Four boys. Lots of talk about gross things and bathroom humor. I try to stop it. I do. But it is hilariously funny to them and my instruction and good intention for well mannered children does not always succeed.
Tonight, I shocked the pants off of Reece (not literally - ha!)
Maybe it is the fact that Halloween is just around the corner but at bedtime snack (because it would be a crime to send them to bed without eating for the 8th or 9th time in a day!!) I am not sure what got into me....I simply asked them if they would like to learn a new song we sang as kids. "Sure" they all said.
So I sang to them. (do any of you remember this song or was it just my weird family???)
Great big balls of greasey, grimey gopher guts.
Simulated monkey meat.
Teeney, weaney birdie feet.
French fried eyeballs cooked in a pot of blood.
And I forgot my spoon. Yum, yum!!
The look on Reece's face was priceless. He couldn't believe I was singing about all that gross-ness. Fun! Like I said, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em....
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Rappin' Talent
Not so long ago a couple of friend's sent this video to us and we have laughed so hard at it. The kids LOVE it and have asked to watch it again and again. I have grown weary of it, to be honest, but I can't help but smile when I hear the boys walking around the house repeating it. If you haven't seen it yet, I have posted "It's a Dad's life" so you can enjoy it in its fullness. That is just the background to this post, however. I asked Pierce to perform his 3 year old white boy rapping talent at the breakfast table yesterday....you gotta see it! Hilarious!! So, enjoy the real thing...and then Pierce's rendition below.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Pierce & An Empty Crayon Box
I need to record this simple memory because it is so simple, but so full of life and love and laughter - deep, uncontrollable, belly deep laughter. It was a highlight of my day - maybe even my week.
We were having lunch with some friends on Friday. The big boys were at school and the little ones were with us. Behaving very well. Pierce had eaten and colored and colored some more. As the conversation carried on he slowly made his way off of his chair and towards Hudson. Pierce had the empty crayon box in his hand and although I know he had never experienced this before (noted by his complete awe when it happened), when he blew on the box a whistle sound came out. I guess it startled Hudson - or maybe Hudson didn't even notice. I am not sure because I was too busy laughing at Pierce's surprised but joy-filled reaction. He was laughing so hard (at the whistle sound, his brother, a combination of the two, who knows?!?!) but so hard that he couldn't stand up...he was falling to the floor and was in complete laughter. It was so awesome. He tried to stand up and put the box back to his mouth to repeat the fun, but as soon as the box approached his lips he was overcome with another wave of hilarious giggles. This went on for several minutes more and was bringing smiles and happiness to our table, to the waiter clearing the table beside us, and to the other people seated in the area. Everyone had a smile on their face, all thanks to a plain old crayon box.
I love his spirit. Pierce makes us laugh a lot because of the way he fully experiences the little things. Thanks Pierce!!!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
The Stars Will Still Shine
Have I mentioned that I love having a library just down the street?? I do.
I find it entertaining to sit back and watch how the boys make their selections. It is most often quite random. But they have picked out some really really great books all the same. I think what makes a children's book extraordinary is when the kids love it AND the adults do too!
Tonight at bedtime, I read the boys a few books - one that was especially appropriate for us right now. It is called "The Stars Will Still Shine" by Cynthia Rylan, Illustrated by Tiphanie Becke. The illustrations were really well done. The words were simple but powerful to me and where I am right now. They go like this:
this new year...
the sky will still be there
the stars will still shine
birds will fly over us
church bells will chime
cows will have calves
kittens will sleep
flowers will bloom
(a promise they keep)
we shall have peaches
we shall have pie
we shall have ice cream
three scoops high!
homes will be cozy
homes will be warm
we'll curl up together
when rain makes a storm
and in this new year
love will be strong
growing and growing
all the days long
there will be goodness
there will be grace
there will be light
in every dark place
the sky will still be there
the stars will still shine
birds will fly over us
church bells will chime.
A simple but strong reminder to me when I question and wonder and worry about this year, its timing, its purpose, and what direction it is taking us - where it will take us - how it will take us there - why, and on and on and on... just to remember that this year is full of life - full of everyday normal happenings and full of normal everyday goodness, and grace and love.
There is another great book that I have in my home - (it didn't come from the library, but I should read it more often!)
Psalms 37:3-8
Trust in the Lord and do good.
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in Him and He will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.
I find it entertaining to sit back and watch how the boys make their selections. It is most often quite random. But they have picked out some really really great books all the same. I think what makes a children's book extraordinary is when the kids love it AND the adults do too!
Tonight at bedtime, I read the boys a few books - one that was especially appropriate for us right now. It is called "The Stars Will Still Shine" by Cynthia Rylan, Illustrated by Tiphanie Becke. The illustrations were really well done. The words were simple but powerful to me and where I am right now. They go like this:
this new year...
the sky will still be there
the stars will still shine
birds will fly over us
church bells will chime
cows will have calves
kittens will sleep
flowers will bloom
(a promise they keep)
we shall have peaches
we shall have pie
we shall have ice cream
three scoops high!
homes will be cozy
homes will be warm
we'll curl up together
when rain makes a storm
and in this new year
love will be strong
growing and growing
all the days long
there will be goodness
there will be grace
there will be light
in every dark place
the sky will still be there
the stars will still shine
birds will fly over us
church bells will chime.
A simple but strong reminder to me when I question and wonder and worry about this year, its timing, its purpose, and what direction it is taking us - where it will take us - how it will take us there - why, and on and on and on... just to remember that this year is full of life - full of everyday normal happenings and full of normal everyday goodness, and grace and love.
There is another great book that I have in my home - (it didn't come from the library, but I should read it more often!)
Psalms 37:3-8
Trust in the Lord and do good.
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in Him and He will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Reece, Our Cub Scout
Reece is signed up to be a Cub Scout. He is really excited about it. Benjy can't believe that he is already old enough to be the Dad of a Cub Scout - with lots of special memories of time with his Dad when he was one. This is my first experience around the whole organization, and other than getting lost in all the lingo, I am really impressed with it. Reece is super excited and it seems to fit just exactly the kind of kid he is....he is going to love it. His little brothers are sad that they can't be a part of it - which is a great thing in and of itself because it gives the oldest brother a little special distinction in having something to call his very own for now...and gives Chase something to have to look ahead to and anticipate.
Reece had his first opportunity to do a few outdoorsey things as a Cub scout. Here are a few pics of him learning to shoot the bow and arrow and the bb gun.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
When Losing Your Cool Sets Off An Alarm
Let me give a little background information to the story...
I am not sure if it is simply their developmental age, and then I also imagine the transition we are in sort of intensifies things, but our older boys have been a little bothered by all of the fire drills, tornado drills and lock down drills at their new school. It makes them feel nervous and somewhat afraid, so especially in those first days of school, we had various conversations with them about how they are just practice and do not mean that the event you are preparing for is ever going to happen - it is just a "be prepared" kind of thing.
So......
On Thursday it had been one of those not-so-great afternoons, and then continued on into the evening. Kids had been at each other about everything, lots of complaining and bickering, and...well, to put it plainly, I lost my cool. I gave them my not so patient rant and sent them to bed rather harshly. I realize all parents have those moments (okay, please say you do too, right?!?!?). I don't like myself when I lose it and feel like it is one of those things I always need to work on.
Why is it that when you are not in that moment, it seems so easy to have the game plan in place. How you will keep your calm, know you will not overreact and not escalate the situation, understand how to diffuse the attitudes and grumbling, and on and on....but then, when the moment does arrive, all the theory is so easily discarded and you return to the not so friendly and mature ways of handling the situation. Why?? It is difficult to be consistent and "on" - and frustrating when you fail. I know that it is ineffective and hurtful to the boys when I do lose my cool.
Thursday's experience has given me a very real example to come to mind as an illustration of its alarming ineffectiveness.
A few minutes after banishing the older three to bed, I returned to the kitchen to clean up. I decided to turn the burner back on to reheat the bacon grease so I could remove it from the pan more easily and give it to our dog. So I did. Then I noticed Hudson's bib on the table and picked it up to discard it in the laundry basket down the hall. En route to the basket, I peered into the boys' room, was flooded with guilt and felt sad for sending them to bed in such an ugly tone and with no snuggles, prayers or kind words. SO I began the all important process of reassuring, loving and kissing each of them. I began with Pierce, tucked him in and then crawled into bed beside Reece. I whispered in his ear, and although I thought it strange that he smelled like burnt toast or something...I continued to talk to him....until... it suddenly hit me ------- THE BACON GREASE. I bolted down the hall and as I entered the kitchen - full of smoke - the smoke alarm began to do its job. And do it VERY loudly. Right outside of the boys' bedroom. I knew all was ok because it was just smoke. I turned off the burner. Removed the pan. Tried to fan the smoke with a cloth to no avail. The alarm continued. I could hear the boys crying and Benjy running to see what was going on. He quickly removed the battery from the alarm to create some kind of calm to the chaos. Let's just say - they were freaking out. Chase, on his top bunk, was holding his ears with his hands, had his eyes clenched shut and was traumatically rocking back and forth. Reece was doing much the same and stating that he didn't feel safe in the house and that we couldn't live here anymore. Pierce, was laid back and fine - just as he most often is in life. I gave lots of hugs and as the children's backs were turned away from him - my loving husband was clenching his fist at me as if to say - "what were you thinking?? I am gonna KILL YOU!"
It took us some time to restore any calmness. They all ended up going to our bed to fall asleep after a lengthy discussion of why it was actually a good thing that the loud beeper sounded.
We will be smelling bacon for awhile. Sheeeshhhhh!
The point of the story is not my inability to multi-task (ha! that could be a whole other story), but rather, something quite obvious. There are consequences to losing your cool. Maybe it isn't always something so marked as a fire alarm. But the hurt it causes the kids. The way it disrupts the environment in your home. The cycle from frustration to guilt to reconciliation. It isn't healthy and it isn't the standard I want to set for my children.
I believe this experience has taught me more than just preferring not to smell like bacon grease. I want to choose the higher road in dealing with my frustration. I want to be prepared - I want to get better at knowing my strategy a little better and acting on the game plan before the alarm has to sound.
And I know, I know. We all have our days. I just want to have less of them.
I am not sure if it is simply their developmental age, and then I also imagine the transition we are in sort of intensifies things, but our older boys have been a little bothered by all of the fire drills, tornado drills and lock down drills at their new school. It makes them feel nervous and somewhat afraid, so especially in those first days of school, we had various conversations with them about how they are just practice and do not mean that the event you are preparing for is ever going to happen - it is just a "be prepared" kind of thing.
So......
On Thursday it had been one of those not-so-great afternoons, and then continued on into the evening. Kids had been at each other about everything, lots of complaining and bickering, and...well, to put it plainly, I lost my cool. I gave them my not so patient rant and sent them to bed rather harshly. I realize all parents have those moments (okay, please say you do too, right?!?!?). I don't like myself when I lose it and feel like it is one of those things I always need to work on.
Why is it that when you are not in that moment, it seems so easy to have the game plan in place. How you will keep your calm, know you will not overreact and not escalate the situation, understand how to diffuse the attitudes and grumbling, and on and on....but then, when the moment does arrive, all the theory is so easily discarded and you return to the not so friendly and mature ways of handling the situation. Why?? It is difficult to be consistent and "on" - and frustrating when you fail. I know that it is ineffective and hurtful to the boys when I do lose my cool.
Thursday's experience has given me a very real example to come to mind as an illustration of its alarming ineffectiveness.
A few minutes after banishing the older three to bed, I returned to the kitchen to clean up. I decided to turn the burner back on to reheat the bacon grease so I could remove it from the pan more easily and give it to our dog. So I did. Then I noticed Hudson's bib on the table and picked it up to discard it in the laundry basket down the hall. En route to the basket, I peered into the boys' room, was flooded with guilt and felt sad for sending them to bed in such an ugly tone and with no snuggles, prayers or kind words. SO I began the all important process of reassuring, loving and kissing each of them. I began with Pierce, tucked him in and then crawled into bed beside Reece. I whispered in his ear, and although I thought it strange that he smelled like burnt toast or something...I continued to talk to him....until... it suddenly hit me ------- THE BACON GREASE. I bolted down the hall and as I entered the kitchen - full of smoke - the smoke alarm began to do its job. And do it VERY loudly. Right outside of the boys' bedroom. I knew all was ok because it was just smoke. I turned off the burner. Removed the pan. Tried to fan the smoke with a cloth to no avail. The alarm continued. I could hear the boys crying and Benjy running to see what was going on. He quickly removed the battery from the alarm to create some kind of calm to the chaos. Let's just say - they were freaking out. Chase, on his top bunk, was holding his ears with his hands, had his eyes clenched shut and was traumatically rocking back and forth. Reece was doing much the same and stating that he didn't feel safe in the house and that we couldn't live here anymore. Pierce, was laid back and fine - just as he most often is in life. I gave lots of hugs and as the children's backs were turned away from him - my loving husband was clenching his fist at me as if to say - "what were you thinking?? I am gonna KILL YOU!"
It took us some time to restore any calmness. They all ended up going to our bed to fall asleep after a lengthy discussion of why it was actually a good thing that the loud beeper sounded.
We will be smelling bacon for awhile. Sheeeshhhhh!
The point of the story is not my inability to multi-task (ha! that could be a whole other story), but rather, something quite obvious. There are consequences to losing your cool. Maybe it isn't always something so marked as a fire alarm. But the hurt it causes the kids. The way it disrupts the environment in your home. The cycle from frustration to guilt to reconciliation. It isn't healthy and it isn't the standard I want to set for my children.
I believe this experience has taught me more than just preferring not to smell like bacon grease. I want to choose the higher road in dealing with my frustration. I want to be prepared - I want to get better at knowing my strategy a little better and acting on the game plan before the alarm has to sound.
And I know, I know. We all have our days. I just want to have less of them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)