Recipe Needed

For the past few days, whenever I ask Big what he would like to eat, he has been replying, "Steak muffin."

If anyone has a recipe for that, please let me know. Thanks.

Toilet Paper Trouble

Our latest package of toilet paper has been driving me absolutely crazy (Don't be giving me any trouble about it--with how little sleep I get, I'm allowed to be driven crazy by toilet paper, okay?!). Anyway, the score lines on our rolls of toilet paper are incomplete. The scores only go all of the way through on occasion. It's awful!

This terribly lackluster scoring (where was quality control when MY toilet paper was on the belt?!) causes 3 issues-- If you wish to tear the paper cleanly, you can at times, but it leaves you with either far too little or far too much toilet paper with which to do the job at hand. The other choice is to rip the paper forcefully, leaving (gasp!) rough, uneven edges!

The "Monk" in me really struggles with leaving the toilet paper rough edged, but having too much or too little is no fun either. Every time I visit the bathroom I suffer some degree of indecisiveness and trauma! I am so tempted to mount a pair of scissors on the bathroom wall to be assured of a neat, clean edge and just the right amount of paper every time! 

Since I don't want people to think I'm weird (not that this blog hasn't convinced you of this already), I have opted against mounting the scissors. And, luckily, we are nearing the end of the package of toilet paper, so I think I can make it. (But, if the next time you come to my house you find scissors mounted on the bathroom wall.... well, *cut me some slack, eh?) 

(*Yes, I know that was a terrible pun... but I'm crazy! so deal with it!)

A Backet-ball Player

Big has always been more than just slightly addicted to "backet-ball" (as he calls it). Now that Rophone has been playing church basketball games lately, his addiction has reached a whole new level. He has a little basketball hoop in his room that he plays on often throughout the day. 

This morning, Big told me that he was going to play "backet-ball". I said "okay", and went about my business. A few minutes later, he came out like this:

All ready to go. Only slightly too big. Hopefully he won't misjudge and find his toe sticking over the 3-point line when it really counts. 

**Side note-- On Monday night we went to pizza as a family. We were having a great time, enjoying one another's company-- as was evidenced when Bud leaned over to Rophone and said, "I love you, Dad....you're so nice and pretty!" Rophone? Pretty?! Erm...yeah. Well, to Bud he is, and that's awesome!

Feels Like Forever

I know it hasn't been that long since I took pictures, but for me to go as long as I have without snapping shots of the kids, it feels like forever. The air quality has been terrible around here, so we haven't gone to do much, preferring to stay inside to breathe the marginally cleaner indoor air. 

Rophone is resting on the couch adjacent to mine, suffering from some suspiciously flu-like symptoms. Even as he alternates between fever and chattering teeth, I am refusing to admit that the flu virus may have crossed our home's threshold. (I am happy to pretend it's something else for the moment, but may have to change my tune should I become so afflicted.) ; )

The kids had the day off of school yesterday, so we spent the day lounging around inside. I snapped a few shots of the kids as the afternoon light was waning. I can't believe how much they have changed just since Christmas. 

Here's a pretty Pen:

It was difficult to get a shot of Ginger where she wasn't wiggling her newly loose teeth, but I managed a few:

Bud, as usual, wasn't a super willing subject:

Big, taking a self portrait:

It's easy to see in Big's face that he's getting sick. He looks wiped!

I can't wait for the air to improve enough to allow us some outside time. That's where I prefer to take pictures, and where I prefer to be to tell the truth. I'm sure I'll be back to my old photo-happy self when that occurs.

The Bud-sicle

I am eagerly anticipating a good night's sleep tonight. I am so hopeful that it will really take place. We finally went this afternoon and got Bud a space heater for his room-- one of the new-fangled fancy kinds with a thermostat. 

When we plugged it in the outlet in Bud's room, and the thermostat flashed the room's current temperature.... oh, I felt sooo bad. It read 64 degrees! And that's during the warmest time of the day for his room! It gets so much colder than that during the night-- we just hadn't realized how cold! No wonder I'm kept up all night with his monotone calls of, "Mah-am! I need my covers on! Moh-ahm! I need to be covered up!" 

Bud always looks so tired-- I mean, completely wiped out. The poor kid hasn't been getting any sleep either! He's just spending his nights as a little Bud-sicle, trying to get warm. Here's to hoping that the space heater will allow us both to get the sleep we so desperately need! 

Say What?

Bud loves to sing. Just before lunch today I overheard him singing a Christmas song--

"Silver and mold, silver and mold... everyone's wishing for silver and mold..."

Big has also been making me laugh today. 

When asked what he wants to drink-- "Water.... with butter".

At lunch-- "Cheese.... with butter". 

He actually threw a bit of a fit when I wouldn't put butter on his cheese (I'm sure you butter lovers out there understand).

Another funny thing that I realized yesterday-- Big thinks that one of our cub scouts is named Dangit. It makes me laugh, so I don't think I'll correct him for a while. 

I sure am glad my kids are good for a few laughs, otherwise the daily grind would be much more grinding (grind-ish? grind-like?). 

The Cleaning Detectives

As I attempted to get a little cleaning done this morning,I began to get a little frustrated, as is often the case, with Big's "helpfulness". You know, helpfully un-helpful-- ie. unloading the dishwasher as fast as I can load it, unfolding the laundry as fast as (no, make that faster than) I can fold it, pulling things out of drawers while I'm trying to put things in.... it's no wonder I spend a lot of time getting nothing done! 

Well, this morning I was determined to get something done! Luckily, I was reminded of something I did a few years ago with the girls. I gave the boys each a damp rag and told them they were detectives, in search of black fingerprints on the walls and woodwork ( I think I gave the girls a magnifying glass, too). I'm sure that Big didn't understand the concept, but Bud was so excited to do it that Big caught the fever. 

That darn plan kept the boys occupied for over an hour (no, there aren't that many fingerprints-- they found plenty of other things to "clean"-- in fact, they got upset when I told them that we needed to be done, but they were wiping the floor and then moving directly to windows... can you say streaks?), thus reminding me that at this age, kids just want to be included in what you're doing-- even if it's cleaning. Too bad it doesn't last, huh?

More Sleep, Please

Another rough night for sleeping last night. You may remember my recent post from when Big was sick-- well, the last two nights have again been filled with frequent moaning. I'm not sure if it was teething or gas, but I do know that it got annoying. Add in Bud's monotone cries of, "Moh-ahm, I need my covers on!".... "Mom, I need to be covered up!", over and over last night.... ugh! I feel like moaning. 

I had another weird awake/asleep dream this time, too. In last night's dream, I was a realtor (probably because I watched back to back episodes of "House Hunters" before retiring), and I was showing two clients some possible homes for them to purchase. 

The clients sat side-by-side in the back seat--one client gripping the seat in front of him, head thrown back, moaning in lamentation of the poor choices I was offering, the other client sitting hunched, as though cold, with his hands pressed tightly between his legs to keep them warm. 

I tried to ignore the moaning, keeping my eyes on the road and speaking in my cheerful "realtor" voice as I extolled the virtues of the next home we were to be seeing. It was difficult, but I was managing... until I kept having to stop the car to re-cover the legs of the cold client with a blanket when he asked (since it kept slipping off and he seemed unwilling to release his hands from the tight grip of his thighs to do it himself). 

I think I learned two things from last night's dream. I don't want to be a realtor, and I definitely need more sleep. 

Reduce and Reuse

I call my sister, Martha, The Recycling Nazi. Why do I call her that, you may ask? Well, let's just say that when she sees things in her neighbors' trash cans that could be recycled, she's tempted to call them and let them know. Either that, she'll just send her husband over to "rescue" the item and put it in their own recycling can. 

The reason I made mention of her recycling habits, is that tonight I did something that would make her SO proud-- I reduced and reused! As I was changing Big's wet diaper tonight before putting him in bed, I noticed a spider lounging on the baseboard at my feet. So, I just took the dry end of that wet diaper, pinched up that spider and then rolled the diaper up like usual, securing it into a little bundle with the tapes. 

See? Not only did I reuse that diaper, but I reduced our toilet paper usage in the process! (Now, since it was me killing the spider, I only reduced our TP usage by 3 squares or so. If it had been Rophone killing the spider, we're talking a savings of at least 10 squares!! -- He hates to feel the squish and crunch.)

Aren't you proud of me?!

Smarty Pants

Big has really been cracking me up lately. He is such a smarty pants! He is really starting to figure out how the system works and is trying to use it to his advantage. 

A few weeks ago we drove Pen to ballet and then ran some errands before going to pick her up. Big was definitely getting tired of being in his car seat, so while we were waiting for Pen to come out of ballet he and I had this conversation:

Big: "Poopy."

Me: "What?"

Big: "I'm poopy."

Me: "I don't smell anything, Big, I don't think you're poopy."

Big: (more insistently) "I'm poopy! Need get out! Change diaper!"

Me: "Are you sure you're poopy, or do you just have to go? I really don't think you're poopy."

Big: "Poopy, poopy, POOPY!"

So, I got out, walked around the car, opened his door, stuck my head in his lap and sniffed. Not poopy.

Me: "Big, you aren't poopy, you don't need your diaper changed and I can't let you out right now."

Big: "Want out! Need out! .... Push the buckon!" 

Me: "Buckon?"

Big: (really exasperated with me now, almost spluttering) "BUTTON!!!"

Nice try, kid. Seriously, pretty smart of him to try to use the "poopy card" to get unbuckled.

The other things he's been doing lately are pretty funny, too. When he wants to do something but thinks he might not get to, he'll say "Daddy said" or "Mommy said". 

For instance, tonight he wanted to turn up the volume on the music, but the other kids didn't want him to since it was plenty loud. Rophone and I heard Big tell the other kids, "Daddy said". Rophone went in there and corrected Big and told him that what Daddy had to say was "No". He was pretty bummed.

When it's really funny, though, is when he comes up to me with a book he wants to read and says, as he's handing it to me, "Mommy said". I've laid down the law apparently (without even knowing it!). 

Big also has started using the other kids first and middle names when he's angry with them or wants them to come or do something. Oh, how it makes us laugh. He is a bossy smarty pants, is what he is. It sure is cute now, but might not go over so well in a couple of years. Good thing he's big.

Growing Up

I have use of my own computer for a while today, so thought I'd take advantage and post a few pictures I took yesterday. A few momentous things happened at church yesterday-- Big stayed in nursery for the entire time (that's a first), and Bud graduated from the nursery to Sunbeams (and wasn't shy-- he sang, answered questions when asked... wow!). When my class was over, I went to meet Rophone, and we were both shocked to see the other was childless! Truly momentous! Our boys are growing up!

Here's Big, looking old (and in need of a nap) as he flips his tongue:

Bud, with the crown he decorated himself:

It was definitely exciting yesterday, but also weird and a little sad. I am moving into a new phase-- a chance to listen to lessons without being distracted by a kid (not having done it for so many years.... well, it's a lot harder than it looks!). Here's to hoping I can stay awake!

Still Kickin'

Rophone is currently using my laptop for a project, so I am using his work laptop in place of my own. Thought I'd check in just to let you know I'm still around-- I just may not post any pictures until the project is done. 

Today, Big was looking at my facial features and counting them as he pointed. When he got to my eyebrows he said, "One eyebrow!", as he slid his finger side to side. I guess you can call me Bert.