The Amazing Weirdo

Kale is so amazing. He's an amazing weirdo, and so witty at the same time. You've heard living with a 3 year old is like living with a crazy person. It's so true! Oh my gosh, is it ever! Kale can tell you the wildest story about his teachers punching the kids in class. Or, how one kid was bleeding and then the teacher pushed him down and another kid hit him again. On Tuesday, I sat in the carpool lane watching him practice his Wii boxing moves on another little boy (just air, no contact). Uh yeah, he's been doing that a lot to us lately. There were 5 teachers standing by, but no one saw it, I almost honked my horn. I was cracking up in the car, but wanted him to stop. When he got in the car, I asked him who he was boxing. He acted like he didn't know what the hell I was talking about. I told him he was grounded from the Wii the rest of the afternoon. He said he was sorry. We then met Keith at Academy. Before we got there, I told Keith what I'd seen. When Keith opened the door, the first thing out of Kale's mouth was I'm sorry. Keith had a talk with him in the parking lot. And, then went into Academy and bought Kale a punching bag and gloves. Here kiddo, punch this...good message. When I picked him up on Thursday, the director was loading him into the car (like always) and Kale proudly announces to me "I DIDN'T PUNCH ANYONE TODAY MOMMY!!!". I smiled politely and said "Well...isn't that wonderful sweet pea!". Ms. Becky smiled back at me and shut the car door. :-)

I'm afraid my little boy is growing up...eek. Not really sure what stage this is called, but I can tell there is another section of Kale's personality blooming. A part of himself that is demanding respect and acknowledgment of just who he is. Fine. Fine. He really has learned so much this year and I'm continually proud of him. The week before Spring Break, I asked his teacher about how he was doing in school in a general way. She said he didn't have any enemies, that he was so sweet and really smart. Finishing up with "well, you've just done a great job with him". Ah. Be still my heart. That made me feel so good! 'Cause this stuff is hard work.

I've learned that it's hard to stay on top of my boys all the time. If you don't like them saying something or acting a certain way, it's got to be unacceptable at all times. Not just right then, but ALL the time. I know I can be hard on them at times and maybe I should lighten up a little. I know they feel hurt when they've disappointed me. I'm a yeller, but I'm trying hard to not be...as much. I know this time will pass me by and I want to be proud of the time they've spent with me. I still know how to have fun and I think my boys know that side of me, too. I'm a 'no-nonsense' kind of Momma, but I can be loving and funny, too. And, I am always in their corner no matter what, but when they're wrong, they're wrong. It's a tough world out there and I'm doing my best to prepare them for it. I am their biggest cheerleader, but also their coach. It's hard to be both, but it's what the job requires.

Testament

We didn't leave the house today and it was everything I'd hoped it to be. Fantabulous! Now with the time change it seems as if summer is right around the corner. The weather being in the 80's doesn't hurt either. I can't imagine it getting much warmer than what's it's been, but I know it does...dreadful.

Mack is really enjoying his tumbling class. He actually crawls on top of a mounting platform, reaches forward to touch the bar, grabs on, swings a few times and then lets go right into the middle of a hula-hoop. It is totally the highlight of his day. I'll have to get that on tape soon. He's also starting to make more sounds and a bigger attempt at talking. We know he's saying stuff, so we're working extra hard to make sense of those "words". Today he said "bath" for the first time, or at least, according to us it was his first time.

I think we've turned a corner with Mack. Now don't get me wrong, he's still lets us know when he's effing miserable, and you know how we know that? B/c we're effing miserable. (I feel like I've said this before...ah yes, I have. Well, this is a different corner...maybe) The Dums-Dums are still in effect, but we're using them less and less. Unfortunately this means we've been letting him roam the stores with us freely, which requires much more effort and attention on our part. But, at this age, it's what he wants...to be a big boy like his brother. It's difficult though, like a constant battle. Somedays I just don't have the energy to struggle with him, but I can't back down, b/c then all the groundwork I've done will have been for nothing. And, neither does he. So, there we are having words with one another in Ross.

Parenting never stops. There are no breaks. There's no just 15 minutes so you can finish your coffee. A quote that comes to mind right now is "It is an up-at-dawn, pride swallowing siege that I will never fully tell you about." (a la Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire). Perfect. It's in your face, balls to the wall, bracing yourself for punches. It is not for the faint of heart. It will make you test your limits. Limits you didn't even know you had! No, I'm not crazy. I'm in love.

Today in pictures

A trip to the bug museum:

Airplane

On my mind

I downloaded a couple of albums so far.

1. Cut Copy, In Ghost Colours, this was recommended tunage on Dooce.com and she never steers me wrong. It's funky 80's music, a lot like Erasure. Keith said it's pretty gay.

2. M.I.A., Arular, which was released in 2005, but is getting a lot of buzz lately because Paper Planes was in Slumdog Millionaire. Turns out she's been popular among the cool folks for awhile, but I just jumped on the bandwagon. A week after I got her album, she performed on the Grammy's, totally pregnant, in a crazy outfit. M.I.A. is the S.H.I.T. Anyway, her Bucky Done Gun song rocks and listening to Kale sing it is effing hilarious.

You can give me a big fat F for all the non-posting I've been doing. Sorry. Bringing that up all the time is essentially the beginning of the end, huh? Well, I'll try and not let it be.

We had a wonderful Valentine's Day. Kale sent Valentine Transformers with a lollipop and M&M's to all his friends in class. The Valentines weren't to be addressed to anyone in particular just to "My Friend" from their name. Kale got a small heart box of Spiderman chocolates from one little girl. Pump ur brakes lil lady. And, it was addressed to him. Hmmm. Hmmm. This is the same little girl we ran into at Luby's ' a couple of weeks ago after school. Kale urged me to let him go say hi. So, after we finished eating, we headed over. As we got closer, Kale increasingly became glued to the back of my leg and disappeared. I introduced myself and nudged him to say hi to her, to which he did and was very happy. The little girl's grandmother whispered into her ear "Is that your boyfriend?" to which she very enthusiastically said "YES!" to.

Our weekend was spent with Uncle J, Na-na, and Melissa. We took turns babysitting while the other couple went out for the night. We've been spending a lot of time together, us four. It's been great. Last weekend, my Mom stayed home after the boys had gone to bed, we went to dinner and then bowling. We haven't had this much fun in a long time. I jokingly told them that getting pregnant at the same time we did, was the best non-planning they'd ever done. Ha! But, seriously, it's really been such a blessing and I can't think of any other way things should've turned out. We're looking forward to our vacation together this year. They're ready to get their arses handed to them in Scrabble...with love.

***

I'm going to end with news that's been spreading like wildfire where my Mom works. It's just a reminder of how precious life is and how we never know what path it will take. A well known Dr. at Methodist was recently featured in an article in Reader's Digest. Well, he lost his son in a tragic car accident this weekend. His son's obituary is truly remarkable and moving. Any mother and father would be proud of such a wonderful young man he was turning out to be.

I look at Kale and Mack and see their potential and I wonder what they'll be like one day. I can't imagine doing what every parent does...the feeding, the bathing, the hugging and kissing, the teaching, the nurturing and everything else...only to have it taken away from you. It's a pain I pray I never experience. Please pray for this family.

http://www.legacy.com/houstonchronicle/DeathNotices.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=124138021

Texas sledding

It is almost time to pick up Kale and I've been meaning to post these vids of us at the park, for oh, 3 days now. I don't have enough time in the day. If only there were 3 extra hours, or if I didn't need sleep. So, I will leave while the computer uploads them and when I come back, I will attempt to publish, but that may be too ambitious for me. I'll come crawling back to the computer at 11:30 tonight...


Yesterday I took Mack to his new tumbling class at the YMCA, he's so crazy. He only does what the teacher asks 57% of the time. And, if he were my first, I'd be chasing him around the room trying to get him to do a pencil roll for the 5th time. Instead, I get him to try it once and then I let him do whatever activity that interests him, until the next task. Maybe it's the balance beam or the big triangle pad, whatever. I'm paying for it and I don't really expect him to learn anything, so it's about having fun for me. The poor teacher hasn't taught a toddler class before. Ha. She tries her best to keep them focused on her and at the task at hand. She was sweating at the end of our class (3 little boys, 2 and under). My little monkey...

Here we all are kickin' it old school. Yes, that's cardboard. And, yes, it was a lot of fun. The funniest video is on Melissa's blog, it's of me flipping off at the end of the hill. At the beginning you hear Justin giving me a tip on how to go faster and I respond with "No, that's alright." And, right before I put my second leg in, I tell Tatum to move before plunging to bottom and eating grass. Check it out here.

Keith's turn, he got some pretty rad grass stains:

Here's Melissa and I racing:

And, here's one of many of Justin:

For a good time

We were out to dinner the other night and I got a misdirected text message on my phone.

So, I decided to have a little fun with it...I replied

I thought the guy would figure it out and I'd get a pissed off or a funny reply...

Keith and I almost peed ourselves. What's the Meat Whistle? Really?! No clue?! We left it at that because this poor boy was lost and didn't need the help of our twisted minds. But, the next morning when I turned my phone back on, I'd received a text message at midnight that just said...Dude. And, I don't know what's funnier? What's the Meat Whistle or Dude? Dude could mean so many things. For instance, he could be saying Dude, you fucking bailed on me. What's up? or Dude, does Meat Whistle mean what I think it means? or it could mean Dude, you missed the most kick-ass night ever! Either way, I'm leaving it to the universe to help this guy figure out what the hell happened to his friend Aaron on Thursday night.

In other proud moments...

Justin just started his first semester at the Art Institute this month majoring in Web Design and Interactive Media. He's been working really hard on his assignments. He's so excited, because he's getting graded on his artwork. Actual feedback and praise. I can only imagine what the other first year students drawings look like. I'll say a little prayer just for them. This is impressive. You miss a lot of detail on the blog, but you get the idea.

*this is their living room, minus the Monopoly guy.

Name that song

Have you heard the song by Lady GaGa "Just Dance"? Okay, so who the f*ck can say Lady GaGa without feeling like a goddamn idiot? Do it. Say Lady GaGa. Makes you feel like you need a bottle and some Desitin on your bung hole, huh? Well, the chorus is supposedly something like "just dance, gonna be okay, da-da doo doo". Uh huh, whatever. Next time you hear it, put in "just gotta doo doo", cuz that's what I sing, and it sounds just as good.

In other funny (IMO) music related news, I recently caught Keith, with Rocco's head in between his hands, lovingly singing "Could you be...the most stinkiest dog in the world? Could you be? It's plain to see..." you know, the song by Prince The Most Beautiful Girl in the World. He so funny.

Besides these two horrible songs, I'm looking for some new music to make my ears bleed while I workout. Got anything? I need like 4 new albums by tomorrow. I'll let you know what I come up with. It's always fun to share new tunes. If you haven't bought it already, run out and get Santogold (one of our faves from Fall '08). That shit is golden! Listen to it and see if you don't want to slap the shit outta the person next to you on the treadmill and scream I got to be unstoppable. I got to be unstoppable. Ey ey ey ey. You don't lie. Ey ey ey ey. you don't lie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, I almost start doing to full out jabs and upper cuts when I listen to this album while working out. Like a scene out of Rambo. Except, I'm not Italian. Or a man. Or have a speech impediment. Nor do I wear headbands. There's always tomorrow.

Here's Santogold's single on You Tube...watch and listen and then bend down and cry "I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!"