The Deepwood Santa - A Christmas Tradition

For the last several years, we've participated in our own family tradition. We have lots of traditions that are left over from either mine or my husband's childhood, or even borrowed from my sister's family. And they're all a cherished part of our family.

But this tradition is one of our very own. I hope it continues for many years to come.

You see, Santa has friends who live in Round Rock. He comes to visit for a few days before Christmas to rest up for his big day on Christmas Eve. And while he's here, he sets up shop on his friends' front yard. Brothers, sisters, Moms, Dads, grandparents, and friends are all welcome and encouraged to come visit Santa.

The part about Santa having friends in Round Rock is only partially true, but it's what we tell Sister and Dude. And for now, they still believe. Sister may not believe for much longer, though. She's in the 2nd grade, and the kids at school are already talking. I want her to hang on for a while.

The part about everyone being welcome to visit Santa is all true. Let me tell you about my Santa, and why I'm convinced he's the real deal.

There are these two people - an older couple - who are consumed with the Christmas Spirit. They live on Deepwood Drive in Round Rock. Every year in June or July, Santa - er, I mean the man - starts growing out a beautiful white/grey beard. He grows that thing for half the year.

A few weeks before Christmas, they decorate the front yard. I'm not talking about a few lights or an inflatable snowman here. No, these people go all out. Santa has built himself a life-size sleigh, complete with reindeer. The house and yard are covered with lights. There's even a separate area with a bench for taking additional pictures.

About the time the lights and decorations go up, a 2nd mail box goes up too. This mailbox is where folks can find copies of Santa's visiting hours. He usually prints them up on pretty Christmas paper.

For the two weeks prior to Christmas, Santa and Mrs. Claus are open for business. Mrs. Claus makes sure there is an orderly progression of children and imparts plenty of Christmas cheer. And Santa does what Santa does best. He causes spontaneous smiles on children's faces and sparkles to appear in their eyes. And he does this without asking for any payment or anything at all in return. I give him a big hug every year.

Family by family, groups both small and large await their turn to visit with the Big Guy. And family by family, he gives them their due. He visits with each child, asking if they've been good and what is on their Christmas lists. Then he reaches into his bag and pulls out a little trinket for each child. This year Sister got a golden bead necklace, and a little green bag with a Christmas pencil in it. Dude got a Spiderman coloring book and a small box of Crayons. Families can take as many pictures as they want. Moms and Dads usually get into the pictures too.

Santa does this each year. Each year charging nothing for his time or effort.

I've been calling him Santa, because to me and to us, he is. This man is kind, gentile, and full of love. He is the Christmas Spirit personified. I don't know their real names, and it doesn't matter one bit. They ARE Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

One year - a few years ago - he whispered something to me as I hugged him after our turn. I won't tell you what he said, because it was a message meant for me. But I will tell you this. Only Santa could've known.

Merry Christmas to All! And to All a Good Night.

2nd Grade Love Notes

I shouldn't have done it, but I did. I looked at Sister's love notes that she wrote to her newest boyfriend Cole. So now I'm sharing them with you.

Here's the story.

Last Friday when I picked up the kids from the YMCA after school program, Sister asked if I wanted to meet someone. I said sure, and off she went to find her victim. In no time she was back with a very cute little blond boy in tow.

She said, "Mom, this is Cole." Wanting to exhibit good manners, I extended my hand and said, "Nice to meet you, Cole." I then found out that Cole was also in the 2nd grade (just not in Sister's class), and that he was the latest in a string of boyfriends. Cole is also a very polite young man.

Once we got home, Sister began secretively writing in a little spiral notebook. Dude ratted her out. "Mom, she's writing love notes to Cole!" She replied by giggling. Uh oh. She didn't even throw anything at him! At that point, I knew I had to know what was in that notebook.

After she went up to bed, I sneaked a peek. Here's what I saw:

"I misted you this weekend. did you miss me?

Say what you need to say to me even if your embarrassed. it's OK I'll still like you even if you lie. I'll still like you."

On the next page she had drawn a big heart with C + J written inside it.

When I read the next page, my mouth hit the floor. I said, "Uh, honey? I think we may need to have a talk with Sister." When he asked why, I read him this:

I'm
so
lost
with
out
you
Cole

Where did she even hear anything like that anyway? And in the 2nd grade?! My fears, it turns out, were short lived. Here's what was on the following page:

I'm
never
talking
to
you
again
Cole

Followed by:

I
hate
you
Cole

So Sister may be getting herself a boyfriend or two, but she is still firmly planted in a 2nd grade mentality. Nevertheless, I am truly, deeply frightened by junior high.

Photo courtesy of Linds :).

Sunday Afternoon Is Saved

It's Sunday afternoon, and the kids and I needed to get out of the house. Brian is working on his grad school homework assignment, but the noise being generated by Sister and Dude was not creating a conducive work environment for him. The problem was the weather. Not exactly raining, but not the beautiful sunny weather we've been enjoying either.

The park would have been our first (and the obvious) choice. We have a great city park that adjoins our neighborhood. It's got walking trails, a small lake to throw rocks into, and two pretty cool playscapes. Sister and Dude always have a great time there when we go. But with the misty and cool weather, the park just wasn't an option today.

So, I turned to my Facebook friends for suggestions. My friend Katie came through! There's a great local place called Jungle Java. They have all the things a kid would want to play on - slides, an obstacle course, tunnels, rope swings - you name it. All with a jungle theme. It really brings out your inner Indiana Jones.

I'd forgotten about Jungle Java. We actually had Dude's 5th birthday party here in March, and the staff did a terrific job.

The best part, though, is that it's fun for grown-ups too. Remember the name? Jungle JAVA? Yes, sports fans, they have coffee! And it's pretty good coffee too!

So while Sister and Dude are practicing their Tarzan moves, I'm sitting in a comfy easy chair. Sipping on a latte. Playing on my laptop (yes, there's WI-FI!). And I brought a book to read too.

As Brian slaves away on his assignment, I'm getting to do something I enjoy while the kids wear themselves out. Early bedtime, anyone?

Photo courtesy of St0rmz.

Hunt Chickens and Sell Them to H-E-B!

If you haven't already noticed, some of our best and most entertaining conversations happen while we're in the minivan running errands.

Tonight's story is no exception.

Not too long ago (while we were running errands in the minivan), Dude began talking about guns. Only he still spells it out because "gun" is a bad word.

So, as I said, he was discussing G-U-N-S during this particular outing. He thinks they're cool ... he could fight bad guys with them, etc.

Then he began thinking (out loud) about what careers he might pursue that would allow him to carry a gun. He could be the second coming of Indiana Jones, which would please him to no end. He could be a robber. A robber?! Okay, not a robber, but what else could he do and carry a gun?

Then he finally had his epiphany. He would be a policeman! They were good guys AND they got to carry G-U-N-S!

Sister, who has been patiently listening to all this, finally chimed in. "Dude!", she said. "You don't have to be a policeman. You could be a hunter! Yeah! "

"You could hunt chickens, and sell them to H-E-B!"

H-E-B, for those of you who are not from Texas, is our fabulous, home-grown regional grocery store chain. One, as you may have guessed, we frequent quite often.

Obviously, we do not frequent the country often enough. Because these two children had lost their minds! Neither of them saw the slightest problem with this chicken hunting idea. Dude's fate was sealed.

Sister wants to be a dolphin trainer. Let's hope she doesn't plan to have her brother shoot THEM and sell them to H-E-B!

Photo courtesy of Okinawa Soba.

Best Rooster Name Ever

So as I've told you before, Dude has a thing for all things Indiana Jones. He likes the movies, the gear, the theme song, and most especially the hat.

He would hum that song at daycare this summer over and over - so much so that our dear friend and daycare provider banned him from ever singing it again in her presence.

Resolved: the boy likes Indiana Jones.

So earlier in the summer, we were driving from point A to point B and discussing some of the things we wanted to do for fun. We decided that our cousin's ranch would be a great choice.

Going out there is always a treat. We visit, kick back, eat well, feed chickens and goats, and just enjoy the country life for a few days. It's a great experience for the kids. They get to be outside a lot of the time and do things they'd never get to do in Suburbia where we live. The highlight of every trip - aside from seeing our cousin - is feeding the chickens and goats.

So prior to this conversation in the car, I had spoken with our cousin. She wanted me to tell the kids that she had a new rooster in need of a name. When I told the kids about this, the discussion and debate from the backseat reached new decibel heights. Finally Dude emerged victorious.

He declared, "I have the best rooster name ever! Henry. Jones. Junior!" Sister agreed ... and so did I. It was indeed the best rooster name ever. How could there be any other?

So we called up our cousin on my trusty iPhone to tell her the good news. I'm surprised she could understand them because they were talking so fast in all their excitement.

After Dude and Cousin discussed the name and the rooster for a bit - and just when I didn't think things could get any better - Dude asked her, "Can you go outside right now and tell him what his name is?"

I guess that once you have a name that good, there's just no sense in making the rooster wait.

Photo courtesy of Thomas Hawk.

God Is the Best

Dude and Sister get along pretty well ... most of the time. They play together and agree on TV shows and movies. But like any brother and sister team, they feel it is their duty to do whatever possible to annoy the other. And they can do it really well.

Sister, being the older of the two, has really honed her craft over the years. She calls Dude names - strange nicknames like "Bacon" - but names just the same. Dude hates it. She copies him when he talks, and is just generally annoying some of the time.

Dude isn't entirely innocent, though. He snatches toys out of her hands, copies her when she talks, and is just generally annoying. Sound familiar?

Whatever the offense, they really know how to push each other's buttons. So push they do. As the Mom and referee, I have learned that it doesn't help to try to resolve the situation, or to determine who has been wronged by whom. All I want is for the yelling and name-calling to end, and for peace and quiet to be restored. Mostly, I wish that in vain.

So one day, we were running errands and the pushing of buttons began. Names were called. Cries for help from Mom were made. There was even some pinching! Finally, Dude had had enough.

He summoned up the worst possible thing he could think of, and said, "You're just ... just ... just AWFUL!!"

To which Sister replied, "Know what's better than calling people names? GOD! God is the best thing in the whole wide world. So there!"

She ended this tirade by sticking her tongue out. Dude was deflated, because, well, Sister was right! He just couldn't think of anything to say or do to top that.

And me? Aside from being rather amazed, I was just thankful that it was quiet again!

Photo courtesy of radiant guy.

Stickers Don't Count as Surprises

As I've mentioned in a previous post, I sometimes have to travel for work. It's never very far flung or all that often. But it comes up now and then.

Most of the time, I'm only gone for one night. Sometimes I'll attend a seminar or conference that keeps me away from home for longer periods of time.

Our family rule is that if I'm gone for two or more nights, I have to bring a surprise to the kids. It's never anything extravagant. Usually it's some swag that I pick up at an exhibitor's booth at a trade show, or some other little free "gimme". Other times, I've had to go out on a special trip to pick something up for them.

This past week I was in Dallas attending a seminar on social media marketing. I was gone Tuesday and Wednesday nights, and home late Thursday evening. This necessitated a surprise. There were a few vendors at the seminar, but they really only had brochures and other "grown-up" information. A few of them were giving away branded pens, but there was really nothing that a kid would like.

And then I saw it. HubSpot, an Inbound Marketing company from Boston, was giving away stickers! Kids like stickers, right? Dude and sister always have, so a sense of relief washed over me when I found them. And these weren't just any old stickers. These were BIG oval-shaped stickers with HubSpot's squiggly orange brand on them. These stickers were cool!

So when I arrived home at 9pm, Dude and Sister were still up. Dude had reminded me about getting them a surprise every time I'd talked to them on the phone while I was away. And now that I was home, the first thing out of his mouth was about the surprises.

Once I was able to walk in the door and put down all my stuff, I dug out the stickers. Sister was out of the room, and Dude was first up. I asked him to close his eyes, and when he did, I placed the sticker in his outstretched hands.

At first, silence. Then the poochy lip. Then, Dude burst into tears.

"I didn't want a STICKER! I wanted a TOY!" Oh, I tried to show off all the great things about this particular sticker, but he wasn't having any. He cried and I consoled for a few minutes, and then he agreed to put it on his shirt. It was okay, but he still really wanted that Incredible Hulk toy. He just couldn't believe that they didn't have them at my seminar!

Sister was cool with it. She loves stickers of any kind. Thanks, Sister!

So HubSpot, I'm sorry to say that stickers - and specifically YOUR stickers - don't count as surprises.

Photo courtesy of Maria chanourdie.

Apparently, I Don't Know About Food

Wow! It's nearly been a month since I've updated you on things. Needless to say, we've been very busy - both at home and at work.

So I decided that I would sit down and do a quick post while I was inspired to do so ... and mainly before I forgot what I had planned to write about.

Picture this. The family is sitting down - at the table! - for dinner. I made a pretty dang good meal, if I do say so myself. Broiled Tilapia Parmesan. Green beans. And alfredo noodles.

As Sister and Dude were doing everything but eating, I announce that there is ice cream for dessert if they eat a healthy dinner first.

We don't make them clean their plates around our house, but they do have to - at the very least - try everything. Then the negotiating begins. Sometimes it's half of an item, sometimes it's two more bites, and still sometimes it's 4 more green beans. A little of everything is all I ask. Is that too much?

So when I told Dude that he needed to eat some more dinner before he got his ice cream, it was on! He burst into fake tears and whined that it was too much. He couldn't do it. He didn't like it. Again, I stated that there would be no ice cream unless he ate some dinner. Again with the whining.

Then I told him that if there wasn't room for dinner, then there wasn't room for ice cream.

"NO!," shouted Dude. "YOU JUST DON'T KNOW ABOUT FOOD!!!"

Oh, really. I DO know how to get kids to eat their dinner, though.

I just got myself a bowl of ice cream, sat right back down, and ate it right in front of them. This time, they knew better than to ask where their ice cream was.

Sister and Dude actually ate everything I asked them to, and just finished up their own bowls of ice cream.

Ahh, problem solved.

Photo courtesy of St0rmz.

Out of the Mouths of Babes ...

Out of the mouths of babes. Kids say the darnedest things. What will he think of next? These sayings may be cliche, but they're true. I've found this to be the case time and time again with our kids, and I still wonder why I'm surprised by the things they say.

Dude has come up with a couple of doosies lately. In his defense, he's usually very serious about what he's saying and has no idea whatsoever that he's the reason why I'm stifling a laugh. It's just his honest thoughts or feelings in the moment. I think that may be that's why they're so priceless.

Episode 1:
So the other day, we had soccer practice. On soccer night (as you all know), our time for evening activities is extremely limited. Dude was already having some problems listening, and was having a string of never-ending tantrums. He and Sister were in the living room - probably arguing about something - when I announced that dinner was ready. As any hungry 5-year-old would, Dude comes running into the kitchen to see what delicacy I had prepared for the family that evening.

He took one look at the pasta awaiting him on his plate, and promptly burst into tears. Simultaneously, he cried, "Awwwwww! You KNOW I can't eat yellow food!" And ran out of the room. Since when, I ask you, can the boy not eat yellow food? Seriously. Yellow food? Never mind the mac and cheese. Oh, and the corn. And whatever else he eats that's yellow! After being informed that there would be no special, non-yellow dinner just for him, he ate it. That was that. Score one for Mom.

Episode 2:
Fast forward to last Monday night. My husband was at the school board meeting, so it was just me and the kids. Dude must have been really tired. The poor child just couldn't hold it together to save his life. Everything Sister said sent him into a crying fit. I could do nothing right. Oh wait. That's not unusual. But if you had asked him, there was most certainly a plot against him that night.

There was absolutely nothing that could set things to right with him. Sister and I endured a string of knock-down, full-on conniption fits. The likes of which you have never seen before. I do not exaggerate here.

So after a very long evening, it was finally time for bed. Before schlepping them and all their stuff upstairs for a bath and bed, I went into our bathroom to change into my comfy PJs. Dude joins me while I'm changing ... kinda just loitering, like he wants something.

He finally works up the courage to ask me this question. "Uh, Mama? Since I'm um, uh falling apart tonight, can I sleep in your bed?"

Somehow, that simple question just made everything right with the world again. My sweet little boy understood that he was falling apart, and needed some comforting from his Mom. The frustration and the fatigue were instantly washed away, and I got to snuggle with my little boy.

Photo courtesy of Photo Mojo.

Phone Call From a Friend

This evening when we got home, the answering machine was blinking at us. We had a message. As Dude and Sister were running around being noisy, I tried to listen to the voicemail. I quickly realized as I was listening, that this message wasn't for me or my husband.

It was for Sister!

Her little friend Candice from her class had called and left her number so we could call back. It was a very cute message too. Candice was obviously coached by her mother on what to say and to use polite manners. I could also hear her Mom in the background whispering each digit in their phone number as Candice recited it back into the phone. Very cute.

So then it was our turn. I told Sister what to say and gave her some pointers on what to do if Candice wasn't available. They chatted for about 15 minutes about mostly observational stuff. Some examples: "I have an orange cat." "No, that was just my little brother." "My Mom's cooking dinner." (Author's note: Since when does peanut butter and honey sandwiches count as "cooking" dinner?) Then the phone was turned over to the Moms.

The girls had set up a play date for this coming Sunday, and oh, "is it okay, Mom?" So, it looks like we'll be heading to the park for a couple of hours on Sunday. Should be fun!

I'm constantly reminded - on a daily basis, it seems - that my little girl is growing up.

Photo courtesy of Jason Nicholls.

The "D" Word

I don't have a potty mouth, but occasionally I let one slip. Worse even, sometimes the kids are around to hear it. I try. Really I do. But sometimes the situation just calls for a bad word.

Usually, if I catch myself saying one, I try to say it under my breath ... but not always. They're never awful or ugly words, but still, they're not words that five year old children should be hearing.

And using.

And using correctly.

The other night in the bathtub, Dude was playing with his pirate ship. One of the pirates fell out of the crow's nest and into the bath water. As this happens, I hear Dude say, "Dammit!". We had a very stern talk about how that was not an appropriate word for little boys to be saying, and he promised to never say it again. Problem solved.

Then two days later we were in the soccer mom mobile on our way to pick up Sister from her after school program. Dude was going through his backpack looking for something, when from the back seat I hear, "Damn!". Apparently he had forgotten something at daycare and this upset him.

And this from the kid who didn't want to say, "What the hell!" when he thought I was driving too fast!

So once we were at home, we had another stern discussion. He again promised never to utter the "D" word, and I promised not to say it around him anymore. Okay, so I slipped up once. Just once, though, in a week. That's pretty good, right?

He reminds me daily that he is remembering not to say the "D" word. He also happily pointed out to me on the occasion of my one slip up that I HAD said it ... and he had not.

Photo courtesy of Alice Chaos.

Name Change Alert

So I wanted to let you know that I'm changing the names I use for my children on this blog. I still plan to keep their real names private for security reasons, but I'm giving them new blog names (as it were).

I've been calling them Thing 1 and Thing 2 since the inception of this blog. It's working fine, but it can be a tad bit confusing when dealing with two children of the opposite sex. Who is who, really?

So as of tonight at 12:25am Central Time, I am officially changing their names. Here's the skinny:

• Thing 1 (female) = Sister
• Thing 2 (male) = Dude

I'm doing this to clarify any confusion over their gender, but mainly because that's what I really call them when I'm not using their given names. Don't ask - it just seems to fit.

So there you go. From now on it's Sister and Dude.

Life Is Uncertain. Eat Dessert First. Or Upside Down.

Okay, so day 1 of Spring Break didn't exactly go according to plan. We left home with the best intentions. But wound up not doing the activities we'd planned for the first day, canceling our hotel reservations in Glen Rose, and getting a room in Burnet.

The first day was a bust. Thing 2 wasn't feeling well when we left, but we thought he'd snap out of it once we got to the cave. As my husband was in line for tickets, Thing 2 promptly threw up ... on the floor in the lobby of the cave. We waited for a while to see if he would feel better, but no dice. Rather than subject him to a 2 1/2 hour car ride up to Glen Rose, or a 1 hour car ride back home, we just got a hotel in Burnet.

So after a bit of a rest, it was time to get some dinner. Thing 2 seemed to have rebounded and was starving. It hit him again at the restaurant and he didn't even touch his dinner. My husband took him out to the car while Thing 1 and I finished up.

The buffet included dessert, and not being the type to pass up a free dessert, Thing 1 and I decided to take part. Thing 1 is a keen observer. She can spot the smallest speck from great distances. It's amazing what she sees and finds.

Her powers of observation are not limited to what she can see, however. She is also pretty insightful. So tonight while we were eating our chocolate cake, she turned her piece of cake over so that the icing was on the bottom. When I asked her why she did that, this was her reply. "This way", she said, "the best part of the cake goes into my mouth first."

So I'm amending the old saying (that my mother loves) to read: Life Is Uncertain. Eat Dessert First. Or Upside Down.

Photo courtesy of Sifu Renka.

Spring Break - Time To Hit the Road

With strains of "Holiday Road" from the movie Vacation running through my head, I am eagerly anticipating our family Spring Break trip next week. Nothing too far flung, but enough of a trip to satisfy our need for "Go, See, Do".

Texas has some great places to visit, and by no means have we seen them all. So with keeping close to home in mind, here's a brief run-down of our week away from school and work. Yay!

Monday we're heading out. We plan to visit Sweet Berry Farm in Marble Falls to pick our own strawberries. Yum! From there, we'll head up the road to Burnet where we'll visit Longhorn Caverns. Then it's up north to Glen Rose where we'll end the day.

Tuesday in Glen Rose looks like this. A visit to Dinosaur Valley State Park where there are actual dinosaur tracks in a rock stream bed. Very cool. Of course, there are also the life-size dinosaur statues that make great photo opps too. Next on our Tuesday itinerary is a trip to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. Fossil Rim is a drive-through exotic wildlife park that is an awesome experience. Thing 1 and Thing 2 are really going to love it!

On Wednesday, we'll be in Waco. There we'll visit the Mayborn Museum, which has some terrific hands-on exhibits for kids. Also in Waco is Cameron Park Zoo - a surprisingly great zoo for a town the size of Waco. My nieces, who are students at Baylor, will be taking us for a brief campus tour which will include the famous Baylor Bears. The kids are going to love that too.

From Waco, we plan to take it easy with a visit to my parents' house. We'll spend a couple of days there just relaxing and getting in some good grandparent face time. Then it's home for the weekend to get ourselves ready to get back to the grind.

If you're interested in how La Quinta has already made our trip better, check out another blog I write for the tourism industry - Tourism Tech.

I'm sure our Spring Break trip will give me lots of fodder for this blog (and hopefully Tourism Tech too). I'll get back to you as soon as I can with all the fun you can handle.

Minivan photo courtesy of kaydee did.

Indiana Jones Is Living With Me

And he has been for the last 3 days. Don't worry, my husband knows all about it. Our (now) 5-year-old son, Thing 2, had his birthday last Thursday. Because he's been on an Indiana Jones kick lately, we got him presents with an Indy theme. His birthday party will follow suit.

My husband and I got him the Lego Indiana Jones game for Play Station 2, along with the Lego Star Wars game. Thing 1 got him Bendaroos - but only because she wanted to play with them. I don't think he's even gotten to touch them since they were opened Thursday night.

Since we aren't having his party for another couple of weeks, we had a small family celebration on the big day. Thing 2 chose Luby's for our dining pleasure, and we invited our friends Andrea (Andy) and Michael to come along. Andy made him a cake, which we brought in to Luby's with us.

So after dinner we lit the candles, sang happy birthday, and ate some cake. Our waitress was so nice and helpful, we gave her a piece too! Following the cake, it was present time. He was respectably appreciative of our gifts and the Bendaroos from Thing 1. But it was the gift from Andy and Micheal that has now become the gift to beat ... forever more, I fear.

Under the newspaper comic wrapping paper was a box. A box that was chock full on Indiana Jones garb and regalia. This set had it all: the shirt and leather-like jacket, the signature Indy hat, a satchel, a holster, and ...... the WHIP!

There was no waiting. Thing 2 immediately put on everything right there in Luby's. He wore it on the drive home, and dang near wore it to bed. He took it to daycare the next day, where he wore it the entire time. He's worn it all day, both days this weekend, and even wore it out to dinner last night. He's informed us - in a matter-of-fact way- that when he is wearing his new outfit, we are to refer to him as either Indy or Indian Jones ... and NOT by his name.

So now you see what I mean when I say that Indiana Jones is living with me. He may even be coming with us on Spring Break too!

Some Errands, My Son, and a Pair of Walkie-Talkies

Yesterday afternoon I needed to go run some errands. Nothing fun really, just dropping some stuff off at Goodwill, getting the oil changed in my Soccer Mom mobile (a.k.a. our van), and going to the grocery store. Despite the lack of any prospect of fun on these errands, Thing 2 wanted to come with me to "help". So the boy and I pile into the van and head out for our afternoon of errand-running.

Now, I've mentioned before that Thing 2 has a thing for superheroes. His current favorite among the superhero set is Iron Man. For Christmas, Santa brought Thing 2 a pair of Iron Man walkie-talkies. This gift was hours of fun for Thing 2 and his older sister, Thing 1. They had long conversations with them from the far reaches of my parents' house while we were there for Christmas. Very cute.

But since Christmas, the walkie-talkies have played a fairly minor role. We've really not seen much of them at all ... until yesterday afternoon. Apparently, they were gone but not forgotten.

As Thing 2 and I were about to leave, he handed me a walkie-talkie. I was instructed to put it in my purse because that's how he intended to speak to me while we were out. I'm sure anyone who happened to look into our van at a red light would've had a little chuckle at what they saw - Mom and son (sitting a scant 2 1/2 feet behind me) talking away on his Iron Man walkie-talkies.

We were gone for 3 hours and that's pretty much how we spoke to each other the whole time. He even wore it clipped onto his pants every time we went in a store or got out of the car. I'd hear things like this:

(static) "Uh, Mom. When are we going to get ice cream?" (static)
(static) "Sounds good. Over and out." (static)
(static) "Can we stop at Old McDonald's for lunch?" (static)
(static) "But I don't want to go to the grocery store!" (static)

So that's pretty much how our afternoon went - a new twist on running errands. It was kinda fun.

Gimme Cap

There's almost nothing in this world that is cuter than a little boy with a cap on. My internal "awwww" goes off every time I see it. I've been trying for going on 5 years now to get Thing 2 to wear a cap, but he's never been that interested. Oh sure, he'd put them on for a few minutes. But it would never last very long.

A couple of weeks ago, it finally happened. We were heading out the door on our way to somewhere when he asked us to wait because he needed something from his room. Thinking it was one of his "guys", I was about to tell him that the guys weren't invited on this trip.

The next thing I know, Thing 2 is bounding down the stairs WEARING a red gimme cap from our local baseball team! He said he didn't want the sun to be in his eyes. I agreed and told him it was a good idea.

He hasn't stopped wearing that hat since. It's a regular part of his daily wardrobe now. I plan to remind him of the other caps I've purchased for him over the years. Like his John Deere tractor hat, the cute denim one from The Gap, and a few others that he threw into the back of his closet never to be seen again.

This past weekend, we visited some cousins who live on a ranch in the Texas Hill Country. The cap came along because, you know, "a guy needs a cap on the ranch". So cute. We had a great weekend! But, poor Thing 2 was so tired by Saturday night that he couldn't even stay awake for dessert.

He climbed up onto the couch, covered himself up, tipped his cap, and fell fast asleep. I think little boys might even look cuter wearing caps when they're asleep ... don't you?

Naked or Nekkid?

A wise and funny man named Lewis Grizzard once said that there's a difference between being naked and being nekkid. Imagine a thick Southern drawl saying, "when you're naked, you ain't got no clothes on. If you're nekkid, you ain't got no clothes on ... and you're up to something!"

Thing 2 hasn't quite gotten to the "up to something" part of being nekkid, but he doesn't let that stop him.

As I was changing into comfortable after work clothes, he comes up to me stripping off articles of clothing the whole way. He proudly states, "I'm gonna be nekkid!" Then he looks at me with a concerned expression. He then tells me that he plans to be nekkid, but that he also thinks he'll leave his underwear on. Because "I don't want anybody to see THAT!"

So, for now, I'm thankful that he's never even heard of the Southern humorist Lewis Grizzard. And that he has no knowledge of what being "up to something" could possibly mean. And that wants his (ahem) parts, to remain ... private.

Thank Goodness for the Good Guys!

Thing 2 has always loved his Superheroes. From the time he could talk, he was always inclined to all things "super". We encourage him, sure. But most times the Superhero du jour is all his idea.

So I'm finding myself thankful for the good guys out there. Whether they be flying Superheroes with capes, or the new sheriff in town, I'm sure glad those guys are around for my son to emulate.

For a long time, Spiderman was the one. We have Spiderman shirts, PJs, coloring books, you name it. If it's got Spidey on it, we probably have it. And he's got "the guys". That's what he calls his burgeoning collection of action figures. He never goes anywhere without at least one stashed in his pocket or backpack. And you can't have a good guy without having a bad guy for him to fight, so we have Venom and Sandman too.

Then he was on to Iron Man. I must admit, Iron Man is pretty cool. He even had a brief stint where he was all about Captain Jack Sparrow. He's even got pirate hair that he wears when he's pretending to be that great man of the sea. While Sparrow's good guy image may be a little tarnished in places, he's still good at heart. Of course, Batman and Superman have had minor roles in our lives, as well as Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader.

But now we have a new one. Really, though, it's an old one. My husband thought it would be a kick to introduce the kids to the Indiana Jones movies. We'd enjoy seeing them again, and we both agreed the kids would love them. Love them they did! Especially Thing 2.

He pretends to be Indiana Jones on a daily basis. All. The. Time. He teaches the other kids at daycare how to make Indy shadows on the wall. They find themselves in awful predicaments, and then Thing 2 (as Indiana Jones) swoops in to save the day. He's even made himself a whip to wear on his pants.

But the best part has got to be the song. We can't go an hour during his waking hours without hearing that song! He hums it while he eats breakfast, while he's getting dressed, and of course, while he's playing with his Indiana Jones Legos.

Heck, he may even do it in his sleep! If I hear it in the middle of the night, I'll let you know.

Dut ta da daaaa, dut ta DA. Dut ta da DAAAAA, dut ta da da da ....

Soccer Season: It's a Love/Hate Thing

Last night marked the beginning of another soccer season. Thing 1 is beginning her 4th season as our own little Mia Hamm. And I can't decide if I'm happy or sad.

For a team sport, soccer isn't a bad way to go. Even though her team - the Cheetahs - practices two times a week, we only have one weekly Saturday game. As I understand it, that's not too bad. Thing 1 has friends who are in baseball, and that's a wee bit excessive for us. They have multiple practices, night games during the week, double headers on the weekend. Where's the family time, I ask you?!

Don't get me wrong. I love watching Thing 1 play! Even though she's not the best player on the team, that kid has one heck of a leg. She can shoot from mid-field and make goals! I'm eager to see if she "gets it" a bit more this season too. What's important is that she's having fun. And she is.

The downside to soccer is the frantic evenings we have on practice nights. I work about 40 minutes away from home. Before the 5:45pm practice, I have drive the 40 minutes, pick up Thing 2 from daycare (across town), get Thing 1 from the Y Afterschool program, get her changed, and try to make it to practice without being too unfashionably late.

Not a problem, you say? Ha! is my response. On "normal" days, it's easily 6pm before we even pull into the driveway.

So after the hour-long practice, we still have to get home, pick up/make dinner, eat, do homework, take baths, and get to bed. This is a difficult feat to accomplish, thus our Mondays and Wednesdays tend to last until at least 9:30pm ... if we're lucky.

What I don't understand is how other Mom's do it. How do you feed your family something healthy when there's no time to cook anything?!

The worst part is that there's no hope for this situation improving any time soon. Thing 1 is only 7 and Thing 2 is nearly 5. I don't think for a minute that their schedules will be slowing down as they get older.

So we're back to where we started. Soccer: It's a Love/Hate Thing.

Little Boys and Buzz Cuts

Thing 2, my almost-five-year-old son, has had a buzz cut for going on 2 years. I was dragged into it kicking and screaming, but I have to admit now, that I actually like it a lot.

It was all his idea too. We had just gotten his hair cut not two weeks prior - a cute little boy haircut. Thing 2 decided it was too long, so we went to the "haircut store" for a trim. After one pass with the clippers set on 4, he rubbed it with his hand and immediately said, "shorter!". So shorter we went.

Now, he gets a 2 on top and a 1 on the sides and back. It's short!

Two weeks ago, he surprised us by saying that he wanted to grow it out. Even if it meant combing it every morning (something we haven't had to do in 2 years!). I was even more surprised by how sad that made me. I've grown accustomed to rubbing his cute little prickly head, and I knew I would miss it. It's the little things, you know.

Today he changed his mind. His hair was long enough. So, before he could change his mind, I whisked Thing 2 and his sister, Thing 1, to the haircut store for haircuts all around. He was pleased with his new "do" and so am I. Thing 2 even agreed to whack off an inch from her beautiful long hair! We have soccer starting back up tomorrow, and I could just imagine the nest of tangles her hair would become if we didn't.

After the haircuts, we went to the local outlet mall to buy some new pants ... for both of them. Why do they have to grow so fast? Anyway, as we walked into the OshKosh Outlet store, we were approached by a sales woman.

She did the usual bit ... did we need help? ... did we know this was on sale today? ... etc. As soon as Thing 2 saw her, he walked right up to her and announced, "I got my haircut today!".

Then, he turned his back to her and stuck up his fuzzy little head as high as he could and closed his eyes. He wanted her to rub his head! I gave her the "he wants you to rub his head" hand motion, and she obliged, all the while fighting back laughter. Then he told her to rub the back "'cause that's the best part". Which she again did.

His older cousins would be so proud. Those girls do love to rub the back of his head.

So, life is back to normal around here again. New pants are okay, but a new buzz cut? Ahhh, now that's the ticket!

Loose Teeth = Trauma

I've been blogging a lot about Thing 1 lately, but she seems to be giving me the most fodder. So I'll stick with it for now.

Thing 1 has now lost 3 teeth. Two out of three have been traumatic events, so her batting average isn't too good right about now.

The first tooth wasn't quite ready to come out. But it did anyway. We were at soccer practice last Spring, and she got thirsty and grabbed her water bottle. Thinking it was the kind that had a pop-up top, she bit the cap with her teeth to pull it open. Needless to say, it was the twist off kind. She twisted her tooth right off with the bottle cap. There was blood everywhere, and she didn't stop crying for 2 1/2 hours. Seriously. The tooth fairy felt sorry for her and left her $2 - a Susan B. Anthony dollar coin and a Sacajawea dollar coin to make up for the trauma.

Her next tooth wasn't too bad. After much ado (and at least 45 minutes) , she let me pull it. Minimal blood. Minimal tears.

So now this brings us up to tonight's episode. Thing 1 has had a very loose front top tooth for about two weeks. She would not, under any condition, let us pull it. Her counselors at the YMCA after-school program tried yesterday to bribe her with money, extra snacks, and shoulder rides, but to no avail.

Today when I picked her up, it was literally hanging by a thread. Once home, I asked her if she had seen how awful it looked. When she said no, I suggested she go look at it in the mirror. As I'm getting dinner ready, I hear screams and tears from the hall bathroom. Thing 1 then comes running into the kitchen, in a full-on crying fit.

She's swallowed her tooth!

It took a while to get her calmed down to the point where she would actually listen to me. But when she did, I explained that the tooth fairy would still come and leave her money - even without a tooth in exchange.

That seemed to help, but she was still pretty bummed about not getting to put her tooth under her pillow. We plan to leave the tooth fairy a note instead.

Good thing the tooth next to this one is getting ready to come out too. I think we're due for a non-traumatic tooth pulling next time.

Phone Call From School

So, today I'm at the office plugging away when the phone rings. On the caller ID, I see the name of the school district that Thing 1 attends. My first thought was, "Oh no! It's the school nurse, and she's got that nasty bug that's been going around."

But then Thing 1's teacher ... began ... speaking. My next thought was, "Oh no! What did she do that warrants a call from the teacher?!"

She calmly explained that during a study time, Thing 1 and the three girls at her table did not do the activity they were instructed to work on. I'm thinking that while this clearly isn't good behavior, it doesn't require a phone call at work from the teacher. Something else must be up.

Then she says that instead of working on the assigned activity, each of the girls thought it better to cut their clothing. CUT THEIR CLOTHING?! What on earth would possess them to do something like that? Who's bright idea was that anyway?

So the teacher says they had discussed taking personal responsibility for their actions, and that the girls needed to tell their parents themselves. Right then. So the teacher puts Thing 1 on the phone.

After quizzing and lecturing her for a few minutes with some muted "yes ma'ms" and "I don't knows" for answers, I tell her that we'll discuss it again later at home ... with her daddy.

She thought it was no big deal that she'd cut her (brand new!) shirt in two places. After all, we know someone who can fix it. Ha!

She sort of got out of it tonight since she fell asleep on the couch shortly after dinner. So while she's dreaming, we're trying to think of a way to teach her a lesson about taking care of her things and that her things have value (a.k.a. they cost money! MY money!). I'll let you know what we come up with.

Great summer day camp

Last summer, Thing 1 was finally old enough to go to a day camp I'd been wanting her to attend since she was born. I knew she'd have a blast, and she did.

I've already signed her up to attend a 1-week session for this summer. We're both so excited, we can hardly wait! The camp is offered by McKinney Roughs Nature Park, which is near Bastrop. Full disclosure - I work for the company that owns and operates this park. But it's so cool, I'd recommend it anyway.

If your children love the outdoors like mine do, then McKinney Roughs Summer Camp is the place for them. There are 8 sessions from June 15th through August 14th (no camp the week of July 4th). It's only $170 for a 1-week session, and there's a shuttle service from 2 Austin locations so you don't have to drive to Bastrop. Campers are divided into 3 age groups where kids can do a wide variety of age-appropriate and hands-on outdoor activities:

• Camp Tonkawa (ages 6-7) - Campers experience hands-on learning with live animal presentations, nature hikes, camp crafts, games, nature studies and more.


• Camp Comanche (ages 8-9) - Campers learn wilderness skills, raft the Colorado River, climb a 45-foot-high rock wall and swim at nearby Bastrop State Park.


• Camp Caddo (ages 10-12) - Campers connect with the natural world through adventurous studies of geology, hydrology, botany and more. Activities include rafting, swimming and team-building challenges on a low- and high-ropes challenge course led by ropes-certified staff.

Thing 1 came home every day filthy and exhausted, but I've never seen her more happy. I can hardly wait until next summer when Thing 2 will finally be old enough to go too!

Dreams Do Come True

It finally happened. The day that all parents dream about and think will never come. It happened to us. Today.

Thing 1 and Thing 2 woke up way too early for a weekend, as is their normal routine. But instead of coming into our room and waking us up to ask us to turn on cartoons, Thing 1 ... did it ... HERSELF!

I've wondered for some time now why we can't pry them from their beds with a crowbar on school days at 7am, but on weekends, they're up - on their own - at the crack of dawn. It simply defies reason. A perfectly good day to sleep in is wasted on their need for Scooby Doo or SpongeBob. It's senseless really.

But our day of blissful weekend sleep, the day we previously only dreamed about, finally came true. Ahhh!

Thing 1 is an award-winning scientist!

Well, she did it. Thing 1 won 1st place in the science fair last night for the first grade. Her daddy and I couldn't be more proud. We are the proud parents of an award-winning 1st grade scientist.

She got a blue ribbon for placing 1st, AND a spiffy trophy that declares her as the best scientist in the first grade. You should have seen her smile.

Thing 1's project was about density. She wanted to see if an egg would float or sink in water, salt water, cooking oil, and karo syrup. She was very interested in why things float (or not), so she and her daddy cooked up this project.

She is also quite pleased with herself, and apparently enjoyed the experience enough to want to participate again next year (so far, anyway).

So now it's on to the regional science fair where she'll compete against other winners from the area. However that turns out, she's a winner in our book.

Our First Science Fair Experience

Thing 1 came home from school shortly before Christmas with several thick documents in her backpack that announced the highly anticipated coming of the school's Science Fair. There was no question whether or not she planned to enter a project - it was a done deal.

Now being the nightly homework, reading, and dinner parent that I am, I immediately thought, "This sounds like the perfect job for my husband!" So I assigned him Science Fair duty, and haven't looked back since.

The project is due on Wednesday, and they're very nearly done. The experiment itself (something about eggs floating in water ... or not) was finished by last weekend.

Now comes the hard part, though.

Thing 1 has to do the work herself. That means she has to put together her display with all the photos and text all by herself. I know it will be hard for my husband not to help her, but this has to be her project. In the long run, it will be a very good experience for her.

Once again, I'm a proud Mom.

I'll let you know at the end of next week how she does.

Thing 1 Is Growing Up

Today, I realized that Thing 1 (age 7) is growing up. Oh, I've seen it coming for some time now. But today, it finally sunk in.

This morning she said, "Can we have eggs for breakfast?" When I told her we could, she said, "Great! I'll crack the eggs and stir them up." And she did!

Very well!

She also added all the spices for my special "Gig 'Em Aggie" scrambled eggs. Her Dad makes "Hook 'Em Horns" scrambled eggs (she secretly tells us both that she likes ours the best!).

Not only did she (mostly) make breakfast, she also helped Thing 2 with his.

Thing 2 was not interested in eggs this morning. He wanted waffles and cinnamon rolls. Who could blame him? Sounds like the perfect breakfast to me!

Thing 1 toasted Thing 2's Eggos to perfection, poured on the syrup (got a bit carried away here), and even cut them into bite-size pieces for him.

Now let me assure you that this is not the norm around here. Not by any stretch of the imagination. That's not to say that the kids don't do nice things for each other (or us) from time to time ... because they do. But it doesn't usually happen to this degree of "niceness".

My baby is growing up.

Needless to say, I was a happy Mom this morning.

Even if it was too darn early to be making breakfast on a Saturday.

It's birthday party time again!

Thing 2 has his 5th birthday coming up in mid-March. This year (so far) he wants an Iron Man party. As with his older sister, Thing 1, the theme can change ... and change often!

Eventually we'll agree on a theme, and the search will be on for fun things that he and his friends can do at the party. This happens twice a year, every year. It's always a struggle to keep coming up with activities the kids will enjoy, won't be too much trouble to pull off, and (most importantly) won't cost too much money.

Here's a little tip for you. Check out this website: http://www.birthdaypartyideas.com/. Visit this site once, and you'll be hooked. This collaborative site is a huge repository of birthday party ideas by theme and by age. So if you (like me) were interested in what fun things other parents have done for their 5-year-old's Iron Man party, all you have to do is read through the postings. I'll be doing that over the weekend.

Each posting is different, but most contain information on the following categories:

• invitations and thank you notes
• food
• games and other activities
• craft ideas
• party favors

For every birthday party we've ever done, I've always been able to find some good ideas from this site. Usually I end up combining the ideas from 3 or 4 different postings, and the kids have always had a great time.

And while we're on the topic of birthday party planning, here's a great resource for getting those party supplies from the comfort of your own home: http://www.birthdayexpress.com/. This place has all the cups, plates, napkins, party favors (and more!) that you'll ever need. The prices are reasonable and they ship your items pretty quickly too.

Here's to happy birthdays, and happy birthday parties, from now on!

Sometimes I have to go out of town for work ...

... and it's both good and bad. Today I'm leaving on a two-day trip to South Texas for a trade show. I don't have to be away from home too often with my job, but from time to time, it happens.

Thing 1 doesn't get too sad about it anymore - mostly because she trusts that I will bring home surprises if I'm able to (and I usually find a way to do so). Thing 2, being only 4, still gets a little teary-eyed on occasion.

Being away from home when I'm on these work trips is both good and bad. It's bad because I DO miss them while I'm away. Those phone calls before bedtime just don't compare to a goodnight hug and kiss.

The good part is that I get a little "me" time ... even if the trip is work-related. I can watch whatever I want on TV, and it's usually not Sponge Bob or Spiderman cartoons. I actually get total control of the remote (sorry, honey)! I can lounge in the hotel bathtub ... drink a glass of wine ... read a book - all at the same time!

Or, I can sleep.

Mom's need time away from all the home and family responsibilities sometimes, if for no other reason, just to rejuvenate. I come back mentally refreshed and ready to be a Mom again.

My husband is a terrific father. I couldn't ask for better. The kids are in good hands with him, so I have no worries at all.

So if you ask me if I feel guilty being away from the kids ...

... I'll truthfully answer, "not really." :-)

Pierced Ears for Christmas

As you may have noticed, there is a certain element of "Drama Queen" that is a part of Thing 1's personality. That said, it should come as no surprise that the drama machine was fully engaged when Thing 1 got her ears pierced shortly after Christmas.

The back story on this is that she asked us for several months before Christmas to get her ears pierced. Being only 7, I kept putting her off so we could make sure she was serious about it. As we got closer to Christmas, we finally gave in and said that we would get her ears pierced as her Christmas gift. "Thrilled" doesn't begin to capture how excited about it she was!

Fast forward to the day of the ear-piercing. Thing 1 is absolutely torn in two about doing this. She really, really wants to do it, but is scared half to death about actually getting it done. At the store, she happily picks out several pairs of earrings that she can wear after the first 6 weeks. Then comes the moment when she will have to get in the chair. Even sitting on my lap, she was in tears. She got as far as letting them clean her ear lobes, mark the spots with a pen, and load the gun with the $37 earrings before she came unglued.

After much discussion, tears, pleading, and coaxing, Thing 1 agreed to watch a few girls get their ears pierced. Once she realized these girls didn't bleed to death or worse, she was ready to do it herself.

So for a total of $80, several pairs of cute little girl earrings, an earring holder, and 1 1/2 hours of a Saturday afternoon, Thing 1 now has beautiful and sparkly ears.

New baby cousins!

You know you're getting old when your baby cousins start having more baby cousins. My twenty-something cousins, Sarah and Christina, each delivered very cute and very healthy babies within the last week.

Sarah was first last week with new baby cousin Naomi ... so cute. And tonight, Christina gave new baby cousin Elijah his long-awaited debut. I haven't seen pictures of him yet, but I'd be willing to bet he's a cutie too.

Sarah, Christina, and I had lost touch over the years, but that's to be expected with a ~ 20 year age difference. I was in college when they were barely in grade school! But, thanks to technology's version of crack (a.k.a. Facebook), we have reconnected (seriously, I'm addicted!). That, and a brief reunion last year.

They are wonderful and beautiful girls with equally wonderful husbands. I'm so happy for them and so proud of the adults they've become.

Welcome to the world, Naomi and Elijah!

Great websites to check out

Today I have some excellent kid-related websites for you to check out. They are all filled with great information that I know you'll use and enjoy.

www.kids-in-mind.com
This site lists thousands of movies (including the very newest releases), and objectively rates them based on their content. This allows parents to decide for themselves - based on their own family values system - whether or not the movie is appropriate for their children to watch. The movies aren't just "kid" movies either. Most adult movies are included as well.

Movies are assigned a numerical rating (0 - 10) in each of three categories: 1) sex and nudity, 2) violence and gore, and 3) profanity. The higher the numerical rating in a category, the more sex, violence, or profanity you should expect to see. Detailed descriptions of the scenes that contributed to the numerical rating are included as well.

A really nice feature they include for each movie is the section on discussion topics. These range from issues that your children may have questions about, to ideas/lessons/values you may want to discuss with them after watching the movie.

Here's a link to the review on Bedtime Stories, which is currently in theaters. This will give you a good idea how the system works.

www.kidzaustin.com
For parents in the Austin, Texas area, this site will be listed in your Favorites very soon. For the purposes of this site, the Austin area includes Austin, Bastrop, Buda, Cedar Park, Dripping Springs, Georgetown, Pflugerville, and Round Rock.

It includes information on literally everything you could think of related to raising children in our part of the state. It covers camps, indoor activities, outdoor activities, sports, party places and suppliers, great deals, schools, camping spots, links to blogs and articles, and more.

Probably my family's favorite section is the www.kidzeatfreeaustin.com. It lists all the restaurants where your kids can eat for free, by day of the week. Fabulous resource - especially in this wonky economy. There's also a monthly e-newsletter you can sign up for that has very timely news and updates to their standard offerings. We use this ALL the time.

That's it for today! I hope you check out these great sites - I know you'll love 'em!

It's BLEEDING!!!!!

What is it about the sight of blood that completely wigs out some kids?

Earlier this afternoon, Thing 1 hit her bare foot on her grandmother's wheelchair ramp coming in from the back patio. As soon as it happened, she said, "Ouch!". But that was it.

But the moment she looked down and noticed it was bleeding, all hell broke loose! She screamed for a bandaid, and screamed even louder when I said that we needed to clean the cut first.

The whole dramatic scene played out over about 10 minutes ... Thing 1 screaming all the while. We finally managed to drip some peroxide on it before hastily pasting on a Barbie bandaid. Once the bandaid was in place, the screaming stopped.

Of course, now she's milking it for all it's worth. She's all propped up on the couch watching Mulan.

Thing 2 wanted to watch Indiana Jones, so now he's pouting.

Oh, and can she (sniff, sniff) have some goldfish?

And (sniff) some water with a straw?

Oh well, at least it's finally quiet ...

New Year's Resolutions

In addition to the now familiar resolution we all have (everyone, sing together now!) like losing weight, getting organized, and finding more time for ourselves/our families, I have another one that I'd really like to throw some weight behind (no pun intended).

I'd like to take on a more active role in my children's education. Realistically, I know I don't have the time to be Room Mother or anything like that. But as Thing 1 approaches 2nd grade and Thing 2 approaches Kindergarten, this is becoming more and more important to me.

Recently I discovered Bill Bennett. He's a former Secretary of Education under Ronald Reagan. He does a conservative political talk show in the mornings, and I love to listen to him on my commute into work. He's written several books on U.S. history, politics, faith, family values, and education.

So the first part of my new years resolution will be to purchase this book and read it cover to cover. Among many other great things, The Educated Child: A Parents Guide From Preschool Through Eighth Grade features an outline of what to expect--or demand, in some cases--in the K-8 essentials.

Once read, I plan to put Dr. Bennett's great ideas and resources to work with my own children's education in 2009 and beyond.

You Know You're a Mom if ...

... you can answer a proud "YES" to any of the following:

1. you know what a "Mom purse" is


2. you actually own a self-described Mom purse


3. in your Mom purse you can quickly and easily access the following items: a) an unused Spiderman bandaid, b) Thing 1's My Little Pony from a McDonald's Happy Meal, c) travel tweasers, d) stickers from their last haircuts, e) chewed up lollipop sticks, and f) enough gum to keep Thing 1 AND Thing 2 quiet for at least an hour.

Mom! Slow the *%$! down!

The other day, Thing 2 (son, age 4) and I were on our way to pick up Thing 1 (daughter, age 7) from her afterschool program. We were running pretty late - later than usual, I should say. So with lateness and not wanting to be fined in mind, I was trying to hurry.

Now, Thing 2 has let me know on several different occasions that he thinks I should slow down. That I drive too fast. I say, "What does a 4-year-old know about driving?" So I usually thank him for his advise and continue on in my need for speed.

This time was different. This time, was one for the record books. I was approaching a stop sign pretty quickly and finally came to an abrupt hault. From the back I hear a gasping in of breath and this ...

"OH MY GOSH!"
"And I say that, because I don't want to say, 'Oh my GOD, or What the HELL.'"

I mean really! What do you say to that!? It was incredibly hard not to laugh at him, but I somehow managed not to guffaw.

I did, however, tell him that he was right.

Those were things we didn't want to say.

And then I slowed down.