Toothless
Look at that grin! Kulia has lost her very first tooth!
It’s been wiggling for a while and she has been worrying it to no avail. Tonight, I gave it a wiggle and asked her if she was ready for me to pull it out. She gave a little shrug and said, “sure” and out it popped. No drama. No crying and wailing. No cajoling or threatening. Just a brave little girl who held her ground and saw it through.
Oh Kulia, you earned that grin girl!
The Glass Castle
This month, our book group is reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. It’s a memoir about growing up in a seriously crazy family. I mean, crazy. The book consists of short stories or remembrances and is very hard to believe. It’s as if the parents had read a parenting book and then applied all the principles in exactly the opposite fashion. I have a feeling it will lead to very interesting discussion among my group of moms.
I have read several life stories where the parents were pretty much absent from the scene and so the kids had to become the providers. They learned to take care of themselves and their siblings. They became independent, inventive and smart because they had to in order to survive their childhood. So does that mean the parents were doing right? Do we keep our kids sheltered in childhood too long? Is some level of neglect needed to help a child reach their full potential? Deep thoughts for a Monday. Good thing I have a few more weeks before ponder…..
Chew: Taster's Choice
I freaked Kevin out yesterday. He came home and found me reading. Now, that in an of itself is not odd. What caused him to do a double take was the fact that I was reading a graphic novel. That tends to be Kevin’s home turf, not mine. But my hold list at the library is deep and wide so I really never know what will pop up on the shelf for me. Sometime in the murky past someone recommended this book to me and it finally found it’s way into my hands. And although it is rather gruesome, it is also rather delightful.
My experience with graphic novels is pretty grim. Mostly spandex clad muscle me and frighteningly busty women all deeply conflicted and trying to “Do Right.” The pictures are circus color bright and the writing full of exclamation marks and sounds like “SPLAT!” or “K-THUNK!” Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a bit of escapism as much as the next girl but most super hero comic books just don’t butter my biscuit.
However, I should also confess that as a young kid I adored Mad Magazine. I loved the goofy drawings and all the little funny jokes hidden in the background of each page. I even remember playing Mad the board game and loving it. Alfred E. Newman. Ha! Perhaps that is why I liked Chew. The drawings are Mad-esque and there are funny little scribbles hidden throughout. I actually found myself scouring each picture looking for the joke. The story itself is strange and slightly disgusting. Our hero has the ability to see the past of everything he eats. This poses difficulties for him when trying to enjoy a nice pork roast but also leads him to join the FDA where he takes bites out of corpses, dead pets and severed fingers to find out the identity of bad guys. Gross, right? But also funny, dark, and strangely addictive. I’m actually going to put the next volume on my hold list. Not for the squeamish or the very young, but perfect for the odd duck.
How You Doin'?
I have no idea where the time has gone. It’s like cash in Kevin’s wallet. One minute it’s there, the next it’s gone and all that is left is a bunch of crumpled food wrappers strewn about. We’ve just whittled it away I suppose doing “the usual”. For Kulia, “the usual” is a bowl of snacks with a bottom layer of goldfish cracker, then Cheezits, and topped with pretzels. This layer order is of paramount importance. Should you offer her a bowl with Cheezits on the bottom, she will shake her head sadly and look at with such loss of respect that you will hurry back to the kitchen to right the terrible wrong you have brought unto the world. For Leina, “the usual” involves Kidz Bop blasting on the stereo, elaborate dance routines, and a dog jumping along and barking her head off. For Kevin, “the usual” is coming home after a long day of work to nap on the sofa while snuggling Kulia who is eating her snack and watching Leina and the dog go crazy. For me, “the usual” consists of soul draining amount of dishes, laundry, and tidying up all while being forced to listen to Kidz Bop and a manically barking dog. Yup. That about sums up our life right now. Just good crazy fun.
Of course, there have been a few memorable events. Leina entered year 2 of Daisy Scouts. She remembered all the words to her Scout Promise at her ceremony and has another pin for her vest. She loves it. And I even survived being Cookie Mom this year. Phew.
I'm A Little Daisy
And we have a new addition to our family. No, not another kid. Don’t even joke about that. No, thanks to some very generous valentine cash, the girls finally saved enough to get a hamster. Yup. That’s right. Yet another thing for me to clean. Actually, he is very cute and tiny. His name is Diamond and he sleeps all day and runs like a maniac all night on his little hamster wheel. Leina loves to set up elaborate Lego mazes in our bathtub for him to run through. So far, she has remembered to close the drain before setting him free. He seems to enjoy himself so I figure it’s probably ok. I can’t get over how tiny he is! Even more amazing is the fact that the hamster cost $10.00 and everything else cost $90.00. What?!?!?
Diamond
So, I think that’s everything of note. So long February! I feel I hardly knew you at all!
Kulia Signing Off
Tiffany looked around the woods. The shadows were growing longer, but they didn’t worry her. Bits of Miss Tick’s teachings floated through her head: Always face what you fear. Have just enough money, never too much, and some string. Even if it’s not your fault, it’s your responsibility. Witches deal with things. Never stand between two mirrors. Never cackle. Do what you must do. Never lie, but you don’t always have to be honest. Never wish. Especially don’t wish upon a star, which is astronomically stupid. Open your eyes, and then open your eyes again.
-A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
I never got into the Disc World Series. I thought it was ok but it never hooked me the way some series do. So imagine my surprise when I picked up The Wee Free Men and couldn’t put it down! Mr. Pratchett has written a sub-series in his Disc World for young adults, and I adore them. Adore! This quote is from the second book and it caught my eye because I’m constantly battling the kids over one particular thing. Being Responsible. You have no idea how hard this is to grind into their stubborn little brains.
“Leina, you need to clean up the toys over there,” I’ll say.
“But I didn’t play with them. That’s not my mess. Why do I have to to do it? Kulia should do it. She was playing with them!” is the reply. Said in the most whiny, disgusting voice ever.
Where do my girls get the idea that if they didn’t do it, it isn’t their responsibility??? They will spend 20 minutes arguing about who made what mess instead of spending the 2.5 seconds required to just clean it up! Why is this? Why? I know plenty to grown ups with this attitude as well and these are the people I avoid like the plague. Not my fault, not my problem. It’s a horrible, self-centered, greedy, and egotistical way to live your life. (Can you tell this is a major issue for me?) I have managed to quash “it’s not fair” from this house. Next on my list is “but I didn’t do it, why do I have to fix it?” How, you ask? I’m not quite sure but don’t worry, I will find a way. Oh yes, I will find a way.
Even if it’s not your fault, it’s your responsibility.
One. I am sick. Yuck.
Two. Our furnace stopped working this morning and the repair people can’t fit us in until tomorrow. High of 46. Low of 32. Burrrr.
Three. Kevin’s work is asploding. (Thanks for the word Kat!) He is working till the wee hours of the morning without stop and has to take a quick business trip over the next couple of days. Leaving me home, sick and cold. Sigh.
But……..
One. It’s only a slight cold. Nothing I can’t kick.
Two. We have two very powerful space heaters I’ve fired up.
Three. Kev’s trip is only for a few days instead of a few weeks.
I can do this.