Funny Things - My boy's make me laugh every day.

Me- Don't forget to brush your teeth and comb your hair.
Thing 2 - Why do we have to look good?
Me - It's called "basic grooming!"

Thing 3 wanting someone to ride bikes with him.
"Maybe Dad will be kind enough to ride bikes with me when I finish my chore. Sigh. Everyone is growing up too fast. Including me. I'm double growing this year. I grow a centimeter per day."

Thing 3 at the library as I'm returning about 50 lbs worth of books.
"I'll be in the kid's section reloading!"

Thing 2 - Sitting on the couch with his rat while playing LOTR Risk with Thing 1. "Mom guess what? You won't be finding any rat hairs because rats don't shed!" (What a relief?!?)

I just stepped over a boy sprawled out in the middle of the kitchen floor burping repeatedly.

After spending two hours scrubbing down our kitchen I walked into the dining room to find a boy's pants abandoned under the table.

"You're not smiling mom" Guster (says to me while I'm baking Christmas cookies. Then he turns to his father who is wrestling with Christmas lights "You're not smiling Dad. Get with the program." I'm smiling now.

When my T1 (12 yr old) realized he was stuck in the van all the way to Denver listening to Anne he yelled from the backseat "Stop the Pain!" LOL- but they all loved it, I know!

T3- Are we going to order new glasses today so I can be a smarty pants? 
Me- (hmmm, I think we are already there!)

I had my kids listen to the Breakpoint commentary today about Reformation day. They thought he said "95 feces" instead of "theses" and couldn't stop laughing to hear the rest. #homeschoolfail. Maybe we will come back to this one next year...#homeschoolingboys

My son just asked me to set up a playdate for his rats...these boys make me laugh every day!

T2 - While rediscovering legos again with his brothers bc I moved them to a different room. "We are really CREATIVE at making trees into WEAPONS!"

A Memorial for Perry the African Frog

This summer we took a long trip back to the midwest while a young couple stayed in our home. When we returned our aquatic frog (which I was the ONLY mom of 20 others dumb enough to say "yes" to taking home after their school science lesson on tadpoles was concluded 2 years ago) was missing. We concluded he had died and since there were no remains the aquatic snail must have ate him.

My middle son was VERY upset. Even though he hardly remembered to feed Perry, and couldn't ever play with him, this was a devasting turn of events. So my oldest who is big on empathy quickly organized a memorial service for the frog. The headstone was lovingly inscribed with Perry's vital information should anyone centuries from now look under our lilac bush and wonder what frog was once buried there.

The order of events I was given went like this:

After I played a solemn tune on my guitar, Thing 1 gave a speech:

And an acrostic poem was shared by Thing 2:

And then the empty casket burial was held under the lilac bush. My husband had to direct events because I was having serious problems keeping in my laughter tears. Finally, Thing 3 was assigned these announcements:

And we all shuffled inside for snacks and a prayer. 

And that was that. Or so we thought. Two weeks later Thing 3 brought me a rubber frog he found under the sectional sofa. It was only after I was holding it in my BARE HANDS I realized it was Perry's mummified remains.

There were more tears and a second burial. We concluded he died happy on one last great adventure from the second story down to the main level. And now my middle son has replaced this pet with two furry rodents that can live outside the water...rats! Yes, rats. I DON'T believe it either, but there it is. I seriously could not dream up this life but here I am in the midst of it just trying to love my way through it the best I can. And embracing every adventure my Things bring my way...

Important Notes for a 7 year old

Thing 3 posted these by his bed last night so he doesn't forget. I am posting them here so I don't forget these precious years either. Love this kid! 

Interpretation: American Ninja Warriors

And note 2: wiggle your tooth 50 x

He didn't want to forget his favorite show starts tonight! And I want him to remember to wiggle his tooth! It's his first loose tooth btw and yes I feel sentimental about our last first loose tooth. 

Eternity Defined by a Mom

Eternity: Being locked in a doctor's small waiting room with a boy, or two, or three. (Any child really, no matter the gender!)

After 11 1/2 years and 1000s of hours of "eternity" experiences I've stopped caring about what my kids do while we wait. This is Thing 2 waiting on xray to come get him to see if his toe is still broken. Yup, he has a broken toe. Yup, he is zooming around the room. Nope, I don't care. 

Post script - After waiting an "eternity" we were relieved to hear his toe his no longer broken. Then the kind surgeon proceeded to tell me about a bike park he takes his kids too in town. I told him if we go and get another broken bone I'm sending him the bill! 

Top 10 Reasons Why we Chose Homeschool

Top 10 Reasons Why we Chose Homeschool...Again

Yes, it is true. For the third time in my sons' short educational careers we have restarted homeschooling. I wrote this little piece a few weeks ago after a day that I thought I may have made the worst mistake of my life. (Not really...but sort of). Instead of immediately re-enrolling them in public school I used a little writing therapy to talk myself back from the edge! 

10) I love to listen to my kids sweet voices all day long, especially when they are whining at me and limp noodling out of their seats exclaiming that “it is Too Hard!” …to copy 5 words off the white board.

9) I don’t think any other adult should get more time with my children than I do, especially time to torture them with pesky little things like learning to write legibly.

8) I relish opportunities to teach physics, like when my sons decide to throw their swim bags from the second story to the hard floor below. (Why be bothered with carrying it down with you?) The exploding shampoo bottle in that bag is just the object lesson I was waiting for the explain force, gravity, impact and a mom losing her ever-loving-mind!

7) There is nothing like constant interruptions when trying to teach. If one of my three sons for some odd reason fails to do his part, the dog likes to help by vomiting repeatedly throughout the day.

6) I think every parent should practice a well versed script on why they chose the education they did for their kids. Signing up for homeschool gives you the opportunity to parrot your response over and over and over and over again.

5) My whole world revolves around my kids and I can’t think of ANYTHING else to do with my time …like drink a cup of coffee while it is still hot.

4) i kan’t rememburrr anyting I lerned in publik skool so I whant to relern it. Espzially spalling caz itz impartent.

3) Preparing one meal a day for my whole family isn’t enough. Getting to prepare three meals and a zillion snacks a day is much more satisfying. Not to mention all the extra dishes that pile up for these multiple feastings.

2) I want my children to know for sure and for certain they owe everything to me, not just their lives but everything they know.

1) I hate having any time to myself to complete a thought, write an email or carry on a conversation on the phone with an adult. And I get lonely when I’m in the bathroom and no one is on the other side of the door shouting “MOM!!!”

Even now I as write my son is using a lever in a very cool book we just picked up at the library to catapult a sloth onto the keyboard. And I wouldn't have it any other way.  

Tune in later for a post of the  top 10 REAL reasons why we are homeschooling again.