from the mouth of babes

We got the framed portrait of the boys back on Saturday, it's beautiful. Yago spent the weekend hanging things on the walls and making it look a little homier in here.

Schmitty spent last night at my parents' house. It's always weird when he's not here. We were talking the other night, sometimes he says the most interesting things. We were on the couch and he'd just finished clearing the table, I still had to do the dishes. I said something about how I didn't feel like doing the dishes and he offered to help. I smiled at him and told him that was really nice of him to offer. He said, "Well, I think when you help someone it leaves a little spot on your heart." I thought that was just about the sweetest thing I'd ever heard. I smiled and joked that I bet Yago doesn't know that. He replied, "I think he does. I also think that when you lie it leaves a spot on your heart, at least it does on mine." Geez, Mr. Philosopher.

not a word

We took Ralph for his 18-month well-baby visit the other day and there's a teensy bit of concern over the fact that he refuses to talk. The doctor tried to help us out with a, "But he says mama and dada, right?" No. "Is he in daycare?" No. "Does he watch a lot of tv?" No, not a single word. Hmph. I think he's just stubborn.

open house

A conversation overheard at Schmitty's open house last night:

A mother looking at an assignment hanging on wall...

Child: "That's for you to look at, not to be criticked."

Mother: "Critiqued."

Yago says I have issues but it was more for my own amusement. I thought it (I) was funny.

not very interesting

Lately my blogging has not been prolific but it's mostly because I've been swamped. It seems like there's always a task (or two) of the day. There's so much I want to do but right now I'm swamped with the mundane.

Yesterday I went to a frame store and chose a frame for a portrait of the boys that Yago had done in Iraq. It's a beautiful painting and I'm really excited to get it framed and hung.

Ralph is STILL in his empty-all-the-cupboards, watch-mommy-put-everything-away, and empty-all-the-cupboards-again phase. It's fun. (or it was for the first week)

there goes peter cottontail

Schmitty and I have a little routine in the morning on our walk. We know all the dogs that are out and say good morning to them. There are three dachshunds in one yard and we call one of them Sadie, "Good morning, Sadie." Then there's the most well-behaved boxer I've ever seen. We look for him every morning and say, "Good morning, Boxer." Finally, there's a bunny we see every morning that hops in to the same bushes. All we see is her little tail.

This morning we didn't see the bunny and commented on it. A little further up the road there was a squirrel that had been hit by a car. I told Sam not to look, just keep walking. Turns out it was a little bunny. I didn't have the heart to tell him. I was sad enough for both of us.

Last Saturday we drove up to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to visit Yago's best friend since kindergarten. We spent the night there and had a good time just hanging out. They have a 2 1/2 year old daughter and Ralph loved playing with the baby dolls and princess toys. It was funny. It was a little more difficult for Schmitty to entertain himself. After digging through Dora and Barbie Princess videos he finally found Schrek, Cars and The Fox and the Hound. We invited them down for a weekend and I hope they come.

going solo

Last night was Skate Night at Schmitty's school. I took him after his piano lesson and it was there that I learned (again) my little boy is growing up.

We went in and I paid for admission and skates for both of us. When we got to the counter to get our skates I asked if he wanted me to skate with him assuming he'd say yes. I was so confident that I'd already paid for my rental. "No, that's okay. I'll skate with my friends first." Oh. He went out there and I sat near the snack bar watching. I waited all evening for an invitation that was never extended. Gone are the days of the two of us holding hands and skating around as fast as we can, giggling wildly.

I spent his early years dressing him in argyle sweater vests and reindeer sweaters around the holidays. His hair was cut and gelled just so. Now he reads greek mythology books about vampires, wears a dragon necklace and his favorite school shirt is a t-shirt that says "Caverns of DOOM" under a bat. Throw in a flaming skull tattoo and he's ecstatic. The nerve of my little boy.

I couldn't help but laugh at the skating rink when they started playing YMCA and Schmitty thrust both fists in the air with index, pinky fingers, and thumbs extended. That was too funny. Oh and at the end when he tried break dancing, I nearly busted a gut.

ollie ollie in come free

Last night Yago and I searched and searched for the remote. I was upstairs looking in our closet, thinking maybe Ralph snuck it up there to play with while I was in the shower. Yago searched the pantry and kitchen cabinets. After much searching, Yago found it placed neatly inside our front loading washing machine. All I could think was, "Thank God I'm not the one that misplaced it."

In other tv adventures I called the cable company this morning to ask if there was an outage. Turns out Schmitty changed the input on the tv when he turned it off before school. A little embarrassing but at least I'm a girl, that's always a good excuse.

Tonight is Skate Night at Schmitty's school so we'll be heading over to the roller rink after piano lessons.

Ralph thinks he's funny slurping the broth from his noodles. He's got his face buried in his bowl. sigh

all over the place

I'm listening to Dr. Laura, as I always do. She's reading a letter from a woman in the Army who is separating to be a stay at home mom. She's describing her family care plan, I hated doing those. I've still got several years in the Reserves but I'm so happy I'm out.

I met some neighbors today They have two boys, a 3-yr-old and 18-month-old. I was happy to talk to them.

I went to the PTO meeting yesterday and everyone knew whose house we bought. I didn't know anyone but was introduced as the one who bought Susan's house. (it was weird because I didn't tell anyone that) Apparently, Susan was the PTO President last year. Is there anything this woman couldn't do? She kept an immaculate house, worked at the school and was the PTO President. Sheesh.

I'm reading one of Schmitty's books because he was so excited about it. Ugh. It's about vampires and half-bloods. I don't know if I can slog my way through it. He's always asking what part I'm on. blah

I hate those giant black crickets we have in Nebraska. I don't know how but they always manage to get in to basements which gives me the willies everytime I head down there. I killed one yesterday but they're big and gross. Yuck.

what's the word?

Forgetful. Sam forgot his lunch yesterday and today he forgot his shoes. He wears rubber boots in the morning for the walk to school and changes in to his sneaker. I got home this morning and found a message from the school nurse that he didn't have any shoes. I drove up there and dropped them off for him (thereby negating any carbon footprint reduction this morning's walk had accomplished).

I'm trying to go back on a diet and gained two pounds! I hate diets.

Oh! I have my first PTO meeting today after school. I have to take the kidlets but it should be fine. I'm sure it'll be a colossal waste of time but I'm going, nonetheless.

We had someone pull over and offer Sam a ride to school again. I think it's really nice and I feel bad for saying no. I also feel bad because I think they assume I don't have a car and I'm walking because I have to and not because I want to. The woman today got out of the car with her daughter and had her daughter translate for her. I thought that was muy amable. She even gave me her name and number.

I've got to mount my license plates and change a headlight while Ralph naps. I'd better get crackin'.

a while

It's been a while since I made an entry, not on purpose or anything. It's just when you skip a few days you feel like there should be a ton of news and a zinger entry but there isn't.

We bought a piano last week and that's been our exciting news. It's a mahogany finish upright, nothing fancy but a piano nonetheless. Jake, as you can imagine, loves it.

We went to the reunion in OKC and that was good. Nothing much to report from the trip though, just eight hours in the car with a grouchy baby.

Pretty boring. Sorry.