WPTM #29: Just Plain Mean

What Parenting Teaches Me #29:  Just Plain Mean

No matter how much I repeat scripture, create behavior charts, intervene, teach, discipline, reason, repeat myself, and express disapproval to Noah and Anna for how selfishly, impatiently, and meanly they interact, they still are just so mean to each other.  They try to be good, but in the next instant they forget and are back behaving instinctively selfish.

Sigh.

It's just at our core. Humans. We are sinful - aka mean.  So what was I thinking?  That I could just preach the sin right out of them?  Not a chance.  No matter how much I revere and model and practice my favorite parenting book's advice (sorry, Ginger), those kids are still gonna be sinful.

That is what parenting has taught me this week (who are we kidding - this summer!).  My kids, we humans, us all.   We are just plain mean.  Sin is just mean, coming and going.  Just. Plain. Selfish. and. Mean.

Dictionary.com Bound

My latest installment of favorite words and unfamiliar words I've happened upon.

New-to-me Words:

sommelier

gouaches

lenticular

scrim

hassock

nonpareil

dervish
ungapatchka

fachaleta

Latest "Oooh!  Good Word!" additions:

untoward

spendthrift

slugabed

souffle

truly

decidedly

patina

tumult

sully

heirloom

merry

singsong

foolhardy

apropos

noxious

New Things

Noah's new thing is baseball/tball.  He's pretty good!

Anna's new thing is crossing her arms to pout or lodge a complaint.  All the time.

Josh's new thing is his new bread maker, which was supposedly MY anniversary gift, but we both know it's something HE'S wanted for awhile. ;)

I tried sushi this week, so that is my new thing.  But my new thing will not be a new normal or anything. 

Noah and Anna playing without fighting was a new and (sadly) fleeting thing one morning this week.

Noah climbed his first tree this week.  It was new and thrilling for him and he already has plans for how Daddy can nail some steps to the trunk so he can do it all by himself.

More Browns in Town

This past weekend, Josh's next oldest brother, Jason, and his family swung through our neck of the woods on their way back to Florida from their Gatlinburg vacay.  

It was neat to have them see where we call home and we stuck close to home for their entire visit - it was too hot to do much else!  

Jessie and I did, however, scoot out to indulge ourselves at a nearby parent/teacher supply store while the guys took the kids to a Saturday morning Lowe's Build-and-Grow Clinic to construct their very own "nockwers" (binoculars).

We thanked the guys for the time to ourselves by letting them jet out that night to catch a movie by themselves, but not before we all did a few other home-bound things ... 

water play,

jumping ... also in the water, 

 family picture taking,

book reading (princesses, of course), 

gadget comparing, (and signing Jessie up for a FB account!)

video gaming, 

and snuggling (later wrestling).

Recipe (Not): Nutella Cupcakes

I'm not really all that crazy about Nutella (despite my initial excitement upon discovering it does NOT contain peanuts many moons ago).  Yeah, it's sweet, but it's too sweet almost.  And it's thick - like surprisingly hard to clean off utensils and faces thick - and that just can't be good for the inside of your gut, if you ask me.  Still, I was intrigued by a nutella cupcake recipe I saw recently and finally knocked it off my to-do list this afternoon.  All in all, they're just ok, I think.  I say they look much more appetizing than they are.

I'm sure they'll get eaten one way or another around here, but I was less than impressed with the final product and therefore will NOT be posting the recipe here.  But, if you are intrigued enough to want to try a batch yourself, a simple Google search for Self-Frosting Nutella Cupcakes should get you where you want to go. :)

In other baking news, Josh also got me a bread machine for our anniversary and it is hard at work right now.  Wish us luck.

Princess, Indeed

Josh got me an early anniversary gift today and Anna was quick to commandeer it for herself. 

Accordingly, she then asked to read her princess book while she took in her foot spa session. 

Looney-Makers

Here, in these sweltering latter days of summer, we have finally reached that point.  I feel like I am back in my first year of teaching where I shamefully resorted to raising my voice to maintain control of the classroom at times.  Ok, oftentimes.  And so it seems to be going here in my life again.  I have reached that point where I am just gonna say it: 

The. Kids. Are. Driving. Me. LOONEY.

They are driving me looney! with all their:

Fighting
Fussing
Whining
Screaming
Tattling
Antagonizing
Disobeying
Pushing it
Bothering
Messing
Chasing
Taking
Need, Need, Needing!

And I know, I KNOW, that one day even this list of Looney-Makers will make me grin with affection.  I know, I KNOW, I was the one that posted yesterday about "Let Me Hold You Longer" and all of such nonsense.

Kidding.  It's not nonsense. 

It's just one end of the teeter-totter that is this phase of life, of summer, of houseboundedness and heat.  The other less poetic side of that teeter-totter can ALSO be heard around here lately and, I'm just gonna say it, that is: Get. Away. From. Me.

:} I'm just sayin', is all.

Let Me Hold You Longer

Um - Yes.  If my blog were a children's book, this would be it.  And not just because the title is so like a little song I made up awhile back for Noah called, Let Me Hold You.

Let Me Hold You Longer by Karen Kingsbury

Long ago you came to me, a miracle of firsts:
First smiles and teeth and baby steps, a sunbeam on the burst.
But one day you will move away and leave me to your past,
And I will be left thinking of a lifetime of your lasts ...

The last time that I held a bottle to your baby lips.
The last time that I lifted you and held you on my hip,
The last night when you woke up crying, needing to be walked,
When last you crawled up with your blanket, wanting to be rocked.

The last time when you ran to me, still small enough to hold.
The last time that you said you'd marry me when you grew old.
Precious, simple moments and bright flashes from your past -
Would I have held you longer if I'd known they were your last?

Our last adventure to the park, your final midday nap,
The last time when you wore your favorite faded cap.
Your last few hours of kindergarten, those last days of first grade,
Your last at bat in Little League, last colored picture made.

The last time that you catch a frog in that old backyard pond.
The last time that you run barefoot across our fresh-cut lawn.
Silly, scattered images will represent your past.
I keep on taking pictures, never quite sure of your lasts...

The last time that I comb your hair or stop a pillow fight.
The last time that I pray with you and tuck you in at night.
The last time when we cuddle with a book, just me and you.
The last time you jump in our bed and sleep between us two.

The last piano lesson, last vacation to the lake.
Your last few weeks of school, last soccer goal you make.
I look ahead and dream of days that haven't come to pass.
But as I do, I sometimes miss today's sweet, precious lasts...

The last time that I help you with a math or spelling test.
The last time when I shout that yes, your room is still a mess.
The last time that you need me for a ride from here to there.
The last time that you spend the night with your old tattered bear.

My life keeps moving faster, stealing precious days that pass.
I want to hold on longer - want to recognize your lasts...
The last time that you need my help with details of a dance.
The last time that you ask me for advice about romance.

The last time that you talk to me about your hopes and dreams.
The last time that you wear a jersey for your high school team.
I've watched you grow and barely noticed seasons as they pass.
If I could freeze the hands of time, I'd hold on to your lasts.

For come some bright fall morning, you'll be going far away.
College life will beckon in a brilliant sort of way.
One last hug, one last good-bye, one quick and hurried kiss.
One last time to understand just how much you'll be missed.
I'll watch you leave and think how fast our time together passed.

Let me hold on longer, God, to every precious last.

For Josh's 33rd

For Josh's birthday today:

(and for proof that I am not still sore at Josh for NOT getting me Gigi's Cupcakes on my birthday)

We labored in the kitchen making cake.

We conducted quality-control taste tests.

We spared no sprinkle expense whatsoever.

We carefully colored in (and sometimes out of) the lines.

And we gathered some birthday goodies together.

Now we just wait for the birthday boy to get home from work so we can take him out to eat.  If Noah has his way, we'll also stop off at Target and get Daddy a GI Joe because he swears Daddy liked those when he was a boy.  And if Anna has her way, we'll pick her up a pink balloon to mark today's occasion.  She says Daddy promised her one on his birthday.

Weekender: F is for Fun

My Favorite things this weekend were going out with Josh Friday night to see a Flick (Harry Potter) and get a coffee/Frappe afterwards, getting together with Friends on Saturday night for a baby shower,

and then Flitting around the area Sunday afternoon with a camera and a Friend to snap Fotos of whatever struck our Fancy.

(double click on the collage to see it closer)

Mouthwatering

I took these mouthwatering shots of the kids eating watermelon this weekend.

 
And it reminded me of these shots of the kids eating watermelon LAST summer.
 

My word, they have grown!

To OT, or Not to OT

In order to give Noah's fine motor skills a little more practice, we got to cutting, pasting, writing, and drawing this week.  As you can see, once I got Noah started he did not want to stop.  He completed three pictures and kept right on writing afterwards.

I had Noah practice writing his name with lower-case letters for a change.  I hear kindergarten teachers say that is one of the first bad habits they try to break - kids writing their names in all caps.

Anna is so intrigued by anything involving arts and crafts and paper and writing utensils.  The scissors were a trial for her, but for her first time ever, I say the fumbling exploration and erratic snips were a HUGE success. :)

We did a "taste test" of pencil grips this week, too.  The one in the middle is the newest one I just bought online, and it helped greatly!  Even better, Noah responded enthusiastically to using the other two which we've had for awhile but just haven't been using regularly.  I was so pleased to see Noah better able to make smaller letters and space them less wildly across the page when he used these grips.

This week, I also took Noah to see that Occupational Therapist I mentioned I contacted last week.  She offered a free consultation to us and I jumped at the appointment.  It turns out that, between Noah and me, the only one that needs therapy, is me.  She knew pretty quickly that Noah's writing/grasp struggles are nowhere near severe enough to warrant needing OT and the things she saw that needed correction were easily addressed with several tips and techniques I can work with him on.  I was surprised to note, too, that nothing she recommended was new information to me; I'd read or heard all those tricks and things to consider in my own research on this stuff, so I guess going forward I can just trust my own google skills to guide us. Ha!  (Elizabeth, I grinned to myself when the very first thing she did after observing his "index grasp" was that teeny, tiny crayon tip trick you emailed me about!)

Anyway, bring on kindergarten.  We are raring and apparently ready to go!

State of the Day Report

1.  I have exercised twice this week in an effort to resuscitate ANY sort of physical activity in my life.
2.  I am looking forward to a Mother's Night Out with the girls at a pizza place in Nashville tonight.
3.  I am chugging right along with all my consignment tagging and getting more and more excited.
4.  Where did Anna pick up her new screaming coping mechanism?
5.  I am taking Noah to a consultation with an OT today to get her opinion on his skillz.
6.  Josh and I have a date tomorrow night ... to see the final Harry Potter.  :)  I remember seeing the first with him back when it was just the two of us. 
7.  I am taking a meal to a friend tonight who's had surgery and it (the meal) has stressed me out all week.  Us non-kitchen lovers really struggle with the Baptist (or is it just Southern) tradition of making-and-taking meals.

ML: To All the Cars I've Loved Before

Memory Lane ...

I have very specific chapters of my life tied to some very specific vehicles and every time I see one of them on the road, I take a stroll down memory lane.  So today's Memory Lane is dedicated to all the cars I've loved (or not) before:

1. I learned to drive in TX at 16 in a navy blue '89 Toyota Camry.
2. With my parents' help setting up the financing, I bought my first car in TX the summer after my freshman year in college.  It was a used pearl '94 Saturn SL2 with a sunroof and a spoiler and I loved her.  I named her Journey.  I worked all 4 years of college to pay for her as well. She saw me through some COLLLLLLLLD Virginia winters and my carefree college days with only one dramatic breakdown and only 1 and half speeding tickets.
3. After college, I traded Journey in for a newer model car. I set up the financing all by myself this time.  Josh, my new boyfriend, was with me when I bought this car in GA- a brand new gray '01 Toyota Corolla.  
4. It wasn't long til I was BORED with my little Corolla.  About two years later, I was itchin' for a new car, and with my trade-in and a great teacher financing special, I bought car #4 with my husband - a brand new foresty charcoal colored '04 Jeep Liberty.  So. Cool. Looking.  That's where the magic ended though.  I ended up hating this car for about 4 years.  It was quite cramped no matter where you sat in it.  It did have a great 6 cd disc changer.  And like I said, it WAS cool looking.  And this was the car that we brought Noah home in - when it got even more crowded.
5. Finally, in AL just before Anna was born, we were able to trade that bad boy in and get a MUCH roomier, also pretty, brand new black '08 GMC Acadia.  This was an especially fun purchase because it was the first time we were able to pay cash for a vehicle ... thanks to a generous gift from his parents.  Since then, there have been a few growing pains with this vehicle, but now that we don't have to manage giant infant carriers/car seats, those have subsided greatly.  There have been numerous reliability issues with minor things as well, but thankfully GMC has been quick and faithful to correct these things along the way and make amends, thus keeping our business so far.  

Josh has had several cars since we've been together as well.

1. When I met him, he drove a big, black Monte Carlo that he bought from his parents, I believe.
2. Our first year of marriage, he traded that in for a big, beautiful, red, used SMC Sierra truck with heated seats. :)  We didn't have a garage then, so that was a nice touch ... literally.
3. When Josh started working for Pearson a year or two later, he got a company car, so he made the tough call to sell his beautiful truck rather than have us make payments on a vehicle that was never being used.   His first Pearson car ended up being... a white Jeep Liberty.  So we had two of these ridiculous vehicles at the same time.  You can chuckle about this right now.  Ok.  Moment's over.
4. When Josh accumulated enough miles on the Jeep Liberty, they sent him a new car - a black Toyota Camry.
5. When he had accumulated enough miles on the Camry, they sent him a new red, hybrid Toyota Camry.
6. And, as you know, when Josh switched jobs this summer, he had to return that car and we got him a very efficient, very cool, around-town kinda car.  A brand new gray 2011 Hyundai Elantra that we adore almost as much as the fact as this is the second car we have been able to pay cash for ... except this time it was solely cash we saved up ourselves.  We feel like such grownups now. :)

And for once, FINALLY, we don't have our eyes on any other "next car" at all.   I think we are good to go for awhile.

Getting a Grasp on Things

While Josh ran an errand with Anna today, I pulled Noah to the table to do another fine motor skill activity.  Using pipettes, water w/food coloring, and coffee filters, he got to make sun catchers by dripping the colored water onto his canvas.  It was a lot of fun for him to squeeze and squirt and squeeze again.

He doesn't even know that I am trying to train his little brain and muscles into holding that pencil my way -ahem- the RIGHT way.

In other fine motor skill news, I purchased a new pencil grip online and can't wait to give that a try with Noah.  I also contacted an occupational therapist just to see what support is out there in case his fine motor skill delay presents any problems for him when school starts.  There is a program called Handy Writers that I think will be right up Noah's alley.  It's designed for preschool/kindergarten age kiddos.

Just Because

I snapped this shot just because I caught them in the act of playing so well together for an extended period of time.  This far into summer, that is a no small miracle.

I snapped this shot just because it made my heart sing to see Noah pretending to check the labels for peanut ingredients in their play kitchen while he prepared for their play picnic.  

I snapped this shot just because Noah asked me to.  It IS a picnic after all and they WERE still getting along swimmingly without my intervention.

And I snapped this shot just because.  That's all.  Just because.

Moo for Your Breakfast

I'm sort of in love with this picture of the kids at Chick-Fil-A this morning for Cow Appreciation Day.

I think they pulled off the vacant cow expressions really well. They even mooed.  I hope they don't hate me for this one day.

Afternoon with my Parents

My parents came up to Nashville today to see the kids and to pick up some furniture I was saving for them.  My parents are sort of a touchy subject for me to blog about.  There's a lot of tense history that some you already know about and, suffice to say, it always makes visits with them a very anxious experience for me.  Today was much the same.

Fortunately, things went smoothly however uncomfortable I felt in my head at times.  And the kids went into an exhausting overdrive playing with their Mimmie and Papa, so I guess that makes the day a success.  I even got a brilliant shot of them all together on the back porch.  You'd never know I was using my "scary stern mommy" voice to get those happy grins out of Anna.   I believe I did a little bribing, too.

A few other fun/funny moments from today...

I Still Hate Glitter

For the record, I DO still hate glitter.

But today we needed something to do indoors and out of the heat.  So I busted out the glitter paint pens.  Those are fine ...  fine motor skill practice, that is! 

It was time to get back in gear with motor skill activities anyway.  I have grown increasingly worried over Noah's grasp. He still holds pencils/crayons like he's 2 yrs old - he uses all five fingers, basically guiding the pencil with his thumb and pinky first.  I'm concerned that he will have a hard time re-learning the right way to hold a pencil when school starts next month.  So it's back to the book of Mighty Fine Motor Fun for awhile, specifically activities relating to grasp.  And today, Noah took right to the correct "tripod grasp" and I couldn't have been more excited about it!  Since this activity develops hand strength, it makes sense that with all the squeezing of the paint Noah quickly realized how much stronger his thumb and index and middle fingers were. Once I showed him again the right way to hold the glitter pens, he didn't automatically revert back to his caveman grasp like he does with pencils and crayons.  I hooted and hollered and praised him like a crazy woman.  Look at the tripod grasp in action! 

What's really neat this time around is how Anna is capable enough to participate in these activities, too.  I keep forgetting she is NOT a baby anymore!  Anyway, by the time this art session was over, Anna had sacrificed one shirt to the cause (soaking in Spray 'n Wash right now, thankyouverymuch) and went to nap all glittery and naked. I COULD NOT get the stuff to come off her arms, fingers, face, belly, hands, etc.  We both giggled and called her a glitter fairy.  We'll let Daddy take care of that mess at bath time ...

...because, for the record, I do still hate glitter.