Ian and the library

Ian played us and we didn't figure it out until way too late.

Mom and I took the kids to the library on Saturday. We were taking turns holding Ian's hands and getting things accomplished. I took him to the kids area and picked out a new video for him. Then I passed him off to Mom, while I picked my newest video and books. She put his book on the counter for me, then I took him while she checked out her books and left my things for us to check out while she took him. With me so far?

So I got to the counter and put my things up there... and the lady said "and there are two here for you to put on your card," and pushed a video and a large brightly colored book at me.

I looked quickly, and I recognized Ian's video but not the book, so I asked again if she was sure they were for me. She said, "Yes, that woman left them for you."

So, I checked them out... and as I was walking to the door, I looked at the book. It was a book about The Indomitable People of Guatemala. Mom was outside, so I asked her about it. She had no idea what I was talking about. She said that Ian had walked up to her with that book and his video, so she thought that they were both for us.

Somehow, from the time I let go of his hand and he walked five steps to her, he'd picked it up and told her it was for me. She didn't question it because he'd just been with me...

And Ian? Apparently Ian thought I needed to study The Indomitable People of Guatemala... for some reason all his own...

-k

One Minor Mystery Solved

I was doing some major re-arranging this weekend and it included moving a very large piece of white furniture from downstairs to the upstairs area. I took all the normal precautions of making sure that Michael was out of the house and moving everything else out of the way. Then, I pushed and pulled and pushed and pulled at the rather large piece of furniture and managed to get it a little bit away from the corner of the living room. Then I saw something.

See, my eyes saw a tiny little crab... which wasn't possible. So I realized that it must be something that looked like a tiny little crab and what in Texas looks like a tiny little crab? Yes, a scorpion. Well, we use a pest control service, so I figured that one had made its way into the house and been killed in a regular pest control spraying. So, I asked Cory to just get a paper towel and we'd remove it. Cory bravely freaked out and refused. So Mom got the paper towel, and when she went to remove it, she announced that it WAS in fact a tiny little crab. HER tiny little crab. That had gone missing from her fishtank weeks ago.

You can't make this stuff up. You can only write it down.

-k

Ben 10

I don't know who or what that is... but I'm guessing it's some sort of anime cartoon monstrosity that my older son has introduced my younger son to. I am guessing this because today at lunch, I asked Ian to sit down and eat his lunch. Here is what followed:

Mommy: Ian, sit down and eat your lunch.
Ian: I'm not Ian.
Mommy: You're not? You look like Ian.
Ian: I'm NOT Ian. I'm Ben 10.

We look at each other in silence.

Mommy: Sit down and eat your lunch.
Ian: You can't shush Ben 10.
Mommy: I didn't shush you. I'm making you sit down and eat your lunch.
Ian: Oh.

And for a moment, just one moment... Ben 10 did it.

-k

New Quote

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.

- Herm Albright

The Line

Between when one IS homeschooling and when one is not is getting blurry. Therefore the line between when one blogs here and when one blogs on the EMU site is also getting blurry. I blogged one on there today that could just as easily have gone here... and now, this post could just as easily go there...

I wonder where the announcement that I've killed them and been hauled off to jail will be posted?

How about the one where I'm acquitted because EVERYONE understands the urge to kill your children when they behave as mine have behaved lately?

-k

Teenagers

Mothers with teenagers understand why animals in the wild sometimes eat their young.

Now that we are homeschooling, I don't like "days off". Today was a legitimate holiday. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Public schools weren't in session, so we took the day off. BAD IDEA.

When "school is in session", Cory's day is fairly full. We have regular assignments that he does every day and we have a few new and different things every day. School starts daily at nine a.m., and ends around 2:30 - 3:30 depending. He is busy, and therefore he's less obnoxious.

Children, left to their own devices, rarely choose something productive and/or peaceful.

Teenagers, left to their own devices, hate the world.

Cory is a poor responder. To everything. Every situation he comes across. He freaks out over everything. Stomps off muttering loudly. And it's progressing or degrading... or decomposing... whatever the right term is. He used to "accidentally" stomp up every stair. Now... he's playing that little game where he tests how loudly he can say something... can he be loud enough that we'll hear him without getting himself killed? I mean, it's no fun if we don't hear him... but it's no fun if we get pissed enough to respond either.

He stares at us with complete and utter hatred on his face. He glares out from under that thick bushy mane of hair and grits his teeth, fists clenched at his sides, and then says "What? I didn't say to anything." Like body language doesn't count. Like we can't SEE his little rebellion. Like we were never teenagers and we can't possibly understand what he's going through and what he thinks he's getting away with.

And yet, once in a while... my sweet boy is still there. Once in a while, he'll make Katie laugh and he is genuinely thrilled with himself. Once in a while, he will be helpful with Grandma. And once in a while, he'll snuggle with me.

But mostly, he's a turd. A turkey. A Nasty McNastyPants.

A teenager.

And I have two more coming up the pipe.

Help me.

-k

New quote

The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right place but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment. - Dorothy Nevill

Perspective

Having a teenager makes me look back at the way I behaved when I was a teenager and shudder.

When I was Cory's age (that's thirteen, by the way), I honestly believed that if I could out-argue my parents, I would win the argument and make them behave the way I wanted them to. I was so sure that I was right and that I could prove it. And usually from my limited perspective, I was right.

I see that about Cory. I see that he sees things from his limited perspective as a child, from the totally selfish position of a child who can only perceive his little piece of things and sees how from that vantage point, he should totally be able to argue that he's right and we're wrong on whatever issue. And the more we argue, the more we give him the impression that he might be able to WIN an argument.

It's a catch 22 situation. You want to be able to talk to them like adults, but they AREN'T adults and talking to them like they ARE adults makes them think that they are entitled to the same things adults are entitled to without having to BE adults. And because they aren't adults, they can't understand that concept at all.

They truly believe they can argue us into submission. I know I did. I know in my little thirteen-year-old mind I believed that if I could out argue my parents, they would have to do what I wanted. I mean, I'd won the argument, right? Now they'd had to do what I wanted, right? Because I'd proved that I was right and they were wrong? Right?

Now I know all that it does is make them want to spit in your cereal when you aren't looking.

-k

P.S. No, of course I don't spit in his cereal when he isn't looking. But I can't say I haven't wanted to once in a while...

Park Day

-k

Do you craigslist?

Check out a few listings... tell your friends...

http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/bab/542172567.html

http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/bab/542186957.html

and my personal favorite...

http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/spo/542178581.html

-k

Princess Peepants

From the "not really a mystery" files

The case of the dry erase marker bandit

We thought he was sleeping...

He wasn't.
I mean, he REALLY wasn't.
And here's what he thought of us and our reaction...


-k

Ian's new thing?

When he gets mad at us, or doesn't like some Stupid Parental Decision, he will say quietly but firmly, "I don't like this house. I don't want to live here anymore."

-k

Funniest Comic in a LONG DAMN TIME

Bibbitty Bobbitty BACON

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVKJpkq-wNo

-k

P.S.

If you DO order, please mention me. I think I'd even get a referral of some kind!

-k

Until the Royal Hair Comes In

I was searching for pictures of hair bows on the internet and specifically looking for a site that would sell a cloth headband that you could slip a hairbow into until a girl had enough hair to hold the bow on its own.

I found this site and LOVED it.

WWW.verysweetbows.com

I was debating whether I could truly order from them since things are tight financially... and I decided to look at the shipping charges to see if they were reasonable and it said, "if in the New Braunfels/Seguin area, pick local for local delivery instead of paying shipping".

HUH???

What are the odds?

So, I looked up the phone number and sure enough, it was a 210 number... so I called and she's in my area of Texas, within driving distance. It was a sign.

I ordered a bunch...

You should too.

If not for you... order some more for Katie. She'd love them!

I get my order in the next few days. We'll post pictures.

-k

Ian story of the weekend

Ian got mad at Michael this weekend for something devasting like having said "no" to something totally unreasonable that Ian wanted. So, Ian picked up his imaginary cell phone, called the firemen, and told them to "take this guy away!"

Hee!

-k

"me"

It's a strange thing... familiarity levels. For instance, when does someone go from "someone you know" to "a friend"? Or from "a friend" to "my girlfriend/buddy"?

I bring this up specifically because of the phenomenon known as "it's me". You know what I'm talking about. People who call you, and simply say "it's me."

Uh HUH.

EVERYONE refers to themselves as "me". It's the way the language works. So, calling someone and saying "it's me" is either some strange spontaneous declaration of self-knowledge or the blatant assumption that the person on the other end of the line knows you well enough to instantly and without thought recognize your voice and just as instantly associate you as the owner of that voice.

I don't know about you, but that's assuming a lot.

There are people who can do that with me. Please don't assume that if you are reading this blog that I'm talking about you here... and start introducing yourself by the name on your social security card and be all huffy with me. I'm not talking about you. You're lovely and I'd know you anywhere.

I'm talking about people who call in to the mail center, cavalierly announce that "it's me" and launch into a conversation assuming I'm onboard. First of all, it tends to be busy and loud in here. I may not be able to hear you as clearly. Secondly, yes, we have caller id, but I honestly pick up the phone without looking at it most of the time because I'm answering the phone, helping a customer, and taping together a box all at the same time and I don't have time to look at the caller id.

And I tend to get most of the way through the conversation before it finally kicks in with me who "me" is. I have learned to make my way through the conversation without giving away the fact that I don't know who "me" is - because it seems to offend "me" if you ask "me" to identify "me" for you.

And I try to think through my own behavior and think about whether I do this to people. I don't think so. In fact, I tend to identify myself both by my name and some point of reference. Like, not just who I am... but how they know me. This is "-k from the Whoop Whoop" or "-k, Mike's wife" or more often "-k, the mother of the MonkeyBoy, His Royal Crabbiness Ian, or Princess Peepants" depending on who the person I'm calling is.

It's a little thing. It's just a little thing. But I think it's the little things that will drive you crazy. We all learn to cope with the big things. My brother Matt says that he'd rather break his leg than stub his toe. I think he means it.

Of course, that's Matt... so you have to take that into account before you just jump into agreeing with him.

And I will also say that if you call my cell phone, I do check the caller id... and it's pretty much already in context because you have to already know me in order to have my cell phone number - so feel free to call yourself "me" all you like. Like I said, I know you.

- me

Katie kisses Daddy

Aaaaaaawwwwwww....

-k

Sometimes words fail me

This is one of those times.

-k

Christmas Eve Eve at the Riverhouse

Katie with Uncle Matt... and if you look at the picture too fast, it looks like Matt has a rocking mohawk!
Katie with Jennifer!
Two things about this picture... one, the magical floating pink santa hat (incidentally handmade by Grandma Bob) and two, Michael's shirt...

-k

The girls

That's Katie on the left, and Miss Tessa of the Fabulous Hair on the right.

Yes, that's Katie on the left in Lori's arms and Tessa on the right in my arms!

And Miss Tessa with Michael.

-k

More December Pictures

Katie LOVES her stationary jumper. It spins a full 360 degrees with toys all around it. She can jump and jump, and boy does she! When she jumps, it plays music and lights up. She spends a LOT of time in here.

This was the first night we got to see John and Tessa this trip. Of course, the boys wanted to be outside on the trampoline, and I took a bunch of pictures. It was dark outside and they were running and jumping like crazy, which made it hard to take decent pictures, but here they are!

And here is Uncle Mike with John that first night. Isn't he adorable? (Yes, I mean both of them).

-k

Santa Babies

-k

Larger second post

Lots of great, exciting things coming up in 2008. First, a quick look back in bullet points at 2007... It's amazing when you look at it.

* Moved into our new house end of March, Grandma Bob moved in with us
* Our 5 year anniversary in April, bought Michael a new wedding ring
* Went to my first CS class association in May
* Visited Matthew in CA in May (same trip)
* Cory did another 7 weeks of summer tennis camp and was promoted to top ranking
* 1 year anniversary with Mail Center in June
* Harrison family vacation in Port Aransas and San Antonio in June
* Katie born 4th of July
* sold Moby the great white gas-hog, and bought 'NChief our red Jeep Commander in July
* Cory turned 13 in August, discovered girls, grew disastrous hair
* Closed candy store/re-leased our space in September
* Ian turned 4 in October, promoted to pre-school class in daycare
* The two boys decided to share one room, we bought them bunkbeds in October
* Michael and Kristen read the Thanksgiving service together at our church in San Marcos, TX
* Hosted Thanksgiving at our house with Lynch Family
* Worked at the Mail Center with Michael Nov-Jan
* Finally got to meet Tessa and see John again!
* Had Christmas Eve Eve with the Harrisons at Riverhouse
* Had Christmas Day with the Lynches
* became addicted to NeverWinterNights, Sapphire Gate persistent world
* rediscovered a love of bowling
* Neal and Carolyn Frank moved into their new house in San Antonio in March 07
* got a Greek restaurant in New Braunfels, ropa!
* had a computer hard drive crash
* Kristen started teaching Sunday School
* many, many more small milestones!

That was last year.

This year looks to be just as busy, although in different ways.

Our biggest news is that after a lot of soul searching and conversations about it, we are going to home school Cory for the remainder of this school year. There are certain goals we feel very strongly about and I'm going to take the bull by the horns and do it. More on that shortly...

So, I'll be at the Whoop Whoop until close of business 1-11-08 and then transfer home, set up Eagle Mountain University (the mighty mighty EMUs), pull Ian from his daycare/pre-school, and get cranking at home with all three kids. I may either blog like crazy, or not again until I come up from under the craziness I'm immersed in!

I think we'll set up a second blog for the EMU updates, and link here. I want Cory to be heavily involved in that blog. First off, we are going to have a contest to name our school mascot (the EMU). Please feel free to comment here, or email me with your name suggestion!

In fact, there's no time like the present... so I'll create that new blog... HERE. I will try to blog daily on all things related to homeschooling there, although I imagine there will be some cross-over content in funny stories about the kids posted in either place.

So, here we go!

-k

Small first post

Well, no amount of whining and fussing could change the fact that Lori, Chris, John, and Tessa had to head home to Alaska. So, instead of wasting time whining and fussing, we just made every effort we possibly could to spend as much time with them while they were here.

Now, they've headed back and we have to look forward to seeing them again as soon as we can.

I took a bunch of pictures and they took a bunch of pictures. I'll post a bunch here... and hopefully they and I will exchange copies of the rest too.

I am on the short countdown on working at the Mail Center now too. It's been good being here, and I've LOVED the extra time with Michael, nutty as it was around the holidays. There is part of me that is sorry that I'm not staying longer, but BIG things are afoot at the Harrison household, as always. More in the next post...

-k