Catholic Kiwi

just for fun

2011-11-22T07:23:00.000-06:00

Art that will mess with your head

11 SHIPS OR 3 SHIPS & 8 ARCHES?

DO YOU SEE FACES OR ALL HOUSES ?

How many horses in this picture? Should find 5

r
PEOPLE OR FACES ?

A PICTURE PUZZLE!

HOW MANY PEOPLE ?

SEE MORE THAN ONE DEER?

Look at the middle column.
Where does it end?

DO YOU SEE FOUR PEOPLE?

Who is the tallest?

A face? Or, the word 'liar' ?

NEXT:
What do you see here?
Do you see the word 'LIFT'?
Or, a bunch of black splotches ?

GIRLS ARE ABLE TO SPOT THE WORD 'LIFT' EASILY.
MEN FIND IT DIFFICULT TO SEE THE WORD 'LIFT'!!!

NEXT? FIND THE FACES:

If you can't see the baby in the picture, don't give up.
It's really cool when it actually appears.
This is not a joke and ~ NO ~ Nothing is going to jump out at you!

You have to have an open mind.
Don't look for a Baby, and you will see the Baby!

Once you see it, you won't see anything else!!

This so cool. Do you see the baby?

THE LAST ONE:

THIS WAS COOL!!! PASS IT ON......

reading

2011-11-21T07:35:00.001-06:00

Well, I took a week off work (I won't call it a vacation because I was still at home, had housework to do, and no one cooked for me:P) and expected to make some progress on reading, but alas, sleep and housework robbed me of my time. I did manage to finish
55. World Without End by Ken Follett and enjoyed it a lot. It was very similar to Pillars of the Earth with multiple plot lines all intersecting at various points. I hated the Wulfric and Gwenda plot line because it was emotionally draining. And I didn't see the point about Thomas's past, except as a way to tie history into the plot and it was a very weak tie-in.

Read to Gman
G156. Veronica by Roger Duvoisin
G157. Veronica on Petunia's Farm by Roger Duvoisin
56. Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson - this wasn't as good as the first book. Obviously there's a lot of suspension of disbelief that needs to take place. I could do that with the starstuff (although I did think they could have come up with a better name for it), but had real difficulty with "Lord Ombra". I didn't feel there was a satisfying answer to what exactly he was and I disliked the notion that his ilk would be in future books. I like how certain elements were thrown in for the entertainment of pre-adolescent boys - the escape from the tower comes to mind. The ending did seem a bit sudden for some reason. I don't know why. There was a lot of build up and some really great suspense scenes, but then all of a sudden it was over. I can't put my finger on why I felt this way, unless because there was so much build up - too much anticipation and not enough delivery. I did cheat, however. I was supposed to be reading this to Gman and finished it without him. I'm still reading it to him at night, but once he fell asleep, I had to find out how it ended. Perhaps when I reread it to him I'll be able to better identify why I felt the ending was so sudden or perhaps will realize that it wasn't.

what's going on around here

2011-11-11T08:46:00.001-06:00

The Holy Twins by Kathleen Norris - read to G while finishing making dinner. He enjoyed it and stayed for the whole book, which was a picture book, but not short. He really enjoyed saying "Scholastica". Lately he has spent most of his time "trilling" his tongue - loudly and often. And I don't discourage it because while somewhat annoying, he obviously is enjoying the sensations it brings and I know this whole experimenting with sounds won't last too long. But hearing "Scholastica" said over and over with emphasis on the siblants was a nice relaxing break.

Dad leaves today for hunting week. Gman and I are going to miss him. Gman is somewhat jealous that Dad gets to go spend a week with the hunting buddies without him, but since we're going to work on the Christmas list this weekend and maybe take a few jaunts to some fun places, not to mention the joy of getting to sleep in Mom and Dad's bed [which rarely happens and usually he has to share it with Mom AND Dad - and we've been informed that we're fat and take up too much room] is making up for his disappointment somewhat. Dad on the other hand is a bit disconsolate. He really misses his boy when he leaves him for any length of time. He misses me too, but I'm a grown up, know he'll be back shortly, and can entertain myself. The boy, on the other hand, keeps telling his dad how much he's going to miss him and asking him if Gman can't go too. Makes it hard for a Da-Da to leave his baby. But we'll all survive and the boys will enjoy talking to each other by phone and discussing if Dad saw or killed any deer. There may even be a long-distance lullaby or two.

G-ism

2011-11-09T08:06:00.001-06:00

After playing a quick game of chase with Gman he informed me....

"You run pretty quick for a chubby, old gal."

Gman and his toys

2011-11-09T08:04:00.001-06:00

Joel and Jethro were a Troll by Bill Peet - so I spent $10 on a children's book. Is that crazy? He enjoyed it so much and I enjoyed reading it to him so much that I just had to buy it. I think one of the reasons he loves it so much is that one of his best friends is named Joel. Sometimes I call Gman Jethro or switch the name Jethro when I'm reading to Gman, just to tease him. He pretends to be annoyed, but I can tell he loves it. The sly little grin gives it away every time. I love Amazon's option to buy used books. I think this was about $26 (at least) new.

He also wanted How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head but we ran out of time. He asked for it again this morning as we were getting dressed, so I promised it to him tonight and so did his dad. I'm going to suggest to him that we go through and read all his books in his bookcase (he has TONS) and get rid of those he hates and save the ones he likes. We're remodeling a room in our house to turn it into a family room complete with bookcases in an alcove. Once it's complete I'm going to move the majority of his toys downstairs. He hates playing upstairs when everyone is down so his toys don't get played with as much as they should - too much TV watching because it's where everyone else is. So now he will have a room downstairs with most of his toys and the majority of his books. That way he can grab stuff to play with while I am cooking dinner. I may even move his little desk downstairs so he can sit at it and play "school".

our weekend

2011-09-26T10:00:00.001-05:00

Went hunting/camping this weekend. Not LOADS of fun, but not bad. We left Friday morning [took Gman out of school with teacher permission] and drove 2 1/2 hours to the Land. The Land is inhabited by one camper that sleeps 2 people, a 1950s city bus stripped of the interior attached by a doorway to a second camper - sleeps 4 - 6 depending, a third camper that doesn't belong to us, 2 outhouses, a shower shed [rubbermaid shed with a special camping shower] and a work shed. I call it the Dent County Davidian compound. It looks like something you'd expect to see in Deliverance. We stayed in the original camper that has sturdier beds. Truthfully, though, I hate staying in the camper. Everytime we go there I have to sweep the beds free of mouse poop. It totally grosses me out. We put these great fluffy camping mattresses on top of the beds so we never come in contact with the mouse poop, but even knowing it was there is ick. I also worry that the boy will get a disease of some sort because I obviously can't get all the mouse poop. There's tons of it [a bit of an exaggeration] and it's all over the place. I'd prefer to stay in a nice clean tent. But that isn't as secure or safe from the elements, so I have to tough out the mouse poop.

When we got to camp, Dad unloaded a couple tons of gravel [no exaggeration] and I swept the mouse poop, while the boy twirled with delight to be again at the hunting camp. Throughout the day he and I read Peter and the Starcatchers while Dad did some camp maintainence. Gman misunderstood and thought that he was going to go deer hunting with his little Cricket Rifle [bolt action that only holds 1 bullet at a time and is impossible for Gman to shoot without help from me or dad - he doesn't have the finger strenght to pull back the safety]. After lunch the boy and I shot his Cricket and I shot my .38 while Dad got camo'd up to go bow hunting. Then the boy got camo'd up and they left. I was right on about estimating how long they'd be gone. I got about an hour nap out of the whole thing. We started a fire and the boy played in it [poking it with a long stick]. I was supervising but he managed to heft some burning embers onto his shoulder and proceeded to burn his hands trying to get it off himself. Very minor burns [no blisters and no red spots even] but it made him wary of the fire so I was thankful in the end. Lesson learned with very minor damage - if any - and now he is cautious around fire. After dinner he had fun peeing outside, gathering leaves and twigs to throw in the fire pit [it's 5 feet in diameter], and playing with the flashlights. He got tired around 7:45 so we washed up and went to bed. We read a few chapters of his book and he was out. All that outdoor play really tired him out. Dad and I returned to the fire to have one last drink. We marveled at the stars - millions of them clearly seen - and at the people in the early centuries who figured out all the stuff about them and listened to the owls hoot. No coyotes this time unfortunately as it is really cool to hear them sing. We did hear a few cows lowing, but it's not the same. We went to sleep without turning on the heater and it was a bit nippy. Fortunately for me, I slept with Gman as Dad got up at 4:30 to go hunting again and I didn't want him waking up the baby. The baby is a great little furnace however. He exudes heat and kept me warm since he's also a cuddle monkey and cannot sleep in the same bed with someone without taking over the whole thing. It was like having a little electric blanket pressed to my back. Once Dad left to go hunting the boy and I went back to sleep and slept until 8 AM [he woke up at 6 something with the sun but I told him there was no way I was getting up with the sun and he'd do better to get a little more sleep because I'd be a much more pleasant mother later in the morning. He listened]. We laid around, read more from our book, and played make believe. We got up around 9 - 9:30 and went outside. I made a fire and made some breakfast. We read more of our book while he ate his breakfast. When Dad got back we shot our guns again. The neighbors came up about noon while we were eating PB and crackers with their dog Rocky. Gman really attached himself to Mrs. Neighbor. They were throwing things in the fire together and then he showed her his rifle and let her shoot it. Once they headed home for their own lunch we started packing up. We left about 4 something and Gman - exhausted from all the outdoor play and excitement - slept for about an hour of the 2 hour drive home.

So really, except for the mice poop, we had a really nice time.

Camping

2011-09-22T08:35:00.001-05:00

We're going camping/hunting this weekend. Archery season started and Dad wants to teach Gman about hunting. Gman is all into it already, but doesn't understand the part about sitting quietly in a tree. He's okay with the killing of animals as he understands that's how we get our meat and he's also okay with his dad killing stuff as he's helped skin deer and rabbits. I'm not sure how he'll do sitting in a tree for long periods as last time he went out in a blind and his dad read him stories while they sat in a hunting blind and then he fell asleep. I give it about an hour from the time they leave camp, walk to the tree, climb it, sit for 15 minutes, have to climb down and walk back to camp. If he has to pee in the pee jug, well, then I give it an extra 15 minutes for the joy of peeing outside and into something unusual. But the whole family is going so I will tend the fire and read a book while they are gone. I think I may bring my DVD player and watch the 2nd season of GLEE. I think I deserve something nice because I'm going to have to get up with the Sun on my one day a week I get to sleep past 6 AM. And as we all know, sleep is very important to me. I don't give it up lightly. But Gman got his first progress report from school yesterday and had straight As in all his subjects, behavior, and effort. He deserves a treat as well.

Among the .....

2011-09-15T10:03:00.001-05:00

I 've started reading a series of books by Margaret Peterson Haddix, Among the Shadows, Among the Imposters, Among the Betrayed, Among the Barons, and 3 or 4 more. These "Among" books are written for middle school children and aren't very long, but I find myself pondering some pretty heavy topics after I've read them. The US has gone through droughts and famine and as a result families are only allowed to have 2 children. The law has only been in effect for about 14 years. Many families have had 3 or more children and these become the shadow children. They have to hide because it is an automatic death sentence for them and their families if they are discovered. Some of the topics I've been thinking about are obvious - forced sterilization of women after their 2nd child, a culture that makes pregnancy out to be unattractive and disgusting, abortion, birth control, etc. But other topics are less obvious. One thing the kids do to survive is get fake IDs so that they can come out of hiding. So I've been pondering ... when is it acceptable to deceive or lie? I was once involved in a theoretical discussion about this various topic. If you were living during WWII and the Nazi's came to your door and you were hiding people of the Jewish faith, would you lie to protect them? Or would you be honest and accept the consequences? Would you allow yourself and your family to die and condem other innocent families to die? Or would you lie and perhaps add straw to the camel's back toward your own eternal damnation? Who knows the mind of God? Would you be forgiven because you were protecting someone else or does all deception count the same no matter what? And this is all brought up in my mind because these children and their families are taught to lie the day the kids are born. As a Catholic birth control is verbotten - so if I lived in that society would I follow the laws of my Church or the laws of the land?

books

2011-09-14T09:29:00.001-05:00

Gman and I have been reading a ton of books. Picture and chapter books for him, young adult and other stuff for me. We've come across some great stuff.

Gman fell in love with The Black Stallion and the Narnia books. He was so enthralled with The Black Stallion that he would ask for it when it wasn't time for our nightly read. He got so excited at certain points that he couldn't lay down and listen, he had to bounce on his knees. And with all the Narnia books, we read them for bedtime as well. One Saturday the whole family was wondering what was going to happen next in the last book, The Last Battle and we were just going to read one more chapter, but then we ended up reading the whole thing. Gman sat still for 2 hours enthralled with the story.

I've read a several really great books. Testimony of Two Men, Pillars of the Earth, and Still Alice [the last about a woman with Alzheimer's]. My favorite so far has been Left Neglected about a woman who suffers a brain injury and becomes unable to perceive things to her left. She's not blind or deaf on the left, she just doesn't remember that it's there. This is apparently a read neurological thing that can happen. The book was written by a neurologist [or neurosurgeon, I can't remember which] and I found the whole clinical aspect of it fascinating, but not nearly as great as the story about how the family grows and changes for the better from having to deal with this issue.

Musclebones

2011-09-13T09:36:00.001-05:00

I threw out my back and Gman has been "treating" me. He's gone with me a few times to the chiropractor and he also thinks he's my doctor. When I have aches and pains he brings me wet kleenex to put on my "owie" or he squeezes my muscles and I pretend it hurts and then he has to fix it. It's very cute. Last night he decided to fix my back [where i have a herniated disk] by pressing on it. It didn't hurt because he has little pipe cleaner arms. Plus, even if it had hurt a bit I would still let him do it just because it amuses me that he thinks he's my doctor. But, thankfully it didn't hurt, although I did pretend to be in some discomfort. He gave me blankie [his precious] and told me nothing would hurt while I snuggled blankie [who's a girl]. Then he proceeded to treat my "musclebones". Just about the cutest thing I've heard lately and he does say some cute things. When he was done with a variety of treatments [including making me do some exercises - which he drew on his chalk board and then pointed out with a marker just like a teacher] not only did he let me snuggle blankie, he volunteered to let me suck his sucky finger [index finger]. I thanked him but declined that privilege. He did rub his finger against my mouth to show me the dry desicated part that he likes best. It was weirdly touching.

Today is picture day at school. Last year they didn't have anyone to take pictures, but thankfully, this year we do. He looked so cute in his uniform this morning with his little plaid tie and sweater.

Spring Break Fun

2011-04-26T16:56:00.001-05:00

Gman is on Spring Break this week. He and his dad had an outing to a train museum today. Yesterday they went to 2 WHOLE HARDWARE STORES!!!! Gman loves riding on the tractors and visiting the hammers. I ended up with 4 dogwood trees and a cherry tree [to pollinate my current cherry tree].

He's been saying funny things again. I woke him up the other morning and all day, to both me and his father, he kept grouching that I'd "ruined his dream". He apparently was having a lovely dream and my waking him up destroyed it. Bad Mama!

We were taking a walk the other day and he looked up at me and said, "Mama, my legs are weary." I don't think I've used the word "weary" since I learned to spell it in 3rd grade and I have to admit, I'm still not sure if that's the right way to spell it. What 5 year old says these things!

these days

2011-04-14T08:46:00.001-05:00

Gman has been in a great mood these days. Maybe it's something about getting out and playing now that it's spring. He hasn't been getting in trouble in school and he's been more agreeable at home.

The other day Tom was driving him to school when an ambulance drove past, siren blaring, and Gman began positing reasons a person might need an ambulance.

"Maybe someone broke their arm, Dad."

"Sure, Son, that could be what happened."

"Maybe someone broke their leg."

"That's another good reason."

"Maybe someone got real sick and needs an operation."

"Sure."

"Or maybe they're just drunk."

Due to a circumcision that didn't heal the right way, we've been having to put goop on the boy's private parts. Each time we do it he tells up we like torturing kids. His face is so sincere and mad and he just looks so fierce as he accuses me of enjoying torturing him that it's hard not to smile which only gets me in more trouble. Of course I don't enjoy the whole process because I love him immensely and hate to see him uncomfortable let alone in pain, but the look on his face is priceless.

On the way to school this morning a cement mixer was getting ready to pour a patch of concrete for a street. Naturally the boys were thrilled, but also very sad because, well, they were on the way to school and couldn't really stop to watch the whole process. As they drove on Gman was talking about how great it would be to be able to watch the whole process. Dad agreed.

Gman: "It would be even better if we lived on the street. That way we'd be right there."

Dad: "And we wouldnt' be in the way and we could see the whole thing." [not sure that Gman wouldn't want to get in the way and 'help'

Gman: "That would be great, Dad."

Dad: "And we could set up some lawn chairs and watch from the comfort of our own house."

Gman: "And we could make some popcorn and it would be just like watching a movie!" - only little boys would equate the pouring of concrete with watching a movie, I'd liken it more to watching paint dry. But that's the great thing about having a dad who was once a boy, he remembers what it was like and how great it is to see those construction trucks in action. We had a telledine deliver some bricks the other day and Tom mentioned there was a forklift at our house while Gman was at school. You would have thought he missed seeing one of the seven wonders of the world. He was crushed, but he got over it when they saw the cement mixer. Maybe they'll be lucky and see an excavator at work on the way home.

Tom is going to build a small retaining wall in the front of the house and yesterday he spent the day digging up the trench he needs. When Gman got home from school, instead of playing, he wanted to help Dad dig. So Tom would break the soil with his big shovel and Gman would dig out portions with his little one, natually wearing his yellow gloves with the caterpillars on them [AKA his "work" gloves] and his bright green, smiley face rain boots. He was adorable. And he had to give me a "tour" and show me where he had been digging and then he gave one to each of his sisters in turn. He was quite entertaining. "and here's where I was digging. You can tell because it's so straight. And here's where the bricks are, I helped Dad unload the wheelbarrow." and on and on. Like the time he was giving the girl's uncle a tour of the house...."and here's the basement. It's not very exciting." Like it was his own little fiefdom. Well today when he left for school he asked Dad not to build the wall without him. He was very sad to hear that Dad had to get it down, but was cheered up at the thought that there was the whole other side of the wall to dig out yet. I'm sure I'll be getting a tour of that as well.

not off to a good start

2011-03-29T09:17:00.001-05:00

Well, I've been meaning to post. I've been meaning to do a lot of things. I don't do well in the season after Christmas. You'd think my depression would be when it starts getting dark longer, but instead mine is when it starts getting light earlier. Go figure. I was an awful mom to poor Gman. I know that at least twice I let him watch movie after movie while I slept on the couch. There will be days in Purgatory for that little bit of neglect and poor parenting. I'm sorry Gman. I love that boy so much I really hate it when I have a parenting fail.

What have we been up to lately. N and J rented a house just 2 1/2 blocks from us which has their little brother absolutely excited. He loves to go and see them. He likes to hang out with the "big kids". We gave them our couches and dining room set. The dining room set was relatively easy to replace even though it will take a long time to get because it's made from all wood. In fact, I ordered it before they even had my old set out of the house. Got a great deal on it too. It's smaller than my old set which will hopefully open up the room more. The couches were another story. I gave them away 3-5-11 and I think I started to regret it 3-6-11 12:00 AM. 3 weeks I have been searching for couches. 3 weeks without anything to sit in but 2 old recliners - and when you're used to sprawling on the couch that gets old quick. We found the couch last week but I couldn't commit. I was looking for something red. I don't know why, except that my house is decorated in neutral colors and I wanted something bright. So we've gone to almost every furniture store in the city and sat on just about every couch available. I was really disgusted with some of the stores that have online sites. I would see something I liked online, go to the store and they wouldn't have it there to try out. Heaven knows I was not going to buy a couch without sitting on it. One saleslady actually told me that they have free shipping to the store. What? I'm going to order expensive couches, have them delivered to the store, come in, sit on it and then decided it's not comfortable and return it. No thank you. That makes no sense. I'd still be buying couches 6 months from now. So last week we found a few that were doable. Not great, not exciting, but doable. This weekend Tom told me to go out and buy couches, pick from the ones we'd liked or go somewhere new but his thought was that they were all pretty much the same. He was right. I finally went to the last place we had been the weekend before and bought the couch he seemed to like the most. Trena Pewter, Ashley Homestore, if you're interested. I bought them Saturday, found recliners I liked to go with them [recliners not ordered yet, waiting for the eventual coupon they send every month], saw some end tables that were pretty, by Monday, Tom picked up the couches and they were waiting for me when I got home yesterday. 2 days from purchase to having comfy couches that Gman loves. Easier to snuggle blankey on the couch than in a recliner. Still don't have the dining room table.

In the meantime, we've been reading. Gman is up to 70 - 75 books read to him so far this year. That's not bad for the first 3 months of the year. I'm only on #11 and I want to read 111 this year. 111 books in year 2011. I keep track of what we've been reading over at www.librarything.com if anyone is interested in seeing what we've read and my thoughts on it. Additionally it is Lent and I have given up reading fiction for my sacrifice. Since I am addicted to brain candy it seemed like a good idea to try and get more thoughtful, spiritually uplifting or even just something that gave me knowledge instead of inanity. So far I haven't read a single book. I'm working on it though. Stayed up to 1 AM last night reading UNPLANNED by Abby Johnson. She was a director of a Planned Parenthood clinic, saw an ultrasound guided abortion and became devoutly pro-life. Very, very interesting and intense book.

We also have Gman's school fundraiser coming up - The Jog-a-thon. He isn't old enough yet to run laps for money, not until next year. But we've been raising money by soliciting lump sums from family and friends. I think he's raised over $300 so far. Every kid at the school except the Preschoolers has a goal of $300, so the fact that he has no goal this year and still managed to make it to the mark gives me hope for next year. We're trying to raise $20,000 for the school. I think we're really far from our school goal so far. But we still have a month to go and that's usually when the impetus kicks in. I tried to have a trivia night but no one was intested. Oh well, maybe next year something smaller, like at the school with bring your own everything.

FW: LET'S PLAY FAMILY FEUD

2011-01-24T12:51:00.001-06:00

Let's Play Family Feud!!
YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE MY ANSWERS - YOU MUST USE DIFFERENT ONES!

1. Name something you use in the shower - soap

2. Something people hate to find on their windshield – bug poop

3. Name something a man might buy before a date - wine

4. What is something you might cook in the microwave - soup

5. Name a reason a younger man might like an older woman - money

6.Name an item found in a mans pocket - wallet

7. Name something a dog does that embarrasses its owner – rubbing butt on carpet

8. Name a kind of test you cannot study for - surprise

9.Name a phrase with the word 'home' in it – hometown

10. Name a sport where players lose teeth – hockey

11. Name something a teacher can do to ruin a good day: test

12. Name a fruit that isn't round - avocado

13. Name a bird you wouldn't want to eat - eagle

14. Name something a person wears even if it has a hole in it – underwear

15. Name something that gets smaller the more you use it – bank account

16. Name the person that is most likely to respond: - unknown

another parenting fail

2011-01-23T19:44:00.002-06:00

Tom and I are sick. So sick that we drafted J to come and get Gman and take him to McDonald's playland today so that we could rest and he would be entertained. He was incredibly bored by a mom and dad who were too out of it to play. We couldn't even do voices since we both have coughs and stuffy noses and trying to talk in squeaky voices simply made us both sneeze/cough/blow our noses. I went to sleep even before J had him out the door. I sent him downstairs in his jammies with his clothes for the day, let her dress him [Tom was out starting his truck because it was snowing, roads were slick, and J doesn't have 4-wheel drive], and went to bed. Even when he returned I stayed in bed for 3 hours. We didn't even go to Church today. Tom was blowing his nose every minute sounding like someone had stuffed a trumpet up there and I have a cough that sounds like I am attempting seal impersonations. So what does one do when you have a 5 year old who can't entertain himself? He watched movies all day. The same movie in fact. He watched Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius 3 times today! Not my best parenting day.

more G-isms

2011-01-21T13:05:00.003-06:00

We were leaving Gram's house last Saturday where Gman's cousins were visiting. I was explaining to Gman that his cousins were sad to leave and his older male cousin was crying he was so sad. Gman's response, "I'm not sad. I'm like Santa Claus, happy all the time". [this from the kid who can whip up tears at the mere thought of not getting his way]

Every other day or so Tom or I cut up cheese for Gman. This entails using the AWESOME cheese knife my mom got me for my birthday [sharp plastic knife with raised edges horizontally along the blade that keeps the cheese from sticking to the knife]. We cut up a block of cheese – the block is cut into 4 sections, each section is halved lengthwise and again widthwise ending up with 4 long sticks of cheese all still in a stack. We then cut these 4 sticks into cubes but all 4 cubes end up sticking together forming a 4 brick wall. Gman hates this. His cheese needs to be in separate cubes before he eats them [my OCD little man] and he is constantly trying to get Tom or myself [or anyone for that matter] to separate the cheese into cubes for him [yes, he is the laziest child in the world]. Well, to counteract this, Tom told him that Tom's job was to cut up the cheese and Gman's job was to separate it. Gman was not happy. Saturday morning someone was grumpy and tired and begging me to separate his cheese cubes for him. I told him he would have to do it and Gman explained to me about the cube separation being his job "Daddy told me …." I agreed it was his job to which he replied, "I quit! I am quitting this job and now you have to do it for me!" Ah, the logic of childhood.

Gman loves for me to tell him the story of King Kong [I have no idea why] and Tom loves to throw me under the bus by occasionally reminding Gman to have me tell the story. So the other day I was repeating the story and when I got done I wondered what the "beautiful girl" in the story looked like to Gman, so I asked him. "She has yellow hair. She has blue eyes. She's wearing a pink shirt and pink pants. And she has glasses." He is so his father's son. Daddy likes girls who wear glasses also.

2010 recap

2011-01-06T13:20:00.003-06:00

2010 recap.
1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
Got promoted to supervise my department.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't remember if I made any so obviously if I did, I didn't keep it. My resolutions this year are to get into better shape [me and everyone else], to say the Rosary every day, to read more intellectual books [instead of brain candy - although there will be some of that as well], and to get my diabetes under control.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Two of the women who work with me.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, no one really close to me, but I had several friends lose their parents or child.

5. What countries did you visit?
Does FL count as a different country? It seemed like it.

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
A stronger and deeper faith, a good couple friend that Tom and I could hang out with that has kids Gman's age, a baby girl.

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
March 8 - Gman's first camping trip.
August 28 - Gman's first birthday party [members outside the family]
December 11 - first birthday party Gman attended without his parents

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Taking over my department.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Most of my mothering and wifing.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My front steps

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
N who quit her nowhere job, went out of state, learned a new skill, returned, got a better job, got laid off, got another job almost immediately, and held strong not to give in to pressure to do things she didn't want to.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Then entire country's

14. Where did most of your money go?
bills

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Most anything to do with Gman.

16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
You're never gonna be alone -- Nickelback

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
a) same, b) same, and c) same

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Playing with Gman.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
yelling at Gman

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent it at Mass in the morning, opening presents with Gman and Tom at home, took a nap, opening presents with Grandma and Aunt K at Grandma's, Opoitkei - spelling completely wrong I'm sure - and Christmas dinner at Grandma's house.

21. Did you fall in love in 2010?
Everyday with the same man and the rest of my family.

22. How many one-night stands?
Why is this question even in this? Aside from moral issues, what about health - mental and emotional, etc. This is a dumb question! [none]

23. What was your favorite TV program?
Bones

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't hate anybody. There are several people I don't like or respect, but no actual hate.

25. What was the best book you read?
I cannot pick just one. Some of the ones that stick out are listed on my book page of http://www.librarything.com/

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I can't really say I made any. I like Nickelback, Michael Buble, Dean Martin, Pink, Lady Antebellum, etc, but I don't think I found a new band that beats out the old favorites.

27. What did you want and get?
a woobigan - http://www.sahalie.com/

28. What did you want and not get?
my diabetes under control

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
The Prince of Persia - Jake Gyllenhaal - yummy

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 41 and we probably had dinner with my mom. Other than that, I don't remember.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If I had become a better mother and my son's behavior had improved.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
comfortable

33. What kept you sane?
QHRA, SMA, and Tom

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
see 29 above

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Pro-Life

36. Who did you miss?
My dad. Always.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
Sunshine, Maria, Luke my chiropractor, I can't pick just one

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
that Tom and I can get mad at each other or disagree and we're still going to be married and love each other.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"Time is going by so much faster ... and I regret not spending all of it with you." - Nickelback

checklist

2010-12-22T10:04:00.001-06:00

Santa visited: þ

Christmas movies watched: haven’t seen A CHRISTMAS CAROL or IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE yet and really those are the best ones.

Christmas presents purchased: þ

Advent Calendar: þ

Christmas cards: þ

Missing addresses found: þ

Late Christmas cards: þ

Presents for party attendees: þ

Menu for party: þ

Food purchased: þ

Guests invited: þ

Last minute invitations: þ

Presents wrapped: only about ¼ done, boo!

House cleaned: NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!

Vacuum cleaner picked up: þ

Porch cleaned: nope

Food cooked: eggs boiled for deviled eggs, but that’s it

You know what I’m noticing about this list? There is very little to do with prayer or Jesus Christ on it. I think that while I am busy being Martha, I should contemplate Mary and try to get my heart into the right frame of prayer and anticipation for the coming of the Christ child. I vow to spend at least 15 minutes for 4 hours tonight in mediation upon my statue of Mary holding the Christ child. I seem to have become lost in the material world and need to get myself back to the true meaning of Christmas.

funny little man

2010-12-20T10:18:00.001-06:00

My little guy just makes me laugh.

Friday night was “Bro and Sis” Night at our house. N and Gman were working on building a castle out of a cardboard box on Wednesday but she had to leave before it was finished much to Gman’s disappointment. As a palliative, she told him they’d have “Bro and Sis” night Friday night and work on the castle, he could take a bath in her tub [the only one in the house], and watch movies. He was ecstatic. I was a bit worried that she’d forget about it, but instead I did. Hard to do because he kept bringing it up Thursday and Friday. Friday when I picked him up we went to the vacuum repair shop to pick up the school vacuum that was being repaired but it wasn’t ready. I called Gman’s grandma [Gma] and we were discussing coming over to her house for dinner when Gman perked up in the back seat and said, “But we can’t go to Gma’s house! Tonight is Bro Night!!!!” [it quickly turned from “Bro and Sis Night” to “Bro” night – amazing how that works for 5 year olds]. So all plans were cancelled and we went home. To the cuddly spot. We turned on VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER [audio CD] and snuggled down with pillows and various blankeys under the blanket tent with the little light shining in the darkness. Needless to say, I was out before the first track had completely played. Gman was awake the whole time, listened and could tell me what was happening when I occasionally woke up and asked where we were in the story. But then N got home and I was abandoned to sleep peacefully on the floor …. for about 5 minutes. Every 5 ~~seconds~~ minutes he was upstairs telling me what they were doing and asking me to come and see. It is with great shame that I admit that I told him to go away and let me rest. But eventually I got up and made him dinner. While I was “making dinner” – read heating up his hot dog – they were sword-fighting with kitchen utensils. They had completed the castle by this time and Gman asked what they were going to do next. N told him whatever he wanted and he turned to me to ask what they were allowed to do. You should have seen his face light up when I told him they could do whatever they wanted … it was like I told him he’d won the lottery. Needless to say, my little TV addict opted for a movie. But he got N’s whole attention for the entire thing. All weekend long he talked about how I said they could do anything they wanted. It was magic to him.

Saturday was a wasted day. Gman listened to almost the entirety of DAWN TREADER while Dad and I hung pictures [getting the house ready for Christmas]. He laid around in his underwear [until I made him put clothes on – I got cold looking at him], snuggling his blankey and sucking his finger. In the afternoon we went to Target and bought N and J their birthday presents and a birthday ice cream cake for N. Then we got Bernadette. She’s the babysitter and he LOVES her. We went out to dinner for N’s birthday [her choice – Mexican] while he played at home. He hates having to behave in restaurants especially when they don’t serve hot dogs so he gets to stay home with Bernadette. When we got home Bernadette stayed and we all had ice cream cake after singing and blowing out candles [with help from Gman]. Presents were opened and N got a HUGE, and I’m talking GINORMOUS purple ring – it went from hand knuckle to first finger knuckle, a tasteful purple pendant, and a multi-strand silver necklace with red and green jingle bells on it all from Gman. Then J got dressed in her Christmas outfit – Santa turtleneck, Santa tights, bright green Santa vest, Christmas light necklace that actually blinked and could have the frequency of the blinking changed, and of course she borrowed Natalie’s new jingle bell necklace. Gman thought she looked beooootiful. J’s friends stopped by and were amazed at how big Gman is now. Bernadette seemed to enjoy the company of the older girls and thanked Dad for letting her stay for cake, although, I think we enjoyed having her there more.

Sunday was the big day. We went and saw Santa [and Mom finished the Christmas cards and got them mailed]! Since Gman can’t read yet, Dad drew pictures of everything on his Christmas list for him. He’s at a great age. He still believes and was so relieved that he got to talk to “the man himself”. He held his list [wouldn’t wander off with Dad like in years past because he was afraid he was going to miss his turn] in his little hand and couldn’t wait to get up there. This year he trotted up there so excitedly, all on his own. Didn’t need any encouragement to go sit on Santa’s lap from me, sob. He smiled very nicely for his picture and got to tell Santa everything on his list [although Santa had to help him with Microscope]. He was beaming when he got done. What a relief to tell Santa what he wanted. We’d written a letter earlier in the season, but he just told Santa that he was being good and that he loved him. He didn’t want to write out everything he wanted and so as the day started drawing closer he was worried that we wouldn’t make it to see Santa in time and then what would he get for Christmas? Still, Santa plans to write him a letter and tell him that he needs to work on listening to mom a bit better but that all in all he’s been a very good boy this year.

So we had a good weekend. The house is shaping up for the Christmas Eve party. We’ve got the shopping list started and I’ll get to that tomorrow. Christmas cards are finally out including a cute picture of Gman. Presents are purchased and most have arrived via UPS or FedEx, although we are awaiting a few. Some of the presents are even wrapped. Not even close to being finished with that but I’ll work on that tonight. Or tomorrow. Okay, probably Thursday at midnight I’ll finally finish wrapping the girls presents because they open them Christmas Eve. I won’t finish Gman’s until the last minute. Do you let your kids open presents before or after Church? I think we’re going with after Church and holding them hostage to good behavior. Shouldn’t be a problem as we’re going to early Mass [8 A.M.] and he’s been really good in Church lately.

sort-of failure

2010-12-17T08:06:00.000-06:00

We watched TV last night. We had an ice-day and were home from work and school all day. We played Mouse-Mart [Wal-Mart for mice run by Gman as Mr. Jenkins and staffed by Tutter Mouse, Kerchemal Mouse, Harry the hunter mouse, Ollie the Opera Mouse, Charlie the Church mouse, Dr. Conio, Coonie, and a whole cast of others who show up to buy things – Mr. Jenkins always knows what aisle they are in]. We talked to N before she left for work, when she returned because she forgot something, and when she returned again because she had fallen on the ice and her hair needed to be refixed before she could go to work. We talked to J who called to tell us that she too had fallen on the ice – glasses and coffee flying – thankfully no broken bones in either case, just a few sore tailbones. We went Shark hunting. We figured out which pictures we wanted to hang downstairs and carried them down and cleaned them. Mom and Dad hung pictures [bare walls since we returned from the 2009 flood] while Gman listened to audio CDs in the cuddle spot. We ate soup [mom], stew [Dad], and peanut butter and crackers [Gman]. We wrapped presents. We cuddled in the cuddle spot [walk-in hall closet, behind some boxes we made a tent with a blanket, pillows, a cuddle blankey, a pillow pet, mom and boy, turned out all the lights – except the Christmas nightlight] while listening to audio CDs. We listened to several kids books on CD [PETER PAN, SAMSON AND DELILAH – which includes lots of 1960s sing-along hymns – thankfully I fell asleep during it]. We baked homemade bread to go with the homemade soup we made on Wednesday [Gman made his own soup – picked out all the ingredients – I advised or said no depending on what he wanted to put in. He ended up with chicken, potatoes, onions, parsley, tomatoes and onions – and then put the whole thing through a blender. I put in too much water – should have used chicken stock - so it was bland, but once I surreptitiously put in some spices and barley, it was quite yummy. My French Onion was AWESOME]. Gman played with the flour on the counter making castles and rubbing the bread with flour. Gman played in the sink, pretending to wash dishes and asking for “ingredients” to add to his “sink soup” – since I generally have to take a bite, I didn’t give him any ingredients – ick! Gman continued to play in the water, went upstairs, retrieved his shampoo and proceeded to wash his hair in the sink [this counted for his bath/shower this evening as we hadn’t done anything strenuous and therefore didn’t require the full deal – I would have let him go without anything, but he was enjoying dunking his head into the full sink so much, how could I say no? We ate dinner – salami [Gman] and soup [homemade French Onion topped with homemade bread and Mozzarella cheese, MMMmmm]. Mom worked on writing out Christmas cards. By 7PM I was exhausted, despite the nap. So I caved and let him watch a movie [HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON – which is the superdy-duperest movie ever] while I continued to work on Christmas cards. Then we got the bad news about our friend’s son right before bedtime. Teeth were brushed, prayers were said, a book was read, cuddling ensued – more cuddling than usual as Mom was reminded of how fragile life is. So all in all, I don’t think it was a complete failure. I could have caved earlier in the day and let him sit there and rot his brain the whole day. One movie after a long day of fun and productivity doesn’t seem out of line. Or am I just trying to justify myself?

May his soul rest in peace

2010-12-16T22:57:00.001-06:00

Please pray for the family of hubby's best friend, especially his son. The young man was killed in a burglary this afternoon. We are all reeling in shock. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Success!

2010-12-15T09:34:00.001-06:00

No TV Monday and no TV Tuesday! Monday was soccer practice and then straight to bed as the little monkey was exhausted [not from soccer as he mostly walks around despite the manic energy of his fellow athletes]. Tuesday was the library where we borrowed many Christmas and winter books. Also The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Wind in the Willows on Audio CD. Mama got several books she’d been waiting for as well, The Help, Still Missing, and an artisan bread baking book, something like Artisan Baking in 5 minutes a Day.

But honestly, G wouldn’t have gotten to watch TV anyway, even if Mama were being lazy. He’s having trouble at school with the “keep your hands to yourself” rule. He and his little buddy play kind of rough together and can’t seem to stand near one another without giving each other noogies, etc. The fact that said little buddy is a girl is what makes it difficult. I’m not overly worried about it. Little Buddy is several inches taller than Gman and is the youngest of 4 kids. I’m sure that she’s used to some rough play. Still, it is a rule at school so we’re enforcing it at home. If I get a note home [sent an index card with all the days left in this month written on it, if it comes home with an X through the day, he couldn’t control his hands] there’s no TV. Both nights there was an X on the card. I’m not always good at staying the course when it comes to self-control [i.e. not watching TV], but I am excellent at enforcing rules I set up as consequences. Sometimes I rethink the consequences and decide I’ve been too harsh, but even then, the consequences stay for that instance and then get changed for future incidents. If I’ve said if you do there is no TV, and he does it anyway, then there’s no TV. If I said, you have to take the icky medicine if you cough again, then it’s icky medicine time when the coughing starts. But if I’ve said, let’s don’t watch TV tonight and I’m tired and he’s persistent, I may give in. Can someone be “semi-consistent”?

Bad Mama!

2010-12-13T14:05:00.001-06:00

I let the boy watch too much TV last night. 3 movies in fact. I was a slug and I feel asleep in the easy chair and let him watch PETER PAN and when that was over I let him watch ALADDIN. And then after dinner I let him watch HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON. In my defense he did spend about 45 minutes outside shoveling snow [for fun] – not much of defense is it? It was miserable here, snowing and blowing all day with steadily dropping temperatures. I think I could have come up with a better way for him to spend the afternoon, however. It was pure laziness on my part. I know he enjoyed it, but he probably would have enjoyed painting his letters [wooden block], playing Candyland [but only if he won], or reading books [me or an audioCD, whichever]. I have to stop relying on the TV so much. That is my resolution today: no TV watching this week. Tonight we have soccer [not really practice, more learning the skills to eventually play], tomorrow we have a quick stop at the library which I just decided to let be a long stop at the library and getting our Christmas pictures reprinted [they had the “s” in pray for us cut off so now it looks like a weird text message “Pray for u”]. Wednesday I’ll see if my mom’s interested in having dinner with us [preferably my house so that I can control the TV], Thursday I’ll have to think of something, and I am so tempted to make Friday night after dinner Movie night. I think I will. Not due to laziness, but if I can accomplish 4 days without TV – pure torture for my TV addict, the boy deserves a treat after going to school all week. He tells me it’s “challenging” – Preschool mind you. Saturday night is N’s birthday dinner so Gman will be home with the babysitter [he prefers it to going to a grown up restaurant]. By the time we get home, sing our rendition of “Happy Birthday”, and blow out the candles, it will be bedtime. Sunday is Gram’s house so we can play in the basement and watch football in the afternoon. The following week is Dad’s week, so I will let him decide if he wants to use the animated babysitter, but I’m guessing he won’t. If he’s hunting I don’t know if I’ll be drop off or pick up. I’m off work from just before Christmas until after the new year begins so we’ll see how much fun stuff we can do with cousins, aunt and uncles, and maybe fit in a hunting trip with dad.

My Heart's at Home Daybook, December 10, 2010

2010-12-10T13:48:00.001-06:00

Outside My Window ...
still City Hall Parking Lot.

***

Towards a daily rhythm ...
I don’t know that I am attempting anything big, just little things. Getting ready for Christmas, but not stressing about getting everything done for Advent. I figure that things will pick up as Gman gets older. Now if we do the Jesse Tree a few times, light the Advent candles at least once a week, and let Gman put a figure on our Nativity Advent calendar, that’s enough. I try and do some little thing around the house … sweep floors, wipe up counters, make the coffee, empty dishwasher, make favorite meals, etc. Not all at once, but one or two a day.

***

I am thankful for ...
My husband. He loves me so much. He puts up with my neuroses and tries his very best to be a good father and husband. I am so blessed.

***

From the kitchen ...
Nada. We’re going to the movies so I see popcorn for dinner….which will probably cost more than getting into the movies. Oh well, a holiday celebration.

***

To live the liturgy...
I bought a bunch of saint biographies….St. Rita, St. Monica, St. Dominic, St. Benedict, St. Gertrude, etc. My goal for the new year is to read more theological non-fiction and not rot my brain with junk.

***

I am wearing ...
a light blue polo, brown pants, brown knee-high boots, and a red lanyard with my nametag, security ID, and 3 keys on it.

***

I am creating ...
nothing. I am avoiding my job. Need to get back to work.

***
Towards a real education ...
Sending my boy to a traditional Catholic school. I think that is the best thing I can do for him. Still working on my faith myself.
***

Bringing beauty to my home ...
with my joyful personality and bright smile.

***

I am reading ...
books advertised in “BAS BLEU” and online book company. I read their descriptions and if it sounds good, I get the book from the library. So far, they’ve been okay, but I haven’t been overwhelmingly impressed

***

I am hoping ...
for a pleasant weekend with the boys. No yelling, whining, or tantrums would be nice.

***

Around the house ...
Christmas is coming. We will make Gman’s stone handprint for Gram this weekend, maybe make a huge batch of chocolate covered pretzels for home, school, and work, and maybe wrap some presents. Gman loves to wrap. He is Captain Tape.
***
One of my favorite things ...
the internet. I get to connect with people. I seem to have trouble doing that in person.

***

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
a movie tonight with DH, Gman, N, school cleaning, a Christmas party, and dinner with Gram and Aunt K on Sunday.

***

Here is a picture thought I am sharing~

This never shows up, but I thought I’d try it anyway.

Trouble brewing

2010-12-10T13:32:00.001-06:00

Gman is getting in trouble at school lately. He can’t seem to keep his “super-esophageal ganglia” to himself in line, he coughs during prayers, story time, and nap/quiet time, and he was throwing toys at the ceiling at school. The toy throwing is easily explained as it has been very cold out and the kids have had to stay inside. No running or rough play and when you’re a young boy, that’s tantamount to physical torture. I think that he should be fine today as we talked last night and he usually turns things around when he gets a note home. How long it will last, well, I can’t say.

The coughing thing is annoying but I don’t know if there is anything I can do about it. Took him to the doctor who said his throat, lungs, and ears were fine. Probably just a habit he developed. So now we’re threatening him with medicine. He is the pickiest eater every, hates all things medicinal or even sweet [Tylenol, etc]. So I bought some gummies for him that I am going to make him take every day. He will hate it, but maybe then he’ll work on not coughing. I don’t want to give him a complex, but I do want him to stop annoying people. A lady in the library the other day asked me if he had asthma. I said no and then she was really rude [okay, she did have some reason as he is terrible about covering his mouth when he coughs] and asked me to “make” him cover his mouth. I wanted to be snarky once I thought about it and tell her that he had emphysema or something and see how she took it. Instead I used it as a lesson and asked him, AGAIN, to cover his mouth. I think seeing someone be rude about it [and I didn’t let him see that I thought she was rude] was useful. He’s doing better covering his mouth.

I sent a note back to his teacher asking her to help with the “hands off” rule. I gave her a note card with every school day left for the year. Every day he can’t control his hands, she puts an “X” through that day. I look at the card when he gets home and if there is no “X” he gets to watch a bit of TV after dinner, an “X”, no TV. And in our house, let me tell you, that ranks right up there with the physical torture.

Tangled

2010-12-10T13:19:00.001-06:00

Going to see the movie TANGLED tonight with Gman and hubby, maybe even N. J can’t make it as we are going too early and she has to go home and let her dog, Phoebe Bouffet, out. Irritated with N. Keeps drinking all the hooch in the house, maybe leaving enough for one drink in the bottle. Does that mean she didn’t drink it all up and doesn’t have to replace it? I don’t think so.

Got some “free” firewood today. Tree cutter gave hubby some stuff he had cut down and hubby gave him $20 for not only giving it to us but also for delivering it. The other hunting buddies don’t ever seem to have to pony up for this kind of stuff when they all benefit from it. Why is that?

I foresee trouble on the horizon. Hubby wants to go “hunting” with me and Gman the week between Christmas and New Year’s and my sister will be in town and when she leaves, my brother comes in. Going to get in trouble with Gram for going, but oh well. She wasn’t exactly nice the other night. She really depressed hubby when all he was looking for was a bit of affirmation. Besides, I really enjoy going and I don’t know if I’ll have another chance before the weather gets icky. Maybe will see if nephew would like to come along. That could be fun.

Not hating my job lately, more like …… severe ennui. And no reason for it as I have lots to do. I just don’t want to do it. Sloth, thy name is Kiwi.

Got addicted to Facebook quizzes last night. Apparently I am the 7^th Deadly Sin of Anger, I am the TV mom Carol Brady, I am the Disney Princess Belle, and I am the word “astute” in the dictionary. I also tried to see who I would be in Harry Potter and was delighted to find out …. Harry Potter. Woohoo. I’m the hero. Now all I have to do if find out which Hogwarts house I would be in.

lugbriousness

2010-12-09T22:14:00.001-06:00

Gman's favorite descriptor - Superdy-duperdy - as in .... that's superdy-duperdy hard or I'm superdy-duperdy tired.

Lush or mother?

2010-12-09T14:25:00.001-06:00

I was at home with the boys all day yesterday. I wandered into the kitchen around 1:30 PM after going to 12:10 Mass [Holy Day of Obligation – Feast of the Immaculate Conception – No School] and noticed the open bottle of wine on the counter [not open as in uncorked, but open as in previously uncorked and now just sitting there mocking me]. Does it make me a lush to say that I was really tempted to have a glass? Does it make me a bad mother to admit that I mentally counted how long it would be until 5 PM? I love Gman. I used to think I would love being a stay-at-home-mom, but now I don’t know. I guess I could do it, but is it horrible that I’m sort of glad that I can’t? We all function so much better with a schedule and I am notorious for not being able to stick with one. I can make them. Give me a sheet of paper and a list of things that need to get accomplished and you will see schedule perfection. I have a beautiful home cleaning schedule in my basement. Never used it but bought all the things to make it, sat down and made it, and then let it gather dust. Going to school Gman gets the structure he needs, Dad gets to accomplish things that he wants to, and I ….. I still think about wine.

Book Meme

2010-12-06T09:08:00.001-06:00

Favorite childhood book?
A Little Princess – Frances Hodgson Burnett, or all of the Little House books.

2. What are you reading right now?
Just finished The Girl Who Stopped Swimming so I am currently between books.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
The Help – Kathryn Stockett

Still Missing – Chevy Stevens

I’d Know You Anywhere – Laura Lippman

Room: a novel – Emma Donoghue

Live to Tell – Lisa Gardner

The Two Towers [audio CD] – J.R.R. Tolkien

Artisan bread in five minutes a day – Jeff Hertzberg

Artisan Breads – Eric Kastel

Artisan baking – Maggie Glezer

The Tiger in the Smoke – Margery Allingham

A Duty to the Dead – Charles Todd

An Impartial Witness – Charles Todd

Julian of Norwich – Amy Frykholm

The Secret Wife of Louis XIV – Veronica Buckley

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating – Elizabeth Bailey

The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise – Julia Stuart

Cut to the Quick – Kate Ross

Close Range: Wyoming Stories – Annie Proulx

4. Bad book habit?
leaving them open-faced, splayed?, instead of using a bookmark. Drives my hubby crazy.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Aside from a bunch of superhero books for Gman

The Lodger – Maria Lowndes

Brokeback Mountain – Annie Proulx

Greatness to Spare; the heroic sacrifices of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence – T. R. Fehrenbach

The secret language of churches & cathedrals: decoding the sacred symbolism of Christianity’s holy buildings – Richard Stemp

The Levee – M. K. Shuman

Peter Reinhart’s artisan breads every day – Peter Reinhart

Lost to Time: unforgettable stories that history forgot – Martin Sandler

The girl who stopped swimming – Joshilyn Jackson

The Leavenworth Case – Anna Green

The captain and the enemy – Graham Greene

In the Shadow of Gotham – Stefanie Pintoff

Why Shoot a butler? – Georgette Heyer

Angel with two faces – Nicola Upson

Black Sheep – Georgette Heyer

Churches of Soulard – Joan Huisinga

The skinnygirl dish – Bethenny Frankel

Uncommon Arrangements: seven portraits of married life in London Literary circles 1910 – 1939 – Katie Roiphe

The copycat crime – Devin Grayson

Hello Goodbye: a novel – Emily Chenoweth

An Accomplished Woman – Jude Morgan

An expert in murder – Nicola Upson

The island – Elin Hilderbrand

The Tower Treasure [Hardy Boys book 1] – Frank Dixon

6. Do you have an e-reader?
No.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time or several at once?
It depends. I usually have only one but if it’s not holding my interest I’ll start others. I may finish reading the original or I may give up. Or I may feel guilty and leave it sitting around for months and then pick it back up.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Yes, but it's more a result of reading blogs than writing one. I now read a much greater variety of books and am much more likely to hit the library's website to place a bunch of things on hold that I've seen recommended on one blog or another.

9. Least favorite book you read this year?
If I don’t like a book I generally don’t finish reading it. See above.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
Mockingjay – Suzanne Collins. I really liked how the heroine suffered from PTSD. In so many novels the hero or heroine goes through harrowing experiences and the next day they are just fine. I like that the heroine in this book was affected by what she went through and then had the strength, over time, to keep going on. I like that she was human.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
rarely.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
non-fiction and really heavy philosophy or theology [which is amusing since I have a degree in philosophy]. And horror, I hate horror stories. And things that deal with psychic powers to some extent. I really hate the genre of romance novels that use psychic powers [favorites of my mom and younger sister].

13. Can you read on the bus?
no reading on moving vehicles – even stories to the boy – makes me motion sick.

14. Favorite place to read?
curled up on my couch under a blanket.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
I lend them to family since I know where to find them. I don’t have a lot of friends that read the same things I do.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
often, even my Missal.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Nope.

18. Not even with text books?
I would highlight in school and then never go back and read the highlighting. No point in writing in the margins if I’m not going back to read it. I can usually remember where something is in a book and read around until I find what I’m looking for.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English. It’s the only language in which I am literate.

20. What makes you love a book?
plot. characters. Good writing.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
I have to love it and think about it when I’m done and rewrite any parts that I didn’t like or didn’t live up to my standards, etc. Same for movies.

22. Favorite genre?
It used to be fantasy/science fiction but I think more drama these days. I wish I could say Saint Biographies or treatises on faith, but nope.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)?
see above.

24. Favorite biography?
see above.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
I’ve skimmed but I can’t commit to reading a full book. Even when undergoing much trial with Gman, I couldn’t make myself read a whole parenting book. I checked them out by the dozen from the library and then only skimmed the ones and the sections that I thought applied.

26. Favorite cookbook?
I have so many. The Joy of Cooking, or The Fannie Farmer Cookbook or Southern Living [all of them]. Unfortunately when our house flooded last year and the water drained down from the second floor into the basement it ran in a path through the stairwell. My books were under the stairwell and got drenched. Ironically enough, I had just rearranged my cookbooks so that my favorites were on the top shelf, uncovered by an overhanging shelf, and those were the books that got ruined. I guess God was helping me to let go of some of my materialism.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or nonfiction)?
It wasn’t a book, it was a journal article, a short biography of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

28. Favorite reading snack?
Diet Pepsi, in a 24 fl oz bottle

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
I think it was Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. I don’t think it was the hype so much as my expectations. I loved The Hunger Games so much that there was no way the 2^nd book could live up to it. And truthfully, I have rarely found the 2^nd book in a series to live up to the first. The 1^st and 3^rd in trilogies are usually the best in my opinion.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I generally don’t read critical reviews. I find that critics look at stuff that doesn’t matter all that much to me. I do read reviews from other bibliophiles on their blogs or on Amazon, but I usually do it after I’ve already read the book.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I don’t like to do it, but I will.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose?
Italian and Latin. I love the Italian language. I wish I was fluent in it.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
The only one that comes to mind is The Elegance of the Hedgehog, but now that I’ve read it, it doesn’t seem intimidating and I can’t remember why I found it so to begin with.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
War and Peace

35. Favorite poet?
Auden, Keats, Victorian poets

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
Generally between 25 and 50 [which is the limit at our library]. Usually about ½ are for Gman. Last year they didn’t have a limit and I could get over 100 for me and Gman.

37. How often have you returned books to the library unread?
often.

38. Favorite fictional character?
Talia, Katniss, Sara Crewe, Tamrissa Domon, the list could do on forever.

39. Favorite fictional villain?
Miss Minchin? Eltrina Razas? Uriah Heape? President Snow? Again, another list that could go on and on.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Whatever I can get from the library in time.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
a few weeks when I’ve not had a chance to get to the library. I may reread a bit here and there if I can find something in the house that catches my interest.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
I can’t even remember the name of it. It was for an English class in 19^th or early 20^th century literature. The entire book revolved around an incident where the hero[?] if you can call him that, was climbing on a windowsill, the window slammed down and cut off the tip of his penis. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Gman and hubby but not much else.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
The Lord of the Rings trilogy or Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth, because who doesn’t like looking at Viggo Mortenson or Colin Firth? Emma with Gwynneth Paltrow [even though I really don’t like her as an actress].

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
Pride and Prejudice with Kierra Knightly, Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
I can’t remember and I wouldn’t admit it if I did. Let’s just go with …. way too much.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Often. Sometimes I read the end before I even start the book.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
If it just didn’t catch my interest.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
Divided into genres, then alphabetized by author’s last name, then the genres are alphabetized. I also have a shelf for my favorites.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I used to keep everything but hubby hates clutter. Now I give away anything that I don’t plan to read again, didn’t like, ruined in the flood, or is not of monetary value.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Brothers Karamazov, War and Peace, Watership Down, all sorts of theology and philosophy that my hubby wants me to read so we can discuss it. I think I fried my brain in college. I don’t want to read anything heavy anymore. I feel like 10 years of reading textbooks has make me avoid anything overly intellectual and hubby is a massive brainiac. Reading is a pleasure and escape for me. I work full time, take care of Gman and the house, take care of hubby and the girlies, etc. I don’t want my reading to be work too.

52. Name a book that made you angry.
Nothing comes to mind but I’m sure it’s out there. I can remember being angry at a book, I just can’t remember which one it was.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Loved it so much. It was like reading a Merchant/Ivory film. Even translated, the words were just lyrical. It made me think of all those times when a moment just holds you, a quiet comes over you and you are balanced in time…..looking at a redbud tree covered in a purple mist just waiting to explode into leaves, the sound of Gman’s breathing in the dark nightlight lit room when I wake in the middle of the night, the sound of bare feet walking over the hardwood floor after hubby gets home from work and starts up the steps at the end of the day…..no background noise, just the music of God’s great gifts to me.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
Usually the 2^nd book of any trilogy. Not to say I hated them, just that they don’t live up to the first or third.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
see above. And I really like young adult stuff that’s supposed to be too young for me. Silly, but I really do. I think because I spend so much time on the children’s floor of the library where they all are.

Woodpeckers

2010-12-04T19:54:00.002-06:00

Dad, Gman and I returned from our camping trip today [just overnight]. Gman's first hunting trip. Went out to the blind for archery, sat with Dad, fell asleep for an hour. No deer wandered by, but fun nonetheless. On the way home Gman fell asleep in the car. You have to know this is unprecedented - even as a baby on a 6 hour trip to see his cousins, he only slept an hour. When he woke up he asked to watch a movie tonight. I was okay with that, we've had a few busy days. Then out of the blue he asks why he can't watch "My Little Pony". I have no problem with it, but Dad hates it and thinks it's evil. See PIERCING THE DARKNESS by Frank Perretti and see why. So I said, he couldn't and that should be the end of it. No dice. He kept asking and I said they were evil and did all sorts of bad things, etc. I was mostly being faecetious and trying to convince him that it wasn't a big deal. I could see the little wheels in his mind working, and then he said matter of factly that the ponies were good. I didn't respond, so he said "I'm going to keep saying it until you find it annoying". Don't worry Little Man, I found it extremely annoying [as well as amusing that he knew just what to do to push my buttons].

Prince Caspian

2010-12-01T15:26:00.001-06:00

When watching the movie PRINCE CASPIAN with Gman the other day he became upset at the battle scene where several of the “good guys” are left behind to die at the hands of the merciless archers, the “bad guys”. Not crying, but confused as to why the heroes didn’t fight and win like the majority of other movies. When one centaur man tells a centaur woman that her husband won’t be coming back – just through a headshake – Gman began to weep copiously. I immediately began to comfort him and ask him what was wrong. His response, “This movie is inappropriate for me.” Needless to say we turned it off and watched HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON.

Ahhh....the simplicity of children

2010-12-01T15:22:00.001-06:00

“My life will be much better tomorrow when I make a bigger hand puppet.” – Gman

Bedtime Routine

2010-09-07T10:23:00.000-05:00

I am a regular reader of “The Wine Dark Sea” blog [www.thewinedarksea.com/weblog.php]. Melanie’s Bella and my Gman are about the same age. Only Gman is an only child [sob] and Bella is the oldest of 3, soon to be 4. Our bedtime routine is vastly different but we’re trying to make it better and get the little man to bed sooner so that he can get more sleep. Having started PreSchool for the second year and just turned 5 we’re dealing with a bit of defiant behavior and I think getting enough rest might be the cure [or at least the beginning of one].

Our bedtime usually starts at 7:30 [we’re going to move it up to 7:00 beginning tonight] with me telling Gman to go upstairs, get undressed, and go potty. At which point he usually has something he HAS to do ….. like snuggle his blankey on the couch or finish a “project”, etc. Which ends up with me counting to 3 and pointing up the stairs where he reluctantly heads with an “Alright, I’m going already.”, insert huffy sigh here. I would like to say that he’s really obedient and I use the few minutes it takes him to undress to finish up the dishes and do whatever small task I need to accomplish before I head upstairs myself. Unfortunately, I finish what I’m doing and head upstairs to find him fully dressed and playing or laying on the floor snuggling blankey. At which point my frustration levels begin to rise. If ultimatums are issued downstairs I may occasionally find a naked boy, but rarely a pottied boy. So once undressing is commenced or finished [shirts can be tricky for little arms and big heads] we head to the bathroom. Sometimes using the potty is a quick and easy thing, but some nights “privacy” is required and then I’m guaranteed at least 5 minutes to do things like getting jammies ready or folding laundry. I’ve found that brushing teeth before we head into the shower to be a time saver, as he hates having them brushed and fights me on it. I can have the shower water warming up while I struggle to get a bit of cooperation. And my frustration levels rise. Once teeth are finished the water is usually warm [not always in the winter] and he gets into the shower. He backs into the water and drenches his head. I dump a bunch of baby wash on his head and soap him down from his hair to his toes, all at once. His face gets washed at the same time. He then backs back into the shower spray and I rinse his head and letting the water sluice down him so that he’s completely rinsed. If it’s late then I turn off the water and dry him off. If it’s still relatively early I let him play in the water for a few minutes. Once he’s dried I send him to his room and this time he usually listens and gets himself dressed in his PJs [which I lay out for him]. If Dad’s home we all head into Gman’s room. Dad and I kneel next to the bed and Gman lies on top of it. I have to commandeer blankey and any stuffed animals residing in the bed or it’s too much distraction. We say our prayers … Hail Mary, O My Jesus, Eternal Rest, and one from my childhood that blesses everyone in the family, especially the children. Then Dad and I climb into bed on either side of Gman and I give back the comfort items and we read a book. Sometimes it’s a picture book …. Andrew Henry’s Meadow, One Kitten for Kim, Tikki Tikki Tembo, Library Mouse, etc, but sometimes we also read chapter books …. Stuart Little, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, Flat Stanley, etc. Once the book is read Dad turns off the light and Gman sings us a made up lullaby. It’s really sweet and often completely erratic and nonsensical and we have no idea what he’s singing about. But we love it just the same and ask for one every night. Then we all lay there together until Gman falls asleep. If Dad’s home I sometimes sneak out and some nights if I have stuff to do I leave Gman with a stack of picture books and the lights on so that he can “read” to himself. Usually the reading never happens and he falls asleep without having picked up one of the books. I know some people don’t think we should indulge him with laying down to put him to sleep. I know my mom thinks he’ll never learn to put himself to sleep if we continue to do this, but I doubt that I’m going to have to go to college with him to help him get to sleep. I love snuggling with him and watching him fall asleep. The long blinks, the attempt to keep the eyes open, the sudden limpness of his body, the soft, even sound of his breathing, the way he throws his arm over my neck or his blankey over my head. It’s all good.

So that’s our routine. The only thing I really want to change [besides getting more cooperation] is getting an earlier start. I’d like him to be asleep by 8 instead of turning out the lights at 8:30. So we’re going to try for an earlier bedtime or an earlier start to bedtime. It’s hard when I don’t get home until 5:30, but I have to sacrifice part of my evening with him so that he can get more rest. Not fun for me, but essential for him.

re: Friday last

2010-04-01T16:29:00.001-05:00

Gman and Dad managed to find the play-doh machine without destroying my house or getting grumpy.

Gman has been so fun lately. One day we planted seeds. He didn’t get his hands in the dirt [he doesn’t like to get dirty] but he did drop the seeds in the holes I made. Then when I was bringing the seeds inside he built a “movie theater” on the old entertainment cabinet. He set up his play-doh box on top of 2 canisters of play-doh and arranged the light so that it shone directly onto the box. He set up a chair right next to it so that ‘movie-goers’ could sit and watch the box. When I sat in the chair he proceeded to tell me the entire Toy Story 2 plot line. He wanted me to sit for a retelling of Cars, but unfortunately it was dinner time and I wasn’t in the mood for dinner and a movie.

Weekend update

2009-10-26T10:01:00.001-05:00

Good weekend this weekend. I was really irritable on Saturday for no apparent reason. Okay, the reason was really petty and I feel bad about it. I got woken up. Yep, that’s it. We didn’t get to bed until after midnight on Friday, which is not unusual. But Saturday is my ONLY day to get any uninterrupted sleep if Gman doesn’t wake up early or come and get in bed with us in the middle of the night. Neither of which he did Friday night. Yay!!!! BUT ……. [can you hear the ominous music?] …. Tom had to go to a funeral Saturday morning and one of his friends called at 7 AM to see if he needed a ride. The funeral was for a young policeman killed in the line of duty and it was going to be very crowded so the friend called to see if Tom needed a ride. Which he did not, but it was certainly nice of the friend to call. HOWEVER ….. I was not happy to be woken up after less than 7 hours of sleep. Most days I get 5 hours, 6 if I’m lucky or sleep through the alarm clock and don’t shower before work. I was really hoping for a solid 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. No dice. Because once the phone rang I had to get up and go to the bathroom. And then Gman woke up. And then Dad had to get up and get ready while Gman talked his ear off. And then I had to get up and distract Gman so that Dad could get ready. All of which put me in a really irritable mood. Which I then took out on my innocent son. Nothing horrendous, just a general snippiness and lack of patience instead of good humor about little set backs. It really upset Tom though. Not that his friend called, but that I was SO, SO, SO out of patience. I’m not usually like that. I get irritable occasionally, but not for a whole day of foul moodiness.

But even though I was irritable we still managed to eat breakfast, get changed into swim clothes, I got a shower and we left for swim lessons. WITHOUT UNDERWEAR. That’s right. My poor son wore his swim suit to swimming and I didn’t bring any underwear for him to wear once lessons were over. Luckily for me, after a fruitless stop at Walgreens – they don’t carry children’s underwear for those who are interested – I remembered a TJ Maxx in the neighborhood. So one 3-pack of 4T underwear later we went to my mom’s house and ate lunch. After lunch we headed to the pumpkin patch – not the big fancy one that I initially intended, the little church run one right around the corner – and had a great time. Gman got to jump on the “castle/rocket ship” enclosed trampoline thing with some big kids, we picked out 3 big pumpkins – one for Dad, one for Mom, and one for Gman and 3 baby gourds that looked like pumpkins and only cost $0.50 each. Then Gman got to pull them to the car in a red wagon and got to be pulled back to the jumpy thing by me. He loved it. He also got to use the church bathroom, which he loved. He loves going to different bathrooms, especially ones that have locking doors so that he can lock himself in. It makes him feel very big.

After the pumpkin patch we headed home to Daddy who was back from the funeral. While Dad worked on Gman’s play house, Gman and Mom took a nap. It was necessary. It doesn’t count toward uninterrupted sleep, but it did put me in a better mood. Grandma was leaving Sunday for Nashville to take care of Uncle Bill while he recovers from surgery so we had her over to our house for salads [YUMMY!] and a quick good bye. She left early the next morning and will be gone for quite some time. Prayers for a speedy recovery for Uncle Bill and safe journey for Grandma. Then bath for the boy and bed.

Sunday after Mass I tried to cut off my finger. I was making an omelet and cutting up greasy bacon to put into it and the knife slipped or my finger slipped and I cut myself pretty badly. Didn’t require stitches, but I did almost pass out. Just got a little light-headed. Dad had to get me a band-aid, finish the omelet [which turned out pretty good], and put up with my whining. Gman was really sweet and worried. He gave me his last Spiderman band-aid and kissed my finger to make it better. After brunch Gman and I took another nap [less than 6 hours for me, but even more importantly, less than 9 hours for him and he’s still a growing boy] while Dad read the paper and watched football. Gman got up and watched a bit of football after he woke up and then he and Dad worked on his playhouse until he grew bored with that and decided to use his little dull axe to strip the bark off a log. That lasted until it was time to come in and get ready. Dad and Mom went out to eat using a gift certificate Grandma gave them and even better, Gman got to go spend the evening with his sisters at his oldest sister’s apartment. He had 2 sisters, 2 sister’s roommates, and one little dog to play with, movies to watch, and toys to show off. He even got to eat a hot dog and M&M’s for dinner. He was in heaven. And then Mom and Dad came and got him and he got to go home and tell them all about his night and how much fun he had and what he did and then a nice hot bath, prayers, a book and bed. We all had a good day and a nice weekend.

This week we have karate, music, swimming and taking care of Grandma’s house, Halloween, All Saints Day party at school, and a block party after trick or treating. We’re also planning to start teaching Gman to say the Rosary. We’re starting with a decade and moving up to the full Rosary by Christmas. A full but wonderful week to which to look forward. Hopefully I’ll stay in a better mood!

The weekend update

2009-10-20T08:29:00.001-05:00

We had a good weekend. Friday school was cancelled due to ill health among the students and staff [and was cancelled again on Monday] so I went to work at 5 AM so that I could be home by 2 PM and Dad could go to work at 2:15 PM. That way Gman got to stay at home with Mom and Dad. We did the same thing on Monday and each day Gman and Mom got to take a nap. Nothing more cuddly than a boy all warm and sweet smelling waking up from a nap. I got lots of snuggles and cuddles and some good couch snuggling time. Saturday after swim lessons [Daddy stayed home and did laundry and cut the grass – what a wonderful man!] we met up with Uncle Ned and Cousin Lucy [who is only days older than Gman] at the local McDonalds. Uncle Ned and mom got to sit and chat while Gman and Luce climbed and played on the indoor jungle gym thingy. Tentative plans were made for going to the pumpkin patch next weekend. And food was eaten by Gman. He ate his nuggets with hardly any complaint and then drank almost all of his milk. Friday night I “made” frozen cheese pizza for dinner and he ate 3 – count ‘em, 3, adult pieces of pizza for dinner [complaining afterward of a tummy ache, but some potty time, a little burping, and a hot bath and all was fine in the universe]. I think someone is going through a growth spurt. It makes sense since his shirt sleeves, shirts might I add that I just bought in early August, are all getting too short. After playing with Cousin Lucy we took a trip to the library. Gman has his own library card, but we always use mine. I had some books on hold so we picked those up. And then we raided the kids section. I think we must have gotten over 50 books. I have a few that I love that I get for him, or ones that other parents have recommended that I think he’ll like, and then I let him pick a bunch for himself. He loves that part as he feels like a very big kid picking out his own stories. So between the 2 of us we managed to overfill 3 canvas bags – the kind the stores now sell for those who don’t want paper or plastic – and ended up ripping the handle off one, much to my embarrassment. Several people offered to help me out to the car, but I was too self-conscious to take anyone up on it. Instead I had Gman sit in the armchairs by the door with one of the bags [I was parked right across from the entrance] and took 2 bags out and then came back and got the broken handle bag and Gman. By this time [after 2 PM] someone was pretty tired – that would be me, although I could tell Gman was losing energy quickly, so we came home and watched a DVD instead of taking a nap, Dick van Dyke in the classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, always a favorite – great sing along songs. I tidied a bit, read an adult book a bit, and napped a bit – all while Gman sang along. And then we crafted. We took all of Gman’s papers and projects from preschool and punched holes in them [or glued them to a piece of construction paper where necessary and punched holes in that paper], made pages labeled A – E [that’s as far as he’s gotten in the alphabet] and put them all in a binder labeled Gman’s ABC book. I think it’s cute, but already very full. The rest of the night was spent eating dinner, taking a bath, saying prayers, and reading a book [I forget what but I think it was Stanley Mows the Lawn].

Sunday was more restful. We got up for 8 AM Mass and afterward had doughnuts in the basement. We met a nice family that has a teen-age son, Sean, who is autistic. Sean and Gman ran and played for 45 minutes while we talked to Sean’s mom first and then when mom went off to collect for a Christmas present for our Pastor, we talked to Dad. We also got to have a nice conversation with another family that we really like. I want Gman to marry their youngest daughter who is only days older than him. After that we went home and took a family nap. I love snuggling up to my boys and settling down to sleep together. I don’t know what it is about sleeping all together in our bed, but there’s something just so cozy about it. Dad and I get under the covers and Gman sleeps on top between us [to keep him from falling out of bed]. This day I guess we were cold or something because we were crowding him [the boy who always drapes an arm or leg over both of us and sleeps sideways so that Dad and I each get 6 inches of the queen size bed while he hogs the center] and he flipped around so that his head was by the foot of the bed. However we slept, Gman and I were out of it. We slept 2 ½ hours! Needless to say, it was a good thing that school got cancelled because he wasn’t going to go to sleep at bedtime. After nap and some laundry, Dad went to work and Gman and I went to Grandma’s for dinner. Gman ate his salad and pork chop, but not without a fight. Only the threat of no Grandma cookies got him through. My younger sister says watching the fight that takes place over meals between me and Gman is great birth control. After dinner we went home and went through all of my clothes that have been squirreled away for years at the top of the closet [too high up for me to reach]. Gman put on my boots and thought he looked like a cowboy. He also took all the give-aways off the hangers and made a nest in the hallway. Once we were done with clothes we played baby and mama bird in the clothing nest. Then we gathered it all up, brushed teeth, said prayers, and read a third Stanley book [we had read Stanley Goes Fishing for naptime and Stanley Goes for a Drive at bedtime – by the way, I don’t recommend the Stanley books. I think they’re kind of weird. We won’t be getting them again from the library and they are going back as soon as I can get my act together to make a return trip].

So now it’s Tuesday. Monday was spent with Dad in the morning and Mom in the afternoon. We napped [again] and then ate dinner and went grocery shopping. Nothing much exciting. Just want to keep tabs on what we do so that years from now I can look back and remember.

Crabby Butt

2009-10-16T06:17:00.000-05:00

I hate it when I am really crabby and cranky at Gman. He’s little and I know he can be overwhelmingly persistent and somewhat annoying, but I need to remember that these are the formative years. The way I treat him now will impact him for years to come. I grabbed his hands during night prayers last night and held them even when he tried to pull them away. I don’t think I hurt him, I was only holding his hands, but still …. I need you all to pray for me that I can be a better, more patient mother. I need to become more like the Blessed Virgin. I need to let go of this world and put myself more firmly in the arms of my Savior and ask Him to guide me and lead me on His path. Please, God, help me to become more like the Blessed Virgin Mary. Help me to raise my son the way that she raised Yours. And even more, help me to guide him closer and closer to You so that he may walk the path You have ordained for him. I ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You on High. Amen

Anne

Happy Anniversary Baby

2009-10-15T07:52:00.001-05:00

Today is Tom and my 10^th anniversary [of our 1^st date]. We went to dinner at Norton’s then out to Milo’s on the Hill. And it was the night of our first kiss. Who could have guessed that the next 10 years would bring: the girls moving in, a new house, marriage, high school graduation x2, college graduation, rehab x2, college expulsion, home expulsion, baby conception and birth, baby conception and miscarriage, water pipe bursting, home remodeling x a billion, 4 cats down to no cats, fights and making up, romance, Nubby-Butt squirrels, every day wonderful, every day general, messy rooms, clean rooms, old furniture, new furniture, money troubles, money windfalls, taxes, parental death x3, preschool, talking, walking, sass, learning and growing, pumpkin patches, Christmas x10, family parties, family fights, nephews, nieces, great nephews and nieces, baptisms, making friends, losing friends, hunting and killing deer, eating deer, internet poltergeists, cable, dish TV, cable, antenna, meetings out of town, vacations, Catholicism, Traditional Tridentine Rite, Novus Ordo, Latin Mass, St. Andrew Missal, Marian Missal, Roman Missal 1962, promotions, raises, bicycles, birthdays, weight gain, weight loss, disease, medicine, apple picking, baking, gardening, lawn work, ……

And the list goes on. All of it together. Has it only been 10 years? It feels like we just met yesterday and that we’ve known each other forever. You are my best friend. The person I want to talk to first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I love you, honey. Happy Anniversary.

Sun bugs

2009-08-11T08:47:00.001-05:00

You know those motes of dust that float through the air? Well, according to Gman, they are “Sun bugs”. He was sitting on the potty and I pulled a bit of TP off [sure to set the lint a-flyin’] and he started swatting at the air. I asked “What are you doing?” and he replied, “I’m trying to catch one of the sun bugs, Mommy! Try to catch one!” Too funny, but makes perfect sense. If you didn’t know any better what would you think if you saw hundreds of little white things randomly flying through the air, but only in the sunlight?

Small Successes 7-29-09

2009-07-30T08:26:00.001-05:00

I didn’t kill my milkweed! I thought in my determination to get rid of the aphids on the milkweed that I had overdosed them with dishwashing liquid. Many of them turned “black” [stems and leaves] and a bunch of the leaves fell off. I thought they were goners for sure. But much to my delight, the aphids are back, but so are the milkweed beetles and milkweed pods. I am anxious to see if I get any monarch butterflies this year. We had 4 last year and Gman still talks about his caterpillar “Little” who turned into a butterfly.

I talked with my contractor about money. My house suffered some rather severe damage back in January when a water pipe burst on the 2^nd floor and rained in my house for about 3 hours. We have been undergoing reconstruction and construction with the same contractor for the last 6 months. It has been arduous for all of us [even the contractor I think] but we are approaching the end. We are over budget, as these things usually are, and I had to have a talk with the contractor about money. VERY UNCOMFORTABLE! But I did it! And now we have a meeting scheduled for later this afternoon to discuss options for getting costs under control.

After staying up WAY past my bedtime last night [2 am] and getting awoken at 3:30 by a little man claiming to have had a “bad dream” – child lingo for I want to sleep with you and Daddy – I managed to get out of bed and to work by 7 AM. Got to work, but I think I will be chastising myself severely for staying up too late. Still, Success! I got to work.

Small Successes

2009-07-14T13:41:00.001-05:00

I got up. I actually got out of bed at 5:15 AM, showered, dressed, made coffee, left the house without making too much noise, and picked up my co-worker, making it to work by 6 AM. For a night owl who hates the worm [the early bird gets the …], this feels like a major accomplishment.

I made it to the doctor’s office on time and had the HUGE cyst on my wrist drained. I’ve had this thing since February and it’s been grossing my husband out almost as long, so I finally did something about it.

I have kept the plant that my co-workers sent me on my father’s death alive for 3 ½ years now. Granted there has been a bit of watering intervention by said co-workers, but still, mostly the girl with the black thumb [when it comes to houseplants] has had one for 3 years now.

Things are better

2009-07-10T08:55:00.001-05:00

Things are better between Gman and myself. I have calmed down and gotten a bit more of a sense of humor. Instead of reacting in anger or frustration I am trying to defuse the situation with humor and laughter. It’s working wonders. Gman is responding with big belly laughs to his momma’s silliness and his momma is not having daily heart attacks or moments wondering if she is cut out for motherhood. When Gman gets out of hand as three year olds are wont to do, hitting and acting out physically, I simply remove myself from the situation. Last night at dinner he was hitting me in the arm [not hard or anything, just trying to get a response] and I picked up my food and moved a chair away from him so that he couldn’t reach me. I told him that I didn’t sit next to boys that hit me. I didn’t give it any value, meaning I didn’t tell him he was bad or make it any kind of judgment, I simply, moved and responded matter-of-factly to why I had done so when asked. It kept me from being mad and stressed out that “I have a kid who hits and Oh My Goodness, what will I do when he goes to school and hits another kid and what will people think of him and me as a parent that I haven’t fixed this so we’d better get all over this now so that it can be fixed.” It also kept me from being hit. And now when he reacts physically, I tell him that I don’t play with boys who hit. I try not to say it all negatively and just make it a statement. He seems much happier and we are much closer. We are talking to each other and playing together and I am enjoying him and he seems to be much less defiant. In addition, I am spending more time with him doing things he likes. Instead of expecting him to do what I need to do, I get what I can done and then we go and do something for him. I needed to leave the house for dinner the other day and instead of taking him to a restaurant and expecting him to behave for the hour and a half it would have taken to eat dinner, I got carry out and we went to the park and sat at a picnic table. He ate his dinner without complaint and without much fuss because he couldn’t wait to get on the equipment. And when dinner was over, we blew some bubbles [and I used that as a way to clean his hands]. We spent 3 hours having fun and then went home and he played some more with his dad outside while I did some stuff inside the house. I cannot thank all the moms who gave me advice enough gratitude. Just getting some of it off my chest made me feel better and some of the advice I got was invaluable. Thanks, Moms!! You guys keep me sane.

Book Review

2009-06-30T09:30:00.001-05:00

#54 [100 Cupboards] by N. D. Wilson

As a reader, I really liked this book, as a parent, I have mixed feelings. From the parental perspective, why is always necessary for kids to be brave and strong and intelligent without parents? Look at Disney stories, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty (had to leave her parents), Snow White (where was her father in all that?), The Little Mermaid (okay, there was a dad, but where was Mom?) and look at the popular works of fiction for young adults: The [Harry Potter] series, [The Mysterious Benedict Society] series (Sticky had parents but ran away from them in the first book), [My Side of the Mountain] (his parents exist but he leaves them behind). And now [100 Cupboards]. I know that parents are supposed to protect kids and keep them from harm, but what about a book where the parents help the kid have an adventure? It would be nice to have more books like the [Percy Jackson] series where the mother (who granted, isn't in the books that much and father is pretty much absent) helps her son do the things that he must. It would be nice if the parents weren't welcome mats, but someone the kid could count on to help with trouble, a venerable guide, a font of wisdom, not someone to be defied and proven wrong, but someone that recognized the potential of the kid and helped him achieve. It would be nice if the kid succeeded with the help of the parents instead of in spite of the parents (or lack thereof).

However, as a story I liked it. Henry moves to live with his aunt and uncle and 3 female cousins in Henry, KS. It's a good adventure, a little dark in some parts, but otherwise well written and easy to follow. The development of Henry's character was interesting, seeing how he was over protected by his parents and now experiencing freedom and a chance to be a kid. In connection with my above rant, I thought the way Henry's parents treated him was interesting. They didn't treat him like a kid, more like a Ming vase which they tried to protect but didn't relate to. Which becomes an interesting story arc that I liked. I'm going to save this book for my son for when he's in about 2nd grade.

I messed up

2009-06-29T09:38:00.001-05:00

Last night Gman was taking a bath and I had my feet in the tub with him. As I was getting them out to get a towel to get him out, he started to try and pinch me with a pair of plastic pliers that he plays with in the tub. I said “Now why would you want to do that?” and his response broke my heart. He said, “Because I am an evil, evil boy.” Seriously, even just thinking about it makes me want to cry. I immediately stopped what I was doing and got up as close to him as I could and asked him if anyone had told him that. He wouldn’t make eye contact, but I persisted and he ended up saying he was just joking. I don’t buy it. I think my bad attitude has affected him. I think I yell WAY too much and tell him that he’s being a bad boy or mean and I think he has internalized it. I think I am a horrible mother. No wonder God has answered my prayers for another child with a resounding NO. I’m screwing up the one I have so bad that it would be injustice to send me a second one. The other day he said he was a “mean boy” and I corrected him, but obviously I’m doing it wrong and making him think there is something wrong or bad with him. He’s only 3 [going on 4], he shouldn’t think he’s bad. He is a boy and he is a 3 year old boy. He’s mischievous and a bit rough [okay, a lot rough]. He doesn’t understand why it isn’t funny to hurt people. This morning while we were saying our prayers I made sure to thank God for my wonderful son and say how blessed I was to have him and how wonderful I think he is and how good. How can I teach him to be kind? How can I teach him to be the wonderful little boy I know he can be without making him feel bad about himself. Oh God, please help me to be the mother you want me to be, help me to lead my son to love Your Son and to be the man you want him to be. I am feeling so lost and horrible and helpless. Please God, help me.

Fried tomatoes

2009-06-24T10:35:00.001-05:00

I had fried tomatoes at a restaurant the other day and they were delicious. I tried to make them for dinner Tuesday night, but something wasn’t quite right. I used milk as the liquid to adhere the breading, which I think was the first problem. I used too much basil [fresh from my garden – I got a little overzealous in my excitement to use home grown stuff]. The breading wasn’t spicy enough. Too much balsamic vinegar.

My recipe was

2 large, not over-ripe red tomatoes, sliced evenly

Milk

Bread crumbs

¾ lb Bacon, fried

Drizzle of balsamic vinegar

Mozzarella ball, thinly sliced

S and P to taste

Cook the bacon, drain on paper towels and reserve the drippings in the skillet. Dip tomato slices into the milk then into the bread crumbs. Pat to make sure crumbs adhere. Fry tomatoes in the bacon grease. Remove to a plate. Snip fresh basil over tomatoes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Top with Mozzarella slice and bacon. S and P to taste.

Next time I think I am going to use egg or an egg/milk mix for the liquid and cracker crumbs ground in the food processer with a little Italian seasoning and some cayenne pepper. I’ll also be a little more judicious in my use of the balsamic vinegar and basil. Too much of a good thing, I guess. I’ll also take out most of the bacon grease and only use what I need to brown the tomatoes. I think they got soggy from too much grease.

Tuesday

2009-06-24T10:27:00.000-05:00

Got a bit of a late start today. Needed to be at work by 7 and didn’t leave until then. Had to skip lunch in order to get out on time so that I could pick up Gman before 4 when is when the babysitter needed to leave. Usually he stays until later, 5 or so, which made it nice to have more time with him today. My friend had a daughter who is almost 14 and she came over to “play” – she thinks of it as babysitting, but since I’m there I think of it more as distracting or playing. Gman definitely thinks he’s having a play date – so I managed to get the floors swept and mopped [wood with Murphy’s Oil Soap and tile with just rags and water], the laundry in the dryer and then folded, dinner made [hot dog and oranges for the boy, nuggets for the babysitter along with part of my dinner, more later], the kitchen cleaned, the dishwasher started, meat thawed for dinner Thursday [it needs to marinate]. Gman and the young lady played in his room, read books, played for a bit outside with the sprinkler, watched a bit of RESCUE RANGERS, and let me get it all done. Although, when I was cleaning the kitchen floor on my hands and knees, Gman did come and complain that he didn’t want to play with S anymore because she didn’t’ play right [she was trying to teach him how to play a memory game and he just likes to throw the cards at this point]. He then climbed on my back and tried to ride me like a horse. S came to my rescue and just chased him around the house. He so needs a sibling. I’m sure that S, oldest of 6, is used to teaching her siblings how to play games, and I know that they look up to her and try to mimic her. Unfortunately, my little tyrant is used to having his own way. He spent most of the time dictating what to play and when things weren’t exactly to his satisfaction, he left. I am so worried about this. How is he going to survive preschool let alone make any friends. No one is going to want to play with such a bossy little tyrant. And as he’s the oldest at the regular babysitter’s house, he’s used to being in charge. Does anyone know how I can fix this? Help.

50 Book Challenge books

2009-06-24T07:34:00.001-05:00

Catholic Kiwi

just for fun

reading

what's going on around here

G-ism

Gman and his toys

our weekend

Camping

Among the .....

books

Musclebones

Spring Break Fun

these days

not off to a good start

FW: LET'S PLAY FAMILY FEUD

another parenting fail

more G-isms

2010 recap

checklist

funny little man

sort-of failure

May his soul rest in peace

Success!

Bad Mama!

My Heart's at Home Daybook, December 10, 2010

Trouble brewing

Tangled

lugbriousness

Lush or mother?

Book Meme

Woodpeckers

Prince Caspian

Ahhh....the simplicity of children

Bedtime Routine

re: Friday last

Weekend update

The weekend update

Crabby Butt

Happy Anniversary Baby

Sun bugs

Small Successes 7-29-09

Small Successes

Things are better

Book Review

I messed up

Fried tomatoes

Tuesday

50 Book Challenge books

Book Review

book reviews

books

Apparently we have a stork...

On my TBR pile

UGH

Current Read Alouds

Gman at Night

G-isms

Meet the Mice

My Heart's at Home Daybook~ October 20

My Heart's at Home Daybook~ October 20

R.I.P. Stripey

Caterpillars

cocoons

little no longer

Meet Little

Bad Mama

Fwd: radarpicture

Confession

Gifts

Uriel

My first post