Mail Call

(If you're with CPS or any other mandatory reporter, stop reading now!)

Guess who might surprise Daddy-O in his next mail call? Wouldn't he be one of the best birthday presents you've ever received in the mail? Don't worry! We'll send him overnight.

Happy Birthday Daddy-O

In honor of your birthday, we wanted to celebrate you with one of your favorite treats. We made it from scratch (not from the box). Everyone helped with all aspects: choosing which recipe to make, melting the butter, stirring in the wet ingredients, mixing in the dry ingredients, pouring batter into the pie tin (we loaned out our square pan and haven't gotten it back yet), and putting it in the oven.

This treat was quite the motivator to get ready for bed, cleaning up, and brushing teeth before bed. Actually, it motivated fighting, crying, and going to bed early. Nothing like a special dessert treat to make kids show their true colors.

We miss you, but we didn't forget you! Happy 39th birthday Daddy-O.

Back on the Bike

This is a huge step for Big Sister! Last year, about this time, she broke her arm and had to have it surgically repaired. She has since gotten back on her scooter (mode of transport with which she broke her elbow). But, she's not been willing to get back on her bike without getting too scared to continue after the first or second fall.

Yesterday, self initiated, she asked if we could go ride her bicycle. This was fabulous! She can ride the bike until she needs to stop or looses her balance and then jumps off or intentionally throws herself down. I'll take it! My little Tom-boy is back and on her bike.

Professionalism is selectively enforced

Today I am frustrated. The reality that people get noticed and ahead in life because they are overly friendly and blow smoke in the air to make themselves more mystical just doesn't adhere to the rule that if you work hard, you will get ahead in life. Those of us who do not possess this trait and prefer to just do our work, often get overlooked or chastised for asking others to do their work too.

This "game" is what most of us claim we are trying to avoid. The reality is you can be the best worker, but if you're not the crowd pleaser you will either go unnoticed or be chided because you are such a stick in the mud. Even worse, the person who is working the crowd (genuinely or not), often is masking that they are not doing the job they are assigned without anyone noticing.

For someone who knows they are not a person with world class personal skills, I find it easier to just move on without saying anything. Conflict is my enemy! But how do you explain to the person with the witty and quick responses that they need to cut back on the people pleasing activities and do what they are supposed to be doing? Inevitably, I will be walked right into how it is my fault and why aren't I just appreciative of anything they do do.

I can accept that if I expect others to act professionally, I must walk the talk. However, since I'm the one asking others to be professional, it appears I'm the only one being asked to change. The other items that are considered policy written to promote professionalism don't seem to be enforced. The personality magic workers can do and get anything they want. And that just SUCKS!

We have a critical thinker

This morning in my delirium of sleep, I heard some knocking, knocking, knocking and more knocking. It must have stopped. But when I woke up, I vaguely remembered that there was some knocking at the door. I called out for Big Sister, but she answered. Next I went in search of Little Brother. I found him quietly sitting in the basement at the art table with all his supplies out ready to do an art project. He even had a bowl with a snack in it. He told me, "I couldn't open it." At first, I thought he meant he couldn't open the snack. Then he reminded me that the paints on the table were closed. He needed help with the paints.

Upon second inspection, I noticed that the bowl was full of Valentine M&Ms and the bag of M&Ms was open on the table. Normally, he gets himself a morning snack of graham crackers when I am not ready to feed him his breakfast. But this morning he said, "I could not open them." I couldn't figure out if he was he talking about the paints again or the graham crackers. But in fact, he was talking about the paints again. He told me, "I was hungry so I got myself a snack."

We have a critical thinker like his mother. Always able to rationalize with excellent logic why he has the snack he has. Can't help but love him.

Love you Little Brother!

P.S. All the M&Ms were put back into the bag without even a consideration of eating a piece myself.

We weren't alone

Today we ate our meals with friends. Little Brother has a new friend in our courtyard. He is also the same age as Little Brother and they can safely walk to the friend's house without having a parent even go outside. They came for Breakfast and stayed until lunchtime when a break was clearly needed.

The Becks invited us for playtime and dinner. We even left early enough for the kids to be in bed by 7pm. A time unheard of in this house recently as a bedtime. It was definitely required and a good idea with all the fussing, crying, and not napping that's been happening recently.

P.S. Little Brother made a ceiling touched so he doesn't even have to "stand on his tippy toes to touch". Later he became an "old man" with a "walking stick". Followed by Great Grandma with her can as the stick grew shorter.

Hodgepodge

Our weekends are so random that I can never predict what we might do in just one day. For example, my sweet, loving daughter (and son) wanted to do something nice for me since I won't have MY valentine this week. Weekday mornings are too busy and short. So, in an effort not to let it pass without doing something, they brought me breakfast in bed: Cheerios with milk, a backup bowl of Cheerios in case I wanted more, and a glass of milk. That's real love and just the thought she (they) put into it was enough to show their love. The fact that they pulled it off without spilling any milk was the icing on the cake.

Brave

Big Sister's school had movie night yesterday. We weren't sure how long we'd last. Aunt K had to leave the theater with her last summer after 30 minutes because it was so scary. Our Brave Big Sister persevered through her fear of what might happen and stayed through the end of the movie. "They left out all the scary parts in my book." Time has come for even this princess to learn that life does not come without hard times and sometimes fear.

So much fun I forgot

Big Sister had a friend over to play this afternoon. Unfortunately, as all great things must, it came to an end. Despite all my reminders to clean up, the basement remained a wreck.

The explanation as to why it is still messy was so good I was even willing to help clean up. "Friend and I had so much fun playing that I was too distracted to clean up." Now if I could feel that way about going to work or any of the other things I do each day.

Charitycakes by Big Sister

My dinner was good. it was the short stack.
here's some advise from Noah
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Ppppokhtqqwg NBC CCDs. Mommy buzz.

Busy Bees

I'm not sure how I made it through the weekend with the non-stop activities we did.
Saturday:
Swim lessons
Lunch at Moe's
Energy Journey Game
Dinner at Kohinoor Dhaba
Roller Skating

Sunday:
Family Sunday School
Kids Church/Mom organizing kids room
Lunch
Home Depot
Sears/Lands End
Dinner in front of the Super Bowl

Poor Noah was so tired he curled up with his pillow during dinner and said he was just going to sleep there. He didn't go to sleep:-(

Life Size Board Game

Today we played the Energy Journey Game, http://freshaireva.us/2013/01/energyjourney/

Great teaching tool and exercise. We learned several simple inexpensive ways to help reduce energy costs.