I have had a lot of interesting thoughts over the past few days but none that really seemed to spark my blog writing genius. So, I have decided to create as I type with absolutely no goal in mind. This is bad...for I am forever being taught in school to "teach with the end in mind" (said in a booming, top of Mount Olympus type voice).
Which reminds me...for those wondering I received 100% on my last blog/assignment.
I am not sure how I feel about December 21st. At first I was all "LOL" Then, I was all "What if?" and now I am all "meh."
It is not that i don't care per say, but more that i can't do anything about it so I might as well just shrug. What could I possibly do to stop it?
So here is my bucket list. 5 things to do in 5 days:
1) Eat at the Olive Garden one last time.
2) Rob the bank (maybe before Olive Garden)
3) Get sick (check and check).
4) Not clean my kids' rooms (because who is going to care in 5 days time?).
5) Create a Firdalian calendar that generations ahead will look back on and create wonderful iNews articles (cuz apple will own the presidency/prime ministership) about the world ending in 6091 A.W.E1. (After World End #1)
(that was a lot of parentheses)
So, Cheers to our last 5 days on planet Earth! See you December 22!
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
If Britt Wall Makes a Quilt...
So I have this assignment.
And I haven't had time to blog for awhile.
And I LOVE multi-tasking.
So, here it goes.
I have this professor who has asked us to relate to her what we have taken from her course. I thought that maybe it would be inappropriate to tell her through a blog because I am well known for my VERY serious intellect on here...
But then again, I think I am onto something.
Plus Britt told me she is making a quilt to display her idea and that was my other idea, so blog it is.
Sherry is going to read this with an open mind.
Because that is what the Aboriginal perspectives promotes.
Seriously though, I would like to state that in taking this course on Aboriginal Education, I have made some valuable connections to my real life and to my educational philosophy - and making those sorts of connections is what enables learning and retention:
1) Integrating Aboriginal perspectives into my future classroom is not going to be difficult. In fact, it is happening already in modern classes without teachers even knowing or understanding the implications of what they are planning and doing: We have a more child centered learning focus, we acknowledge that students retain information better when they can move. So let's get outside. Let's dance. Let's sing.
Literally. The kids just cranked some crazy Chipmunk dance tunes. I am dancing and typing.
2) The Universal Design: What is good for some students can be good for all. Shouldn't all children be motivated intrinsically? If we want this to happen, shouldn't we make it possible by offering them hands on experiences that are relevant to their way of life? There is no better way to help make key connections between curriculum and real life than in a natural setting.
"One of the traditional beliefs of many Aboriginal peoples is that all people, regardless of age, have gifts that can be shared with others and it is necessary to respect, accept and appreciate these gifts for what they can bring the community" (Aboriginal Perspectives p. 16).
Without even realizing it, my own education philosophy was formulated with the same ideas in mind. In a fast paced world where our children must learn to think creatively for the betterment of our Earth's future, I think the holistic worldview of the Aboriginal people had better find a way into every classroom! We need to teach all children that the land is a giver of life - and needs to be cared for and respected. We need to show every student that they have something valuable to offer this land.
I quoted from the Aboriginal Perspectives document because my professor helped write it.
I am not above being a teacher's pet.
And finally...
I realized that a blog is a great place to write such a reflection because the Aboriginal perspectives embrace humor and laughter in learning.
And really...if more of us could remember to laugh more often...we would all be a lot less stressed out...especially over learning logs.
And I haven't had time to blog for awhile.
And I LOVE multi-tasking.
So, here it goes.
I have this professor who has asked us to relate to her what we have taken from her course. I thought that maybe it would be inappropriate to tell her through a blog because I am well known for my VERY serious intellect on here...
But then again, I think I am onto something.
Plus Britt told me she is making a quilt to display her idea and that was my other idea, so blog it is.
Sherry is going to read this with an open mind.
Because that is what the Aboriginal perspectives promotes.
Seriously though, I would like to state that in taking this course on Aboriginal Education, I have made some valuable connections to my real life and to my educational philosophy - and making those sorts of connections is what enables learning and retention:
1) Integrating Aboriginal perspectives into my future classroom is not going to be difficult. In fact, it is happening already in modern classes without teachers even knowing or understanding the implications of what they are planning and doing: We have a more child centered learning focus, we acknowledge that students retain information better when they can move. So let's get outside. Let's dance. Let's sing.
Literally. The kids just cranked some crazy Chipmunk dance tunes. I am dancing and typing.
2) The Universal Design: What is good for some students can be good for all. Shouldn't all children be motivated intrinsically? If we want this to happen, shouldn't we make it possible by offering them hands on experiences that are relevant to their way of life? There is no better way to help make key connections between curriculum and real life than in a natural setting.
"One of the traditional beliefs of many Aboriginal peoples is that all people, regardless of age, have gifts that can be shared with others and it is necessary to respect, accept and appreciate these gifts for what they can bring the community" (Aboriginal Perspectives p. 16).
Without even realizing it, my own education philosophy was formulated with the same ideas in mind. In a fast paced world where our children must learn to think creatively for the betterment of our Earth's future, I think the holistic worldview of the Aboriginal people had better find a way into every classroom! We need to teach all children that the land is a giver of life - and needs to be cared for and respected. We need to show every student that they have something valuable to offer this land.
I quoted from the Aboriginal Perspectives document because my professor helped write it.
I am not above being a teacher's pet.
And finally...
I realized that a blog is a great place to write such a reflection because the Aboriginal perspectives embrace humor and laughter in learning.
And really...if more of us could remember to laugh more often...we would all be a lot less stressed out...especially over learning logs.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
How to Put the Kids to Bed - 2 sides of the story
Actually...two sides of the story from only one person's biased perspective. Previewed and accepted by the second person (he didn't tell me NOT to post it, so that MUST mean he approves).
I was inspired by a friend yesterday, who thought I should make a blog about this...so here you go (and imagine what you have to look forward to when it is your turn)
How a Woman Puts the Kids to Bed
- Announces that it is time for child number one to get into the tub/shower.
- Remind said child that it IS in fact her turn to go first because the other child went first YESTERDAY and that this is kept on file in the Mommy brain.
- When water is running, begin table clear up from supper and start making lunches for the next day.
- Unload backpacks from school. Read notes, fill out permission forms, gather change for Hot Dog day.
- Remind child number 2 that he will be going for a shower next.
- Realize that child 1 has likely not thought to wash her hair yet, remind her.
- Remind her again.
- Finish making lunches.
- Remind her again.
- Announce to child 2 that it is time for his bath.
- Run another load of dishes to the dishwasher on way to help child 2.
- Glare at husband on couch.
- With sarcasm ask how the Leafs are doing (evil laugh).
- Help child 2 get undressed and into the tub. Wash his hair.
- Yell for child 1 to get her book and read while you wash child 2's hair.
- Brush child 1's hair.
- Get child 2 out of tub, lotion him up with medicated cream for his skin issues.
- Announce a race to see who can be the first one to get toothpaste on their brush.
- Give multi vitamins
- Supervise teeth brushing.
- Send child 2 into bedroom with his special stuffed toys...search for the special SPECIAL one.
- Argue with child 2 whose turn it is to pick a book.
- Read the book.
- Put books that are read back on the bookshelf.
- Tuck child into bed with a glass of water on the nightstand.
- Feed the fish.
- Water the plant.
- Tuck child 2 into bed again.
- Move to child 1's room. Listen to her read. Read to her.
- Warm up Child 1's flax bag.
- Get fresh glass of water.
- Turn on music.
- Say goodnight. Offer kisses and an extra silly tuck in routine.
- Shut doors and head to kitchen to fold a load of laundry.
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours and 15 minutes.
How Men Put The Children to Bed:
- Turn on Sports Net
- Sit on couch.
- Yell for Child 1 to get into the tub.
- Yell to Child 1 that you don't care whose turn it is, get into the tub!
- See glare from wife.
- Get off couch and tell child 1 to get out of tub.
- Insert child 2 into the bathing facilities.
- Watch Sports Net
- Realize that the bathroom is now full of water, decide to remove child 2.
- Chase children to bed.
- Read a book to each child.
- Toss read book onto the floor.
- Tell child 1 that her room is messy.
- Fist pump Child 1.
- First pump Child 2.
- Tuck children in.
- Close doors.
- Make popcorn.
- Find special SPECIAL stuffed toy and toss into the dark abyss of child 2's room.
- Hear wife dragging kids back out of bed to brush their teeth.
- Shrug.
- Tell wife she is amazing.
- Watch Sports Net.
TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes.
I was inspired by a friend yesterday, who thought I should make a blog about this...so here you go (and imagine what you have to look forward to when it is your turn)
How a Woman Puts the Kids to Bed
- Announces that it is time for child number one to get into the tub/shower.
- Remind said child that it IS in fact her turn to go first because the other child went first YESTERDAY and that this is kept on file in the Mommy brain.
- When water is running, begin table clear up from supper and start making lunches for the next day.
- Unload backpacks from school. Read notes, fill out permission forms, gather change for Hot Dog day.
- Remind child number 2 that he will be going for a shower next.
- Realize that child 1 has likely not thought to wash her hair yet, remind her.
- Remind her again.
- Finish making lunches.
- Remind her again.
- Announce to child 2 that it is time for his bath.
- Run another load of dishes to the dishwasher on way to help child 2.
- Glare at husband on couch.
- With sarcasm ask how the Leafs are doing (evil laugh).
- Help child 2 get undressed and into the tub. Wash his hair.
- Yell for child 1 to get her book and read while you wash child 2's hair.
- Brush child 1's hair.
- Get child 2 out of tub, lotion him up with medicated cream for his skin issues.
- Announce a race to see who can be the first one to get toothpaste on their brush.
- Give multi vitamins
- Supervise teeth brushing.
- Send child 2 into bedroom with his special stuffed toys...search for the special SPECIAL one.
- Argue with child 2 whose turn it is to pick a book.
- Read the book.
- Put books that are read back on the bookshelf.
- Tuck child into bed with a glass of water on the nightstand.
- Feed the fish.
- Water the plant.
- Tuck child 2 into bed again.
- Move to child 1's room. Listen to her read. Read to her.
- Warm up Child 1's flax bag.
- Get fresh glass of water.
- Turn on music.
- Say goodnight. Offer kisses and an extra silly tuck in routine.
- Shut doors and head to kitchen to fold a load of laundry.
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours and 15 minutes.
How Men Put The Children to Bed:
- Turn on Sports Net
- Sit on couch.
- Yell for Child 1 to get into the tub.
- Yell to Child 1 that you don't care whose turn it is, get into the tub!
- See glare from wife.
- Get off couch and tell child 1 to get out of tub.
- Insert child 2 into the bathing facilities.
- Watch Sports Net
- Realize that the bathroom is now full of water, decide to remove child 2.
- Chase children to bed.
- Read a book to each child.
- Toss read book onto the floor.
- Tell child 1 that her room is messy.
- Fist pump Child 1.
- First pump Child 2.
- Tuck children in.
- Close doors.
- Make popcorn.
- Find special SPECIAL stuffed toy and toss into the dark abyss of child 2's room.
- Hear wife dragging kids back out of bed to brush their teeth.
- Shrug.
- Tell wife she is amazing.
- Watch Sports Net.
TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes.
Friday, November 23, 2012
The Compromise Tree
The Christmas books are out of the attic and the tree is set up. We worked hard to make a magazine worthy tree. It took all day but we have now have set up what I call
"The Compromise Tree."
This argument began at 8a.m. when instead of saying good morning, two midgets raided my bed and started pleading to set up the tree.
I dragged my sorry rear end to the attic door.
I stared at the attic door.
I wondered if I could escape through the back door without them noticing....
Why does the Christmas tree have to be in the biggest box in the smallest attic hole, behind every other holiday storage box????
Rory was mighty impressed that his mother could hoist herself up on the railing of the stairs and perform a circus balance act while peering into the attic. I am apparently just like 'Black Widow.' Eat your heart out Scarlett Johannson. Any male reading this is thinking "Get over yourself Regan, you are not Scarlett" But really...not too many of them would admit to reading this. To my 5 year old, I was Black Widow (in her pyjamas). End of story.
"So KIDS," I say in my sultry Black Widow voice (or 'too early in the morning' hoarseness-one of the two), "I was thinking we should change up the colors on the Christmas tree. What if we bought a few new ornaments and made the tree green and blue?"
Both kids stare at me blankly. Rory begins a slow motion side to side shake of his head. Kennedy's eyes get wide and 2 large crocodile tears begin rolling down her cheek.
"OKAY, so what if I bought a tiny tree that you guys could decorate with your ornaments? (Did I mention that Dee also made 156 new, paper cut out decorations as well?)
I knew that this was an unacceptable option when Kennedy started gathering all the ornaments in her arms and while sobbing uncontrollably stated, "Mom, that is not acceptable."
I laugh. Because she is a pack rat. She hoards everything. I....do not. If I don't use it, it is gone. She knows what I am thinking. She isn't letting these ornaments out of her sight.
So, I sit down on the couch and tell everyone to take a deep breath and to sit with me a minute. I try bribery, I try reaching their heartstrings with "But you know how much Daddy likes blue...he will be so surprised to see a blue tree..." I try talking softly and I try talking with authority. They tried crying, they tried pleading, they tried to tell me how much each paper ornament meant to them. I lost.
But Kennedy is quite a diplomat - she decided it would be fair if I got to ADD some new ornaments. If a few could be pink. Okay. Really now, Christmas is not about this Stinkin tree that has me so worked up. I apologize because I am taking this to a whole new level of Scrooge. What really matters is that we are creating this masterpiece together. We are happy, healthy and capable of working together to solve a problem. A little Michael Buble Christmas and we were in evergreen glory.
Throughout the evening, Black Widow may have helped 145 paper ornaments find new homes (she is sneaky like that).
This argument began at 8a.m. when instead of saying good morning, two midgets raided my bed and started pleading to set up the tree.
I dragged my sorry rear end to the attic door.
I stared at the attic door.
I wondered if I could escape through the back door without them noticing....
Why does the Christmas tree have to be in the biggest box in the smallest attic hole, behind every other holiday storage box????
Rory was mighty impressed that his mother could hoist herself up on the railing of the stairs and perform a circus balance act while peering into the attic. I am apparently just like 'Black Widow.' Eat your heart out Scarlett Johannson. Any male reading this is thinking "Get over yourself Regan, you are not Scarlett" But really...not too many of them would admit to reading this. To my 5 year old, I was Black Widow (in her pyjamas). End of story.
"So KIDS," I say in my sultry Black Widow voice (or 'too early in the morning' hoarseness-one of the two), "I was thinking we should change up the colors on the Christmas tree. What if we bought a few new ornaments and made the tree green and blue?"
Both kids stare at me blankly. Rory begins a slow motion side to side shake of his head. Kennedy's eyes get wide and 2 large crocodile tears begin rolling down her cheek.
"OKAY, so what if I bought a tiny tree that you guys could decorate with your ornaments? (Did I mention that Dee also made 156 new, paper cut out decorations as well?)
I knew that this was an unacceptable option when Kennedy started gathering all the ornaments in her arms and while sobbing uncontrollably stated, "Mom, that is not acceptable."
I laugh. Because she is a pack rat. She hoards everything. I....do not. If I don't use it, it is gone. She knows what I am thinking. She isn't letting these ornaments out of her sight.
So, I sit down on the couch and tell everyone to take a deep breath and to sit with me a minute. I try bribery, I try reaching their heartstrings with "But you know how much Daddy likes blue...he will be so surprised to see a blue tree..." I try talking softly and I try talking with authority. They tried crying, they tried pleading, they tried to tell me how much each paper ornament meant to them. I lost.
But Kennedy is quite a diplomat - she decided it would be fair if I got to ADD some new ornaments. If a few could be pink. Okay. Really now, Christmas is not about this Stinkin tree that has me so worked up. I apologize because I am taking this to a whole new level of Scrooge. What really matters is that we are creating this masterpiece together. We are happy, healthy and capable of working together to solve a problem. A little Michael Buble Christmas and we were in evergreen glory.
Throughout the evening, Black Widow may have helped 145 paper ornaments find new homes (she is sneaky like that).
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
iLove iTechnology...and other Things that Make Me Want to Write a "Book of Awesome."
iThink
technology is unbelievable.
All I can do is be in awe. And cry. And be in awe. This baby is also a small piece of me.
And it will look just like me.
Because I say so.
Because my own kids don't.
In other awesome news...
Me: "SILENCE!!!!!! YOU ARE ALL FORGETTING THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT RULE!!!! If you think you are going to say something mean, say Ho Ho Ho instead.
Kennedy "HO HO HO"
Kennedy: "HO HO"
Kennedy: "HO HO HO HO HO"
Insert a lot of laughter.
Rory: HO.
Kennedy: HO HO HO HO HO!!!!
Me: Get out of the vehicle.
technology is unbelievable.
- I just got to hear my niece or nephew's heartbeat over my iPad. Yup. Auntie Jo-elle is one week over due and we are in the stupid grinny-face stage of excitement. AND we got to hear the heartbeat. Rory took a few minutes to figure it out but Kennedy knew right away...right after she thought it was a train...
All I can do is be in awe. And cry. And be in awe. This baby is also a small piece of me.
And it will look just like me.
Because I say so.
Because my own kids don't.
In other awesome news...
- Kennedy's NEW provincial report card showed some shocking surprises...4 pages per student 3 times a year (yay for going green?!?!) and a lot of stress on teachers = one kid that is getting a huge pat on the back for hitting a lot of 4's.
- I got a gift today from a friend/cousin/neighbor. A really awesome gift that I was not expecting. I am very excited about my new Iphone/ipad speaker.
- We have a new plan for the week called "Christmas Spirit." If Dee and Roar want to set up the Christmas tree this week then they need to get along and say only pleasant things to each other...and no, this does not include "Rory, would you PLEASE stop making me angry." Both of the chicklets needed a SLIGHT reminder of this rule tonight as we drove home from hockey:
Me: "SILENCE!!!!!! YOU ARE ALL FORGETTING THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT RULE!!!! If you think you are going to say something mean, say Ho Ho Ho instead.
Kennedy "HO HO HO"
Kennedy: "HO HO"
Kennedy: "HO HO HO HO HO"
Insert a lot of laughter.
Rory: HO.
Kennedy: HO HO HO HO HO!!!!
Me: Get out of the vehicle.
- I have two awesome friends in Brandon who are willing to cover for me tomorrow during a presentation if the roads get bad.
- I am going wedding dress shopping with KKNT on Saturday.
- I am taking my family to see How to Train a Dragon LIVE on Sunday.
- Taylor Swift is coming to Winnipeg.
- I am going to be an AUNTIE!!!! iHappy :)
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Dangerous Icicles
This is the scene laid out before me:
Five year old boy sitting on Grandma's porch in his bright new winter coat and monster toque.
One boot off.
Blood gushing from head wound.
Bleeding nose.
Tears streaming down his face.
I had been in Grandma's and he was waiting for me what...2 MINUTES?! What could possibly have happened on Grandma's porch?!?! I got down at his level and began wiping blood and tears from his face. I couldn't even imagine what had happened.
Did you trip and bang your head?
Did you slip on the cement?
Seriously Rory, what happened?!
"I hurt my head."
Duh.
Rory, what were you doing before this happened?!?
It was the big shiny HEAVY icicle hanging from the coal house roof. It was good enough to lick. It was good enough to fall on him.
Only Rory.
He doesn't stay down long though. He went straight back outside and put on skis for the first time and skied all the way to the barnyard. His end of the night goal was to get on top of the very steep snow hill and ski down it. I am so proud of the endless optimism and determination when he wants to do something. Finally coaxed down off the side of the hill, I realized that tomorrow's blog posting may be entitled "The Broken Arm."
Five year old boy sitting on Grandma's porch in his bright new winter coat and monster toque.
One boot off.
Blood gushing from head wound.
Bleeding nose.
Tears streaming down his face.
I had been in Grandma's and he was waiting for me what...2 MINUTES?! What could possibly have happened on Grandma's porch?!?! I got down at his level and began wiping blood and tears from his face. I couldn't even imagine what had happened.
Did you trip and bang your head?
Did you slip on the cement?
Seriously Rory, what happened?!
"I hurt my head."
Duh.
Rory, what were you doing before this happened?!?
It was the big shiny HEAVY icicle hanging from the coal house roof. It was good enough to lick. It was good enough to fall on him.
Only Rory.
He doesn't stay down long though. He went straight back outside and put on skis for the first time and skied all the way to the barnyard. His end of the night goal was to get on top of the very steep snow hill and ski down it. I am so proud of the endless optimism and determination when he wants to do something. Finally coaxed down off the side of the hill, I realized that tomorrow's blog posting may be entitled "The Broken Arm."
Saturday, November 10, 2012
The Old Popcorn Tin
Today, I cleaned our bedroom and found an old popcorn tin that Erin once gave me. It was filled with all sorts of memorabilia.
I Had a great time going through an old tub of stuff from my elementary and high school days. I decided that I:
a) Had some really cruel friends. Seriously who writes "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, You remind me of Steve Urkel." Oh wait...that looks like my brother's writing.....
b) Had some really awesome friends.
c) Was way too willing to please them all. I came across a note saying "Thanks for doing my piano theory for me Rainman" Wow. I did homework for people AND accepted my Rainman nickname. This makes me disgusted and giggly at the same time.
At the time, I didn't even know who Rainman was. And quite frankly, I have never met Tom Cruise.
Among the many girlie notes, birthday cards and diaries that I had saved, I found another little piece of my life that I need to make sure I never forget. I had some fantastic friends. In a small town we often become friends with those we are forced to go to school with. This was the case with many of the girls, but not all of them. I had friends that I let write IN my diary. Ones I had secret codes with and ones that I invented new words with. Ones that never forget to send me a birthday card even today. Ones that I danced with, laughed with, sang with, played piano with, played baseball with, stayed up all night long with, got into trouble with and learned a lifetime worth of knowledge with. I got to thinking today that I must have been quite the young lady to be nick named Rainman. I am so thankful that a handful of people gave me a chance and became lifelong friends.
But I secretly hope I had that nickname simply because Rain Man sounds like Ray Gun.
So thank you to my childhood friends. I am so lucky to still have you in my life. Lindsey with her homemade cards, Auntie Erin with her loyalty and unfaltering faith in me, and KKNT who shares enough of my secrets to someday blackmail me. Opening my tub from the past provided me with many fond memories and laughs today. I was even more pleased to share these memories with my own kids.
Other Note-Worthy Finds:
- The "BuckMaster" Special Edition magazine that I made for Steve in our early dating days.
- A birthday card from my youngest brother with a picture of a Porche inside and his 9 year old handwriting "Imagine how shocked everyone will be that I was the one to get you a car."
- 3 different calendars. Today in 1998 I had piano lessons and there was a Remembrance Day service at school.
- My Grandparents' Obituary cards.
- An old teen magazine with a boy band on the front that I couldn't even identify.
I Had a great time going through an old tub of stuff from my elementary and high school days. I decided that I:
a) Had some really cruel friends. Seriously who writes "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, You remind me of Steve Urkel." Oh wait...that looks like my brother's writing.....
b) Had some really awesome friends.
c) Was way too willing to please them all. I came across a note saying "Thanks for doing my piano theory for me Rainman" Wow. I did homework for people AND accepted my Rainman nickname. This makes me disgusted and giggly at the same time.
At the time, I didn't even know who Rainman was. And quite frankly, I have never met Tom Cruise.
Among the many girlie notes, birthday cards and diaries that I had saved, I found another little piece of my life that I need to make sure I never forget. I had some fantastic friends. In a small town we often become friends with those we are forced to go to school with. This was the case with many of the girls, but not all of them. I had friends that I let write IN my diary. Ones I had secret codes with and ones that I invented new words with. Ones that never forget to send me a birthday card even today. Ones that I danced with, laughed with, sang with, played piano with, played baseball with, stayed up all night long with, got into trouble with and learned a lifetime worth of knowledge with. I got to thinking today that I must have been quite the young lady to be nick named Rainman. I am so thankful that a handful of people gave me a chance and became lifelong friends.
But I secretly hope I had that nickname simply because Rain Man sounds like Ray Gun.
So thank you to my childhood friends. I am so lucky to still have you in my life. Lindsey with her homemade cards, Auntie Erin with her loyalty and unfaltering faith in me, and KKNT who shares enough of my secrets to someday blackmail me. Opening my tub from the past provided me with many fond memories and laughs today. I was even more pleased to share these memories with my own kids.
Other Note-Worthy Finds:
- The "BuckMaster" Special Edition magazine that I made for Steve in our early dating days.
- A birthday card from my youngest brother with a picture of a Porche inside and his 9 year old handwriting "Imagine how shocked everyone will be that I was the one to get you a car."
- 3 different calendars. Today in 1998 I had piano lessons and there was a Remembrance Day service at school.
- My Grandparents' Obituary cards.
- An old teen magazine with a boy band on the front that I couldn't even identify.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Juke Box Hero
Today Rory and I decided his future. It went a little like this:
Rory: "Mom, when I grow up I am going to be the Hulk. Wanna know why Mom?"
Rory: "Mom. Wanna know why I want to be the Hulk?"
Rory: "Mom. Wanna know why I want to be the Hulk?"
Me: "mmhmm"
Rory: "Mom. Wanna know why I want to be the Hulk?"
Me: Yes. Yes. I want to know why you want to be the Hulk. (and here I realized that I am getting exhausted of typing quotations and because this is MY blog, I have decided to stop).
Rory: So I can help save people and get rid of all the bad guys.
Me: Mmm...well, the Hulk is a pretend person. Want to know something cool? What if you were a police officer like _____ ? He is a real person. You know him. He helps people and he gets rid of bad guys.
Rory: But Mom. I am going to drink lots of milk so I can be big and green and save people.
Me: But if you were _____ you could pull bad guys over with a cool car and drive really fast and have flashing lights! How cool would THAT be???
Rory: Ummm...Mom...I could chase bad guys without a car if I were the Hulk. How cool would THAT be?
Me: (trying not laugh at this obvious over sight on my part). But Rory, if you were ______ you could put handcuffs on people...wouldn't that be so much fun!?
Rory: Um...Mom...not actually THAT cool.
Me: AND Rory, the girls think men in police uniforms are soooooo cute. Don't you think _____ is soooo cute?
Rory: Ya know, I think I am going to be a drummer. Maybe in a rock band. This song has a good drum beat don't you think (Taylor's new CD song #1)?
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
DeDe McGee
Kennedy got the new Taylor Swift CD today (Uncle Jeff is a pretty darn awesome Uncle). We rocked it out all the way to Brandon to see Grandma Manns in the hospital. Kennedy realized that the CD insert has song lyrics in it. She then proceeded to read me every song title and sing every song in it's entirety. On the way home tonight, I asked "DeDe, are you still awake" only because I wanted to hear what the song was called that was playing. She didn't answer. Both kids were snoring away. Which gave me some sort of permission to start pondering the world without any interruption. I love Escaping in the Escape...
First thought: I need to come up with something amazing for tomorrow's class to make up for my awfully sickish day today (But I am feeling better now, thank you).
Second thought: I need to pack lunches...why oh why didn't I just pick up some Timmies?
Third thought: "WHY AM I LETTING SCHOOL CLOUD OVER MY OTHER THOUGHTS ALL THE TIME?!?!?!?!"
- Squirrel - A deer was in the ditch.
New Topic: DeDe... It flipped out of my mouth so fluently. I call her DeDe all the time. No one else really does. Why does it work for me? When we were pregnant with her (who are we kidding, when I was pregnant, not WE), we had played with her name and contemplated what sort of nicknames could be made out of such an awesome name. Kenny just never worked. Ken never worked. One day when Kennedy was a baby I showed her some chickadees outside. After imitating them for her a few times, I flipped out with "Kennedee dee dee dee." (because I am bit 'like' that). It stuck. DeeDee became DeDe became DeDe McGee...and I am one of the only ones that gets away with it. Rory even gets put in his place if he calls her that. And yet, no one seems to stop me.
Jeff calls me Reg. Not Rej..."Rag." I have never even really payed attention to it but I did notice it when someone else called me Reg. I kind of stopped in my tracks and thought "WHAT? Only JEFF calls me that." At the same time, it is an endearing thing that only special people in my life flip out with.
I have no intelligent conclusion to make about this. Just my thoughts. Nicknames can be very endearing and I am so pleased to have my grown up DeDe singing songs to me from the backseat. Watching this large DeDe unfold from her chair at the table, or drink tea with a blanket wrapped around her on Sunday mornings makes me take time to ponder with amazement about the young woman she is becoming right before my very eyes. If you don't have a DeDe...you need to get one!
And I just spent 1/2 hour thinking about something other than school.
First thought: I need to come up with something amazing for tomorrow's class to make up for my awfully sickish day today (But I am feeling better now, thank you).
Second thought: I need to pack lunches...why oh why didn't I just pick up some Timmies?
Third thought: "WHY AM I LETTING SCHOOL CLOUD OVER MY OTHER THOUGHTS ALL THE TIME?!?!?!?!"
- Squirrel - A deer was in the ditch.
New Topic: DeDe... It flipped out of my mouth so fluently. I call her DeDe all the time. No one else really does. Why does it work for me? When we were pregnant with her (who are we kidding, when I was pregnant, not WE), we had played with her name and contemplated what sort of nicknames could be made out of such an awesome name. Kenny just never worked. Ken never worked. One day when Kennedy was a baby I showed her some chickadees outside. After imitating them for her a few times, I flipped out with "Kennedee dee dee dee." (because I am bit 'like' that). It stuck. DeeDee became DeDe became DeDe McGee...and I am one of the only ones that gets away with it. Rory even gets put in his place if he calls her that. And yet, no one seems to stop me.
Jeff calls me Reg. Not Rej..."Rag." I have never even really payed attention to it but I did notice it when someone else called me Reg. I kind of stopped in my tracks and thought "WHAT? Only JEFF calls me that." At the same time, it is an endearing thing that only special people in my life flip out with.
I have no intelligent conclusion to make about this. Just my thoughts. Nicknames can be very endearing and I am so pleased to have my grown up DeDe singing songs to me from the backseat. Watching this large DeDe unfold from her chair at the table, or drink tea with a blanket wrapped around her on Sunday mornings makes me take time to ponder with amazement about the young woman she is becoming right before my very eyes. If you don't have a DeDe...you need to get one!
And I just spent 1/2 hour thinking about something other than school.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
The Last Minute A-Type Personality
I have decided that I have the best of intentions to get things done WELL in advance. I had the best intentions to do all or any of the following today:
1) Make homemade bread.
2) Make homemade Nestle Quik syrup for Rory.
3) Do ALL of the laundry.
4) Have my entire week planned out at AES.
5) Work with Rory on his letter sounds and start some sight words.
6) Do one project off of Pinterest.
7) Cook a chicken.
8) Sweep and Wash all of the floors.
9) De-clutter my bedroom.
10) Finish the amazing book that I have been reading since the summer.
Even with the best of intentions and an uninterrupted weekend, I did the following:
1) Made to-do lists.
2) Made an assessment chart for the unit plan I wanted to get done (charts look cool and make me feel organized).
3) Made a grocery list.
4) Piled the books beside my bed that I promised I would start on Monday.
5) Did all but one load of laundry.
6) Went looking for Rory's skates and then got distracted finding a pair of mittens and his Jets jersey that I had forgotten about.
7) THOUGHT about the meals I want to prepare for the freezer for when Sandra has her knee surgery next week so I can help out.
See?! I have all the qualities of the A-type personality. I WANT to be organized. I THINK about being organized. I PIN all sorts of organizational ideas for my home and life. I RESEARCH unit ideas.
Meh. Who am I kidding? I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend of road tripping to Grunthal, drinking home made wine, going to bed when I wanted to, and attending the APAC supper and being pleasantly surprised to see my Great Aunt Alice there. I got lost on the NASA website, I ate nothing I had cooked myself, I made Kennedy practice her guitar. I texted my husband. I played Monopoly Jr with Rory. I listened to Kennedy read. It was awesome.
I think I will make my own personality rating system...I want to be a type K....somewhere in the middle of the alphabet where I don't have to be so stressed about getting my life on a better organizational scheme and where I am not a complete and total loss. K - where 'to do' lists happen, but so does life.
1) Make homemade bread.
2) Make homemade Nestle Quik syrup for Rory.
3) Do ALL of the laundry.
4) Have my entire week planned out at AES.
5) Work with Rory on his letter sounds and start some sight words.
6) Do one project off of Pinterest.
7) Cook a chicken.
8) Sweep and Wash all of the floors.
9) De-clutter my bedroom.
10) Finish the amazing book that I have been reading since the summer.
Even with the best of intentions and an uninterrupted weekend, I did the following:
1) Made to-do lists.
2) Made an assessment chart for the unit plan I wanted to get done (charts look cool and make me feel organized).
3) Made a grocery list.
4) Piled the books beside my bed that I promised I would start on Monday.
5) Did all but one load of laundry.
6) Went looking for Rory's skates and then got distracted finding a pair of mittens and his Jets jersey that I had forgotten about.
7) THOUGHT about the meals I want to prepare for the freezer for when Sandra has her knee surgery next week so I can help out.
See?! I have all the qualities of the A-type personality. I WANT to be organized. I THINK about being organized. I PIN all sorts of organizational ideas for my home and life. I RESEARCH unit ideas.
Meh. Who am I kidding? I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend of road tripping to Grunthal, drinking home made wine, going to bed when I wanted to, and attending the APAC supper and being pleasantly surprised to see my Great Aunt Alice there. I got lost on the NASA website, I ate nothing I had cooked myself, I made Kennedy practice her guitar. I texted my husband. I played Monopoly Jr with Rory. I listened to Kennedy read. It was awesome.
I think I will make my own personality rating system...I want to be a type K....somewhere in the middle of the alphabet where I don't have to be so stressed about getting my life on a better organizational scheme and where I am not a complete and total loss. K - where 'to do' lists happen, but so does life.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Mrs. Manns Wants to Walk on the Moon
I have always been fascinated by the stars. I remember curling up next to my Dad when I was a young whipper-snapper and asking him to tell me about the stars. I hope MY kids think I am as smart as I thought he was when it came to the stars...really...I thought the man WAS an astronaut. But that is the way it should be with dads and their daughters....or what I hope will be in my case, sons and their mothers (Freud would love that I typed that).
Kennedy has always been my Volcanologist. Rory is quieter about his dreams. He wants to go to the moon.
(but will be home by supper because he is living with me forever).
But really, he doesn't have to be home by lunch because I would likely be there with him. I want the moon rocks he promises me and the pictures on the moon that he tells me he will bring back for me, but really...I think I just want to go there myself. (Keeping in mind that going to Hawaii with Kennedy sounds fun as well).I remember that when I was a kid I spent hours pondering the idea that an Earth colonization of the moon would happen in my life time.
Just today, Rory told me some more of his plans for moon conquest. The first step in his life dream is simple:
"Buy me a toy space shuttle."
Rock on. I can accomplish this feat. I can also buy him every book I can about Space. In fact, why don't we color some space pictures while we are at? A cardboard box rocket? Sure. Bring it on. I am going to space.
But I am not spaced out.
I just spent the last 3 hours creating a unit plan on the Grade One social studies cluster; "My Environment." So far, I have a title page...and a new cool website to explore. Well, it would be cool if I was teaching Space. I have just played on NASA's website for the past 1/2 hour. I googled my house on Google Earth. I looked at pictures of Buzz Aldrin Jr. I am so very engaged in this research that I am doing for some future trip to the moon. I think my space shuttle will be Artemis1*..which brings me to say...Apollo was a sun god and none of the shuttles named Apollo were visiting the sun. Just sayin'.
However, the moral of the story is this: I just became very excited about space again. I had forgotten how interesting this topic was to me. How often do little kids have big dreams and we teach them the 'reality' of small town life? I remember when I decided that I couldn't be an astronaut. I remember realizing that I had to be a stellar math student to be an astronaut (and giving up on Math).
I remember deciding to be a teacher so that I could encourage and support students on their journey to the stars.
(oh, and no worries, I am pretty good at math..don't worry about your students in my future classes)
* Artemis is Apollo's twin sister and was Goddess of the Moon...so why were the Apollo missions not named "Artemis" ???
Kennedy has always been my Volcanologist. Rory is quieter about his dreams. He wants to go to the moon.
(but will be home by supper because he is living with me forever).
But really, he doesn't have to be home by lunch because I would likely be there with him. I want the moon rocks he promises me and the pictures on the moon that he tells me he will bring back for me, but really...I think I just want to go there myself. (Keeping in mind that going to Hawaii with Kennedy sounds fun as well).I remember that when I was a kid I spent hours pondering the idea that an Earth colonization of the moon would happen in my life time.
Just today, Rory told me some more of his plans for moon conquest. The first step in his life dream is simple:
"Buy me a toy space shuttle."
Rock on. I can accomplish this feat. I can also buy him every book I can about Space. In fact, why don't we color some space pictures while we are at? A cardboard box rocket? Sure. Bring it on. I am going to space.
But I am not spaced out.
I just spent the last 3 hours creating a unit plan on the Grade One social studies cluster; "My Environment." So far, I have a title page...and a new cool website to explore. Well, it would be cool if I was teaching Space. I have just played on NASA's website for the past 1/2 hour. I googled my house on Google Earth. I looked at pictures of Buzz Aldrin Jr. I am so very engaged in this research that I am doing for some future trip to the moon. I think my space shuttle will be Artemis1*..which brings me to say...Apollo was a sun god and none of the shuttles named Apollo were visiting the sun. Just sayin'.
However, the moral of the story is this: I just became very excited about space again. I had forgotten how interesting this topic was to me. How often do little kids have big dreams and we teach them the 'reality' of small town life? I remember when I decided that I couldn't be an astronaut. I remember realizing that I had to be a stellar math student to be an astronaut (and giving up on Math).
I remember deciding to be a teacher so that I could encourage and support students on their journey to the stars.
(oh, and no worries, I am pretty good at math..don't worry about your students in my future classes)
* Artemis is Apollo's twin sister and was Goddess of the Moon...so why were the Apollo missions not named "Artemis" ???
Friday, October 19, 2012
Regan's Awesome Book
I wrote an entire "Awesome Book" post...and then deleted it. How awesome is that?
Instead, I will leave you with this quote.
But before I write this quote I promise I will have something exciting to write about soon. I know that I cannot push my writing and so I am going to stop trying tonight and accept that this week has not felt so inspiring (up until today, that is). TODAY, I DID feel inspired. So inspired in fact, that I haven't gotten it all sorted through in my head. Perhaps I will share my revelations at another time.
In the meantime...
that quote I was telling you about:
"Work is the greatest thing in the world, so we should always save some of it for tomorrow."
Don Herold
'Nite y'all.
Instead, I will leave you with this quote.
But before I write this quote I promise I will have something exciting to write about soon. I know that I cannot push my writing and so I am going to stop trying tonight and accept that this week has not felt so inspiring (up until today, that is). TODAY, I DID feel inspired. So inspired in fact, that I haven't gotten it all sorted through in my head. Perhaps I will share my revelations at another time.
In the meantime...
that quote I was telling you about:
"Work is the greatest thing in the world, so we should always save some of it for tomorrow."
Don Herold
'Nite y'all.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
He-Man build fire. She WOMAN Build Better One.
1 slightly motivated mother
2 eager children
1 small tank of gas
Wet wood of various sizes
One page from Steve's Cooperator paper...shhhhh!
2 matches
Marshmallows
One Fancy Fiskars Ax (In fact, we call it the Jesus Ax. Because if Jesus had an ax, it would be this one).
Weenie Sticks
Lawn Chairs.
Pile small sticks in the center of fire pit over top of the crumbled up piece of cooperator. Light the paper. Begin chopping wood with the Fiskars ax. Place larger wood on the small sticks. Upon realizing that the wood is a bit wet, tell the 2 children to step away. Pour small amount of fuel on the fire. Smile and look smart as the kids ooohhh and awwww over your instant, massive fire. Brag about Moms being JUST as awesome as Dads when it comes to making fires. Provide children with weenie sticks and marshmallows. Declare a contest to see who can make the best marshmallows. Declare yourself as judge of said contest. Sit on chair. Eat brown, white and blacker than black Jet-Puffed offerings. Sigh. Shed a tear that the Summer is over. For an added twist, add one dog named Charlie.
Friday, October 12, 2012
A Decade Worth of Wisdom
And now I am at that milestone with my husband. We are too young to claim it has been FOREVER. I am not old like they must have been at 10 years of marriage....
So, with our 10 years of married wisdom, I have decided I have no right to tell anyone what makes a perfect marriage. I am too young to be that wise. I will also likely be too young after 40 years of marriage to tell you what makes it work.
That being said, I have a pretty good notion that 40 years will be upon us in the blink of an eye. So here is my wisdom at 10 years. I will compare this with my wisdom at 40.
How to Stay Married When you are Complete Opposites:
1) Lace underwear.
Just sayin'
2) A healthy sense of humor.
3) CELEBRATE your anniversary EVERY year in some way.
4) Sing in the vehicle together.
5) Try new things. (Okay, get your mind out of the gutter, this is NOT related to the lace underwear. I was meaning more 'Take a Trip to Vegas' ... oh wait! There is a lot of lace underwear in Vegas....)
6) Be the most stubbornest couple. When someone says you can't/won't...say "we can."
7) Accept that even though everything is "ours," that the Escape's radio system belongs to your wife. In the truck, it sometimes belongs to the husband.
8) Have your anniversary carved into the mirror above the sink (and then casually bring up what the date is during the entire week in advance)....don't judge, I got a dozen roses for the first time ever with this technique.
9) Force yourself to go on shopping trips as an entire family...those kids you made are a huge part of your marriage...and this is a great activity for helping you appreciate the quiet moments a bit more.
10) Surround yourselves with good role models.
Happy 10th Anniversary to Steven who doesn't even read my Blog. I am looking forward to our night out celebrating tonight (and I especially love the roses!)
Monday, October 8, 2012
Midterm Study Guide
On Wednesday I have two exams. And a few assignments come due this week. And I need to get myself prepped for student teaching to begin next week.
This is how to NOT get ready for two exams on Wednesday...
1) Have a kid that doesn't like taking medicine get sick and require penicillin that tastes so bad that he vomits it back out unless it is hidden in orange juice.
2) Have Mother Nature not provide enough rain for the pasture and a husband who decides to bring cows home and all of sudden have to cook a meal for a whole whack of people. Mmmmm.....ham.....
3) Open a Google Doc and invite your table mates to join you in creating a study guide together. Then creating that study guide while those friends are online. If you know google docs you will understand. A whole lot of people can be typing at the same time and you can see what the other people are typing as it gets typed. It goes a little something like this...
4) Go have coffee with a friend.
5) Write a blog post with nothing intelligent in it.
This is how to NOT get ready for two exams on Wednesday...
1) Have a kid that doesn't like taking medicine get sick and require penicillin that tastes so bad that he vomits it back out unless it is hidden in orange juice.
2) Have Mother Nature not provide enough rain for the pasture and a husband who decides to bring cows home and all of sudden have to cook a meal for a whole whack of people. Mmmmm.....ham.....
3) Open a Google Doc and invite your table mates to join you in creating a study guide together. Then creating that study guide while those friends are online. If you know google docs you will understand. A whole lot of people can be typing at the same time and you can see what the other people are typing as it gets typed. It goes a little something like this...
Definitions:
Inuit: ooooooooooo....I am haunting your page....ooooooo......
Britt, get back to studying I am trying to type a definition of Inuit....
I am so bored of studying....
I am almost done typing out definitions.
I think Jolan is on here too
Jooooolllllllaaaaaannnnnnn....are you lurking on the google doc?
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
(delete, delete, delete)
Inuit: I am going to come back to this after I take a break.
4) Go have coffee with a friend.
5) Write a blog post with nothing intelligent in it.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
School Pictures...Such Fun!
I had a great blog title all ready for tonight but then my brother gave me a hard time about skipping last night's "Blogtober" Post, so I changed my mind. I dedicate this blog post to my youngest brother.
I am disgusted with my daughter. She really has no fun in her sometimes. Sometimes she even rolls her eyes at me. You would think that I am the worst, most embarrassing, most ridiculous mother on the planet.
Actually, I am.
I am proud of it.
Tonight I taught Rory the Gangham Style Dance. Would Kennedy try? Nnnnooooooo. She rolled her eyes.
I can accept this. She thinks she was being all cool, but I know she is going to try it when no one else is looking. In fact I trailed her for a few minutes and every time she caught me, I would say I was just checking to see if she was doing the dance. More eye rolling.
Kennedy announced to the world that she was riding home with Mom (we had two vehicles at Thanksgiving) because we would listen to loud music. I told her I was listening to romantic ballads these days.
More eye rolling. Even an exasperated *SIGH*
But the icing on the cake was when we were cruising through pictures on Uncle Jeff's computer and she commented, "Mom, you are too strange."
I thought it would be funny to have Jeff take MY school picture. Donning my BU sweater and holding an apple in my hand, I sat in a tiny old desk and smiled at the camera. My Mom's fridge is going to look SO awesome with her daughter's school picture on it. I am practically giddy to hang it up there and wait for the reaction.
But Kennedy and Rory's pictures do outshine mine :)
But going back to the icing on the cake (mmmmm...cake....) - Upon hearing that I was 'too strange' I felt like I had to explain myself. So I did. My question for her:
"Why does being a grown up mean you can't have fun?"
On the way home, we were listening to Adam Cohen's "What Other Man." After, I asked what she wanted to listen to. Her response? "You know Mom, you are having fun, and I like listening to what you listen to. Pick whatever you like."
I rolled my eyes.
What a gem.
I am disgusted with my daughter. She really has no fun in her sometimes. Sometimes she even rolls her eyes at me. You would think that I am the worst, most embarrassing, most ridiculous mother on the planet.
Actually, I am.
I am proud of it.
Tonight I taught Rory the Gangham Style Dance. Would Kennedy try? Nnnnooooooo. She rolled her eyes.
I can accept this. She thinks she was being all cool, but I know she is going to try it when no one else is looking. In fact I trailed her for a few minutes and every time she caught me, I would say I was just checking to see if she was doing the dance. More eye rolling.
Kennedy announced to the world that she was riding home with Mom (we had two vehicles at Thanksgiving) because we would listen to loud music. I told her I was listening to romantic ballads these days.
More eye rolling. Even an exasperated *SIGH*
But the icing on the cake was when we were cruising through pictures on Uncle Jeff's computer and she commented, "Mom, you are too strange."
I thought it would be funny to have Jeff take MY school picture. Donning my BU sweater and holding an apple in my hand, I sat in a tiny old desk and smiled at the camera. My Mom's fridge is going to look SO awesome with her daughter's school picture on it. I am practically giddy to hang it up there and wait for the reaction.
But Kennedy and Rory's pictures do outshine mine :)
But going back to the icing on the cake (mmmmm...cake....) - Upon hearing that I was 'too strange' I felt like I had to explain myself. So I did. My question for her:
"Why does being a grown up mean you can't have fun?"
On the way home, we were listening to Adam Cohen's "What Other Man." After, I asked what she wanted to listen to. Her response? "You know Mom, you are having fun, and I like listening to what you listen to. Pick whatever you like."
I rolled my eyes.
What a gem.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Blogtober
I KNOW I am supposed to write something everyday for Blogtoberfest.
So here I am.
With nothing to say.
But here is what is on my mind today:
In the next 365 days....I will...
1) Become an AUNTIE!!!!! (and I take this role VERY seriously)
2) Graduate from University...but I am sad that I won't see my friends everyday...why can't we all just get a job in the same school?!?!
3) Turn 30. yikes.
4) Stand up in my best friend from high school's wedding.... 'Bout time ;) I am so VERY looking forward to this celebration.
Which gets me to thinking about Rory and I's conversation today. He told me that someone in his class was not wanting to be his best friend. I asked him to tell me who he thought my best friend was.
He named one.
I smiled and told him that he was right. The problem was, that he missed a few. I told him that I only make the best sort of friends. They are all my best friends. He thought about this and smiled back...and answered...
"That's is a good way to be, Mom. You DO have a lot of best friends. Your friends all like me, so I think that makes them pretty awesome too."
LOL.
Oh, and I got new living room furniture today. How awesome is THAT?!
So here I am.
With nothing to say.
But here is what is on my mind today:
In the next 365 days....I will...
1) Become an AUNTIE!!!!! (and I take this role VERY seriously)
2) Graduate from University...but I am sad that I won't see my friends everyday...why can't we all just get a job in the same school?!?!
3) Turn 30. yikes.
4) Stand up in my best friend from high school's wedding.... 'Bout time ;) I am so VERY looking forward to this celebration.
Which gets me to thinking about Rory and I's conversation today. He told me that someone in his class was not wanting to be his best friend. I asked him to tell me who he thought my best friend was.
He named one.
I smiled and told him that he was right. The problem was, that he missed a few. I told him that I only make the best sort of friends. They are all my best friends. He thought about this and smiled back...and answered...
"That's is a good way to be, Mom. You DO have a lot of best friends. Your friends all like me, so I think that makes them pretty awesome too."
LOL.
Oh, and I got new living room furniture today. How awesome is THAT?!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
A Friendly Reminder
This is a friendly reminder that i am not always a "life is so amazing" chick. For instance, Roar had his second round of fever and headache in two weeks today. He bounces around while on Tylenol but crashes after four hours. The thing about Rory is that he doesn't become docile on Tylenol. He becomes wired. So wired that he didn't sleep at all last night, choosing instead to play with the very loud Transformer, "Bumblebee" in the living room right beside our bedroom door, at 3 am.
So I am cranky.
I also have an overactive imagination. A man called my house this a.m and asked for Dee ... Then hung up when asked who was calling.
So I am anxious.
Then, the motor on our heating system quit and caused two fires in our basement this week.
So I am scared.
I am so grateful that tomorrow will mean I will know if Rory will be better or needs to see a doctor, I will be at home with my kids, and the heat is getting fixed.
Friendly Regan will return tomorrow. Have a good evening!!!
So I am cranky.
I also have an overactive imagination. A man called my house this a.m and asked for Dee ... Then hung up when asked who was calling.
So I am anxious.
Then, the motor on our heating system quit and caused two fires in our basement this week.
So I am scared.
I am so grateful that tomorrow will mean I will know if Rory will be better or needs to see a doctor, I will be at home with my kids, and the heat is getting fixed.
Friendly Regan will return tomorrow. Have a good evening!!!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
October Weddings.
I felt inspired to write a little 'diddy' on Steve tonight. You see, 10 years ago I was prepping for our big wedding and today I spent some time helping someone else get ready for theirs. It brought back a lot of memories. I spent the hour ride home from Brandon listening to romantic tunes on behalf of the bride and being melted into a pan of mush as I reflected on the last 10 years...
Listen to Eric Church's "You Make it Look So Easy" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghtkOWTWTHw
Wedding songs have come so far in the last decade. I mean sure, we had "Truly, Madly, Deeply" by Savage Garden and "Everything I Do" by Bryan Adams but WOW! I never cease to be amazed by the wonderful selections that people choose for their wedding. Each one is as unique as the couple. I think too, that more male artists are able to put their feelings into their songs and so we have this new generation of romantic tunes that place unrealistic expectations on our poor husbands...
Download Steve singing a romantic ballad here: (we are currently experiencing technical difficulties, try again later)
Truthfully though, played periodically on the radio during the day, romantic ballads remind me of the important words we all need to hear: sung or danced or whispered or screamed at the top of a hill. Sometimes these words can be said by simply cranking up the tune and grabbing for the other's hand.
Song Steve recently cranked and sang along too: Ghostbusters.
But the fact that he knows he can feel comfortable doing that, and chances are I will sing along....tells me a LOT about our marriage :)
I wish the Bride and Groom to Be a very heartfelt wish for some singing along to Ghostbusters, some dancing to Eric Church and some whispered I love you's. Remember to breath, to take time for one another...and that your wedding is a celebration of you, so have fun! Congrats Jackie and Jay !
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Autumn Day Brain Break
Today Rory and I hid away from the wind and worked on my homework and laundry. However...we all need brain breaks.
This sand lady bug is now classified under "Things Rory says are "coolio."
This sand lady bug is now classified under "Things Rory says are "coolio."
Monday, October 1, 2012
The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
It all started when Kennedy was sick last. She doesn't get sick often, but this one week in particular she had a croupy cough and couldn't speak for sputtering and gagging. Lets say she was 4. Or 5. I know it wasn't yesterday so sometime before then. I felt so bad for her and offered to give her something for it. She nodded - at this point she was sick of coughing. I got out the Buckleys. Now, I have never been a parent to lie to my kids and so I began telling her that it was REALLY awful. I told her it was SO awful that she would shiver to the floor. I told her that as a member of this family, if she was going to try to take Buckley's, then it was mandatory that she do it in front of EVERYONE. She vowed. She was so willing! She grabbed the medicine out of my hand and chugged 'er. Wow. I was in tears laughing at her silly shake and the ensuing tongue hanging out of her mouth as she proclaimed "Much Better."
I began telling the world that Kennedy can eat ANYTHING. "Kennedy will try ANYTHING you put on her plate!" and "My Kennedy is such a good and adventurous eater."
At friends' houses or Grandma Jones', Kennedy would proclaim, "I eat that. I eat ANYTHING."
Now, at age seven years and six months...Kennedy DOES eat anything. She eats slowly, but she eats anything. I just got to thinking about this as I made her school lunch of broccoli and an egg salad sandwich and water. She will be thrilled with her egg salad tomorrow; Will likely be the highlight of her day.
Now. Roar. He is getting to be pickier and pickier. I comment all the time to people that Rory is such a big eater but "Rory doesn't like ANYTHING!" (say this in a Robert Munsch voice) I made homemade soup and said to his auntie who was babysitting "He likely won't eat it."
Now Rory sits down at the table and says, "I won't like it." "Mom, through my microscope I noticed a speck of green 'something' " "Mom I am pretty sure this will make me puke."
At this point I will enjoy a small giggle thinking about how he responds to Grandma's cooking...."It doesn't taste like Mom's!" I say it is Karma for all the times her son says it to me :)
I can't jog. I have too short of legs. My bad hip would ache after. It is too dusty out. I have too much homework. For 10 years I have lived up to my own beliefs. So, after contemplating the way my kids respond to our daily direct and indirect reactions, I decided to try something new. On Friday I decided I could jog. I decided that it is beautiful out. I decided that it gets my kids active by coming along on their bikes. I decided that Steve would give me lots of back rubs and leg rubs if I jogged (right?!) Tonight marks 3 nights in a row that I have jogged 1/2 mile and then sped walked 1/2 mile. Next week I know I will go a bit further because I am a good jogger.
And Rory...He is the best eater in the world. Rory eats EVERYTHING I give him. He especially loves Liver and Onions ;)
I began telling the world that Kennedy can eat ANYTHING. "Kennedy will try ANYTHING you put on her plate!" and "My Kennedy is such a good and adventurous eater."
At friends' houses or Grandma Jones', Kennedy would proclaim, "I eat that. I eat ANYTHING."
Now, at age seven years and six months...Kennedy DOES eat anything. She eats slowly, but she eats anything. I just got to thinking about this as I made her school lunch of broccoli and an egg salad sandwich and water. She will be thrilled with her egg salad tomorrow; Will likely be the highlight of her day.
Now. Roar. He is getting to be pickier and pickier. I comment all the time to people that Rory is such a big eater but "Rory doesn't like ANYTHING!" (say this in a Robert Munsch voice) I made homemade soup and said to his auntie who was babysitting "He likely won't eat it."
Now Rory sits down at the table and says, "I won't like it." "Mom, through my microscope I noticed a speck of green 'something' " "Mom I am pretty sure this will make me puke."
At this point I will enjoy a small giggle thinking about how he responds to Grandma's cooking...."It doesn't taste like Mom's!" I say it is Karma for all the times her son says it to me :)
I can't jog. I have too short of legs. My bad hip would ache after. It is too dusty out. I have too much homework. For 10 years I have lived up to my own beliefs. So, after contemplating the way my kids respond to our daily direct and indirect reactions, I decided to try something new. On Friday I decided I could jog. I decided that it is beautiful out. I decided that it gets my kids active by coming along on their bikes. I decided that Steve would give me lots of back rubs and leg rubs if I jogged (right?!) Tonight marks 3 nights in a row that I have jogged 1/2 mile and then sped walked 1/2 mile. Next week I know I will go a bit further because I am a good jogger.
And Rory...He is the best eater in the world. Rory eats EVERYTHING I give him. He especially loves Liver and Onions ;)
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Rest, Rejuvenation and a Whole Lotta' Laughs.
We had a lovely weekend! On Friday we had a great visit with some friends here on what we call "Lazy Friday." On Saturday we headed to our pasture in the hills for some quality family time. We hiked, we ate, we read, and we marveled at the bright moon. Out in the middle of nowhere. Some friends joined us for a fun visit around the fire and then we all had one of the best sleeps of our lives. We woke up this morning and hiked some more. The perfect family weekend. For today I thought I would skip sharing any of my 'wisdoms' and just tell about how lucky we are to have all that we do. Here was our weekend:
Thursday, September 27, 2012
The Pavement Hurts My Feet...and other confessions from Mr.Hyde
So I live a double life. I think Steve is somewhat entertained at the many stages of Regan throughout the day. In fact, I don't think he knows which one he likes best:
6:00a.m. - Regan emerges from the warm blankets looking ever so spry and ready for the day...yawn....
7:00a.m. - Regan walks out the door in dress pants (which always bring a whistle from the peanut gallery) and lipstick and earrings.
....Time goes by....
1:30 p.m. - Regan arrives home looking educated and invigorated from her journey through Early Years pedagogy (hey! We don't actually have any kids to watch yet.)
1:32 p.m. - Dr.Jekyl appears. Regan appears in the kitchen in paint covered jeans with holes in them (and I didn't even buy them that way!!!) and bare feet and a ponytail with a blue jays t-shirt that is also covered in paint. One would think she was a very busy painter! With a grilled cheese in hand.
10:00p.m. - zzzzzzzzzzzz...pyjamas........zzzzzzzz
Now, those who have actually read the book would wonder why I chose to call the grubby home Regan Dr.Jekyl, when clearly student Regan sounds a bit more cheery and on-the-ball. Here is the thing about the city though...the pavement hurts my feet. The noise hurts my ears. The sirens scare me. The people there stress too much about the little things. I feel a little crazy when I leave the city. That being said...I love the opportunities that the city holds! So much life and adventure. Plus, the added bonus of good friends.
And so for the entire month of September, I feel as though I live the life of Dr.Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. Steve is not sure which one he likes best, and sometimes I don't either. Then comes the breath of crisp October and I realize that Dr.Jekyl and Mr. Hyde are the same person. I can be both people. I can appreciate the city life I lead every morning AND I can come home to bake cookies and roam the pasture trails with my chicklets. What a happy balance. In fact, instead of destroying myself with mystical potions, I think I will just be Regan.
6:00a.m. - Regan emerges from the warm blankets looking ever so spry and ready for the day...yawn....
7:00a.m. - Regan walks out the door in dress pants (which always bring a whistle from the peanut gallery) and lipstick and earrings.
....Time goes by....
1:30 p.m. - Regan arrives home looking educated and invigorated from her journey through Early Years pedagogy (hey! We don't actually have any kids to watch yet.)
1:32 p.m. - Dr.Jekyl appears. Regan appears in the kitchen in paint covered jeans with holes in them (and I didn't even buy them that way!!!) and bare feet and a ponytail with a blue jays t-shirt that is also covered in paint. One would think she was a very busy painter! With a grilled cheese in hand.
10:00p.m. - zzzzzzzzzzzz...pyjamas........zzzzzzzz
Now, those who have actually read the book would wonder why I chose to call the grubby home Regan Dr.Jekyl, when clearly student Regan sounds a bit more cheery and on-the-ball. Here is the thing about the city though...the pavement hurts my feet. The noise hurts my ears. The sirens scare me. The people there stress too much about the little things. I feel a little crazy when I leave the city. That being said...I love the opportunities that the city holds! So much life and adventure. Plus, the added bonus of good friends.
And so for the entire month of September, I feel as though I live the life of Dr.Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. Steve is not sure which one he likes best, and sometimes I don't either. Then comes the breath of crisp October and I realize that Dr.Jekyl and Mr. Hyde are the same person. I can be both people. I can appreciate the city life I lead every morning AND I can come home to bake cookies and roam the pasture trails with my chicklets. What a happy balance. In fact, instead of destroying myself with mystical potions, I think I will just be Regan.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Not an Olympic Bowler.
What a whirlwind weekend! We are so spoiled to be able to proudly say we spent time with so many of our favorite people. From John Fogerty on Thursday to coffee with Ashley on Friday and movie nights with Tammy and Jo-elle..not to mention the Big Bike Ride in Austin and the ensuing Bonfire at the Youngs' ... life was truly wonderful. The downside was that Steve has been in the field and all of this fun having was just me and the kids. So, we ventured forth to the metropolis that is Brandon for some much needed family time. Rory declared last week "When do we get to eat at a restaurant again?" and we felt we had somehow been depriving him. Spoiled brat.
Off we go. No immediate plan of action. I with my headache and Steve with his Timmies card...and two kids bickering about what seat they sit in and who sits behind Dad and who would go with Dad to get parts and should we go to McDonald's or Pizza Hunt....should we bowl or see a movie or how about argue all the way to Brandon? That sounded like the most fun so we started off with just that. Upon arrival it was Steve that decided on Chinese food. No one else wanted Chinese food. Food went to the back burner while we decided to sneak up to the bowling alley to 'surprise' the kids. This went over very well. I stayed outside finishing my peppermint tea while Steve went to pay for us and get an alley. Not spending an abundance of time with the kids meant that he somehow had missed them turning 14 and signed us up for 2 games. TWO!!!!! How exciting for two kids with low attention spans!
And this is how bowling for the last 12 hours went...
1) Rory throws one ball.
2) Rory looks at us and starts dancing to the music
3) Rory is reminded he has another 2 balls to throw.
4) Repeat.
5) Kennedy is reminded that she is next.
6) Kennedy stares off into space.
7) Kennedy is reminded again that it is her turn to throw 3 balls.
8) Kennedy throws the ball while looking at the music video playing.
9) Kennedy takes out the next alley's remaining pins.
It was at this point that Steve and I finally bust. It was hilarious. The man at the next alley was very good about it. He did the proper thing and leaned and ooohhh and awwwwed and fist pumped the air because she had made the shot for him.
10) Kennedy started to cry.
I should have seen it coming. Every shot she made was...to say nicely...quite awful. She often confuses baseball with bowling...but I should have seen the disappointment welling up in her scowls and frustration. We were giving her the thumbs up and the high fives but she knew that she wasn't doing well and she didn't like it. This is not something Kennedy is used to. And when did she get so competitive?
We hugged her. We let her sob. I took her to the line again and we worked together at starting fresh. I have to admit though that I was mortified that this poor little girl thought that she was somehow something less than amazing because she couldn't bowl!
It didn't help that Rory was taunting "I have double Kennedy's score!"
We talked. We smiled again. But in that moment I learned something about myself, my parenting and the way our competitive little world works. She is already in the rat race and wants to be at the top. This is not acceptable to me.
After a delightful supper out at the very popular 'Pizza Hunt' (I can't convince Rory it is Hut), and a surprise visit to a friend's house, we drove home to tuck our little bowlers into bed. We thanked the kids for such a fun day. When I asked what their favorite part was though, Kennedy said..."Walking Jackie's Dog." We will keep working at it though...not the bowling...the being proud of having tried something and enjoying it without the aura of "perfection needed."We need to work on not being afraid of failure when trying something new. In trying, we discover new things about ourselves and open the door to new possibilities. That being said, we also need to be able to take ourselves less seriously. It was okay that we thought this moment was funny. Someday Kennedy will laugh too. She would sure laugh if I had done it!
Off we go. No immediate plan of action. I with my headache and Steve with his Timmies card...and two kids bickering about what seat they sit in and who sits behind Dad and who would go with Dad to get parts and should we go to McDonald's or Pizza Hunt....should we bowl or see a movie or how about argue all the way to Brandon? That sounded like the most fun so we started off with just that. Upon arrival it was Steve that decided on Chinese food. No one else wanted Chinese food. Food went to the back burner while we decided to sneak up to the bowling alley to 'surprise' the kids. This went over very well. I stayed outside finishing my peppermint tea while Steve went to pay for us and get an alley. Not spending an abundance of time with the kids meant that he somehow had missed them turning 14 and signed us up for 2 games. TWO!!!!! How exciting for two kids with low attention spans!
And this is how bowling for the last 12 hours went...
1) Rory throws one ball.
2) Rory looks at us and starts dancing to the music
3) Rory is reminded he has another 2 balls to throw.
4) Repeat.
5) Kennedy is reminded that she is next.
6) Kennedy stares off into space.
7) Kennedy is reminded again that it is her turn to throw 3 balls.
8) Kennedy throws the ball while looking at the music video playing.
9) Kennedy takes out the next alley's remaining pins.
It was at this point that Steve and I finally bust. It was hilarious. The man at the next alley was very good about it. He did the proper thing and leaned and ooohhh and awwwwed and fist pumped the air because she had made the shot for him.
10) Kennedy started to cry.
I should have seen it coming. Every shot she made was...to say nicely...quite awful. She often confuses baseball with bowling...but I should have seen the disappointment welling up in her scowls and frustration. We were giving her the thumbs up and the high fives but she knew that she wasn't doing well and she didn't like it. This is not something Kennedy is used to. And when did she get so competitive?
We hugged her. We let her sob. I took her to the line again and we worked together at starting fresh. I have to admit though that I was mortified that this poor little girl thought that she was somehow something less than amazing because she couldn't bowl!
It didn't help that Rory was taunting "I have double Kennedy's score!"
We talked. We smiled again. But in that moment I learned something about myself, my parenting and the way our competitive little world works. She is already in the rat race and wants to be at the top. This is not acceptable to me.
After a delightful supper out at the very popular 'Pizza Hunt' (I can't convince Rory it is Hut), and a surprise visit to a friend's house, we drove home to tuck our little bowlers into bed. We thanked the kids for such a fun day. When I asked what their favorite part was though, Kennedy said..."Walking Jackie's Dog." We will keep working at it though...not the bowling...the being proud of having tried something and enjoying it without the aura of "perfection needed."We need to work on not being afraid of failure when trying something new. In trying, we discover new things about ourselves and open the door to new possibilities. That being said, we also need to be able to take ourselves less seriously. It was okay that we thought this moment was funny. Someday Kennedy will laugh too. She would sure laugh if I had done it!
Friday, September 21, 2012
Malarkey ... don't we all need a little?
After much inspiration from my fellow blogger Ashley, I have decided after far too much coffee that I will finally begin this online journal. You can like it. You can hate it. That is your choice. My choice is to document our daily lives in a fun and interesting way...maybe you need some inspiration, or perhaps you need a chuckle in your day, or perhaps you just need to read that you 'aren't the only one.' Either way, I am excited to start this journey for the many opportunities it presents for networking and sharing ideas and advice.
Malarkey...Don't we all need a little in our lives? I am not advocating for a complete dismissal of seriousness, but I do believe after much serious contemplation, that we all take our lives and business a bit too seriously. Laugh. A lot. I am not an insincere person but I enjoy the foolish. I enjoy the simple chuckles in the little things. I believe happiness is a choice and while I may post the odd temper tantrum, I am hoping you will enjoy this lighthearted blog. In fact, to get you started, I thought I would post some of my beliefs so you can begin this journey with me a little more in the know about the author...
1) I believe that too many people place their work above themselves and their families. We work to live not the other way around.
2) I believe I should take time to be a human being and not a human doing. (got that from a girl at BU)
3) I believe that a little country is necessary for well-being.
4) I believe there can be much adventure in the city.
5) I believe that it is okay to be miserable and angry with the world, as long as you are willing to help solve the problem.
So welcome! I hope to get this rolling as the weekend progresses. I am new, so give me time :)
Malarkey...Don't we all need a little in our lives? I am not advocating for a complete dismissal of seriousness, but I do believe after much serious contemplation, that we all take our lives and business a bit too seriously. Laugh. A lot. I am not an insincere person but I enjoy the foolish. I enjoy the simple chuckles in the little things. I believe happiness is a choice and while I may post the odd temper tantrum, I am hoping you will enjoy this lighthearted blog. In fact, to get you started, I thought I would post some of my beliefs so you can begin this journey with me a little more in the know about the author...
1) I believe that too many people place their work above themselves and their families. We work to live not the other way around.
2) I believe I should take time to be a human being and not a human doing. (got that from a girl at BU)
3) I believe that a little country is necessary for well-being.
4) I believe there can be much adventure in the city.
5) I believe that it is okay to be miserable and angry with the world, as long as you are willing to help solve the problem.
So welcome! I hope to get this rolling as the weekend progresses. I am new, so give me time :)
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