just for fun

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 .....

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

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

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

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

checklist

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

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

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?