Kids say the craziest things. Last night we were talking about "business." I was saying to Mark, "That guy is in business, but I don't know what that means. For someone to say he is in 'business' is very vague." Jack said and he was VERY serious mind you, "Yeah, there are so many different kinds of business. There is the real estate business, monkey business, the fast food business....." The funniest thing is that he really thought 'monkey business' was a type of business. Today Charlie was being very tempermental about what he was going to wear to church. He wanted a suit, but we do not have a suit that fits him. So I was explaining to him we didn't have a suit but he could still wear a white shirt. He was upset because we did not have a PLAIN white shirt. I was getting frustrated and Jack noticed to which he said, "Charlie is such a fashionista."

Last night we were also discussing Jack and how he used to say truck, but replaced the t with an f when he was little. Our kids wanted to know why it was so bad and we told them it was one letter away from the worst swear word ever. Mark said, "I will beat you if I ever hear you say that word." I added, "I will beat you if you ever come home with a tattoo, a piercing, if you ever drink beer or smoke cigarettes." To which Charlie said, very seriously, "What if I kill someone?" I said, "Well, I won't have to beat you, you will be in jail." We were laughing at all the weird things our kids were saying when Henry piped up with some strange comment from the back. We didn't laugh and since he is so competitive, he got really angry. "Grrr, why don't you laugh at me?! I want to be funny." With that, I started laughing! Ahhh, kids!

T-Ball

Henry and Charlie are done with T-Ball as of today. It was a fun season as he had two buddies on the team which made games a lot more fun, for me!! Henry takes T-Ball very seriously. He likes to get people out, but of course they don't really "get out." He tags the kids from the other team and looks at them like, "Hey dude, I got you out." Of course they don't respond because in T-Ball you don't get out. We can thank the same parents that insist on the trophies and the graduations for this. These parents are those that started the "fair" movement. Everything has to be fair. We don't want anyone to be upset or have their feelings hurt and so we don't get people out, we don't keep score, and we make everything "fair." But, when my kids get in the car and ask who won, I tell them, "The other team did." I must have said this enough times because now Henry and Charlie will say, "We got creamed today." If they say, "I got a guy out," I will point out, "But you also go out." They need to learn that life is not fair. If it were I would have a housekeeper, lawn boy, and would be sitting poolside with a pedicurist at my feet. But, I am the lawn boy, the housekeeper, and the pedicurist and I'm good with that!

Graduation!

The moment all mothers dream of has come, twice! Two of my lovely children graduated in the last week. Did I prepare them for everything to come? Are they going to be okay in FIRST GRADE and KINDERGARTEN? Okay, so I don't mind going to see my kids do their little programs at school. But when did we start graduating from EVERYTHING?

I graduated from high school and college. My family came to my high school graduation, my class was very irreverent; setting off bottle rockets and throwing things. Mark and my sister in law and niece who were conveniently in town came to my college graduation, although I feel people missed out as there were refreshments following that one. It was great. I had my picture taken and received my fake diploma. There was obviously a sense of relief and accomplishment.

So, the question is, how do my kids feel when graduating from pre-school? They really haven't finished anything, in fact pre-school is not mandatory so they have accomplished nothing in the eyes of the educational system. Over the last week I found out that there is not only kindergarten graduation, but 5th grade graduation, which I guess is a celebration as kids move into the torturous, pubescent years. Then there is a graduation from those horrible memories into high school which can be equally as fun (although I didn't mind high school as much as junior high). I feel like these "graduations" are like the trophies that are now handed out to EVERY child that participates in sports. Why does every child deserve a trophy? Not all of them are good. They don't all win. Some of them don't even try. But now my kids expect that every time they play a sport they will get a trophy.

So, when my kids are 40 and still living with me, I can blame society. When people ask my children, "Why are you still living with your mom and dad?" my kids will answer, "I will not take an entry level job position as I have at least 50 trophies and have graduated 5 times. There is just nothing out there that meets my high level of achievement."

In the mean time I will go to the graduations and trophy ceremonies and enjoy their singing. But I promise you, it will not be so cute when they are 40, unemployed, living in my house, and they ask for a trophy and want me to take their picture after they mow the lawn!

Why do they have to be so smart?

Henry is sometimes too reasonable to be my child. He is more like Mark; analytical. We went to Nampa to go to Costco and Target. Nevermind that there is a Target less than 2 miles from our house, we must travel 25 minutes to go to the Nampa Target. On the way home Henry and Charlie were hitting each other and play fighting. It was driving me crazy so I said, "If you don't knock it off, I will stop the car and you will walk home!" Leave it to Henry to reason with me. "It is too far for us to walk. This road it too busy. It is also too dangerous and someone might kidnap us." Now I must have been a dumb child because when my mom used that threat, I believed her. In fact one day she pulled over and I did walk home. It was only a block, but nothing like following through to scare me for the rest of my childhood. We could have been in Texas and if she told me I was going to have to walk home I would have believed her. For some reason, Henry does not believe anything I say. Nothing like having children reasoning skills to take the fun out of parenting.

I Have Succumbed!

I have succumbed to the blogging world. I was told today by a friend and then it was confirmed by Mark, that I have some tendencies similar to those of a child with ADD, so I may do this once and be done with it. But, while watching a re-run of "Murder She Wrote," I realized that if Charlie can identify Jessica Fletcher and even figure out who the "murderer" is, I may have more spare time that I admit.Today Mark was cleaning up the dinner dishes while I was finishing my continuing ed (teaching CE, I need to clarify since I have to do continuing ed for various vocations; not being able to decide on a career a direct side-effect of my ADD) and the boys were sitting at the bar watching him clean up dinner and watching TV at the same time. All of a sudden Charlie said, "Dad, that is what I am going to get you for your birthday." Mark said, "What?" Charlie said, "Rogaine foam." Mark asked, "Do you know what Rogaine foam is for?" Charlie answered, "Yes, it is for your bald spot." The one thing about having kids is they are not shy about pointing out your flaws!So Mark doesn't feel picked on, my kids are always asking me why I can't seem to lose any "pounds." They say, "Mom you exercise, but you are not losing any pounds." Thanks for pointing that out, I hadn't noticed.
2 comments
5/23/08
by Angie
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