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Pretty Horsies Again, Again, Again
2008-03-23 04:01:00
Reminds me of a couple of months ago at Grandpa's house and 'Little Bug's' continuous 'again, again'. Infinity is not an actual number but merely used to express endlessness, so I'm sure any parent who sings or reads the same song or story over and over knows how this goes.Read! Read! Hush-a-bye, don't you cryGo to sleep-y, little baby.When you wake you shall have cakeAnd all the pretty little horses.Blacks and bays, dapples and grays,Coach and six white horses.Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,Go to sleep-y, little baby.Again! Again!On a web search for the lyrics the versions of this lullaby are numerous. The original seems quite sinister (aka original Grimm's) and some are nicer versions. Here I found a version including live motion of Arabian Horses and a decent rendition.
More About: Pretty

To the horsies
2008-03-21 13:06:00
This afternoon, I left Bug waiting for her turn on the swing to walk over to see the horses with Bear. Half way across the field, I heard the tell tale sign of a two year old who had changed her mind.Mommy! Wait for me!I turned around to a scene I wanted to etch in my memory. One of those brief moments you do not want to lose. Her face shone with the pure joy of a two year old running free in a field. Her eyes sparkled. Her yellow curls bounced. She flapped her arms, accentuating her toddler run. Her exuberant giggle rang out across a field just beginning to green...and all against the backdrop of a clear, blue sky.It was picture perfect and I had no camera. Only a moment to etch in my memory before she slipped her little hand in mine to go see the "horsies."

Who Cares for the NCAA Tournament?
2008-03-20 11:23:00
Not me; footy season has started and a rip snorter it was. Here's one for ya Clive at the Ol' Oz Tek in McCook. Once again me Tiges prevail over your Blues.Richmond Tigers 17.7 (109) to Carlton Blues 11.13 (79)."But trust me, with 21 rounds to go and after 25 plus years of futility I can still experience once again what it is to be a Cubs fan."
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A story, Bug style
2008-03-18 07:39:00
My two year old told me a bedtime story tonight, and I'd like to preserve it for all:Noah and his wives and his wives' sons got to play with the kitty cats. And Noah was afraid, but God shut the door and it was ok because God was outside. He walked around and had to fight. And it rained. Then God put on his BIG jammies and went to bed.You should have seen her eyes as she emphasized how big God's jammies were. And in case you are curious, hewears black jammies to bed.
More About: Story , Style

Toilet terrors.
2008-03-17 05:40:00
My sweet little Bug has encountered a speed bump in the toilet training journey. Since that fateful day I bribed her, she has been doing exceedingly well. At home, in public, overnight.Who could ask for more for a few smarties?But then, she met the WalMart toilet. One of those atrocious beasts had the audacity to flush itself while she was trying to use it. Off she flew, to develop a sudden phobia related to public toilets.Today at the hospital she had to go. I took her to the restroom and demonstrated that it didn't flush automatically. She wasn't so sure until she started to have an accident. After that, she went to wash her hands. And that sink had the audacity to turn itself on.I'm not sure I'll ever get her in a public restroom again.
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Unexpected encouragement
2008-03-12 19:14:00
Picture me sitting in McDonald's one fine day in between an appointment and errands. The morning too rushed to feed the kids a decent breakfast, and the bagel I placed in each of their hands as we walked out the door proving to be utterly inadequate to sustain them until we returned home.So there we are, sitting but rushed. Or at least I was feeling rushed. The baby bounced up and down in her high chair, eating one cheerio then dropping the next one on the floor. A habit she picked up at home for she so delights in the watching the dog scarf up the shared bounty. My son wiggled; my oldest read me the jokes on the back of her McDonald's bag. I was only half paying attention while I made lists in my mind and wondered if there was anything I could put off until later in the week.I noticed my two year old was playing peek-a-boo with an older gentleman seated near us and I watched for a moment, wondering whether I should intervene. He was alone and seemed to be genuinely enjoyin...

Strange Question
2008-03-09 04:23:00
Or is it just me?But this afternoon while jumping around the room playing a broom as if it were a guitar and singing some really bad Axl Rose interpretation of the Flat Stanley theme song, my husband stops mid-leap and asks,What's wrong?As if something were wrong with me.
More About: Question , Strange

Judging my brood size
2008-03-04 06:42:00
Walking downtown, a man stepped out of a local bar to have a cigarette. He looked over my children while lighting up.All yours?Somehow, I knew what was coming as I answered in the affirmative.How many?He seemed incredulous at the result of his own count, needing my confirmation that there were indeed four children. Or maybe he was drunk enough to be seeing double. Or thought he was. I braced for the invariable comment as I responded.Life is never boring at our house.He looked disapproving and even shook his head.I thought it was a daycare.I couldn't miss the sneer in his voice. But I laughed. Not a polite laugh. Nor even an uncomfortable laugh. A real laugh because I really thought it was funny...as if I had never heard that one.As many times as I have had this discussion, it is different when it is your obstetrician joking,Better you than me. Or the stranger who inquires as to whether or not I know what "causes that."Why, I do not know. I didn't think about it then. May...
More About: Size , Judging

Simple Pleasures Make a Wish....
2008-03-03 00:15:00
In which activity have you longed to participate if you could, if you would, if you dare...?Personally my choice would be 'acrophobia' (since I am) and 'physically challenged'.I've somewhat done homebody although visiting Japan, participating in Ninja Warrior and traveling in a high speed magnetic train would be cool.For the person with acrophobia:For the physically challenged:For the home body:
More About: Simple , Make , Make-A-Wish

My day in the legislature
2008-02-27 05:26:00
Well, today we homeschoolers had our "big day," so to speak. LB 1141, a bill which would have rather drastic effects on home education in Nebraska, was heard before the education committee today and it seems that 1/6 of the state's homeschoolers turned out to listen to the hearing.I arrived twenty minutes early and the overflow room had already overflowed. I was directed to another room and it wasn't long before yet another overflow room was overflowing to the point of opening another one. Somewhat nervously, I even submitted my own written testimony.I wish I had mentioned to the lady I handed my written testimony to that I was willing to give an oral testimony. But I thought that all the slots were taken...little did I know someone was unable to make it. It wouldn't have mattered that much, except that my testimony actually did address a question asked a few times that was never really addressed. Such is life, I suppose.One really important piece of advice, however, for an...
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Impulse purchase
2008-02-21 17:36:00
Now, we were shopping for clothes. But Bug only needed some new pants. That is why we got her an adorable pink sweater with ponies on the front. And this:My question is, How could you not? She reached up out of the cart, found this perfect little hat that suits her pink little personality perfectly and claimed it as her own. As inThis is my hat! The one I've always wanted to be my hat!And so it was. And so it is. And unlike many impulse purchases, it goes everywhere with her atop her curly head.It is a good thing we were shopping at Goodwill and not at Van Maur. Total spent on unplanned items: $2.50.This reminds me of another story. When our oldest was born, we had no money. Goodwill was a little out of our price range, and she was clothed in hand-me-downs from the church. When she was four, that supply finally ran out. We took her to buy a dress and she could not contain the excitement. On the phone with grandma, she related the experience:Grandma! I have a new dre...
More About: Purchase , Impulse

Truthful T-shirts
2008-02-15 00:58:00
If modern technology has brought us nothing else, it has at least brought with it the ability to succinctly convey any thought on a T-shirt. I found one for me:If you need any more demotivational discouragement to wear, check out the whole line at DespairWear.
More About: Shirts , T-Shirts , T shirts

The best birthday present ever
2008-02-12 04:46:00
I wouldn't normally get all that excited about a candy bar. But this one came from my daughter, my dear nine year old Mouse. She gets no allowance, earning what little bit of money she gets by shoveling the drive way and cleaning the whole restroom. And her parents are cheap. We do not even pay minimum wage.Over the last couple of months, she has managed to scrape together a few dollars, one of which she spent on me. For my birthday present.No one told her to.No one even made arrangements to take her to the store.No one made any suggestion that anyone should purchase me a present for any purpose.But she has been pestering her father for days to take her to the store so that she could get my present. In fact, she wanted to go to the gas station where she knows my favorite candy bar is sold. Unfortunately, she had to settle for second-best.But is there second-best when it comes straight from the heart?Thank you little Mouse. Your generous and loving heart amazes and humbles me.
More About: Birthday , Present

Happy Birthday to my Wife
2008-02-11 01:45:00
Happy Birthday to my wife in an aussie sorta way.
More About: Wife , Happy , Happy Birthday

Two Yr Old, MS Paint and a Post
2008-02-10 22:02:00
"Pinkie"Bug just explored the MS Paint program; the first independent time she has had on a computer. What was your child's first computer experience? Tell us the story, share the dossier.
More About: Post

New lenses
2008-02-09 04:20:00
On Wednesday, my husband had the lens of his right eye replaced. The doctor measured his eye and from that was able to fashion a lens. A small incision and the natural lens was removed and replaced with the artificial one.I am still amazed that our eyes make transparent, living tissue. And our minds have been able to figure out how that living tissue works to such a degree that, with a few measurements, we can replace that tissue...and the eye can still work.And for my husband, be improved. Just a day after the operation, he was already seeing slightly better and he hasn't even gotten used to the lens yet. He can still see the edges of it and gets a little bit of a headache from the difference. But that should pass soon as his brain adapts.Sight is something that we generally take for granted, but just thinking about the eye and its incredible design really gives pause for reflection about just how intricate life is.
More About: Lenses

About that four pounds...
2008-02-03 20:35:00
So not too long ago, I start a work out program. After two weeks, I weigh myself and find I have actually gained weight.I have since passed by the scales with nothing more than a contemptuous glare. We are at war. Thursday, however, I decided to engage in the battle again. The person who had weighed themselves before me had rather insolently left the scale at where I weighed back in college. I'm not sure if they were taunting me, or adjusting the scales to deceive whoever followed.But I decided to resume the weekly measurement and was pleased to find I had lost a pound.Woohoo!But then something occurred to me, so I set the scale to zero.And guess what? The scale balances at four pounds, not at zero. So I never did gain four pounds. And there is the little something to hold on to some of you asked for.Check the calibration of the scale before using it.

In Two Minutes
2008-02-01 00:49:00
No one was sleeping because there were other things to do!And EVERYBODY was DOING it!BUT, I had a certain mischievous gleam in my eye!It ONLY took two minutes!Does mommy know?
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Workouts week two
2008-01-29 08:21:00
Since beginning my exercise regimen two weeks ago, I am please to announce that I have lost (drum roll please) a negative four pounds.Yes, that would mean I am going the wrong direction.I would like to think that it is due to the higher density muscle I am building up. But then I laugh at myself, because I know that ain't happening.And that is all I am going to say about that.
More About: Week

I've been contacted!
2008-01-28 08:44:00
I hereby interrupt the normal posting of this blog with an announcement of something so profound, so utterly incredible, none of you will believe me. Some of you will think I'm off my rocker. But it is completely true.I have been contacted by the future.I used to listen to Coast-to-Coast late at night, when insomnia took hold. That was before I learned about staying up late to blog. But anyway, the time travelers who occasionally called in always seemed to me a peculiar brand of late night peculiarity.I never expected to be contacted myself.But there it was in my email box. Dated March 8, 2008. Hmm. I would reproduce the contents of this amazing email for you here, but that might dramatically alter something in the space-time continuum.Besides, it was that kind of email.As if there weren't enough spammers in the present to clutter my inbox. Now I have to deal with spammers from the future, too.

Issues
2008-01-26 04:49:00
My little Bug is a follower very empathetic. When someone hurts himself, she is right there, complaining of the same symptoms. Stub your toe, she complains her toe hurts. Have a headache? So does she.Today, Bear scratched himself and had a rather large red mark on his cheek. While I was inquiring as to the origins of the mark, Bug announced she had a rather large scratch on her cheek, too. My husband looked at her, concerned.You're going to grow up to have issues, girl.She looked at him indignantly.No, I not! I not have any shisshues! I have a scratch on my cheek!A non-existent scratch and no "shissues." For some reason, the moment struck me and I couldn't stop laughing. She, being the toddler that she is, milked it. Putting on all her charms, she cocked her little head and repeated in her sweetest little "aren't I cute voice,""I not have any shissues, Mommy. No, I don't."
More About: Issues

Long Distance Congratulations
2008-01-25 16:52:00
Congratulations to my brother Darren and his fiancée Taryn on the recent announcement of their wedding.
More About: Long , Long Distance , Congratulations

What?! Normal?
2008-01-22 01:54:00
Little L. E. Fant's doctor made a somewhat startling revelation today at her nine month check up...she appears to be normal. I'm not sure how to deal with normal. With four children, I have thus far only been introduced to abnormal.Where my oldest was amazing everyone she knew with her animal imitations and developing sign language, little L. E. Fant is still content with a string of babbling consisting predominantly of coos and vowels. She is only just beginning to experiment with some consonants, her favorites being a lip pop, a tongue click and a sort of trilled z, none of which exist in the English language.Where Bug, now two, was taking her first steps at ten months, little L. E. Fant is blissfully unconcerned about even pulling herself up. Or really crawling for that matter. She has, however, perfected the army crawl and races around the house on her tummy.Where Bear, now four, (and Bug for that matter) hit the 95th percentile for height, weight and even head circumfere...
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Just testing...
2008-01-20 04:41:00
Just want to see if trackbacks will finally work on my other blog...
More About: Testing

Handmade goodness
2008-01-17 06:50:00
This Christmas was a very electric Christmas, necessitating the purchase of several sets of rechargeable batteries to keep the new favorite playthings going. Bear got a remote control 'Mater, Bug got a doll that does just about everything and even little L. E. Fant got a talking puppy dog. Only Mouse received something 100% fueled by imagination: an art set with an easel. The grandparents, who were responsible for all the new favorite possessions , were pleased.Our electric bill? Not so.Bug is quite the attentive mom. She sits by me and cares for this little baby as if it were, well, a baby. She even nurses her.But check out the bag.That is no store bought diaper bag. That is a genuine, mom-made present, crocheted on the couch while holding a sick infant.And Bug did not leave my side the entire time I was working on it. It is her diaper bag. And this is her commentary:My diaper bag?! My diaper bag?! You make me a diaper bag?! My mommy nice!Aah, the sweet sound of a chi...
More About: Goodness

Every homeschooler's nightmare
2008-01-16 06:40:00
If there is one thing homeschoolers do, it is pass around links to stories which portray homeschooling in a negative light. Homeschooler wins the National Spelling Bee? Ah, we expected that. Homeschooler founds a ministry? We think, "Cool," and continue with our day. A homeschooler could win the Nobel Peace Prize, and we just might glance over it with an approving, but not overly excited eye.Criticize homeschooling, however, and the internet is abuzz with the discussion. Letters will be written to the editor, entries will be written on blogs and links will be passed through countless forums. Whether it is a simple sleight, portraying too much of a stereotyped view of homeschooling, or actual criticism, it will gain our attention. And should a politician or government agency actually act against a homeschooler...well...let's just say we don't meet the story with a simple shrug of the shoulders. We investigate and we protest.Don't get me wrong. These things are good and n...
More About: Nightmare

I'm so not in the "in" crowd
2008-01-14 07:40:00
After a cup of coffee...or two had an exciting time in New Orleans, hanging out with celebrities and such. I am really excited for her. And I'm glad it wasn't me.Because most likely I would have turned to my husband and said,Hey! That guy looks like...that guy. You know. The one from that movie. With all the fighting.Then I would have gotten home and posted all my pictures to my blog and one of you would have said something terribly ridiculous like,Hey! That's Brad Pitt! Why didn't you say anything about seeing him? Did he say anything?And I'd have to say,Yeah, I thought he looked like him, too, but I couldn't remember his name.And you'd say,No, he doesn't look like Brad Pitt. He is Brad Pitt.And I'd feel like a fool.Because I'm so not with it when it comes to celebrities.
More About: Crowd , Not I

Torture pays off
2008-01-14 02:14:00
For a variety of reasons, we have decided to enroll 9 year old Mouse and four year old Bear in the homeschool gym program at the Y. During that hour, I am planning on doing a little workout of my own, something for which I was greatly emboldened today.To ride on the Y's exercise bikes and walk on their treadmills, I figure I probably should wear something besides jeans or a skirt, which really is about the extent of my wardrobe. The only pair of sweats I own I have had since high school and I have outgrown them in two directions. So we stopped at WalMart today to pick up something a little more appropriate.I was pleasantly surprised.We don't have to mention actual sizes, but suffice it to say that this particular pair of pants was one full size smaller than the last pair of pants I bought. Granted these are sweats and those were jeans. But we don't need to fret over minor details.One whole size! And it has only been...well, two months. But all I did in those two months OF ...
More About: Torture , Pays

Kudos to the unfit mother
2008-01-13 06:42:00
Friday evening, I walked into my daughter's dojo carrying the baby in her car seat as usual, only to be greeted by an overly enthusiastic nine year old leaping up and down like a kangaroo. Aye aye aye. I had forgotten. Tonight was the night parents were invited to train alongside their little ones. And it was too late to sneak back downstairs to the magazines.Um. Ok.I looked around the room helplessly, trying to find a way out.As long as L. E. Fant is quiet.That surely wouldn't take long. She is a good baby, and generally quite content during karate. But she also usually has me to play with and hand her crackers. So we began.From watching my daughter for two years, I knew more or less what was expected. I knew the stances, the bowing, the kiais. In my head at least. We began with taiso, or the warm up exercises. Jumping jacks were ok. So was the stretching. But then that insolent little kid leading us had to call for push ups.Even when I was fit, I couldn't do a pus...
More About: Kudos , Mother

Mama's boy
2008-01-10 07:07:00
Bear came into my room this afternoon sporting one of his father's shirts.I'm daddy.He announced in a deep voice.When I'm a daddy, you'll have to move away and daddy can live in the snow.There goes our retirement plan.No sweetheart. When you grow up, you will move away and get married. Then you will have babies and bring them back for me to play with.I'm hoping early indoctrination works in these matters.I'll let you babysit when I have to work and its far away.Great! And maybe when you want to take your wife out to dinner and see a movie?He looked at me quizzically.No, you silly. I'll bring you with me of course.Well of course. I couldn't help but laugh as I told him what a thoughtful young man he was. I think he left the room thinking what a nincompoop I was for imagining he would go to dinner without me. Can you imagine what his wife would think?