I Don't Understand

It is rare that we ever get much snow here. Today is really crazy because it's April 18 and it's...snowing!



It's that wet, sloppy, heavy snow that we always get here. We sadly covered the flowers we planted 6 days ago (!) when it was 80 degrees (!!!) with a tarp and hoped for the best.


My day got crazier though. It is also Braeden's first 11 year old scout camp out. The one Adam made his London trip short for. The one Braeden's been counting down the days until. The one he's been looking forward to forever. And. It. Is. Snowing.

The craziest thing of all? They went anyway! They were excited by it! I don't get it. I was sure they would cancel. I was sure they would stay home and watch a movie with us snuggled by the fire with popcorn. No. They still went camping. Adam and I talked about it and it was one of those familiar times that I know we both think the other one is absolutely wrong and insane. I thought he was insane (for obvious reasons) and he thought I was insane because "boys love this kind of thing." It's "fighting the elements together and winning." It's the winning part I'm worried about I guess. I've spent a good part of the last 11 years working towards the health and safety of my boy and it's hard to just hand that over to fool hardy camping trips in the middle of blizzards.

I was amazed they were going right up until the point when they drove off into the snowstorm. I wanted to call after Adam, "Wait, you've spent a lot of time in London lately. Maybe you don't remember, we have this..."

"And this...and remember, the gas fireplace turns on with the flip of a switch?"


"And remember this little beauty?!"

Why leave all that to go camping? In the snow? My neighbor and I were talking about it while bringing the snow covered garbage and recycling bins up to our houses. She said, "It's nice to be a girl." It is. And my good and wise husband probably never said a truer statement when he said, "You just don't understand how boys think." He's right. I don't.

Happiness, thy name is Mark

Today Braeden and Emma had the WASL test so I had time with just Mark. We went to the Children's Museum and had a great time. Days like today I feel like I've repaid Mark a little for all of the third child neglect.

Mark's favorite spot was inside the cockpit of the plane. He told everyone to buckle up because he was going to do a loop de loop. He also combated "enemy fire" with gusto.

Playing in the water.

An enthusiastic horseman.

Not a conventional way to milk a cow but not a conventional cow...it gave water.

Making paths for the "eggs".

We need one of these in our house!

On the rooftop.

Uncovering dinosaur bones in the archaeological dig

Construction!

Making Dreams Come True

Yesterday was dreary and today was quickly becoming drearier. I had horrible allergies. From across the world, Adam diagnosed that it’s because of the change in the weather. He says it always happens to me. Maybe. I guess the one who hears me whine the most would know. I drugged myself up like nobody’s business though and even put my head over a pot of steaming water. I feel better tonight. And my kids have a magical way of cheering me up. They, the ones who bring me the most anxiety, stress and irritation and they that take up most of my time, are also responsible for most of my happiness…especially when Adam’s away.

Tonight in his prayer, Mark was thankful for silverware “so we don’t get our hands all messy.”

In Family Home Evening, Emma had us re-enact the creation of the world. She spread out a blue blanket for the ocean and a green blanket for the land. She and Braeden (a.k.a. Adam and Eve) had blankets for togas and Mark was a monkey. He didn’t have a costume but he also didn’t need one to be a convincing monkey. As for me I flexed my thespian muscles and played a tree.

When I tucked Braeden into bed, he made sure I was going to wake him up tomorrow. He has the WASL test tomorrow and we have to leave the house at 8:00 (a shock to the home schooling system). I could probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve been up before him since he’s been out of a crib and can get himself up. I assured him I’d wake him up and he said, “Good, then I can say, ‘just 5 more minutes’”. Yes, you can say that. Whatever it takes to make your dreams come true.

Dreary

Yesterday the temperature was 80 degrees here. That’s unusual and I was in heaven. The only thing that would have been better is if my boys hadn’t whined so much about “all the sun” and “it’s SO hot.” They run around in t-shirts and sandals and shorts (if I let them) all winter and turn into wilted wimps when the temperature rises. I love it though. I love the sunshine and the blue sky. We bought flowers even though there weren’t too many for sale yet and put them in the ground. Well, Adam put them in the ground. I “helped” by deciding where they should go then I sat on the porch and watched him work. I did bring him some lemonade though and since I am such an exceptional wife I also put lime slices in the lemonade. It was just that sort of delicious sunshine-y day.

Then today happened. It’s cool and rainy (again). My boys are happy in their t-shirts and I pulled out a cardigan. On top of all the weather non-bliss, we had to take Adam to the airport because he’s off to London. I don’t know if I have Seasonal Affected Disorder or the lesser known but equally depression inducing Adam’s in London Disorder.

I decided to cheer myself up by listing things that are GOOD about Adam being gone:

1. I may make pancakes for dinner later and I may not. We may have cereal.
2. Tomorrow I’m going to Blockbuster and rent the chickiest chick flick I can find to watch while he’s gone.
3. I can read a lot without Adam asking me if I’m STILL reading.
4. I can look forward to chatty emails from Adam. I love getting letters from him.
5. I will get more sleep. Adam’s a night owl and I’m not.

O.K. that’s all I can come up with. Now I’m MORE depressed because it’s such a brief list. The good news for me is that it’s a much shorter than normal trip for him. He’ll be back Thursday and after five days and three nights of being away (I know—the math doesn’t add up), he thinks he’s going to play in a church basketball game that night. He’s crazy but I love him.

And miss him.

Words We Don’t Use

Last week, when the dentist office was scheduling “restorative treatment” for Mark (a.k.a. getting his cavity filled), I was asked to sign a form—sort of a contract—acknowledging that I understood their philosophy. They say things like "restorative treatment" and want the dentist visit to be “positive”. I'm supposed to play along with the illusion.

Who are they kidding? People aren’t going to have a positive experience at the dentist. They just aren’t. If dentists needed people to like them and have a good experience they should have gone into a different field…like working at an ice cream parlor. Now that’s a positive experience.

After I signed the form, the hygienist said to me quietly, “There are also certain words we don’t use.” Did she mean swear words? OK, I’ll try to keep my five year old from swearing like a sailor when he’s having his Positive Restorative Treatment. She must have sensed my confusion because she clarified in a stage whisper, “We don’t use words like shots.” I think I just nodded. What can you say in the face of such silliness?

Mark has an appointment tomorrow with his pediatrician for his well child visit and to get shots—sorry, immunizations—for the start of kindergarten. Every time I bring it up with Mark (because I guess I’m of the opinion that he should know what’s coming) he gets mad and runs away saying, “I’m not getting shots!” I've tried to sweeten the deal with a promise of ice cream afterwards. I think that’s helping, but, like it or not, he’s getting shots. I’m in favor of shots. Especially when you consider the alternative, like getting polio or feeling the dentist drill your teeth.

Are our children so delicate that we can’t use words like shots? Should we also stop saying words like clean your room and broccoli because it will damage their tender sensibilities?

I think I’ll institute words we don’t use in our house. A list of things I don’t like. If I don’t mention them, maybe they won’t exist. Here’s my short list:

Muddy shoes
Allergies
Reality TV
Gas Prices
Corn Dogs
Telemarketers
and Dentists

There is Sunshine in my Laundry Room Today

If you live in North Dakota you need snow boots.
If you live in Connecticut you need air conditioning (trust me).
If you live in Arizona you need sunglasses (and air conditioning).
If you live in Kansas you need ruby slippers.
If you live in Southern California you need a Disneyland Annual Pass.
If you live in Nebraska you need bug spray.

And…

If you live in Seattle you need at least one room painted cornea burning yellow to brighten things up on the gray dreary days. (We have them intermittently--like nine months out of the year.)

Adam and I are the proud owners of a cornea burning yellow laundry room we decked out this weekend. The new cabinets are courtesy of my parents and his parents and their generous birthday cash for me.

Things That Happened Today

1. Braeden dressed up in Emma's dress up clothes and brought me a piece of paper where he'd written:

Section 8

This guy Clinger is a wacko.

He asked me to sign it so I signed Colonel Potter and told him he can't watch MASH reruns anymore.

2. Mark perfected the art of sliding down the stairs by stuffing a sleeping bag with a pillow and skimming down head first while laying on the sleeping bag. I knew it wouldn't end well. I should have stopped him. One of the triplets was over (I can't tell which). He was at the bottom of the stairs and saw what I heard (Mark tumbling end over end down the stairs). The sleeping bag "toboggan" was still at the top of the stairs. Mark burst into tears and triplet(?) didn't say a word but turned and ran out of the house. I don't think he has a future as an EMT. I picked Mark up and checked him for permanent damage. He said he wanted to lay on his bed. I lay him down and was about to leave the room when he said, "I think I'm OK, I just think I broke a bone."

3. In her "daily dialogue journal" which seems like such a positive upbeat idea in theory, Emma wrote, if not hate mail, to me...strong dislike mail. Complete with frowning faces.

4. At Afly's (where we went for dinner because sometimes you just have to) Mark tripped and fell against an arcade game, inflicting a vicious gash on his side.

5. Oh, and earlier, we went to the dentist. 2 out of 3 children have a cavity. Nothing, no nothing makes me feel like a terrible mother like a dentist visit. On the drive home Braeden (the only one WITHOUT a cavity) said, "I think they mean well, but dentists are really evil at heart". I (agree with him but) said, "Without dentists, our teeth would rot and fall out." Braeden said maybe they put secret stuff on our teeth to MAKE them rot and fall out.

Maybe.

Also maybe I should have followed my first instinct and not gotten out of bed this morning.