when m was little
i used to meet her godmother
at the mall a lot.
she has two boys,
one a little older than m.
we would always go to the mall play place.
before we went in she would talk
with her boys.
"look at me,
look at my eyes,
no touching,
no pushing,
no wrestling,
no fake wrestling,
no kicking,
no fake kicking,
no punching,
no fake punching,
no fighting,
no fake fighting,
no running,
no jogging,
no shouting,
no yelling,
no jumping,
just play."
i used to go home and tell mm,
and giggle.
wth?
now i have a boy.
a son.
and i get that speech now.
hell, i GIVE that speech now.
i bow down.
but i still giggle.
a little.
Showing posts with label daily grind. Show all posts
Showing posts with label daily grind. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
another puke post
list of foods i will not eat because
i've puked them up...
mushrooms
orange juice
cinnamon gum -
(it's a schnapps thing, don't ask)
angel hair pasta
pad thai
g came home from school yesterday,
"mom, my stomach hurts."
"oh, eat dinner you'll feel better."
denial.
"no, it really hurts."
"maybe go to the bathroom?"
more denial.
needless to say,
he didn't eat.
but he did start puking.
every hour.
all.night.long.
i don't do puke.
i won't be holding your hair.
i'll be at the door asking if you are okay.
from afar.
i felt so bad for him,
i didn't even get that upset that he
couldn't hit the trash can by his bed
to.save.his.life.
so we put down bath mats and towels,
changed sheets every hour.
washed sheets every hour.
around 3am he realized he wasn't going to school.
that made him smile.
a little.
anyhow, point of the story?
there is one, i think?
oh yeah,
i won't be eating hot dogs again anytime soon.
and i don't think g will either.
i've puked them up...
mushrooms
orange juice
cinnamon gum -
(it's a schnapps thing, don't ask)
angel hair pasta
pad thai
g came home from school yesterday,
"mom, my stomach hurts."
"oh, eat dinner you'll feel better."
denial.
"no, it really hurts."
"maybe go to the bathroom?"
more denial.
needless to say,
he didn't eat.
but he did start puking.
every hour.
all.night.long.
i don't do puke.
i won't be holding your hair.
i'll be at the door asking if you are okay.
from afar.
i felt so bad for him,
i didn't even get that upset that he
couldn't hit the trash can by his bed
to.save.his.life.
so we put down bath mats and towels,
changed sheets every hour.
washed sheets every hour.
around 3am he realized he wasn't going to school.
that made him smile.
a little.
anyhow, point of the story?
there is one, i think?
oh yeah,
i won't be eating hot dogs again anytime soon.
and i don't think g will either.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
butter
me-
"hey, honey, could you help me, i can't find the butter."
mm-
"i was going to make pancakes, but i don't think we have enough butter."
mm-
"do we have any yogurts left? the butter is blocking my view."
me-
"could you stop on your way home from work and get some butter?"
then we laugh hysterically and the kids stare at us.
apparently, we are easily amused in this house.
 |
| paaar-kaaay. |
me-
"hey, honey, could you help me, i can't find the butter."
mm-
"i was going to make pancakes, but i don't think we have enough butter."
mm-
"do we have any yogurts left? the butter is blocking my view."
me-
"could you stop on your way home from work and get some butter?"
then we laugh hysterically and the kids stare at us.
apparently, we are easily amused in this house.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
precious gems
.jpg) |
| precious gems |
a few weeks ago, we finally got around to trying gem jars at our house. i first ripped out the article here - filed it away and forgot about it. then the traveling circus started hers up, and i got inspired to put some jars into action.
by pure coincidence, these cups hold 100 gems. filling up a cup will net you $10. so that makes each gem worth 10 cents. the kids can earn up to 5 gems a day. one for making up their bed, one for clearing dishes from the table, one for keeping shoes in closet, one for hanging up their coat, and one for putting dirty clothes in the laundry hamper.
it doesn't sound like much, but it really is a big help to me. the first few days i mindlessly picked up the clothes anyway, and the kids got all upset. or i would automatically pick up the dishes, or the shoes, coats, etc. i had to force myself to NOT pick up. weird.
they have only lost a few gems for fighting or not listening. usually the threat of "i'm taking a gem" is enough. at some point i expect them to realize that getting into trouble only costs 10 cents, and in some cases might be totally worth it. in fact, i'll be a little disappointed if they don't. by that time i hope these chores will be habits and we won't have to worry so much about the gems. now we just have to come up with $10s!
all in all, this is working in our house.
the kids have already cashed in for $10,
and are working on their second $10.
they wasted it all away on junk from five below.
surprise, not.
the other day we gave them each 5 gems
to clean up the playroom.
it was done in record time.
bribery? maybe. but it worked.
and k, the youngest, is by far the best at this system.
she reminds everyone else.
what works in your house?
Thursday, September 23, 2010
acquiesce
these apples on my shirt
have pink,
and so do the cupcakes
on my pants,
match, match!"
"yes k, that's great, get in the car."
"look, mommy,
this skirt has orange flowers,
and there is orange on my
tie-dyed rain boots,
match, match!"
"yep, in the car."
"look, mommy,
this headband has purple,
and there is purple on this
striped swimsuit,
and my flower dress,
match, match, match!"
"right-o, in the car lady."
it's official.
i am one of those parents.
that doesn't seem to mind
what her kid is wearing.
game.
set.
and match.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
at long last
250 loads of laundry later,
we are finally out of this heinous
fabric softener.
it smelled "outdoor fresh" -
and as if that weren't enough,
it contained renewing freshness,
that released MORE freshness,
as. you. moved.
ugh.
i'm so glad that's over.
at long last,
we can move again.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
dear old navy
dear old navy,
m recently purchased your "days of the week" underwear. cute stuff. upon opening the package, she realized she has two thursdays and no saturday. the extra thursday is two sizes smaller than the rest of the pack.
we could just let it go, but, truthfully, it bugs us.
so we will return them or trade for a new pack that includes saturday. and although taking three kids into old navy makes me shake in my boots, it is the right thing to do. every girl needs a mom that will go to the mat for her.
so, see you in a few.
we'll be the really loud, crazy, mismatched, rag-tag bunch.
xo,
pj
m recently purchased your "days of the week" underwear. cute stuff. upon opening the package, she realized she has two thursdays and no saturday. the extra thursday is two sizes smaller than the rest of the pack.
we could just let it go, but, truthfully, it bugs us.
so we will return them or trade for a new pack that includes saturday. and although taking three kids into old navy makes me shake in my boots, it is the right thing to do. every girl needs a mom that will go to the mat for her.
so, see you in a few.
we'll be the really loud, crazy, mismatched, rag-tag bunch.
xo,
pj
Friday, July 30, 2010
no fun zone
these days,
we seem to have entered
the no fun zone.
it is kind of like the twilight zone,
without the unexpected twist.
the kids get out a toy(s)
then spend the next hour
arguing, swapping, dealing, wheeling,
fighting, jawing, taunting, defending,
debating, swindling, jabbing, dodging,
weaving, yeah, i could go on,
but you get it.
i am the referee.
and all this just for
the set up!
they never make it to
actually PLAYING.
it's exhausting,
well, for me anyway.
they spend all of their time -
setting up,
choosing sides,
picking pieces,
assigning roles,
and then POOF!
they move on to something else.
nothing left but the mess.
cue creepy music.
we seem to have entered
the no fun zone.
it is kind of like the twilight zone,
without the unexpected twist.
the kids get out a toy(s)
then spend the next hour
arguing, swapping, dealing, wheeling,
fighting, jawing, taunting, defending,
debating, swindling, jabbing, dodging,
weaving, yeah, i could go on,
but you get it.
i am the referee.
and all this just for
the set up!
they never make it to
actually PLAYING.
it's exhausting,
well, for me anyway.
they spend all of their time -
setting up,
choosing sides,
picking pieces,
assigning roles,
and then POOF!
they move on to something else.
nothing left but the mess.
cue creepy music.
Friday, June 25, 2010
justice league of mama birds
the other day i went out into our backyard.
to see if we have any tomatoes yet.
our tiny garden is near a robins' nest
built in our swingset fort.
around the nest, in the fort, on the fence,
were more than 20 mama birds,
freaking out.
i immediately thought they were
stealing the baby birdies,
or trying to kill them!
(so sad, but true)
i started clapping and shooing
them away.
as i got closer i saw a GIANT
blacksnake curled up in the nest,
eating one of the baby birdies!
the mama birds of all kinds,
not just robins,
were united together,
trying to get rid of the snake.
it was amazing.
mm took his trusty hiking stick
and poked and prodded the snake
until he got annoyed and left.
he dropped the birdie that was in his mouth,
but turned and picked up another!
after some more poking,
finally he gave up,
left the birdies,
and slithered through the grass
back into the woods.
the justice league of mama birds
followed him the whole way,
squawking, screeching, pecking,
letting him know not to come back.
wow.
if my little birdies are ever in trouble,
i can only hope the justice league of mamas
will be there for me.
or at least mm with a stick.
p.s. two of the three birdies survived.
not too bad.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
the three little (chuckle)heads
it is official.
all three of our kids
have stuck their little heads
through the banister.
(actually, one kid did it twice,
but i'm not telling which one)
the funny part -
if you think getting your head
stuck in a banister is funny,
which i kind of do -
is my reaction.
first kid -
"oh my god! call 911,
mm get the chainsaw!
get her out now!"
second kid -
"dude, how the heck did you
get your big melon head stuck
in that little space?!?"
third kid -
"are you serious?"
fortunately k is such a peanut
she was able to crawl right through
the banister!
which, come to think of it,
i'm not sure why it took three kids to figure that out.
all three of our kids
have stuck their little heads
through the banister.
(actually, one kid did it twice,
but i'm not telling which one)
the funny part -
if you think getting your head
stuck in a banister is funny,
which i kind of do -
is my reaction.
first kid -
"oh my god! call 911,
mm get the chainsaw!
get her out now!"
second kid -
"dude, how the heck did you
get your big melon head stuck
in that little space?!?"
third kid -
"are you serious?"
fortunately k is such a peanut
she was able to crawl right through
the banister!
which, come to think of it,
i'm not sure why it took three kids to figure that out.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
laundry by the numbers
since we have a third-grader
studying multiplication tables,
i thought i'd give her an assignment.
let's call it homeschooling.
yeah, that sounds good.
first assignment -
add/multiply laundry for the week.
here's what she came up with...
shirts - 5 people X 1 shirt X 7 days = 35 shirts
pants - 5 people X 1 pant X 7 days = 35 pants
socks - 5 people X 2 socks X 7 days = 70 socks
underwear - 5 people X 1 underwear X 7 days = 35 underwear
pajamas - 5 people X 1 pajamas X 2 pieces X 3 days = 30 pajamas
towels - 5 people X 1 towel X 2 days = 10 towels
grand total = 215 items
sorta crazy, huh?
this does not count sheets,
4 beds X 4 pieces X 1 day = 16 sheets
(note to self, change sheets)
coats, sweatshirts, blankets, wash cloths, dishtowels,
or multiple changes in one day,
leotards (4) - basketball uniforms (1)
- workout clothes for mm (5-10)
the same darn clothes.
every. freaking. week.
no wonder i'm so frazzled!
next multiplication assignment - dishes.
isn't "homeschooling" awesome?
p.s. sunday confession - i am secretly
relieved that wvu did not get a #1 seed.
studying multiplication tables,
i thought i'd give her an assignment.
let's call it homeschooling.
yeah, that sounds good.
first assignment -
add/multiply laundry for the week.
here's what she came up with...
shirts - 5 people X 1 shirt X 7 days = 35 shirts
pants - 5 people X 1 pant X 7 days = 35 pants
socks - 5 people X 2 socks X 7 days = 70 socks
underwear - 5 people X 1 underwear X 7 days = 35 underwear
pajamas - 5 people X 1 pajamas X 2 pieces X 3 days = 30 pajamas
towels - 5 people X 1 towel X 2 days = 10 towels
grand total = 215 items
sorta crazy, huh?
this does not count sheets,
4 beds X 4 pieces X 1 day = 16 sheets
(note to self, change sheets)
coats, sweatshirts, blankets, wash cloths, dishtowels,
or multiple changes in one day,
leotards (4) - basketball uniforms (1)
- workout clothes for mm (5-10)
the same darn clothes.
every. freaking. week.
no wonder i'm so frazzled!
next multiplication assignment - dishes.
isn't "homeschooling" awesome?
p.s. sunday confession - i am secretly
relieved that wvu did not get a #1 seed.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
the age of silly
as if the eons of whine weren't enough,
our house has dawned on
the age of silly.
suddenly, everything is funny.
e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.
especially meal time.
car rides.
or any time parents are ticked off.
grins. chuckles. full out laughter.
at first, we thought it was so cute.
the three of them,
conspiring together,
giggling non-stop,
because the baby sang,
"dora, dora, dora, the dumb-dumb."
or some other hilarious ditty.
but now it's a constant barrage
of jokes that don't make sense,
slapstick humor,
(totally gets a laugh. every. time.)
noises, fake toots, wacky songs, etc.
each of them trying to outdo the other,
louder and louder,
shouting, squealing, milk flying out of noses,
you get the idea.
we are trying to power through,
but our faces have these tight fake smiles
most of the time.
oh, sometimes, yes, we laugh too.
(falling down is funny, ya'll!)
but other times, we get ticked and try
to make the silly stop.
which backfires every time.
clearly, you just can't stop the silly.
so we shake our heads,
and wonder just how long the age of silly lasts?
oh - and kick ourselves for complaining so much
about the eons of whine.
i'm missing a good whine about now.
but mostly,
we are really, really nervous
and terrified, let's be honest,
about what comes after
the age of silly.
our house has dawned on
the age of silly.
suddenly, everything is funny.
e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.
especially meal time.
car rides.
or any time parents are ticked off.
grins. chuckles. full out laughter.
at first, we thought it was so cute.
the three of them,
conspiring together,
giggling non-stop,
because the baby sang,
"dora, dora, dora, the dumb-dumb."
or some other hilarious ditty.
but now it's a constant barrage
of jokes that don't make sense,
slapstick humor,
(totally gets a laugh. every. time.)
noises, fake toots, wacky songs, etc.
each of them trying to outdo the other,
louder and louder,
shouting, squealing, milk flying out of noses,
you get the idea.
we are trying to power through,
but our faces have these tight fake smiles
most of the time.
oh, sometimes, yes, we laugh too.
(falling down is funny, ya'll!)
but other times, we get ticked and try
to make the silly stop.
which backfires every time.
clearly, you just can't stop the silly.
so we shake our heads,
and wonder just how long the age of silly lasts?
oh - and kick ourselves for complaining so much
about the eons of whine.
i'm missing a good whine about now.
but mostly,
we are really, really nervous
and terrified, let's be honest,
about what comes after
the age of silly.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
the snow koozie
end of day.
kids played.
big kids too.
life is good.
yes,
i helped.
and yes,
my back hurts.
mm's invention.
the snow koozie.
keeps your
beer cold
while you
are shoveling.
Monday, February 1, 2010
and miles to go
before i sleep.
this week i'm going to add up
our time spent in the car.
driving to kid activities.
it's so cold here,
i hate to even leave the house.
but i must.
because my parents did it for me.
ballet, tap, gymnastics,
choir, tennis, track,
girl scouts, youth group, piano,
violin, i could go on.
but i'm starting to sound,
well, a bit spoiled.
so i'll stop.
(because we all know it's really
my little brother that got all
the spoilin', right?)
i can't say i ever really thought
about all the driving.
or appreciated it.
but i do now.
because i am in the car
for hours on end.
it's a good thing i have
a suv - that guzzles gas,
but makes me look cool,
because the back windows
are tinted so no one
can tell there are three kids
riding with me.
so when i'm yelling,
"no one touch anyone!"
"just stop looking at each other!"
"no, i do not have any gum!"
it just looks like i'm singing along
to a really hip song.
(note - i know no hip songs)
anyway, let's get started.
monday - i don't have to go anywhere today.
i thought about the mall.
but like i said, it's so cold here.
i think we'll just hang at the house.
i am taking g downtown later
to meet mm for the hockey game.
house to mellon arena = 34 minutes.
mellon arena to house = 34 minutes.
total = 68 minutes.
as long as there is no tunnel traffic.
ha-ha.
tuesday - this is the longest day of our week.
mm logs some time here too.
we have overlapping activities on tuesdays.
house to preschool = 14 minutes
preschool to school = 10 minutes
school to house = 7 minutes
house to preschool = 14 minutes
preschool to house = 14 minutes
house to ccd = 10 minutes
ccd to house = 10 minutes
house to ccd (car one) = 10 minutes
house to ccd (car two) = 10 minutes
ccd to gymnastics (car one) = 7 minutes
ccd to house (car two) = 10 minutes
gymnastics to house (car one) = 12 minutes
house to basketball = 7 minutes
basketball to house = 7 minutes
house to gymnastics = 12 minutes
gymnastics to house = 12 minutes
total = 166 minutes
for real.
wednesday - two cups of coffee, please.
g normally has basketball practice.
but not this week.
because he has a game tomorrow.
mm is going out after work.
so i'll probably take the kids
somewhere for dinner.
drive thru-ish.
let's be conservative and say -
home to fast food = 14 minutes
fast food to home = 14 minutes
total = 28 minutes
did i mention it's cold here?
thursday - if you ask me my name,
i probably won't know what you are talking about.
home to preschool = 14 minutes
preschool to home = 14 minutes
home to preschool = 14 minutes
preschool to home = 14 minutes
home to gymnastics (car one) = 12 minutes
home to basketball (car two) = 7 minutes
gymnastics to home (car one) = 12 minutes
basketball to home (car two) = 7 minutes
home to gymnastics = 12 minutes
gymnastics to home = 12 minutes
total = 118 minutes
friday - wait. what day is it?
home to brownies = 7 minutes
brownies to home = 7 minutes
total = 14 minutes
heaven!
saturday - mm does this, unless i lose a bet.
home to gymnastics = 12 minutes
gymnastics to home = 12 minutes
home to gymnastics = 12 minutes
gymnastics to home = 12 minutes
total = 48 minutes
sunday - this is errand day as well.
home to church = 10 minutes
church to home = 10 minutes
total = 20 minutes
grand total for the whole week,
not counting the gym,
bank, grocery store, etc.
= 462 minutes!
no wonder i'm such an awesome driver.
so, how long are you in the car each week?
this week i'm going to add up
our time spent in the car.
driving to kid activities.
it's so cold here,
i hate to even leave the house.
but i must.
because my parents did it for me.
ballet, tap, gymnastics,
choir, tennis, track,
girl scouts, youth group, piano,
violin, i could go on.
but i'm starting to sound,
well, a bit spoiled.
so i'll stop.
(because we all know it's really
my little brother that got all
the spoilin', right?)
i can't say i ever really thought
about all the driving.
or appreciated it.
but i do now.
because i am in the car
for hours on end.
it's a good thing i have
a suv - that guzzles gas,
but makes me look cool,
because the back windows
are tinted so no one
can tell there are three kids
riding with me.
so when i'm yelling,
"no one touch anyone!"
"just stop looking at each other!"
"no, i do not have any gum!"
it just looks like i'm singing along
to a really hip song.
(note - i know no hip songs)
anyway, let's get started.
monday - i don't have to go anywhere today.
i thought about the mall.
but like i said, it's so cold here.
i think we'll just hang at the house.
i am taking g downtown later
to meet mm for the hockey game.
house to mellon arena = 34 minutes.
mellon arena to house = 34 minutes.
total = 68 minutes.
as long as there is no tunnel traffic.
ha-ha.
tuesday - this is the longest day of our week.
mm logs some time here too.
we have overlapping activities on tuesdays.
house to preschool = 14 minutes
preschool to school = 10 minutes
school to house = 7 minutes
house to preschool = 14 minutes
preschool to house = 14 minutes
house to ccd = 10 minutes
ccd to house = 10 minutes
house to ccd (car one) = 10 minutes
house to ccd (car two) = 10 minutes
ccd to gymnastics (car one) = 7 minutes
ccd to house (car two) = 10 minutes
gymnastics to house (car one) = 12 minutes
house to basketball = 7 minutes
basketball to house = 7 minutes
house to gymnastics = 12 minutes
gymnastics to house = 12 minutes
total = 166 minutes
for real.
wednesday - two cups of coffee, please.
g normally has basketball practice.
but not this week.
because he has a game tomorrow.
mm is going out after work.
so i'll probably take the kids
somewhere for dinner.
drive thru-ish.
let's be conservative and say -
home to fast food = 14 minutes
fast food to home = 14 minutes
total = 28 minutes
did i mention it's cold here?
thursday - if you ask me my name,
i probably won't know what you are talking about.
home to preschool = 14 minutes
preschool to home = 14 minutes
home to preschool = 14 minutes
preschool to home = 14 minutes
home to gymnastics (car one) = 12 minutes
home to basketball (car two) = 7 minutes
gymnastics to home (car one) = 12 minutes
basketball to home (car two) = 7 minutes
home to gymnastics = 12 minutes
gymnastics to home = 12 minutes
total = 118 minutes
friday - wait. what day is it?
home to brownies = 7 minutes
brownies to home = 7 minutes
total = 14 minutes
heaven!
saturday - mm does this, unless i lose a bet.
home to gymnastics = 12 minutes
gymnastics to home = 12 minutes
home to gymnastics = 12 minutes
gymnastics to home = 12 minutes
total = 48 minutes
sunday - this is errand day as well.
home to church = 10 minutes
church to home = 10 minutes
total = 20 minutes
grand total for the whole week,
not counting the gym,
bank, grocery store, etc.
= 462 minutes!
no wonder i'm such an awesome driver.
so, how long are you in the car each week?
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
of teeth and kids
yesterday was dentist day.
my kids love the dentist.
they go, get their teeth cleaned,
get a new toothbrush,
we all get ice cream after.
exactly 30 minutes after.
what's not to love?
this visit was different.
my mommy radar
was on high alert.
because our brownies
had just completed a badge
called healthy habits.
including a field trip
to a pediatric dentist.
there were video games in the waiting room!
train tables!
books, toys, highlights!
a friendly staff of hygienists and receptionists!
and there was dr. matt.
they all gave up their evening to teach our girls.
it was a fabulous field trip.
so, although my dentist didn't know it,
she was in my cross hairs last night.
and everything she and her staff did,
annoyed me.
a lot.
it suddenly became clear,
that while she takes great care of me
and mm,
she is no dr. matt.
three events have me searching
for a new dentist for my children.
first, our reception.
walking into the dentist's office,
with three young kids,
the whole staff looked
at us
like deer in the headlights.
now while i expect this look
at nordstrom's or saks' -
i don't at the dentist.
second, k.
she has always been my bravest kid.
but since an unfortunate decision
to let her choose the h1n1 flu mist,
she is now terrified of doctors.
(note to ya'll - 4 yr. olds and mist don't mix)
she let the hygienist look at her teeth,
but she would not let her clean them.
the hygienist says,
"don't you want to be like your big sister and big brother?"
k screams,
"no!"
and cries.
and that was it.
no cleaning for k.
i felt like saying,
"seriously, that's all you've got?"
and third, g.
the dentist looks at his teeth.
says to the hygienist,
"i would put a filling in #x."
he asks,
"what's a filling?"
(techno jargon follows)
tears.
he asks,
"what's a cavity?"
(more techno jargon)
he asks,
"how do you fill it?"
(techno, techno, drill, more techno)
seriously? did you just say drill?
more tears.
mouth clamps shut.
she seems exasperated,
"g, i need you to open your mouth."
then to me,
"why won't he open his mouth?"
"because you just said you were going to put a drill in his cavity."
"well, not today."
"well, you didn't tell him that."
"oh."
i convince him to finish the exam.
i tap his foot to comfort him.
i encourage him every step of the way.
he powers through.
then asks 442 million questions on the ride home.
then, to top it all off,
they didn't give us any free toothbrushes!
and she told m she needs braces.
but not today, remember to say, NOT TODAY!
sheesh.
does anyone know a good KID dentist?
we are all so ready.
my kids love the dentist.
they go, get their teeth cleaned,
get a new toothbrush,
we all get ice cream after.
exactly 30 minutes after.
what's not to love?
this visit was different.
my mommy radar
was on high alert.
because our brownies
had just completed a badge
called healthy habits.
including a field trip
to a pediatric dentist.
there were video games in the waiting room!
train tables!
books, toys, highlights!
a friendly staff of hygienists and receptionists!
and there was dr. matt.
they all gave up their evening to teach our girls.
it was a fabulous field trip.
so, although my dentist didn't know it,
she was in my cross hairs last night.
and everything she and her staff did,
annoyed me.
a lot.
it suddenly became clear,
that while she takes great care of me
and mm,
she is no dr. matt.
three events have me searching
for a new dentist for my children.
first, our reception.
walking into the dentist's office,
with three young kids,
the whole staff looked
at us
like deer in the headlights.
now while i expect this look
at nordstrom's or saks' -
i don't at the dentist.
second, k.
she has always been my bravest kid.
but since an unfortunate decision
to let her choose the h1n1 flu mist,
she is now terrified of doctors.
(note to ya'll - 4 yr. olds and mist don't mix)
she let the hygienist look at her teeth,
but she would not let her clean them.
the hygienist says,
"don't you want to be like your big sister and big brother?"
k screams,
"no!"
and cries.
and that was it.
no cleaning for k.
i felt like saying,
"seriously, that's all you've got?"
and third, g.
the dentist looks at his teeth.
says to the hygienist,
"i would put a filling in #x."
he asks,
"what's a filling?"
(techno jargon follows)
tears.
he asks,
"what's a cavity?"
(more techno jargon)
he asks,
"how do you fill it?"
(techno, techno, drill, more techno)
seriously? did you just say drill?
more tears.
mouth clamps shut.
she seems exasperated,
"g, i need you to open your mouth."
then to me,
"why won't he open his mouth?"
"because you just said you were going to put a drill in his cavity."
"well, not today."
"well, you didn't tell him that."
"oh."
i convince him to finish the exam.
i tap his foot to comfort him.
i encourage him every step of the way.
he powers through.
then asks 442 million questions on the ride home.
then, to top it all off,
they didn't give us any free toothbrushes!
and she told m she needs braces.
but not today, remember to say, NOT TODAY!
sheesh.
does anyone know a good KID dentist?
we are all so ready.
Friday, November 6, 2009
really, we actually made a decision?
after talking it over - 5,442 times,
we have decided to get the kids
vaccinated for h1n1.
so now, of course,
we can't find any vaccines.
anywhere.
we are on two lists.
one at the doctor's office.
and one at the school.
so frustrating.
grr.
we have decided to get the kids
vaccinated for h1n1.
so now, of course,
we can't find any vaccines.
anywhere.
we are on two lists.
one at the doctor's office.
and one at the school.
so frustrating.
grr.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
letters from the battlefront
my troops are admirable.
obviously, as i'm not writing this from the brig.
but lately i've been thinking of battles.
head to head.
toe to toe.
dude, was i this hard to break?
i've noticed battle intensity is connected with patience. my patience. because the troops never change. same personalities. everyday.
so it has to be patience that's making the difference on most fronts.
after eight years of parenting,
you'd think i'd have a battle plan.
as the four-star general, so to speak.
i'm getting there.
i'm taking the "lose the battle, win the war"
attitude with some conflicts.
it could sound defeatist to some,
but i prefer the term - laid back.
some of the battles i'm thinking of "losing"...
defcon five - g's freaking LOUD voice. kind of cute after school when he's telling me about his day, not so cute at 6am. i have shushed, pretended his ear is a volume control, flat out said, "you are screaming, bud." over and over and over. not working. does this really matter? really? no, let it go. let him be who he is. loud and proud. (k is shaping up to be even louder, must conserve energy)
defcon four - running. do new recruits have to run everywhere? absolutely. no matter what, they just have to run. so besides not running on the stairs, with a toothbrush, machine gun, or scissors, i've got to let this one go as well. should save 2-3 rants a day, at least.
defcon three - clothes. ah, clothes. the "omg, you don't seriously want to wear that?" battle. i've tried to be tactful, tried redirecting, distraction tactics. but when they get something in their little heads, it's over. and mm is no better at outfit assembly than the troops. so really, i just have to wave the white flag on this one. shopping with cinderella or recruits in swimsuits/snow boots can actually be kind of fun. entertaining, even.
defcon two - food/could you please just sit still for five seconds? this one is sticky. i can remember sitting at the table until i finished (fill-in-the-blank) for what seemed like eons. i don't appear to be affected by this, as i will eat pretty much anything. except oatmeal, raisins, and oatmeal with raisins - yes i'm talking to you, mother. the problem for our troops is they can't sit still to save their lives. it is borderline ridiculous. like a not-so-nice evening game of whiny musical chairs. and the battle is multi-faceted in the sense that the leaders are in conflict on how to proceed. delightful. we seem to be at a standstill on this one. i'd like to let something go, but i'm not sure what, or how. dinner is definitely touchy territory.
defcon one - clutter. the "you little noobs are destroying our base!" battle. i don't honestly think on most rational days that they are flithin' it up just to annoy me. most days. other days i suspect mutiny. they create mounds of dirty dishes, dirty clothes, dirty bodies. they use the bathroom 42 seconds after i clean it. and i mean like a giant #2 in the sparkly clean toilet. grr. they use towels with reckless abandon. crumbs fall like bombs 24/7. they spill, we scrub, they spill. it is exhausting. something's got to give, but i'm too afraid to let it go, we could be condemned. seriously.
what battles are raging in your sector?
are you ready to wave the white flag?
obviously, as i'm not writing this from the brig.
but lately i've been thinking of battles.
head to head.
toe to toe.
dude, was i this hard to break?
i've noticed battle intensity is connected with patience. my patience. because the troops never change. same personalities. everyday.
so it has to be patience that's making the difference on most fronts.
after eight years of parenting,
you'd think i'd have a battle plan.
as the four-star general, so to speak.
i'm getting there.
i'm taking the "lose the battle, win the war"
attitude with some conflicts.
it could sound defeatist to some,
but i prefer the term - laid back.
some of the battles i'm thinking of "losing"...
defcon five - g's freaking LOUD voice. kind of cute after school when he's telling me about his day, not so cute at 6am. i have shushed, pretended his ear is a volume control, flat out said, "you are screaming, bud." over and over and over. not working. does this really matter? really? no, let it go. let him be who he is. loud and proud. (k is shaping up to be even louder, must conserve energy)
defcon four - running. do new recruits have to run everywhere? absolutely. no matter what, they just have to run. so besides not running on the stairs, with a toothbrush, machine gun, or scissors, i've got to let this one go as well. should save 2-3 rants a day, at least.
defcon three - clothes. ah, clothes. the "omg, you don't seriously want to wear that?" battle. i've tried to be tactful, tried redirecting, distraction tactics. but when they get something in their little heads, it's over. and mm is no better at outfit assembly than the troops. so really, i just have to wave the white flag on this one. shopping with cinderella or recruits in swimsuits/snow boots can actually be kind of fun. entertaining, even.
defcon two - food/could you please just sit still for five seconds? this one is sticky. i can remember sitting at the table until i finished (fill-in-the-blank) for what seemed like eons. i don't appear to be affected by this, as i will eat pretty much anything. except oatmeal, raisins, and oatmeal with raisins - yes i'm talking to you, mother. the problem for our troops is they can't sit still to save their lives. it is borderline ridiculous. like a not-so-nice evening game of whiny musical chairs. and the battle is multi-faceted in the sense that the leaders are in conflict on how to proceed. delightful. we seem to be at a standstill on this one. i'd like to let something go, but i'm not sure what, or how. dinner is definitely touchy territory.
defcon one - clutter. the "you little noobs are destroying our base!" battle. i don't honestly think on most rational days that they are flithin' it up just to annoy me. most days. other days i suspect mutiny. they create mounds of dirty dishes, dirty clothes, dirty bodies. they use the bathroom 42 seconds after i clean it. and i mean like a giant #2 in the sparkly clean toilet. grr. they use towels with reckless abandon. crumbs fall like bombs 24/7. they spill, we scrub, they spill. it is exhausting. something's got to give, but i'm too afraid to let it go, we could be condemned. seriously.
what battles are raging in your sector?
are you ready to wave the white flag?
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