Spring Break Fun

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

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

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

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

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

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

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