As they grow.....

they still enjoy:

picture books ~ current favorites The Hidden Alphabet by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, Doggie Dreams by Nancy Kapp Chapman, The Pencil by Allan Ahlberg, Loveykins by Quentin Blake and The Twin Princes by Tedd Arnold, who always makes them laugh.

playing with playdoh.

building with Legos.

go fish, even when poker has been learned and perfected.

army men.

beanie babies.

It is so interesting to watch them. See them grow. See how their minds have matured. Some times they play with these items just like they did when they were younger but many times they have moved up a level and worked these items into their world now.

Picture books are read and laughed at and then pronounced perfect for Cousin L or Baby E who are years younger. They read and enjoy but also think of others to share this with. They will make fine fathers someday. Playdoh is just enjoyed, many times, for the texture. It truly calms children. Rolling it over and over in their hands. Squeezing hard with frustration, touching softly with unhappiness. Surprise side effects for a timeless toy. Legos still test them. Challenge them. Encourage them. Go Fish, some days they just need something totally repetitious to give the mind a break. This fits in nicely. Army men = boys and stories. I can not remember how many battles have been fought, people saved, things rescued, bad guys squished. Beanie Babies are cared for, tucked in and cuddled. As well as thrown up in the air with glee. Such forgiving animals they are.

My boys are maturing. They are growing taller. They are eating and sleeping more. I am so glad they are still comforted by toys from their toddler years. Makes a mother's heart hurt just a tad bit less.

lyn

Weekend Read

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Wonderful, haunting read. If one is looking for a true fact filled story about the Holocaust then move on from this book. If one is looking for a fictional view from a child's eyes then read it. I am tossing it around to give to Wise One. He is just now asking and understanding this time in history. Frankly, do any of us truely understand this time?

lyn

at this moment.....

I am so tired.

The end.

Laughter

As I sit here on the computer I hear, right outside the window, my husband's laugh. The sweetest thing I have heard today.

Playing football with the boys......teaching.....talking....learning......and LAUGHING!

lyn

Reading and thinking.

"Part of the allowable leisure in a bookstore comes from the product it sells. Books are slow. They require time; they are written slowly, published slowly, and read slowly."

"There may be five thousand copies of this particular book in the world, or fifty thousand, or half a million, all exactly alike, but this one is as rare as if it had been made solely for us. We open to the first page, and the universe unfolds, once upon a time."

"For the past several days I've had the sudden and general urge to buy a new book"

(I always have this urge)

The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop a memoir, a history by Lewis Buzbee

I just started this book and it has already swept me into another place. Funny thing about books, they have that power and it still surprises me.

lyn

All About Cookbooks

I am on a bit of a kick.....a reading cookbooks kick!

Several that have caught my fancy:

Cookies and Brownies by Alice Medrich (Good but I can't figure out why it is $80!)

The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham

Hallelujah! The Welcome Table by Maya Angelou

I am the type of person that likes to read a book from cover to cover. Like the book jacket, the table of contents, the acknowledgements and anything in the back. I find the best things this way. The extras, the back stories. Well cookbooks are no different. I rather like to read them before I try any of the recipes. Kinda like I have to size the author up before I know whether or not I want to try the recipes. If I can relate to the author then I can relate to the recipes.

I have two more stacks......the journey continues.

lyn

The bug named Flu....

What do you get when you mix two parents who took the flu shot and two kids who didn't?

TWO KIDS WITH THE FLU! It ain't aerospace science here people.

They have very high fevers......104.1. Loud, painful sounding coughs, grumpy little moods and the will to move no further than the living room. One of them even watched TV with no sound. It was to much effort to turn the sound on.........seriously!

Both are taking Tamiflu, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, Gatorade and the occasional Popsicle....."but nothing tastes good....."

And the parents......washing blankets and sheets, cooking whatever remotely sounds good to eat and catching up on movies.

lyn

Memories

I found this picture on our old camera. It is a courthouse on the way to Lake Whitney in 2006. I think in Whitney but I am not sure. I took is as we were driving by. I love buildings, old and new. I think I am going to go through my photos and post several of the buildings I have liked.

**as my trusty commenter helped me out.....the courthouse is in Hillsboro.

lyn

Woodpecker

I work in a old 1932 two story house. From my office, on the second floor, I have a wonderful view of a large, very old, oak tree.

This was dancing around on it today. Tiny little thing. In the sense that most woodpeckers I have seen are the big, red headed variety.

Tomorrow I am bringing my camera.

lyn

Year End

As I browse around blog world I realize......I did not blog much. And I regret that. I regret not being about to look back on my thoughts. I regret not documenting...stuff. So to end the year and start off a new I pledge to document and blog. For all that is happy, all that bugs me, all that happens in our little house.

Because I miss not being able to look back.

lyn

2008 Holiday Favorites

This scent just sings Christmas to my family. We have the candles and diffusers.

I use the hand soap, dish soap and the counter spray. Makes cleaning a bit brighter.

Labels

What do you do with that......ADHD?

What do you do with that information?

What is that?

High IQ and ADHD at seven.

That is what is consuming my head these days.

A child that talks non stop. That complains and whines and giggles and says the sweetest things. A child that battles and stomps his feet and his the wall and gives the tightest hugs and the nicest neck rubs. A child that refuses to pick up his socks but wants to kindly fix you a sandwich.

I have yet to wrap my brain around ADHD and what it means to my family.

Medication is the route we will be proposed on Wednesday. And tonight I would have grabbed it. I am not sure what I will feel like on Wednesday.

My stomach and head hurt with all the information. I want to be at a stand still but I have to be in motion.

Some think it is no big deal. Just medicate and move on. That would be easy. But not me....I worry, fret, pray (which means I should not worry and fret). This is my child. My smart, sweet, witty child.

When I see my child's classroom all I want to do it bring him home. No wonder he is distracted! Have you seen a second grade classroom lately? TO MUCH STIMULATION!

When I hear the teachers comments I want to cry and scream. At the same time.

The world will not accommodate him. I must protect and teach him.

And help him to be confidant. And funny. And to seek knowledge. And feel normal in all situations.

To hold his head up high even when his impulsive nature gets him in trouble.

I want him to be strong and peaceful. In a world that will not accommodate him.

Just Finished...

Read:

Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos loved it, the characters became friends and I was sad when the book ended. it was a wonderful and enchanting escape.

An Affair to Remember by Christopher Anderson what a completely unconditional love story. i want to go and rent all the Spencer-Hepburn movies. i have seen several and but can watch them again and again, now with a little back story.

Watched:

The Eye Don't. Waste. Your. Time. horrible acting.

Mr. Brooks chosen one and i liked this one alot! good acting. good story. suspense. drama. i thought william hurt did a wonderful job!

lyn

Hurricane Season

When you live on the Texas Gulf Coast:

~you get tropical storm/hurricane days not snow days

~you don't want your freezer stocked to full June - Nov, it is very hard to see a freezer full of food go bad due to no electricity

~signs on the highway flash "Hurricane Season is here. Always keep your gas tank full."

~you have a planned evacuation route

~when you buy a house you also get storm shutters

~your kids are used to seeing boxes of pictures ready to be loaded

~you have more canned goods, beef jerky, peanut butter and crackers than you could ever eat stocked on the top shelf of the pantry

~you buy water and batteries everytime you go to the store, whether you need them or not

lyn

New Motto

Remember - that a fork is not a shovel.

Repeat as necessary.

Hayley....as in Mills, please!

We have been on a bit of a Hayley Mills kick:

The Moon - Spinners

Pollyanna

The Trouble with Angels

On hold at the library:

Summer Magic

The Flame Trees of Thika

Cry of the Penguins


Already seen many moons ago that may be watched again:

That Darn Cat

Parent Trap

The heat is slowly letting up around here. We had several days of rain which equals tall grass, mosquitos and mugginess by the boat loads but it was a bit cooler on the days the rain was here. We are slowly coming back to life after one HOT summer.

Lyn

On older Olympian

Oksana Chusovitina

She was awesome to watch and see out there with sixteen year olds.

Lyn

Olympics

If you missed it then find a link and watch it. The opening ceremonies were amazing. Breathtaking. Our family watched it and had several discussions about China, the history, the people. Then we watched the nations enter and again had several discussions.

It was a great evening. It gave me goose bumps. I hope my children will always think the Olympics are a big deal. Nations coming together. Athletics facing incredible odds just represent and show their country's pride.

Olympic Opening Protocol

The Official Site

List of Nations

Lyn

More movies

I know.....sounds like a do nothing else but watch movies. Surprisingly, I have been on a pretty good workout regime, make it to work, keep my house up and the Chosen One happy and still find time to watch movies.

Atonement Solid A. Call me a romantic but I really enjoyed this movie. I knew nothing going into it so it was a surprise.

Reign Over Me This was a recommendation by the library lady. It was truly touching to me. A male friendship story. Even though I am not an Adam Sandler fan I liked this movie. Both actors did I fine job.

Beowulf Didn't even finish it. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood.

The Good Shepard One word. Boring!

I wanna be.....

Wise One told me tonight that he wants to be a stained glass maker. He wants to actually make the glass that they use in the beautiful windows. Not necessarily make the art of the windows but the glass to make the art of the windows. He is an interesting creature that Wise One.

Rowdy One wants to just make it out of his childhood alive. He is has been exhausting me with his rowdiness. He is R.O.W.D.Y.

Watched:

Dan In Real Life I give it a B. Very predictable, nothing deep, made me laugh several times and had a sweet ending. Not a waste but nothing earth shattering. Just what I needed today.

Little Miss Sunshine Can I tell you how much I loved this movie? I watched it twice before I had to return it. Laughed out loud and LOUD. Loved the sarcasm. The use of the f word was certainly not something you want the kids to hear. When the door fell of the VW I thought I was gonna pee in my pants. Not for everyone but surely for me! Loved the humor!!

Amazing Grace Wise One and I watched this together. Brought up some good conversation about the slave trade and about choices and courage. Spurred some research and was a good jump start in to a more in depth look at this period.

I have 6 more movies waiting at the library. It is so hot out that sometimes this and a late evening bike ride are all that can be expected.

Lyn