Yesterday, David was watching the boys while I had my Brownie meeting at school. He took them to the playground, where lots of kids get to burn off steam before heading home. Max and Joey wanted to swing, and soon, one of Max's classmates, Uma was on the swing next to Joey.
Uma was swinging next to Joey and David heard her say, "Oh no, now we're married!". Apparantly at Bryker Woods Elementary, when your swing is in unison with the one next to you, you are married. Joey got upset and said, "I'm already married to MOM!"
On another note, I'm all packed up for the big 27 hour camp out with my Brownie troop. We meet at 9:00 tomorrow at a cool stone cabin hidden away in Zilker Park. It was built during the WPA era, and it is very cool. Anyway, I've been pretty low stress about the whole thing, because of having lots of other things on my plate this week. But now I'm pretty sure I'll forget something crucial, like matches, important food items, something! I have sucessfully remembered about 100 items but I just know, within hours I'll be saying, "DOH!"
Friday, November 18, 2005
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
chilly weather
It finally got cold(er). A front blew in today, shaking off the unseasonably warm weather we've been living with. I was torn between wishing for cool weather vs. enduring the runny noses and sinus problems my family seems prone to getting when the weather changes. So far we are cooler and not snottier.
So many things going on right now. Every free minute of mine is being spent getting ready for an Art Show and Sale on December 10. It is my first time to try to sell stuff at a show, and my projects are tooth fairy pillows, funky big people pillows and assorted greeting cards. Maybe a quilt if I can swing it.... so far, so good.
This weekend is the Brownie Camp Out. We will be cooking our own food over our little coffee can stoves that we made last week. The girls will learn pocket knife safety, and sleep away without too many of the Mommies along. It is at a Girl Scout cabin in Zilker Park, 5 minutes from most of our houses, so we have a large safety net.
The kids are signed up for Children's Book Week. They have given up TV for the week. I am thinking it is harder for me to give it up than them. I have come to rely on having at least one adult voice in the house that isn't mine. Oprah works well. Then there is the bickering factor. When the kids are bored, they bicker more. When the kids aren't watching TV, initially, they are bored. After a while, and a few fights, they find something to do together. So maybe it isn't too bad.
So many things going on right now. Every free minute of mine is being spent getting ready for an Art Show and Sale on December 10. It is my first time to try to sell stuff at a show, and my projects are tooth fairy pillows, funky big people pillows and assorted greeting cards. Maybe a quilt if I can swing it.... so far, so good.
This weekend is the Brownie Camp Out. We will be cooking our own food over our little coffee can stoves that we made last week. The girls will learn pocket knife safety, and sleep away without too many of the Mommies along. It is at a Girl Scout cabin in Zilker Park, 5 minutes from most of our houses, so we have a large safety net.
The kids are signed up for Children's Book Week. They have given up TV for the week. I am thinking it is harder for me to give it up than them. I have come to rely on having at least one adult voice in the house that isn't mine. Oprah works well. Then there is the bickering factor. When the kids are bored, they bicker more. When the kids aren't watching TV, initially, they are bored. After a while, and a few fights, they find something to do together. So maybe it isn't too bad.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
politics is local
Just a thought on yesterday's election. Proposition 2 passed, making Texas a state that passes a constitutional amendment that TAKES AWAY rights for a minority. I'm waiting to see if my home county (Travis) bucked the trend and voted against the amendment. The amendment was mean spirited and doesn't even do anything, since the fundamentalists already made gay marriage illegal last year.
The interesting twist is that the state can no longer recognize anything resembling or identical to marriage..... like..... marriage!!!!!
One of my good friends in Washington wrote me an email today:
The interesting twist is that the state can no longer recognize anything resembling or identical to marriage..... like..... marriage!!!!!
One of my good friends in Washington wrote me an email today:
"congrats on being a single gal again - and no messy divorce!" Yee Haw!
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Joey's eye view
For a different view of the world (one from 36 inches above ground) please check out Joey's first roll of developed film. We bought each of the kids a disposable camera during our trip to Seattle. Joey finished the roll last week when Adam came over for a visit.
It is interesting to see what caught Joey's attention and what was "photo worthy."
Go to www.snapfish.com
Log in with my email genet5@sbcglobal.net
password: snapfish
Please don't order any prints for me, or sign me up for spam. Remember, karma is watching.
It is interesting to see what caught Joey's attention and what was "photo worthy."
Go to www.snapfish.com
Log in with my email genet5@sbcglobal.net
password: snapfish
Please don't order any prints for me, or sign me up for spam. Remember, karma is watching.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
candy girl?
OK, it is confession time. All you parents (but I'm thinking of moms) out there who have had the kids' Halloween candy sitting around the house for 2 full days now. While the kids are at school, did you snitch?
Personally, I used to have no qualms about taking my "mom tax" in Almond Joys or Heath Bars or Bit 'O Honey. But David has really made me feel guilty! For some reason he feels the kids' candy is sacred and that even the thought of taking it is really sick. Now I feel guilty about eating it!
Before, I reasoned that eating two pounds of candy was not good for anyone, much less my small children. And, by eating some (very few) bits, I was actually sparing their teeth and health the bad influence of Mr. Mars and Hershey at the expense of my own. And actually, their favorites are generally not what I'm after. Smarties are fine, but even Joey told us on Halloween he didn't want chocolate candy. No chocolate!? I DO respect the chocolate and I will eat it so it won't get it's feelings hurt.
Anyway, I suspect that I'm not the only mom out there taking candy from babies. It's only because we love our kids (and the candy's feelings) so much. So the kids miss out on a few pieces, did you see how much they got? Emma had over 80, so did Max-- look at the pictures. These days the people at each house let kids take a handful. It is decadent. And it is sending my kids the wrong message, a message I must counteract before they take plentiful candy as the norm.
I'm proud to eat my kids' candy and I'm grateful that they don't know how to get to this website to read all about it.
Personally, I used to have no qualms about taking my "mom tax" in Almond Joys or Heath Bars or Bit 'O Honey. But David has really made me feel guilty! For some reason he feels the kids' candy is sacred and that even the thought of taking it is really sick. Now I feel guilty about eating it!
Before, I reasoned that eating two pounds of candy was not good for anyone, much less my small children. And, by eating some (very few) bits, I was actually sparing their teeth and health the bad influence of Mr. Mars and Hershey at the expense of my own. And actually, their favorites are generally not what I'm after. Smarties are fine, but even Joey told us on Halloween he didn't want chocolate candy. No chocolate!? I DO respect the chocolate and I will eat it so it won't get it's feelings hurt.
Anyway, I suspect that I'm not the only mom out there taking candy from babies. It's only because we love our kids (and the candy's feelings) so much. So the kids miss out on a few pieces, did you see how much they got? Emma had over 80, so did Max-- look at the pictures. These days the people at each house let kids take a handful. It is decadent. And it is sending my kids the wrong message, a message I must counteract before they take plentiful candy as the norm.
I'm proud to eat my kids' candy and I'm grateful that they don't know how to get to this website to read all about it.
Monday, October 31, 2005
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Yikes!
Max and I just got home from a little pre-Halloween scare trip.
We were out Ghosting our neighbors. In our neighborhood, Ghosting, is sort of like a chain letter. You wake up one morning and find a posterboard sign on your front door. It says something like, "You've been GHOSTED!" names the family who got you, and tells you to have a fun Halloween. There is generally a bag of treats or goodies, and a xeroxed note explaining the program.
From October first through Halloween, if you get ghosted, you are to visit two of your friends and ghost them. Of course, as the big night gets closer, your friends have likely been ghosted already.
We picked one special friend for each kid: Joey's favorite girlfriend, Max's new buddy, and a school friend of Emma's. The last house was Emma's friend, and they have windows right by their front door, and someone was watching TV. I told Max (riding shotgun as my assistant) that I was too nervous to handle that house, and we should go to a backup house.
"Mom, give me the stuff", and just like a little commando, he crouched down and ran up to the front porch, scooted the stuff across the floor, and ran to the car.
He will be excellent when he gets old enough to toilet paper the neighbor's trees.
We were out Ghosting our neighbors. In our neighborhood, Ghosting, is sort of like a chain letter. You wake up one morning and find a posterboard sign on your front door. It says something like, "You've been GHOSTED!" names the family who got you, and tells you to have a fun Halloween. There is generally a bag of treats or goodies, and a xeroxed note explaining the program.
From October first through Halloween, if you get ghosted, you are to visit two of your friends and ghost them. Of course, as the big night gets closer, your friends have likely been ghosted already.
We picked one special friend for each kid: Joey's favorite girlfriend, Max's new buddy, and a school friend of Emma's. The last house was Emma's friend, and they have windows right by their front door, and someone was watching TV. I told Max (riding shotgun as my assistant) that I was too nervous to handle that house, and we should go to a backup house.
"Mom, give me the stuff", and just like a little commando, he crouched down and ran up to the front porch, scooted the stuff across the floor, and ran to the car.
He will be excellent when he gets old enough to toilet paper the neighbor's trees.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Still happy
I'm really enjoying this week of no committments. No evening meetings, except for Tap on Thursday. No daytime meetings. I am so happy.
I'm trying to get the house back to some level of normal. Partly because Joey wants his "girlfriend" Christiane to come over for a playdate (and her mom will be getting a first impression of Casa Genet). And partially, because the house was, well, yucky.
I'm doing a cleaning system I heard about years ago. You pick one room each day, and anytime you have free time, you work on getting that room perfect. Yesterday was the kitchen. I did floors, inside the refrigerator (yes, I know!), cabinet fronts, dishes, stove top. Everything. It looks so good now. Today I'm focusing on our "dining room" which is where I pile every piece of paper, broken toy and homeless item in the house. It is also home to a quarter inch layer of dust and two of the dirtiest windowsills in Austin.
Since our house is so small, eight rooms, I should just about make the house clean by Halloween.
Then next week, I'll have maintenence on the rooms. I'll let you know how this works. Since the outside chores and laundry aren't included, I'm thinking we will still look pretty shabby, but at least the botulism spores are less of a threat.
I'm trying to get the house back to some level of normal. Partly because Joey wants his "girlfriend" Christiane to come over for a playdate (and her mom will be getting a first impression of Casa Genet). And partially, because the house was, well, yucky.
I'm doing a cleaning system I heard about years ago. You pick one room each day, and anytime you have free time, you work on getting that room perfect. Yesterday was the kitchen. I did floors, inside the refrigerator (yes, I know!), cabinet fronts, dishes, stove top. Everything. It looks so good now. Today I'm focusing on our "dining room" which is where I pile every piece of paper, broken toy and homeless item in the house. It is also home to a quarter inch layer of dust and two of the dirtiest windowsills in Austin.
Since our house is so small, eight rooms, I should just about make the house clean by Halloween.
Then next week, I'll have maintenence on the rooms. I'll let you know how this works. Since the outside chores and laundry aren't included, I'm thinking we will still look pretty shabby, but at least the botulism spores are less of a threat.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
OK, so what's new with me.
First and foremost, I've finished the silent auction at Joey's school. I feel like I've just given birth. This year was my fourth year to work on it, and we were more organized, and raised more money than ever before. Really, the accomplishment for raising money is more based on how nice the donations are and how deep the pockets of the attendees, both of which are out of our hands. But we kept the paperwork straight and I'm proud of our work. AND this means I can cross Joey's school off my to-do list. I'm done there for the year, YIPPEE!!!!!
After December, my hosting of teacher lunches is complete at Emma and Max's school, then I'm done volunteering there, YIPPEEEE!!!!!
My master plan of killing myself with work in the fall and easy street in the spring seems to be working. Of course, my family has forgotten what a home cooked meal tastes like and the bathrooms are just unhealthy, but what the hell.
My other news is that I broke my toe. It is purple and swollen and looks "gwoss" as Joey says. I was doing the deferred cleaning yesterday and ran into a chair that I'd moved around the room to vacuum. Ouch. Just shows you that perhaps cleaning is NOT good for you. I had always suspected that.....
No other odds and ends, the kids are happy, healthy, and waiting for Halloween and lots of other fun parties coming this weekend. And my week is utterly free!!!! YIPPEE!!!!!
After December, my hosting of teacher lunches is complete at Emma and Max's school, then I'm done volunteering there, YIPPEEEE!!!!!
My master plan of killing myself with work in the fall and easy street in the spring seems to be working. Of course, my family has forgotten what a home cooked meal tastes like and the bathrooms are just unhealthy, but what the hell.
My other news is that I broke my toe. It is purple and swollen and looks "gwoss" as Joey says. I was doing the deferred cleaning yesterday and ran into a chair that I'd moved around the room to vacuum. Ouch. Just shows you that perhaps cleaning is NOT good for you. I had always suspected that.....
No other odds and ends, the kids are happy, healthy, and waiting for Halloween and lots of other fun parties coming this weekend. And my week is utterly free!!!! YIPPEE!!!!!
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