Kaleidoscope of Faces

First Day of Kindergarten!

2009-08-26T21:55:00.001-04:00

Monday
Joshua's first day of Kindergarten! He wouldn't let me take a picture of him, so I got a pic of him walking towards the car when he couldn't see me doing it.

Four of Pentacles
Money is not as important as friendships and family. Don't let money come between your self and your valuable friendships or family relationships.

This was helpful advice when I had the thought cross my mind, "can I really afford to go out with Shalagh tonight?" So I did it anyway. I found a middle ground; I only took $20.00 out to spend, that way I was within my budget, but was still supporting my Me Time and the friendship that I want to cultivate.

Cape Henlopen

2009-08-12T14:47:00.001-04:00

Cape Henlopen State Park . . . land of beaches, trails, a World War II Observation Tower! The beaches alone attract thousands of visitors! Cape Henlopen . . . the ideal destination for Our Very First Vacation.

Friday arrived, and off we went. Finally pulling into the parking lot of The Comfort Inn in Georgetown, Deleware, the first thing Joshua saw was a pool! Clambering up to our second floor room, we unpacked:

"Mommy, we have a toilet!"

"Joshua, Mommy has coffee!"

The pool changed our plans to scout out where Cape Henlopen was. We could do that on Saturday! Joshua played . . . on ladders, ledges . . . with the bug net . . . the life preserver . . . he had a ball. There was another mother there who's son allowed Joshua to think he was saving him by throwing him the life preserver . . . all evening. His mother . . . a woman after my own heart:

"No gettinng in the pool unless someone is here", she fussed, wich I followed with:

"JOSHUA! ! !

"NO RUNNING BY THE POOL! ! !"

After a few hours, we headed back to our room. We discovered sausages in cans smell putrid; cheese and crackers are good, and sardines in mustard still rock! Five kinds of chips, trail mix - wonderful. Diet Coke means no sugar, it doesn't mean no caffeine . . . soo we got a Sprite that had no caffeine, plenty of sugar. Joshua was dancing on the ceiling!

Mid-debauchery we found the exercise room - Joshua had a lovely time playing on the tread mill, letting himself get slid off, screaming "helllllp . . . . !"

We left, belatedly observing the "No Children Allowed" sign.

"Elitest snobs", I sniffed, and we went to bed, dreaming of sunny beaches and nature trails.

Waking Saturday morning, planning to drive to Cape Henlopen and explore all it had, we ambled down to the lobby for breakfast, Joshua amazed at the doughnuts, I, grateful for coffee. We discussed our options. Joshua's thought was that The Sacred Pool was better than any old beach. What's one more day? We could see Cape Henlopen on Sunday. We visited Walmart for water toys, parked ourselves by the pool and lazed the day away in the sunshine and chlorine. I got ready to take pictures of my child running "willy nilly" up and down the pool steps and around its perimeter, only to discover that the memory on my camera was full. We were getting ready to embark on a grand, exhilarating, unphotographed adventure of a vacation!

For dinner we had Chinese, and settled into our room for the evening. Joshua had a track running around the tables and under the bed, and the hum of Thomas chugging along filled the air. Day Two was winding down. For us, it had been the ultimate in vacations; Joshua got to to play in this wonderful pool that was just his size; I got to sit in the sun and read: total relaxation.

Sunday dawned brightly, bringing with it a blissful, lazy morning by The Sacred Pool, enjoying the continental breakfast, leisurely packing for checkout. By lunch time, we were in the car; Cape Henlopen here we come! Pulling onto the highway, we saw another sign for the Cape May/Lewes Ferry. I was intrigued by the idea of a ferry trip. Hurriedly discussing it, we quickly decided to forego Cape Henlopen again. We had gotten this far without setting eyes on it, what was one more day? There was always next year!

The ferry was spectacular! Three floors, gift shops, food areas, a playground, you could live on this thing! We spent time and money in the gift shop, getting presents for our family. We spent some time having lunch in the food court. My excitement at being able to watch the ocean roll beneath us with the salty spray in our faces was outshone only by Joshua's amazement at his first taste ever of a Snickers candy bar. He had a great time on the Jersey shore, charming all the employees there, coming away with two coloring books, crayons, a stuffed whale, and a plastic boat, all compliments of his new friends. The ferry was a vacation unto itself, just as the hotel and pool had been.

Driving home tired but happy, all Joshua wanted to know was:

"When can we go back to the hotel for another 'Cation????"

****

This is the second essay I have submitted to our public radio station to be read on air. I am so tickled with myself, because this essay used to be an 1,800 word blog, and I finally succeeded in scrunching it up into a 700 word essay. Leaving out all the funniest and best parts, in my opinion, but it had to be done. Just wanted to share the accomplishment and the experience with you all, although this really was a composite of a couple trips.

Thanks for reading!

2008-02-18T22:21:00.001-05:00

I was so worried .... all the moms of little boys on cafemom, they're worried because their boys are fascinated with their pee pees and I was like "Mine doesn't even know his exists!" and FINALLY he does.

The other day we were sitting in the recliner and he said "Mommy!" and I asked what.

"My PEE PEE just moved!"... and I told him that that's how little boys' pee pees are and that will happen from time to time and to just not pay attention to it and it would get bored and go back "sleep" again soon. And that was the end of that.

This morning in bed, I hear another "Mommy!!".

I asked him what.

"My pee pee moved again!" and I said again, "that's normal, it's something boys' pee pees do in the morning."

"By ITSELF???????" He was just completely shocked.

I said yes, all by itself, that's how pee pees are, and then I asked him if he wanted to know how or why it moves by itself, to which he says yes, and I told him that all his blood in his body in the morning goes to his pee pee, but that also if you have to go to the bathroom it will happen too. And he was happy with that answer.

But the tone of his voice when he said "BY ITSELF???" was just PRICELESS.

3 yr olds and driving

2007-11-27T21:56:00.001-05:00

I always thought it was my fault that my oldest badgered me about driving from the time he was 3 to the time he got his license, because I took him for that one little joy ride in a school parking lot when he was 3 years old.

Apparently it is a boy thing and will happen whether or not you give them any ideas or not. I have been so careful to not EVER let Joshua sit in my lap and drive, and get any delusions of grandeur, and out of nowhere, he says "Mommy. I want to DRIVE." And so I tell him "well you can't honey, you have to be 16 years old and you have to have a license to drive".

"Mommy. I a big boy."

"Honey, you are only 3 years old. You cannot drive if you are 3 years old, they don't allow it."

"No I not, I TEN." Like ten is some magical number.

Do any of you with girls get this? Do girls do this too? What is with the driving????

He can't even reach the pedals! LOL!

3 yr olds and relaxation exercises

2007-11-16T18:09:00.000-05:00

I taught Joshua to deep breathe a while ago, gosh, I think he was two-ish??? Or younger, maybe. And we practice, both the deep breathing to calm down, or just to relax in order to sleep...and we practice how to relax each body part and let it fall asleep.

Long story short, he watched a children's video last night that was a little over the top, (a gutty disgusting skinless turkey chasing people around trying to eat them) and I didn't realize it and take it out until he was already scared. (totally my bad, i didn't think to preview the stupid thing).

So last night he couldn't relax because of that, and after the 3rd story/song request, I figured out why he was so antsy and started his deep breathing stuff but told him additionally to let ... any pictures or thoughts of that turkey that might be in his head .... like, float away on a cloud, out of his head ... because sometimes that's the visualization that works best for me personally.

I guess you would have to love kids and meditation too to appreciate how cute this is, but a few minutes later, his little eyes popped open, he looked at me, and he said "Mommy! All the stories are out of my head too!"

I just told him that was great, and it meant he was doing a great job with his deep breathing, and that now, he would have much more room in his head for the new stories we would tell tomorrow night. But I was just impressed, as someone who can't focus for more than 3 seconds sometimes ...... that he could actually do it, or comprehend it.....

crap, and then I forgot to put his grounding suggestion in, so that if and hopefully when he fell asleep, he wouldn't just hover in a meditative state, but he seemed to sleep soundly anyways....

have the WHOLE weekend off, catching up on homework, going winter clothes shopping for Joshua and Lance now that the weather is actually cold finally..... looking forward to not running, running, running.... only writing, writing, writing .... 3 chapters I have to catch up on that I"ve gotten behind in...

Stupid Kid Stuff

2007-11-04T22:22:00.001-05:00

Couple of important developments.

First, I've learned to cut Joshua's hair myself, thereby saving myself that $15 per haircut that usually involves a lot of screaming and a sticky hair covered lollipop.

As you can see from the picture, technically, I am learnING to cut Joshua's hair. But that's ok, he's too little to know. Actually, it's pretty addictive. Those clippers are COOL.

One of the reasons why it looks a little choppy, is because being who I am, I thought ... "the directions can't be that important, who cares what direction you go in for every part of the head, how hard can it be ..." so on and so forth, and then I just went wild on the child and threw the clippers around every which way just cutting lots and lots of hair. Who knew, the directions might actually be USEFUL. Live and Learn.

Second, it IS autumn and getting cold out, and so while he usually runs around in socks or bare feet, I'm proud to say he has started wearing shoes when he mows the lawn. If you look closely, you'll see that they technically are not HIS shoes, and that they don't even match. What kind of boy doesn't wear MATCHING women's shoes????

Apparently mine.

My Dish-washing Theory

2007-09-18T14:38:00.000-04:00

I have been asked to expound on my theory of dish-washing. Get out your notepads and pencils; this could get complicated.

Soak Cycle

The dishes must first be SOAKED.

Start the water, wait until it is scalding hot, then fill the sink with the scalding hot soapy water and throw the dishes in. Or just place them, if you are feeling laid back. You must not actually wash them at this point. They have to stay in the water for exactly 45 to 60 minutes. No less than 45 (water will not be cooled enough to touch yet), but no more than 60 (water will get too cool after that). Don't bother experimenting with these time frames; I have already done EXTENSIVE research to reach these conclusions.

If someone is to be so silly as to ask you "why are they just sitting there, why aren't you washing them?", you may

a) look at them as if they are stupid, and then

b) patiently inform them that you would get burned/scalded, injured, etc., if you were to be so irresponsibly impetuous as to immerse your hands in the water, which you should carefully explain to them is scalding hot.

This first cycle satisfies two very important objectives:

First, you make the water and soap and dishes do your work for you .... this is much the same as figuring out how to make your money work for YOU, instead of you just working for IT. People go to college and earn degrees to figure things like this out, and I am giving it to you for FREE, so appreciate it for what it is worth.

Secondly, not only is your soap and water and dishes doing the work for you for these first 45 minutes, but you may additionally utilize this precious time by contributing to your spiritual and emotional health instead of wasting it on mindless labor. Mindless labor is for peasants; have we not evolved just a bit more than that? So while your dishes are soaking, you must be sure to occupy yourself with your spiritual endeavors, such as watching television (what is television viewing if not erasing your mind of all thought - MEDITATION), reading a book (self education ... we are Life Long Learners, always, don't forget), or taking a shower (water is a powerful aura cleanser) ... IF you have not already used up all the hot water.

Recap: soaking the dishes in scalding hot water for at least an hour. Dishes do the work for you, and you are freed up to focus on more important endeavors. Balance, balance, balance. All the greatest spiritual masters strive for balance. And in this way, you can incorporate it right into your every day life.

Wash Cycle

After the hour of soaking time, you may begin to WASH the dishes. If and when you find yourself expending more than a single split second on scrubbing any given dish, put it to the side immediately - OBVIOUSLY it is in need of a Secondary Soak Cycle. Which you can set up after the current sink of dishes is washed.

Dry Cycle

The Dry Cycle is very challenging to complete. Only those people who have spiritually cultivated their Virtue of Patience should attempt this without guidance. The dishes, once washed, must sit in the drainer for NO LESS than TWENTY-FOUR HOURS. This is of the utmost importance. If you attempt to put them away before this time has elapsed, they may not be entirely dry. And then they would become mildew-y and disgusting, not to mention un-hygenic, in the cupboards. If this were to happen, your entire family's health could be in jeopardy. Someone may ask you, "Well, why don't you just dry them with a towel?" You may respond to this foolishness as follows:

a) look at them as if they are stupid, and then

b) patiently inform them or remind them of the disgusting and copious amounts of germ warfare that cover dishtowels every single day, in every single American house-hold. Tell them, "Bin Ladin has no shame. Freedom comes with a price, and that price is vigilance. One must NEVER dry the dishes with a dish towel."

And then for good measure,

c) look at them as if they are stupid again.

With the Dry Cycle taking a good 24 hours to complete, it may be quite some time before you are able to commence with a new Soak. Do not be alarmed if the dishes begin to pile up on the sink. They will still be there tomorrow. And you will have achieved a Spiritual Balance and Harmony in your kitchen that others will only be able to envy.

Bedtime Stories

2007-08-29T16:14:00.000-04:00

Joshua gets most of his bedtime stories after the lights are out, which means I have to make them up. I am NOT a natural story teller, and it's been hard to find ideas, so I posted on the singles board of Beliefnet.com and got lots of great ideas for coming up with story ideas, one of which I used last night:

Last night's Happy Story was about Bilbo the Squirrel. He lived in a tree right outside Auntie Faye's kitchen window and she was doing the dishes and watching him one day. Auntie Faye's kitty cat was sleeping under the tree, and Bilbo grabbed a nut and threw it at him.

And of course there were appropriate sound affects and a corresponding plop on Joshua's head at the moment of impact.

And the kitty woke up (VERY theatrically) and said "WHAT WAS THAT???". And Bilbo laughed and laughed and laughed.

The poor kitty went back to sleep several times and got wacked on the head several times with all the physical head thunking and sound affects at the appropriate times.

Eventually the kitty got up, mortally offended, never did figure out what had happened, and he stalked up to the kitchen door, dignity in shreds, and said "I meant to do that" and asked to be let in.

The nice thing about this story is that Joshua LAUGHED HIS ASS OFF every time the cat got hit in the head with a nut and Bilbo would start laughing. He LOVED this story.

I felt very successful FINALLY.