Saturday, June 28, 2008

A Few Tidbits From the House O'Boys

Here are snapshots of two recent conversations with the boys.

1) A conversation with Sam
Sam: Mom, am I having a playdate today?
Mom: Yes, Jeffrey and David are coming over.
Sam: Jeffrey AND David? All right! I've always wanted to have a threesome.

2) An out of the blue conversation with Jack
Jack: Mom, can boys marry boys?
Mom: Yes, in California they can.
Jack: Great. I'm going to marry Jake.
(He later clarified that he would only marry Jake if I wouldn't marry him.)

And, in other funny goings-on... Ben loves the toilet plunger. I don't know why. It's big. It's on a stick. You can hit people with it.

Anyway, today he came inside with it and Aaron scolded him. "Ben that's not a toy. That is NOT a toy. "

Later in the day, Ben was having a fit. "Want naddadoy! Want naddadoy!" We were frantically trying to find whatever this thing was that he most desperately wanted. Finally he dragged me to the garage and showed me the toilet plunger.

Apparently Ben thinks "not a toy" (aka "naddadoy" in Ben language) is the proper name for toilet plungers.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

On the beach

My family has been spending a lot of time at the beach lately. Yosemite, Tahoe, San Gregorio Beach.

Watching my kids play in the sand and surf is almost poetic. They sculpt and dig and dump and run and jump. For three hours today, the boys were in their own little world. They worked together like a well oiled machine to dig a deep hole or create a dam or bury their bodies or chase down a wave. I was reminded that the simple pleasures are the most wonderful as the boys laughed with sheer delight at the waves sneaking up on them, knocking them over, pummeling their sand towers.

I got to read my book, Aaron took a little snooze. It was parenthood as I imagined it would be: happy kids, wholesome, outdoor fun, relaxing, fulfilling.

Aaron and I even had a chance to talk, to really connect. I think it's been ages since we've done that. The days are exhausting so at night we're exhausted. Not a good time for soulful discussions.

As it often does these days, our conversation turned to whether or not to have a fourth child. In the course of our three hours at the beach, we decided that we absolutely WILL have a fourth child. And that we absolutely will NOT have a fourth child. We have gone over this and over this so many times that I can barely think straight about it.

Our friend Matt told us that the reason he and his wife finally decided to go for #4 was because they were talking about it and talking about it and they finally realized that they could either keep talking about it or they could just do it. So they did it.

Sometimes I let myself sit with either decision to see how it feels. Neither feels right.

Ultimately we are no closer to a decision now than we were 6 months ago. Sigh.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Rest in Peace, Tim Russert

"Bureaucracy has committed murder here in New Orleans."

- Tim Russert, on Katrina, September 2005

It's going to be strange not to have him in my living room on Sunday mornings.

It's Father's Day

I was thinking that someday I will tell my boys that the most important decision they will ever make is who they marry.

I chose to marry a man who not only fabulous to me but also the most amazing father to my boys.

I'm a good mom. But my husband is a GREAT dad.

I'm feeling really lucky today.

Sex and the City and Me

Are there words to say how much I LOVED this movie? No. There are not.

First of all, I went with two girlfriends and we talked nonstop the entire way there and the entire way back. I dont' think any of us finished a sentence.

Second of all, one of my friends brought me an iced latte to enjoy on the way. Divine.

On top of that, the movie was Fan-freaking-tastic. I laughed and I bawled my eyes out. You'd have thought it was Schindler's List the way I was crying. Hours later, at a friend's for dinner, my eyes were still red and puffy.

And the icing on the cake is that my girls surprised me with some fab birthday goodies on the drive home.

Honestly, it could not have been better.

Except that I woke up this morning totally wishing today was the day we were going to see the movie so I could have it to look forward to.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Sigh....

I know it is inevitable, but did it have to happen so soon?

Sam is slowly but surely becoming embarrassed to be seen with me. It started with him not wanting to be kissed at school, then it progressed to him wanting to walk home from the bus stop alone (despite the fact that his brothers and I were also walking home from the bus stop), now he gives me just the slightest shift of eye so that I know he sees me when we are at school. The body language clearly tells me to keep my distance.

Just because I know it's developmentally appropriate doesn't mean it doesn't sting.

WTF is wrong with our country?

Seriously.

In 1998 California Public Schools were allocated about $28 per student to purchase library books.

However, as of 2004, funding has been drastically reduced to a rate of about 70¢ per student.

With the average cost of a hardback book at $20, this funding only allows a school of 500 students to purchase 20-25 new books a year.

No child left behind? Please. How about "Every child left behind."

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

House o'Boys

I received a book in the mail today from my sister (in law) called House of Testosterone, written by a mom about life in a home of all males (3 sons, a husband, and a dog*). I cannot wait to read it! I am hoping there are some helpful tips about things like better aim at the toilet bowl and not announcing your bowel movements.

This book also got me thinking that my blog should be called House of Boys, because that is a lot more clever than Close to the Deep End. Alas, some other mom has snagged that blog name, but she only wrote one entry, back in 2005. I wonder if there is some way I can find her and beg her to give up the name.

Anyway, I digress... here is today's story from the house o' boys.

Jack (4) was asked on his first day of preschool to draw a self portrait. On his last day of preschool he was also asked to draw a self portrait. It' s a really cute exercise and you can see how far they have developed from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.

On his last day of preschool portrait Jack drew a big circle for the torso, a head, hair, eyes, a mouth, ears, and two stick arms and two stick legs. The teacher prompted him to see if he could provide more detail. "Jack, look carefully. Is there anything that you are missing?" [The teacher is expecting a nose or maybe fingers and toes or shoes.]

"Oh, yes," said Jack. And he proceeded to draw an enormous penis.

So glad the boy has such great self esteem.





*Please shoot me if I ever even think about getting a dog.

Crap Crap Crap

Today at 9:30 I have to be at:

1) Jack's end of the year pool party
2) Sam's school Spring Sing performance
3) Ben's speech therapy appointment

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! The end of the year is worse than Christmas!

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Quick Update

We are back.

Lots of fun. Lots of s'mores. Lots of dirty clothes. Lots of laughing. Lots of posion oak.

Too little sleep.

Sam is with Aaron right now, crying because he wants to go back to Yosemite.

More soon.

Somebody call Comedy Central...

The Timms are Going Camping!