but, at 4:45 a.m., I got a text message alert that school was closed.
The scout, who cant' get up at 7 for school, was up at 6:10; at 6:20, a voice message came through on the phone line... school was closed. at 6:40, I was out to plow 3 driveways.
The front of my house..... I left that for scout to shovel.
The 2nd layer is what fell after I plowed the three driveways
Stay warm and everyone have a great holiday!Scout told me a story today after school, It is a good one, I have to tell you that and I am actually very proud of him. But then he made a comment and made me wonder if it was true. So I asked if it was a fib and he said a lie? I said not exactly.
I told him a lie is when you say something and you know it isn't true. A fib is when you tell a story and it grows and you add a few things for effect. So a little while later, he comes by and tells me that he told a little bit of a fib in the story and only one little bit wasn't true and he told me which part. It actually was for effect and it wasn't that big of a fib. As he gave me a hug and told me he was sorry, I said "It's OK, Paw (his grandpa) does it all the time".
Yesterday I vacuumed, and when I went to my son's room there are clothes on the floor. You know what that means right? HE has to vacuum. So I told him to do it while I was at Parent Night at school.
SOOO I come home and find the vacuum in the exact same spot I left it.
When I asked this morning, why it wasn't done. Ya wanta know what I was told? I was having quality time with dad and we were bonding. (Words out of my very own mouth) YIKES!
Does he know how to play them or what?
At such a cute face?
We were sitting at lunch and my scout was telling me all about his den chief training today. We had stopped for lunch at TGI Friday's, located IN Miller Park - how cool is that?? Sorry about the bad photos, but I didn't plan on going here for lunch and guess what? I didn't bring my camera. So, you are stuck with the cell phone one..
ANYHOW, we were chatting and had a lovely lunch. I slipped into the conversation, that I picked up a DNR wrist band for my son while I was at State Fair and slyly mentioned that it would compliment his "$30" necklace he "had to have" and I bought for his birthday. We both then started laughing and laughing and laughing. Finally the scout said to me, "What are we laughing about?" and I said "I don't know, you tell me" and he says "My necklace that you probably found in the washer and we both started laughing again.
Just after we finished lunch, we were lucky enough to see the roof top of the stadium open for tonight's game - how cool is that for an impromptu lunch? Pretty cool if you are an 11 year old boy!
Hope you all are enjoying your weekend. :)
Well, if they had a show like that I know he would win!
Last night, we were at the neighbors house and her kids wanted to throw the ball to my dog. The older boy kept taking the ball from his sister and thowing it and I finally made sure she got a turn.
The mom said, "Last time" as the kids had to go inside and the boy pressed for that last turn. The girl said she wanted her turn - which it was technically and it would have been her second throw. I made she got to throw the ball and then the boy said, oops I mean whined, "I want one more turn."
Seamus kept the ball in his mouth and started heading down the driveway. He stopped at the curb, looked both ways, walked across the street and straight in the back yard.
You see, he knows when it is my final answer, it is my final answer. Last turn is last turn.
They were barely gone an hour and my son called wondering "How I was holding up." (meaning without them) (ha ha)
If I hadn't gone to a meeting at Village Hall, I would have been dancing around like Tom Cruise in my underwear! (eh, eh eh)
I don't know if you figured out yet or not, but I am a pretty outspoken person. Today, I could not speak. I stood there in horror as I watched a situation right before my eyes.
As I previously mentioned, we went to the movies. As we exited, my son saw himself on a commercial he is in from one of the sponsors for the $2.50 summer movie deals. We were going to wait for the loop to run through and show his friends and watch it again and then the incident happened.
A woman, who was clearly with a daycare of some sort started talking sternly and tersely to this boy that looked to be about four. Take your partner's hand, she said. He stood there and just looked blank. TAKE YOUR PARTNER'S HAND OR YOU DO NOT COME TO THE NEXT MOVIE. He stood there looking, as if he didn't know what to do. I think his partner already had someones hand. ONE, she snapped, TWO OR YOU DO NOT COME TO THE NEXT MOVIE, she snaps again - he held his head down in shame. THREE she demands and he looks around. YOU CAN TAKE ANYONE AND IT CAN BE MORE THAN TWO -FOUR, his head drops down again. A little boy quietly moved to the right and grabbed his hand. The front lady came to these boys and knelt down and softly spoke to him and then they moved on.
I was so shocked that I could not speak. I can not remember the boys name. I burst into tears. As the group moved forward, another group came by. I stopped a lady and said through choked tears - Do you know that group - that lady there? No why she says. I really couldn't tell you if I told her everything or not, but she apologized for me being upset and see if there was anything they could do and then they were all gone. The buses, the crowd, everyone.
I couldn't think, I couldn't talk and I just cried for what seemed like 10 minutes. I couldn't wait anymore for that commercial to come around and told my son we would have to see it another time. I cried all the way home - for a whole hour. I kept thinking, does this mother know what she was sending her child off to for the day?
I called the movie theater and spoke with the General Manager. I asked him to review the tapes. He said he would, but it wouldn't be in 5 minutes. He said he would get back to me and has not.
Wisconsin has a State Agency that monitors Day Cares. I called them and was put in touch with a supervisor. She called the movie theater and he thinks they are going to be back in a week and 1/2 and is going to try to get a name. While on hold, I began to think clearly. We all had to turn our tickets in at the cash register to get our free popcorn, I could identify her from that. They were going to call back the movie theater and see if he would work with us on that or check the buses out front, if there were cameras there. We could check with the bus company and see who they picked up.
If you have kids, hug them tight and think of this little boy and if your kids are in daycare, make sure you take the time for surprise visits and make sure your child is being treated respectfully.
Lucky you if you live in Nebraska, North Dakota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio or Minnesota.
Wednesday and Thursday is the Marcus Theater's Kids Rule promotion all summer long. For $2.50 you can get a free complimentary size popcorn and see a movie.
This week, the movie is Horton Hears a Who. Movies run unil August 14th. What a great way to catch up on some fairly new releases.
I'll see you "at the movies".
Me - How about pancakes for breakfast.
Child - As long as we have scrambled eggs
Child - and waffles
Me - (thinking) burned
Today is going to be
ME - We are having pancakes for breakfast.
Someone once gave me a tip. Don't ask a child, tell them.
I love pancakes! Do you?
Remember that saying growing up? It was a TV commercial - just say no to drugs. That applies to kids too. It is good for you to say no. Say it with me N_O. N+O = NO. There you go, just let it roll off your tounge. NO. Easy right?
It is healthy for your kids to hear that. You don't have to give into every whim and buy everything you see. Think about it.
Movie $6.50. Popcorn, slushy and a bag of candy = whatever, but it is a lot. Do they need candy AND a popcorn AND a slushy? Especially if you think your child is over weight. Setting limits is a good thing to be honest with you.
THEN you get a take out pizza for dinner for the family and while you are waiting for them to make your pizza, just because the kids wander down to the Hobby Store - and they find something ('cause they always do) doesn't mean you have to buy it.
So after that, the whole car ride home by friends son sulked no different than he did in the car to the movie theater, to the swimming pool, to the pizza place and all the way home. So if you just said NO, nothing would have changed anyways.
I think the hardest part about being a parent for me was not be able to finish what I was doing from start to finish and thus becoming disorganized AND having toys all over the place just drove me nuts and again making me feel disorganized.
I'm not sure why it is so hard for kids to clean up, but it is. So here is a parenting tip. If your kids play with Lego's, have them play ON A BLANKET. That way, when it is time to clean up, you pick up the blanket and dump everything into your tub or basket to put away. My son calls it the "blanket method" and we learned it from a classmate of his.
Another tip, that is particularly helpful if you have young children is, when you are going to a restaurant that has a drive through and you are staying there to eat - use it. Go through the drive through and when you collect the food, just ask them to put it at the front counter and you will park and be right in. That way, you walk in, the food is ready and you don't have to try to order and watch your kids OR wait in line for you food and worry about watching where the kids are. On that side of the building there is usually more parking.
Do you have any tips to share?
So my son has started with the teenage mood swings. I stated to him if he was going to have an attitude, then maybe we shouldn't go to our outing. He starts wailing at me.. What attitude? I don't have an attitude. Now he is getting dressed and crying I don't have an attitude.
God is really trying to get me back, as my mother wished. Augh!
I was just deleting the gazillion emails to my neighbor and found one I sent to her. (My son dog sits a couple times a week)
He said...
Mom, You know how Meg always spins her tail around like a plane propeller?
Well if she held it up higher, and she flew around like a helicopter - wouldn't that be funny?
Too funny!
My son is growing up. Last week we lost our "last" baby tooth and the Tooth Fairy Came for the last time. (Little Stinker HID it and I never found the tooth. I think he was trying to "prove" that I am the Tooth Fairy since this, Santa, and The Easter Bunny is the only thing in his life I refuse to give a straight answer on.)
So my "little bird" is growing up to be a very nice young man. He is in 5th grade, and is "big" compared to the 2nd and 1st graders. They are the oldest class at the elementary level. It can be sad, looking at the younger ones and remembering those cute times and fond memories. First day of school, K5, T-ball, Tiger Cubs. Now, they are moving on into the middle school, and are definately growing up.
Saturday night, my little bird, received his Arrow Of Light Patch. It is the highest honor a "Cub Scout" can receive. I thought here is another "growing up phase". After he walked across the bridge from the Cub Scout side, to the Boy Scout side - He stood in line with all the Boy Scouts, no longer a Cub. WAIT - there was a glimpse of hope, he is back to little again! Standing there, I noticed he was the smallest one. I can hang on for atleast one more year.
No April Fools Day jokes here. I just wanted to remind everyone to vote today, definately if you are from Milwaukee County.
As my son left for school today, I said "Good-bye, I love you and don't assume anyone will stop for you." - first day of the season on his bike.
What did they always say on Hill Street Blues - Becareful out there!
Sunday we went to the UWM Physics Building for the UWM Science Bag. It was a lecture by Prasenjit Guptasarma, otherwise known as P.G. He was an excellent speaker and held the attention of elementary children, college age children and adults.
The topic was "Living in a Material World". We learned about robotics, energy, and that a microwave and light up a lightbulb. That is making me rethink using a microwave. This lecture had a lot of moving visuals, and excellent video which enabled you to see everything up close.
These science bags are FREE, and open to the public. They are hosted on Friday nights @ 8:00 p.m. and one Sunday a month at 2:00 p.m.. They will skip the month of December and resume in January. Located in the Physics Building, in room 137 - this is a must to see. The building is located on the corner of E. Kenwood Blvd. and N Carmer Street.
Topics for the rest of the year are
January - Wisconsin's Green Quilt: Patterns of Native Plant Communities
February - Bumblebee Buzz: What's Happening to our Pollinators?
March - Global Warming and Alternative Sources of Energy
April - Antarctica: The Past is the Key to the Future
Further information, as well as Sunday dates, can be found at uwm.edu/letsci
Check this out to enjoy!
