Last night, we decided to drive around the neighborhood and look at Christmas lights. I remember as a child that when we were out at night, we would do this, I have alwways wondered at the varying displays that people do, some are simple, some are fancy, some just don't exist.
what is neat about this, is how the decorations run the gamut, form simple displays to Clark Griswold displays of color and lights. Some people really get into it, inflatable snowmen, light-up reindeer, santa, slieghs etc and more lights than small countries could power. in one town we lived in there was a guy who ran his own generator to power his lights.
There also those who only have a small candleabra of lights in one or two windows, sometimes the simple things say it best. There are also those who do not decorate at all, why? do they have no reason to celebrate, or do they not celebrate at all.
When we were out last night, I had on a CD of Christmas songs in the car, however the boys could not allow this, they had to alter the lyrics to suit their tastes. think potty humour set to "white Christmas" It was annoying, but given the tone of my last post, i decided that a drawn out battle about this was not necessary. In fact hindsight being what it is, I would have to say that some of the lyrics were down right funny.
What is your favorite Christmas song?
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Monday, December 11, 2006
yeah.....
generally , I like to think of myself as a decent person, however, in the last little bit of time, I don't think that this is true. I'm really a bit of an ass (cleverwife would say more than a bit).
I have this whole ZERO tolerance for things that frustrate me, be it bad drivers, other people's ineptitude, or the seeming inability for me and the family to get anywhere on time.
Now , lots of people are easily frustrated, I just don't handle it maturly at all. I yell , scream ,rant rave and generally pitch an adult tantrm, not all the time , just some of the time.
This weekend I learned from my youngest one of the most important things . He is a hockey goalie, and faced well over 100 shots in 3 tournament games this weekend, he let in about 25 goals. BUT even though he was upset in the first game, for the other two he was OK and even smiling about it, because everyone was OK about it too. I know he was upset and frustrated, but he refused to allow that to alter his life or control it.
It has got me to thinking about it, and i realize one thing. My youngest child should not be modeling the behavior for me, it should have been the other way around.
"when the student is ready the master appears" Pumbaa--- the lion King 1&1/2
I have gotten it wrong for a long time now, and i have not acted as a role model or a mentor for my kids in this area.
I can't change the past, I can only do better for the future.
I have this whole ZERO tolerance for things that frustrate me, be it bad drivers, other people's ineptitude, or the seeming inability for me and the family to get anywhere on time.
Now , lots of people are easily frustrated, I just don't handle it maturly at all. I yell , scream ,rant rave and generally pitch an adult tantrm, not all the time , just some of the time.
This weekend I learned from my youngest one of the most important things . He is a hockey goalie, and faced well over 100 shots in 3 tournament games this weekend, he let in about 25 goals. BUT even though he was upset in the first game, for the other two he was OK and even smiling about it, because everyone was OK about it too. I know he was upset and frustrated, but he refused to allow that to alter his life or control it.
It has got me to thinking about it, and i realize one thing. My youngest child should not be modeling the behavior for me, it should have been the other way around.
"when the student is ready the master appears" Pumbaa--- the lion King 1&1/2
I have gotten it wrong for a long time now, and i have not acted as a role model or a mentor for my kids in this area.
I can't change the past, I can only do better for the future.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Snow and stuff
It's snowing here again , and generally i like snow, the whole snow in December before Christmas really adds to the holiday season, the one year that we lived where there wasn't snow was fun, but didn't feel the same. The weasels love snow, they can play outside for hours, and i love the fresh-faced rosy cheeks when they come inside and the fun of being out there with them, even better is when they willingly clean up the driveway for me.
that being said there are some things
Drivers, why is it that people who live in an area that gets snow seemingly lose their winter driving skills when the first few snowfalls come, and become menaces and hazards to everyone else? here are a few tips.
1. Slow down, people the roads can be slick, slow down, put your brakes on earlier you are not going to stop as well as you can otherwise, so anticipate this, if you have to be there at a certain time leave earlier, quit rushing and causing accidents.
2. clean all of your windows, and while your at it the roof of your car as well. trying to drive with a six inch square cleaned off is foolish, if you can't see all ar
ound , then you can't see enough. and clean off the roof, because if you don't then two things happen, the snow blows off and recovers your back window, and you can't see behind you, and the snow blows off as you drive, and can blind the person behind you, a little consideration goes a long way.
3. the little lever on the left side of your steering wheel controls your signal lights, these things are on the corners of your car, and they SIGNAL your intention to turn right or left to other drivers, it's a courtesy thing, plus it's the law, if you don't tell us what you are doing, we have no idea what you are planning, and put them on before the turn like in advance, so we can adjust as well. I don't have ESP so I have to guess and I hate that.
Snow tires or good all season tires they make em' for a reason.
Well that's enough of that, I know I have not posted in a while, so I apologize, but cleverwife and I are busy doing the Santa thing and trying to make plans ( not trying hard mind you, just trying).
How are your plans coming?
that being said there are some things
Drivers, why is it that people who live in an area that gets snow seemingly lose their winter driving skills when the first few snowfalls come, and become menaces and hazards to everyone else? here are a few tips.
1. Slow down, people the roads can be slick, slow down, put your brakes on earlier you are not going to stop as well as you can otherwise, so anticipate this, if you have to be there at a certain time leave earlier, quit rushing and causing accidents.
2. clean all of your windows, and while your at it the roof of your car as well. trying to drive with a six inch square cleaned off is foolish, if you can't see all ar
ound , then you can't see enough. and clean off the roof, because if you don't then two things happen, the snow blows off and recovers your back window, and you can't see behind you, and the snow blows off as you drive, and can blind the person behind you, a little consideration goes a long way.
3. the little lever on the left side of your steering wheel controls your signal lights, these things are on the corners of your car, and they SIGNAL your intention to turn right or left to other drivers, it's a courtesy thing, plus it's the law, if you don't tell us what you are doing, we have no idea what you are planning, and put them on before the turn like in advance, so we can adjust as well. I don't have ESP so I have to guess and I hate that.
Snow tires or good all season tires they make em' for a reason.
Well that's enough of that, I know I have not posted in a while, so I apologize, but cleverwife and I are busy doing the Santa thing and trying to make plans ( not trying hard mind you, just trying).
How are your plans coming?
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
When they are sleeping
Do you know why your kids (and mine) look so cute when they are sleeping?
It's so that you can resist the impulse to go in and smother them with a pillow.
(just kidding) I'd never do that in reality, but there are times...................
in the past couple of days the following things have occured with the boys.
1. Son number 1 woke up in a mood on Monday, (primarily because instead of sleeping, he will use whatever little light is available to read late into the night) argued his way thru breakfast, got angry with me as he was leaving for school, and left a dent in the car.(not a big dent , but it's there)
2. Son 1 got into a mild kerfuffle at school, and left the vice principal, because he was tired of waiting for her. We (and by we I mostly mean cleverwife) brought him back, and had a discussion re his attitude, and the next morning, instead of doing the work he was told to do in the room away from his regular class, HE CAME HOME AGAIN!, After Cleverwife laid down the law, (i Don't think you want to deal with me if I am really angry, or words to that affect, boy 1 went back to school and settled in hand the rest of the day was fine. AARRGGH.
I love the boy, but he is a challenge.
3. Son 2 is away today on a field trip to another city, not that I have a problem with this, but I almost did not want him to go as he has been a little rotter lately. The boy weighs enough now that when he decides to run and jump on my back, I can feel the vertebrae separating and compressing, I think that there may be a chance he is trying to paralze me . For fun. Either he is doing that, or he is constantly trying to give me a nipple crippler. OUCH.
4. Son 2 and son 3 are constantly arguing/competing/scrapping about everything.
Their whole lives are spent in a continous game of one-upmanship, or they are in their words (gonna put the beat down on you) to each other, son 2 had to be escorted out of a grocery store by clever wife for this behavior, and then managed to push son 3 in another store and half knock over a Christmas display.
5. last night I went to bed after everyone (primarily to get some peace) and the sleeping joke went thru my mind, i wouldn't do it, but I understand at times why some animals eat their young.
It's so that you can resist the impulse to go in and smother them with a pillow.
(just kidding) I'd never do that in reality, but there are times...................
in the past couple of days the following things have occured with the boys.
1. Son number 1 woke up in a mood on Monday, (primarily because instead of sleeping, he will use whatever little light is available to read late into the night) argued his way thru breakfast, got angry with me as he was leaving for school, and left a dent in the car.(not a big dent , but it's there)
2. Son 1 got into a mild kerfuffle at school, and left the vice principal, because he was tired of waiting for her. We (and by we I mostly mean cleverwife) brought him back, and had a discussion re his attitude, and the next morning, instead of doing the work he was told to do in the room away from his regular class, HE CAME HOME AGAIN!, After Cleverwife laid down the law, (i Don't think you want to deal with me if I am really angry, or words to that affect, boy 1 went back to school and settled in hand the rest of the day was fine. AARRGGH.
I love the boy, but he is a challenge.
3. Son 2 is away today on a field trip to another city, not that I have a problem with this, but I almost did not want him to go as he has been a little rotter lately. The boy weighs enough now that when he decides to run and jump on my back, I can feel the vertebrae separating and compressing, I think that there may be a chance he is trying to paralze me . For fun. Either he is doing that, or he is constantly trying to give me a nipple crippler. OUCH.
4. Son 2 and son 3 are constantly arguing/competing/scrapping about everything.
Their whole lives are spent in a continous game of one-upmanship, or they are in their words (gonna put the beat down on you) to each other, son 2 had to be escorted out of a grocery store by clever wife for this behavior, and then managed to push son 3 in another store and half knock over a Christmas display.
5. last night I went to bed after everyone (primarily to get some peace) and the sleeping joke went thru my mind, i wouldn't do it, but I understand at times why some animals eat their young.
Friday, November 24, 2006
For Dad
Last night as I was coming ome from an outing with the weasels, we were in the car when Vince Gill's "Go rest High on that Mountain" came on.
I have always liked that song, but now it has bittersweet meaning.
This past July, after a long fight with Cancer, my Dad passed away, peacefully.
My Dad was many things, Korean War Veteran, Hockey Coach, Equipment manager for Scouts, Chaffeur, Sunday MornignCook,,and Well DAD.
He did all these things in a quiet way, never seeking glory or recognition, just doing them because they needed someone to do them.
he fought against the disease in the same quiet way, fighting for as long as possible, then finally going when the fight was gone. My family and I got to see him just a few weeks before he passed, and it was good, I have pictures of the boys with himm from that day , and I will treasure them always.
He and my mom came to us for Christmas last year, he was inreasonably good health, and spent time enjoying his grandsons, and they him, I have those memories to treasure, and so do the boys. Those are good ones.
The hardest part now is the everyday things that remind me of him, and how these memories can cause a wave of emotions to flood me unexpectedly, grief, sadness, regret, pain and even anger. Anger at the things said and unsaid, anger at the disease, anger at the shortsightedness at a government that took too long to recognize that he and other veterans of Korea like him had a disease that was caused in part from their service. Only yesterday did my mother recieve anything from anyone acknowledging this. At least it is something..
He is gone now, finally at peace, and given the depth of his faith, safe at last.
I have always liked that song, but now it has bittersweet meaning.
This past July, after a long fight with Cancer, my Dad passed away, peacefully.
My Dad was many things, Korean War Veteran, Hockey Coach, Equipment manager for Scouts, Chaffeur, Sunday MornignCook,,and Well DAD.
He did all these things in a quiet way, never seeking glory or recognition, just doing them because they needed someone to do them.
he fought against the disease in the same quiet way, fighting for as long as possible, then finally going when the fight was gone. My family and I got to see him just a few weeks before he passed, and it was good, I have pictures of the boys with himm from that day , and I will treasure them always.
He and my mom came to us for Christmas last year, he was inreasonably good health, and spent time enjoying his grandsons, and they him, I have those memories to treasure, and so do the boys. Those are good ones.
The hardest part now is the everyday things that remind me of him, and how these memories can cause a wave of emotions to flood me unexpectedly, grief, sadness, regret, pain and even anger. Anger at the things said and unsaid, anger at the disease, anger at the shortsightedness at a government that took too long to recognize that he and other veterans of Korea like him had a disease that was caused in part from their service. Only yesterday did my mother recieve anything from anyone acknowledging this. At least it is something..
He is gone now, finally at peace, and given the depth of his faith, safe at last.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Whatever
I was just reading a news article online and the myriad of comments surrounding it and I have to ask a couple of questions.
first the background. A woman was removed from a delta flight after she was asked to cover over her baby and breast as she was breastfeeding. The woman refused and was removed. She filed a complaint with the airline. no problems there, she has the right tp do so, just as she has the right to breastfeed anywhere she wants no problem there either.
for the record I support breats feeding, best thing for the babies, I also support the right of women to do so whereever they please.
But at the same time I also support everyone else's rights. on a crowded airplane, discretion is the key. what about the other passengers rights? do thier rights become lessened because this mother wanted to exercise hers? I think not, they were not telling her to stop or that she couldn't do that, they were asking her to be discreet.
There are tons of comments out there saying how if this had happened to some other people there would have been a scene. Yeah
Whatever, causing a scene does nothing in a post 911 world but get you arrested by the air marshalls, is this what you want to do? I don't think so. Posturing aside, advocating this kind of behavior only reinforces in people who are against public breastfeeding that you are all nuts. That's not what you want , is it. I think all that you want is the right to breastfeed in public without being harassed, if so, then the temporary inconveinince of a blanket may just have to be part of it.
If you are too militant about your rights to consider this, then line yourselves up with the narrow-minded, tunnel-visioned people you are complaining about.
Oh, in my opinion, if you are breastfeeding a child who can ask for it in plain spoken english, then maybe you really should consider who you are doing it for.
Climbing down off my soapbox now.
first the background. A woman was removed from a delta flight after she was asked to cover over her baby and breast as she was breastfeeding. The woman refused and was removed. She filed a complaint with the airline. no problems there, she has the right tp do so, just as she has the right to breastfeed anywhere she wants no problem there either.
for the record I support breats feeding, best thing for the babies, I also support the right of women to do so whereever they please.
But at the same time I also support everyone else's rights. on a crowded airplane, discretion is the key. what about the other passengers rights? do thier rights become lessened because this mother wanted to exercise hers? I think not, they were not telling her to stop or that she couldn't do that, they were asking her to be discreet.
There are tons of comments out there saying how if this had happened to some other people there would have been a scene. Yeah
Whatever, causing a scene does nothing in a post 911 world but get you arrested by the air marshalls, is this what you want to do? I don't think so. Posturing aside, advocating this kind of behavior only reinforces in people who are against public breastfeeding that you are all nuts. That's not what you want , is it. I think all that you want is the right to breastfeed in public without being harassed, if so, then the temporary inconveinince of a blanket may just have to be part of it.
If you are too militant about your rights to consider this, then line yourselves up with the narrow-minded, tunnel-visioned people you are complaining about.
Oh, in my opinion, if you are breastfeeding a child who can ask for it in plain spoken english, then maybe you really should consider who you are doing it for.
Climbing down off my soapbox now.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Fridays
Remember when you were in High School, and it was friday, and you couldn't wait for the last bell to ring, so that you could get out and get started on your big plans for the weekend?
Fridays are so not like that as an adult. Sure you want the day to end because you want to leave work, but the big plans are not that great, and sometimes, you spend time trying to think of something, anything, more exciting thatn another round of, Leave work
prepare dinner, while simultaneously trying to keep the house clean, referee the endless rounds of battling that the weasels partake in, maybe rent a movie to watch, provided, that there is something that everybody wants to watch, find snacks, double check youngest boy's hockey schedule, because the ungodly hour printed on the schedule just can't be right, these are little kids, why do they need to be at a hockey rink at a time when only coffe shop workers are moving around, do the people who schedule these things have some sort of grudge from the past that they are working through?. drag sorry butt out of bed, take weaselboy to hockey, come home, take middle child to basketball, come home, attempt to finish cup of coffee started @ 6 am,before the oldest boy starts in with, you know what I want for my big gift this year? Invariably, it will be some piece of technology so new that there isn't any info on it so I have no idea what he is telling me . eyes glazing over as the boy launches into a very long technical description of said item that he has to have. Pray for the sweet release of caffiene to allow me to function at a minimal level of competence.
the only variation this weekend is that my nephew is coming over this weekend, and maybe he can help to keep the weasels occupied for a bit of time.
What are your weekends like?
Fridays are so not like that as an adult. Sure you want the day to end because you want to leave work, but the big plans are not that great, and sometimes, you spend time trying to think of something, anything, more exciting thatn another round of, Leave work
prepare dinner, while simultaneously trying to keep the house clean, referee the endless rounds of battling that the weasels partake in, maybe rent a movie to watch, provided, that there is something that everybody wants to watch, find snacks, double check youngest boy's hockey schedule, because the ungodly hour printed on the schedule just can't be right, these are little kids, why do they need to be at a hockey rink at a time when only coffe shop workers are moving around, do the people who schedule these things have some sort of grudge from the past that they are working through?. drag sorry butt out of bed, take weaselboy to hockey, come home, take middle child to basketball, come home, attempt to finish cup of coffee started @ 6 am,before the oldest boy starts in with, you know what I want for my big gift this year? Invariably, it will be some piece of technology so new that there isn't any info on it so I have no idea what he is telling me . eyes glazing over as the boy launches into a very long technical description of said item that he has to have. Pray for the sweet release of caffiene to allow me to function at a minimal level of competence.
the only variation this weekend is that my nephew is coming over this weekend, and maybe he can help to keep the weasels occupied for a bit of time.
What are your weekends like?
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Let sleeping Weasels lie
Mornings follow a never changing fairly steady routine at the house. I usually get out of bed before anyone else, trudge to the kitchen and make coffe(note --this is important, no coffee, no happy me/cleverwife). go back to the bathroom, shower etc and by then cleverwife is up as well.
Then it is time to wake the Children of the corn, sorry the boys. Son number 1 can be a tad difficult to wake up usually involving a loud "get UP" from me, several times, followed by the ritualistic yanking off of the covers. this usually has the desired effect and he will stumble out of bed sleepy-eyed but ready to start the day (maybe, sometimes, Please?)
son number 2 usually is fairly easy a quick get up , followed by the yank of the covers and he is up, bright, shiny , happy ready to greet the day, God i wish i could do that without caffiene,but i digress.
Son number three( the numbers merely reflect the birth order, not my preferences for them, I think I can cause enough damage to their psyches without playing favorites,thank-you)
this boy is the difficult one, after several attempts at waking, pleading and begging( ihave no dignity) he will rise, but does he start his day? no, there will be several wanderings from room to room as he attempts(without really opening his eyes) to find another place to grab a few precious minutes more sleep. eventually he does end up in the living room curled up under a blanket while his mother and I repeatedly beg him to eat breakfast so he can be ready for school. rarely does this happen. He is like this now, what will he be like as a teenager? Will I have to douse him with water, bodily remove him from bed, employ a cattleprod? ( don't call Children's aid, I'm only kidding)
By the time he is just getting ready to eat breakfast the other two have long since gone. Sometimes I just do not get it. I know they are all different, but if 2 can do it why can't the third?
Then it is time to wake the Children of the corn, sorry the boys. Son number 1 can be a tad difficult to wake up usually involving a loud "get UP" from me, several times, followed by the ritualistic yanking off of the covers. this usually has the desired effect and he will stumble out of bed sleepy-eyed but ready to start the day (maybe, sometimes, Please?)
son number 2 usually is fairly easy a quick get up , followed by the yank of the covers and he is up, bright, shiny , happy ready to greet the day, God i wish i could do that without caffiene,but i digress.
Son number three( the numbers merely reflect the birth order, not my preferences for them, I think I can cause enough damage to their psyches without playing favorites,thank-you)
this boy is the difficult one, after several attempts at waking, pleading and begging( ihave no dignity) he will rise, but does he start his day? no, there will be several wanderings from room to room as he attempts(without really opening his eyes) to find another place to grab a few precious minutes more sleep. eventually he does end up in the living room curled up under a blanket while his mother and I repeatedly beg him to eat breakfast so he can be ready for school. rarely does this happen. He is like this now, what will he be like as a teenager? Will I have to douse him with water, bodily remove him from bed, employ a cattleprod? ( don't call Children's aid, I'm only kidding)
By the time he is just getting ready to eat breakfast the other two have long since gone. Sometimes I just do not get it. I know they are all different, but if 2 can do it why can't the third?
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
They get this from their mother
I swear that the 3 of them get thid from cleverWife, not so much from me.
I've mentioned this before, the fact that they will laugh hysterically at someone else's pain, it is not a new thing, but it still makes me fear for the future.
When watching America's Funniest Videos the other night, I noticed that the most laughter was generated by the videos that showed some causing pain to themselves or some one else.
Also, this morning, when we were all n the kitchen the boys thought it was funny when my wife was lightly smacking one of them in the head and going "solid" and then smacking me (much harder, by the way) in the head and going "hollow". The boys obviously thought this was funny for 2 reasons
1. the thought of my head being empty------way too funny
2. the fact she was hitting me harder-------funnier still.
over at Dadgonemad. He posts about how he will lie on the floor and let his kids jump on him. I used to do this as well, until it always seemed to end with me lying on the floor in pain after they tagged me in the testicles. The sight of which would reduce the offender and his siblings into laughter that threatened to cause them to lose bladder control.
It never failed that any horseply with them would end like this.( even now, when they are aware of the pain this causes, they still do it, like Pavlov's dogs in some kind of conditioned response. Playing with Dad- go for the testicles). it still causes laughter. Even from my wife, who tries her best to be sympathetic while convulsing with her own laughter. That kind of sympathy does not help while you are lying on the floor checking to see that the parts are still there, and that you haven't been reduced to some kind of modern dad-eunuch.
See what I mean ..
I fear for the future
I've mentioned this before, the fact that they will laugh hysterically at someone else's pain, it is not a new thing, but it still makes me fear for the future.
When watching America's Funniest Videos the other night, I noticed that the most laughter was generated by the videos that showed some causing pain to themselves or some one else.
Also, this morning, when we were all n the kitchen the boys thought it was funny when my wife was lightly smacking one of them in the head and going "solid" and then smacking me (much harder, by the way) in the head and going "hollow". The boys obviously thought this was funny for 2 reasons
1. the thought of my head being empty------way too funny
2. the fact she was hitting me harder-------funnier still.
over at Dadgonemad. He posts about how he will lie on the floor and let his kids jump on him. I used to do this as well, until it always seemed to end with me lying on the floor in pain after they tagged me in the testicles. The sight of which would reduce the offender and his siblings into laughter that threatened to cause them to lose bladder control.
It never failed that any horseply with them would end like this.( even now, when they are aware of the pain this causes, they still do it, like Pavlov's dogs in some kind of conditioned response. Playing with Dad- go for the testicles). it still causes laughter. Even from my wife, who tries her best to be sympathetic while convulsing with her own laughter. That kind of sympathy does not help while you are lying on the floor checking to see that the parts are still there, and that you haven't been reduced to some kind of modern dad-eunuch.
See what I mean ..
I fear for the future
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Busy Busy Busy
Why does it feel like there just isn't any time to get/do all the things done that are needed to be done?
Yesterday, I had to start work early and stay late , not a big deal really, but I think that my kitchen houses a yemporal displacement zone. when i was looking at my clock on the stove it said 646 am so Iwas thinking i better finish getting ready because I'm getting picked up for work @ 650. then the knock at the door, i check my watch and see it is actually 752 and my drive to work has been waiting for me WTF???.
How can clocks in the same house all be different?
are there clock gnomes that go around setting them to different times?
Yeah that's it, and they are the ones who also.
1- put milk back in the fridge with a 1/4 of an inch left in it Just finish It!
2-put a cerael box back the same way not enough for a bowl, I'm sorry would those little crumbs fill you up too much?
3. never put the cap back on the toothpaste, and manage to smear it at the top of the mirror ( if you are 5 ft tall and can get toothpaste 7 ft up a mirror that's a skill in itself)
Yesterday, I had to start work early and stay late , not a big deal really, but I think that my kitchen houses a yemporal displacement zone. when i was looking at my clock on the stove it said 646 am so Iwas thinking i better finish getting ready because I'm getting picked up for work @ 650. then the knock at the door, i check my watch and see it is actually 752 and my drive to work has been waiting for me WTF???.
How can clocks in the same house all be different?
are there clock gnomes that go around setting them to different times?
Yeah that's it, and they are the ones who also.
1- put milk back in the fridge with a 1/4 of an inch left in it Just finish It!
2-put a cerael box back the same way not enough for a bowl, I'm sorry would those little crumbs fill you up too much?
3. never put the cap back on the toothpaste, and manage to smear it at the top of the mirror ( if you are 5 ft tall and can get toothpaste 7 ft up a mirror that's a skill in itself)
Monday, November 06, 2006
Monday, Monday
Well I survived another weekend.
the Church thing on Friday was OK, not quite what I expected at all, My little sister was there along with my other 2 siblings so it was cool to see her.
She plans on coming to see us in the near future, which i hope she does because she is cool and the boys like her.
My Mom and my older sister stopped by yesterday after dropping my nephew off@ school, only after hours of us waiting for them, and the boys believing that they weren't going to show up at all, family members are easilythe ones who can aggravate you the most without really trying.
On a good note, youngest boy(the hockey playing one) scored his 1st goal on Saturday, way too cool, he even knew to do the stick and hands in the air celebration afterwards. I never showed him that. he says he got it from the players on NHL 2K6 for playstation.
The boys make me laugh, they like watching Mythbusters http://www.discoverychannel.ca/on_tv/mythbusters/mb_home/
and after watching for some time, I have noticed that their favorites are ones that involve
a) Guns and the various things abot them
b) Cars and car tricks
c) Anything and I mean anything that causes another human being to experience pain
and explosions preferably the larger the better.
The physical pain thing is not new, the best and longest laughs when we watch shows like america's funniest videos involve other peoples pain (they get this from their mother)
Somehow this makes me fear for the future
the Church thing on Friday was OK, not quite what I expected at all, My little sister was there along with my other 2 siblings so it was cool to see her.
She plans on coming to see us in the near future, which i hope she does because she is cool and the boys like her.
My Mom and my older sister stopped by yesterday after dropping my nephew off@ school, only after hours of us waiting for them, and the boys believing that they weren't going to show up at all, family members are easilythe ones who can aggravate you the most without really trying.
On a good note, youngest boy(the hockey playing one) scored his 1st goal on Saturday, way too cool, he even knew to do the stick and hands in the air celebration afterwards. I never showed him that. he says he got it from the players on NHL 2K6 for playstation.
The boys make me laugh, they like watching Mythbusters http://www.discoverychannel.ca/on_tv/mythbusters/mb_home/
and after watching for some time, I have noticed that their favorites are ones that involve
a) Guns and the various things abot them
b) Cars and car tricks
c) Anything and I mean anything that causes another human being to experience pain
and explosions preferably the larger the better.
The physical pain thing is not new, the best and longest laughs when we watch shows like america's funniest videos involve other peoples pain (they get this from their mother)
Somehow this makes me fear for the future
Friday, November 03, 2006
It's Friday Right?
Thank God this week is over, between the sugar -fueled( and crazed) activities of the 3 boys. (waking up and going straight for the candy stash before school is not acceptable) Nor is being up 1 hour past your bedtime still asking for the cup of wate that I told you you could have if you would only get in your bed. Add to this the daily (since Halloween ) discussions about how much candy they can have each day, this week has been fun!
No really, I love the boys, but there are times I have been tempted to ship them all to different places. ( it would have to be different places, they would never agree on going to the same place as their brothers.) (unless there was candy)( only if they got more than the other brothers, wait i'm digressing)
Fridays tend to be the calm before the storm of the weekend. My youngest gets out of school at noon( much to the disgust of his older brothers. doesn't matter he gets out later every other day and the time in school balances, this is a huge injustice because they never got this deal)
You know the 3 of them put way too much emphasis on the whole "fair" thing they are always concerned that one of their brothers will get a miniscule speck of something more than them be it treats, time alone with us, whatever. Clever wife and I seem to both be at the end with this crap. My theory "SUCK IT UP, PRINCESS, LIfe isn't always going to be fair, but it will balance in the end.
I'm done ranting now.
PS. I'll update on the whole church service thing later
No really, I love the boys, but there are times I have been tempted to ship them all to different places. ( it would have to be different places, they would never agree on going to the same place as their brothers.) (unless there was candy)( only if they got more than the other brothers, wait i'm digressing)
Fridays tend to be the calm before the storm of the weekend. My youngest gets out of school at noon( much to the disgust of his older brothers. doesn't matter he gets out later every other day and the time in school balances, this is a huge injustice because they never got this deal)
You know the 3 of them put way too much emphasis on the whole "fair" thing they are always concerned that one of their brothers will get a miniscule speck of something more than them be it treats, time alone with us, whatever. Clever wife and I seem to both be at the end with this crap. My theory "SUCK IT UP, PRINCESS, LIfe isn't always going to be fair, but it will balance in the end.
I'm done ranting now.
PS. I'll update on the whole church service thing later
Thursday, November 02, 2006
What now
I'm a little worried about tomorrow.
Let me explain, my dad passed away in July after a good fight with cancer, and I like to think(in my delusional way) that I am dealing with the whole thing rather well. Some moments have been hard (thanksgiving, my Mom came and it was wierd not having him there) (for any American readers, thanksgiving in Canada is in October --just so you know). But overall I am at peace with his death. Tomarrow however, the lid on my emotions could come off.
You see, I have to travel to my mom's town (not far only an hour) because her church is having this service where they do a rememberance of all the congregation members who have passed in the last year. OK i'm good with that. There are a couple of issues. 1. I am going alone, and by alone I mean that my wife and kids are not coming, there are good reasons for this, and if they were to come ot would just be too much for them. Part of me is selfish, I want them there, not for them, but for mee (i'll stop whining now)
2. I probably will have to drive my soon to be 19 nephew with me , I have no idea what to talk about for the drive, or even if he wants to talk.
3. I will probably a) leave and come back after the service, which means a very late night for me, or stay the night and come home on Saturday, which means a very early day for me as youngest weasel has hockey @ 7 am.
Either way I'm screwed.
Let me explain, my dad passed away in July after a good fight with cancer, and I like to think(in my delusional way) that I am dealing with the whole thing rather well. Some moments have been hard (thanksgiving, my Mom came and it was wierd not having him there) (for any American readers, thanksgiving in Canada is in October --just so you know). But overall I am at peace with his death. Tomarrow however, the lid on my emotions could come off.
You see, I have to travel to my mom's town (not far only an hour) because her church is having this service where they do a rememberance of all the congregation members who have passed in the last year. OK i'm good with that. There are a couple of issues. 1. I am going alone, and by alone I mean that my wife and kids are not coming, there are good reasons for this, and if they were to come ot would just be too much for them. Part of me is selfish, I want them there, not for them, but for mee (i'll stop whining now)
2. I probably will have to drive my soon to be 19 nephew with me , I have no idea what to talk about for the drive, or even if he wants to talk.
3. I will probably a) leave and come back after the service, which means a very late night for me, or stay the night and come home on Saturday, which means a very early day for me as youngest weasel has hockey @ 7 am.
Either way I'm screwed.
There are those moments, you know the ones? they sneak up on you when everything in the house is calm, quiet and serene......then boom, utter F23423g choas out of nowhere. That is most mornings during the week at our house.
I usually get up 1/2 and hour before everyone (mostly so that my coffee is ready) when my wife and I get the boys up for the first few minutes, while they are still half asleep, the house is relatively calm and quiest.
What i don't understand is how the chaos can build from such a quiet beginning.
all three of them usulayy want something different for breakfast, at time I wonder if we are just running an unpaid restaurant/catering service for the 3 boys who never stop eating.
Their routine in the morning is pretty much the same everyday, get up, eat, get dressed, brush hair and teeth, feed the pet that they are responsible for that week, pack the lunchbag up, pack their school stuff up, get shoes,jackets on, get out the door go to school.
I swear some mornings that some bizarre creature sucks this knowledge out of their little heads every night as they sleep. Because they can't seem to remember this little pattern.
They have an hour or more to do this, My wife(the clever one) and I can do more or less the same thing in 1/3 the time, and still manage to help them find all the stuff thst they might be forgetting, as well as sign the various slips of paper from the schools, and still have time to have my required cups of coffee that will fuel me for at least part of the day.
Is it just me?
I usually get up 1/2 and hour before everyone (mostly so that my coffee is ready) when my wife and I get the boys up for the first few minutes, while they are still half asleep, the house is relatively calm and quiest.
What i don't understand is how the chaos can build from such a quiet beginning.
all three of them usulayy want something different for breakfast, at time I wonder if we are just running an unpaid restaurant/catering service for the 3 boys who never stop eating.
Their routine in the morning is pretty much the same everyday, get up, eat, get dressed, brush hair and teeth, feed the pet that they are responsible for that week, pack the lunchbag up, pack their school stuff up, get shoes,jackets on, get out the door go to school.
I swear some mornings that some bizarre creature sucks this knowledge out of their little heads every night as they sleep. Because they can't seem to remember this little pattern.
They have an hour or more to do this, My wife(the clever one) and I can do more or less the same thing in 1/3 the time, and still manage to help them find all the stuff thst they might be forgetting, as well as sign the various slips of paper from the schools, and still have time to have my required cups of coffee that will fuel me for at least part of the day.
Is it just me?
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Survived another year.
As we sit here in the post Halloween sugar high crash, a couple of things for next year come to mind.
1. Get more candy, running out early in the evening is never cool. We escaped any tricks due to the lack of candy, but we are still lucky my clever wife bought more yesterday afternoon.
2. Hide each boys stash in a separate place that they are unaware of. The boys all made a beeline for the candy stash first thing this morning, oldest actually picked a couple of things for school snack quickly(no peanuts!) and then ate breakfast and was out the door on time(and ready !) Youngest son spent 20 minutes "sorting " his candy out until I pointed out that it was all going to get mixed up in the bag anyway, he finally settled on his choices, got ready and I drove him and his buddy to school. Middle son was still in the middle of the "there's nothing I want to eat for breakfast" song and dance routine, because he really thought clever wife and I were going to cave about him not eating breakfast and getting candy ( He was told no breakfast, no candy today). when I left the house , he was still trying this tactic, but I'm not there and clever wife won'tgive in, plus now he has to walk.
3. Plan costumes earlier, say July,then we will be ready, no matter how many times the weasels change their minds.
4. Forget about anything else while the trick or treating is going on because, there is no way you can talk on the phone (or write this blog) while the doorbell is ringing.
5. No costume no candy. When the "kid" at my door looks me in the eye (I'm 6'1") and has no costume, there is no way I'm giving candy to them.
The best part ( aside from getting all the stuff the boys don't like) is seeing how much fun they had.
As we sit here in the post Halloween sugar high crash, a couple of things for next year come to mind.
1. Get more candy, running out early in the evening is never cool. We escaped any tricks due to the lack of candy, but we are still lucky my clever wife bought more yesterday afternoon.
2. Hide each boys stash in a separate place that they are unaware of. The boys all made a beeline for the candy stash first thing this morning, oldest actually picked a couple of things for school snack quickly(no peanuts!) and then ate breakfast and was out the door on time(and ready !) Youngest son spent 20 minutes "sorting " his candy out until I pointed out that it was all going to get mixed up in the bag anyway, he finally settled on his choices, got ready and I drove him and his buddy to school. Middle son was still in the middle of the "there's nothing I want to eat for breakfast" song and dance routine, because he really thought clever wife and I were going to cave about him not eating breakfast and getting candy ( He was told no breakfast, no candy today). when I left the house , he was still trying this tactic, but I'm not there and clever wife won'tgive in, plus now he has to walk.
3. Plan costumes earlier, say July,then we will be ready, no matter how many times the weasels change their minds.
4. Forget about anything else while the trick or treating is going on because, there is no way you can talk on the phone (or write this blog) while the doorbell is ringing.
5. No costume no candy. When the "kid" at my door looks me in the eye (I'm 6'1") and has no costume, there is no way I'm giving candy to them.
The best part ( aside from getting all the stuff the boys don't like) is seeing how much fun they had.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Halloween
As you can imagine, with three very different kids, halloween can be a ton of fun. My oldest, Matt has had his costume idea for a long time, more or less the same thing he has been for the last 3 years, the Grim Reaper, only this year, he has modified it somewhat to be a Ring Wraith
from lord of the rings. my youngest son Josh is going to be a ninja because that is what he decided a couple of weeks ago.(absolutely no coincedence that his best friend is going out as one as well ! :))
Here is where the fun begins, the middle chid Andy has had someconflicts as to what he wanted to be. first he wanted to be Jack Sparrow(Captain Jack Sparrow) but then decided against it because "too many kids are going to be pirates", so then he wanted to be Freddy Kruger but then he wanted to dress up like a woman, but then was afraid people would make fun of hime, so finally he has decided to go as Jason from the Friday the 13th movies.
Is it just me, or is there way too many choices for halloween costumes now, and is the fact that there are now costumes for dogs,cats a sign of the coming apocolypse?
As you can imagine, with three very different kids, halloween can be a ton of fun. My oldest, Matt has had his costume idea for a long time, more or less the same thing he has been for the last 3 years, the Grim Reaper, only this year, he has modified it somewhat to be a Ring Wraith
from lord of the rings. my youngest son Josh is going to be a ninja because that is what he decided a couple of weeks ago.(absolutely no coincedence that his best friend is going out as one as well ! :))
Here is where the fun begins, the middle chid Andy has had someconflicts as to what he wanted to be. first he wanted to be Jack Sparrow(Captain Jack Sparrow) but then decided against it because "too many kids are going to be pirates", so then he wanted to be Freddy Kruger but then he wanted to dress up like a woman, but then was afraid people would make fun of hime, so finally he has decided to go as Jason from the Friday the 13th movies.
Is it just me, or is there way too many choices for halloween costumes now, and is the fact that there are now costumes for dogs,cats a sign of the coming apocolypse?
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