Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Oh no!

I can't believe it's Halloween already! I totally forgot the pumpkins! Managed to remember the candy, though. :)

And...I can't find my camera! Allison is a Hula Girl and Claire is an Angel, and they look so cute!!! Ethan is his regular-some sort of Ninja. I don't think he has ever been anything else, except for the year he turned one, he was a monkey.

I'm going to keep looking for my camera...

Thursday, October 26, 2006

This Motherhood Gig...

Just doesn't pay enough! I don't even get good benefits! I have decided that the one thing we (mothers) REALLY NEED is Worker's Comp. insurance!

Seriously...not to even mention the wrinkles and gray hair and insanity the children have given me, this week alone I've gotten a broken foot and a nice little slash in the top of my hand with the rotary cutter, because I had to look at Claire instead of what I was doing. One of these days, I'm gonna lose a finger I tell ya! Plus, what if all these make-overs with so much lipstick I'm sure it's going to stain my face permanently, or, what if she actually cuts my hair with real live scissors instead of the pretend ones she is supposed to be using? Who is going to pay for these things?

And really...worst of all...are the "salads" Claire comes up with that resemble that new Barf Bowl that Kentucky Fried Chichen just came out with. You know, the "Stoner Bowl", the "I'm so fucking stoned with major munchies I'll eat anything, even if just looking at it makes me throw up Bowl"? Her "salads" really do resemble those things. She claims they are really good though. But, as a woman who doesn't like her food to touch, I'm pretty sure it would kill me. So you're talking all the funeral costs, there.


This is me, about to get beaten over the head with Cascarrones at Easter. A concussion waiting to happen.

I say we make our own union, "Mothers for Compensation", and start our own movement.
"Fight, Unite, for Motherhood Rights"

Hey...it could happen...

Monday, October 23, 2006

She's taking lessons from Ethan...

Claire and subtlety mix about as well as oil and water. You always know right where you stand with her, you always know exactly what she wants...basically, she doesn't hold anything back so you always know exactly what she is thinking at any given moment.

Apparently she has been taking lessons on this from Ethan.

This morning, after I got Al and E off to school, I did something I never do...I flopped back down on my bed and thought I would watch the news, because I think the last time I saw any local or national news at all, was the day Meredith Viera took over the Today Show. The last thing I remember is reaching for the remote control.

I swear I must have a brain tumor or something...1) I ALWAYS make the bed AS SOON AS I get up. It's totally compulsive, and I cannot do anything else until the bed is made. And this morning, I didn't make it, which made it very easy to flop back into. 2) I ACTUALLY FELL ASLEEP WHEN THE SUN WAS OUT! Ethan and I are both roosters; we cannot sleep during the day. It's impossible. But...I did today and that means I must be sick...very sick.

So anyway...Claire comes in and asks me to make her some popcorn. I'm sure I mumbled something about, "Sure...be right there...whatever.", and Claire went back to doing whatever it was she was doing before. Apparently, her popcorn wasn't arriving so, she came back in telling me I needed to get up and asking for more popcorn. Then she says, "Here, let me turn on the TV to make you stay awake." lol!

So I got out of bed, washed my face, put on some clothes (because if I don't do it before I leave my room, I'll end up in my pajamas all day) then started making the bed. However, Claire's plan to get me downstairs and making her popcorn wasn't working fast enough, so she devised a new plan...Plan B.

So...I'm standing there making the bed and Claire walks in, holding the box of popcorn in her hands and says, "Hey! Let's play like we are a popcorn making company!"

I haven't laughed that hard in a long time!

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Subtle, isn't he?

Ethan's not so thrilled with riding the school bus anymore. It's hot. It's noisey, and there is lots of chaos...which typically sends him over the edge. So, he's been wanting me to take him to school and pick him up. I really don't mind taking him, but I just cannot pick him up every day! I'm usually trying to work and lose track of time, then I'm late, then I have to go park and get him out of the office.... He has a VERY short ride home, and, in accordance with his 504 and IEP, he has his own seat right behind the bus driver, which, if he would just sit there and not worry about everyone else, would greatly reduce the amount of time and energy he would normally have to expend dealing with the other kids. He CAN do it...he just doesn't WANT to.

When just asking and begging me to pick him up didn't work, he stepped up his plan to get off the bus. Stepped it up so much in fact, that he was suspended from the bus. Well, like I told the Vice Principal and Steven...he got just what he wanted because guess who had to take him and pick him up in the car!

So...I sat him down and we had a little talk. He could either sit down in his seat, face straight ahead and not worry about what the other kids were doing and enjoy his bus ride home, OR, I would WALK him to school-which he really doesn't want to do-and, not only would we just be walking, but, because of other ways in which he and Claire have been acting out (fighting, biting, RUNNING OUT INTO THE STREET IN FRONT OF CARS AND BUSES, and I cannot keep them both safe when I am by myself) I would be walking them on leashes. Which was a great idea Mom gave me! ;) We even bought 2 leashes I can hook onto a belt loop on their jeans/shorts, and told him I would walk him right up to the front door of the school, not removing the leash until then to ensure his safety.

He is NOT happy with that idea.

Claire thinks it's about the best thing she's ever heard...we can play "puppies"!!

The threat is working so far...no complaints since 'The Talk'. But he's not giving up that easy, no sir! He drew this picture at school yesterday and gave it to me when he got home. He didn't even talk about it...just a "Hey, this is what I did today", kind of thing.



"I want to be a car rider." Ethan-Oct. 2006

This was one of those times when I hope he didn't see that I was "-" close to busting out laughing before I had to start thinking about baseball or something to take my mind off of it! lol! It's definitely a keeper! I think I'll frame it and hang it in my office.

Friday, October 20, 2006

What's new?

Well, I broke my foot again. At least I still have the uber sexy and fashionable "Boot"...as seen here, relaxing in Starbucks a few months ago. I think this time around, I am attatching a munkeepod label to it.



And I just have to make sure everyone in the universe sees this picture at least once! It was Kat's idea...she just told everyone that she had an idea, and needed to take a picture of each one of us looking up. Then she put it all together. Of course, once again, I am the different one in the picture, with my chin resting in my hands. But I think it's good! Actually, I think it's perfect! I just don't know how come I am always different...ok, now who's singing:

One of these things is not like the others?
One of these things just doesn't belong?

Then I can't remember the rest...I was never a big Sesame Street fan.

So...taa-daaaaaa!


Here's the lineup, left to right...
Adriana, Myriam, Kat, Lauri, Luli and Cece

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Friday, October 13, 2006

Oops.



I think I completely skipped over the fact that Steven and I just had our 14th Anniversary this week! October 10. Mom was here last weekend, so she babysat while Steven and I went to The Melting Pot...which has to be the best restaurant ever! All that melted chocolate...Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

He has definitely grown a lot since our 10th...when I had to drive myself to Domino's and pick up our pizza, because he had no clue that 10 years could possibly be special.

But that's all I'll say about that. The rest would just bring everybody down and probably actually make you believe that he really is a dumb bastard. However, he really is a genius, and has proven that several times-Dean's List every single semester of college, complete academic scholarship, and in life in general-and he's not really a bastard. He does happen to be a son-of-a-bitch, though...and those of you who know Julie, know that statement is entirely true!

Moving on...

Tip of the Day: When your kids come to you and say, "Mom, can I eat this in my room?", you just respond, "Just make sure you bring a paper towel and don't get any crumbs on the floor because roaches and scorpions will come in your room if there are crumbs in the carpet."...Suddenly, eating in the kitchen doesn't seem like a bad deal at all! ROFL!!!

Monday, October 09, 2006

School Holiday=Ice Cream


Sprinkles anyone?

Today was a school holiday. I think they actually needed it...we all just sort of lounged around all day. Ethan especially, which is unusual for him, so I'm thinking he REALLY must have needed it!

On Friday, Ethan actually got ANOTHER "good phone call home", because he completed a cursive writing 'class' that he actually volunteered to take all on his own, because he wanted to improve his handwriting. I knew that he was learning to write in cursive, which I was shocked about to begin with because that's a 3rd grade thing, and he is in 2nd. But then to find out he actually asked on his own if he could do it? I had NO idea...until the Principal called on Friday to inform me of that, and to tell me that the Cursive Writing Teacher said that Ethan has The Best cursive handwriting she has EVER seen in a 2nd grader! Whoo-hoo Ethan! We have always told him how great his cursive writing is, because seriously...it is actually really beautiful and perfect! Getting outside confirmation of that is really great though. I personally think it is so nice because he doesn't have to pick up his pencil, then put it back down again to start another letter...it's more like drawing. One of his Learning Disabilities has to do with his not being able to, or at least having a VERY hard time with tracking. So whether it's reading or writing, he has a very hard time going back to where he was once his eyes move away. BTW...his printing his hideous and practically unreadable, so this is just a wonderful accomplishment!

ANYWAY...all that to explain why we had all of that ice cream, hot fudge and sprinkles in the house. Friday evening we had a celebration for Ethan's accomplishment by making our own ice cream sundaes. We all raised our spoons and clinked a toast to Ethan's Cursive Handwriting! lol!

So today, Ethan and Claire wanted to make their own sundaes again. Which was great for me, because I got to lick the hot fudge spoon! lol!

Here's a shot of Claire eating her ice cream and sprinkles. Or should I say, her sprinkles with a little ice cream to go with them?


And a shot of Ethan's hand spooning ice cream into his mouth so fast, it's just a swoosh!

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Did you know?

That dinosaurs used to live in barns...before the other animals and the farmer got there?

Today's 'History of the Dinosaurs' lesson is brought to you by Claire...who apparently learned all about this on "Higgleytown Heroes". I hadn't realized that Nickelodeon was so educational! rofl!