A friend of mine once told me that no one will turn you into a liar faster than your kids. You get so excited when little Lulubelle first claps or plays peek-a-boo, then later takes a step or does the hand gestures for Itsy-Bitsy Spider, so you want to share your glee and show off your little genius.
No matter how subtle you are about baiting them into doing their new accomplishment (because you don't want them to feel like a circus performer) they suddenly become paralyzed or mute. This even happens with behavior that's not much to brag about. An example, Kyle is playing with something that every time makes him scream when he gets to a certain task, so I whisper to Dave, "He gets so mad at this part." And what happens? Nothing.
This morning Grant did the cutest thing that made us, and him, laugh hysterically (he flung himself onto a huge stuffed dog that tumbled over on top of him). So I grabbed the video camera, at which time he decided to move on to the talking Elmo phone which, trust me, doesn't make for fascinating viewing.
Dave is off today since Laura and her two girls are coming from NC this afternoon. Kayla is two months older than Kyle (Annelyse is six) so I can't wait to see what new things Kyle will be doing a week from now. It's always fun to watch them pick up new tricks, err, I mean skills.
Enjoy your day,
Mary Jo
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Random - 7/29/07
So I've been doing alot of reading with the extra time I've had to lay around with my knee elavated. I borrowed some books from a friend who, like me, has varied taste in books. I just finished a book set in China in the early to mid-1800's and it was fascinating (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See). It had a great story line about a deep friendship, but it also had all this cool stuff about the customs like footbinding and the role of women in that society. I got to read a great book and pretend I was doing something intellectual at the same time.
Now I'm reading a John Irving book, The Fourth Hand, and it is odd odd odd, but entertaining. One character is a handsome, womanizing TV journalist who is doing a fluff story about a circus in India and while holding out his microphone for viewers to hear the lions roaring, gets his hand chomped off by hungry lions, (at which point the cute blond German sound technician faints into a pile of raw mutton that is meant for the lions) all caught on camera and watched repeatedly the world over.
The other character so far is the oddball hand surgeon who is going to do a hand transplant on him. You would not believe how many pages have been spent so far describing the hand surgeon. He is a near-anorexic compulsive exerciser who is obsessed with the evils of dog poop and whose favorite thing to do when he is running along the Charles River in Boston is to scoop up dog turds with his old lacrosse stick and fling them at the rowers (he thinks rowing backwards is absurd). The great news is that, courtesy of his nutso ex-wife, he ends up with a dog (he hates dogs) who eats everything - sticks, paper, garden hose and best of all, his own and other dogs' poo. (No, the dog's name isn't Molly and she doesn't live in my house - our Molly would never touch sticks, paper or garden hose - she had standards after all). And I'm only on page 70.
I'm sitting at the desk with a giant stack of papers that need to get filed or action taken in some way and what am I doing but writing a blog entry? My friend, Laura, is coming from NC on Tuesday with her 6 and 2 year old girls so Dave and I are frantically trying to get things cleaned and organized, all while entertaining a 1 and 2 year old! On the topic of the boys, they have been such a dream for the last month. Kyle just spent all of snack time sharing with Grant, and the biting has dropped dramatically. We'll see how things go when there is another toddler in the house in a few days!
I guess I'd better go. Enjoy your day,
MJ
Now I'm reading a John Irving book, The Fourth Hand, and it is odd odd odd, but entertaining. One character is a handsome, womanizing TV journalist who is doing a fluff story about a circus in India and while holding out his microphone for viewers to hear the lions roaring, gets his hand chomped off by hungry lions, (at which point the cute blond German sound technician faints into a pile of raw mutton that is meant for the lions) all caught on camera and watched repeatedly the world over.
The other character so far is the oddball hand surgeon who is going to do a hand transplant on him. You would not believe how many pages have been spent so far describing the hand surgeon. He is a near-anorexic compulsive exerciser who is obsessed with the evils of dog poop and whose favorite thing to do when he is running along the Charles River in Boston is to scoop up dog turds with his old lacrosse stick and fling them at the rowers (he thinks rowing backwards is absurd). The great news is that, courtesy of his nutso ex-wife, he ends up with a dog (he hates dogs) who eats everything - sticks, paper, garden hose and best of all, his own and other dogs' poo. (No, the dog's name isn't Molly and she doesn't live in my house - our Molly would never touch sticks, paper or garden hose - she had standards after all). And I'm only on page 70.
I'm sitting at the desk with a giant stack of papers that need to get filed or action taken in some way and what am I doing but writing a blog entry? My friend, Laura, is coming from NC on Tuesday with her 6 and 2 year old girls so Dave and I are frantically trying to get things cleaned and organized, all while entertaining a 1 and 2 year old! On the topic of the boys, they have been such a dream for the last month. Kyle just spent all of snack time sharing with Grant, and the biting has dropped dramatically. We'll see how things go when there is another toddler in the house in a few days!
I guess I'd better go. Enjoy your day,
MJ
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Poor little Roo - 7/26/07
The other day I was sitting on the couch and Dave was on the floor reading a musical Pooh Bear book to the boys. Not really reading the real words (because it’s actually a sing-a-long and I try to encourage Dave to not sing) but making things up. This involved talking about all the characters on the page and what instruments they were playing.
I hear him talk about Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Ratlet. Ratlet???? I kept my mouth shut because I wanted to see just who he was talking about and I didn’t want to interrupt. So I get my hands on the book a bit later to look for the rat who had infiltrated the Pooh Bear book. Nope. No rat anywhere. He thought sweet little Roo (Kanga is the mom and Roo is the baby Kangaroo; he’s the same size as Piglet) was a RAT!
Here’s a picture of Pooh Bear, Roo, Piglet and Tigger. Does he look like a rat to you?!? My poor kids are going to think that the Hundred-Acre Wood is the home of pig-sized rats. Or maybe they are kangarats. In all seriousness, it was rather endearing and now Roo has a new name in our house.
Enjoy your day,
I hear him talk about Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Ratlet. Ratlet???? I kept my mouth shut because I wanted to see just who he was talking about and I didn’t want to interrupt. So I get my hands on the book a bit later to look for the rat who had infiltrated the Pooh Bear book. Nope. No rat anywhere. He thought sweet little Roo (Kanga is the mom and Roo is the baby Kangaroo; he’s the same size as Piglet) was a RAT!
Here’s a picture of Pooh Bear, Roo, Piglet and Tigger. Does he look like a rat to you?!? My poor kids are going to think that the Hundred-Acre Wood is the home of pig-sized rats. Or maybe they are kangarats. In all seriousness, it was rather endearing and now Roo has a new name in our house.
Enjoy your day,
Mary Jo
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Dinner out - 7/22/07
It is going to take me weeks to get the kids to recover when their Grammy leaves. They are having so much fun and Grammy caters to their every whim. My mom has told me that her primary goals are to have fun with them and to keep them from screaming, though not necessarily in that order. Mom assures me that this is a grandmother’s perspective and Grandma (Dave’s mom) backs up this claim.
My mom has been such a HUGE help the last 10 days that if she wanted to give the kids fudge for every meal I might be tempted to let her. She and Dave’s mom are definitely earning grandmother points for their help :-)
I hobbled out of the house on Friday night to go to dinner with Dave’s family. These people know how to pick the restaurants. Whereas I can lead you to the local Chili’s, Macaroni Grill and plenty of Mexican restaurants, they are up on multi-star restaurants such as the one on Friday night - The Oceanaire at the Galleria in Dallas. Fish is flown in everyday from everywhere – fish that you’ve never even heard of. It always intimidates me to go to places like this because I never know what to order and I’m not really excited about looking like the village idiot who only eats at Long John Silver.
The food was unbelievable and the six of us sampled each other’s dinners – all were great. Bobby and Gina (Dave’s brother and sister-in-law) go there often and have cultivated a relationship with a superb waiter who made it a wonderful dining experience! Even though my knee was ready to go home by the end of the night, getting out was exactly what the doctor ordered.
We’ve taken some cute pictures lately – I’ll post some tomorrow.
Enjoy your day!
Mary Jo
My mom has been such a HUGE help the last 10 days that if she wanted to give the kids fudge for every meal I might be tempted to let her. She and Dave’s mom are definitely earning grandmother points for their help :-)
I hobbled out of the house on Friday night to go to dinner with Dave’s family. These people know how to pick the restaurants. Whereas I can lead you to the local Chili’s, Macaroni Grill and plenty of Mexican restaurants, they are up on multi-star restaurants such as the one on Friday night - The Oceanaire at the Galleria in Dallas. Fish is flown in everyday from everywhere – fish that you’ve never even heard of. It always intimidates me to go to places like this because I never know what to order and I’m not really excited about looking like the village idiot who only eats at Long John Silver.
The food was unbelievable and the six of us sampled each other’s dinners – all were great. Bobby and Gina (Dave’s brother and sister-in-law) go there often and have cultivated a relationship with a superb waiter who made it a wonderful dining experience! Even though my knee was ready to go home by the end of the night, getting out was exactly what the doctor ordered.
We’ve taken some cute pictures lately – I’ll post some tomorrow.
Enjoy your day!
Mary Jo
Friday, July 20, 2007
Too much Diego? - 7/20/07
You can tell I’ve been around kids and Go, Diego, Go! too long. When I woke up and saw my bright red eye, the first thing that popped into my head was, “I look like the baby alligator with the injured red eye on Diego.” And how sad is it that Dave and I actually get excited when there is an episode of Diego, Dora or the Backyardigans (the only three shows the kids watch) on that we haven’t seen? Pretty funny, actually – not sad.
I got my stitches out this morning. I think I offended the doctor because I didn’t shake his hand when he came in (he always shakes hands which I think is nice – he actually makes eye contact and doesn’t talk to me like I’m an idiot – big plus for a doctor). I have pink eye and I didn’t want to risk giving it to him. I explained that to him but I still think it threw him. I seem to get pink eye, or something masquerading as pink eye, every six weeks. I do everything I'm supposed to like throwing away all my makeup and even getting a new eye mask / shade (I sleep with one to block out any and all light). I think I'm going to give up the mask for good because it seems like being locked in there every night is giving all the eye critters ample opportunity to reproduce and eat my eyeballs. Fortunately, Kyle, Grant and Dave haven't had pink eye since Kyle and Grant left day care back in April.
Grant took his first sort-of step on his own today. I can’t officially call it walking yet, but it was definitely a step.
Enjoy the day,
Mary Jo
I got my stitches out this morning. I think I offended the doctor because I didn’t shake his hand when he came in (he always shakes hands which I think is nice – he actually makes eye contact and doesn’t talk to me like I’m an idiot – big plus for a doctor). I have pink eye and I didn’t want to risk giving it to him. I explained that to him but I still think it threw him. I seem to get pink eye, or something masquerading as pink eye, every six weeks. I do everything I'm supposed to like throwing away all my makeup and even getting a new eye mask / shade (I sleep with one to block out any and all light). I think I'm going to give up the mask for good because it seems like being locked in there every night is giving all the eye critters ample opportunity to reproduce and eat my eyeballs. Fortunately, Kyle, Grant and Dave haven't had pink eye since Kyle and Grant left day care back in April.
Grant took his first sort-of step on his own today. I can’t officially call it walking yet, but it was definitely a step.
Enjoy the day,
Mary Jo
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Miscellaneous - 7/19/07
I am tired tired tired of being cooped up in the house with my knee still healing. I guess I'm more frustrated because I'm not spending the same quality and quantity of time with the boys. When I am hanging out with them it's hard for me not to get on the floor and play. And Kyle has figured out very clearly that when I am sitting on the couch with ice on my knee the chances of me getting up to put him in timeout are lower, so he's having fun calling my bluff.
Grant is going to walk any day now. He lets go of things and hovers for a few seconds and he loves holding onto hands and walking. Today he is down to just holding one hand! He may beat my theory that he's going to walk on July 29. Kyle walked when he was 14 months and 6 days old and that's how old Grant will be on 7/29. At least they'll be close so in 10 years when someone asks how old my boys were when they started walking I only need to remember one number.
Kyle is saying new words every day. My favorite thing is Waaaa-woooo? which means Where are you? If he's looking for something you better believe he walks around saying this over and over again. Yesterday when he couldn't find Grammy, he said his version of "Oh well." Too cute.
My friend, Laura, and her two girls are coming in 12 days from North Carolina! That's why I started physical therapy this week instead of waiting until next week - I want to be as healed as possible for the visit.
Enjoy your day,
Mary Jo
Grant is going to walk any day now. He lets go of things and hovers for a few seconds and he loves holding onto hands and walking. Today he is down to just holding one hand! He may beat my theory that he's going to walk on July 29. Kyle walked when he was 14 months and 6 days old and that's how old Grant will be on 7/29. At least they'll be close so in 10 years when someone asks how old my boys were when they started walking I only need to remember one number.
Kyle is saying new words every day. My favorite thing is Waaaa-woooo? which means Where are you? If he's looking for something you better believe he walks around saying this over and over again. Yesterday when he couldn't find Grammy, he said his version of "Oh well." Too cute.
My friend, Laura, and her two girls are coming in 12 days from North Carolina! That's why I started physical therapy this week instead of waiting until next week - I want to be as healed as possible for the visit.
Enjoy your day,
Mary Jo
Monday, July 16, 2007
To moms at the mall - 7/16/07
As I’ve been laid up for the last several days recuperating from knee surgery, I’ve had time to compose a fantasy letter to the moms at mall play areas.
Dear Moms,
I realize that malls and mall play areas are the refuge of stay-at-home-moms (SAHM) everywhere – an oasis in the desert of our lives of all kids, all the time. But I’m afraid that some of you are bad play-area citizens.
Moms, let’s review the rules.
1. Your kids are still your responsibility. There is no magical threshold at the play area entrance that makes them everyone else’s responsibility. The “it takes a village to raise a child” concept doesn’t apply to play areas.
2. If your head is lolled over to one side and you’re drooling, you’re not paying enough attention.
3. Play areas are not for big kids, they are for little kids. There is a reason that amusement park rides have a measuring stick at the entrance with a minimum “you must be at least this tall” requirement, don’t you think? Well there is a reason that there is a measuring stick at the play area entrance that says “you can’t be any taller than this”. Big kids and toddlers don’t mix.
4. Play areas are a great place for you to teach your kids some lessons about respecting others and thinking about their actions. The future directors of overcrowded juvenile detention centers will thank you for this.
5. If your kid even comes close to decapitating another, this may be a good indicator that you should get involved.
6. If you see behavior like that in number 5 and are too lazy or disinterested to do anything about it, have the decency to look away quickly when it happens. Better that the other moms think you are not paying attention.
7. Get off your cell phone.
8. If you are on the cell phone and another mother who doesn’t even know you has to catch your runaway kid or keep them from doing something dangerous, get off the phone and fake embarrassment. Don’t look irritated at the other mothers for interrupting you.
9. If your kid is 13-years-old and weighs more than you do, he’s too big for the play area.
Thanks,
Mary Jo, mom to the 1-year-old your kid almost gave a concussion to and the almost 2-year-old who was terrified at the mere presence of your towering giant
Dear Moms,
I realize that malls and mall play areas are the refuge of stay-at-home-moms (SAHM) everywhere – an oasis in the desert of our lives of all kids, all the time. But I’m afraid that some of you are bad play-area citizens.
Moms, let’s review the rules.
1. Your kids are still your responsibility. There is no magical threshold at the play area entrance that makes them everyone else’s responsibility. The “it takes a village to raise a child” concept doesn’t apply to play areas.
2. If your head is lolled over to one side and you’re drooling, you’re not paying enough attention.
3. Play areas are not for big kids, they are for little kids. There is a reason that amusement park rides have a measuring stick at the entrance with a minimum “you must be at least this tall” requirement, don’t you think? Well there is a reason that there is a measuring stick at the play area entrance that says “you can’t be any taller than this”. Big kids and toddlers don’t mix.
4. Play areas are a great place for you to teach your kids some lessons about respecting others and thinking about their actions. The future directors of overcrowded juvenile detention centers will thank you for this.
5. If your kid even comes close to decapitating another, this may be a good indicator that you should get involved.
6. If you see behavior like that in number 5 and are too lazy or disinterested to do anything about it, have the decency to look away quickly when it happens. Better that the other moms think you are not paying attention.
7. Get off your cell phone.
8. If you are on the cell phone and another mother who doesn’t even know you has to catch your runaway kid or keep them from doing something dangerous, get off the phone and fake embarrassment. Don’t look irritated at the other mothers for interrupting you.
9. If your kid is 13-years-old and weighs more than you do, he’s too big for the play area.
Thanks,
Mary Jo, mom to the 1-year-old your kid almost gave a concussion to and the almost 2-year-old who was terrified at the mere presence of your towering giant
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