Survival Tips For Winter Days

(I wrote this awhile back and forgot to post it!  Oops!)

I spoke too soon.  "Wow winter is really flying by."  I can't believe I uttered the words.  And now...........heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeee's February!

One week, we experienced four out of five days as snow days.  That, my friends, is a lot of together time. Here are some of my survival tips.

1.  Lower your standards.  Wii in the morning, Wii in the evening, Wii in the afternoon.  Take deep breaths and meditate as you repeat to yourself.  "I won't end up supporting them while I am living in the nursing home.  They won't become gamers.  They will go on to lead productive lives."

2.  Make a party out of anything.  Finished reading a book?  Throw a party.  Can you guess what Will and I read?

3.  Get friends to invite you over for a movie and drive down their snow-covered driveway to pick you up!  Thanks T!

4.  Send kids out to shovel as often as possible.  This is what happens when Ethan meets the driveway.  

Origami Yoda? or Snowigami Yoda?

5.  Celebrate a birthday.  Will turns 6!  Hooray!  Check out that snickerdoodle cake.  

7.  Enjoy a lovely visit by the in-laws.  Sorry to tell you folks, but I have the best in-laws of all!

8.  Whole Family Jigsaw puzzle Challenge 2015.

Steps to Scoring a New Winter Coat

1.  Open and read the junk e-mail from reputable New England clothing company.  Do not just move it to the trash folder!

2.  Search the sales items, even though you aren't really looking for anything in particular.  (After 10 years of being a stay at home Mom and then re-entering the work force, there is ALWAYS a need for nice clothes.)

3.  Take advantage of cute icon resembling an envelope that says "Share".

4.  Enter spouse's e-mail.  Preferably both work and personal in order to insure receipt.

5.  Write cute note, such as, "Look at this!"

6.  Marry a really thoughtful gift giver.

7.  Reap the benefits of above steps from the warmth of your new winter coat.  In the words of the little girl from Despicable Me who was ecstatic about her stuffed unicorn, "IT'S SO FLUFFY."

 8.  Read and reply to enclosed card.


In answer to your question K-Max, YOU do.


xoxo

Happy

ONE HUNDREDTH DAY OF SCHOOL!

To celebrate 100 days of Kindergarten, Will was to dress up as he would look at 100 years of age.  We wanted to send him in shorts that were pulled up to his waist, high black socks, white tennis shoes, a straw hat and a lawnmower, but we thought that might be too much for a 6 year old to handle.

Please note the reused Albert Einstein wig and Where's Waldo? glasses from Halloweens gone by.  Also the Bob Chandler flannel shirt!  He has been practicing phrases such as, "Back in the day...."  "When I was in young we walked to school uphill both ways..." "Kids these days" and the generic "Haarumpff!"  

It is hard to believe that 100 days have come and gone.  

Time flies when you are learning to read! 

Harrumpf!

Hey Hey Hey Goodbye

It's that time of year again.  The time that I have dreaded from early in November.  The time when I am not sure how I will go on.  

Tiny silver, red-caned drop

delicious with silvery shine

Why are you only on this earth 

Around Christmas time?

I think that about sums it up.

Until next year (when I am irritated that the Christmas stuff is put on the shelves right after Halloween without even a NOD to Thanksgiving) when we meet (or rather EAT) again.

A Day on the Town

Ethan was at a birthday sleepover and Kevin had a lot of school work to do, so Ben, Will and I hit the interstate and headed south to Morgantown.  We ended up at Barnes and Noble, one of our favorite haunts.  After browsing the books and selecting a few, we sauntered over to the cafe' for a snack.

Here we are enjoying the lovely view of the gray....gray clouds, gray concrete, gray sky....ahhhhh, winter. 

After our first round of snacks, Ben decided he was still hungry and perused the bakery counter.  When asked if he could get something else, the thrifty mother inside me said, "No." remembering that we had used our 20% coupon on the first purchases.  He implored, "But they have stacks, Mom.  You know stacks?"  

I didn't know stacks.  I had never heard of stacks.  I inquired for further details.  "They are really healthy for you.  Everyone should eat them."  He went on and on about stacks and how great they are.  I begrudgingly left my hot chai tea latte on the table and walked over to check out the stacks that somehow I have not encountered for the first few decades of my life.  

This is what I discovered: 

That, my friends, is some insight into the quirky, sensitive, loving little jokster, known as my second born.  Needless to say, the stack stayed in its case. 

Signs of the Times

Driving home from the school drop off this morning, I took note of the sign under the local martial arts place. It typically reads the specials, "Special 3 months for $99.00" or "Families that Kick together....stay together" or the ever popular, "Self-Defense against Bullies" which seems to be their calling card.  Today, however, it contained a new message.

It read, and I am not making this up in any way:

Be Yourself.
Become an Individual.
Learn how.

Say what?  Being the visual person that I am, all I can picture is me, hair up in a pony tail, wearing my pristine thick cloth white pants and wrap jacket with whatever the first step color belt is, removing my shoes, showing up for class and having my Sensei yell at me for an hour, "What kind of eggs do you like?"  "What's your favorite color?"  or "What are your valid reasons for not liking Steely Dan?"   etc.

The martial arts program is now creating individuals?

My mind flashes back to one of the Monty Python movies, not sure which one, where the giant crowd is chanting "We are all individual!  We are all individuals!" when one lone man jumps up and asserts, "No no not me.  I'm not an individual."

I, individually, am amazed by this claim, and look forward to encountering the harvest of this new crop.

Holidays 2014/2015

The holidays have come and gone.  I should've asked Santa to bring me something interesting happening in my life to blog about.  Har har.  Actually I welcomed and embraced the laid back holiday that we had.  It was a pretty busy this Fall with me working more often.  It was easy to let the house go to pot as we all became a bit overwhelmed by the lack of organization and I became dissappointed with the lack of time to accomplish anything. 

We were at home this Christmas.  Of course I didn't get everything completed that I had hoped.  I am not sure if I baked even ONE Christmas cookie.  Pitiful.  Even so there seemed to be plenty for me to consume.  Gracious Aunt Dianne baked and decorated cookies with the boys on Christmas Eve.  Ben made 40 or 50 small Christmas trees which he called his "forest".  Ethan created the Gingerbread Apocalypse whose membership incuded the likes of "Too Many Sprinkles Steve".

The boys decorated the tree by themselves this year, as I was feeling a little under the weather at that point.   It's nice to get to the point where you are happy to have everyone involved in the process and you don't care so much that the decorations are a bit lopsided or that the star is catty wompis (one of my favorite words).

We weren't able to attend Ethan's holiday program as he was sick (sad!) but we all sad so proudly in the audience as Will "Up on the House Top"-ped with the best of them.  

See the little man there in his holiday tie??  He was all business, barely lifting a finger or making eye contact with his adoring fans (his familly).  On Christmas morning the anticipation of the day was evident and marked by all boys laying on the floor to peek under the door at the gifts beneath the tree. We only shut and lock these two ridiculously small half doors once a year.  On Christmas morning we are thrilled they are there because we are able to sit and eat breakfast without wondering who was shaking gifts and peeking at things under the tree.

Finally we opened gifts and enjoyed our time together.  Note the new pajamas the boys are wearing.  They always open one gift on Christmas Eve containing new pajamas.  Of course every year I think I will make them some, and every year I am scouring Target the day before Christmas Eve looking for the right sizes.   This year most of the time was spent with the boys pulling up their PJs because they were a bit too big.  

My sister sewed them all pajamas that they got on Christmas day.   A day late and a dollar short Dianne.  (ha ha) 

 My sister-in-law in Philadelphia sent hats that she knitted for every member of the family.  Yet again another goal of mine.  

One of these days I will accomplish what I set out to do....right?  But for now I will enjoy the gifts from those who love us and are more productive that I am.  Thanks!!