The Ants Go Marching

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Honor:
The ants go marching one by one, hoorah, hoorah.
The ants go marching one by one, hoorah, hoorah.
The ants go marching one by one, the little one stops to suck his thumb
and they all go marching down, to the ground, to get out of the rain.
Boom, boom, boom.

The ants go marching one by one..............The ants go marching one by one, the little one stops to...uh...tie his shoe. And they all go marching.....


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We have found a new use for our vacuum: sucking up the never-ending line of ants that have found their way into our home. It is quite fun. Daddy and I discovered the ants last night and began sucking them up. We vacuumed and vacuumed for 15 minutes without a noticeable change in the number of ants. Since they are the non-biting kind, we are not too concerned. And we figure it is our fault since we have 4 small children carrying around crackers and cookies all over the floor--I should add a new "no eating ever" rule.

We followed the trail to where we think their nest is and thankfully it is out of reach of the kids. Daddy picked up some "kid safe" ant killer (although we don't trust that!) and we will put the bait near the nest and hopefully that will stop the ants from marching in our home.

While I was typing this, Honor said some funny things:

"Mommy, I want to use the dryer now. Please turn the dryer on so I can get the ants!"

and, talking to herself in a "gangster" voice (to the ants):

"It's a whole new world out here, baby."

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Bawk Bawk Bawk

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Connor sneezed at breakfast this morning.

"Mommy! I need a wet wipe!"

I turn to see a long stream of mucus hanging from his nose. Thankfully he hadn't wiped it away!

"Don't move!" I yell as I run to get the wet wipe box. Connor stared, cross-eyed at the fountain of slime--studying it as only a boy can. As I take the wet wipe out to wipe his nose, Connor yells excitedly,

"Mom! I look like a chicken!"

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At the Car Wash

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Daddy didn't roll his window up right away after paying the car wash attendant. This really upset Honor who started screaming in panic:

"Daddy don't get clean!!!!"


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Puppy Names?

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Okay, as you have read in previous posts, we are getting a new puppy towards the end of November. My dear husband did not approve of the name I originally liked (Jade), so I am needing to choose another name. Here are some facts about this new puppy:

• Our other dog's name is Jasmine--we'd like a name that's easy to say with Jasmine.
  
• We are getting a female Bouvier des Flandres.
• As an adult she will be about 80 pounds and look roughly like a bear (or like I like to say, a person wearing a dog suit :-D).
• She will be all black.
• The breed is known for: being EXCELLENT with small children (they are known as gentle giants), loyalty, intelligence, and being calm over all.
• Our "purpose" for her is multifaceted...for protection (mostly by looking intimidating--although they are used as police dogs in other countries), for companionship, for carting, for therapy dogagility work, and if I have time, agility.

So....any suggestions?????

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Treasure Box

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Last Friday was "International Talk Like a Pirate Day". I had a lot of fun with it, Connor enjoyed saying "Ahoy, Matey!" anytime someone said "Hi, Connor," and our treasure maps turned out perfect. Can't wait for next year!

Now, why should I mention something that happened a week ago you ask??? Well, because today we got a real life treasure box in the mail. Well, it was a regular cardboard shipping box, but to the kids it was as good as anything we could find buried on Treasure Island. Connor and Ariana's biological aunt sent us a generous gift of hand-me-down girls' clothes/shoes/boots, a "prayer puppy", a few little stickers, some plastic jewelry, a gift card from their great-grandma, and a picture of their birth mom before she turned wild (I didn't show this to them, but I did put it in Connor's baby book).

I had already removed all of the clothes that were too small for Ariana before the kids got up from their naps so everything that was left was "fair game". This has caused some interesting activities/conversations this evening.

Honor and Ariana happily tried on new shoes for 2 hours straight. Honor has decided that it is okay to wear her rubber kitty boots to bed.

Ariana to Honor, "That's MY poopie!!! Give me back my poopie!!!" Followed by screams of "MY poopie!!!" while chasing Honor around the house with the new prayer puppy.

Ariana was happily showing off her new "ruby slippers" and bracelet to me in the kitchen when I hear Honor give a horrified scream from the front room. "Those are GIRL'S shoes, Connor!!!!" I run in to see what the commotion is about. Connor stands up when I come in, grinning from ear to ear, proudly displaying his hot pink boots with sparkles.

When it was finally time for dinner, prayer puppy sat next to Honor decked out with a ring around his tail and a bracelet on both arms; Ariana was very upset because she wasn't allowed to bring her ruby slippers to the table (which are already irritating her feet), but Honor was allowed to keep her kitty boots on; Connor kept showing off his "manly" Lightning McQueen sandals so he could be like the girls, and Samuel happily gnawed away on one of the plastic bracelets.

Any more packages coming our way????
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It's Not Just for Olympians After All!

See that black tape on Kerri Walsh's shoulder??? Well, imagine it band-aid colored and wrapped around a knee cap and you kind of have an idea of what I have on my knees right now. It is called Kinesio tape. It sure doesn't look like much, but my chiropractor assures me that this will help stabilize my knees and make me "normal".

Maybe I should back up and explain a little for those of you who I haven't told this story to...

Hmmmm.... well, back in high school I played volleyball and soccer. I loved soccer. Well, one day during soccer practice my knee gave out on me. I wasn't even running! One second I was walking over to my gym bag and the next I was on the ground and couldn't stand up. I went to the sports trainer and after examining my knee, he pronounced that I had not torn any ligaments, but I had stretched them and he prescribed 6 weeks worth of physical therapy/icing regimens to get me back into shape. I was ticked--that put me out of the running for any awards!!!

But I digress...

My knee eventually "healed", but it never felt quite right after that. A couple of years later the grinding noise began. I didn't think too much about it since my knees didn't hurt much except when the weather was poor. Obviously I knew my knees were bad, but my doctor had given me the green light so I figured it was just something I had to deal with. My husband made me ask the doctor about it again. She heard my knees, said they were bad and basically told me that if I wasn't in pain I should just let it go--the only treatment would be knee surgery. So I let it go.

Fast forward to a couple of months ago. My husband's neck kept going out of place. His business partner recommended a sports chiropractor that had fixed his mother-in-law's neck. Both of us were skeptical because he'd been to chiropractors before and all they did was pop his back and send him on his way. But this guy was different. He adjusts him, but he doesn't just send him away. Their philosophy is hit the problem hard for a few months, and use a combination of physical therapy and adjustments to train your muscles to keep the new position so that you shouldn't ever need to come back. After a few weeks of his therapy, my husband's neck was where it should be and staying there. He wanted me to have my knees looked at. So I did.

My doctor took X-Rays of my knees, my hips and my lower back. What he found out from the X-Rays was that I don't have cancer or scoliosis--apparently he was very worried that I did from the sound of my knees. But I am very messed up. I will repeat that I am ONLY 29 years old (my doctor likes to repeat that a lot also). I have osteoarthritis in both knees. But that is just the start. Apparently the muscles in my right leg are stronger than the muscles in my left leg causing my right leg to be shorter. Because my legs are different lengths, my hips are turning to compensate. Thus there is a 12 mm difference in leg height--apparently 1-2 mm is okay and 12 mm is horrible. Because my hips are turning, a couple of my vertebrae are turning as well. This is causing 20% nerve discrepancy between my legs. The funny thing is, I didn't realize I had all these problems because I didn't feel any pain until he pushed on the right spots. If he hadn't shown me the X-Rays, I wouldn't have believed him!

So here is the treatment. I have to go in 3 times a week to be adjusted--this consists of him taking a specialized machine called the ProAdjuster to beat my hips into place (the link calls it a "gentle pulse"--gentle pulse my foot!!!). I have to wear a lift inside my shoe--eventually I will get an even bigger lift inside my shoe--apparently this is just a "training lift". Stretching twice a day with the special stretches and then icing afterwards--I now have pain if I don't ice. I have also been instructed that if my knees give out, I am to run immediately to see him (um, yeah, I have 4 kids--don't see that happening). And finally, wearing Kinesio tape.

The Kinesio tape he just added for the first time today. It doesn't feel like anything and, despite the fact that I am supposed to wear it non-stop for a week, the corners are already peeling up. The kids like to point out my "owies". The good thing about the tape is it gives them something to see to help them remember to be "gentle with Mommy". We'll see if the tape actually does something.

The doctor is going to work on me hard for 30 days. At the end of the 30 days, if there is no improvement, I am out of options. So I am working as hard as I can to get some sort of improvement. I am taking glucosamine and following all of his instructions carefully--including wearing my shoes with the lift in them ALL THE TIME (except when I asleep). This is VERY hard for me--I love being barefoot!

15-30% is what he is looking for....I am competitive--I want at least 40% improvement. And I feel pretty cool...after all, I am wearing the same tape as an athlete in the Olympics--except mine isn't black.....)

Dog Mania

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Connor: "Are we getting a new dog?"

Mommy: "Yes, son."

Connor: "For Ariana's birthday?"

Mommy: "Around the same time as Ariana's birthday...when we go to Iowa."

Connor: "Is it black?"

Mommy: "Yep!"

Connor: "Is it not white?"

Mommy: "Nope it is black."

Connor: "Oh. It is not white like my space shuttle bed."

(He somehow manages to make his space shuttle bed a part of all of his conversations lately....)

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Monkey Speak

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At Aunt Steph's today, Honor was playing with a backpack that had a stuffed monkey on it. Steph informed me that Honor has declared that it is a girl monkey (despite the fact that it was cousin Luke's birthday present). Typically Honor names her girls something ending with "ella"...i.e. "Frella", "Shella", "Ella", "Hella", "Skella", etc. Trying to show this to Aunt Steph, I asked Honor what the monkey's name was.

"She doesn't have a name."
"Well, can you give her a name?"
"No, she doesn't have one."
"Well, can you ask her what her name is?"
"No, she can't tell me. All she says is 'eee eee ooo ooo'."

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I Don't Want to Debate

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Honestly, I am not wanting to debate anything with this post. I just thought this was pretty interesting. I don't remember having such a clear-cut distinction between the presidential candidates in the past. Now I know that they are both politicians and they are probably most likely saying what they feel the country wants to hear, but they are almost polar opposites on every main issue! Which is surprising in itself--both candidates feel like they are speaking for the majority of the country and yet they have completely different views of what the country wants/needs. In my opinion, this election is really going to come down to which worldview is most prevelant amongst voting adults because there is not much gray area here. I seem to remember in the past there was more interlocking of what they believed, but the primary presidential candidates are opposite each other on almost every issue this year.

Here is the AFA Voter Issue Guide if you want to see what I mean.

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Good Quote!

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You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

--Abraham Lincoln

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Where Has the Time Gone???

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I often wonder to myself, "where has my little, sweet, tiny baby girl gone? She's all grown up!" Well, today I wondered this out loud to the aforementioned little girl, Honor.

"Honor, how did you get so big??? Where did my little baby girl go???"

And Honor replied matter-of-factly, "to Grandma's house!"

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What's in the Box?

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From the hallway, Honor calls out, "Mommy, come see what I found in the box!"

I walk over to see Honor leaning over an empty Huggies Supreme box. Her whole body is practically inside. "See Mommy! Poo!"

"What???"

"It's poo!"

Sure enough moments later she pulls out some poo...Winnie the Pooh. I support reading literacy and I think it is wonderful that they were giving away free books in their diaper boxes...I just think their choice was a bit amusing. Apparently Huggies felt up for a little joke--'let's give some free Pooh to our customers....'

As a side note...I really need to teach Honor to say full words!


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My Kids Are SOOOO Smart

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I just feel the need to brag....

Connor can read and spell almost any 3 or 4 letter word you give him and write them down. If he sees any word he can write it, despite its length (although it might curve in a circle :-D).

Honor can read and spell almost any 3 letter word and can sound out "easier" words of any length (like rabbit...no silent letters to confuse her).

Ariana knows most of her letters by sight and will name them off when she sees random words...she's not even 3 yet!

Samuel said "grandma" yesterday when he saw grandma...I SWEAR!


They continue to amaze me everyday on the new things they are learning...especially because I don't feel like I am actively teaching them anything! I purposefully am not working on teaching them to read because the optometrist said that their eyes aren't developmentally ready to read until they are 5 or 6 so it is actually bad to teach them before then--but I can't stop them! They teach each other! When did they get to be so big???????????
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Any Clues?

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So Honor wants a new doll. Apparently she saw some doll somewhere within the last week because over the last few days, she has said she wants "that little girl for her birthday". When told that her birthday is over, she says, "okay, for Christmas." At least she has the right idea about gift giving--I am doing a great job instilling values!

Here is the doll's description:

"you know, the one that has hair just like yours with the pretty crown and pretty dress."
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Potty Humor

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Honor, waving to the toilet as it flushes, "Bye, bye poopies!"

Mommy, playing along, "Bye, bye poopies!"

Honor, laughing, "Mooooom! Poopies don't talk!"

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Jasmine's Docked Tail

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Overheard at the breakfast table:

Connor: "Jasmine has a tail."

Honor: "No she doesn't...someone pulled it off!"

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They Are So Cute!!!

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Last night as Daddy was getting Connor and Ariana dressed, Honor locked herself and Samuel in the front room. She was "talking on the phone" and picking up the room (just like Mommy does). Samuel was watching her intently. At one point, Honor walked over and took the wooden train that Samuel was playing with and put it away--Samuel didn't care...he was watching Honor. After a couple of minutes, Honor decided to give the phone to Samuel and take 3 of the 4 wooden trains out and run them around the Geo Trax track (the wooden trains are not the ones that go with the Geo Trax set). Samuel took the phone and "talked" on it, while walking around picking things up. Then he "hung up" the phone, grabbed a Geo Trax train and started following Honor around the track. After a minute or two he realized that he wasn't playing with the same kind of train so he put his train away, walked over to the toy bins, grabbed the 4th wooden train and toddled back to Honor--continuing to follow her around the track. I think that's pretty smart for a 14 month old! It's times like these when I wish I had a built-in camera installed in the room!
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Amendment to the Previous Post

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As proof that I truly do say those things over and over again throughout the day, at dinner tonight Honor quoted me.

Ariana was refusing to eat her spinach dip which everyone else at the dinner table was thoroughly enjoying (well, not Samuel, but I'm not sure it was the dip as much as the cracker I had spread it on...) Daddy was feeling frustrated and decided to hold a chip with dip on it in front of Ariana's face trying to coax her to eat it. This caused Ariana to shrink further and further away from the chip...almost into Mommy's lap.

Daddy: "Come on Ariana, Just eat the chip! It's yummy!"

Ariana: "uh uh"

Daddy: "Eat the chip!"

Ariana: "uh uh!"

Daddy: "Come on Ariana! Eat....The....Chip!"

Honor: "Stop picking on my sister!" (direct Mommy quote)

Daddy: "I'm not picking on her. Ariana eat the chip!"

Ariana: "uh uh!"

Daddy: "Honor, tell Ariana to eat the chip."

Honor: "I am not the boss of her...I can't tell her what to do." (direct Mommy quote)

BTW...Ariana ended up eating all of the chips...but none of the spinach dip.
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Repeated Sayings Throughout the Day

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Things I find myself saying throughout the day:

"Don't wave your fork around...you will poke your eye out!"

"Your fork is not for dancing/sword fighting/talking with."

"Connor you may not climb down out of your high chair."

"Stop climbing on the bookshelves!"

"I am NOT going to build that track AGAIN."

"Yes, Connor, you are a great artist!"

"That is NOT A TOY!"

"Stop playing with Daddy's chair."

"Close that freezer door...you're wasting electricity!"

"Don't slam the door on Samuel!"

"Don't sit on Connor!"

"Yes, Honor, that is VERY pretty!"

"Play dough is not for eating."

"Don't stick the toilet paper in the toilet!"

"The bubbles at the bottom of the toilet are not for playing with!"

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have broken it then!"

"Keep your underwear on at all times."

"You are a big helper, Ariana!"

"Stop picking on your brother/sister!"

"Mommy doesn't need help."

"You are NOT Mommy...don't tell your brother/sister what to do."

"You are NOT Mommy...don't take the law into your own hands."

"Mmmmmah, Samuel"

"Samuel, stop pulling your sister's hair!"

"I can't read another book right now."

"Stop screaming like a banshee!"

"Mommy is trying to use the bathroom...STAY OUT!!!"

"That is NOT a toothbrush!"

"Books are for reading, not ripping/hitting."

"Don't be a grabby hands."

"Stop jumping on the couch/dog kennel."

"Connor you are VERY strong!"

"The dog kennel is not a bed."

"Stop ramming your brother/sister with the car!"

"Honor doesn't want her hair brushed."

"Jasmine is not a horse."

"Check your attitude."

"Go to the "no fit" corner!"

"Did you just say "no" to Mommy???????"

"You must ask permission before using soap!"

But thankfully what I find myself saying most throughout the day: "Mommy loves you very much!"
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Rock On!

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I think it is hilarious when my kids "rock out" to kids songs. The one in particular that Ariana was "head banging" to today goes: "line, line, circle, circle, square, square, square square, triangle, triangle, line" and it is sung to a lullaby sound. BTW...Daddy taught them how to head bang--he thinks it is funny.
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Little Copy Cat

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Ariana wants to be just like Honor. If Honor wants strawberry oatmeal, Ariana HAS to have strawberry oatmeal too. If they get banana oatmeal instead, Ariana won't touch it until Honor decides to say it is yummy. If Honor cries when I'm doing her hair, Ariana will cry. If Honor sits like a "big girl", Ariana will sit like a "big girl" (sort of). If Honor wants a hug, Ariana wants a hug. If Honor sits on my lap, it is not long before Ariana is up there too. If Honor is playing with her dolly, Ariana wants it. Sometimes this leads to them playing nicely together by themselves, but in general it leads to Honor getting annoyed and wanting her stuff left alone. Although for the most part Honor thinks it is pretty neat to have Ariana wanting to be "just like me". She takes this responsibility very seriously.

"Ariana, we need to clean up this room." "Ariana, you need to calm down." "Ariana, look how to stack these blocks nicely." "Here, Ariana, let me help you."

Of course that last statement is met with lots of indignation from Ariana since she is also going through the "I can do it" phase...so many fights start with Honor trying to help, Ariana not wanting help, Honor not understanding and Ariana and Honor both getting the ice pack.
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Mamasource

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I have to share one of my guilty pleasures: Mamasource. I love this website. People ask all sorts of questions about all sorts of issues--primarily raising children--and I get to anonymously (sort of) respond with advice...you know me and giving advice! And it is never ending--several different questions a day to take up all of my free time. But here is the true addiction: flowers. People actually send you little flower icons if they like your response! I gobble these things up! They are almost as addicting as comments on my blog!

However, there are several different approaches to parenting that always seem to clash. My SIL and I often call each other laughing at others' advice. For example, recently a woman wrote that her son was crying (throwing fits) when he didn't get his way. MOST people wrote in common sense advice such as not giving him what he wants while he's throwing a fit, meaning what you say, being consistent, giving him a place to cool down until he can ask without throwing a fit, etc. One woman, however, wrote a very nice piece of advice--if it wasn't meant for a 2 year old! And I quote: "Do you really want to turn off your son's sensitivity...instead...ask him to rate his sadness - on a scale of 1 to 10...then ask him to compare the current 10 with the last thing he rated as a 10."

I'm sorry, but my kids must not be very bright. They can't remember something that happened 20 minutes ago, let alone the "last time he rated something as a 10"! Are you kidding me??? And since when is teaching your child that crying when he doesn't get his way doesn't get him anything "turning off his sensitivity"??? Connor is one of the most sensitive children I know, but he has learned not to cry when he doesn't get his way--he calms himself down, uses his "big kid" voice, and figures out how to make the best out of it. Because guess what...out in the "real world" we don't always get what we want and crying doesn't solve anything!

But I digress.

Often to me the biggest difference between the advice-givers is an obvious one: number of children. For example, if someone asks a question about getting their baby to go to sleep, you can bet there will be 50 responses...1/2 telling them to let the baby cry it out and 1/2 telling them it is horrible to let their child cry it out. I personally fall somewhere in between both camps. But I can guarantee you, 90% of the people who say it is horrible to let your child cry it out either have "only" children or two at the most. Because when you have more than two, unfortunately you do not have a choice--if someone cries, they have to wait their turn.

This was hard for me to learn with Samuel, but I have to tuck the other three in also--and even if Daddy took care of him, I have two more rooms full of kids and one is bound to "need" me. So typically either Samuel or the girls are left crying as I tend to another child--and guess what--in the 5-10 minutes it takes me to tuck everyone else in, they stop crying! And as far as I know, my kids are still the happiest children on the block--who also retain the capability of crying when they REALLY need me-- so apparently I'm not doing too much psychological damage.

Of course there are always two camps on the other "main issues": breastfeeding, spanking, vaccinations, homeschooling, and even potty training. I have read enough of these questions/answers, that I can pretty much tell you the responses that a person is going to receive to their question.

And in general, people don't actually answer the question...they just share their opinion.

For example, someone recently asked if someone knew a good divorce attorney. Now, I am obviously against divorce on principle, but I don't think it is right to tell someone who is grieving:
"I would recommend therapy just for you so it will help you find out why you might have attracted such a man, and how to recognize it in the future so you can save yourself from having to go through this heartache again with someone else." Now I think that's a little harsh, don't you? Why not tell her that she caused him to cheat on her because she is fat and ugly! That particular question got 10 responses and only 2 of them actually answered her question.

SO ANYWAY...

To sum this all up...I am highly addicted to the soap opera that is "Mamasource". The multitude of questions that I feel compelled to answer; the multitude of responses that I feel compelled to respond to...and can't; and the humorous replies that make me dizzy with all the eye-rolling. I highly recommend it to all of you "busy bodies" like me.

I'm Going to Admit it...

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Samuel has us wrapped around his tiny little fingers....at least until he learns to talk better. That boy has the most amazingly lovable expressions that I have ever seen. And it doesn't hurt that he loves his mommy more than anyone else on the planet! There is nothing I like better than seeing him toddle after me with both arms raised and a giant smile because he knows Mommy can't resist picking him up. Precious!
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Conversations with Honor

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Honor and I had a little 1:1 time today. Here are a few of our conversations:

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"Honor, you are the most special Honor Elizabeth on the whole planet!"
"Moooooom! We are not on a planet!"
"Yes we are. We live on planet Earth."
"NO WE DON'T LIVE ON A PLANET!!! STOP TEASING ME MOMMY!"

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"Look at that little girl, Mommy!"
"Mmmm Hmmm."
"She has green ice cream."
"That's neat. I wonder what flavor the green ice cream is?"
"Banana."

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***Rubbing her arms up and down***

"BRRRR! It's frozee out here Mom!"

(FYI...it was 108* outside when she said that.)

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Sure Sign of Something

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There is one word that all kids learn that for some reason a child's mind interprets the definition to mean exactly opposite of what the dictionary definition is. I remember doing it to my parents. I know my husband has done it to his parents. And now my kids are doing it to me.

"Honor, Connor, Ariana...What are you doing in there?" I naively ask from the kitchen table.

"NOTHING!!" I hear the chorus of their little voices replying sweetly from the general direction of the front room.

This is a sure sign that SOMETHING is going on...if they were really doing "nothing" they would have told me "playing with Geo Tracks," or "playing with legos," or something else equally harmless.

Sure enough on the word "NOTHING" I run into the front room to see Honor huddled in a corner dumping spices into Jasmine's dog dish with the other two covering her in a protective guard. Or all three of them pulling out all the toy shelves and using them to climb up to the top of the window--where I just know they will fall through the glass. Or climbing on top of their toy kitchen to take down my glass candelabra from the top of the wall--which is no longer in the front room...and which is why there are no longer any decorations in the front room. The front room has lost all evidence that it once was a place to welcome guests--it is now solely a playground.

You would suggest to me that I shouldn't leave them alone for more than a minute in their own playroom. I would agree with you--I typically don't--however, I am forced to use the restroom periodically (with the door wide open) and cook meals. One would think that leaving them alone in their completely toddler proof playroom for 5 minutes would be okay. But alas, what I think of as "toddler-proof" they think of as a "challenge". Thus the word "nothing" has frightening connotations for me.

And just now I looked over my shoulder at my dear children eating breakfast to make sure all was in order. Honor was dumping her milk out on her plate and stirring her toast in it-- making quite a mess.

"What on earth are you doing Honor???"

"Nothing!!"
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