DS2's bestest buddy is here playing today. Right now all 3 boys have the zoob out. BB has expressed the desire to build the Zoob-dactyl. DS2, whining, said, "But it doesn't even look like a dactyl."
We're all going to the library in a little bit for some program about animals. Excuse me, we're going to BB's library, not OUR library.
update: Unfortunately, BB's mom has some other things to do and I can't fit all the kids in the backseat of my car, so we're just staying here. I didn't tell them we were thinking about going, so don't have to break the bad news. DD is sleeping anyway!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
school news!
We got the classroom supply lists in the mail today, along with the schedule for meet-the-teacher nights, etc.
The list for ds2 had a letter from his teacher on the back - his main teacher will be the woman who was his secondary teacher last year (it was a large class of all Kindergartners with 2 fully certified teachers. This year, he'll be in a K/1 class of 20 kids with one certified teacher and one assistant), the assistant teacher is the woman who was ds1's assistant teacher last year. So we know his teachers, at least!
There was no mention in the letter of who ds1's teacher will be, but we're assuming he's got the same teacher as last year, as it's a 2/3 class and he's going to be in 3rd grade. Obviously, he'll have a different assistant teacher, since she'll be in ds2's class. I'm sort of hoping everything got shuffled over the summer and the woman who was ds1's assistant teacher in 1st grade will be his assistant now. Probably not, because as of the spring, she was assigned to someone else.
And a moment to muse on how ds1's 1st grade teacher is doing. She's got to be hugely pregnant by now, since she's due in september. DD's about to get too big for the bouncy seat, plus she has outgrown a lot more clothes since summer started.
I called the school to check and they said the teachers weren't being announced until tomorrow. So the mail was fast, I guess, or at least wasn't meant to have the teachers' names.
At least the supply lists are reasonable this year. DS2's list last year for kindergarten was enormous and vastly expensive. Like a 5 year old really NEEDS the very most expensive art markers that are almost impossible to find (which I didn't get for him anyway). But this year they suggest crayola markers. Phew!
So we will need to start looking for supplies. If I ever find the walmart gift card we got when DD was born, we'll do that much of our shopping at wally world. Otherwise, it's Target and Office Despot for us.
The boys also need new shoes and DS1 needs some more shorts. I think DS2 is set for shorts and he has a HUGE stack of school shirts, but I'll have to look through his long pants when it gets cooler. DS1 definitely will need new long school pants. His legs grew a couple of inches just over last winter and I swear they've grown a couple more over the summer. And what long pants he has mostly have big holes in the knees - the boy is hard on his clothes.
Which reminds me that I want to have the school do some testing on DS1. He might just be a bit clumsy like me, but if there's a way we can help him not fall down all the time and to help him develop his fine motor control so he doesn't hate writing and to help him not zone out in class...
The list for ds2 had a letter from his teacher on the back - his main teacher will be the woman who was his secondary teacher last year (it was a large class of all Kindergartners with 2 fully certified teachers. This year, he'll be in a K/1 class of 20 kids with one certified teacher and one assistant), the assistant teacher is the woman who was ds1's assistant teacher last year. So we know his teachers, at least!
There was no mention in the letter of who ds1's teacher will be, but we're assuming he's got the same teacher as last year, as it's a 2/3 class and he's going to be in 3rd grade. Obviously, he'll have a different assistant teacher, since she'll be in ds2's class. I'm sort of hoping everything got shuffled over the summer and the woman who was ds1's assistant teacher in 1st grade will be his assistant now. Probably not, because as of the spring, she was assigned to someone else.
And a moment to muse on how ds1's 1st grade teacher is doing. She's got to be hugely pregnant by now, since she's due in september. DD's about to get too big for the bouncy seat, plus she has outgrown a lot more clothes since summer started.
I called the school to check and they said the teachers weren't being announced until tomorrow. So the mail was fast, I guess, or at least wasn't meant to have the teachers' names.
At least the supply lists are reasonable this year. DS2's list last year for kindergarten was enormous and vastly expensive. Like a 5 year old really NEEDS the very most expensive art markers that are almost impossible to find (which I didn't get for him anyway). But this year they suggest crayola markers. Phew!
So we will need to start looking for supplies. If I ever find the walmart gift card we got when DD was born, we'll do that much of our shopping at wally world. Otherwise, it's Target and Office Despot for us.
The boys also need new shoes and DS1 needs some more shorts. I think DS2 is set for shorts and he has a HUGE stack of school shirts, but I'll have to look through his long pants when it gets cooler. DS1 definitely will need new long school pants. His legs grew a couple of inches just over last winter and I swear they've grown a couple more over the summer. And what long pants he has mostly have big holes in the knees - the boy is hard on his clothes.
Which reminds me that I want to have the school do some testing on DS1. He might just be a bit clumsy like me, but if there's a way we can help him not fall down all the time and to help him develop his fine motor control so he doesn't hate writing and to help him not zone out in class...
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
PICTURES - tummy sleeping and fabulous quilt
Isabelle mastered rolling back to front yesterday. So now when she goes to sleep, she rolls onto her tummy. Last night when she woke up at 1 am, I fed her and then tried to settle her down on her back, but nope. Tummy. So we grit our teeth and hope for no SIDS. Anyway, she proceeded to sleep from 1 am until almost 9. So she's happy. And I'm happy-ish. Sleep is gooooood.
The other day, DS2 announced he wanted to sew something, so he gathered up some pieces of fabric from my scrap box, I threaded and tied off a needle and he made a quilt top. So today we pinned and trimmed it onto pink velour and I zig-zag sewed it rather ruthlessly and added loops of ribbons to make tags for her to chew on.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
mountains out of molehills
The boys were out there investigating them, hoping, apparently, that the mole would pop up and say hello.
DS2 said they must dig with their noses.
I'm going to tell the landlord that the good news is that the lawn is being aerated for free.
The neighbor thinks we need a cat. But how would one convince a cat to sit in the front yard, waiting for a mole to pop up?
DS2 said they must dig with their noses.
I'm going to tell the landlord that the good news is that the lawn is being aerated for free.
The neighbor thinks we need a cat. But how would one convince a cat to sit in the front yard, waiting for a mole to pop up?
Just confused
Isabelle decided to wake up a bit before 5 this morning. Usually, she goes back to sleep after a quick feed, but this time, no. So I ended up changing her diaper and then lying down with her. She chatted and fussed and nursed a bit again and again and then finally went to sleep for a bit, then woke up and started over.
So anyway, I woke up several times as my big kids got up, too, then at 9, I suddenly panicked - when is my dentist appointment? 9, isn't it? So I jumped out of bed and went to the calendar and yes! oh no! 9 am! I went back to my room and said "DH, I have a dentist appointment and I'm late!" and I started throwing on clean clothes and he said....
"On Sunday?"
Ah yes. Hmph.
So I guess I'd better get up on time tomorrow. Maybe we'll sleep better
So anyway, I woke up several times as my big kids got up, too, then at 9, I suddenly panicked - when is my dentist appointment? 9, isn't it? So I jumped out of bed and went to the calendar and yes! oh no! 9 am! I went back to my room and said "DH, I have a dentist appointment and I'm late!" and I started throwing on clean clothes and he said....
"On Sunday?"
Ah yes. Hmph.
So I guess I'd better get up on time tomorrow. Maybe we'll sleep better
Saturday, July 26, 2008
i didn't go
but the boys and DH went to the movies. They met some of the kids' friends there and afterwards, they went to the park and then checked out the state capitol building.
I stayed home and read a bit and putzed around a bit. Wildly exciting, I tell you.
We finished dinner about 15 minutes ago. DS2 ate 2 bites of rice, less than half a hard boiled egg, a bowl of fruit salad, and ear of corn. Now he says he's hungry, but he "hates" everything I have offered to let him have, which is mainly all the stuff he didn't eat for dinner. ARG!
I stayed home and read a bit and putzed around a bit. Wildly exciting, I tell you.
We finished dinner about 15 minutes ago. DS2 ate 2 bites of rice, less than half a hard boiled egg, a bowl of fruit salad, and ear of corn. Now he says he's hungry, but he "hates" everything I have offered to let him have, which is mainly all the stuff he didn't eat for dinner. ARG!
I guess it's official
I was checking the weather online and it's going to be 93 today and 89 tomorrow. And I thought, "Oh that's nice and cool."
*massive eye roll*
I never thought I'd get used to it, but 5 years in and maybe I'll survive. Well, permission requested to b*tch when it gets over 100.
DH is taking the boys to the French film festival today - they're showing "The Red Balloon" and some other movie that I haven't heard of. There's still time to decide if I want to go. I'm torn.
*massive eye roll*
I never thought I'd get used to it, but 5 years in and maybe I'll survive. Well, permission requested to b*tch when it gets over 100.
DH is taking the boys to the French film festival today - they're showing "The Red Balloon" and some other movie that I haven't heard of. There's still time to decide if I want to go. I'm torn.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Bits and pieces
Mom writes:
Which is best: flying screeching monkeys
whistles from Nicaragua
Aflac ducks
Which do you want more of????
(Remember: you received ear plugs for Christmas. . . .)
Oh yeah. I forgot that my mother is responsible for two of the three noise violations in my house. Well, to be fair, who was it who sent us hand-cranked flashlights that have really obnoxious alarms? That would be the fourth. Maybe my MIL?
In other news, DS1 and I both passed our belt tests in karate, so next Thursday, we promote. He'll be a blue belt, so only about 3 months away from moving to the advanced class. I'll finally make it to the second intermediate belt. I really felt I nailed the 14-count form we did last night, though I probably just look like arms and legs flailing. Then I had to do 30 push-ups and thought I would pass out at about 20, but remembered to breathe and made it all the way through. I'm still doing knee push-ups, because upper-body strength has never been in my repertoire.
Let's see....
Wonder Pets are kinda creepy, aren't they?
We had pizza for dinner because DH is out at some business thing. The kids ate a ton of fruit and veg before dinner and are polishing off an apple I just cut up for them. Some days they barely will touch anything healthy, but today they went crazy for it. They were so very hungry before supper, so they had a lot of appetizers. I'm here polishing off the fruit salad from last night. yum!
Oh and there's another pregnancy - not mine! - but I don't know if I am allowed to spread the news. Not that most of my reading public would know the people involved. Let's say that it's a happy thing, but a surprise. Hmmmmm, somehow I feel I've BTDT.
Oh and some guy named PZ nailed a cracker to some papers and then threw them away.
Oh yeah. I forgot that my mother is responsible for two of the three noise violations in my house. Well, to be fair, who was it who sent us hand-cranked flashlights that have really obnoxious alarms? That would be the fourth. Maybe my MIL?
In other news, DS1 and I both passed our belt tests in karate, so next Thursday, we promote. He'll be a blue belt, so only about 3 months away from moving to the advanced class. I'll finally make it to the second intermediate belt. I really felt I nailed the 14-count form we did last night, though I probably just look like arms and legs flailing. Then I had to do 30 push-ups and thought I would pass out at about 20, but remembered to breathe and made it all the way through. I'm still doing knee push-ups, because upper-body strength has never been in my repertoire.
Let's see....
Wonder Pets are kinda creepy, aren't they?
We had pizza for dinner because DH is out at some business thing. The kids ate a ton of fruit and veg before dinner and are polishing off an apple I just cut up for them. Some days they barely will touch anything healthy, but today they went crazy for it. They were so very hungry before supper, so they had a lot of appetizers. I'm here polishing off the fruit salad from last night. yum!
Oh and there's another pregnancy - not mine! - but I don't know if I am allowed to spread the news. Not that most of my reading public would know the people involved. Let's say that it's a happy thing, but a surprise. Hmmmmm, somehow I feel I've BTDT.
Oh and some guy named PZ nailed a cracker to some papers and then threw them away.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
thank you soooo much
DH went to a chamber of commerce breakfast and came home with two little stuffed ducks that shout "Aflac! Aflac! AAAflaaaaac!"
Monday, July 21, 2008
"another picture when she's wearing it"
Or four.
It's the same pattern I used for the turquoise romper with big flower a few weeks ago.
I nearly forgot to cut this one out with extra for seam allowances, so the legs aren't quite as long as they should be. Which is not a big deal. But one leg is also about 1/4 inch longer than the other, but I don't have the energy to unpick it. I might roll it one more time and sew it again. Or I might not.
I made the same mistake that I had to unpick with the crotch seam. I put the buttons higher up so the straps don't dangle from her ears. I didn't make it as a bodice and a bottom this time, but still used the fabric as the bodice lining instead of interfacing as the pattern says.
Fabric from Hancock's - Spring 2007 on clearance (still) now at a store near you - as if I didn't have enough other fabric here without buying some more. It's cotton/poly and a pique. Well, not pique, but something similar and I can't think of the name. I got 1/2 yard of each pattern and have about half of each left.
It's the same pattern I used for the turquoise romper with big flower a few weeks ago.
I nearly forgot to cut this one out with extra for seam allowances, so the legs aren't quite as long as they should be. Which is not a big deal. But one leg is also about 1/4 inch longer than the other, but I don't have the energy to unpick it. I might roll it one more time and sew it again. Or I might not.
I made the same mistake that I had to unpick with the crotch seam. I put the buttons higher up so the straps don't dangle from her ears. I didn't make it as a bodice and a bottom this time, but still used the fabric as the bodice lining instead of interfacing as the pattern says.
Fabric from Hancock's - Spring 2007 on clearance (still) now at a store near you - as if I didn't have enough other fabric here without buying some more. It's cotton/poly and a pique. Well, not pique, but something similar and I can't think of the name. I got 1/2 yard of each pattern and have about half of each left.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Romp romp romper (AKA pink clown)
I started this yesterday and finished sewing the buttons on just now.
I'll take another picture when she's wearing it.
One more step into the new millenium
I joined Facebook a while ago because someone had a picture up on there or something.
So yesterday I got an email from facebook saying that a high school classmate had asked to friend me. (Really? Him? He was one of the cool kids. I guess he looked through everyone signed up from our class and thought he recognized my name?) Anyway, I started searching around and added a picture (the one of my haircut and my baby) and did a couple quizzes and looked through my friends' friends and sent requests to the people I know, flipped through people from various graduating classes (and omigoodness doesn't Lindsay A. look grown up? Much more than I do, I can tell you that), etc etc.
So if you're on facebook, be my fwend, pwease?
Not that I plan to use it a lot, since my life already contains so many time sinks that I don't get much done. I should be sewing buttons on right now while waiting for dinner to cook and the boys to come home from swimming.
So yesterday I got an email from facebook saying that a high school classmate had asked to friend me. (Really? Him? He was one of the cool kids. I guess he looked through everyone signed up from our class and thought he recognized my name?) Anyway, I started searching around and added a picture (the one of my haircut and my baby) and did a couple quizzes and looked through my friends' friends and sent requests to the people I know, flipped through people from various graduating classes (and omigoodness doesn't Lindsay A. look grown up? Much more than I do, I can tell you that), etc etc.
So if you're on facebook, be my fwend, pwease?
Not that I plan to use it a lot, since my life already contains so many time sinks that I don't get much done. I should be sewing buttons on right now while waiting for dinner to cook and the boys to come home from swimming.
Busybelly update - now in technicolor!
Solemn
Self-portrait with baby
Self-portrait with two kids
Oh, and I got a haircut. Radical, no?
All my family - baby standing up
Baby sitting
Baby, um, not quite sitting
Big boys, little bikes
Lost a tooth!!! Really lost, actually - no idea where it is except somewhere in the house. The tooth fairy will have to use her magic vacuum to find it, I suppose. He should have lost a top one already but it's still hanging in there because the adult tooth is growing in front of it instead of pushing it the rest of the way out. Oh yeah, we'll have two in braces. Sigh.
Beekeeper outfit. Clever boy :)
Actually, they do have bicycles, why do you ask?
Though this one looks even funnier....
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Busybelly update
Well, with my expert, precise measurement tools.... She's 27+ inches long which is a couple more than she was 2 months ago. She weighs about 16 lbs, which is 3 or so more than she did. She wears 6 month clothes, sometimes 9 month.
She's almost sitting, sometimes better than others. She's not as interested in standing up as the boys were, but supports her weight, just not with any sort of balance (obviously). She has rolled over front to back a couple of times. She's not a big fan of lying on her stomach. though will tolerate it for a couple of minutes and can do a push-up. She wriggles around when lying on her back and ends up sideways or upside down from where she started, like a protractor ;)
She's also on my lap complaining loudly of the indignity of sitting still.\
gotta go.
She's almost sitting, sometimes better than others. She's not as interested in standing up as the boys were, but supports her weight, just not with any sort of balance (obviously). She has rolled over front to back a couple of times. She's not a big fan of lying on her stomach. though will tolerate it for a couple of minutes and can do a push-up. She wriggles around when lying on her back and ends up sideways or upside down from where she started, like a protractor ;)
She's also on my lap complaining loudly of the indignity of sitting still.\
gotta go.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
bad mom of the day award!
I took the kids to the pool again. I had bought a swim/UV shirt for DD and the smoke has cleared up, so said we could try the outdoor pool. Since there was a water exercise class going on in the indoor pool, it's good that we werre prepared for the outdoor one. Well, mostly prepared. DD and I spent maybe 20 minutes in the sun and she has a mild sunburn on her forearms and forehead. Just barely pink, but I still feel bad.
They didn't have long-sleeved swim shirts at Target, but I should have bought one of their sun hats, because the one we have probably wouldn't do well in chlorine.
They didn't have long-sleeved swim shirts at Target, but I should have bought one of their sun hats, because the one we have probably wouldn't do well in chlorine.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Just checking in
B-day party for DS2 yesterday. DS1 and 4 friends. One friend couldn't come at the last minute because the itchy red spots turned out to be scabies (quickly treated, once you figure out what they are, apparently). It was loads o' fun for all (except maybe the girl who's DS1's age - 8 - whom we haven't seen in a long time who eventually got tired of little boys. Now why would that happen?) Just played inside and out, some in the water, mostly not, rode circles in the garage on bikes part of the time, though it was 100 degrees in there. WhatEVer. I'll be adding some pics of the cake and of the kids. And we moms sat around and chatted.
One of DS2's best friends from kindergarten is moving into the neighborhood. Woot!
We went swimming again today. The boys are definitely learning more on their own and with me helping them float than they did in lessons. There isn't a lifeguard at the pool we've been going to, though, and it makes me really nervous. The water's not all that deep, but they really are not god swimmers. I just wander around near the boys with DD in my arms. Eventually, she gets tired of it and starts screeching and we get out.
And here they go arguing again...
I've sewed up a couple new diapers for DD from velour. I want to try to put snaps on one, but who knows when I'll get around to doing that (metal snaps with a snap setter tool and a hammer. BAM! BAM!). I also dug out the old diapers that were too worn out and the elastic too shot for me to even pass them on for free after DS2 was done with them. I put new elastic on some of them, new velcro on one, and a couple of them need new snaps (BAM!) and we're in business. We're pretty much going straight from small diapers to larges due to the thigh... uhm, situation. They're not that huge compared to lots of babies, but compared to the rest of her not overly chubby body and compared to her skinny brothers, she's got a bit more to her. Lovely, chubby baby girl :)
Well, not a lot else to say. Not all that much going on, really.
One of DS2's best friends from kindergarten is moving into the neighborhood. Woot!
We went swimming again today. The boys are definitely learning more on their own and with me helping them float than they did in lessons. There isn't a lifeguard at the pool we've been going to, though, and it makes me really nervous. The water's not all that deep, but they really are not god swimmers. I just wander around near the boys with DD in my arms. Eventually, she gets tired of it and starts screeching and we get out.
And here they go arguing again...
I've sewed up a couple new diapers for DD from velour. I want to try to put snaps on one, but who knows when I'll get around to doing that (metal snaps with a snap setter tool and a hammer. BAM! BAM!). I also dug out the old diapers that were too worn out and the elastic too shot for me to even pass them on for free after DS2 was done with them. I put new elastic on some of them, new velcro on one, and a couple of them need new snaps (BAM!) and we're in business. We're pretty much going straight from small diapers to larges due to the thigh... uhm, situation. They're not that huge compared to lots of babies, but compared to the rest of her not overly chubby body and compared to her skinny brothers, she's got a bit more to her. Lovely, chubby baby girl :)
Well, not a lot else to say. Not all that much going on, really.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
4th of July parade
Sorry, I had to delete the 4th of July slideshow I put up. It wouldn't even let me edit the post to point it at another site, it just wanted to play the slideshow and the sounds and everything constantly.
The pics are here: http://s284.photobucket.com/albums/ll22/plaatsch/
At least I think they are. I'm not sure how to make them public in photobucket!
The pics are here: http://s284.photobucket.com/albums/ll22/plaatsch/
At least I think they are. I'm not sure how to make them public in photobucket!
a moment of silence
my mom's computer won't allow her on the internet. there goes half my readership!
blimey!
it's supposed to be 109 today and 110 tomorrow. i went put to get a dry diaper from the drying rack this morning and started wheezing from the smoke. apparently, there are only 300-ish wildfires still burning in the state. ooooh i finally found a map!
lovely, lovely weather we're having.
lovely, lovely weather we're having.
Monday, July 7, 2008
PICTURES - baby and other kids
Tried to get a good shot of the thunder thighs. The diaper actually covers the chubbiest part. Poor baby. Already taking after her mother.
Happy birthday!! Granny sent these whistle/flute things that she got in Nicaragua. And he's already supposed to play them in a room where I am NOT.
Daddy eating lunch.
DS1 building the mini marble race thing that Mamie Josiane sent DS2 for his birthday.
PICTURES - swimming and a couple more July 4th
on the last day of class, they turn on the water slide and everyone gets a turn.
various members of what used to be our playgroup, before they all started going to preschool and kindergarten on different days.
Friday, July 4, 2008
help from my friends. or something.
copy/pasted this from Smart B*tches. It starts out normally enough. I mean as normal as Joe Cocker at Woodstock could be, I suppose. But oh, the subtitles!
my mom tells me she can't see it, though it shows up just fine for me. here's the link to where I got it: LINK
my mom tells me she can't see it, though it shows up just fine for me. here's the link to where I got it: LINK
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
happy half birthday to youuuuu
DS1's half birthday is today. we've been having a minor present and celebration since he was about 2/12, maybe 3 1/2. His birthday is very close to Christmas, so he has to go the whooooole year without presents. DS2's birthday is in a few days, which is what made it a bit more important to have some sort of half-birthday recognition for DS1.
a friend called me yesterday and said her son's swim team was selling month-long passes to the local gym for $15 as a fund raiser. So we're members for a month and I hope to go to the pool a whole lot. maybe the boys will even learn to swim....
a friend called me yesterday and said her son's swim team was selling month-long passes to the local gym for $15 as a fund raiser. So we're members for a month and I hope to go to the pool a whole lot. maybe the boys will even learn to swim....
dare to eat a peach!
fresh peaches from the little orchard on the other side of greenback road. forget those rock-hard, sour ones from the store. divine and dripping all down my arm. ahhhhhh summer!
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