Wiiiiiii

Watch out world - we've got a Wii!.

The boys could not have been more excited and cute!  That is what every grandparent should get to experience.  My seven-year-old quickly figured out what it was and he jumped up so fast I thought his pants were on fire.  He grabbed Nanna and squeezed her so hard I was a little worried.  I don't know that the four-year-old got it, but he saw Mario and that was cool enough.  My two-year-old nephew was helping and he could have cared less what was in the boxes - he was just so excited that the big boys were distracted and he could tear the rest of the wrapping off all by himself.

Now most of my blog followers are close friends and family so I know the question on every one's mind is - How did your husband handle this?  We knew that it was coming so I have been working on him.  Reminding him that his children are growing up in a different era, and video games are not the luxury they were when he was young.  And trying to convince him that without giving them this experience we are setting them back.  He's a hard sell, but once he started playing with the seven-year-old and getting his butt kicked in baseball, it's been a whole new ball game.

Happy Thanksgiving

It seems to be highly debated whether thanksgiving is a holiday that should center around family or friends.  We are a family, away from our families, so I think, thanksgiving is a time to count your blessings, where ever you are...

What I am Thankful for, 2010.
I am thankful to have grown up near grandparents who were kind, generous, and very loving.
I am thankful for parents who were not perfect, not my friend, and provided me every opportunity they could.
I am thankful for a large, crazy, loud, and loving extended family that I know will celebrate my joys, and morn my sorrows.
I am thankful for falling on my face early in life so that I might appreciate what is learned from failure.
I am thankful for finding an amazing husband who lives with passion, loves with loyalty, and without whom my life would be nothing.
I am thankful for two beautiful healthy children who fill my life with love, laughter, noise, and a crazy I never could have imagined.
I am thankful for those who are no longer here, for the moments and memories that I carry in my heart.
I am thankful for a warm house in a safe neighborhood where my children can play out back in a fort they made.
I am thankful for more food than I can eat and being home every night to cook it.
I am thankful for every day, every breath, and everyone of you reading this
Happy Thanksgiving!

Really?

I am not sure what category this goes under, except, Really!

This morning the kids are out of school for the Thanksgiving holiday, my husband doesn't have to teach, and a lot of his clients are out of town already.  I made a plan to workout with a friend who had to leave by a certain time to get to Parent/Teacher conference.  As my grandmother always said  - the best laid plans of mice and men.

I told the boys the plan last night.  I reiterated it this morning.  At T-10 minutes I informed them that I was leaving in 10 minutes and they could get ready or I would put them in the car in their PJ', hungry, and head to the gym.

Suddenly, my husband who had been on the phone with his mom is paying attention and ready to 'help'. oh yeah.  His help, to start screaming at the kids to get their clothes on and finish breakfast.  OK, not really helping!  I'm trying to stop the yelling in the house, I'm trying to teach them consequences for their behavior, I'm prepared to let them fail in this safe non-life threatening environment....AND YOU'RE RUINING IT!

So maybe the person I should have told was my husband.  This is my fault, to change parenting strategies mid swim and not tell him.  He's still doing the breaststroke and I've switched to the back stroke.  But my husband works with children and would never yell at them, why does he yell at his own children?  I don't think he came from the screaming house, where everyone is screaming.  I know he didn't come from a strict house where you tow the line or drop and give me 20!

The funniest part of the whole thing is that everyone, except me is yelling, fighting, struggling, manipulating....so I lost it and yelled (you see how long I can stick to a new parenting strategy)
ENOUGH, NO ONE TALK FOR THE NEXT 10 MINUTES OR SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN......there was silence in the house for 30 seconds, then my husbands says one thing, then another....

OK, Really!

What I am thankful for...

So my seven year-old left for school this morning to give his presentation, What I am thankful for.  When I asked him last night what he was going to say, he said, "Oh, I know mom, I know exactly what I'm going to say, we need to take a picture of the car." A little confused I said, "OK, so what is it that you are thankful for?" The reply was just not what I expected - "Transportation!"

Teaching moment?  Re frame this?  Go with the flow?  What do you do as a mom when your expectation and their reality are so far apart?

We talked about how wonderful transportation is and how grateful I am for it, because taking the four year-old to school in a carriage, or even on a horse let alone by foot would take all day.  Not to mention groceries!

But I told him that when someone asks me what I am most grateful for, I would have to say my family.  To which the four year-old chimed in that his brother should be most thankful for him-his little brother - and he should bring his picture or bring him to school and maybe they could bring some star wars stuff and talk about that too!

Well, he finally decided that he wanted to say- of course he was grateful for his family and health - but he was also grateful for something with a seat, handlebars, pedals....can you guess?? A Bike! and he is going to talk about how grateful he is to mountain bike with his dad.

I guess we got there.....

All my Crazy

For my husband...

You need noise
I need quiet
You live out loud
I live inside

My silence hurts you
You feel dejected
You overwhelm me
and all my crazy

You need order
that's filled with chaos
I just need answers
and go inside

You live with passion
for every moment
I live with fear
and all my crazy

You are my hero
You are my love
You are my friend
You are my crazy

The waiting game....or New Super Hero hits town.

It's been a busy week and thus I ended up at the bank on a Saturday morning.  I was writing up the deposit slips at the bank when I overheard the drive-thru customer ask the teller why it took so long, where they short staffed?  She calmly replied, well yes sir there are only two of us and there is a line inside also, I'm sorry for your wait.

I ended up having the same teller and I told her I thought she handled that very well.  She smiled, sighed, and said I guess some people don't like to wait. Yes, I replied, then as if my body had been possessed I said NO! Really, no one likes to wait.  But it's like cleaning toilets, you just do it.  And I live with three boys - there is pee everywhere, behind the toilet, beside the toilet, in places there should not be pee.  You just do it.

As if the possession had ended as abruptly as it began I suddenly realized what I just said - to strangers - in the bank!  Where the hell is my filter?  Then the two ladies both giggling and said, Thank you. You just made our day!

Well, my work here is done.  Call me freakish filterless friend!  UP UP and Away.....