What Michael is Saying

Here are some of the things Michael has been saying that make us smile.

When he is bored or frustrated, he likes to make a truck sound over and over. The other day, he wanted gum and I wouldn't let him have any (see "Calling Poison Control...Again"). I thought he'd had enough for at least this month, if not the year. Anyway, off and on for about two hours, he mumbled over and over, "Some gum, brrmm, brrmm."

The other day, I was lying down with him until he went to sleep and I thought success was mine. I was just easing my way out of his presence when, without even opening his eyes, he patted the pillow next to him and said, "Right there." So much for freedom.

When he wants to be where someone else is, he is semi-polite. He will grunt, "Excuse me!" as he pushes you onto the floor.

And our favorite is, today, when ever anyone asks him what his name is, he says, "Grandma." So now we know who he looks up to most in the world.

Cleaning Out the Junk Drawers

Yesterday the girls and I worked on a huge project. HUGE. It was an even bigger mess than it looks. Michael was NO help whatsoever. The girls cleaned out their drawers of stuff. There is quite a bit in their drawers that is not junk, but when I was a kid, that is what our drawers of stuff (as opposed to clothes) were called and the name just sticks in my head. On the other hand, we took AT LEAST four tall kitchen trash cans full out to the garbage cans outside, so maybe junk drawers it a good description of what they were before we tidied them up. Gwen, in particular, wins the prize for"Why on earth haven't the ants discovered your drawer, yet?" with ginger snaps and hardtack (from the Primary pioneer activity), tic tacs, pistachio nuts, AND gummy bears in her drawer. Yea Gwen!

New Floors

Here are our new vinyl floors. Maybe you're thinking, "Vinyl, what's the big deal?" but if you have seen the nasty outdoor tile someone put in our bathroom, the ancient linoleum in the dining room and the scarred and pitted vinyl in the kitchen, you would understand why we are excited. The pattern is the same, sort of a 1950's Kmart look, but we have dark grey in the kitchen and dining room and a lighter grey in the bathroom.


And I had to include the toilet in the bathroom picture, because they say the the third time's the charm. Now we can be charming and classy.

We Are SO Classy

Today and tomorrow, until the guys redoing our bathroom floor put it back where it belongs, we have a toilet sitting on our front lawn. I'm sure the neighbors love it :)

Words To Strike Fear In a Mother's Heart

Kelly (relishing the fact that she has some juicy tattling to do) - Mooooommy, Michael put stuff in the toilet and flushed it.

Me - WHAT stuff?

Kelly (nonchalantly) - I forgot.

Pictures Of, By and For the Kids

Last night for our FHE activity, we let the kids each take three pictures. These are my favorites. Can you tell they had fun?

The Gwennifer

Here are some of my favorite questions Gwen has asked lately.

Why can’t you go up your nostrils with your tongue?

What number does 100 stop at if everything else stops at 10?

Could you live with your body in a balloon? How about for a day? An hour? A minute?

Random Stuff from the Last Few Days

Thursday and Friday, Summer went music camp from 9:30-2:00 at her cello teacher's house. Summer and some of Jennifer other students practiced playing together, studied composers, ate pizza and had a water balloon fight. Summer had fun and enjoyed everything except for the lack of any other female students. Here is a picture of the group at the end of the second day. If I had spent 9 hours with three junior high school boys, I'm sure I would be hiding behind whatever large thing was handy, too.

Saturday morning, Kelly went out into the backyard in her pjs and found some bugs she wanted to keep as pets. I think it has something to do with not letting the kids have a dog. Her first one was a spider she is holding by its web.

And here is a pill bug she was really excited about. Unfortunately, the same rule applies to spiders and pill bugs as does to dogs...no, no, no.

Saturday afternoon some of the girls were drawing and Michael wanted to join in. I didn't get him paper soon enough and he looks like he has the measles, but I was just grateful he drew on himself instead of the wall. The battle scars are from bumping into Summer's desk. They showed up the exact moment the bruise on his forehead and scrape under his nose from falling down the garage steps disappeared. Isn't he lovely?

Racewalking

I am going to learn racewalking at a clinic later this year so I can do something lower impact than jogging on the mini track we have in our backyard. I am so excited about it. I have my hotel reservation, I bought some shoes, I hope I'm ready! 

This blurb was at the bottom of the registration form. Doesn't it sound like fun?

WAIVER (Heretofore referred to as “Da Fine Print”): I, being in sound mind and body, do fully understand that participating in the sport of racewalking may result in my being subject to a panoply of physical and emotional ailments. I agree that by attending this clinic, I may be advised by Dave to wiggle my extremities in ways not intended by my creator, and that such wigglings may cause otherwise staid, emotionally stable, yet sedentary passersby to burst out into uncontrollable snickering. In consideration of the acceptance of my entry, I the undersigned, intending to be legally bound for myself, my heirs, executors, administrators and assignees, do hereby waive and release the organizers of this event, the Bureau of Weights and Measures of the State of California, the towns of Solana Beach and Torey Pines, Tory Spelling, Tori Amos, Amos and Andy, Andy Griffith, Griffith Park Zoo, the San Diego Zoo, Bai Yun, Gao Gao, Chairman Mao, Su Lin, the owners and employees of Wild Bob's Rotweiler Rodeo, the artist presently known as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince, the cast and crew of Titanic: The Musical, and any other parties even less remotely connected to Dave’s clinic than the aforementioned, from any claims connected with this relatively harmless daredevil racewalking weekend. I also attest that I am physically fit to participate in this clinic, and certify that I will change my socks every 3,000 miles and will not now, nor in the foreseeable future, racewalk naked in public between the hours of 8:15 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. Now sit up straight, wash behind your ears, and don’t drive with your eyes closed. Have you finished your vegetables, son?

Is this thing only about Michael?

Seems like it doesn't it? He's just at that age - 21 months the day after tomorrow. Toddlerhood - you just have to either laugh or cry. Today he saw a long line of parking sign posts and counted 1-10. He is earlier than all but one of his sisters at this feat and I think the reason is all the times he hears me holler, "I want this bedroom picked up by the time I count to ten! One...two..."

Calling Poison Control...Again

This morning Michael found the cinnamon Trident gum in my purse and ate fifteen pieces. I KNOW they have a file on me at Poison Control, so I called my pediatrician's nurse in hopes of avoiding adding yet another entry. She said Michael would be fine, but that she wanted me to call...POISON CONTROL to be sure. AND, like she was reading my reluctant mind, she said, "I'll call you back in five minutes to see what they say. Ugh.

Reason #27 To Clean Up Immediately After Breakfast

Sometimes I get busy doing vital things like reading the comics online or painting my toenails instead of cleaning the table right after we done with breakfast, but these days of wine and roses are over. Michael has discovered the bounty that can be found on a table that hasn't been cleared. Here he is dumping raisins in the brown sugar, mixing them together and eating his concoction straight out of the sugar canister. Yum.

Starting Over

Well, we are trying this again. Our do-it-yourself blog just wasn't happening.