M to the Maximum

M is something else. Right now there are certain phrases he says or how he says them that just crack us up. Yesterday we were playing the fishing game and each time he would catch a fish he would say "This guy's going down." We are a bit scared of him. Toddler mafia. He looks very tough due to a skateboard accident (on his tummy and G stopped the skateboard but M's face didn't stop--OUCH) He also tells about Moms Morning Out. Here is video of M.

love and hugs, B

Expensive Lesson for E

He has begged for years for a video game. Sorry, a real video game(Nintendo or Wii) probably won't happen for a while, but he and D came up with a deal to get him a Didj last spring. Start up cost (game contraption and one cartridge) was $100. He saved for half and we paid the other half of start up; after that he was on his own for every $30 cartridge. He really wanted it so used a bunch of allowance and birthday money to get it. And he played for his allotted screen time for the first 3 days in a row and then he forgot for a while and then found he was bored with it. He got a couple new cartridges during the summer, but quickly got frustrated or bored with those too. He has now had it for 3 and a half months and the most he played it was on the plane to Hawaii. In the past couple of weeks he finally voiced for himself what had been warned before he wasted a bunch of money on the game...... he can play interesting games online for free and always do something new instead of the same games over and over. What he hasn't realized yet is that for the $100 he blew on the Didj he could've had four super deluxe light up and make sounds light sabers for the Star Wars gang that roams our neighborhood after school every day; if he figures that out he is really going to kick himself for not getting the light sabers.
love and hugs and some lessons you just have to learn for yourself, but with each lesson E learns he does seem connect more to the fact that we warned him what would happen... now to get him to listen before the mistake happens,
B

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

I wish my body would deal with stress in a different way. I didn't even realize I was under stress until I noticed the itching... and then my brush was full of hair and then the shower drain. You don't have to say YUCK, I know it is yuck. When I was younger (so long ago) I would cry when I felt stressed. Now my hair simply leaves town. Start of school and D headed out of town must be doing it; maybe it is from the last 2 weeks of summer when the kids were dreadful; maybe it is nothing; maybe I simply got too confident with a whole head of hair. Oh well, what can I do (don't say injections.... not an option until I am very bald, way too painful). I don't even fell stressed out right now, but my body apparently thinks I am-- now that is a whacked out immune system. I also hate that all the information/doctors say it is caused by stress. I think blaming stress for things is stupid. I should start an online alopecia support group.... except keeping it up might make me stressed .
love and hugs and should I save the hair I lose and glue it back on? E and G voted yes on that idea. B

First Day Smiles

First day of school brought a few tears during morning snuggles but soon those went away. Everyone was grinning from ear to ear when the bus came (OK, forced smiles)

and G was still smiling when I picked him up from his half day. love and hugs and happy first day of school, B

Lazy Mother or Type A Organized Maniac.... You Make The Call.

Alas it was a trick question because the answer is both. I am an organization maniac and very lazy about doing things in the morning. Packing lunchboxes falls into the morning category. I had to prep carefully this year since it is 'training year' on lunchbox filling for G. I set up the cabinet and an area of the fridge with a sign explaining how to do it and then guide them through the first few days. After that I spot check and arrange lunchboxes when needed to make things fit ( and check to make sure extra treats aren't slipped in). E was (and still is) a packing expert. This year he will make his own sandwiches in the morning if he wants them.

This is the part that got me this year. It is taking half a shelf in the fridge and part of a door with 2 kids. I wonder if I will need to dedicate a whole fridge to lunchboxes when all 3 are in school. Next to the drinks is their lunchbox silverware; I buy cheap stuff (Walmart is the best for this) that they can reuse, but if it accidentally gets thrown away I don't have to panic about digging through school trash looking for my kitchen silverware. I replenished for the first time this year. E had only lost 2 spoons and 1 fork over 3 years.
A side benefit I found with the reuseable containers ( I am saving the world one sandwich bag at a time don't ya know) is that I can see what is left since they rarely visit the school trash can. Sometimes they use the leftovers as snack. Sometimes,when they eat a plastic lid to supplement what they packed, I know they need more.

I am looking forward to the first day of school tomorrow. G in K already; M will be sad to see him get on the bus. I might be sad too.

love and hugs, B