), but really, I'd rather someone else deal with it for a change!

Go Barfbay Uglies!

 We don't have cable.  Or friends who love us.  (lol)  So, instead of watching the Super Bowl and eating yummy but oh-so-bad-for-you food, we stayed home and had our very own non-Super Bowl party! I made the yummiest cookies EVER and we ate chips and salsa.  And once upon a time, Matt found this game at a thrift store, so we played it, too.

VCR Quarterback! It's quite entertaining.  Matt was the "Barfbay Uglies" (not a Packers fan, I take it), and Andur was the Steelers... because... he likes them... for... whatever reason.

Good times were had!

It's that time of year again...

And by that, I mean the time of year when I start counting down the days until summer.

My kids are super mouthy, which makes me not want to be their mother sometimes.  Somehow, summer vacation makes this all better.  Mostly.

I look forward to my days off...

You're probably thinking, "You're a mother, you don't have 'days off'."

OH, but I DO.  Days when I don't have to babysit!

I know, I chose this for myself... you know, by having children and by saying things like, "Why, YES, I'd LOVE to watch your kid!".

Most days it's not bad, this mothering thing, and yes, there are those moments that make it all worth-while (although, I'm beginning to think those moments grow fewer and farther between until the kid has it's very own offspring and needs you to babysit...), but today is just not one of those days.

As far as babysitting goes, that time of year is vastly approaching when I start considering things like selling my body just so I don't have to do it anymore. 

That was a joke!

It's really not that bad... I LOVE wiping snotty noses and poopy bums and making kids cry just by looking at them funny! I LOVE trying to be fair but still show my own kid just a smidge more love and affection! I LOVE LOVE LOVE parents accusing me or my kids of some horrible germ sharing that occurs at "daycares".  (FYI:  I am NOT a daycare.  I watch TWO WHOLE KIDS on a regular basis.  Germs don't occur in my home, they occur at the swimming pool you take your kid to every night!)

I have many days left of the school year.  Let's hope we all survive. 

Until then, I will continue my search for the perfect at-home job.  My town could probably use a good stripper............

It does a body good

For some reason, my kids have always come up with silly ways to say "milk". 

Quin, for instance, can say it properly, but says "mmmchotch", instead. 

Natalie? "Mulch". 

Andur? He said "puh", for cup. 

This was when they were both younger than Quin.  Quin's just now vocalizing his dairy needs, because, up until a couple weeks ago, he relied solely on his cute little hands for communication of such things. 

Now he's a talkin' fool, saying just about everything he hears and forming sentences, albeit short. 

Sign language was great at the time, but it sure took a toll on his speech usage. 

Plus, we did all the talking for him (which I still have to remind myself not to do.).

He's just growing up TOO FAST.

The Old Man on A Moped and the Ferrari

An elderly man on a Moped, looking about 100 years old, pulls up next to a doctor at a street light. The old man looks over at the sleek shiny car and asks, 'What kind of car ya got there, sonny ?'

The doctor replies, 'A Ferrari GTO. It cost half a million dollars!'

'That's a lot of money,' says the old man. 'Why does it cost so much?'

'Because this car can do up to 320 miles an hour !' states the doctor proudly.

The Moped driver asks, 'Mind if I take a look inside ?'

'No problem,' replies the doctor. So the old man pokes his head in the window and looks around. Then, sitting back on his Moped, the old man says, 'That's a pretty nice car, all right... but I'll stick with my Moped!'

Just then the light changes, so the doctor decides to show the old man just what his car can do. He floors it, and within 30 seconds the speedometer reads 160 mph. Suddenly, he notices a dot in his rear view mirror. It seems to be getting closer!

He slows down to see what it could be and suddenly WHOOOOSSSHHH ! Something whips by him going much faster! 'What on earth could be going faster than my Ferrari ?' the doctor asks himself. He presses harder on the accelerator and takes the Ferrari up to 250 mph. Then, up ahead of him, he sees that it's the old man on the Moped!

Amazed that the Moped could pass his Ferrari, He gives it more gas and passes the Moped at 275 mph. He was feeling pretty good until he looked in his mirror and saw the old man gaining on him AGAIN !

Astounded by the speed of this old guy, he floors the gas pedal and takes the Ferrari all the way up to 320 mph. Not ten seconds later, he sees the Moped bearing down on him again! The Ferrari is flat out, and there's nothing he can do!

Suddenly, the Moped plows into the back of his Ferrari, demolishing the rear end.

The doctor stops and jumps out and unbelievably the old man is still alive.

He runs up to the banged-up old guy and says, 'I'm a doctor.... Is there anything I can do for you?'

The old man whispers,

"Unhook my suspenders from your side view mirror".