out of the mouth of rowdy one....

"good food brightens the spirit"

that is what he told me tonight as we ate.

we were watching jamie at home on the cooking channel and jamie was cooking a chicken tomato potato something. rowdy one wanted to go to the store at that moment and get everything to cook it. i told him we could make a quick stir fry. he was good with that.

it is basically pw's sesame noodles and then i stir fry whatever veggies i have and add them. YUM! tonight we had cauliflower, purple cabbage, broccoli, carrots and squash. i have also done the same recipe of hers but instead of noodles done brown rice or couscous. all good.

rowdy one helped me make it. he comments on how colorful it is and then...then....says good food brightens the spirit......i stopped for a second and just stared. did jamie say that? no, i did. i smiled. he is such a blessing to me!

cherish the little moments.

lyn

sundays

*church - we are enjoying a new church. we are excited and connected.
*mid afternoon naps
*lunch out with friends - new friends from church.
*relaxed projects to wrap up
*laughter
*sunshine
*laundry
*homework
*eating whatever we can find
*clean sheets

lyn

randomness i just heard - rowdy one can you get me a phillips head screwdriver? that is the one with 4? yes. like the ph? ....silence......chosen one looks at me and i shrug. i have no idea how that kid thinks sometimes.

and we also....

sneak up and scare each other. i just did it to him and he said.....so this is how the day's gonna go? and then laughed a very evil little laugh.

once i was cozy on the couch with the quilts wrapped just so.....my cell phone rings. it is across the room. as i get up to get it i notice him giggling on. HIS.PHONE.

STINKER.....so this is how the day's gonna go......

fun stuff being sick at home!

lyn

type b flu

that is actually what i am cherishing today. type b flu. it means wise one and i have spent a week together. he with fever of 102.9 and me with a terrible sinus headache. he has the flu. i have a cold. but we sit together all day. taking naps. watching tv. laughing. talking.

"will you have a dog for your kids?" i ask.

"yes. most definitely. to teach responsibility."

"it that what four legged one teaches you?"

"yeah, kinda."

then we take a nap.

we eat scrambled eggs twice in a day cause that is all that sounds good to him. we stay in our pjs for days on end. with a shower on occasion to freshen up. we drink sprite and tea.

"why i oughta!!!" i say in some weird accent. like a mobster maybe. i have not idea when i even started this but when the boys pick on me or do something silly i say it pumping my fists in the air, laughing. and they say "but your not gonna!" and we laugh and laugh. family joke that no one understands. but a tradition all the same.

and i ask, "i wonder, will you do that with your kids?"

"i am sure i will!" and i smile.

he plays one of his shoot em up games. the kind that make mommas cringe and daddys say...it's a male thing. we fight against the bad guys and save the world. yeah, one of those games (eye roll). i tell him to stop and listen. he does and smiles.

"i hear the birds. they don't have the flu." and i smile.

he is a great kid, this one. my first born. the one that survived my total inability to diaper and swaddle and change clothes with arms swinging in every direction. the one that made my heart melt over and over just be watching him sleep. the one that slept with us till he was three and now just tolerates my hugs.

i cherish this week of sickies just to spend time with him. and i think he kinda enjoyed it too. not the mouth sores so much but the one on one time, that he usually competes for, yeah he has enjoyed that.

off to make more scrambled eggs.

lyn

misplaced

i have a habit that is not always good. in fact it usually gets me in trouble or makes someone else stressed in the house. and i am not naming names of who gets stressed but it is not me.

wise one is home sick today with fever. high fever. we looked for the digital thermometer and couldn't find it. wise one had it several weeks ago. he was checking his temp to find his normal. so we, meaning the male parental unit, thinks he LOST.IT! can you imagine. lost in our house? the horror. it was not put back in it's cover and returned to it's home so that is how we know it is lost.

i secretly, kinda, might think it was me who MISPLACED it. not lost. i will find it. just not now. when we need it. to take wise one's high temp.

i know...first off i need the thing and then i am kinda letting my kid take the fall. kinda.

we have an old timey one. it's not like we have nothing. just not the new digital one. cause it was not put in it's cover and returned to it's home.

and by the way i get all confused: it's, its, it is - it's WHAT DO I USE PEOPLE! i slept in second grade when we were learning this!!!!

oh and i am kinda looking for it but not really cause i know i won't find it when i need it. but it will turn up when i don't need it so why waste my time now when i know it won't be found. and lets just say that stressed someone out in the house more than me not putting things back.

and...if you knew me ten years ago.....well i was kinda a neat freak and now not.so.much. i did the whole kid thing and tried to work in the neat freak thing......and well.....it didn't really work for me.

lyn

cuddle bug

last night chosen one stayed with his dad. first night home after knee surgery.

wise one was staying with a friend.

that meant rowdy one and i shared a big ole king size bed.

we both enjoyed it.

he may be ten but he will not pass up a chance to cuddle with his momma!

i feel a change a coming.....

that is what wise one told me today. and then he asked if he could wear his purple "church" shirt to school. the polo? yeah that one! (him thinking it a church only shirt cracked me up)

let's go back in history.

at 3 - sleeveless all the time.
at 5 - pants with jacket all. the. time.
at 8 - shirts with skulls and nothing else printed on them. (seriously)
at 9 - t shirts only. not a skull in sight please!
at 10 - WHITE t shirts only. they can have something on them but white only.
now at 12 - polo shirts are the going thing!

i smiled last night when he told me "he felt a change a coming".....these are all changes i can handle. the driving change, no...no. the dating change...please no. the college change, have mercy on my heart. the serious girlfriend home for christmas change....flash before my eyes. the buying a house, having a kid change.....i am long gone now.

change is good. some might say. i say....depends on the change. the change of shirts is about as much change as i want from him at the moment.

well and maybe the change of him picking up his shoes!

cherishing the sweetness......

lyn

prayin

tonight as i drove my boys home, after a very long day of school and college and family obligations, we heard Better Than a Hallelujah by amy grant. i love this song. i sing it loudly when i hear it. as i was driving i lost my breath.....the soldier's plea not to let him die.........



i lost my breath and my boys saw. tears started flowing. we sung the rest of the song. we pulled in the driveway and i grabbed their hands......



Heavenly Father,


we lift up every soldier in every land fighting for freedom and justice. we may not understand the whys and hows and time frame. we may not agree with things that are set in motion but we lift all these soldiers up to you. for protection. for comfort. for guidance. when lonely nights happen and tears for home flow, hold them. when fear enters their bodies, hold them. when pain, emotional or physical occurs, hold them.

In Jesus Name We Pray. Amen.

and then we sat. for less than a minute no one moved. our teary eyes met at the same time and i cherished them.

lyn

growing.....

I am not sure I like his tone..........

Or some of the friends he chooses..............

Or the way he treats his brother sometimes.........

I am not sure I like his reading choices but I still read them with him.......

Or his homework habits...........

Or the fact that he is sleeping without a shirt now..............

He is growing. He is working hard at this growing. He is changing before my eyes. Most days this saddens me. I want to bottle him at 5 or so.

He is becoming his own person. The person he will be. He is being guided by Him.....I know this. I pray for this. I have faith in this.....

He still calls me mommy.

He still wants me to tuck him in.

He still wants me to talk/read to him while he takes a shower.

He is still my little boy....only with bigger feet and bigger ideas!

lyn

Chatter

Rowdy One talks alot....and usually when I am listening to my favorite song, or reading the best part of a book....when I am deep in conversation with someone or myself, when I want to hear every drop of the rain....or when I desperately need quiet. Rowdy One is talking.......

Normally it is some fact that I could care less about or a question I have already answered at least a million times. Demands, arguing or trying to get his point across, a point that many times makes no sense at all.

I try to listen to what I am wanting to listen to and tune him out. I try. And sometimes I do.

But sometimes I don't and out of the millions of words he speaks in a day....sometimes they are the sweetest words I have ever heard. Sometimes they are wise beyond his years. They are funny or tender or smart or helpful.

I must release what I think I should hear and listen to Him thru him.

Release my ideas of what my ears want to hear and hear what I am meant to hear.

I have missed alot doing it my way. This year I will do it His way.

Release and in turn receive.

At this moment.......

Wise One:

is an Aggie
loves cereal
sleeps a bit more
wants Ovaltine and milk
loves scrambled eggs with cheese
is trying rice and at times mashed potatoes
has tasted more things than before
brushes his teeth every morning with no reminder, thinks brushing at night is useless
washes his hands almost obsessively
smiles freely
wants his hair cut short
wears only shorts
leaves his socks everywhere!
loves to tell blonde jokes and read the Sunday funnies


Rowdy One:

is a Longhorn
is enjoying PB&J after being a bit burned out
loves black eyed peas
won't eat toast or bacon or anything crispy for that matter
would eat seafood at every meal
is stingy with smiles
never remembers to brush his teeth or turn out a light
is very helpful
almost burned out on oatmeal
now notices when his nails need to be trimmed
wears only jeans
makes note of every quarter he sees...what's on the back!
likes puzzles

They change quickly....must remember to document.

Oh, how he crushes me......

Rowdy One - "sometimes when I am having a hard time understanding how long the world has been here......I see how full a cemetary is and understand......people have been on earth a long time."

for an 8 year old.........that is alot.........he was very seriously and respectful and.....very serious when he said this.........

lyn

Tooth Fairy according to Wise One

What a storyteller he is........

Rowdy One has lost two teeth in the last month. This last tooth inspired a story for him by his brother.

"Your tooth is gravely ill. The Tooth Fairy is a tooth medic and she has come to recover the tooth and take it away to repair it. Once she does she will pass in on to a baby that needs a tooth. She will leave you money for you tooth donation."

Wise One tells this to his wide eyed brother with a big ole smile on his face.

He is my child. I once told Wise One that fireworks were set off my trolls that were excited. They carried them all the way into the sky for all to enjoy!

lyn

Surprise

Wise One left me a very sweet and loving note on my bedside table.........

Basically about how I am the bestest mommy in the world and how much he loves me...............

And well, he melted my heart yet again and especially now since he is 11 and we have been having a rough go of it as mommy and son................

lyn

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

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

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.

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

Children's Books

These are a few goodies we found at the library last week.

Scribbleville by Peter Holwitz Love it! My boys totally got the bigger picture. It was a great conversation.

Art Auction Mystery By Anna Nilsen While the actual text was little overwhelming, it is comic book style, the boys loved to examine the art and look at the details.

An Egg Is Quiet by Dianna Aston This is a beautiful book. Enough said.

Lyn

Dinner by Wise One

Wise One had a bit of a frustrating day today. Overly tired. Annoying little brother. Not enough activity. So when I least want to be around him I pull him in the kitchen with me and put him to work and he makes dinner. His whole mood changes and he eats everything on his plate as well as learning some life skills.

Chicken Tetrazzini found at www.leftoverchicken.com (I will be using this site again!)

1 T flour
1 T butter
1 c milk
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t dry mustard
few drops onion juice
1 t lemon juice
2 c cooked chicken, cut into pieces
3/4 c cooked spaghetti
1/4 lb shredded cheddar (can use Parmesan)
3/4 c bread crumbs

Make a medium white sauce of the flour, butter, milk and salt. Add the pepper, paprika, mustard and onion & lemon juices to the white sauce and heat to the boiling point. Add chicken & spaghetti. Fill 2 individual greased casseroles or one larger casserole with the mixture and top with cheese and bread crumbs. Bake in 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until the crumbs are very brown and ingredients are warmed through.

We used up the chicken from yesterday and talked of stretching the food budget. We did not have bread crumbs but we had one hamburger bun so we toasted it up and made our own. We discussed how some people don't like mustard but still cook with dry mustard and never notice. Same with the onion. Talked at length about a basic white sauce and how you can turn that into many meals. He did it all and he enjoyed the heck out of it.

Plus his daddy and brother thought it was very tasty so he was super proud!

Cook with a kid, even when he is acting his worst.

Lyn