Art Sunday

We went to the art museum today...far too much coolness for one afternoon. The Lod Mosaic and the Lego exhibit...phew...blew my mind.

Bowling

I believe the universe brings people together for a reason, what that reason may be, I have no idea. But, some bonds I think are meant to be stronger than others. For example, a woman pitched me via fb for my "other" blog that I keep in the public-sphere. It was for her husband's book that he co-wrote and illustrated. From that pitch, we ended up talking about health issues (she is gluten-free and I thought I had an issue with it. She gave me tons of pointers) and later ended up going to lunch a few times, brief email convos, and finally got the families together to hang out.

We have so much in common, I don't know why I didn't know her before. Her husband knows most of my hubby's friends from CCAD is an artist, we love the same type of foods, wine, live in the same area and know some of the same ladies - it is just so crazy! We also have the same astrological make up in our relationship - I'm a scorpio and so is her husband and she is a pisces like my husband. Her youngest daughter is a taurus like my girl and her other girl is a scorpio like me. Again, crazy!

Anyhow, she makes me laugh and I love that I have a new friend that is so much fun. I've been going through a difficult transition with the kids starting school and my playgroup kind of going to the wayside. The ladies I hung out with for years and thought were my good friends are now doing their own things. I totally understand, but it makes me sad.

I work hard to maintain those friendships. I always think of them when I have a get-together or parties, but I fear that will go away too. I am not feeling the reciprocation...and out of "well, I just don't hang out with them any longer" will come the day we end up parting ways forever. Smiling when we think of each other, but that will be about it. Makes me sad. So, finding someone who I like so much and is so easy to be friends with helps fill that void.

Cheers to new friends!

Dancing

bubbies had a play date with one of his friends. They were dancing "Gangnam Style." Then, I forgot to pick up my girl from school - early release day, totally slipped my mind. Bad mommy...

Kale had many uses.

On the walk to school this morning my girl said, "Mommy, did you know it is dangerous to be outside when it is raining kale?" I didn't correct her...

No fighting over whine.

Kids decided to have a fight in the wine section of Whole Foods. Luckily, nothing broke...in particular, not my bottle.

We went to the farm.

The things he says...

I told E he had to wait to eat because I was making dinner. He said, "but, mommy! I don't like food. I only like desserts."

The Hobbit

Hubby and I had a date to see "The Hobbit." It was pretty good, not as good as LOTR. I ate almost an entire bag of popcorn.

Birthdays

P went to a birthday party for two of of her school friends today. It was at a gymnastics facility. The girls played on the equipment, games, and ate cupcakes and ice cream. She had a blast.

I told her on the way home that she was lucky to get to go to so many fun birthday parties. I explained that when I was a child we had the grandparents over and aunts and uncles, and ate cake and ice cream. I never had a birthday where my friends were invited until I was much older, and definitely not outside of the home! She couldn't believe that and asked me if I was sad about it. I said "noway! That is the way things were and I was honored that they wanted to celebrate with me and give me gifts...even if they were "just" my family." Funny how I have become my mother with the "remember-whens." But, I now understand she had a message in her words. I just wasn't listening then...

Be kind, gracious, and well-mannered toward your friends and family. They love you and give you gifts and compliments out of kindness, so be kind back.

Sledding

I took the kids sledding to get out the house during winter break. We had been stuck inside for over two weeks because of various illnesses, and we had to breath some fresh air.

Well, my son didn't last long. He got cold and wet and wanted to leave. I think we went sledding an accumulative time of 45 minutes...maybe. We spent more time going to buy new sleds than actually using them. haha!

Now, in this picture he looks as if he is having fun. He did...for about 10 minutes. Then we left. P, on the other hand, loves to be outside doing something physical, and she was quite sad when her brother wanted to leave. I promised I'd take her another time.

Back to school

Both kids went back to school today. I was sad.

Especially sad because our winter holiday break was full of sickness. We had the stomach virus the week before break, Saturday of break P got a fever that lasted on and off for four days, and then each of us dropped like flies.

Then, to start off P's first day back I told her to take the toilet paper rolls to school we had been saving. The classes were all making snowflakes for Sandy Hook. 

I had not discussed the Sandy Hook tragedy with my children. I was shielding their young hearts from it, but she asked what the rolls were for, so I told her that some children had died and we were sad for their families. She continued to ask questions about how they died, who killed them, etc. etc. Basically, I ended up having to tell her about the gunman, too. She asked if he went to jail, and I told her no, that he died too. She asked how and I told her he was shot. She asked who shot him, and I told her he shot himself because he was scared when he realized what he had done. She cried. I felt so terrible about telling her the truth, even though I smoothed it over and only stated facts, it was not easy. Seeing her cry for those kids and the gunman made my heart hurt. Introducing her innocent being to a world where not all people are kind was not something I was looking forward to...

On Christmas Trees

I haven't had a real tree since I was a little girl. I thought, "this is the year!" So, hubby and I took the kids to the local farmer's market down the road and purchased the first real Christmas tree ever to live in our home.

After the first day, I had guilt. I was certain the Lorax was going to visit instead of Santa. I bought a chopped down tree just to watch it slowly die in my living room...at least that is how I was feeling. Then the needles started dropping and the water started smelling. What did I do?!

The best part, I think it brought the plague into my home. My family started getting sick the moment that tree came in the house and we weren't feeling well again until it was out - out, like pictured above, sitting there in the sun and laying on the cold snow. Something that gave us beauty, warmth, and Christmas cheer (and possibly the plague) was rotting in my front yard. I felt terrible about it.

Terrible enough to not buy a real tree next year? I'm not sure. If the kids want one again, I'll surely comply...especially since it was quite fun to pick it out and trim it. We'll see...

365 project

I am going to try to post here every day - just a thought, a picture or whatever. Nothing spectacular, but something that I can look back on that will make me (and one day, my family) smile, laugh, or cry.
 

Merry Christmas!

Feel as if I need an update

My kids are awesome. I love them so very much, and am so fortunate, thankful, and grateful I have this year with them before I enter the workforce as a teacher. My plan is to sub until I get a job. I'd love to get an actual position, but it is really difficult to get a teaching job in Columbus. Whatever, it will happen - I am not worried about it. I still smile when I think about becoming a teacher, and I think it is because it will challenge me daily.

Anyhoo, about my kids. E gets mad if you say he is only 4, he is "four and a half" with hands on hips and chin jutted out. Peyton is 6 and 1/2 and wants to be tall. She wants me to measure her at least once a week to see how much she's grown. I typically do at the birthday and then at the half birthday, but not every week. heehee.

E loves school, even though recently he says he doesn't care. The stomach virus ran its course through the kids and myself. Luckily, hubby was spared but got a nasty cold/flu thingy that lingers. Because of the protocol of his preschool he has to get his poo tested. They had some virus that went through the school and the health department says that any child with even one bout of diarrhea has to be tested. So, lucky mommy gets to gather the sample. But, during this "gathering," E freaked out and said he no longer wants to go to preschool. He thinks the testing is dumb and unfair. Hmmm...read mommy's mind, but we have to be honest and we have to do the right thing.

Speaking of doing the right thing, I had to miss a whole weekend of holiday parties because of my and P's sickness. I stayed away from the 1st grade party because I was only 2 days out from the stomach thing - there is NOWAY I was going to pass that on, especially with Christmas around the corner. Also, I was still feeling gross and couldn't attend an 80's party I was psyched for, mainly because I wanted to go to my annual Loop Christmas party. I ended up missing that because P got sick that day. Again! Poor little thing. She wanted me to stay with her, so I did. I was bummed, but my main priority is my girl and parties can be missed. There will be others.

Awesome birthday

My friends and family made me feel so special on my birthday! My girlfriends and I went out to Alana's, which is this awesome restaurant that serves all local foods. We laughed and drank too much wine. Then we saw Breaking Dawn pt 2. I was showered with beautiful, thoughtful gifts. Hubby took the kids to hibachi with a friend of ours for dinner and then showed them a movie. The kids had a great time hanging with daddy.

For my actual birthday I had a hangover and felt horrible, but that didn't stop me from having a great day. The cleanse I was on cleared my body of toxins, and putting a few drinks in me was not a good idea. I am pondering cutting all drinks - I don't like how it effects me lately (not 21 any more!). Anyhoo...the kids couldn't wait for me to come downstairs and open my gifts. It was a little like Christmas morning, except better because the kids were so excited about the gifts they had gotten me.

bubbies wanted to get me a robot that would help clean the house. It is a little square "robot" that sweeps and mops that he named Jay Jay (after one of the under water robots that discovered the Titanic). He was so excited and I almost cried at how cute he was. Sis got me a beautiful locket that says mom all over it and put a picture of her when she was a little baby in it. Hubby got me a necklace and a Zumba dvd. The kids and I had fun dancing to that.

Then we headed over to mom's for dinner. We had a delish dinner and cake, and then played games with the kids. My children played two games of old school Battleship with me and Grammies. It was a great day!

Catching up

I really need to catch up on this blog, but I've been so busy lately with life. Just a little catching up:

P is in 1st grade and not loving it. She enjoys her teacher and her friend, and is a really good little student, but she hates school. The first month she cried every morning and I had to talk her into going. It was traumatic all around.

She is doing better but still complains about lunch. She says lunch and recess are too long. I think the comfort she feels in her classroom makes her secure. Being outside of that comfort makes her feel lost. Most of the time she says she misses me - she won't even go on play dates after school much of the time because she says she missed me all day at school. As long as I am on the play date with her, she is fine. That means, we only go on play dates where E and myself are invited to stay. That's fine with me. She is only 6 and will drift away from me soon, so I need to stop worrying and enjoy my time with my little girl.

E, on the other hand, LOVES school. He can't wait to get out of the house. Well, poor little thing, mommy takes the mornings to get stuff done and he gets ignored most of the time. I try to sit and play with him - crafts or trains. He's got an agenda, this kid. He has his opinion about what is fun to him and what he will do. P would do just about anything I suggest, but E will put the brakes on. He's like that with food too.

We have a rule at our table that the kids have to eat one of the vegetables on their plate. P will eat it and then tell me how nasty it was, but E will mess around trying to avoid it. I tell him, "just eat it and wash it down with milk if you think it tastes bad!" He takes little nibbles and makes awful faces. You'd think he'd learn that he's not excused until he takes a bite, but somehow he thinks he can dodge it. His newest is to make gagging noises - I worry about that one because Ilene puked green peas all over the table because her parents made her eat them. That is a worry...:)

Hardest part

The hardest part about living in this house, is that noone listens to me. I try to make changes for healthy eating and I am sabotaged by the offerings of ramen noodles and hot dogs. I try to get the kids to clean up after themselves, and I am told "no." I constantly have to reprimand or get upset. I ask for simple tasks to be done, like when I take the trash out I always replace the bags. I don't think it is much, but it is *never* done and then I am the one who ends up taking the trash out the next time and completely grossed out by what won't come put of the bathroom buckets.

I don't clean up or organize certain things because I grow weary of every day things not getting done so we can live in our home. I am tired of being ignored. Sometimes moving out and having my own place sounds really nice...

It is so hard to be the only one with ideas for the family. My husband NEVER just takes the kids on a bike ride or to play outside, unless I ask him to. He'd much rather sit in front of the TV or play video games or do "research" online. He feeds them crap food and thinks it is funny. He hasn't gone to ONE parent/teacher conference to hear how his kids are doing NOR does he even ask after I return home from one. He hasn't even seen one of their progress reports and P has four years worth and E has one.

HOWEVER, he does go to work and pay the bills. I guess I am beholden to that. I can't wait to get a job and get better perspective and less time to think about these things. I just hope it gets better or I am not sure what choice I will make. I need a partner, not another child to take care of or someone who constantly makes me feel guilty or pokes fun at me. I am not attracted to this person and sometimes feel as if I made a horrible mistake my not listening to my heart in the first place, I listened to my guilt.

Also, I am forced to write out my feelings because noone listens to me or they DON'T want to. They say I am nagging them simply by expressing my thoughts or that I am mean. I am getting so tired of living like this.

P lost her first tooth!

P's first tooth was wiggly before we left on vacation, but I had no idea she'd actually lose it! We were playing in the pool at Papa Bill's house and she was pretending to be a shark. She kept biting her daddy's shirt and growling. Well, the biting of the shirt evidently loosened her tooth enough to make it fall out! Out it did, right into the pool.

A nice guy put on goggles to help us look, but eventually daddy saved the day and found P's tooth. The tooth fairy would indeed make a visit to her that evening. She was pretty excited the next morning when she found that gold dollar coin under her pillow. V. cute.

E-isms

I keep telling hubby we need to write down the crazy things bubbies says, but we don't. So, I am going to start writing them here...if I remember.

Today:

"Mommy, I am going to start an ice cream shop and call it Poo Poos. The only thing we'll serve is chocolate ice cream."

I said that I thought it would smell.

He said, "no, just like chocolate ice cream."