heyMamas

And that's how we do it

The quote below has been floating around in my email for quite some time with my intention to post it. I came across it again tonight on the way home from work and after re-reading it, decided I liked it even more than the first time I read and liked it. 

Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater.  If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby.  If you give her a house, she'll give you a home.  If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal.  If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart.  She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her.  So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit.

 

Amen to that SISTAH.

What are you afraid of?

After dinner I always review the girl's homework as well as all the school flyer's that they come home with about all the upcoming events at school and in the community.  Tonight Belle had a homework assignment that absolutely cracked me up.....

What Are You Afraid Of?

 

The directions asked the children to think of a time when they have experienced fear, one real fear and one imagined. 

A Real Fear....blood. 

When I see blood it freaks me out and it looks bad and really scary.   Blood is wierd and when you hurt yourself it feels hurtful.  Blood sometimes grosses people out.  Blood is helping you live.  Blood tastes disgusting.

An Imagined Fear....ghosts.

When people mention ghosts I feel really wierd.  Ghosts are non-living things.  Ghosts are scary and they sometimes end up in places you'll never know.  Ghost's are scary because they are clear and white things.  Ghost are SPOOKY.

 

 

  

Heels

 
 

I bought this picture the other day while I was supposed to be watching Belle's soccer practice. It was so cold on the soccer field and any place that does not have an easily accessible bathroom is not a place that is going to hold me for long, so I took a quick trip to Home Goods to use the bathroom and on my way out of the bathroom, give or take a few aisles here and there, came across this picture.

This is a fairly large painting, or picture, not quite sure what to call it and the heel part of the shoe is three dimensional. I have it leaning against the wall in my bedroom and am thinking it will take about twelve to fourteen months until it is hung right where I want it.

Are you reading this Drew? Hint, hint. I do love surprises..

One smart boy

Every night at dinner, Drew and I ask the girls how their day went.  Who did they play with at recess?  Did they eat their entire lunch?  Did they wash their hands before lunch?  And do they SWEAR they did not throw anything in their lunch away uneaten??  I like to know exactly what they are eating and/or not eating.  And the questions go on and on like every parent does every night sitting around their dinner table. 

As I have mentioned before, I try to ask questions so specific that even the smallest grunt on their part would suffice.  It seems to work because when I ask pointed questions I get answers and when I just say, "how was school today?"  I get nothing.

When school first started I worried about them during recess.  I worried that they wouldn't have anyone to play with and once or twice Belle came home and said just that.  Kids were off playing and she had no one to play with.  It got even worse when one night she told me she asked some girls in her class to play and they said they couldn't at that moment because they were already playing.

My heart just about broke when I heard that.  Things have improved dramatically since that time. She has clocked more hours in the school and has had a chance to meet more children.  Now its like she's been there forever and there is always someone to play with at recess.

Their school has this great program where every week certain children in each class are picked to be 'Ambassadors'.  They wear this bright yellow netted shirt so that they are easily identifiable to the other children on the playground.  The whole point is that if any child ever finds themselves without anyone to play with, they go and play with an Ambassador.

What a wonderfully genius idea!  I had never heard of anything like this before and we'll just add that to the growing list of why I love the suburbs so much. 

The other night we asked Belle how school was and who did she play with at recess?  She told us school was good but there was this boy who really liked her.  His name was Scott and every day at recess he tells her that he likes her and that she is his girlfriend. 

She said "he keeps bothering me and saying all this stuff to me."  I told her to be gentle with him and even if she didn't like him back, it was so cute that he had the guts to tell her that he liked her.  He is a boy who follows his heart and is confident enough to not care what other people think.  What a great thing and what a special boy. 

I told her that girls have the ability to crush boys spirits and to please be gentle with  his feelings.   So the next night we asked her about Scott again and if he had said anything else to her that day in recess? 

She said yes, he told her again that she was his girlfriend and she insisted that she was not to which he replied, "yes you are because that is exactly what a real girlfriend would say." 

Current event pulsecheck

I liked how the whole birthday interview went in this post so I decided I would do another interview with the girls about some current events and see where their heads are at with what is going on in the world, or more accurately what's going on in the world according to them.

Who is our President?

Belle:  "Now, answer now?  Barack Obama."  I asked if she knew how to spell his name.  "No [long pause].  Well, I think I know how to spell Obama.  No, I don't.

Lily:  "Barack Obama."  I asked her also if she knew how to spell his name. "O-B-I-M-E-N-E."

 

What is the economy like right now?

Belle:  "Like what do you mean?  The economy is going, hhmmm, save your money on more important things sometimes, I don't know.  Maybe?"

Lily:  "What does economy mean?  Are we going to London?  What am I going to get for Christmas?  People are saving money."

 

Are we a democratic country or a dictatorship? 

Belle:  "What does that even mean?  Did Lily know that either?  Well, we are allowed to make our own choices but it depends on who says it.  If the president says you have to vote you don't have to, but if you want to, you can at those set days and times.  But if someone, but if like someone else is not like a president you don't have to do it, but if you want to, you are stupid, like get drunk, or if you want to look cool, or something.  Did you get all that?"

Lily: "What does that mean?"

 

What do you think it takes to become President?

Belle:  "Well it takes a nice effort, working hard, trying to get into that strategy.  Sometimes though if you do work hard you might not get that chance, I mean maybe next time.  It is a once in a lifetime chance.  Did you get that?"

Lily:  "You maybe tell the person who is in charge of the president if maybe, can I be the president of the United States of America?  Maybe you can get a few people to vote for me."

 

What parts of the world would you like to visit?

Belle:  "Florida, Europe, I am thinking of the consonants.  I know, Rome, Spain, did I say, did you just write that?  Italy, Spain, and most of all again Italy." 

Lily:  "California, Hawaii, Florida, Colorado and the ocean and maybe space."

 

Is the world a friendly place or a mean place? 

Belle:  "A friendly place because it is trying to help us live.  At least we are alive because without earth we would all be dead.  And it is a really nice place to live, add that in there."

Lily:  "A friendly place.  In the United States of America a lot of people are friendly because if some people are poor they give stuff to other people." 

 

Are most children like you or do you think they are different?

Belle:  "Well, some are different because not all children are the same color and not all children look the same.  If they did it would be boring 'cause sometimes it is good to be different and special, its alot good to be different and special.  Like Emma, she has freckles.  Sometimes people have big noses, some people don't.  Sometimes people wear the same things and sometimes they don't.  Oh yeah, when people try to be like someone else it turns out bad and it is good to be yourself."

Lily:  "Most people are like me because children like to run and jump and play.  Thats what most kids like to do but everyone looks different."

 

What do you think other children in other counrties do for fun?

Belle:  "Well sometimes they celebrate different occasions than we do although I am not sure what they are.  And sometimes children, wait what is the question again...oh yeah, how are they fun? They either make up jokes or sometimes to hurt their feelings, they make fun of others to have fun.  Like that's what bullies do."

Lily:  "Ohh, this is hard, I gotta think.  I think Aidan sometimes dances in his house.  Kids in South America play in the snow.  Go on sleds.  Um, if you are in California you can go to Disneyland and if you are in Florida you can go to Disneyworld."

 

Who would you most like to meet that you haven't already met? 

Belle:  "I would like to meet my Dad's Dad who passed away."  She looks up towards the ceiling points her fingers like guns, winks and says, "I hope you hear that up there."

Lily:  "I would like to meet my babies.  Hahaaa, Belle will never guess that I said that one."

 

What state do we live in?

Belle:  "The United States of America."  I answered her back and said "No, I asked you what state?" stressing state?   "Oh, my bad, the United States."  "Belle!!"  I said "what state?"   "Oh! Hahhhhaaa, New York.  What did Lily say?"

Lily:  "We live in Long Island, New York."

 

Are we on the east coast or the west coast?

Belle:  "West?  No east."  So I looked at her funny and said West?   "I don't know Mom.  Wait, I know this for sure.  West, east...no, ugh, I mean west."  We just moved on after that. 

Lily:  "Wait, wait, never...eat...shredded...wheat...we are on the east coast."

 

Are there any other questions that you would like to answer

Belle:  "Me?  I want to say an answer.  Yes, [long pause], how many more?"  I mean I am kind of particular." 

Lily:  "Maybe like what am I going to name my children because I wanted you to name me, Kristin.  Or like how much do you love your Mommy?"