Food Critic

Last night I finished up a batch of cupcakes for a bake sale on Saturday morning. I tried a new kind of icing for them - mint Oreo icing - and wanted Wesley to give it a little taste and tell me how it was.

Wesley took a small amount of icing on a teaspoon, placed it in his mouth, and because to taste it with all the tongue rolling, lip smacking and discerning looks you would expect on the face of a wine expert. After he finally swallowed the bite, he closed his eyes and took a couple of additional hard swallows before giving his verdict.

"It's perfect," he announced with confidence.

Curious about the seriousness of his taste test I asked, "If it's perfect, why did it take you so long to eat that little bite and give me your decision?"

"Well, sometimes food tastes good when it's on your tongue, but then not so good when you swallow it and it goes down your throat. I had to make sure it tasted good all the way down."

Limits to a Mother's Limitless Love

I love my kids. They drive me up a wall sometimes, but that's just part of being a parent. My kids are just about the best things to ever happen to me and I would do almost anything for them.

Almost anything.

This morning we learned that there are, in fact, some limits to a mother's love. Loose teeth kind of weird me out. And by "kind of weird me out" I mean "send me into the other room, shuttering all the way."  So, when Wesley asked me to please pull his loose tooth out because it was bothering him, I looked my oldest son straight in the eye and said, "Not a chance. You can ask your dad, or you can wiggle it out yourself, but I am not touching that tooth. Sorry."

I joked that I turned into Meat Loaf for a little while. Do you remember the song "I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)? Yeah, that was totally me.

I'd like to think I redeemed myself a little bit a short while later when we were on our way to school. About a block before reaching the boys drop off spot, Ryan suddenly realized that he had forgotten his backpack at home.

"I thought I had it on my back but I don't!" he cried. "And I have two very important papers that I have to give my teacher!"

It was the perfect chance to reposition myself as a mom who would do almost anything for her kids. "Ryan, after I drop you guys off, I'll go home, get your backpack and bring it to school," I told him.

"But you'll be late to work," he worried.

"Yes, but you need your backpack and if I'm late to work, I'll just a little late to work. It will be OK."

I managed to retrieve the backpack and get it delivered into Ryan's waiting arms before the final bell rang. AND I was only 10 minutes late to work.  As long as Wesley doesn't ask me to touch his loose tooth, I think I'm back in their good graces.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Duane and the boys are in the basement working on Pinewood Derby cars as I type this post. I really wish I had a recorder going down there because I have been hearing the funniest things (from the boys) and frustrated sounding things (from Duane).

"Don't touch that! It's not a sticker!"

"How did you end up with that on your face?"

"But I only want to put the star tattoo on my car!"

"You're weirding me out, dude."

lots of rather maniacal laughing from my children

"Are you sure that's what you really want to do?"

"Ooooo....pretty!"

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

"What do you call a skeleton that can fly?"

 But the end products are pretty good. Check it out - and I mean the cars, not the kids.

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama.

I did not go to the eye doctor for the first time in 2.5 years and discover that I no longer need reading glasses, but bifocals instead.

I did not get annoyed with my husband because he doesn't search for and compare items on websites in the same way I do. And the fact that he uses the "wrong" browser, certainly didn't compound my annoyance.

I did not accuse my husband of torturing me when he started baking a cake for friend when I have been craving the same kind of cake for more than a week.

I did not sign up to take two dozen cupcakes to a Cub Scout event. And even if I did, I did not refuse to make anything from a mix or a plain cupcake, telling myself that fancy schmancy cupcakes would be much better. 

I did not sit on my rear end and read books all day long on a snowy Sunday afternoon. That would have been entirely too perfect and too much like a dream day for me. 

Snowy Blowy Weekend

For a cold, snowy weekend that ended up with a Level 2 snow emergency for part of the day, we've had a really good couple of days.

Saturday morning we woke up to some snow and a lot of snow drifting. It was not great, but not too  bad on the roads, so I kept my appointment to pick up my new glasses. I love them! LOVE THEM! Good thing too, since I have to wear them almost all the time for a several days, then I can go back to wearing them at work and when reading or working on the computer.

Some friends of ours asked if Wesley and Ryan would like to join their boys at a local recreation center for a parkour class. We figured the kids would like it so we bundled back up and headed into the cold and blowing snow again. The class was very full, but they divided the kids up by ages and had plenty of very patient instructors. Wesley loved every second of it, but Ryan....well, he acted the way I normally associate with Wesley when he is in a new an unfamiliar situation. Ryan clung to myself or Duane and cried for 58 of the 60 minutes of class. He finally tried one thing and really liked it, but then class was over. Ryan claims that he wants to do the class again (as does Wesley) so we'll probably give it another shot. 

The snow was pretty close to white out conditions when we got ready to leave the rec. center, but it cleared up quickly. In fact, the weather co-operated enough that we joined the same friends at Chuck E. Cheese for their younger sons birthday that night. I hate Chuck E. Cheese, but have found the secrets to surviving it.

Two of the three secrets to surviving Chuck E. Cheese - beer, and lots of tokens for the kids. The final component is going with really awesome friends

We awoke this morning to lots more snow falling and blowing. We couldn't really see the driveway. Wesley was supposed to sing at church this morning, but when the city called a Level 1 snow emergency before we left and we knew it was supposed to keep snowing for a couple more hours, we opted to stay home. Good call on our part too, because by the time church would have let out, we were at a Level 2.

Duane was incredibly productive today: he cleaned out the fridge, worked on Pinewood Derby cars, did laundry, shoveled the drive and sidewalk, took Ryan to a birthday party down the street (trust me, it was necessary to get one child out of the house) and made a birthday cake for our friends. 

Wanna see what I did?  I read this - all 540 some odd pages of it. Some of it with a cat on my lap.

Know what I did next? I started this:

Lest you think I was completely lazy all day, I did roast some chicken for dinner. And I did leave the house. Once. To go to my mom's house for dessert. Because she made me cream puffs after reading my post the other day.

Mmmmmm....cream puffs.

So that's been our weekend. Not very exciting, but extremely satisfying.

Planning Ahead

I haven't blogged about Wesley's artwork or writing much lately. Don't worry, he hasn't given up on his author/illustrator pursuits, but for the moment he's looking at marketing his character creations. Yesterday he decided to start making a Family Cat Team (his made up team of cat superheroes) Calendar for 2015!!!

That's planning ahead. Must be his father's son.

Please Come Over for Tea(cher)

This morning Wesley asked me if we could please invite his teacher over to our house. My first reaction was surprise, but then I quickly started a trip down memory lane.

When I was a kid, my parents always invited our teachers over for lunch when the school year was over. I'm sure the menu varied year to year, but in my mind we always had Sara sandwiches (hot ham and cheese with a special sauce), Jones' potato chips, and my mom's amazing homemade cream puffs with hot fudge sauce. I always looked forward to the day the teachers came to lunch. Not just for the food, but for having the opportunity to see our teachers as real people outside of the classroom.

Now I have to admit that our family had kind of special relationship with our teachers. My mom was not only active in the PTA, she was also a substitute teacher in the same school district we attended and, more than once, substituted in our classes. My dad was a elementary school principal in the same school district and one of his closest friends was our school principal (who was also one of our emergency contacts.) I guess what I'm saying is, we had a different connection. It wasn't like they were going over to eat at a complete stranger's house.

But it got me wondering if I could pull off lunch for the teachers at the end of the school year - maybe even invite the principal and vice-principal too. Or would that just seem weird these days?

This evening I asked Wesley why he wanted to have his teacher over.

"Well, she always says she'd like to spend a day in mine or J.'s mind, and coming over would give her a chance to see where I'm coming from."

Guess I kind of romanticized the whole thing, huh? And now I'm hungry for cream puffs.

Muggles No More

We are currently reading the first Harry Potter book with the kids as their bedtime story. I have thought Wesley was ready for Harry Potter for awhile now, but for some reason he's been a bit afraid of them. We decided not to push the issue, figuring he'd have plenty of time to discover the books. However, over winter break the boys watched the movie with some friends. They were scared in a few parts, but I think they enjoyed it overall, and I wanted them to have the book to compare it to.

I don't often re-read books. There are just so many things I want to read that re-reading often feels like a luxury I just don't have. I am enjoying every second of reading Harry Potter with the boys - well, except for maybe trying to read Hagrid's dialog out loud. Some things just sound better when you hear them in your head.

Last night we read a part and Wesley exclaimed, "Oh, THAT'S why he ended up on the roof in the movie! I didn't really get that part before."  And that is why I want them to hear the book.  I want them to get it in a way that the movies (although wonderful) don't really translate.

We probably aren't going to move past the first book at this point in time. Honestly, I'm not sure they are ready for much of the plot past book one, but I'm going to soak in every moment of reading this book together. Like Wesley told me last night, "This is a great book!"

A Twisted Fairy Tale

You all know the story of the princess and pea, right?  Well, we seem to have our own twisted version going on in the W. household - specifically in Ryan's bed.

When I made Ryan's bed this morning I found the following underneath the covers

• at least 6 stuffed animals (only one is his special one) 

• his special pillow 

• a Lego instruction book

•  some sort of Lego mini structure that had nothing to do with the aforementioned instruction book 

•  a pair of slippers that Ryan has outgrown but won't part with

• a crayon

And I wonder why my child won't sleep under the covers!
 

First Day Back from a Long Weekend

You know it's the first day back to school from a long weekend when

• Your children fight even more than usual about getting out of bed

•  One child cannot find his boots anywhere, then realizes that he left them at school last week

• You manage to get out of the house nearly on time, but only after you have to raise your voice to one child who spent 5 minutes goofing around instead of getting his coat on

• Both kids arrive to school with their backpacks and lunchboxes, but one tries to leave both items in the car

• The child that left his boots at school last week remebers to bring them home, but forgets both his lunchbox and homework packet instead

• The other child also forgot his homework folder

• The dinner you have chosen for the night from a "fast" cookbook takes an hour and a half to cook, forcing pizza delivery for dinner

 Hope your week is off to a smoother start.

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama.

I did not set the DVR to record a trashy tv movie based on a trashy novel that I read (but really had no business reading) in middle school.

I did not buy ugly, practical shoes with non-slip soles instead of anything remotely fashionable because I am terrified of slipping on the ice and landing on my butt. And I certainly didn't feel like I was pushing seventy instead of barely forty when I made my purchase.

There is no way I cried in front of my hairdresser for the first time. And even if I did, it wasn't just because he asked me how I was when I was battling a bad case of the winter blues.

My heart did not drop into my stomach when Duane told me how his car did a complete 360 degree spin on the iced over freeway one day.  I didn't have to force myself not to throw up when I heard that either.

I did not share the special bakery cookie I have been craving with Ryan just because he actually tried a meatball at dinner when he doesn't really like meat. No way I'm that big of a sucker.

I certainly didn't opt to sleep on the couch instead of in one of the boys' beds when Duane painted our room. That would have meant waking up with a sore back and aching knee for no good reason.

Finally, Some Color

Duane and I bought paint for our bedroom back in August. We FINALLY got around to painting our room this weekend!

Despite how the pictures look, I did help paint! I did the rolling as far up the wall as I could reach, then Duane took care of the rest.

Above is the almost finished product. It's only "almost finished" because we want to add a decorative shelf and candles above the bed and a friend of ours is going to help us hang our t.v. soon. And by "help us," I mean "help Duane while I keep the kids out of the way."  I can't wait to have a finished room just the way I want it!

Rotten Little Kid

It's a good thing Ryan is cute. You know what they say about puppies and little boys, right? That they're so cute so you won't kill them when they are being ornery.

Rotten Little Kid moment #1: I was eating a candy bar this evening. OK, truth be told, I took the candy bar out of Wesley's candy basket, but I did replace it with something from the parents' candy basket. Anyhow, as I took the first bite of the candy, the boys approached me and Wesley asked if he could take a bite. I felt a little guilty since I had taken it from his basket unbeknownst to him, so I said yes. Wesley took a little nibble, then left. Then Ryan asked if he could have a bite. I couldn't very well not let him have a bite when I had just given his brother one, so I said yes and held the candy bar out. Ryan opened his mouth so wide you would have thought that he has temporarily dislocated his jaw, then proceeded to bite off 3/4 of the candy bar, leaving me one single bite. He had so much candy in his mouth that he was drooling chocolate as he chewed. Didn't stop him from giggling and looking me in the eye as he did it though.

Rotten Little Kid moment #2: Ryan was getting on Wesley's last nerve, so I decided I'd try to distract little brother for awhile. "Hey, Ryan. Why don't you get your Simon game out and we can play it together?" Normally Ryan would jump at the chance to play a game with me, but tonight he claimed he didn't know where it was. "It's probably in your toy box." I told him. "I don't think I put it there, Mom. I don't know where it is. No game for you. Too bad."

Rotten Little Kid moment #3: Ryan and Wesley were singing a very loud, nonsense song that they made up. Normally this kind of thing wouldn't bother me, but I was working on a professional review and was having trouble with it. I snapped at the boys to "just be quiet for five minutes!"  A short time later, after I had finished my review but was goofing around on the computer, Ryan started singing the song again. "I'll try to sing very silently," I heard Ryan say. "Thanks Ryan, but I'm done working now," I replied. "Mom. I wasn't worried about you. I was trying not to bother Wesley." Guess I know how I rate.

Good thing I love that boy so much. And good thing I know that being rotten sometimes is just part of his charm.

Gymnastics Time

After weeks of anticipation, Ryan started his gymnastics class tonight. I found a boys only class not too far from here and Ryan has been counting down the days until it was time to go. He was even anxious to change into his clothes for the class after dinner.

"Do I have to wear underwear to gymnastics?" he called down the stairs as he was getting changed. Um...yeah. Yeah, you do.

There are only three other boys in his class, and although Ryan is the smallest, they all seem to be in the 5-7 age range. The teacher was incredibly patient with the boys and I really liked the fact that they changed up whatever they were doing every 5 - 10 minutes. Tonight alone Ryan got to try the horse, parallel bars, trampoline, tumbling, climbing rope and more.

Maybe just a little nervous for class to start

 

on the horse

 

Hanging on the bars with the coach

Ready to take a tumble

with a little help

Climbing the rope was Ryan's favorite part. He wants to get all the way to the ceiling!

It may be a little early to call, but I have a feeling this class is going be money well spent.

Dreading the Water Bill

Last night was Ryan's turn to shower first. Duane got Ryan's towel ready and went back downstairs as soon as he heard the water start.

About twenty minutes later, Duane and I realized the shower was still running. What five-year-old willingly takes a shower that lasts twenty minutes? I mean, I understand that Ryan is so skinny that he has to run around the shower to get wet, but twenty minutes? And how does this bode for us when Ryan reaches his teen years? Good grief! We'll never have any hot water in house.

To compensate for his little brother, Wesley took the shortest shower imaginable. I don't think he was in there much longer than 4 minutes - and Wesley has hair!

Of course, maybe that's all the hot water that was left.  I'm just glad I take my showers in the morning.

Take My Husband - Please!

I know the title of this post is going to give false hope to some women out there, but the fact is, my hubby is not back on the market. It took me too long to find him to give him up now.

Now that we have that cleared up, I can tell you what this post is really about. It's really about getting my husband out of the house. See, Duane is absolutely and totally amazing about me going out and doing things with my friends. He encourages me to have girls' nights out and even watches some of my friends' kids to make that happen. He never gives me a hard time about going out or makes me feel guilty about it. Heck, he's even been the designated driver for us on occasion. He doesn't grump when my mom and I take a day to go shopping or out to dinner. He just smiles and says he hopes we have fun.

Don't tell him, but sometimes I feel a little guilty that I get to go enjoy myself and he rarely takes time to do anything just for him. Duane's the guy that would give you the shirt off his back, the guy that gives up some Saturday mornings to work on a church mission project, but he rarely takes time to hang out with the guys.

All that is changing this year. My brother-in-law invited Duane to play in a poker tournament at his place and Duane readily accepted. It's one night a month for the whole year. Of course, the play on a  scout night so I'll be playing Cub Scout mom that night, but it's a small price as long as Duane has fun.

Last night was the first game of the year. I'm not sure I could go hang out with 20 people, 18 of which I didn't know, but it didn't phase Duane at all. He got home around midnight and was practically giddy. He was all smiles and telling stories about a few of the guys he met. Just really happy - which makes me really happy. I know he's already looking forward to playing next month.

And here's my little secret about it -  I am determined that these nights are going to be Duane's nights for him to enjoy. I'm not going to call him and ask when he's coming home. I'm not going to text him while he's there. I'm not going to nag him about the time he spends there or ask him to skip any games. I'm going to enjoy seeing the smile on his face when he gets home. I'm going to smile when I hear him laugh while recalling things that happened. As strange as it sounds, it feels like a gift to me too. That's how happy I am that he is doing something for himself that he enjoys.

Think maybe that's one of the secrets of a happy marriage?

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama.

I certainly did not have to channel my inner Sherlock Holmes when we received an email birthday party invitation and I had no idea who the birthday boy was, or which of my children was being invited. And I know we aren't sending the proper child even though I may or may not have ever met the birthday boy.

There is no way I had to send my oldest son back to bed at 4:30 in the morning because he work up and wanted to work on an art project that involved banging on a stapler and turning on all the lights so he could (noisily) look for the Scotch tape.

I did not, in January, make cookies using leftover Halloween candy the boys had.

I most certainly did not give myself a paper cut on the lip when I was trying to discretely spit a piece of gum into a piece of scrap paper.

I know I do not have two boxes of Girl Scout cookies from last year in my freezer, even as cookie season for this year is upon us.

It did not take three months and a service appointment for a different (minor) issue for us to discover that, yes, I do have heated seats in my truck and to learn how to turn them on. And there is no way we uncovered this important information AFTER the subzero temperatures hit our city and froze my rear end on the leather seats.

Prepping for the Pinewood

If it's January and you have a Cub Scout in your house, it must mean it's Pinewood Derby time.  I won't say Wesley is super excited about it, but I think that's mostly because he doesn't really get it yet. I mean, he's seen Sho and Kei do the Pinewood Derby, but he's never had a car of his own.

Of course, this Wesley's first Pinewood Derby means that it's also the first Pinewood Derby for his parents. And these parents don't really have the tools one needs to make a good Pinewood Derby car, so we decided to call in the big guns. Yep. We called Grandpa P.

Grandpa is a very experienced when it comes to the Pinewood Derby. He helped Uncle Kirk do all his cars back in the day (side note: Wesley attends scouts at the same place Uncle Kirk did and the Pinewood Derby will be in the same room. Weird.) Grandpa has also helped my nephews Michael and Aaron (both adults now) with their cars. Time to continue the tradition with Wesley.

Grandpa explaining the saw to his eager student

Wesley was pretty concerned about Grandpa's fingers. Don't worry, Grandpa still has all nine. JOKING!!! All ten are accounted for.

Ryan was less than impressed with the noise of the saw. He's also less than impressed that he doesn't get to make a car this year, but that's another story.

Sanding the car

Ta-da! Hey, it's a good start!

Wesley's first time using spray paint. He's hoping he doesn't get too many artistic ideas from this. I don't necessarily want spray paint to be his artistic medium of choice.

Ready....aim...fire!

Daddy and Wesley still have a fair amount of work to do, but the race isn't for a few weeks yet. Thankfully, Grandpa is nearby and on call. I'm sure we'll be calling on his expert eye again soon.

Player of the Week and Two Fabulous Sons

Ryan came home from school with great news yesterday - he was First in Math player of the week for the whole school! For those of you who may not know, First in Math is a website where kids login and play math games. It keeps track of the points you earn for correct answers and the school can track how your child is doing. Needless to say, we are awfully proud of the Ry-guy and after dinner we all went out for ice cream to celebrate his hard work!

Is it just me, or does he kind of look like he's floating in this picture?

After our little celebration, we had our traditional Friday Night Family Date Night - meaning we went to the grocery store. As we were winding down our shopping I started to feel very odd, really light headed and kind of dizzy. I made it through the shopping, although I did ask Wesley to carry me to the car.

 "Mom!" Ryan replied. "He's only eight and you're, like, thirty-nine."  I like that child's memory. I hope I'm forever thirty-nine in his mind.

By the time we got home I felt like dirty. Duane offered to put away all the groceries and I headed straight for bed to try and read and sleep. Of course, a mom is never off duty and even though I wasn't feeling well, I was bombarded by love and affection from the boys.

Ryan curled up on the bed next to me and kept patting my hand and kissing my arm. He got up several times to get me a 7-Up (the cure for all ills) and a "nice, big, 10 ounce cup of water in your favorite cup."

Not to be outdone, Wesley came in to feel my forehead and hold my hand. He brought me a stuffed kitten he said would remind me of Sanders and how Sanders always stayed with me when I didn't feel well. 

And then came the notes. Ryan's was first.

"Dear, Mom, I love you very much! You are the best mom in the Planit! From me, and you are very nice and love you and want to kiss you."

Not to be outdone, Wesley also gave me a note.

 "Dear Mom,
     I am sorry you do not fell well. I hope you get Better soon. I Love you. If you need something, tell me. I will get it for you.  Wesley."

They propped their notes up on my dresser so I could see them from the bed and they were very attentive nurses until I fell asleep. I'm feeling much better this morning. I guess those boys have the healing touch.

The Child is Brilliant

I have made no secret of the fact that Ryan is both a picky eater and a junk food fiend. This once again became apparent as we were hunkered down in the subzero temperatures and were trying to decide what to have for breakfast.

Ryan: Let's have donuts.

Mommy: Ryan, we don't have any donuts and I'm not going to bundle up and bundle you guys up just to go get donuts.

*note: if I were a better mom, I would have offered to break out the mini donut maker and get cooking, but I am barely a passable mom during a polar vortex, and certainly not a super mom.

Ryan: Can't we just get them delivered?

Mommy: Sorry buddy, they don't deliver donuts.

Ryan: Maybe they'd just deliver Timbits?

As I broke out the cereal it occurred to me that Ryan has hit on a million dollar idea. Well, maybe not a million dollar idea, but at least an idea that would make the life of junk food junkies, binge eaters, pot-smokers and harried parents much easier. DONUT DELIVERY!!!  Can you imagine the loveliness of this?

I know there are a couple of places that do this, but seriously, why isn't this a wide spread thing? I would totally pay for this important service.

A Photo Essay

I call this photo essay "Ryan Eating Cereal." I was inspired to create this post because, really, who eats cereal like this!?!?

Arctic Birthday and Extended Vacation

For those of you who may not know (or pay attention), central Ohio has had a bitter blast of winter the last couple of days, with temperatures dipping into the negative 20s and 30s. Great times. Our windows have frozen over on the inside and even two pairs of socks haven't been enough to keep my feet warm.

Ice at the bottom of our sliding glass door

And more of it!

I took today off work to stay home with the boys who are starting to get a little stir crazy on their 18th day in a row without school since these last two "snow" days came on the tail end of winter break.

Despite all the togetherness and the need to stay indoors, the boys have been doing pretty well. They spent part of today preparing for Aunt Susan's birthday dinner tonight. They painted pictures to give her and Wesley made a Family Cat Team Uno game to give her. Now THAT is an aunt who is loved!

Wesley's artwork

Ryan's artwork

We braved the cold, although the temperature did hit the low teens today, to go celebrate Aunt Susan at Grandma and Grandpa H.'s house.

Kei and Aunt Susan

The awesome bracelet that Kei made for Susan

 It was great to spend the evening with family, but it was also great to put the boys to bed knowing they'll be back in school tomorrow. I love routine!

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama.

I know I did not spend an entire day working on a jigsaw puzzle, stopping only to shower and eat. And even if I did spend so much time on that, there is no way part of me was a little resentful that the boys decided to help with the last two dozen pieces (out of a thousand) so I couldn't really say I did the whole thing myself.

I am so glad to be back in our regular routine so there is no way I'd grump about having to make actual menu plans and grocery lists again.

I did not play the mom card of  "be thankful you have enough to eat and can afford to be picky. Some people don't get three meals a day - or even one meal a day. Some people go to bed hungry every night." And even if I did play that card, my kids certainly didn't continue to refuse to eat dinner.

I have not discovered that I put off reviewing picture books for just as long as I put off reviewing teen books. What kind of procrastinator signs up to review for a professional journal?

New Year, Lazy Me

Many people make New Year's resolutions. Not me. Not only was I too lazy to make resolutions this year, but instead of trying to be more active and more organized, I have been a lump the last few days.

I did nothing all weekend long. I mean, I went to the grocery store and church, but other than that, I have just stayed home. I haven't read. I haven't really watched t.v. I haven't baked. Total lump status.

I've done two jigsaw puzzles since New Year's.  I worked two days. That's pretty much it.

Bet the excitement is just too much for you to handle, isn't it?

Dr. Wesley

Rest easy, world. Wesley has decided not to work for the company his daddy works for and he has abandoned the dream of the family bakery. He's back to his original career plan of being an author and illustrator. In fact, he has established a writing goal for himself.

"When I grow up and become an author, I'm going to write at least as many books as Dr. Seuss did," he told me.

Good to have modest goals, right?

Too Much Togetherness

Wesley and Ryan are still on winter break. They don't go back to school until Monday. While I'm glad they've had a full two weeks off school, that means there has been a whole lot of togetherness for the guys - and sometimes that much togetherness can turn Team Brothers into Enemy Brothers. 

I had five days off of work in a row (last Sat. through New Years Day) and towards the end of that time, all I heard day in and day out was two boys bickering. Finally, I sent them to their rooms with orders to write down five ways they could be nice to each other and that they couldn't come out until the lists were complete and approved by me.

Wesley finished his list first

"Okay, pick one to do," I told him.

"WHAT!?! I actually have to do one of these?" he protested.

"Yep. As soon as Ryan is done with his list."

Ryan's list took a bit longer. He kept crying that he couldn't think of only five things, that he had so many more than that.

"Just pick five," I called to him.

When Ryan came downstairs with his list, this is what it said:

1. I like the chismas gift
2. and i like the cheese puffs (note: we don't buy cheese puffs often, so Wesley got Ryan a GIANT jar of them for Christmas)
3. Thank you for everything you got me
4. You are very nise
5. I love you

Ok, he may not have understood the assignment, but the sentiment was sure there. Ryan showed his list to Wesley, who gave him a begrudging, yet unprompted, hug. I guess it may be Team Brothers after all.