The Worrier

My daughter is a worrier if ever there was one. She worries about many things, whether Abrum will crack his skull jumping off the couch, if her car seat is truely safe, and whether or not she has hurt someone's feelings but telling the truth. After a trip to the grocery store with her father he came back with her newest worry. "Daddy, if I die in the shower will I be naked in heaven?"

Chicken Vegetables

As school comes to a close things are getting very busy in our household. This past week my husband was put in charge of the darlings so that I could attend a Senior Awards Night. That night as I got home past bedtime, walked over two "camping" children in the living room, dirty dishes left on the dinner table, and toys in the living room (a restricted toy area)- I was told the story of Abrum's battle with vegetables. Chicken pot pies were on the menu and as he dove into the pie he was reminded to eat his vegetables as well as the chicken. He promptly picked up another chicken piece and was scolded, "Abrum that isn't a vegetable, that's chicken." My brilliant son responded, "Chicken probably ate a vegetable." My husband was stunned. Abrum then began to sing the chicken vegetable song, smiling all the while and eatting the chicken and avoiding the vegetable. Olivia described it later to me as, "Hilarious!" Being his biggest fan, I had to smile at her. My husband is still contemplating what he might have said to Abrum, but the story is much better. Long live chicken vegetables!

Behavior

Behavior is our house is on polar ends of the spectrum. Today is an excellent example: In Olivia's class they use the traffic light to help the children understand their behavior. Green is good behavior, your clothespin gets moved to yellow if you break a rule, and red means that you have not headed the warning of yellow and your behavior is bad, bad, bad. So having explained that, this is not much of a conversation with Olivia. She is a green light girl. She enjoys doing the right thing. It is almost an obsession with her. Today when I arrived at the Daycare to pick up the children I was met by one of Olivia's teachers. She explained that Olivia had to be moved to yellow when she was talking while the lights were out. The dear teacher was not explaining this to me so I would talk to Olivia about her behavior, it was more of an explaination of the state of my dear first born. Olivia had already been in tears and appologized numerous times to the teacher. Sorry that she had made her upset by talking while the lights were out. As soon as I walked into Olivia's room to gather her for the weekend she broke down into a flood of tears. Sorry, so sorry. I explained to her that everyone makes mistakes and that we just needed to learn from those mistakes. She continued to cry. I told her that I forgave her and so had her teacher. She continued to cry. I told her that I had bought her breadsticks for dinner, she felt she didn't deserve them. She continued to cry...out the door, to the car, on the ride home, and stopped approximately an hour ago. Olivia has always been sensitive to those around her. She prides herself on making others happy-and she felt she had not done that. Remember this was only a yellow light. I pray for us all if she ever hits a red light moment. On the other end of the spectum is Abrum. Abrum whom several times this week has sat in time out, licked toys, thrown toys, not done as his teachers have asked, can't believe that his parents are both teachers Abrum. Yes, he cried when I told him that his father and I were disappointed in his behavior. And on the way home he asked if it would make me happy if he did the bug dance (a little bumper wiggling dance). I said no, it would make me happy that he listened and choose to do the right thing at school and home. And by the time I pulled up in the driveway he decided a kiss would be the best way to make me feel better. And really how could it not make me feel better? and the tragedy is over. Simple and sweet. And now that the behaviors are settle and the house has returned to it's original state...we begin our weekend with a M&M taste testing, movie watching adventure....

Measured Time

In our lives time is measure in Phineas and Ferb episodes. It is two and half Phineas and Ferbs to the PawPaw Patch. Two Phineas and Ferbs to my school. And a Phineas and Ferb title sequence to DayCare. Some how this is a time measure that Olivia and Abrum both understand, however, we haven't found a watch or clock that measures this way yet.

Things you don't hear at other people's houses

"Rock, pair of scissors, and shoot for the spot next to Mom." Abrum "Happy almost Mother's Day!" Olivia "If you don't pick up your toys when I tell you they might end up as Art!" Me

Laundry Day

If I haven't mentioned I am a part time Art teacher. However, during standardize testing I am a full time tester. Due to two weeks of full time work, the house has suffered. I suppose that's because it's not nearly as loud as the children when they are not getting their proper amount of attention. Currently I have employed the children to sort the laundry, one fudgecicle a piece for the pile of clean clothes to be sorted. So while the Paul Simon Pandora plays on sorting continues. Olivia is picking from the pile and properly placing the item in it's basket. Occasionally she moves to the rhythm of the music, ballet or some form of modern dancing. Abrum on the other hand is rummaging through the basket to pick out the socks. Then going to the opposite of the room, on the couch, up on the back and throwing them into the basket. Let me correct myself, attempting to throw them in the basket. I just informed him that was not efficent-he informed me he was a basketball player, said Simon said to give Mom a kiss and has now turned the socks into slingshots. Still not getting them near the baskets. ... well Olivia has finsihed and requested her payment...I see Abrum trailing close behind claiming he did more work than his sister. What's a Mom to do?

The Paw Paw Patch, Ducks, and Grits

Well as Monday rolls by I feel the need to record the weekend. It started with a stay at the PawPaw Patch, which is what we call MawGra and PawPaw's house. After a week where my lovely husband did not come home before the kids bedtime due to soccer playoffs at his school, and had planned to go camping Friday night...I asked, pleaded, and begged my amazing in-laws to go "camping" at their house. They agreed. And as my mother in law, also an artist, made dinner, made Duck Derby hats, and played the tickle monster-I sat on the couch watching cable television...something we do not have at our house. My father in law amazed me with his cheese grits in the morning and something called "cookie butter" that was bought at Trader Joes, I highly recommend it. Abrum found he could not walk at the PawPaw Patch, only skip and jump. And Olivia felt most at ease snoogled up in bed with MawGraw telling stories back and forth of "Once upon a Time..." Then it was off to meet the not so often seen this week father of the lovely children to go watch the Annual Rotary Club Duck Derby. The Duck Derby is a sight to see, about a million and one rubber ducks going down a river towards a waterfall, where they fall off and continue their race. Great fun! Then the weekend ends with Olivia and I in the studio creating things-she is really into cutting paper and taping them together. And the boys upstairs racing on Mario Kart. A game I still can not understand or will myself to want to understand. And so ends another weekend at our house. I think Abrum is still pretending to drive a car in his bed, and Olivia trying very hard not to ask to sleep in our bed. My goal this week is to begin completing and scanning in the comic strip that I hope to accompany this lovely daily blog. Cheer me on!

Garlic smashing

When not playing with trucks, trains, tractors or my ipad, Abrum enjoys helping me cook dinner. His favorite kitchen task is smashing garlic. Today was just such a cooking day. Usually we use a pan to smash it, today we used a hammer. He is a great smasher! No mincing required. However, today was an unusual day because after ripping mint and smashing garlic for chicken kabobs Abrum tried the kabobs and enjoyed them enough to ask for more. So ladies and gentlemen, if you find yourself with a bored four year and the need to cook dinner before the midnight hour arrives-hire a garlic smasher.

crayons and wheels

I am creating this blog with the purpose of recording my on going life as teacher, artist and mother of two of the most amazing and diverse children on the planet. As I sit typing my first post in bed, Olivia-age 5, is trying hard to read Judy Moody to herself while Abrum-age 4, is playing with Matchbox Cars on the bed. All this is going on while my laptop and I (remember this is my bed) are smushed over to the side of bed. These are my two very amazing diverse children. One very literal, one very figurative. These are our adventures...