OK, so Monday sucked. It was truly a Monday in every sense of the word. I am ready to move on to better days of the week. That said let's random:
We have depended on the grandparents to help with kid care since Turbo was born. We are in the home stretch--just another 4 months and Bruiser goes to school and then it's only after school care we will need from them. We appreciate everything they have done for us. But they do have their moments.
Yesterday afternoon we had to go rescue my mom on the interstate. She had run out of gas. In getting her back to the auto garage, she went through 8 gallons of gas. It was 15 miles at most to travel. We aren't sure what broke on her car, but something did. The car is only 16 years old, and has something like 200,000 miles on it. She finally admitted she needs to get a newer car. She is just resistant because cars are so much more automated than the one she has now. She keeps claiming she doesn't want a car that's smarted than she is.
And to make the evening even more fun Nick's dad dropped a bomb on us about taking care of Bruiser. It was such a fun evening. Nick and I are scrambling to figure out a solution. More discussion with Nick's dad is in the future.
Four months and Bruiser is in school and so many of these worries will be minimized. We really have been lucky. We haven't had to py tons for kid care, but I really wish Nick's dad was a better communicator.
In other news, I get a gas stove on Friday! AND I will be learning how to cook all over again. The last time I cooked regularly on gas was 1995. There will be something of a learning curve. I'm looking forward to it, even if I burn a few things in the process. Nick is way excited about gas. He will be doing more cooking now.
It will have a convection oven--baking will be better. I will totally be getting my bake on this weekend. I'm almost looking forward to trying to make cookies and bread and brownies. My hips will hate me, but the guys will love me.
We have had snow off and on since Saturday night. Winter can go suck and egg.
So how is your week going? Got any random? Go link up with Stacy!She who is now Random Queen, or our fearless leader of the random!
Not dreaming of Monday, but dreaming of a better day of the week. Or maybe location to spend Monday. Monday on a beach somewhere would be fantastic.
Where to begin with this weekend? One thing, we got this kid back:
His selfie on the bus returning from his trip.
He had a fabulous time at the Teton Science School. He was however, ready to come home.
Saturday was a fairly normal day--laundry, clean house and such. Nick brewed a batch of beer, The kids went to Papa and Nana's house to help plant some stuff in their greenhouse, and I got a nap.
After my nap I prepped and put the pork loin roast in the oven. We were all looking forward to having some. I was doing some dishes up and Nick asked what was on fire in the oven. It is an electric oven, there should not be fire. Well, we had sparks, fire and a dead element when it was all said and done. Nick and I took this as a sign. While we were not planning to replace the stove this quickly, we were planning to move to gas in the near future. It just happened sooner than we expected. My new gas range will arrive Friday. This give Nick time to run the gas line up and a outlet down for the new stove.
Sunday was quiet, the boys gamed out and we went to buy the new stove and arrange for delivery and disposal of the old stove. Thullee wanted out mid afternoon, so I let him. Nick had closed the gate to the front yard and after a while I thought he had been out for quite a while without wanting back in, so I went to check on him. This is what I found:
Poor dog was stuck. He got up, but couldn't figure out how to get down. Oh, and yes we did have snow off and on all day on Sunday. Our weather is being brought to us by Sybill. It was 60 degrees on Saturday.
So with the weather in mind I am spending part of today dreaming of summer activities.
MMMM is a freebie, so since I want summer and the fun it brings let's find some summer songs:
Summer Girls by LFO:
Kid Rock, All Summer Long:
Rascal Flatts: Summer nights:
So, I'm dreaming of summer fun. Camping, get togethers, easy summer evenings hanging out outside, the smell of sun screen and bug spray. It's so close but so far away still.
Oh boy, manners. Something that is kind of lacking in this day and age. Oh, some people have manners, but most don't really exercise them as much as they should.
We started with our boys early with please and thank you. The grandparents have had a large role in fostering the please and thank you routine in our kids.It is rather cute to have a three year old lisp please and they can be a forceful in reminding you to say thank you, or bless you after a sneeze.
I will admit, they lack on the table manners somewhat, but we don't eat at a table all that often. It really is something we should work on. Our boys tend to make lots of meals finger food. That one reflects on us. Not that we eat with our fingers when we shouldn't, but that we really haven't enforced the rules. Kids do learn by imitation and constant nagging reminders.
Manners come in other areas too. I think they go hand in hand with consideration. Being considerate will lead to good, or at least better, manners.
Clearly, we are not manner nazis. But we are trying to raise civilized boys. Girls kind of prefer the boys who are caveman like, so we are trying.
What is your take on manners?
Spin it up and link up with Gretchen and Ginny Marie, they would love to have you!
Kindergarten. Bruiser goes to Kindergarten this fall. He's growing up so very fast. It all came home yesterday--registration for fall Kindergarten classes is this week.
Five years ago I had a three month old and was just starting a new part-time job. My mom came to watch the baby in the mornings while I went to work.
About three months old here.
He was such a snuggly baby. It's still easy to see the baby in his face:
He is just so very cute.
We have had our struggles with him. Potty issues, which are mostly resolved now thank goodness. Sleeping was rough for him as a baby. But now he sleeps like a champ, even he does talk in his sleep.
He's a sensitive soul. Look at him crosseyed and he'll cry. Unless he's mad at you. Mom! That doesn't make me happy! How many times have I heard that? Too many to count.
And now, after a year of preschool, he's headed to kindergarten. He's ready. In a way I am too. It means less will be required of the grandparents in the kid care realm. It means he's going to become more independent. I know he's going to love learning. He loves having books read to him and he's soaked up the teaching he's gotten this year. He surprises me with what he knows every day.
So, Kindergarten. Next fall will be bitter sweet. My last baby heads to full time school. Part of me wants the snuggly baby back, the other part is going woo hoo!
This is part of Shell's Pour Your Heart Out Wednesdays.
Or maybe not so random. I do have Easter stuff to tell, the whole weekend and then a random bit of stuff. Let's get on with it:
Our weekend was wonderful. We smoked ribs on Saturday. They came out awesome. We had friends over for dinner and it was a really good time. Our first use of the backyard and deck. Makes me really want to have it be nice here.
Saturday morning the boys dyed eggs:
And that night, after the company left, we set out baskets and put the eggs out for the bunny to hide. When the boys got up, the bunny had eaten the carrots and hid all the eggs. The bunny also hid the baskets, the bunny got a little hide happy. The grandparents came over for breakfast and a nice morning was had by all.
The rest of Sunday was quiet. It was nice but windy here so indoor activities were best. Nick and I watched some classic movies and lazed around. It was a great way to end the weekend.
Although I did have to get Turbo packed for his trip to the Teton Science School. All the fifth graders at his school are headed up there today for a four day visit and learning experience. His packed bag was due at school yesterday, he was due at school to load the buses at 5:45am. It was a really early morning this morning.
We will see Turbo again Friday night, with hopefully good time tales and dirty laundry. He was pretty excited to go and looking forward to a good time.
Bruiser ended out his first run through swim lessons by making it to level 3. We get to do another run at swim lessons in June. He's so very proud of himself.
Nick and I just need to figure out when we will be going to exercise. Without the lessons, we must find kid care of some sort. We will manage.
Nick and I did take yesterday as a mental health day. I made banana bread in the morning, took Bruiser to school and then we went for a drive to the mountains. WE checked out the snow (lots still) and stopped and had lunch at the Beartree Tavern in the tiny town of Centennial Wyoming. Had a very good pizza to share. So nice to be adults now and then--makes us better parents.
So what do you have for random? Link it up with Stacy!
She who is now Random Queen, or our fearless leader of the random!
Easter has always been family holiday. We do the traditional dying of eggs with the boys and have the grands over for a meal--be it breakfast or dinner. It's a nice day for us to remember family and relax.
Some of our Easters past:
2008--the last year before Bruiser was around.
Turbo is 4 here.
Egg hunting
Basket from Papa and Nana.
2009:
Garden tools.
2010
Easter at Papa and Nana's
First Easter he was mobile.
2013:
Dying eggs.
This year we will dye eggs with the boys and then have a breakfast with the grands. The rest of the day is a day to enjoy being lazy.
What do you do for Easter?
Spin it up and link up with Gretchen and Ginny Marie, they would love to have you!
What can I do? Frequently combined with I'm bored. They never really want the suggestions I give them, such as clean your room, read a book, go clean up after the dogs, clean up the attic/playroom. Yeah, chores are not what they are looking for.
Can I play video games? This is what they really mean when they say they are bored. sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes the answer is no. The no answer happens more often than they would like.
What's for dinner? the response to this question is met with varying degrees of enthusiasm. If asked by me to Nick a discussion of what to actually have will ensue. Meal planning has reduced the drama this used to cause. If asked by one of the boys to me, well the response could be yum, I like that or yuck! Bruiser is far pickier than Turbo right now. Making a meal that he approves of and that the rest of us will eat is challenging.
Can I have a snack? This one depends on the proximity to a meal. Bruiser will ask for a snack right after finishing breakfast or lunch. The kid would snack all day if we let him.
Where are we going? Often asked when we head out for road trips. If I'm feeling ornery I'll tell the boys we are going crazy and they don't have a choice, they're coming with me. Other times we make them guess, and sometimes we just say enjoy the ride.
What movie do we want to watch? This one causes much drama. Bruiser doesn't like "scary" movies, Turbo likes a wide variety, I have moods about movies and Nick will watch anything, as long as it's not been watched too recently. Sometimes we tell Bruiser to just deal with the movie selected. Often, he will start playing with his toys about 15-20 minutes in anyway.
Where is my....? Fill in the blank. The guys lose stuff all the time. They are also less than effective at finding things. Mom to the rescue more often than not. Mom has amazing abilities to find the lost stuff.
What's the weather supposed to be like today? Often asked by Nick, before he checks his phone on his own, recently asked by Turbo so he can gauge what to wear to school.
Will you make...? Turbo has been asking for Lo Mein for dinner, but both boys will ask me to make things like banana bread, strawberries and cream, chicken with the bone in it. It's gratifying to know they mostly like what I cook.
And most recently from Bruiser: Why do I have to go to bed, it's not dark yet?! This one will be harder to answer as the days get longer. We may invoke more nap times this summer, cause the kid is cranky without his sleep. He tries so hard to keep up with Turbo.
So there are some of the frequently asked questions around our house. Do you get the same questions? Or do you get other equally frequent questions?
I got to see the eclipse last night. Gotta love the middle of the night bathroom trips. At least with this one I got to see the moon looking all dark and stuff.
Not my picture, but about what the moon looked like last night when I saw it.
My toe is a wonderful rainbow of colors. Most likely broken, and causing me to hobble around and generally curse beer bottles. Swimming might be intersting tonight.
We spent last evening watching old movies. From the 1930s. Short mystery movies. We've got 50 of them to get through. We borrowed a set from Nick's dad. Nick and I really like watching old movies. Classics of you will, in the sense that these are old, not so much that they are great examples of cinema. But we find them fun. The kids don't really care for them--they are black and white and not funny so it's a no go for them.
I need some really good chocolate. Maybe I should ask the Easter Bunny to bring me the really good dark chocolate turtles.
And some wine to go with them.
This:
So got any good random? Link up with Stacy!
She who is now Random Queen, or our fearless leader of the random!
