tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44639880573869938972011-11-01T20:19:55.861-07:00Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.comBlogger2111100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-8705163435617227082011-11-01T20:10:00.000-07:002011-11-01T20:10:32.329-07:00

When you don't talk to your kids about the important issues, such as the Tooth Fairy, then someone else will.  Someone really convoluted according to the conversation I had with my daughter. TinaToothLoser: I have to wiggle my tooth, so it comes out. Awesomeness: What happens when your tooth comes out? TinaToothLoser: Well, first you wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.  And then your tooth comes out.  Then

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-37465723050856028342011-10-15T12:51:00.000-07:002011-10-15T12:52:25.477-07:00

I took the last couple of days off from work, which means I've gotten to spend a lot of time I don't normally get to with my kiddos.  Long hours.  Long, loud hours.  Long, loud hours filled with Shaun the Sheep and cleaning up pee. I am ready to go back to work now. The one thing I will say about staying at home with my kids: I am now very afraid for their future.  I expect to give them advice

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-79068707550788606202011-10-14T10:02:00.000-07:002011-10-15T12:53:01.085-07:00

Recently, my little PollyPastDweller has been recalling her fondest memories: You remember when I was one year old and I missed you? Well, when I was 4 years old I threw up, like this, "Bbbblllllllllllleeeeeeccccchhhhhh!"  You remember that? When I was a little baby, I used to squirm a lot, but now I hold still. You remember when I was 3 years old and we went to the store and I was very loud?

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-88843189286534664272011-09-20T05:30:00.004-07:002011-10-15T12:53:38.557-07:00

The last couple of months have been taken up with some carefully planned lessons for HannahHomeSchool.  What I wasn't planning for was having to create eighth-time's-a-charm-style revisions to my carefully laid lesson plans. Take counting, for instance.  I've just been working with her on sequence and it's been a struggle. Flash cards = fail.  Counting physical objects = fail.  Counting along

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-22416377100641231682011-07-08T13:17:00.000-07:002011-07-08T13:17:49.415-07:00

After almost a year in speech therapy, BobbyBlabberMouth is finally starting to open up and use his words to tell us what he needs.  A year ago, he wouldn't say anything or even try to communicate with us non-verbally, so this is amazing for us.  We finally know what our little boy wants. He wants juice. Lots and lots and lots of juice. All day long, I'm pouring this kid juice. He drinks so

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-44602516945536560952011-07-07T11:18:00.000-07:002011-07-07T11:18:43.645-07:00

The decision to keep LucyLearnsALot out of school for the next year was not an easy one.  Or one that we even got to make without a degree of coersion.  We felt strongly that she was ready to join her friends in a structured class environment and to learn things beyond what we've been teaching at home, but unfortunately the school system disagreed.  In short, we live too far away from work to

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-61619338124650817922011-05-21T16:47:00.000-07:002011-05-21T16:47:04.168-07:00

In the daily struggle to keep things fair and balanced, we sometimes have losing moments.  They're not all bad, though, because sometimes they turn into unexpectedly funny moments. Mr. Awesomeness: Buddy, what do you want to watch?Buddy: Wanna watch Wall-E!Not Buddy: No! We watched Wall-E already.  We need to watch Tangled.Mr. Awesomeness: Honey, I think it's Buddy's turn to watch a movie.  You

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-75435526061785764172011-05-08T08:54:00.000-07:002011-05-08T08:54:44.350-07:00

When you ask me about my favorite part of the morning, I might respond in 4 different ways: When I walked into the kids' room to find NatureBoy completely nude, but his sister in the corner trying to hide the fact that she was wearing his pajamas. When the kids ran out of the room and I had to slow them down by reminding them that they forgot their clothes and NatureBoy said, "Sowwy Mama." When

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-57312634955581525932011-05-04T20:49:00.001-07:002011-05-04T20:50:19.844-07:00

I love Nick Jr.  Most of the time.  Most of the time, they play fantastic programming that helps my kids learn an amazing amount of information.  Sometimes, though, there's a 30-odd-year old dick on there singing about wanting to be a polar bear. I've always had a certain amount of hatred for grown-ups who sing kid songs.  Even when I was a kid, I wondered how the hell their life went that wrong

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-78246204609333421722011-05-01T10:51:00.000-07:002011-05-01T10:51:55.458-07:00

The other day, on the drive in to work, I thought I lost my phone.  I could clearly see myself tossing it into my purse before leaving the house, but it was nowhere in my purse, on the floor of the car, anywhere. Mr. A and I immediately began to discuss what could have happened and, since we were only a few minutes away, whether or not we should turn around to find it.  We had PunchlinePatty in

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-89218575289106764932011-04-29T21:00:00.000-07:002011-04-29T21:00:15.125-07:00

My baby's finally talking.  He's needed about 6 months of speech therapy to open up, but he's finally getting there.  I can't believe the progress he's making too.  He's not just saying words, but also answering questions.  On top of that, he's actually asking for things he needs.  Like tonight when we had a real conversation: ChattyCharlie: I'm hungry.  Awesomeness: You need some food?

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-52934626289694135092011-04-27T20:48:00.000-07:002011-04-27T20:48:50.492-07:00

I'm catching up on my reading when PatientPatty walks up and taps me on the shoulder. PatientPatty: Mama. Awesomeness: Yes, honey. PatientPatty: Mama, can I wait for a little while? Awesomeness: Um, what?  I don't think I heard you right.  What do you need? PatientPatty: I want to wait for just a little while. Awesomeness: Yeah....well, you can wait all you want.  Go play. She does.  I get back

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-7249569916196774322011-04-25T20:10:00.001-07:002011-04-27T20:35:42.406-07:00

I worry about my girl sometimes.  She gets along okay in school, but she doesn't seem to enjoy it very much.  I figure I'm in trouble, since this is preschool, so the hardest thing she has to do all day is trace a Q with a crayon. She's also turning 5 this year, which means that Mr. A and I have a hard choice to make about whether to send her to Kindergarten in August or to give her one more year

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-53407390155373297782011-04-24T13:10:00.000-07:002011-04-24T13:10:05.574-07:00

This year we decided to get the kids Easter baskets that had more gifts they could trash my floor with enjoy and less candy for us them to eat.  What we ended up with was a pink basket with "rock star" themed toys for her (that he would totally play with) and a big truck basket for him (no seriously, it just had a truck in it...I'm not even sure why they bothered with the basket). While

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-76768287762493064412011-04-18T21:17:00.000-07:002011-04-18T21:17:17.603-07:00

Yesterday, SicklySuzie got sick.  All over the place.  I am generally useless in these situations, since I'm a sympathetic puker.  All I could do is sit across the room, try not to look at her and take shallow breaths until Mr. A got it all cleaned up. This happens often enough that we have a special bucket that we pull out, just in case she's ready for another round and can't make it to the

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-66697535214797914892011-04-07T20:19:00.001-07:002011-04-08T21:15:56.854-07:00

How GretaGuineaPigExpert found out about guinea pigs is anyone's guess, but tonight she gave me a complimentary guinea pig lesson. GretaGPE: Mama, we need to go to the guinea pig store. For whatever reason, she thinks that everything has its own store. Awesomeness: What are we going to get at the guinea pig store? Should be obvious, but what else am I talking about with a 4-year old?

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-24613908466856023812011-04-07T20:01:00.000-07:002011-04-07T20:01:54.301-07:00

Earlier this evening, ClumsyCathy smashed her finger in a kitchen drawer. ClumsyCathy: Ow!  Mama my finger is broken! I inspected the finger and found it to be very not broken. Awesomeness: Honey, your finger is fine. ClumsyCathy: But Mama, I broke it. Awesomeness: You know what happens to broken fingers right? ClumsyCathy: What? Awesomeness: We cut them off.  Are you ready? I'm guessing the

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-91376026072709873262011-03-20T08:01:00.000-07:002011-03-20T08:01:55.562-07:00

SnottySuzie has a runny nose.  We've been running after the poor girl for the last day with tissue after tissue.  When she doesn't have one available, she'll use whatever's handy: her shirt, my shirt, her arm.  We're trying to break her of that habit. Yesterday, when I caught her wiping her nose on her shirt: Awesomeness:  Suzie, we don't wipe our nose on our shirt.   SnottySuzie: But, Mama, I

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-17444002527557814882011-03-18T21:11:00.000-07:002011-03-18T21:11:47.971-07:00

My kids almost never watch commercial television.  I hate commercials.  When they need ("need") to watch something, we have about a thousand movies and a good selection of programs to choose from on Netflix. Aside from that, they end up watching Nick Jr. a bit, which is commercial-free television.  The point is that, so far, I haven't been bothered with requests for the new cool 'Betsy Wetsy' or

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-58696111951975403182011-03-10T20:31:00.000-07:002011-03-10T20:31:48.215-07:00

The other night, while I was trying to finish a post for my other blog, CameraHogCarla came by and wanted to play.  I had been trying to work on this for a couple of days already and was determined to finally make some progress before I completely lost my train of thought. Carla was persistent and eventually I had to take on an "if I can't beat her, I might as well join her" attitude. I've

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-82734560299257702482011-03-06T21:16:00.000-07:002011-03-06T21:16:27.016-07:00

My girl is a special kid.  She doesn't do anything half-ass.  Ham for the camera: Wrestle her brother while hamming for the camera: Getting sick: The kid has been sick for almost a whole month now.  I don't know precisely what she came down with this time, but I do know that, over the last month, she's been on 2 different antibiotics, 2 fever reducers, a cough suppressant, a laxative (sorry..

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-60787418352936548362011-02-28T21:15:00.001-07:002011-02-28T21:16:04.514-07:00

I don't make friends easily.  Getting out of the house, outside of work, is damn-near impossible.  Getting out of the house without hubby or kids in tow: down-right impossible.  I'm also a bit of a spaz, which pretty much works like friend repellent. Oh, also, I'm kind of an asshole.  Especially about other people being assholes. Some people refer to it as a negative attitude, but I'm actually

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-23289547744279091992011-02-27T17:51:00.000-07:002011-02-27T17:51:30.473-07:00

Lunchtime in our house is not usually a special occasion.  I make some sort of food and serve it up on a plate.  One kid picks at it for 3 hours.  The other kid dumps it on the floor, then eats it from under the table. I've served the kids on a set of different-colored plastic plates for a long time now.  (Or when I forget to do dishes, the kids tend to eat from disposable Tupperware or .... ah,

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-15498656516570552392011-02-19T16:23:00.000-07:002011-02-19T16:23:42.953-07:00

LucyLooneyTunesFan has been obsessed with Looney Tunes lately.  It's cute.  Her favorite (right now) is Marvin the Martian.  She's apparently making plans to go to Mars and share a balloon with him... Anyway, the one LTer who is on her naughty list right now: Bugs Bunny.  How did he end up annoying her?  Well, during one episode, he misses the left turn at Albuquerque (again) and ends up in a

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-39615214699574528482011-02-09T19:03:00.000-07:002011-02-09T19:03:40.706-07:00

Whenever I get home from work, I like to find out right away what kind of day my kids had.  Did they eat?  Did they nap?  Was there anything unusual that went on that day that I need to be aware of? There are days, like today, when I wished I never asked. Mr. Awesomeness: Oh, by the way, apparently our daughter has been either sticking something between her teeth or picking at her gums with her

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-29645872215682755862011-02-07T05:27:00.000-07:002011-02-07T05:27:50.108-07:00

It's a frequent complaint of our childless friends.  I'm sure every parent has heard it at some point.  Beyond the usual tired excuse of it being a big hassle to pack kids up and get them out to someone else's house, there is another reason.  A good one. Destruction. There's only so much of it that you can curtail.  I don't care how good a parent you are, kids are kids.  Especially when you

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-62968805556380243982011-01-28T21:07:00.000-07:002011-01-28T21:07:24.671-07:00

NamelessNancy has always had a hard time with names.  She didn't learn her own until she was 3.  All of her best friends at school are named Boy and Girl.  Sometimes the parents get really fancy and name their kid Thatoneboy or Theothergirl. One exercise that we do with her, is challenge her to name her stuff animals.  We might remember that we've had some success when she named her stuffed

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-44683901155213620552011-01-26T18:59:00.001-07:002011-01-27T05:25:00.534-07:00

RubyRoughRider: Um, Mama. Awesomeness: Um, Ruby.  (This is how most of our conversations start nowadays.) RubyRoughRider: Kitty is too small. This statement makes me nervous. Awesomeness: Kitty is too small for what, honey? RubyRoughRider: Kitty is too small to sit on. Awesomeness: Yes, honey.  You shouldn't sit on the cat.  She's too small to ride and you could really hurt her. RubyRoughRider:

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-28546742532140706882011-01-26T05:43:00.000-07:002011-01-26T05:43:28.789-07:00

I like to be asleep at 2 a.m., Mr.BlabbyBobby.  Instead, this morning I woke to the sound of your happy chatting.  I was about to go back to sleep when you started yelling: Bye!  Byyyyyyyyyyyye!  Bye!For half an hour. I know if I go into your room to quiet you, I'm going to end up either listening to you cry for an hour or putting you to sleep with me.  Happy chatting and bye-byes are much

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-30062431851156298312011-01-19T21:04:00.000-07:002011-01-19T21:04:00.753-07:00

GretaGameJunkie got a new Leapster for Christmas.  She packs that thing around with her wherever she goes.  I will say that those things are probably the best thing that ever happened to the battery industry.  I'm not sure that it keeps a charge for an entire week of play. The point is, Mr. Awesomeness gets tired of replacing the batteries so often and will often lie to Greta about what it will

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-63673779274239962382011-01-17T06:10:00.001-07:002011-01-17T06:10:39.681-07:00

Every year, Mr. A's boss gives him a tin of Kirkland European cookies.  It takes  us an eternity to finish off these tins because we're not huge cookie eaters. (I mean that both figuratively and literally.)  Never fear, CalvinCookieMonster has been making a vehement volunteer pitch to help move this along. Just yesterday, it started as soon as he woke up: Awesomeness: Good morning sunshine!  

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-5383888651390782092011-01-13T19:10:00.000-07:002011-01-13T19:10:12.920-07:00

Every night at bedtime, we do the stuffed animal shuffle.  We allow CarrieCritterHoarder to keep 2 of them in her bed.  Before we put a limit on it, she thought 16 was a reasonable number.  So a part of our nightly routine is to determine which to of her million "favorites" will make the cut. Last night, her first choice was The Grinch.  For her second choice, she selected a fuzzy, white bunny

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-67246447401701342262010-12-27T18:53:00.000-07:002010-12-27T18:53:05.948-07:00

Today, I realized that we are officially out of apple juice.  This would not normally be an issue, but my son prefers it and, since he's sick, he's even more particular than usual about getting his way.  When I announced that we were out of apple juice, HelpfulHannah stepped in to help me identify the apple juice that, very obviously, had to be in the fridge.  I must be getting ill myself,

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-64078779538031735892010-12-26T10:06:00.000-07:002010-12-26T10:06:37.453-07:00

If my ultimate goal during the Christmas season is to make sure that my children understand that the holiday is all about giving, then I have succeeded.  Yesterday, my kids gave to me all day long: 8:45 a.m.: My daughter gave me an ulcer. We had just finished unwrapping the last of our gifts when MaryChristmas suddenly announced that she needed to go downstairs now and take a nap on the couch.

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-83918656573829672732010-12-11T09:17:00.000-07:002010-12-11T09:17:13.222-07:00

SilentBob, I've been hoping that you would start communicating with us for a long time now.  You held out for so long that your pediatrician now swears you're autistic.  We both know that's not true, so we sit and patiently wait for a time when you can communicate your needs.  And now you do... SilentBob: Grink!! Awesomeness: Oh! You need a drink, buddy?  Good job!  Let me get you a drink. 15

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-26107990750627154762010-11-25T09:19:00.000-07:002010-11-25T09:19:05.395-07:00

For the past 5 years, we've deep fried our Thanksgiving turkey.  Oh, and then again for Christmas.  We will pretty much look for any excuse under the sun to fry a turkey, now that I come to think of it. Anyway, so all this turkey frying has finally worn out our fryer pot to the extent that we felt it necessary to buy a new one.  Thanksgiving Day being a day for turkey, football and laziness, we

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-9149692622856278452010-11-24T05:38:00.000-07:002010-11-24T05:38:34.878-07:00

I'm not sure who's idea it was to desecrate a classic, but this turd will soon be out in theaters: CarrieCartoonFan was riveted when the trailer came on yesterday. When it was over, I asked her: Awesomeness: Do you want to watch that bear? CarrieCartoonFan: *stares at the screen for about 5 seconds, then looks up -- frowning* No, Mama... You can't get a more honest and useful critique than

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-22227502424353212752010-11-19T21:02:00.000-07:002010-11-19T21:02:57.433-07:00

Welcome to my Friday hell. It started when HelgaHurtsALot somehow found a way to scrape her knee on laminate flooring.  She is the master of unlikely injuries.  The knee started to bleed, so I patched her up with some ointment and a Band-Aid.  Little did I suspect that this would lead to 2 hours of verbal torture.  It started off cute enough, just after applying the Band-Aid... Awesomeness:

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-37367333777983413282010-11-18T20:44:00.000-07:002010-11-18T20:44:29.433-07:00

Tonight I cut my thumb while preparing dinner.  Preparing dinner is something I don't do often, because cutting my thumb -- or any other finger -- is not a rare occurrence with me.  I quickly washed it off and got a Band-Aid.  Mr. Awesomeness decided this was the point where he needed to step in and take over the cooking duties (seriously, works like a charm every time ladies) and I left the

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-33072101874490908942010-11-15T20:11:00.000-07:002010-11-15T20:11:23.475-07:00

On the way home today, I was starting to think that DollyDrivingDirector was showing a natural talent for driving instruction: DDD: You need get over now daddy. Mr. Awesomeness: What?DDD: (silence)Mr. Awesomeness: What did you say?DDD: (silence)Mr. Awesomeness: I think she was talking crap about my driving.Awesomeness: Thank you for being Dada's driving coach.DDD: You're welcome mama.Mr.

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-91404771932441972042010-11-02T14:25:00.000-07:002010-11-02T14:25:03.419-07:00

Well, today's the big day.  Toy Story 3 comes out on DVD.  MarthaMovieFan is very excited.  She kept asking for it all day yesterday.  Today, her daddy is taking her to get it.  She excitedly runs up the stairs for her clothes and then oddly points out that her brother's bed is very clean.  Strange comment... I grab her clothes out of the closet just to turn around and find her jumping up and

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-53222830234766525982010-11-01T08:55:00.000-07:002010-11-01T08:55:23.888-07:00

Yesterday, CathyCandyGrabber went trick-or-treating for the first time.  We reminded her of what the rules were before she left: 1. Knock on the door. 2. Wait for the door to open. 3. When the door opens say, "Trick or treat!" 4. Candy. 5. Say "thank you." When she came home with her daddy half an hour later, he tells me she made up her own rules: 1. Make daddy knock on the door. 2. Turn to

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-85693219812704242452010-10-27T19:32:00.000-07:002010-10-27T19:32:13.048-07:00

Sassypants was living up to her screen name all over the place today.  When I got home, I discovered that she asked for noodles for dinner and didn't eat them.  That's a deal breaker in this house and results in requests for additional food to go ignored. She doesn't care, she makes them anyway. Insistently. SassyPants: Can I have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Awesomeness: No.  You

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-23126709506149577502010-10-24T20:38:00.000-07:002010-10-24T20:38:40.216-07:00

HairyHarry needed a haircut.  He was starting to look really shaggy and my horrible haircutting atrocities that I thought I'd so cleverly hidden were starting to shine through.  It was time to take action. This is a picture from a couple of days ago: Look at his sweet little curls.  I hate to cut them off, but I know I would go ballistic the first time someone commented on my "sweet little

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-13932425987160104352010-10-23T08:30:00.000-07:002010-10-23T08:30:25.674-07:00

Breakfast is really granola this morning, but we're watching the '70s cartoon adaptation of Green Eggs and Ham at the same time. HenryHollers-a-lot likes to "sing" along with the songs, which I find cute.  Apparently ShushyShirley does not appreciate his enthusiasm. Henry: AHHHH AH BAH BAH BAH! Shirley: STOP YELLING!! Henry: NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES! Shirley: YOU NO YELL BUDDY!  I CAN'T HEAR MY

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-3800450271873190252010-10-21T05:36:00.000-07:002010-10-21T05:36:02.186-07:00

Today, in the kids' speech therapy, LiteralLulu was playing a game that challenged her to think about the general categories of objects on a flashcard.  She was doing great until she got a card where the items seemed unrelated to her at first. Speech Therapist: Okay, Lulu, what do you see here? LiteralLulu: I see a lettuce (actually this is peas, but she calls all green vegetables lettuce...),

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-77963816371903647742010-10-17T12:05:00.000-07:002010-10-17T12:05:01.226-07:00

This morning was not good for me.  After an entire week of having half the world in my face from sun up to sun down, my mind and body just crashed and burned.  I got the kids up, thinking I could manage if I could get them fed and then engaged in something.  No, I was done.  I needed more sleep. That's what I thought I needed anyway, DoctorDotty had a different opinion. DoctorDotty: What you

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-88234076900495607472010-10-16T10:43:00.000-07:002010-10-16T10:43:02.992-07:00

Last Christmas, BedtimeBetty's dad gave her the moon.  A Moon In My Room, anyway.  Even after a year, she's still excited about her moon and spends time every night clicking it to whichever phase makes her most happy.  Last night her moon -- and her heart -- broke. BedtimeBetty: I want my moooooooon!  Awesomeness: Aw, don't cry baby, you can see your moon tomorrow. Mr. Awesomeness: Your moon is

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-69691650769866148342010-10-12T21:22:00.000-07:002010-10-12T21:22:01.988-07:00

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-76091510619836335832010-10-06T10:44:00.000-07:002010-10-06T10:44:45.268-07:00

TashaTattleTale: Mama! Mama!  The kitty has a rock. Awesomeness: Uh.  The kitty has a rock?  Is that what you said? TashaTattleTale: Yeah! The kitty has a rock. Awesomeness: Okaaaaay.  Thanks for letting me know. I look at the cat, who does not appear to have anything that even remotely looks like a rock.  I have no idea what this kid is talking about. TashaTattleTale: The kitty sit on himself.

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-37394289871208249782010-09-22T06:24:00.000-07:002010-09-22T06:24:37.126-07:00

Last night when we got home: MollyWordMangler: Mama!  Mama!  Can I watch the lardass? Awesomeness: Um......can you watch what, honey? MollyWordMangler: The lardass! Awesomeness: You want to watch the lardass? MollyWordMangler: Yeah! Yeah!  Let's watch the lardass!! Awesomeness: I'm not sure I know that one.  Can you tell me which one it is? MollyWordMangler: It's the lardass.  He speak for the

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-40148913345949522802010-09-19T09:51:00.000-07:002010-09-19T09:51:31.193-07:00

We've been working with the kids a lot lately with their speech (why I haven't found time for, say, updating blogs).  They're both pretty far behind where they should be for their age groups, so we've picked up a speech therapist who gives us homework for the kids every week. This week RachelRuleLearner is learning how to pay attention to two-part rules and instructions; this lesson includes

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-50893784505192675182010-09-03T05:41:00.000-07:002010-09-03T05:41:11.021-07:00

I'm starting to think that Mr. A needs to hold his temper a little more in traffic.  TerraTrafficTerror sits right behind him and has nothing better to do but yell from the backseat: Hey!  Get outta the way dude!Honka horn Dada.WHOA!  Whatta jerk.

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-5538396550972213602010-08-22T09:25:00.000-07:002010-08-22T09:25:54.217-07:00

I'm just feeling all stuck up from winning the Worst Mom In The Universe award or something.  Two things have happened over the course of the last couple of weeks that I've almost completely neglected to write about: 1. Happy 2nd Birthday to Count Crybaby I know I mentioned it in passing in another post, but I thought it was worth it's own announcement.  The day was fun.  We went grocery

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-68779438787873666112010-08-09T05:50:00.000-07:002010-08-09T05:50:17.685-07:00

Over the weekend, BillyBirthdayBoy amassed himself a good little stockpile of brand new toys.  I don't know how other families work, but the boundaries of "ownership" in our house are a little fuzzy.  Whenever we get toys, we try to keep both of our kids in mind, as they both end up equally claiming everything. I thought maybe TashaToySnatcher was old enough to start grasping the concept of

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-2574211333213277772010-08-07T09:57:00.000-07:002010-08-07T09:57:06.479-07:00

Today is Count Crybaby's second birthday.  I asked his sister what she wanted to do to celebrate.  Her answers: We sing "Happy Birthday".  We hab presents.  And we put the presents unner the tree!A tree? Yeah, we put brudder's presents unner the tree! Anyone know where I can pick up a birthday tree? 

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-15211850917197006222010-08-05T20:36:00.000-07:002010-08-05T20:36:03.569-07:00

The kids woke up while I was getting ready for work.  I was already running late, so I brought them into my bedroom with me and just let them play around.  They love to bounce on my bed and were keeping each other company.  It was going great, until I hear: SoniaSnifferson: Mama, you smell sumpin? Awesomeness: ....Nooooooo....what do you smell? SoniaSnifferson: It smell like danger. Awesomeness:

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-1000118378009556932010-07-16T15:47:00.002-07:002010-07-16T15:51:21.268-07:00

This last week I've been on vacation.  That means I've spent most of my waking moments with my destructive, back-talking maniacs sweet angel children. Here are my favorite quotes from the week courtesy of WandaWordsmith: Tuesday: We took her in for a speech evaluation (finally, I know) where she was walked through a series of pictures and she was asked to discern whether the pictured item was a

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-48277983641690780622010-07-11T11:40:00.000-07:002010-07-11T11:40:32.168-07:00

RonnieRoommate, you've been in our bedroom now for almost 2 years.  I mean really, that's 20 years in Grown-Ups-Who-Don't-Want-To-Share-Rooms-With-Babies time.  I think you were a couple of weeks away from studying for your college entrance exams.  It was time. Yesterday your Dada and I spent most of the day reorganizing your sister's room to get your bed in there.  We crammed the dresser and

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-40695901805796883812010-07-04T13:06:00.000-07:002010-07-04T13:06:06.333-07:00

Grateful Dead's Casey Jones 

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-6419754063406304962010-06-29T05:40:00.002-07:002010-06-29T19:17:42.447-07:00

CaveBabyCalvin doesn't talk.  He's just over a month away from his second birthday and he just grunts and cries when he wants something.  We're trying not to freak out too much about it, because his sister was pretty much the same way. We're working with him though.  So far: we read to him, we name everything he touches, but we have also put together a collection of pictures in different

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-18403380993331000412010-06-27T15:52:00.000-07:002010-06-27T15:52:40.397-07:00

Yep.  My kids are going to need some therapy when we get done with them.  Today's reason: Every once in a while, PeggyPeePeePants will get too involved in whatever she's doing and forget to go to the bathroom until the last minute.  A year ago, we let her slide on that.  She'd just gotten the hang of going on the toilet, so we figured she needed a break.  Now, however, she's 4 years old.  She's

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-41257539866629053322010-06-20T18:52:00.000-07:002010-06-20T18:52:24.712-07:00

I'm beginning to think that we allow SuzieSquarePantsFan to watch a little too much SpongeBob SquarePants.  It's been her favorite show since she was a year old and she still frequently asks to watch old episodes.  Sometimes enough is enough though... Suzie: I wanna watch more SpongeBob. Awesomeness: No, ma'am.  We've seen enough of him for the day. Suzie: I wanna just watch that one SpongeBob..

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-75252991385952515592010-06-14T19:45:00.000-07:002010-06-14T19:45:01.256-07:00

I was cruising the grocery store today with PaulaRevere, when someone drove by in one of those little scooter things. Paula: Mama, what that?Awesomeness: It's a scooter.Paula: A scooter?Awesomeness: It's so people can ride around when they can't walk very well.Paula: They drive 'round and 'round in the scooter?Awesomeness: Yep.  We have to be careful and watch out for the people in the scooters.

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-9364376949650247842010-06-13T20:16:00.001-07:002010-06-13T20:18:36.521-07:00

Mr. A and DrummerDaisy were sitting on the couch earlier today.  Daisy was playing a toy drum that sings in Spanish.   After about 5 minutes of listening to it, Mr. A got annoyed and switched her drum to English. Mr. A:  Maybe the drum should sing in English for a while.  You already know more Spanish than me, kid.Daisy: Hey, you switch my drum!Mr. A: Yep, because I'm the best daddy ever.Daisy:

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-4986029616530441512010-06-13T14:47:00.000-07:002010-06-13T14:47:47.482-07:00

Play Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-39240971709606592102010-06-13T10:57:00.000-07:002010-06-13T10:57:21.402-07:00

BettyBlame-Shifter: Mama, I want some fish. (Goldfish crackers) So, I got her some fish.  She then proceeds to sit on the couch with her bowl of fish. Awesomeness: Young lady, we don't sit on  the couch with the fish.  Please take them to your table. BettyBlame-Shifter: OOOOOOOOOOOH-taaaaaaaay.  As she's getting up from the couch, she tips her bowl over.  Who didn't see that coming?

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-77157367429893914232010-06-02T19:36:00.000-07:002010-06-02T19:36:00.570-07:00

Mr. A was in the kitchen earlier this evening, fixing dinner and chatting with me, when it occurs to him that he left the door to the office open. The office, A.K.A. the Room of Doom is now infested by GilbertGrabbyHands.  This occurs to Mr. A very suddenly and he runs, frantically, for the room.  Two seconds later, I hear: Oh yeah!  That's just fucking awesome. This isn't good.  Before I could

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-64803441701214462232010-05-17T21:41:00.000-07:002010-05-17T21:41:08.312-07:00

Tonight, BabyHoudini, I'm ready for you.  We got your crib knocked down to the lowest setting, I've got the door closed and the gate up at the top of the stairs.  I camped out at the top of the stairs for an extra 5 minutes just in case you decided to try something funny.  I kept you up for as long as possible for maximum tiredness.  What do you have to say about that? Nothing.  I put you in

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-5095006228776191512010-05-17T05:39:00.000-07:002010-05-17T05:39:55.564-07:00

ClarenceCribClimber: Bottle Break 2010 was a success.  He hasn't had a bottle for almost 2 weeks now.  Nap time is a little hard on him, but he's been managing just fine.  Bedtime is the worst.  He still cries for up to 5 minutes when I put him to bed.  He does go to sleep though. Until last night.  We went up to bed around 9:15.  He started crying; I walked away. 15 minutes later: still

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-19353417666801901692010-05-15T08:52:00.000-07:002010-05-15T08:52:02.251-07:00

It's Saturday morning cartoon time.  We're watching a classic Road Runner/Coyote cartoon. LillyLooneyTunesFan: Look Mama!  It's a coyote!  Awesomeness: Yep, that's the coyote.  What's he doing? LillyLooneyTunesFan: The coyote is chasing the road runner.  He's a bad, bad coyote. Awesomeness: Oh no!  What's that bad, bad coyote doing now? LillyLooneyTunesFan: He gonna catch the road runner!

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-89310069520894512052010-05-14T21:02:00.000-07:002010-05-14T21:02:19.902-07:00

Today we discovered a breakthrough in fly repellent: FarahFlyHater:  Go away icky fwy! You get out my bathroom pweese. IckyFwy: bbbbbbbbzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz FarahFlyHater: Go out of my bathroom right NOW! Icky Fwy: bbbbbbbzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz FarahFlyHater:  I said RIGHT NOW!! YOU GET OUTTA MY BATHROOM RIGHT!! NOOOOOOW!!! Icky Fwy: bbbbbbbzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Yeah.  It works about as well as any

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-86289393069902514822010-05-11T22:06:00.000-07:002010-05-11T22:06:29.517-07:00

CuriousConnie has now had Sex Ed Lesson 2. Lesson 1 occurred when she discovered her little girl area and we had to give her a word to call it.  I would love to just tell her to call it a vagina, but neither Mr. A nor I really don't like the word.  So we've taken to calling it her 'gina.  Not "correct", but I don't care. Tonight, while playing with her brother in the tub, the inevitable

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-48263837498099662512010-05-09T18:04:00.000-07:002010-05-09T18:04:28.728-07:00

I have three throw blankets that hang around the living room waiting for me to catch a chill.  They never have to wait for very long, as I'm pretty much a lizard.  Recently, the kids have decided that, no matter how many of their own blankets are around, they need to use mine.  Usually as a napkin or toilet. Right now I'm shivering and hunched over my laptop, using its heat to keep my hands from

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-61935599749337553262010-05-09T09:38:00.000-07:002010-05-09T09:38:37.947-07:00

Last year for Mother's Day, I got an escapee who wrote on my walls with permanent marker.  It was not the most stellar present.  This year, however, we're trying a new tactic: selfish corruption.  We started the morning by telling BrattyBetty that today is Mother's Day.  Tell your Mama "Happy Mother's Day," BrattyB! Then, because we can tell her WHATEVER THE HELL WE WANT, Mother's Day is now a

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-43142724443208623252010-05-06T22:26:00.000-07:002010-05-06T22:26:35.563-07:00

Tonight was the night BillyBottleJunkie.  When I put you to bed, I was determined that I would not reward your crying with a bottle.  No matter how angry you got.  No matter how much snot your face got covered in.  No matter how many blankets you threw on the floor. No matter how many neighbors beat on the door telling us to tone it down. 45 minutes and 5,000 tears later, you're fast asleep.  I

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-91912474599873776812010-05-05T22:28:00.000-07:002010-05-05T22:28:29.266-07:00

The signs of bottle withdrawal: Ear shattering screams Copious outpourings of mucus Enough tears to drown a small rodent Violent kicking of crib rails Wanton destruction of nearby curtains Unrestrained blanket tossing Malicious wall-butting If your child is exhibiting any of these signs, please administer the following: One ear plug placed firmly in each ear One firmly shut door between you

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-13810588884263367572010-05-04T21:12:00.000-07:002010-05-04T21:12:33.685-07:00

It's time, Bottle-AholicBobby, to give it up.  You're 3 months shy of your 2nd birthday and you don't need the bottle to get you through the day anymore.  You're proficient in your sippie usage, so no excuses there.  You're in a good sleep pattern that leaves you nice and tired at the end of the day, so no need to be soothed to sleep. Last night you fooled me and I'm kinda pissed about getting

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-31967323618620732642010-05-03T22:40:00.000-07:002010-05-03T22:40:59.058-07:00

Happy 4th birthday!  You sure have made this last year interesting. 

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-87348595230036559982010-05-02T19:08:00.001-07:002010-05-02T19:09:31.122-07:00

What is this tantrum about? **turn your speakers down or off** My guesses: You didn't nap You have a dirty diaper You're hungry You're cold You're congested You're teething Your sister hurt your feelings Your sister took a toy from you You were stung by a bee You got abducted by aliens and were subjected to an anal probe Your guidance counselor recommended Arm Pit Sniffer You are a

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-9708309129630044222010-04-21T19:54:00.000-07:002010-04-21T19:54:53.035-07:00

Last night: MaggieMovieBuff: Mama, mama!  I wanna watch dis moobie!  Awesomeness: .... Uh, that's Boondock Saints.  I'm not sure you'll like that one.MaggieMovieBuff: I lubba dis moobie!! I wanna watch dis one .... puhleeeese.Awesomeness: I'm going to Mommy Hell for this, but okay. The theory was that she would hate it 5 minutes in and we would watch Wall-E or something instead.  We watched

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-83087413083644612552010-04-17T20:00:00.000-07:002010-04-17T20:00:50.120-07:00

InkyIrma Gets First Tattoo Where in the hell were these things when I was a kid?  There were some temporary tattoos, but back in my day, "temporary" meant: This might not even last until the backing peels off.  This thing has been on her arm now for 4 days and it's still going strong.  It's been through bathtime and everything.  Spoiled-ass kids.  I might not have felt the need to get real

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-52534682216016097492010-04-12T20:26:00.000-07:002010-04-12T20:26:23.685-07:00

Hey, BillyGoatBoy! Enough with the head butting.  I don't know where you picked this up, but you're going to end up in a plastic gerbil ball if it doesn't quit.  (My theory based on my lack of experience with boys -- read into that whatever you like -- is that it has to be a boy thing.) You've hit me so hard in the mouth you've drawn blood and I thought one of my teeth was knocked loose.  I also

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-37856818069674321622010-04-10T09:33:00.000-07:002010-04-10T09:33:15.381-07:00

I'm sitting on the couch, staring ineffectively at my Blogger Dashboard.  I'm procrastinating posting because _____insert lame reason here_____ when... LuluLoveBug comes up and gives me a great big hug.  Awwww....  Then proceeds to tell me: Eeeew Mama!  You hair is disgusting.  It smells dirty.  Bleh. Apparently my Day 3 hair is grossing out my 3-year old.  I'm going to go shower.

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-31388348211464328102010-04-04T17:17:00.000-07:002010-04-04T17:17:47.503-07:00

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-70760982353942688192010-04-01T05:19:00.000-07:002010-04-01T05:19:33.008-07:00

Dada!  I wanna go ni-ni now! Her Dada's response: Sweetie, you can go ni-ni in about 10 minutes.  Dada has to kill all of these monsters here to help save the Earth. Psssst...dude, you're playing WoW.  I'm sure it doesn't even take place on the Earth.

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-32088534215709758092010-03-28T19:52:00.000-07:002010-03-28T19:52:42.347-07:00

We bought the kids some foam bathtub letters so we can work with LucyLetterLearner on her colors and letters.  Now we're working on her letter sounds.  Our conversation starts out: Awesomeness: What letter does your name start with *Lucy?LucyLetterLearner: A P! Awesomeness: No....your name's not *Pucy is it?LucyLetterLearner: Naaaaaw!  My name not *Pucy! Awesomeness: What letter does your

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-35490754709671628152010-03-22T21:14:00.001-07:002010-03-22T21:16:34.307-07:00

Awesomeness: C'mon kids! It's bathtime. BathBubbleBoy eagerly jumps into the tub and -- for whatever reason -- begins to do something that looks like Riverdancing. GreasyGrimyGirl whines and runs out of the room.  I finally coax her back in and force lovingly persuade her into the tub. Awesomeness:  Wow, kiddo.  You're dirty and smelly.GreasyGrimyGirl: Naaaaaaaaw! I no smelly and

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-64083561508804103952010-03-13T09:30:00.001-07:002010-03-22T21:15:58.880-07:00

We're still under attack by the Legion of Doom.  This army of supervirus friends is just too strong. They're also playing dirty.  They like to trick us into thinking that they've gone away completely and then a couple of days later comes the vomiting, the coughing, the ear infection, the fever, weird rashes, you name it. But no mutation-related superpowers.  Huh.  I feel ripped off.

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-37415328847538809102010-02-27T15:56:00.000-07:002010-02-27T15:56:22.824-07:00

The store is still a magical wonderland for SissySuperShopper.  She gets more excited about going to the store than the zoo, which is saying something.  You don't get to do this at the store, little girl. Today we needed to make our monthlyish trip to Sam's Club.  "The Big Store".  She is amazingly well behaved when we go to the store.  She isn't "that kid".  You know, the whining, crying,

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-44217833847480185082010-02-21T09:43:00.000-07:002010-02-21T09:43:06.934-07:00

You know any time you ever have that thought, the outcome isn't good.  It never turns out to be: "Aw!  Will ya look at that!  The kids teamed up and made me some French Toast.  They're the best kids ever."  No, when this thought first pops into my head, I know I'm in for it.  So it starts: What is that smell? It smells kind of mediciny. Kind of like....diaper rash cream. Well, that would make

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-28336817742597477662010-02-14T11:48:00.000-07:002010-02-14T11:48:24.290-07:00

I haven't been able to (yes, yes, I'll get you some juice) write much lately and I (stop biting my arm) really don't know what the (are you okay?  where's the booboo?) problem is.  I have (no, we don't take off our peedy diapers and put them on Mama's laptop while she's typing) plenty of time and the kids (get that basket off your brother's head!) like playing together (give your sister back her

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-86064416718674184472010-02-11T22:21:00.000-07:002010-02-11T22:21:45.135-07:00

The invasion is upon us. We use Pez dispensers as a cheap, non-candy reward for PeggyPezHoarder (well, as far as she knows there's no candy) for when she behaves and doesn't beg for things in the store.  Turns out, she's the best child ever (in the store), which means that we are now overrun with, what she calls, "The Guys".  They're in her bed, in my coffee table, under the couch,

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-11188156469557684992010-01-31T10:37:00.000-07:002010-01-31T10:37:28.228-07:00

No matter what we're feeding FrankieFoodFiend, there's always 2 missing ingredients.  He adds them in a ritualistic fashion whenever he eats: The first ingredient is hair.  Everything must be worn as a hat and smashed down flat before going on to the second ingredient... Floor sprinkles.  When he's done mashing hair into his food, he drops it to the floor.   He'll repeat this ritual until all of

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-75657871210960361172010-01-27T22:01:00.000-07:002010-01-27T22:01:51.229-07:00

LittleLuluMeToo:  I like lollipops! Awesomeness: You like lollipops? LittleLuluMeToo: Me too! *when we were playing Mario Wii* Awesomeness: Oh, good job, you got 20 coins! LittleLuluMeToo: Yeah, me too! Awesomeness: Did you have fun with your friends today? LittleLuluMeToo: Me too!  Me too, Mama!

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-90131438496670130412010-01-25T21:37:00.000-07:002010-01-25T21:37:56.214-07:00

Who is this pile of dirt with me? That's my kid, Filthy McNasty! She's cute underneath all the grime It comes off for a limited time Then back to school she goes And from her head to her toes She piles on crud by the pound Leaves no speck of dust on the ground  A walking pit of slime and pee That's my kid, Filthy McNasty!

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-41348710238848043112010-01-24T13:41:00.001-07:002010-01-24T13:44:54.450-07:00

So, the speech thing again with MissyMushMouth...She's coming along, but still has some struggles.  What she'll do sometimes is substitute words she's fairly unfamiliar with for words that sound similar.  Then, often, she will also choose to substitute those words for ... well, just words she likes better. We're watching Looney Tunes (because I'm the best mom ever... *cough*) and it's one of the

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-46683525685049844312010-01-16T21:08:00.000-07:002010-01-16T21:08:26.901-07:00

MumbleMouthMartha: *mumblemumblemumble* Mr. Awesomeness: Speak up baby, I cant hear you. Mumbler: Want some apple juice. Mr. A: I can get you some apple juice in just a minute. Mumbler: *whiiiiiiiine!* Mr. A: Do you see this guy?  I'm going to kill this guy, then I'll get you some juice.  Okay? Mumbler: Okay... For the record, Mr. A plays W.O.W. and was talking about killing a cartoon

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-36537368877120890812010-01-16T07:01:00.000-07:002010-01-16T07:01:53.642-07:00

The last week or so has been particularly cruel.  SharkToothSeamus has been a screaming non-stop like he's being eviscerated.  The screams could freeze your soul.  He's not eating well, he's hardly sleeping at all.  It's been a nightmare. Last night, I tried to keep him calm by playing with him.  I turned him upside down and he's actually laughing -- for once.  That's when I notice 8 new teeth.

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463988057386993897.post-8395866542672129562010-01-05T22:33:00.003-07:002010-01-24T18:11:45.529-07:00

So Sabertooth has officially earned a new nickname: Count Crybaby.  The Count because this kid just prefers to stay up all night.  I've been fighting his nocturnal habits for too many months now and figure that the new moniker will shame him into falling into sync with normal circadian rhythms. The Crybaby comes from the fact that he actually is one.  He doesn't really want to nap much during

Awesomenesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04287546884457969956noreply@blogger.com0