Watching TV 'ADD' style

That's what it's like to watch TV with Michael. He doesn't sit. He runs around in circles, does headstands, wiggles, squirms, or jumps up and down. During intense parts in movies, he can hardly contain himself. He'll sit for a minute and then be up again. He talks to the tv, he talks to us, he talks to his sibling. And still, somehow, manages to know exactly what happened in every show he ever saw. We can't figure out if he moves because he's excited or if he moves because he's sleepy and afraid he'll fall asleep if he's still too long. It's truly an amazing thing to watch TV with Michael! If only I had that much energy!!

Waxing nostalgic

I love to watch you see things for the first time. I love the look on your face, the excitement, the wonder. I don't take you places for your benefit, and I don't take you because you will rembmer it. I take you because I will remember. I will remember the look on your face the first time we went to Disneyland. How you looked at all the sights, and sounds, mesmerized by the scenery. I will remember the first time we went to your favorite restaurant, or the farm, or the cruise. I remember how you looked, how happy you were. I know that some of these memories will only be mine because you were too little to have a memory yet. But these are the memories that I will hold dear until I die. And when you are grown, you will experience things for the first time, again, through the eyes of your children. Part of me can't wait for that day. For the day when you realize that all this crazy hard work is worth a moment of pure joy in your children. Those moments are why I take you places you'll never remember. It's why I mop the floor and do the laundry. Those precious moments when you discover something I've known for a long time and want to share it with me, those are the moments I live for. Those are the moments I treasure.

Dead cats and bike riding

What an adventurous day! And no, our cats didn't die. But we had a conversation about how old our Don Juan is and how long he will likely live. He's approximately 7 years old and I think cats live around 15 years. At least, that's what I told the kids! We adopted him from the shelter a few years ago and he is the most patient cat I have ever met! So when I went to tuck Andrew in tonight, he informed me that he was sad because Don Juan is going to die. Poor kid! I told him that wouldn't happen for years to come and that seemed to placate him a bit.

And Mr. Michael learned how to ride his bike minus the training wheels. He learned really fast! He forgets to use the breaks and likes to kamakaze off the bike, but he's doing pretty well for one day. He can't get started either, but that will come.

I think I was ten before I learned to ride without training wheels. Ok, not quite, but I was old. My dad threatened to sell my bike if I didn't learn to ride it. I remember riding around our cul-de-sac and being deathly afraid of falling and hurting myself. But then after I figured it out I wondered why it took me so long to learn. (For those of you who are 'Friends' fanatics, reference the episode where Ross gives Phoebe a bike. So funny!) Yup, I'm sure I was pretty spastic! Luckily my children seem to have inherited their father's coordination skills for the most part! I'm sure Michael will be buzzing the neighborhood soon enough!

My little felon

My adorable, slightly fussy three year old became a felon today. She decided, apparently, that she needed to check other people's mail. I had sent the kids outside to play and after a while Andrew comes in and informs me that Katherine had something to give me. She comes walking in with a huge armful of mail. I had already checked our mail, so I knew it wasn't ours. I asked her where she got it and she, of course, replied, "I don't know." Luckily it was my friend's mail, but I had to send my little felon to put the mail back, with the assistance of her big brother. The funny thing is that my friend lives all the way at the other end of the street. She had to have walked all the way to our house with all that mail! So we had to have a 'don't check other people's mailbox' discussion. It's a good thing she's a cute little felon!

Ah poop!

Growing up, I thought that only adults spent four hours in the bathroom. My father (sorry Dad) had his daily ritual, which I think involved the morning paper, and I swear he was in there forever! I am more of a get in, get it done and get out, kind of pooper. Somehow, the forever pooping gene got passed down to my children. All three of my oldest children take their dear sweet time in the bathroom. I am often yelling at one of them to hurry up and get out of the bathroom. And I don't usually start hollering until they've been in there for a good twenty minutes. What I can't figure out is what in the heck they are doing for that long? I have had to banish any DS playing on the toilet. I've caught Lillie with reading material more than once. And Michael, well, I think he just forgets what he's supposed to be doing! The worst is when we are out in public and they spend twenty minutes in a public restroom. I had to send Michael in to check on Andrew once because he'd been gone for so long. Nothing like having to send your five year old son in to rescue the eight year old. I mean really! Public restrooms are nothing to boast home about either. I'm quite content to spend as little time in there as humanly possible. Oh, and don't even get me started on pooping before school. That should be banished too. Andrew missed the bus once because he took so long and I didn't realize he was in the bathroom. Now some of you might think that I just have very constipated children, but I don't think this is the case. Because often, as soon as I start hollering for them to exit the bathroom, I immediately hear toilet paper being unrolled, and much movement towards exiting. So I've just chalked it up to some genetic abnormality that got passed down from their grandfather! (You gotta blame it on someone? Right, Dad?)

Saturday morning cartoons

Both my little girls were up before the crack of dawn this morning. So I turned on the TV in hopes of snoozing while they watched some cartoons. I never did get to snooze, but it did make me think about cartoons I loved as a kid. I remember watching The Smurfs, the carebears, lots of Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry. I think Alvin and the Chipmunks was also a Saturday morning cartoon. Watching the smurfs as an adult makes me wonder why I loved that show so much. It's pretty stupid! The timeless ones are Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry, which my kids still watch. Those are the great ones! But I remember getting up early to watch a whole slew of cartoons. I'm sure my parents feel much like I do. Whatever, as long as I get to sleep in a little bit! (Not that it happens very often, but when they let me sleep. Ahhhh, heaven!)

We are big Spongebob fans and I think Fairly Oddparents is pretty funny. The kids like Jimmy Neutron. I could take it or leave it. It's not my favorite, but it's ok. There are new ones on now like Tak and the power of Juju and Barnyard the show, not the movie. There's a whole bunch more, but I'm of the opinion that if I have to be in the room, then the kids have to watch ones I can stand!

Random Friday

I ran away and married George Clooney and my husband held the baby during the wedding! Yes, we had fun in Vegas at Madame Toussad's! Do you love the wedding dress or what?

The kids are all out of school for spring break and then they are off track for three weeks. So we have been having Friday for three days now. Yesterday we watched Enchanted, which was very cute and I will most likely buy it. Then for some reason, I wanted to see The Music Man again. So we all watched it last night. Then I started to think off all the other great musicals and we may just have to rent a few more of the oldies but goodies. I think the next one I'll make them watch is Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Andrew rolled his eyes when I told them the story line and asked if it was another musical! But the other kids want to see it! Maybe he'll go read! He's to the 'cover my eyes when people kiss on TV' phase! Oh I love to torture my children!! *insert evil laugh*