Zen Rock Castles

I love this photo right now. Why? Because it was taken on Sunday afternoon... during a quiet moment (parents may know what I'm talking about even if they have to work at it), when I realized my children were both otherwise engaged. The house was quiet. The boy was reading a book, engrossed on the couch. The girl was out back, piling rock after rock into these containers. "To build rock castles, Mama," she said. Ah I miss that oasis of quiet but I'm trying to remember it tucked between the moments of frustration, squabbling and noise.

Now that's the ticket

I went to bed last night a little after 11:00 p.m. and awoke this morning just before 7:00 a.m. with my 2 children asking if they could get up now in a giddy whispery fashion. Need I say more? I'm still not sure I believe it but we will be heading out later to get some "treats!"

Sleeping beauty

Update: Leave it to Karen to figure out my mistake. O.K. so it is indeed Snow White but she does eat a poisoned apple and fall asleep or was that die? Hmmm. Anyway. All goes to show just how tired I am without enough sleep. And now for what was my post...

This is a sleeping beauty costume (revised: Snow White). Not too expensive, a little annoying but cute in its own way. My girlie was going to wear it. That's why I bought it. Mind you it wasn't very expensive and I would have been pretty much done with her outfit for the big day. I suppose that is why I bought it even though it is an annoying princess character in another of the many scary sappy Disney princess stories.

But lest you worry that I've succumbed to the evils of commercialism and princessism, the girl shortly after purchasing and trying on (at home in such a way as to be unable to return it) the aforementioned princess gown, decided unequivocally that she was going to be A BLACK CAT!

I confess however that the boy is going to bow to commercialism long enough to be BATMAN. Luckily he will portray the superhero in an outfit which cost all of $1.00 (GoodWill gave us a discount on the original $3.00 price). The mask cost more than the clothes - at all of I think $3.00! The cape is being borrowed from a good friend (thank you Norma and son)!

And now to throw a loop in this entire discussion of all things Halloween-ee, I just want to kick us back up to the topic of Sleeping Beauty and well... sleep. Around our house, I'm beginning to think the only way I'll ever get a decent night's sleep, other than to stay at a hotel sans children, is to pay a wicked witch to come feed a poisoned apple to my two little munchkins. Now of course I wouldn't do that, even if I could find a wicked witch for hire.

But I do confess to a sincere desire for real sleep and to confusion over whether my kids actually have sleep issues (they've almost never ever slept through an entire night -- with rare exception). Our kidlets may just be reaping the lack-of-sleep benefits that come with one parent that sleeps a bit too soundly and one who sleeps too lightly.

Funny thing is that it has taken us forever to get them sleeping in their own beds, which they do every night now (at least until about 3:00 a.m. or so ). But when I started talking to them tonight and threw in a good old-fashioned bribe for the one (or to be honest each) who stays in their bed A*L*L N*I*G*H*T L*O*N*G.... please God... they got excited. Hmmm. Could it be true? Could we really lead them down this path? The boy even started to make a nighttime rules list but we decided to hold off on the discussion of details until tomorrow during the day. And we shall...because that list is sitting front and center right in the middle of our dining room table and should make excellent Friday morning breakfast conversation.

What's the topic of conversation at your breakfast table this Friday morning going to be? And don't tell me you'll still be sleeping 'cause I don't want to hear it! Happy Friday.

Gotta love it

Gotta love Oregon and family life when you can do a hike to and through this kinda country and your kids pretty much love it and do it mostly willingly.

Ah the insanity...

It is the 2nd night of the week that I'm single parenting. Make-your-own-taco night was going well until a few too many bits fell out of the boy's taco and great whining, crying, sobbing ensued. Then the girl got upset about people being upset and the brother not passing ingredients quickly enough and went into high drama mode, breaking her taco in the process.

Eventually things simmered down, but not before Mama heated up. Finally, however the kids actually did help to clear the table, the dog kindly agreed to clear the floor and I did the dishes. What an amazing thing - a clean kitchen.

Now they are playing some semblance of tag as I type this. Good overall, this game, although it is puntcuated with a shove too hard, a mean scowl, a threatening stance and ultimately the referee calling an end to it all (that would be me)! The boy got 3 options: 1) get in the tub, 2) play Legos, 3) read a book (or my own hold out option if he wouldn't pick - BED)!

Mind you the girl is running around naked from the waist down since I can't get her to potty train for nothing. Parenthood - an experiment in daily insanity.

And as the world turns, these are the days (and evenings) of our lives!

TGIF?

It's Friday. I'm tired and already ready to go back to bed.

Today I've got to have a short meeting around 1st/2nd grade room parent stuff at school drop-off and then take 2 adorable preschool girls to their big kid class (only the 4-year olds - pre-K kinda thing)...

Then I've got to set up a class photo in their play area and then wait????? or go get coffee and be neurotic. Maybe I'm so tired I won't be able to be neurotic. That's o.k. cause I've got 2 more class photos and approx. 28 individual portraits to take over the next week PLUS the big neurotic time when I deliver the photos to families and wait for them to hate them! Ah neuroses... too bad it seems to be part of creativity and personal growth for me.

Oh well. Hope you are doing something to make it a FUN FRIDAY! What ARE you doing today? Do tell (maybe it will get my mind off my photo worries).

Always thinking

Wondering what is needed to keep the sibling who is not so much "special needs" from feeling left out cause she does. Despite her very own doctors appointment at which we found out the girl has an ear infection and probably a sinus infection as well (no wonder that cold wasn't going away), the girl was practically distraught after watching her brother have his blood drawn.

You might be thinking, "Oh how sweet that the girl would be so concerned and empathetic toward her brother." You'd be wrong. She was in fact upset that he was getting so much love and attention! Sometimes now matter what, despite my best intentions and efforts, the girl just feels as though every piece of attention the boy gets, takes away from her. I constantly tell her otherwise and try to show her (without skewing back too far the other way) when the boy is watching.

But just so no one worries too much about the princess... here is the song she was performing for us spontaneously last night after she finished her dinner:

"I am amazing. I can do anything. I can do a somersault. I can do a cartwheel. I am amazing. I can do anything. You don't know what all I can do..." (repeat, add in things she can do, repeat, chorus, etc.). I think she's o.k. that girl.

Part way through the song, her brother raised his hand. You have a question in the audience I suggested. "Yes," she replied to her brother.

His question: "Where did you get your idea for the song from," said he.

"From inside my brain," said she.

"Hey. I got the idea for my book I'm writing at school in my brain too! Hee hee," said he.

"My kids have good brains," said me.

Eat what exactly?

So we have a nutrition appointment today for the boy. What exactly am I supposed to tell this person besides giving them the boy's 3-day food diary (did Dad really have to take them to Wendy's the other night - aargh?)

Here's what I'm guessing I'll sound like:

"Um yes well the issue is the boy is a picky eater which may be because of sensory integration issues although we haven't had a chance to get him assessed yet. Just FYI, the boy probably also has Noonan Syndrome and possibly some form of restless limb. Not sure how those might or might not play into his nutrition although "Noonies" (as they are called and call themselves) are often of short stature and run on a different growth curve. The boy also has easily decayed teeth (at least his baby teeth) and therefore should have less sugar in his diet, rather than more -- much to his chargrin.

If that's not enough, we are considering whether or not we should be trying to take wheat and/or dairy out of his diet as that may or may not be causing behavioral issues. Hmmmm. Oh yes and if we do any of the above, I'm thinking he'll stop eating altogether and shrivel up into a tiny ball. So... Mr/Ms Nutritionist, what do you suggest?

They have their work cut out for them and so do we!