Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

This Is America.

Last night while driving home talk naturally turned to the issue of the day.  The election.  It went something like this:

MAX: Mama, you made a big mistake not voting for Barack Obama. 

ME: Why do you feel that way, Max?

MAX: He will give us money and he likes Sesame Street.  I like him, Mama.  Barack Obama is a nice man.

ME: Well, those are certainly matters to be considered and I agree he is a nice man but I just have a different view of government and felt I want our country to run differently.  That's why we all have the freedom to vote and why it is so important.

MAX: You voted wrong, Mama. 

ME: Mimi, what do you think about this?

MIMI: *shrugs* I really don't care one way or the other.

--

This has been America, as seen from a Japanese made vehicle, in 60 seconds or less. 

The End.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Flip the bird...

So.. do you think Big Bird watched Max's video plea for me to vote Barack Obama in order to save Sesame Street?

Friday, November 2, 2012

Blow Hard.

I think everyone who reads this blog is well aware of my issues with g-u-m, right?   This makes Halloween a very difficult time for me and it is even more so challenging because Max at some point realized he is not allergic to it.  And he apparently loves that stuff.  *sighs* 

To her credit, Mimi continuously explains to Max that "Mommy is allergic and she gets sick when we chew it so we cannot do that."  Thankfully, I traumatized trained her early on so that she is well-aware of the repurcussions of me seeing them with this in their mouths. You can click HERE for that story.

So last night all was quiet on the home front and Max opted to have his dessert come from his Halloween candy stash. He chose a lollipop.  As I quickly learned it was not a lollipop.  It was a BLOW-POP. 

It is simply impossible for me to describe what happened next as it would require tranquilizers to calm me but I was visibly horrified and gagging uncontrollably.  No, really.  I was gagging.  Thankfully Mimi assisted Max with the disposal of the product in a manner by which I would not be subjected to seeing it.

Mimi then looked up at me and very calmly said: "It's okay mommy. I will make sure we throw all of it away now."  

Come to think of it, she was talking to me as if I was a mental patient.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Witch Way Did Mario Go...?

Another Halloween has come and gone and I have two pillowcases filled with candy to prove it.

This year Max and Mimi were joined by some of their friends who helped them pillage the neighborhood.

 

Max had a little mishap with his original costume at after-care so we ran out to buy him something new.  He chose Mario.  I think he looks SUPER!

 

And my not-so-little girl who stunned me when she came out in her witch costume.  Mimi has such an effortless beauty that actually radiates from inside her.  I am constantly in awe of my daughter and how she carries herself.  Consider me charmed by this witch:


I hope everyone's Halloween was as magical as ours was.

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Oh rats....

Last night Max and I noticed that one of his gerbils (Carla) was looking a little, ummmm... stiff.  The thing is that she was only mostly dead so we left her there hoping she'd recover. 

Around midnight I found myself wide awake in bed researching gerbils on the internet.  Somewhere around 1:00 a.m. I determined the only logical conclusion was the gerbil was hibernating because it got cold so suddenly.  To combat this condition I moved the cage from Max's room (where they were by the drafty window) to the family room, placing them directly under a lamp (you know, to warm her up and get her out of hibernation mode).  Feeling pretty darn accomplished I returned to sleep.  When the alarm sounded I rushed to check on Carla's status and there I found one really completely and totally dead gerbil.

Let's all take a moment to remember Carla as we once knew her. 

Alive:


Came home on August 15, 2011.  Died on October 30, 2012.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Mom The Mystery Reader!

Max's first grade teacher offers various ways for parents to be involved with classroom activities.   One of them (and my favorite) is the "Mystery Reader."  I was scheduled for today.  Keeping this from Max was not easy but I did it! 

I arrived at the school just as Max was lining up in the lunchroom readying to return to class.  When he saw me there was no masking his absolute surprise. Once he recovered from his state of shock (a I offered a quick wave to Mimi and her friends in the lunchroom still) he escorted me to his classroom with great excitement and much pride. 

As we're so close to Halloween I decided to read three books with that general theme, including The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, There's No Such Thing As Monsters, and Room on the Broom.  I had a little extra time after finishing the third book and at the children's begging (and the teacher's okay) I read one more book that Max chose from the class library.


I encourage all parents to make plans to visit your children's class.  It is so rewarding for all involved.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Zoinks! It's zombies...!


This afternoon I took the kids to a neighboring town to catch some of the "walking dead" with a couple of friends who are (last I checked) not zombies.

Max's strategy was to try and blend in:


Mimi's strategy was to "act as if..."


As usual Max had to fend off the ladies:


Mimi clearly relied on her cute-factor to avoid infestation:


Thankfully they both made it out alive with their brains in tact:


The night was capped off with Halloween movies and the first fire of the season:


Barbie Girl...

One of my favorite Mother/Daughter traditions is the Saturday afternoon manicure and pedicure. 


This week's theme is in celebration of every child's favorite candy-coated holiday -- Halloween!


Friday, October 26, 2012

It was a very ghoul date...


Each year Max and I attend our town's Mother/Son Halloween dance.  It is something he looks forward to as much as I do.  I dread when the day comes that he's "too cool" to attend lest he be seen in public with his mummy but thankfully that day has not yet arrived as a few of his friends were also at the event this evening with their mummies:


Here's some bonus footage of Max getting his groove on.  Love this kid!



Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Riding the Hogwarts Express

As I've previously shared, my daughter does not quite appreciate or understand my love of reading.  I could never figure out how to impart upon her how incredible it is to read typed words on a page and then feel them come to life in your mind.  It almost seemed like I was describing magic.  And then... it occurred to me...
 
MAGIC!

That's it!  I realized that rather than nudge her head into a book and force her to read like this:


I would instead let my children see the wonders inside of a book by reading them Harry Potter (they already love the movies and have previously asked if we could read the books).  And, so, last night it began and magical it was.
After over 30 minutes we only reached page 11 of the first book.  Why?  Well Mimi kept enthusiastically raising her hand to ask questions during breaking points as she began to recognize the characters based on the book's description.  At one point Max was leaning on me with his eyes closed and I thought I lost his interest until he started giggling over the stoic cat perched on the brick wall.  Mimi took hold of my wrist and asked "Can I read some out loud?"

Yes.

Yes. You can.

At the rate we're going it may take us a year to finish the series, but who cares.  We have plenty of time and if we happen to run out I'll use my time-turner necklace.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Heart Switch ON!!

The custody arrangement was negotiated to where the kids father and I have custody every other week with alternating Thursdays.

I cannot wait for Thursdays when it is my "off-week." I feel "off" without these two at home.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Grounded!

My kids are amazingly sweet, funny, smart, kind, generous and thoughtful.  It's a shame that they have both been behaving in a manner that casts an unfortunate shadow over those lovely attributes and required extreme measures to be taken in the name of: Grounding. 

This weekend both of my children were subjected to the "in your room and don't come out" variety of punishment.  To be fair I did feed them and allowed them to use the facilities.  I also permitted them to watch TV ever so briefly to witness the Space Jump yesterday as I felt that was educational.  See?  I'm not THAT mean!

I did not even plan to have their friends come to ask them out to play just so that I could gleefully decline the invitation on their behalf.  It just worked out that this happened not once but twice.  These occurrences caused both of their faces to get stuck like this:


We did get a lot accomplished, though.  They had to do their requisite reading for school, complete workbooks at their grade level, clean out drawers and closets and organize toys.  Yesterday we made a quick trip to Target which may as well have been Disneyland as excited as they were to see civilization.

Finally, they heard me watching Iron Man in my bedroom.  They begged and pleaded with me to let them watch it and I said, "You know that Tony Stark is a genius, right?  Do you know WHY?  He is a genius because HE was a good listener and HE followed directions and HE took school seriously!  When you act like Tony Stark, you will be able to watch Iron Man again."  What I didn't count on was Max then moving around my bedroom a la Iron Man. 

Nice try, but .... Denied!




Tuesday, October 9, 2012

School is Cruel?

Mimi loves to make fun of me do imitations of me.  She will put on my glasses and start talking like me.  It's quite hilarious and is really justified payback for the years of making fun of doing imitations of my own mother. 


Well there is one way my daughter is nothing like me.  All who know me is aware that I am an avid reader.  Mimi, however, acts like she's being subjected to cruel acts of torture when it is time to read her chapter for the night.  I'm talking thrown herself on the floor, stomping feet, tears streaming and shouts of "IT'S NOT FAIR!" 

 
Seriously... have you ever seen someone look that miserable while reading? 

Monday, October 8, 2012

Sleeping giant

Max fell asleep on the couch this evening while I was in Mimi's room. When I found him there, I carefully picked him up and carried him to bed. It's what any parent would do, right?

Wrong.

Little dude had a nuclear level meltdown asking - no, demanding - that I put him back where I found him.

I was so taken aback by his commanding tone that I actually did as I was told, and fast.... So the important thing is he is asleep, right?

Right!

Thursday, October 4, 2012

The Power of YES!


Last night I spoke to Max (who is with his father this week) and right as we're about to hang up he asks "Mama, can you bring me my bowling pin water bottle?"  

Did he need it?  No.

Was he going to see me (and the water bottle) the following night when he is with me?  Yes.

Could this have waited one night?  Yes.

Why did I say yes?

Because when Max asked me to bring what he has no attachment to or immediate need for what he was really saying is "I miss you, Mommy. I need to see you." 

How can I say no to that?

It is important to go beyond the words and actions of a child to discover the true meaning of what they are trying to say.


My children will never be an inconvenience and seeing the bright smiles on both my kid's faces as they ran to my car where we shared hugs and kisses in a profound and mutual expression of love is always going to be worth my time.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Lucky Number Seven

Max just celebrated his 7th birthday.  Before we begin you all need to know that he and his sister are being raised by a woman who never ever ever had a birthday party.  Not even a Sweet Sixteen.  *le sigh*  Soooooo to compensate for the childhood trauma their mother *coughs*me*coughs* experienced, she throws fabulous birthday parties for her children.  MTV should really come document these events.  No, but seriously... they should.  

I kid... I kid...

These parties are simply about making fun memories and being sure that no matter what they're eventually in therapy for they will never be able to blame me for not throwing them birthday parties.  So a party we had.  This year: BOWLING!


Max's beloved friend Dagny was in attendance.  I always contact her mother before finalizing any plans to be sure she can come because a party isn't a party if his sweet friend isn't there celebrating with him. 


Look at those smiles.  That's genuine 1,000 watts of happiness right there.  Oh and the outfit my kid is wearing?  He chose the entire thing himself.  I know... It was inevitable he be that cool with me as his mother. *grins*

Back to the party.... So who knew Max could actually bowl?  I didn't. 


This year's theme was Spongebob Squarepants.


Unfortunately Max didn't get to enjoy any birthday cake because he got sick at the bowling alley.  He did recover enough to be able to fully enjoy everyone singing to him before he blew out his candles.


Then we went home where Max was genuinely overwhelmed by all the presents his friends gifted him with.  It was clear that they know him well as he received all his favorite things:


He was a very happy birthday boy.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Our story so far....

Long long ago I began a blog to chronicle the journey my (now ex-) husband and I took with starting our family through adoption.  We brought home our son Max on May 14, 2006.  He was eight months old:


For a short time I kept a blog for everyone to keep up on the expansion our family with the arrival of our daughter Mimi.  She came home on July 19, 2008 at the age of 6.  Her story picked up with her little brother's on the main family blog.


I stopped blogging when life took a turn down SNAFU Road but I have been finding my voice again and enjoying my children (now ages 10 and 7) in ways I never thought imaginable. I always found blogging to be an incredible tool to enable friends and family to stay connected.  So I'm back.

Here are my kids today:


And then there's me:


Single mom working full time and trying to find my place in the world after spending years of it lost.  I have a blog (that needs to be updated!) which is a fun place for my "alter-ego" Spank to wax poetic about the things that really matter in the world: Hot guys, great movies, pop culture, current events and my favorite books.

Friday, September 14, 2012

It's Magically Delicious!

This evening Max asked me if magic was real. I decided honesty was the best policy and so I responded with what I believed to be true when I said no.

Max shook his head and spoke in a very matter of fact tone, saying "Yes it is. I can even make popcorn come out of your ear."

Max then placed his hand next to my ear and voila:

POPCORN!

I stand corrected.  Magic is VERY real. 

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Golden Showers?


Do you ever wonder what kid's may be thinking when it is really quiet in the car while driving in a rainstorm?  I did, until tonight when from out of the quiet came the voice of Mimi:

You know, rain may be God's pee. 

Now there was a pause.  It was just long enough for me to process the hilarity of what just came out of her mouth.  I only got out the word "MIMI..." from my lips before she continued with an exasperated tone:

Oh come on... Even God is laughing in my heart right now.

The tears fell ... well, they fell like rain.. that's how hard we all laughed after that.  Max exclaimed:

Good one, Mimi.
 
Yes.  Good one, indeed.