Archive for the ‘The kids’ Category

Just for laughs

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

What an awful few days I have had with regard to this site.

All I had intended on doing was adding a new wordpress plugin and the entire site disappeared.  I have had no blog/site since last Thursday but thanks to my very patient husband Adam, he fixed it.

I have no energy to write anything. It has been a frustrating and horrible experience so instead I will leave you, for now, with this.

Have a good one.

It’s good to be back considering I thought I had lost the last 1 year of posts.

This is my 100th post, by the way.

Funny that.

Happy blogging.

Just for laughs, read this:

After it was marked and the girl brought it home  she returned to school the next day with the following note.

Dear Ms. Davis,

I want to make this very clear on my child’s illustration.  It is not of me on the dance pole on a stage as a stripper.

I work at B&Q ( UK version of Lowes or Home Depot ) and had commented to my daughter how much money we made in the aftermath of the recent snow/sleet.

This picture is of me selling a shovel.

Mrs Harrington.

Car washing fun

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Whilst driving last week, Leo happened to see someone washing their car. This practice looked strange to Leo. Why? Because as far as Leo is concerned all cars are washed in a car wash. Mmm. This bothered me. Before moving to the USA, before having kids, when it was just me and my car I always washed my car by hand. Adam, my husband has a car and I have a car. When my car is dirty Adam takes it to the car wash. In the four years we have been married I have never seen Adam wash his car by hand  though he claimed he always used to do so. Mmm. I felt a teaching moment brewing up in me.

Day: Saturday.  Time: 1 pm

Adam said he had some car wash in the garage and this would prove that he used to wash his car himself. So once Roma was napping, I informed Leo that he would be helping me to wash the car. Leo was so excited. Adam, Leo and myself went down to the garage. I reversed the car and positioned it near the pipe where the hose would be attached, for the great car wash. Leo was at the ready with sponge in hand. We just needed Adam to produce the car wash shampoo. We waited. We waited some more. Nothing happened. This did not come as a huge surprise to me. Adam could not find this wash.

I jumped in my already reversed car and went up to the local gas station to buy some. They had everything else but car wash. I then drove to the nearest store but they didn’t have any either. I ended going all the way to my grocery store, Fred Meyer, and finding countless brands of car wash there. ¬†I made my selection and hurried home.

Adam was waiting. I had thought for a moment that maybe he might be stood waiting with a I told you I had some car wash smile on his face with and the bottle of car wash in his hand but he wasn’t. I think he actually felt bad that I had been gone so long.

Leo, tired of waiting, had gone off to play with a neighbor. ¬†A few minute later Leo happily joined Adam and I ( yep, Adam couldn’t resist getting involved or was it guilt ? ) to hose down the dirty car with a good rinse of water, sponge the soapy ¬†wash all over the car, give it another hose down and then a wax. ¬†The car looked wonderful. Leo truly had a ball. He really enjoyed cleaning the car. ¬†Imagine that. ¬† Adam would never ¬†have thought of showing Leo that cars can be washed by hand. It took the genius of mummy to do this. Ha. I feel pretty good about that.

A great teaching moment which got the kid outdoors for an activity which provided exercise and fun at the same time .

Leo is already looking forward to washing the car again.

Corn on the cob conquered

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

About a week ago, Leo came home with from daycare with a hoarse sounding cough. He stopped coughing after a couple of days.

A few days ago, Roma started coughing in that same hoarse like voice.

The last two nights have been horrible for her and not that great for Adam and I. She didn’t want to stay in her crib so we put her between the two of us until she eventually fell asleep. ¬†The hour this occurred : 3:30 am. The previous night was a similar scene and time.

Roma won’t eat a thing. She pushes the plate or spoon out of the way or tells you a very definite ‘No’ ¬†to the food offered. She has lost her appetite, only drinking her milk and water. It’s so strange because normally she eats everything. Roma is not a fussy eater.

The other day, running out of food to offer and getting more frustrated and worried as to what to feed her I thought I would try her favorite food of all foods to eat.

Roma loves corn on the cob. It has to be on the cob though the kernels alone won’t do.

In the morning, she drank her milk at breakfast time but left the Cheerios, she didn’t eat the fish sticks or peas at daycare ¬†during lunch so now here was dinner time. Let’s see what would happen.

Roma refused the lasagna, the red cabbage but hooray devoured the corn on the cob. She pointed to the second piece that I had left for her on the side of my plate. She ate that too. Leo took two bites from his and didn’t want anymore so Roma happily obliged to finish his piece. She wasn’t done yet. Adam cut a piece from his cob and she ate all the corn on that too. ¬†I quickly ate my corn before she wanted to attack that as well. Adam began chomping on his piece at a greater rate too not wanting to succumbed to her need to feed on all the corn on the cob in sight.

When she was done feasting she said she wanted out of her high chair. She was over the corn fest. Her deed was done.

Adam and I looked at the pile of cobs and laughed.

Roma is 20 months old , off all food right now due to constantly coughing and a runny nose  but loves her corn on the cob however she is feeling.

Our kids very own indoor trampoline

Monday, March 15th, 2010

These two yellow jumping beans or whatever they are represent my two kids. Why? Read on if you haven’t guessed by the title of this post.

Leo loves to jump up and down the sofa. He loves to somersault. He loves to cartwheel. He loves to dive. He loves to leap from the chair or table, if he knows no adults are watching, onto the sofa.

If  I had to give Leo a favorite pastime, while he was indoors, I would say that jumping up and down the sofa was definitely it.

It’s Leo’s very own indoor trampoline.

Roma has recently discovered this hobby of Leo’s. Roma has recently started copying everything that Leo does. Needless to say, Roma has taken to jumping up and down the sofa too.

Leo should know better but he isn’t listening to me, no, jumping up and down the sofa is necessary and fun and must been done regardless of what mummy says. Mummy can shout, scream, give hard stares whilst he is in the middle of a tumble and landing beautifully, I must add, that he smiles sweetly or wickedly knowing full well that he shouldn’t be doing this and encouraging his little sister to follow suit.

I do not know why I am wasting my energy telling Leo and Roma to sit on the sofa. Oh, yeah, I do know because one day either the long and skinnier of the two ( Leo )who used be built like the smaller one (Roma ) who is now losing her soft and squishy  baby body, might fall off the sofa and break a bone or worse knock a tooth out! This is my biggest concern and it freaks me out.

I do try not to worry. Kids will jump on beds and sofas. It’s too irresistible not too. I remember jumping up and down and sofa at my mum’s and granny’s house and jumping back down quickly to a seated position when we could hear a grown up coming or a door opening. ¬†I remember my mum shouting at my brother and I constantly about ruining her sofa. Did that stop us though? ¬†Of course not.

Getting out the house

Friday, March 12th, 2010

Last month Adam and I got out of the house. We booked the babysitter on a Friday night and headed to the restaurant and then to a bar for drinks and dancing.

We are doing it again tonight.

We are trying, at least once a month, to get out of the house and spend a few hours talking to each other without being interrupted by small people screaming and pulling at you for your attention.

As soon as we get into the car, leaving the babysitter alone with two sleeping children ,we are free for at least 4 glorious hours of grown up people noise. We hear dance music, people talking, laughing, glasses and cutlery clinking, grown ups having a great time. There isn’t one single child around. It is heavenly.

This morning when I woke up I thought to myself how wonderful it would be to just stay in bed and not have to get up. I haven’t had that luxury in over 3 years. I truly miss having a lie in. I said this to Adam too and said that one day he should take a day off work, drop the kids to daycare, get Roma in daycare for a full day and not the half days she normally does and he should come back home. I will already be tucked up in bed and he should meet me right there in that very bed. We won’t do anything all day except lie in bed and giggle, nod off to sleep, wake up, get lunch and get back into bed or be completely wild and have lunch in bed too. This is a dream of mine. I can but dream.

So apart from really looking forward to going out tonight and getting out of the house I would like to stay in bed all day and rest. The funny thing is we’ll go out tonight and come home in the very early hours and have to get up very early the next day because the kids will wake up around 7 am full of energy after having a wonderful night’s sleep.

That will teach us for going out and having a good time without them.

Oh well, at least we got out of the house.

Good weekend

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

The weekend started with Adam and I hauling more logs from the back of the house to the front. We have lots of wood for people from the trees that came down a couple of weeks ago.

The weather was gorgeous, mild at 58 degrees and sunny.

We decided that we would only spend about an hour and half bringing the logs around because we wanted to get out and enjoy the sunshine.

At eleven, we took the kids to the park and then came back and had lunch.

During the afternoon we went to our local park and had fun kicking a soccer ball around. I was actually surprised at how good Leo was with the ball.  He kicked and kicked and ran and ran. It was non stop and he laughed and giggled the whole time.

On Sunday we spent most of the day outdoors too.

It was another lovely day.

It started with Leo and I going over to a neighbors to see if the girls wanted to play soccer with us. We played for about an hour and then came home for lunch.

After lunch Roma went to sleep. Leo, Adam and I went outdoors and saw our neighbors outside too. Leo went off and played with five year old Gina while we stood talking with her mom and dad. We were then joined by another neighbor whose daughter was napping but whose son was strapped to dad in the baby carrier. We talked and laughed about our yards mostly and the amount of work that needed doing. We were then joined by some more neighbors who had been gardening and decided to join in the chat. We stood chatting for about twenty minutes, until the wife of baby carrying dad, joined us. We had the whole street out. It was so fun. Adam got some beers another neighbor got some chocolate minty cookies and we continued to laugh and chat some more.

We had come out at 1.30 PM ¬†and it was nearly 4.00 PM when we finally parted and went indoors. In between we’d got babies and toddlers up from naps to join in the fun.

To top the day off Adam cooked dinner. He did a lovely steak and mash with asparagus tips dinner for us. It was delicious.

Adam and I played tennis on the WII. I finally beat him three games to two. I have never beat him. It was great.

We had such a fun weekend.

Let’s go for a walk today

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

It’s been a long weekend.

Leo nor Roma attend daycare on a Friday. Then came the weekend which was followed today with President’s Day. ¬†Adam went to work ¬†which left me with 4 whole days of the kids. I’m not complaining but I am looking forward to having a few hours to myself today.

It has been a busy weekend with Adam and I working on the yard and then placing an ad in Craigslist for free firewood.  So far we have had over 30 people contact us.  We let a foster parent come first. She along with one of the kids she fosters and a work colleague came early on Sunday morning and loaded up the back of the car with as much as they could fit in it.

Around lunchtime a couple came by. The wife had contacted us saying her husband had been out of work for awhile and they needed the firewood for  heating. They came with a big truck and loaded up that vehicle with so much wood. Adam and I helped to pack the logs in. They left with huge smiles on their faces. They were so appreciative.

We have plenty of wood and plenty more of people to come.

Today, I didn’t want to arrange anyone coming by. I wanted to spend some time outdoors with the kids instead of waiting for people to arrive.

This morning, as soon as Adam left, I decided that we should go for a walk. I didn’t want to go to the park because it rained last night so the grass would be quite muddy.

Leo wanted to wear his firemen boots, as he calls them.

We headed down the hill in the opposite direction of the park when Leo asked where are we going. I told him for walk. Leo said he wanted to go to the park. I told him the slides and swings would be wet. He said he still wanted to go. We turned and came back up the hill and into the park.

I didn’t bring the stroller because Roma likes to walk outdoors now she can walk but not today. ¬†I ended up carrying her for more than an hour because ¬†she didn’t feel like walking at all. Leo didn’t mind going down the wet slides or sitting on the swings and playing with the two other boys he met there but Roma was having none of it.

We came home and I hosed down my muddy boots and Leo’s firemen boots. Roma’s shoes did not need cleaning. Not even a splash of mud touched her shoes. Lucky for her but unlucky for my lovely boots. Oh well.

Happy Valentine’s cool dude

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Valentine's card from Dani

Leo doesn’t go to daycare on Friday’s but today was his Valentine’s Day party so he would get to spend the morning at school.

Yesterday, when Adam was dropping him off, a little girl called Dani ran up to Leo gently pushing Adam out of the way. Dani gave Leo a great big hug, her arms open wide and embraced him tightly. Leo stood there motionless like he was saying why is this girl all over me. He played it totally cool in front of his classmates. Dani didn’t care. ¬†Dani smiled happily. Dani’s mom explained to Adam that Dani was so excited to see Leo. She comes home from daycare on Tuesday’s talking about Leo. Leo is now in the three’s class but Dani is in the two and half class. They used to be in the same class until Leo got moved up in January. Dani came to Leo’s class to see him before going to her class.

The love connection, for Dani at least, started on a Tuesday. Tuesday is Tumble Bus day. The bus comes by and for those parents who sign their kids up for it, the kids get to play on the bus for half an hour or so. The Tumble Bus is a school bus that has been converted into a comfy, padded out gym. The two of them play games and generally have fun tumbling.

Dani goes home and tells her mom all about her fun time with Leo. Leo has mentioned the name Dani to me a few times. The only reason I have remembered is because all the other names of his friends are boys.  He must like her  a bit too.

Before we left the house he asked me if he would see Dani today.

The boy played it cool in front of the girl who adores him but privately he was really looking forward to seeing her again.

Happy Valentine’s everyone.

Kids like their routines

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Adam didn’t get home until 8.30 last night. He had dinner with his work colleagues downtown.

When I picked Leo up  from school and came home, we spent 45 minutes watching the workmen cut down trees branches and then grind them up.  Leo absolutely loved it and so did the other kids on our street.

( See previous post )

We didn’t get indoors until 5.45 which meant bath time and dinner was a little later than usual.

After dinner I put the TV on for half an hour while I tidied up. I then took Roma to our room to read stories like I always do at 7.30. ¬†Leo strolled in saying he had turned off the TV and wanted to read stories too. Normally, Adam reads Leo’s stories in Leo bedroom but as there was no Adam tonight it would be different.

I finished Roma’s books and then changed her diaper. Decided I may as well put Leo on the toilet so he could do his pee and then I brushed his teeth. We all went back to my room where I put Roma in her chair and ¬†she drank her milk and then I brushed her teeth.

Leo and I said goodnight ¬†to Roma and we both went to his room and I read stories. After stories I sat in the rocking chair while Leo lay in bed. We both heard the key in the front door. It was Adam who had come home earlier than I had expected. Leo was suddenly more alert and awake and once Adam pushed Leo’s bedroom door open that was it for Leo. He was now ready to go with his own stories to tell daddy about his day at school and coming home and seeing the workmen on the trees. I crept out of the room.

Adam left his room around 8.55. He put Roma into her crib as she was fast asleep. Leo was not. Adam told Leo to stay in his bed. Leo said he would. Leo did not. We had just settled down to watching 24 when we heard a small cry from Roma. We waited. We then heard a full blown cry from Roma. When I entered the room Leo was sat up in Roma’s crib. Roma was sitting up too. Crying. ¬† I took her back to our room and put her back in her chair. Adam put Leo back in his bed. He left a tearful, screaming Leo, in his room.

Thank God for the DVR. Adam was recording 24 anyway.  We settled down again and at around 9.40 we put Roma back in her crib. Leo was sound asleep.

Normally sleep time for Leo is pretty good but because daddy wasn’t home to tuck him in and read stories it had completely thrown Leo from his usual routine.

It should all go smoothly tonight. Daddy’s coming straight home after work.

Goodbye to the trees

Monday, February 8th, 2010

As I type this there are about 7 men outside my house cutting down dead trees, cutting back branches and generally making lots of noise and lots of mess.

We had three estimates last week and went with the final guy who just happened to be the cheapest.

Adam and I know nothing about trees and walked around our house nodding and saying okay when they each told us what we needed to do.

One of ¬†the huge trees has to go because it is causing cracks on the ground plus all the branches over hang our back deck which if a big storm came could tear our home in half. ¬†It’s sad that we are losing this tree but rather the tree than a life, right?

The other trees are smaller. I have always hated them because they look so sad like they want to die. I was so relieved when Mr tree expert said that they were dead and may as well  be cut down.

I keep taking a peek at how the work is going. 

The small trees have gone and it looks so bare and open out there. Oh my gosh. We can see clearly right over to the other side of the street. It seems so strange. I miss the trees already. I feel bad.

It will be long evening.  

Adam is going to a work dinner with the rest of his team tonight. Lucky. ¬†This means that I will be putting both kids to bed. Normally Adam does Leo and I do Roma, in separate bedrooms. ¬†We have tried to put them down together but as they share a bedroom it’s ¬†so much easier if they are both asleep before taking Roma into the room. ¬†

Not sure what time Adam will stroll in tonight but he’s sure to get a shock when he sees the lack of trees at his house.

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