Girlie

Up until recently, Spud had no idea that there was a difference between boys and girls. Spud has never been known for his powers of observation. Quite honestly, I think Sprout clued him in. So now, the boys are obsessed with "boy things" and "girl things." This saddens me greatly because it was rather cute to watch them fight over the pink cup and even better to watch their dad's reaction.

Dora has finally been abandoned in favour of Diego and anything "girlie" is violently rejected. On the other hand, they are much more aware that girls are different and more open to some basic lessons in modern day chivalry. Which is awesome.

The other day we were discussing Sprout's upcoming birthday. He was happily cataloging for me all the things he would like and I was bursting his cute little bubble. It's kind of pointless to buy a Wii game when one does not own a Wii, nor are we adding a pet any time soon. In order to distract him I asked the boys what they were going to get me for my upcoming birthday.

They both decided that I needed something for a girl.

Spud told me that he would tell me what he was going to get me as long as promised to forget it right away. So, before I keep my promise, I have to tell you.

What 35 year old wouldn't be delighted to receive Barbie and the Three Musketeers?

Maybe this one.

In his defense, I think he talked with his cousins to whom that particular DVD is Da Bomb (Look at me all hip and slangy) and then extrapolated that I too would be utterly delighted with animated airheads trashing a classic story about friendship and loyalty.

Not to be outdone, Sprout too figured I needed something girlie.

It looks like I'm also getting a tutu. And dancing shoes.

I'll wait till those of you who know me IRL to stop laughing.

I adore dance. The watching of it. The doing of it, not so much. As my dad so succinctly put it, when I was little and pretended to be a ballerina I moved with all the grace of a baby elephant.

Some things never change. Except now I more closely resemble the momma elephant.

If I were to don the tutu and dance I'd probably end up in traction. But at least I'd have something to watch.

Link-y Loos

This past weeekend all my boys and I headed North. We had a lovely visit with my sister and I dsicovered something shocking.

I went for four whole days without going near a computer and you know what? The sky did not fall in. The earth is still spinning. I am still happy and whole.

IT'S SHOCKING.

Anyway, I have lots to tell you, but while I was away dust fairies visited. So did the dirty laundry and the dirty floor fairies. In fact they were so plentiful that the cleaning fairies took one look at the disaster and scat. And I have company every Tuesday. So, I'll leave you with some links of really cool stuff happening here on the interweb this week.

Today is a very special on-line auction. I have been following Patrice's blog for a year now. Some of her sweet blog friends are holding an e-auction to raise money for EB. EB is really rare skin condition that causes all KINDS of problems for the kids with it. Both of Patrice's sons had it, one is still living and the other is waiting for them in heaven. This auction is to celebrate the fact that Jonah has beaten the 87% mortality rate for the first year of his life and is turning one. Go celebrate with them!

On Saturday there will be a streaming-live concert for Compassion Haiti relief. The names at this thing are HUGE. IF you live in Nashville or LA you can attend in person, otherwise we get to watch live. For all details, GO HERE!!!

A Scattered bit of Randomness

Last week I had blogged that knitted toques made me smile. My sweet American friends wanted to know what a toque was.

A toque (say the word two and add a k sound at the end) is a hat you wear in winter. I am a sucker for cute knitted ones. If you knit, and have extra I will happily take one off of your hands. Because I am sweet that way. I was going to go on Etsy and do some links for you, but not only am I sweet, I am also lazy. so, no links for you.

I blogged the other day that I got a purse. I was showing it to my sister-in-law and she proved that she fits well into my family. She too has foot in mouth disease. Her comment on the purse?

"It's so cute and trendy. I really like it. I was very surprise YOU picked it out."

We were to busy ribbing her all night about that gaffe for me to make a confession. So, in the interest of honesty, this is what I should have responded. And didn't.

To be honest, when I went looking for a purse I had several criteria. It had to be black. It had to have a zipper, it had to be big enough to hold wipes, my wallet and my coupon keeper and it had to be cheap. Beyond that I could not care less. The fact that this one was "cute" did not even occur to me once. It could have been Grandma Mabel's purse for all I cared about it.

There we go. Geek status well restored.

Random Observations from a Saturday at the Mall

The kids spent Saturday at Poppa and Nana's.

I'd like to take this moment to thank my parents from the bottom of my worn out little heart for this respite. If nothing else, the boys needed a break from the crazy lady who snaps a lot.

So, with a whole day of freedom before me I headed to the mall. Before I had children and still had a somewhat normal shaped body I could spend a leisurely couple of hours bargain shopping. Now the mall is the place I get stared at a lot. This is mainly because Spud hates to shop. He copes with the utter boredom of it all by singing. Mainly gospel songs. At decibel levels on par with a monster truck rally.

I must tell you, there is nothing quite like trying to wade through an overcrowded rack of half-priced sweaters to the tune of "I've Got a Hallelujah Heart." Not to be outdone, Sprout pretends to be a police car and either turns on his siren or arrests unsuspecting items from the new Spring line.

It makes me almost nostalgic for the days when I could strap them both into the stroller and just keep dumping the snacks out. But then I remember all the times that the boys felt the need to fling their gerber fruit puffs at the nearest moving object. Usually some 19 year old twinkie whose fashion sense was a lot bigger than her sense of humour.

Anyway, to be at the mall alone was right up there with salted dark chocolate and a spa day.

PLUS, it was like the mall heard I was coming and got all the bargains ready for me. I was in desperate need of some new runners (sneakers for all you American types) and a purse. I am of the belief that shoe shopping and purse shopping are right on the same level as root canals, so I wandered into lots of other stores to ease the pain.

Within 2.5 hours I had two new pairs of dress slacks (and by dress slacks I mean pants that aren't jeans) a new shirt, a sweater and a purse from my new boyfriend Mr. Tommy Hilfiger and the whole thing cost me sixty five dollars.

I've got a hallelujah heart.

(I also had a new pair of runners, but I over-pronate and have arch issues and wide feet and will someday no doubt need orthotics so therefore have to spend more money than I care to think about on runners.)

Then I came home and took a bath with my other boyfriend, Mr. Tom Clancy and now I am writing to my imaginary friends. (I write ahead, you won't read this till Monday.) Later tonight I am going to a grown up restaurant with yet another boyfriend (but this one ins't named tom, Tommy or Thomas.)

It's pretty much the PERFECT day off.

And tomorrow I get to go pick up my two favorite Valentines.

Which is also perfect.

Sometimes Ya Gotta Smile

When you have strong-willed children behaviour often goes in cycles.

We are cycling through a low season right now. It's just a season, but like winter, it sometimes feels NEVER ENDING.

So, more for me than you, ten things that always make me smile.

1. Knit toques

2. Butter

3. Wearing flip-flops at the pool (knowing summer is coming)

4. Being on this side of Winter Solstice.

5. Insulated travel mugs - tea anytime is a beautiful thing

6. Feather duvets

7. My kids singing along to bad commercials on my talk radio station.

8. Star Trek Voyager novels. When I discovered them in the library I may or may not have done a dance.

9. Brownies.

10. This post.

Humour, Pre-schooler style.

It's that time again!

Sarah is hosting her bi-weekly blogabration of books!

And since we seem to live at the library, my kids rate it right up there with the playland at McDonald's, I might as well share our latest "finds."

The boys are on a new kick with books this month. They MUST be funny. No sweet stories, or vibrant picture books, they want to laugh. And what makes pre-schooler boys laugh often makes mommy want to poke her eyes out with a large stick.

The following are a bunch of books we can all live with.

This is a delightful little story of a girl and her dog without a name. She embarks on great adventures with him, but at no point is it cloying or sappy, just kinda fun. I also really LOVED the simple illustrations. There was a lot of room for imaginations to fill in the blanks.

This one is just fun. Chester, (the overweight and rather ugly cat) takes over the story his author is trying to write. I have read this so much in the past three weeks I pretty much have it memorized and yet I still don't hate it. Which means this one truly is a keeper.

This is probably my least favorite, but as I am slowly discovering in parenting, the things we do not like, our kids really do. Just look at Barney. This is a rhyming book, with the added bonus of teaching children how to count backwards, as the bear's friends slowly eliminate ten hairy hunters. The illustrations are fun, and it fun for kids to guess which of bears friends are going to next take out a hunter. Don't worry, there is no actual death in the book, the hunters are just temporarily remanded.

So, that's what made us laugh this week, go visit Sarah for more great books!

I Might

"I'll never."

I was thinking on that phrase the other day. It's a something I used to say a lot before I had children. I'll never let them watch TV just as a babysitter, I'll never give in and use disposable diapers, I'll never bottle feed.

I ate crow time and time again. Most especially when I let my two year old watch TV so I could get his brother's bottle's ready. They were both in disposables at the time.

I still use it too often, I'll never let my kids have a TV in their rooms, I'll never let my boys get a tattoo, I'll never have cosmetic surgery, I'll never....

The problem is with the "I'll never", is I usually say it to myself after I see someone who does.

I haven't walked a step in their shoes and yet I am arrogant enough to state my future superiority to them. With absolute certainty no less. I have no idea the circumstances that lead to that decision or the agony they felt as they wrestled with previously held ideals versus the situation that is. And yet I tell myself that I am better.

As an aside, it's amazing how many times I make myself cringe when I am alone with my thoughts and my God.

But it's funny, while I make the arrogant I'll never statements about lifestyle choices people make, I don't for the bigger issues of life. The failures. The biggies like adultery, addictions, abuse. The veering off course that so easily happens. I don't avoid passing judgement because I'm a great person, see above paragraph, but because I was wisely parented.

A long time ago I was a rather haughty teenager. A friend had committed a sin and the results of that were very life changing and very public. I had yet to fall into that sin myself. Some of my group were condemning her privately. My very wise father took my sister and I aside and told us something that I doubt I will ever forget.

"You might."

"You say you won't now, but the temptation is still before you. You aren't out of danger yet. I hope and pray that you don't commit this sin, your mom and I believe in you, but you might. So who are you to judge her for something that you too might do some day."

If I can offer grace in the big stuff, knowing full well that could be me, maybe I can be more flexible in looking at the choices people make knowing that my life is hardly set in stone and while I don't I will do those things right now,

I might.