Scout played with the garden hose and got wet (duh). Since he was determined to play outside on a 103 degree day I thought a hose was an appropriate toy. When he was done I took him into the bathroom, stripped his clothes off, and told him to go to his room and find some underwear. (If Scout could read this he would correct me -- "No, they're UNDEROOS!")
Scout: No!
Me: Why?
Scout: Mommy, you need to get my sheep and my squirrel and my pillow pet out of my room first.
Me: Why?
Scout: Because I don't want them to see my penis.
Me: (giggle) Why?
Scout: Because they don't have penises.
He's so modest....and so considerate. I went to his room and covered sheep, squirrel, and pillow pet up with a blanket so they wouldn't see Scout naked.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
calf roping
Calf Roping (according to Wikipedia) Pajama Time (according to me)
The calves are lined up in a row and moved through narrow runways leading to a chute with spring-loaded doors. The kids are running and/or crawling down the hallway and through the kitchen.
The barrier is used to ensure that the calf gets a head start. What? Seriously? No.....the children do not get a head start if I can help it.
Timing is critical. Agreed. There is a small window when they are tired but not TOO tired. If you let them get too tired you might as well admit defeat and put them to bed fully dressed.
The rider must lasso the calf from horseback by throwing a loop of the lariat around the calf's neck. Ok, well, I don't lasso my kids. I think I could get thrown into jail for that -- not that I've never had the urge. I've perfected my technique over the years and now rely on the clothesline grab. Here's how to do it: Nonchalantly place yourself near the path your child is on and as he runs by swoop an arm down, catching him across the belly and zooming him in the air. He thinks it's fun and you've got your calf!
The calf must be stopped by the rope but cannot be thrown to the ground by the rope. If the calf falls, the roper loses seconds because he must allow the calf to get back on its feet. HA! Amateurs! Never EVER let the child get back on his or her feet! Keep at least one hand on the child at all times or you will have to start the whole process over.
When the roper reaches the calf, he picks it up and flips it onto its side. Once the calf is on the ground, the roper ties three of the calf's legs together with a short rope known as a tie-down rope or "piggin' string." "When the mother captures the child, she lies him down and flips him onto his back. Once the child is on the ground, the mother shoves two legs and two arms into pajamas and secures with a zipper and a snap."
The horse is trained to assist the roper by slowly backing away from the calf to maintain a steady tension on the rope. The father is not trained to assist the mother and slowly backs away from the wiggling child to maintain a steady tension between him and his wife.
When the tie is complete, the roper throws his hands in the air to signal "time" and stop the clock. Oh, I absolutely do this. I didn't realize I was imitating calf ropers until recently but this has long been a tradition of mine once everyone is pajama-ed. It just feels right.
Top professional calf ropers will rope and tie a calf in 7 seconds. The world record is just over 6 seconds. I have never dressed a child in 7 seconds but I bet I could dress a wiggling child faster than one of those cowboys could!
The calves are lined up in a row and moved through narrow runways leading to a chute with spring-loaded doors. The kids are running and/or crawling down the hallway and through the kitchen.
The barrier is used to ensure that the calf gets a head start. What? Seriously? No.....the children do not get a head start if I can help it.
Timing is critical. Agreed. There is a small window when they are tired but not TOO tired. If you let them get too tired you might as well admit defeat and put them to bed fully dressed.
The rider must lasso the calf from horseback by throwing a loop of the lariat around the calf's neck. Ok, well, I don't lasso my kids. I think I could get thrown into jail for that -- not that I've never had the urge. I've perfected my technique over the years and now rely on the clothesline grab. Here's how to do it: Nonchalantly place yourself near the path your child is on and as he runs by swoop an arm down, catching him across the belly and zooming him in the air. He thinks it's fun and you've got your calf!
The calf must be stopped by the rope but cannot be thrown to the ground by the rope. If the calf falls, the roper loses seconds because he must allow the calf to get back on its feet. HA! Amateurs! Never EVER let the child get back on his or her feet! Keep at least one hand on the child at all times or you will have to start the whole process over.
When the roper reaches the calf, he picks it up and flips it onto its side. Once the calf is on the ground, the roper ties three of the calf's legs together with a short rope known as a tie-down rope or "piggin' string." "When the mother captures the child, she lies him down and flips him onto his back. Once the child is on the ground, the mother shoves two legs and two arms into pajamas and secures with a zipper and a snap."
The horse is trained to assist the roper by slowly backing away from the calf to maintain a steady tension on the rope. The father is not trained to assist the mother and slowly backs away from the wiggling child to maintain a steady tension between him and his wife.
Top professional calf ropers will rope and tie a calf in 7 seconds. The world record is just over 6 seconds. I have never dressed a child in 7 seconds but I bet I could dress a wiggling child faster than one of those cowboys could!
Friday, July 22, 2011
cuteness overdose
Flora was working on a little preschool workbook I picked up at the Dollar Tree and I commented on how smart she was. She seemed very pleased with that. Later, she didn't want to let me get a splinter out of her foot. I told her how brave she would be if she let me get it out. She replied, "But I'm NOT brave, Mommy, I'm just smart."
Flora and Scout did a lot of pretend-play yesterday. Pretend-play is fun to watch but it also creates quite a mess! Anyway, at one point Scout told Flora, "Flora, you be the princess and I will be the dinosaur." Ha! And then later when we were playing Hide-and-Seek, Scout was looking for Flora and muttering, "Now where is that pretty lady?"
They are all SO CUTE right now!!!! I think I will remember this as one of my favorite "phases" for the three of them.
Flora and Scout did a lot of pretend-play yesterday. Pretend-play is fun to watch but it also creates quite a mess! Anyway, at one point Scout told Flora, "Flora, you be the princess and I will be the dinosaur." Ha! And then later when we were playing Hide-and-Seek, Scout was looking for Flora and muttering, "Now where is that pretty lady?"
They are all SO CUTE right now!!!! I think I will remember this as one of my favorite "phases" for the three of them.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
a few of our favorite things
I just wanted to document some of the kids' favorite toys at this stage in their lives.
Olga
Squirrel
Fancy Nancy and Bree (always in their underwear)
Old Fisher Price Train
Tank and Bumper
Sheep
Dress-Up Clothes
Bouncy Balls
A Tray Full of Food
Puzzles
Anything that Timber's not supposed to have!
Carwash Refrigerator Magnets
Of course, we rotate our toys so there are a few favorites that are packed away in the basement right now. I'll have to do another favorite things post after we rotate! Someday these may be yard sale or hand-me-down toys. That's kind of sad. But the alternative is keeping them until I have grandkids and that's just not cool. I can't start a "grandkid toybox" at the age of 29, can I? No.....no I can't.......because Chris won't let me.
But I left out three of my VERY favorite things! Look at these cuties!!
THIS little girl is just too much!
And for anyone who is concerned -- Scout was fever-free all day today. Yay!
Oh, and Timber turned 10-months-old yesterday. Such a big little guy!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
seized
So.....Scout had a febrile seizure today -- a full-blown limbs twitching, eyes rolled back, teeth clenched, blue lips, drooling seizure. I'm guessing it lasted less than two minutes but at the time I would have told you that it had been going on for two hours. Yikes!
THANKFULLY I had read that febrile seizures (fever-induced seizures) are common in children under age 5 so I recognized what was happening and didn't panic. HA! Yeah right! I totally panicked. Well, not totally, but knowing what was happening and why it was happening didn't make it any easier on me. Also thankfully, Flora and Timber were sleeping so Flora didn't have to witness it and worry about her brother.
As soon as it was over I called Chris and told him to come home quickly. I didn't bother explaining a febrile seizure to him over the phone -- I just told him to come home. I think he could tell something was wrong. Funny thing -- while Scout was still "seizing" I was holding him in one arm and googling "febrile seizure" with my free hand. Later I realized how silly I must have looked if anyone had seen me! But no one did.
So, Scout stopped seizing, I called Chris, and then I called the doctor. We just got home from our doctor visit and Scout is currently fever-free and acting chipper. Our doctor said that febrile seizures are very common although it does make him slightly more likely to have another febrile seizure episode in the future. BUT if he goes six months without having one then it is unlikely that he will have another one. So if you are in the habit of praying for Scout, please remember to pray that he won't have another febrile seizure.
One thing I wanted to mention is that in the middle of his seizure while my heart was pounding I was very aware of a feeling of peace. I am SO glad that 1) Someone holds Scout in the palm of His hand and 2) that I am NOT that someone! I trust God with Scout's life so much more than I would ever trust myself or our doctors with it!
I know this is a rambling post but writing is somewhat cathartic for me and I just had to get this all out. It's not really a "silly story" or a "memorable moment" but sometimes it's good to remember the scary times too.
THANKFULLY I had read that febrile seizures (fever-induced seizures) are common in children under age 5 so I recognized what was happening and didn't panic. HA! Yeah right! I totally panicked. Well, not totally, but knowing what was happening and why it was happening didn't make it any easier on me. Also thankfully, Flora and Timber were sleeping so Flora didn't have to witness it and worry about her brother.
As soon as it was over I called Chris and told him to come home quickly. I didn't bother explaining a febrile seizure to him over the phone -- I just told him to come home. I think he could tell something was wrong. Funny thing -- while Scout was still "seizing" I was holding him in one arm and googling "febrile seizure" with my free hand. Later I realized how silly I must have looked if anyone had seen me! But no one did.
So, Scout stopped seizing, I called Chris, and then I called the doctor. We just got home from our doctor visit and Scout is currently fever-free and acting chipper. Our doctor said that febrile seizures are very common although it does make him slightly more likely to have another febrile seizure episode in the future. BUT if he goes six months without having one then it is unlikely that he will have another one. So if you are in the habit of praying for Scout, please remember to pray that he won't have another febrile seizure.
One thing I wanted to mention is that in the middle of his seizure while my heart was pounding I was very aware of a feeling of peace. I am SO glad that 1) Someone holds Scout in the palm of His hand and 2) that I am NOT that someone! I trust God with Scout's life so much more than I would ever trust myself or our doctors with it!
I know this is a rambling post but writing is somewhat cathartic for me and I just had to get this all out. It's not really a "silly story" or a "memorable moment" but sometimes it's good to remember the scary times too.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
toilet games
We went to a water playdate this morning (you know you're jealous!) and the kids just wore their wet clothes home. Once home, Flora changed into dry clothes and I found the top of her swimsuit but not the bottoms. Here is the following conversation:
Me: Flora, where did you put your swimsuit bottoms?
Flora: In the toilet
Me: (helping Scout on the potty and not giving much thought to her answer) Where?
Flora: In the toilet
Me: (finish helping Scout and check the other toilet hoping hoping HOPING that I wouldn't have to dig a swimsuit out of it -- WHEW, no swimsuit in either toilet -- back to the living room to get to the bottom of this) Flora, WHERE did you put your swimsuit bottoms?
Flora: In the toilet
Me: I just checked the toilets and I didn't see any swimsuits.
Flora: Because I flushed it. I just flushed it down.
Me: (shocked, incredulous, getting frustrated) What!?? Flora!! WHY did you flush it down the toilet???
Flora: I just didn't like it anymore so I flushed it.
Me: Flora, we do NOT flush things down the toilet just because we d--- (stop my lecture as I notice her swimsuit bottoms in the toybox next to where she is standing)
Flora: (notices that I have figured out her little game) *grins*
That sneaky little girl! She held her poker face the entire time! I must admit that I was quite proud of her in that moment. She really got me good.
Me: Flora, where did you put your swimsuit bottoms?
Flora: In the toilet
Me: (helping Scout on the potty and not giving much thought to her answer) Where?
Flora: In the toilet
Me: (finish helping Scout and check the other toilet hoping hoping HOPING that I wouldn't have to dig a swimsuit out of it -- WHEW, no swimsuit in either toilet -- back to the living room to get to the bottom of this) Flora, WHERE did you put your swimsuit bottoms?
Flora: In the toilet
Me: I just checked the toilets and I didn't see any swimsuits.
Flora: Because I flushed it. I just flushed it down.
Me: (shocked, incredulous, getting frustrated) What!?? Flora!! WHY did you flush it down the toilet???
Flora: I just didn't like it anymore so I flushed it.
Me: Flora, we do NOT flush things down the toilet just because we d--- (stop my lecture as I notice her swimsuit bottoms in the toybox next to where she is standing)
Flora: (notices that I have figured out her little game) *grins*
That sneaky little girl! She held her poker face the entire time! I must admit that I was quite proud of her in that moment. She really got me good.
Monday, July 18, 2011
jewelry and treasure -- trucks and bugs
You may have seen this story on facebook already.....
While watching Chris use an electric drill (and covering her ears the entire time), Flora said, "Boys like tools but girls don't -- girls like jewelry and treasure."
Jewelry and treasure!!?!?? Haha...seriously, the stuff that comes out of that girl's mouth amazes me sometimes. Where did she come up with that? I rarely wear any jewelry at all -- I'll usually throw on a pair of earrings before we leave the house but that's it. I don't even wear my wedding ring most of the time because rings just feel weird. So where does she get the idea that girls love jewelry??
And treasure.....the only treasure that I can imagine she knows about is the pirate treasure that some of her cartoon shows talk about. Do girls like pirate treasure? Well, I suppose I would get pretty excited about a chest full of gold bars but how does she know that?
It's a really funny thing to say -- "girls like jewelry and treasure" -- she's such a girly girl. Today I heard her doing something in my room and I yelled, "Flora, what are you doing?"
"Nothin'!"
"But what are you doing?"
"Just nothin'!"
"But WHAT are you DOING?"
"I'm just doin' nothin'!"
Any mom worth her salt knows that this is a clear indication that she is "doin'" something that she is not supposed to be doing. I found her in my bathroom trying on different shades of lipstick. Oh boy...
After we watched fireworks on the 4th of July I asked the kids before bed if they were going to dream about fireworks. Scout said, "Yes! Fireworks and trains and dump trucks!" and Flora chimed in and said, "And I will dream about fireworks and butterflies and flowers!" People who say that there are no inherent gender differences beyond the physical differences have obviously never had kids. All of our toys go in one toy box but every day I see Scout choose the trains and trucks and cars and Flora plays with the baby dolls and the stuffed animals. Even Timber is already showing a preference for the "boy" toys. I caught him "brrrrmmmm-ing" a car back and forth the other day!
And then there are the bugs. Flora is an excellent worm-finder. She will dig up a bit of dirt until she finds a worm or (exciting day!) a whole family of worms. But she won't touch them. She finds them and then Scout picks them up and puts them where she tells him to put them. Scout also picks up spiders and pretty much any bug that he is able to catch while Flora squeals and prances if she sees a bug in her general vicinity. But I guess maybe that's been modeled for her....
Anyway, I'm glad they're the way they are. I like 'em.
While watching Chris use an electric drill (and covering her ears the entire time), Flora said, "Boys like tools but girls don't -- girls like jewelry and treasure."
Jewelry and treasure!!?!?? Haha...seriously, the stuff that comes out of that girl's mouth amazes me sometimes. Where did she come up with that? I rarely wear any jewelry at all -- I'll usually throw on a pair of earrings before we leave the house but that's it. I don't even wear my wedding ring most of the time because rings just feel weird. So where does she get the idea that girls love jewelry??
And treasure.....the only treasure that I can imagine she knows about is the pirate treasure that some of her cartoon shows talk about. Do girls like pirate treasure? Well, I suppose I would get pretty excited about a chest full of gold bars but how does she know that?
It's a really funny thing to say -- "girls like jewelry and treasure" -- she's such a girly girl. Today I heard her doing something in my room and I yelled, "Flora, what are you doing?"
"Nothin'!"
"But what are you doing?"
"Just nothin'!"
"But WHAT are you DOING?"
"I'm just doin' nothin'!"
Any mom worth her salt knows that this is a clear indication that she is "doin'" something that she is not supposed to be doing. I found her in my bathroom trying on different shades of lipstick. Oh boy...
After we watched fireworks on the 4th of July I asked the kids before bed if they were going to dream about fireworks. Scout said, "Yes! Fireworks and trains and dump trucks!" and Flora chimed in and said, "And I will dream about fireworks and butterflies and flowers!" People who say that there are no inherent gender differences beyond the physical differences have obviously never had kids. All of our toys go in one toy box but every day I see Scout choose the trains and trucks and cars and Flora plays with the baby dolls and the stuffed animals. Even Timber is already showing a preference for the "boy" toys. I caught him "brrrrmmmm-ing" a car back and forth the other day!
And then there are the bugs. Flora is an excellent worm-finder. She will dig up a bit of dirt until she finds a worm or (exciting day!) a whole family of worms. But she won't touch them. She finds them and then Scout picks them up and puts them where she tells him to put them. Scout also picks up spiders and pretty much any bug that he is able to catch while Flora squeals and prances if she sees a bug in her general vicinity. But I guess maybe that's been modeled for her....
Anyway, I'm glad they're the way they are. I like 'em.
Friday, July 15, 2011
kids are silly
So apparently I'm not the only one who thinks my kids are hilarious. Here are a few stories from my cousin, Kati, after she babysat the kids.
**Kati had gum in her mouth and Scout wanted to know what it was. She told him it was gum and Flora said, "I can chew gum when I'm four." Scout added, "And I can chew gum when I'm a girl!" Flora quickly corrected him and he changed his answer to, "I can chew gum when I'm four too."
**They were playing Hide-and-Seek and it was Kati's turn to hide. She heard Flora and Scout looking for her and almost gave away her hiding location from giggling too much once she heard Flora say, "Now where is that tricky old lady?" (Kati is 18-yrs-old)
**Scout had to go poo-poo in the potty while Kati was babysitting. She said that Flora coached Scout through the whole thing, saying, "Just push real hard, Scout, and the poo-poo will come out." I guess Flora probably realized that Kati was not an experienced potty coach.
Also, Flora, Scout, and Timber got to play with their cousins Callie, Ellie, and Toby yesterday. At one point all the kids were playing outside in a wading pool. Elliott had messed up her swimsuit so she joined the others naked. When Scout saw her he smacked her on the backside and said, "Ellie, I see your bum-bum!" Ah, cousins. We'll have to remind the two of them of that moment in about fourteen years.
**Kati had gum in her mouth and Scout wanted to know what it was. She told him it was gum and Flora said, "I can chew gum when I'm four." Scout added, "And I can chew gum when I'm a girl!" Flora quickly corrected him and he changed his answer to, "I can chew gum when I'm four too."
**They were playing Hide-and-Seek and it was Kati's turn to hide. She heard Flora and Scout looking for her and almost gave away her hiding location from giggling too much once she heard Flora say, "Now where is that tricky old lady?" (Kati is 18-yrs-old)
**Scout had to go poo-poo in the potty while Kati was babysitting. She said that Flora coached Scout through the whole thing, saying, "Just push real hard, Scout, and the poo-poo will come out." I guess Flora probably realized that Kati was not an experienced potty coach.
Also, Flora, Scout, and Timber got to play with their cousins Callie, Ellie, and Toby yesterday. At one point all the kids were playing outside in a wading pool. Elliott had messed up her swimsuit so she joined the others naked. When Scout saw her he smacked her on the backside and said, "Ellie, I see your bum-bum!" Ah, cousins. We'll have to remind the two of them of that moment in about fourteen years.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
go scout go
Scout may be watching too much Diego (the cartoon animal rescuer on the Go Diego Go tv show). He heard a bird outside and said, "Oh! That might be the Mommy Macaw!"
Also, he just took a tumble on his little tricycle. I asked him if he was okay and instead of answering he jumped up and gave his tricycle a big hug, asking, "You okay, bike? You okay?"
And then he had to push his tricycle back up onto the deck. He ran to me afterward and said, "Mommy, I had to empujon (Diego's Spanish word for "push") my bike to get it back up."
Also, he just took a tumble on his little tricycle. I asked him if he was okay and instead of answering he jumped up and gave his tricycle a big hug, asking, "You okay, bike? You okay?"
And then he had to push his tricycle back up onto the deck. He ran to me afterward and said, "Mommy, I had to empujon (Diego's Spanish word for "push") my bike to get it back up."
fireworks!
They LOVED the fireworks! We stopped at Sonic on the way up to Smithville Lake and they drank their strawberry slushes while we waited....and waited....and waited for the show to start. I chose this particular show because it was supposed to start at 9pm but at 9:35pm we were starting to wonder if maybe we had chosen a bad location and completely missed the show! Just as we were lifting the kids into the van a huge firework exploded over us! YAY!
After a while, Flora said, "I wished I could see Jesus in a firework."
"You want to see a firework of Jesus' face?" asked Chris.
"Yes, his face and his whole body," Flora replied.
And then later she said, "I think they look like angels." Chris asked her if she had ever seen an angel and she said, "No....well.....maybe when I was 2-years-old." As we were leaving a family next to us lit one of the huge flaming lanterns that float up into the sky and Scout decided that it was an angel too.
The kids went to bed at 10:45ish and fell asleep almost immediately. Timber slept through the fireworks and went to bed easily when we got home also. And THANKFULLY they all slept through the fireworks that continued to go off in our neighborhood until almost 1am! Chris and I were not so fortunate. But all things considered, it was a GREAT 4th of July! YAY FIREWORKS!!!
extreme squeaking
"Watch this, Daddy!!" Flora holds a toy fish closely to her belly and runs as fast as she can into the recliner. The fish squeaks on impact. She is so proud! After a few rounds of this, Chris shows her how she can make it squeak by simply squeezing it or stepping on it. Hm....just as effective but not nearly as dramatic (also not nearly as likely to give Flora whiplash).
Friday, July 1, 2011
i wonder if he texts too?
I had a bad headache today and asked Flora and Scout to pray for me. Scout loves to pray for sick people. He very seriously scrunched his eyes shut, folded his hands, and prayed, "Fodder Dod, please to make Mommy's head to not hurt. Tank you. Aaaaaa-men."
Flora said she didn't want to pray but she would call Jesus on her Barbie cell phone. She dialed a LOT of numbers (obviously not a local call???), waited a moment for Jesus to answer, and said, "Hello, Jesus? How are you doing? Please make Mommy feel better. Ok? Ok. Bye-bye."
I thanked them both and told Flora she should call Jesus back to tell him that we love him. She dialed all the numbers, waited, and then said, "Hello, Jesus? I love you and Mommy loves you and Scout loves you and Timber loves you and Daddy loves you because.....um, because.....you are Jesus. Ok, bye-bye!"
Flora said she didn't want to pray but she would call Jesus on her Barbie cell phone. She dialed a LOT of numbers (obviously not a local call???), waited a moment for Jesus to answer, and said, "Hello, Jesus? How are you doing? Please make Mommy feel better. Ok? Ok. Bye-bye."
I thanked them both and told Flora she should call Jesus back to tell him that we love him. She dialed all the numbers, waited, and then said, "Hello, Jesus? I love you and Mommy loves you and Scout loves you and Timber loves you and Daddy loves you because.....um, because.....you are Jesus. Ok, bye-bye!"
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