I got a phone call last Friday from Rufus. He called to invite me to go to the Metro Park with him and his brother Franklin, baby sister and his Mom. I haven’t been over for the usual Thursday Adventures because Beth has been home on maternity leave with the new baby. I miss Rufus and Franklin like crazy, and I really miss how hard they make me laugh. The phone call went like this:
Rufus: Aunt Char-Char?
Me: Yeah?
Rufus: I was just sitting here, playing with my Lego’s, when my Mom came in and said we were going to the Metro Park later. I was thinking, since you’ve never been to the Tot Lot before, you might like to come with us. It will be a lot of fun.
How could I refuse an offer like that? After a morning movie and lunch, my sister Whittney and I met them at their house. Rufus and Franklin were waiting for us at the door. I can’t tell you how happy I was to see them. It amazes me how accustomed I am to seeing my little friends each week, and how much I miss them when I don’t.
When we got inside, Rufus told me how he’d packed his backpack with animal cookies with frosting and sprinkles and how Mom said we could get ice cream at the place with the yellow umbrellas next to the Tot Lot. He even offered to share his cookies with me, which I felt was a noble gesture because above all else, Rufus loves sweets.
It has been years since I’ve been to the Tot Lot. When I was a kid, it was a series of small wooden houses that you could go in and out of and play in. My Mom used to take us to the Metro Park I loved the Tot Lot. In place of the tiny houses, is a HUGE playground. It has ropes, and slides, and swings and tunnels. There is a scavenger hunt where you can find little shapes throughout the jungle gym, and rock climbing walls. There is a smaller section for kids five and under, and one for the older kids, plus they have this thing that you can spin in circles on until you puke. Frankly, it’s beyond cool. It puts the little houses that were there when I was a kid to shame.
Well, Rufus and Franklin had a ball! They ran around and showed me and Whittney everything. After a while, Beth and I played with the kids while Whittney held the baby in the shade of a tree. We played for several hours until it was time for a snack, (after having already had all the water and cookies for a previous snack) we went to the ‘snack stand’ for ice cream. Rufus got a vanilla ice cream with sprinkles that came in a 12 oz paper coffee cup- and ate the entire thing. Franklin shared an ice cream with Whittney, then got bored and lined up all the plastic chairs for something to do while Rufus finished.
Outside the ‘snack stand’ the Metro Park set up a small area with animals. A very nice and helpful young woman was showing these animals to the kids, and encouraging them to look at the turtles, snake, bull frog, and the little table she had set up with dead animal skins. Honestly, she had a stuffed squirrel and a fox tale along with pamphlets and a poster board about their habitat. It was all very interesting, but the taxidermy squirrel was a bit gross.
Franklin and Rufus were on board for touching the turtle, but when she took the Fox snake out, they hid behind me. I even touched it to try and show them it was ok. No luck. They wanted no part of it. It was still a great end to a fun day. When we were driving home, Rufus asked me what touching the snake felt like. I told him it was cold and smooth, that snake him- and then I wiped my gross snake hand on him. All and all, it was a great day.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Throne of Fire: By Rick Riordan
I had to review this book- I just had to! It was so excellent! I read it in less than two days and I could not put it down! Once again Rick Riordan skillfully tangles fact with fiction in the second book in the Kane Chronicle’s series.
In this novel, Sadie and Carter Kane are back with all of their magical friends for another adventure. After releasing the Egyptian God’s into the modern world in the last book, Sadie and Carter have been in big trouble. They have the powers of The House of Life at their command, but have not had enough time to learn how to use them properly because the God’s are angry with them and keep sending creatures to stop them.
In order to save the world, Carter and Sadie have a plan. They hope to resurrect the Sun god Ra, so that he might bring back the balance the God’s have been missing. Naturally, someone doesn’t want this to happen- the Chaos snake Apophis is rising, and with it the God’s of Chaos want to stop the Kane’s from succeeding.
So how are they going to do this? Sadie and Carter first have to search the world to find the tree parts of the book or Ra and reunite them. After that, they have to find Ra and bring him back to life. The problem is, they have no idea where Ra is or even where to find him.
As usual, the book is narrated by both Carter and Sadie. What’s so great about it is that each of the characters has such a distinct voice. The story is told so differently depending on who is narrating, and this method lends such richness to the text. I have said this before, but these books are even better than the Percy Jackson series! I read all of Riordans’ books and these are by far my favorite.
This book is action packed from start to finish. There are constant battles, quests, interesting characters and nonstop humor that leave the reader wanting more. I absolutely cannot wait until the next installment. If you are a fan of action-adventure series, check out the Kane Chronicles!
In this novel, Sadie and Carter Kane are back with all of their magical friends for another adventure. After releasing the Egyptian God’s into the modern world in the last book, Sadie and Carter have been in big trouble. They have the powers of The House of Life at their command, but have not had enough time to learn how to use them properly because the God’s are angry with them and keep sending creatures to stop them.
In order to save the world, Carter and Sadie have a plan. They hope to resurrect the Sun god Ra, so that he might bring back the balance the God’s have been missing. Naturally, someone doesn’t want this to happen- the Chaos snake Apophis is rising, and with it the God’s of Chaos want to stop the Kane’s from succeeding.
So how are they going to do this? Sadie and Carter first have to search the world to find the tree parts of the book or Ra and reunite them. After that, they have to find Ra and bring him back to life. The problem is, they have no idea where Ra is or even where to find him.
As usual, the book is narrated by both Carter and Sadie. What’s so great about it is that each of the characters has such a distinct voice. The story is told so differently depending on who is narrating, and this method lends such richness to the text. I have said this before, but these books are even better than the Percy Jackson series! I read all of Riordans’ books and these are by far my favorite.
This book is action packed from start to finish. There are constant battles, quests, interesting characters and nonstop humor that leave the reader wanting more. I absolutely cannot wait until the next installment. If you are a fan of action-adventure series, check out the Kane Chronicles!
The Big Sleepover.
Well, I’m proud to say, I have my very first niece on my side of the family. My brother Jeff and his wife Beth have a beautiful baby girl! Keeping with Jeff’s request for me not to use his kids’ real names, I will refer to her as Bonnie. Anyway, while Bonnie was making her way into this world, my husband Ben and I were in charge of Rufus and Franklin. I arrived at their house at 7:15 in the morning- and they were waiting for me in the P-Jams. They were so excited, because we were about to have our very first sleepover!
The plan was that we were supposed to go to my house later in the day, but after 20 short minutes of the kids begging to come to my house, I relented and loaded them in my car. Ben, being the great guy that he is, had stopped at the grocery store the night before and stocked up on fresh fruit, and snacks for the boys. He also picked out a watermelon body wash for tub-time later, which I thought was well done.
Man, did we have fun! We played Lego Star Wars and watched a movie, then Ben thought it would be fun to take the kids to Target to pick out a toy for each of them, and one for their new sister, then go to Old McDonald’s (or McDonald’s to everyone else) for lunch so they could get a happy meal then play in the play land. At Target each of the boys picked out a Star Wars t-shirt and a toy. Franklin got Buddy the Dinosaur and Rufus a new Bakugan trio. Then, they picked out a fuzzy pink dog from the newborn section for baby sister. At first, they wanted to get a blue bear, but I explained that for a girl you usually pick out a girl toy. I suggested getting her an outfit, but that was pooh-poohed.
Me: We could get a cute outfit for baby sister that would be fun.
Rufus: I don’t think so.
Franklin: Bo-ring!
Me: Come on, your little sister would like that!
Rufus: Trust me Aunt Char-char, kids like toys best.
Can’t argue with that logic.
Next it was on to Old McDonald’s. The kids ate lunch really well, so it was time for the play land. When we opened the door to the play land, it stunk so badly. Apparently, some kid had an accident. Another woman informed us the tubes were full of turd’- and lucky for us- we came in just in time to see a turd fall out of the kids shorts. Plunk!
Rufus: Oh, man! That stinks.
Franklin: Did you see the poops?
Me: Yes, now come on guys, let’s just go back out and for the love of Pete, touch nothing!
I usher the kids out of the play land, Franklin was crying and upset. I apologized, promising we would come back another day and got him calmed down. Rufus could not for the life of him figure out why that kid just hadn’t asked to go to the bathroom. Ben tried to explain, but Rufus could not wrap his brain around it.
Now, here’s the part that floored me. I understand potty training can be difficult. I worked at a daycare for 5 years in the two year old room. We potty trained kids day after day- got them in, got they trained, then they moved to the three year old room and we started over again. It is so hard, believe me, I know! My question is this- if your child is not yet quite potty trained- why didn’t you just put him in the pull up or diaper to go in the play land? Kids have accidents when they are still learning- it’s no big deal- but did you have to wing it and have the play land shut down? It seems obvious to me that with all that fun and commotion, the kid won’t come up to you and tell you they have to go. What kid would?
Worse than that, is this woman actually covered the turd of the floor with a paper napkin, cleaned up her child, and DID NOT notify the McD’s staff about the turd’s up in the tube or the one covered feebly with a napkin on the floor…I am not kidding! I was appalled! I think she was embarrassed, so she just rushed out in a hurry. This other woman (the one who warned me about the poop) had to go and tell the staff. Honestly, I don’t know what people are thinking sometimes.
At any rate, Ben and I loaded two very bummed out little boys into their car seats, and headed back to our house. After that, we went up to the hospital. Franklin and Rufus were very excited to meet Bonnie. She is so beautiful! After about 5 minutes, they asked if they could go back to my house. I suspect they were worried I’d change my mind about the sleepover if we stayed too long.
After we got home, we had dinner then bath time. Giving the two of them a bath is like trying to rope in a couple of octopus- skinny arms and legs flying everywhere, constant giggling, water balloons bouncing off the walls in the tub (ok that was my idea, admittedly not one of my best), slip sliding around. I was laughing my butt off, but by the time we finished my back was killing me. Who knew bath time was so hard?
Getting them to sleep was also a challenge. We blew up the air mattress in our living room. I slept on the sofa, the boys on the mattress. We put on the Bakugan cartoon for quiet time- Franklin was asleep by 9:15. Rufus was up till 10:45. He explained the entire Bakugan show, all its main characters, why he liked it, and even told me his favorite episodes. I finally insisted he go to sleep. He did so in a matter of moments, once he stopped talking.
All in all, it was a pretty great sleepover. I’m looking forward to next time…minus the poop incident and the water balloons in the bathtub.
The plan was that we were supposed to go to my house later in the day, but after 20 short minutes of the kids begging to come to my house, I relented and loaded them in my car. Ben, being the great guy that he is, had stopped at the grocery store the night before and stocked up on fresh fruit, and snacks for the boys. He also picked out a watermelon body wash for tub-time later, which I thought was well done.
Man, did we have fun! We played Lego Star Wars and watched a movie, then Ben thought it would be fun to take the kids to Target to pick out a toy for each of them, and one for their new sister, then go to Old McDonald’s (or McDonald’s to everyone else) for lunch so they could get a happy meal then play in the play land. At Target each of the boys picked out a Star Wars t-shirt and a toy. Franklin got Buddy the Dinosaur and Rufus a new Bakugan trio. Then, they picked out a fuzzy pink dog from the newborn section for baby sister. At first, they wanted to get a blue bear, but I explained that for a girl you usually pick out a girl toy. I suggested getting her an outfit, but that was pooh-poohed.
Me: We could get a cute outfit for baby sister that would be fun.
Rufus: I don’t think so.
Franklin: Bo-ring!
Me: Come on, your little sister would like that!
Rufus: Trust me Aunt Char-char, kids like toys best.
Can’t argue with that logic.
Next it was on to Old McDonald’s. The kids ate lunch really well, so it was time for the play land. When we opened the door to the play land, it stunk so badly. Apparently, some kid had an accident. Another woman informed us the tubes were full of turd’- and lucky for us- we came in just in time to see a turd fall out of the kids shorts. Plunk!
Rufus: Oh, man! That stinks.
Franklin: Did you see the poops?
Me: Yes, now come on guys, let’s just go back out and for the love of Pete, touch nothing!
I usher the kids out of the play land, Franklin was crying and upset. I apologized, promising we would come back another day and got him calmed down. Rufus could not for the life of him figure out why that kid just hadn’t asked to go to the bathroom. Ben tried to explain, but Rufus could not wrap his brain around it.
Now, here’s the part that floored me. I understand potty training can be difficult. I worked at a daycare for 5 years in the two year old room. We potty trained kids day after day- got them in, got they trained, then they moved to the three year old room and we started over again. It is so hard, believe me, I know! My question is this- if your child is not yet quite potty trained- why didn’t you just put him in the pull up or diaper to go in the play land? Kids have accidents when they are still learning- it’s no big deal- but did you have to wing it and have the play land shut down? It seems obvious to me that with all that fun and commotion, the kid won’t come up to you and tell you they have to go. What kid would?
Worse than that, is this woman actually covered the turd of the floor with a paper napkin, cleaned up her child, and DID NOT notify the McD’s staff about the turd’s up in the tube or the one covered feebly with a napkin on the floor…I am not kidding! I was appalled! I think she was embarrassed, so she just rushed out in a hurry. This other woman (the one who warned me about the poop) had to go and tell the staff. Honestly, I don’t know what people are thinking sometimes.
At any rate, Ben and I loaded two very bummed out little boys into their car seats, and headed back to our house. After that, we went up to the hospital. Franklin and Rufus were very excited to meet Bonnie. She is so beautiful! After about 5 minutes, they asked if they could go back to my house. I suspect they were worried I’d change my mind about the sleepover if we stayed too long.
After we got home, we had dinner then bath time. Giving the two of them a bath is like trying to rope in a couple of octopus- skinny arms and legs flying everywhere, constant giggling, water balloons bouncing off the walls in the tub (ok that was my idea, admittedly not one of my best), slip sliding around. I was laughing my butt off, but by the time we finished my back was killing me. Who knew bath time was so hard?
Getting them to sleep was also a challenge. We blew up the air mattress in our living room. I slept on the sofa, the boys on the mattress. We put on the Bakugan cartoon for quiet time- Franklin was asleep by 9:15. Rufus was up till 10:45. He explained the entire Bakugan show, all its main characters, why he liked it, and even told me his favorite episodes. I finally insisted he go to sleep. He did so in a matter of moments, once he stopped talking.
All in all, it was a pretty great sleepover. I’m looking forward to next time…minus the poop incident and the water balloons in the bathtub.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
At Aunt Charlotte's House.
This past week, I had to stop at my house on Wednesday when Franklin was with me because I had forgotten to take my medicine in the morning before I went to Franklin and Rufus’s house. I had a long talk with Franklin and told him we maybe should not mention we stopped by my house that day because Rufus might be disappointed. Franklin nodded like he understood, and then blabbed the whole thing to Rufus when we picked him up from school.
So, I promised a Thursday Adventure over at my house the next day. The boys showed up bright and early in their PJ’s with big smiles on their faces. Rufus was a bit hesitant when he caught sight of my behemoth of a dog, Sonny. Let me explain my mutt. He is quite large- 110 lbs, and muscular. He is a Lab-Dalmatian mix. He has the face of a lab, and the body of a Dalmatian, complete with a tale that my brother Jeff once described as a whip antenna covered in duct tape. When you are hit by this wagging weapon it stings- and sometimes leaves a welt. My dog will be seven this year, but that means very little. He is still hyper, and very needy. He had separation anxiety as a puppy (diagnosed by the vet, I’m not making this up) and is very attached to me and Ben. He is huge- and the biggest wimp of a dog you’ll ever meet. He is afraid of the following: aerosol cans, lawn mowers, the vacuum cleaner, ducks, squirrels, and he really only likes people- not other animals. In short, he looks scary, but is a big softie.
Sonny barks a lot when he is excited, so when Rufus and Franklin arrived with their Dad, Rufus was a little afraid. After about 10 minutes, he realized his bark is worse than his bite, and they were best friends. Franklin walked in and let Sonny lick his face, then cracked up and put Woobie on Sonny’s head- a big honor.
I had a few things planned for our special day. We have a small park (if you can call a swing set and a moonwalk that) at our condo so I planned on taking them there. Ben has a large collection of Star Wars Lego’s we got out and we have the Star Ways Lego game as well as The Force Unleashed with the light sabers for the Wii. I also have a craft box for when my nieces come over filled with feathers, glitter, glue construction paper- you get the idea. Plus, I’ve got chalk and bubbles for playing outside, and we planned on making cupcakes for snack and pizzas for lunch. I like to pack a ton of stuff into one day.
When Rufus and Franklin got here, the boys made a mad dash for the coffee table covered in Lego. They were so excited because Uncle Ben has the Millennium Falcon- I know, way cool. We played that, and then made the cupcakes in my tiny galley kitchen. Rufus had some funny stuff to say about it.
Rufus: Aunt Char-char, are you telling me this is supposed to be a kitchen?
Me: It is a kitchen. Pretty small, huh?
Franklin: Do you have to eat at that table out there?
Me: Yeah, that’s the dining room.
Rufus: (shaking his head) I don’t know how you do it.
After we made cupcakes, we went outside to throw the Frisbee with Sonny and played Lego again. When it was time to make pizza, I leaned two chairs at opposite end of the counter. I helped each kid with the sauce, and turned my back on Franklin for just a second, only to turn back and find his face covered in sauce.
Me: Did you eat the sauce?
Franklin: Yes. It’s delicious!
Me: (laughing) ok, that’s enough.
Rufus: Wow. It is good.
Me: Ok, let’s just put on the cheese now.
Rufus: Can we just dump it then spread it?
Me: Sure. I don’t care.
Franklin: Mom makes us sprinkle it.
Me: She does? I’m sure that’s the right way to do it, but we’ll just dump.
Rufus: Oh, boy!
After leaving half of one pizza with just cheese, and Franklin eating half the pepperoni (that kid loves meat) we finally had the pizza done and in the oven. My Dad and Jeff joined us for pizza and veggies and dip for lunch, then we finished the rest of the day.
When Franklin and Rufus left, my house was a mess. There were sprinkles, fruity pebbles, and cracker crumbs on the furniture and floor, some of the Lego’s were missing, and the Millennium Falcon was destroyed. Plus, my bed was mussed because we had a pillow fight and I let them jump on it. It didn’t matter though, we had the best time! I taught Rufus how to play video games- Franklin lost interest- and we ate cupcakes and played outside. All in all- it was a great Thursday Adventure over at my house.
So, I promised a Thursday Adventure over at my house the next day. The boys showed up bright and early in their PJ’s with big smiles on their faces. Rufus was a bit hesitant when he caught sight of my behemoth of a dog, Sonny. Let me explain my mutt. He is quite large- 110 lbs, and muscular. He is a Lab-Dalmatian mix. He has the face of a lab, and the body of a Dalmatian, complete with a tale that my brother Jeff once described as a whip antenna covered in duct tape. When you are hit by this wagging weapon it stings- and sometimes leaves a welt. My dog will be seven this year, but that means very little. He is still hyper, and very needy. He had separation anxiety as a puppy (diagnosed by the vet, I’m not making this up) and is very attached to me and Ben. He is huge- and the biggest wimp of a dog you’ll ever meet. He is afraid of the following: aerosol cans, lawn mowers, the vacuum cleaner, ducks, squirrels, and he really only likes people- not other animals. In short, he looks scary, but is a big softie.
Sonny barks a lot when he is excited, so when Rufus and Franklin arrived with their Dad, Rufus was a little afraid. After about 10 minutes, he realized his bark is worse than his bite, and they were best friends. Franklin walked in and let Sonny lick his face, then cracked up and put Woobie on Sonny’s head- a big honor.
I had a few things planned for our special day. We have a small park (if you can call a swing set and a moonwalk that) at our condo so I planned on taking them there. Ben has a large collection of Star Wars Lego’s we got out and we have the Star Ways Lego game as well as The Force Unleashed with the light sabers for the Wii. I also have a craft box for when my nieces come over filled with feathers, glitter, glue construction paper- you get the idea. Plus, I’ve got chalk and bubbles for playing outside, and we planned on making cupcakes for snack and pizzas for lunch. I like to pack a ton of stuff into one day.
When Rufus and Franklin got here, the boys made a mad dash for the coffee table covered in Lego. They were so excited because Uncle Ben has the Millennium Falcon- I know, way cool. We played that, and then made the cupcakes in my tiny galley kitchen. Rufus had some funny stuff to say about it.
Rufus: Aunt Char-char, are you telling me this is supposed to be a kitchen?
Me: It is a kitchen. Pretty small, huh?
Franklin: Do you have to eat at that table out there?
Me: Yeah, that’s the dining room.
Rufus: (shaking his head) I don’t know how you do it.
After we made cupcakes, we went outside to throw the Frisbee with Sonny and played Lego again. When it was time to make pizza, I leaned two chairs at opposite end of the counter. I helped each kid with the sauce, and turned my back on Franklin for just a second, only to turn back and find his face covered in sauce.
Me: Did you eat the sauce?
Franklin: Yes. It’s delicious!
Me: (laughing) ok, that’s enough.
Rufus: Wow. It is good.
Me: Ok, let’s just put on the cheese now.
Rufus: Can we just dump it then spread it?
Me: Sure. I don’t care.
Franklin: Mom makes us sprinkle it.
Me: She does? I’m sure that’s the right way to do it, but we’ll just dump.
Rufus: Oh, boy!
After leaving half of one pizza with just cheese, and Franklin eating half the pepperoni (that kid loves meat) we finally had the pizza done and in the oven. My Dad and Jeff joined us for pizza and veggies and dip for lunch, then we finished the rest of the day.
When Franklin and Rufus left, my house was a mess. There were sprinkles, fruity pebbles, and cracker crumbs on the furniture and floor, some of the Lego’s were missing, and the Millennium Falcon was destroyed. Plus, my bed was mussed because we had a pillow fight and I let them jump on it. It didn’t matter though, we had the best time! I taught Rufus how to play video games- Franklin lost interest- and we ate cupcakes and played outside. All in all- it was a great Thursday Adventure over at my house.
Getting to School.
My brother Jeff and I have trouble working together. Not because we don’t get along well, but because we are both a bit disorganized in the morning, and I suspect we just aren’t morning people. I’m always running late on my way to Rufus and Franklin’s house. I get up in the morning, stumble to the shower and hurry through getting ready (which usually involves me putting my hair in a sloppy pony tale and putting on sweat pants). I do not look my best when I go over there, but I’m neat and clean so I just don’t worry about it.
This past year, Rufus started preschool. It has been my job to get him out the door, teeth brushed, shoes on, clothing neat, hair combed and back-pack in hand.
This is easier said than done.
As I mentioned, I am not a morning person, but since it was my job to take Rufus to school, I decided I couldn’t go looking like a slob. I found some of my nicer long sleeved t-shirts, jeans and halfway decent tennis shoes and started wearing that- made more of an effort to do my hair and make-up so I didn’t walk into school looking like hobo.
As I have mentioned in the past, I am not a parent, but taking Rufus to school the first day was one of the hardest things I have ever done. He cried. I cried. Franklin cried because he was too little to stay at school. I called Jeff sobbing and almost didn’t make it through. For an entire week, the scenario played over and over in my mind, and I’d get so upset. Aunts are supposed to be fun- supposed to spoil their nieces and nephews and play with them, not make them do hard things. I was so worried Rufus would never forgive me- but he did. It might have helped that I bought he and Franklin $60 worth of Lego’s to apologize and had them waiting in the car for him when school was over- I never said I was above bribery.
But the second time I took him, Rufus was brave- fearless even. He marched right in, took his teachers hand, and only looked back once to smile at me. I was forgiven- just like that. I was so proud of him.
However, getting Rufus and Franklin out the door is always a challenge. Franklin always needs a toy and his Woobie. Woobie is a square blanket, about a foot wide and long, fuzzy, yellow one side, green on the other, with different colored silk pieces about an inch thick around the edges. Franklin adores Woobie. He talks to it, refers to it as ‘him’ and takes Whoobie everywhere. He also puts it in his mouth for some reason and sucks on it, which is admittedly gross, but it makes him happy so I figure its fine. As a direct result, Woobie stinks. Jeff and Beth try to wash him as often as possible, but parting Whoobie from Franklin is difficult.
Brushing teeth is also a problem. The boys forget to brush and use this time to tell me tall tales instead.
Rufus: Aunt Char-char, know what? This one time when I used to live by myself when I was little, I used my big-wheel you put together for me to drive to the store and buy all red Jelly-bellies. Then I fed the Jelly-bellies to the ducks because they were so tired of bread.
Franklin: Me too! I helped, but I used all the different colored Jelly-belies to feed to the ducks because they like the different ones.
Me: Then what happened?
Rufus: (thinking) well, well…that’s it really. We came home and made peanut butter sandwiches.
Me: Yeah? I thought you joined a circus and became the Fabulous Fronzini Brothers! You fed jelly-beans to all the animals in the circus, especially the lions! The crowd loved it when you fed the lions, and they cheered for you!
Franklin: (jumping up and down) that’s exactly what happened! We forgot!
Although VERY fun, conversations like these make us very late for school. All the other parents come in and seem to have it together. I have never felt like I just had it- until last week. Now, Beth is on maternity leave and I don’t have to take the boys to school today. It figures. I finally figure it out- and by the time maternity leave is over for Beth, school will be over. Oh, well! I guess there’s always next year!
This past year, Rufus started preschool. It has been my job to get him out the door, teeth brushed, shoes on, clothing neat, hair combed and back-pack in hand.
This is easier said than done.
As I mentioned, I am not a morning person, but since it was my job to take Rufus to school, I decided I couldn’t go looking like a slob. I found some of my nicer long sleeved t-shirts, jeans and halfway decent tennis shoes and started wearing that- made more of an effort to do my hair and make-up so I didn’t walk into school looking like hobo.
As I have mentioned in the past, I am not a parent, but taking Rufus to school the first day was one of the hardest things I have ever done. He cried. I cried. Franklin cried because he was too little to stay at school. I called Jeff sobbing and almost didn’t make it through. For an entire week, the scenario played over and over in my mind, and I’d get so upset. Aunts are supposed to be fun- supposed to spoil their nieces and nephews and play with them, not make them do hard things. I was so worried Rufus would never forgive me- but he did. It might have helped that I bought he and Franklin $60 worth of Lego’s to apologize and had them waiting in the car for him when school was over- I never said I was above bribery.
But the second time I took him, Rufus was brave- fearless even. He marched right in, took his teachers hand, and only looked back once to smile at me. I was forgiven- just like that. I was so proud of him.
However, getting Rufus and Franklin out the door is always a challenge. Franklin always needs a toy and his Woobie. Woobie is a square blanket, about a foot wide and long, fuzzy, yellow one side, green on the other, with different colored silk pieces about an inch thick around the edges. Franklin adores Woobie. He talks to it, refers to it as ‘him’ and takes Whoobie everywhere. He also puts it in his mouth for some reason and sucks on it, which is admittedly gross, but it makes him happy so I figure its fine. As a direct result, Woobie stinks. Jeff and Beth try to wash him as often as possible, but parting Whoobie from Franklin is difficult.
Brushing teeth is also a problem. The boys forget to brush and use this time to tell me tall tales instead.
Rufus: Aunt Char-char, know what? This one time when I used to live by myself when I was little, I used my big-wheel you put together for me to drive to the store and buy all red Jelly-bellies. Then I fed the Jelly-bellies to the ducks because they were so tired of bread.
Franklin: Me too! I helped, but I used all the different colored Jelly-belies to feed to the ducks because they like the different ones.
Me: Then what happened?
Rufus: (thinking) well, well…that’s it really. We came home and made peanut butter sandwiches.
Me: Yeah? I thought you joined a circus and became the Fabulous Fronzini Brothers! You fed jelly-beans to all the animals in the circus, especially the lions! The crowd loved it when you fed the lions, and they cheered for you!
Franklin: (jumping up and down) that’s exactly what happened! We forgot!
Although VERY fun, conversations like these make us very late for school. All the other parents come in and seem to have it together. I have never felt like I just had it- until last week. Now, Beth is on maternity leave and I don’t have to take the boys to school today. It figures. I finally figure it out- and by the time maternity leave is over for Beth, school will be over. Oh, well! I guess there’s always next year!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Play-doh and Art.
Rufus once told me I’m a great play-doh-er. Actually, the conversation went something like this:
Rufus: Aunt Charsh, you’re a terrible drawer. That bird doesn’t look like a bird at all really.
Me: It doesn’t?
Rufus: (considering) actually, it looks like a blob with wings.
Me: Well, I tried.
Rufus: Don’t worry; you’re a great Play-doh-er. Nobody makes Play-doh stuff like you.
Me: Thanks buddy.
Rufus is always kind that way- he never wants to hurt anyone’s feelings, a trait I admire in a child so young. The boys and I play play-doh often because it is one of my favorite things to do. Honestly, I just love it. I love the way it feels, I love making shapes and using the fun factory and I could care less that it makes a huge mess.
When we were kids, my Mom used to make play-doh for us all the time. For some reason, my two favorite colors were blue and purple. My infinitely patient Mom used to whip up batch after batch of the stuff and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I still remember the way it felt all warm and fresh from the pot. I even remember the way it tasted- salty. If you claim to have never tried play-doh, I find this hard to believe. Who hasn’t at least tried it and spit it out?
Both Rufus and Franklin have tried it. Rufus spit it out and said yuck- Franklin swallowed it and tried to eat more. I finally got him to stop when I told him it would give him weird rainbow colored poop.
Another thing we enjoy doing together is doing art projects. We cut out paper, use glue, and scissors. This too makes a huge mess, but I never mind cleaning it up because the boys seem to like it so much. We have some of our best conversations at the kitchen table. Here’s one of my favorites I jotted down:
Rufus: Aunt Char-char?
Me: Yes, sir?
Franklin: His name’s not sir!
Me: Really? I thought it was Sir. Sir Rufus Allowicious-Do-the-dishes Magoo.
Rufus: (Laughing) Is your name Charshie-Dagarshie-pooparshie?
Me: Why, yes it is! And who are you Franklin?
Franklin: I’m Batman.
Me: Batman-doratman-shmoe-matman?
Franklin: No.
Batman should never be messed with.
Rufus: Aunt Charsh, you’re a terrible drawer. That bird doesn’t look like a bird at all really.
Me: It doesn’t?
Rufus: (considering) actually, it looks like a blob with wings.
Me: Well, I tried.
Rufus: Don’t worry; you’re a great Play-doh-er. Nobody makes Play-doh stuff like you.
Me: Thanks buddy.
Rufus is always kind that way- he never wants to hurt anyone’s feelings, a trait I admire in a child so young. The boys and I play play-doh often because it is one of my favorite things to do. Honestly, I just love it. I love the way it feels, I love making shapes and using the fun factory and I could care less that it makes a huge mess.
When we were kids, my Mom used to make play-doh for us all the time. For some reason, my two favorite colors were blue and purple. My infinitely patient Mom used to whip up batch after batch of the stuff and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I still remember the way it felt all warm and fresh from the pot. I even remember the way it tasted- salty. If you claim to have never tried play-doh, I find this hard to believe. Who hasn’t at least tried it and spit it out?
Both Rufus and Franklin have tried it. Rufus spit it out and said yuck- Franklin swallowed it and tried to eat more. I finally got him to stop when I told him it would give him weird rainbow colored poop.
Another thing we enjoy doing together is doing art projects. We cut out paper, use glue, and scissors. This too makes a huge mess, but I never mind cleaning it up because the boys seem to like it so much. We have some of our best conversations at the kitchen table. Here’s one of my favorites I jotted down:
Rufus: Aunt Char-char?
Me: Yes, sir?
Franklin: His name’s not sir!
Me: Really? I thought it was Sir. Sir Rufus Allowicious-Do-the-dishes Magoo.
Rufus: (Laughing) Is your name Charshie-Dagarshie-pooparshie?
Me: Why, yes it is! And who are you Franklin?
Franklin: I’m Batman.
Me: Batman-doratman-shmoe-matman?
Franklin: No.
Batman should never be messed with.
Thanks Guys.
This weekend I went to Ohio for a family reunion for my Husband Ben. It was so wonderful seeing everyone, especially my nieces and nephews. Now, I have three nephews on my side of the family, and in a week or so I’ll meet my very first niece. I’m very excited to spend time with her- she will be a little sister to Rufus and Franklin. Who could ask for two better big brothers?
We only have boys on my side of the family, but for Ben’s the opposite’s true. His sister Chris has a son and two daughters, and Shannon has two girls. I don’t see them often because Chris’ family lives in Ohio, and Shannon’s in Wisconsin. However, when I do, I always enjoy spending time with them.
This weekend made me realize how very different boys are from girls. The way they talk, the way they play- even the way they interact with one another is different. My younger nieces love Justin Bieber, Barbie dolls, princesses and sparkly things that are pink and borderline tacky. The more frills the better! This is just adorable, but I felt a bit lost playing with them. Especially after coloring a princess picture because I gave her blue skin and green hair and said she was an Avatar princess. I thought it was funny. A similar snafu happened to me while playing Barbies with my niece Jenna. I was Mulan, she was Snow white and here’s what our conversation was like:
Jenna: We’re swimming in a beautiful waterfall, laying in the sunshine on the rocks.
Me: Ok, Mulan is swimming too- she caught a fish. Let’s eat if for dinner!
Jenna: (horrified face) Yuck.
Now, I laughed so hard at that face she made, but I had clearly forgotten how to play like a little girl. Having Mulan catch a fish seemed logical to me. It was native to her diet; she grew up in a small village where fish was a staple. She was a tough and independent girl, Mulan. She seemed like the type to catch and cook her own fish to me. I was apparently wrong about this. The Avatar coloring page solidified my belief that I am in fact much better at playing with boys than girls, but it got me to thinking. Was I that way? Did I love girly stuff and princesses and frills when I was little?
I remember loving bows, doing my hair and nails and playing dress-up, and Barbies were my favorite toy, hands down. I played with Barbie for countless hours with my cousin Sarah. We also loved to play a game we called- boyfriends. Some of my happiest memories are of playing Barbies with Sarah, yet, my memories of that are fuzzy.
So what do I remember? Playing guns in the backyard with my brother’s Matt and Jeff, my cousin's Markie and Kevin, and Jeff’s best friend Mark then eventually when she was older, my sister Whittney joined us. We would be on teams and stage the most elaborate battles. I played Dungeon’s and Dragon’s with Jeff and Mark, Magic the Gathering and Superhero dice games and read comic books. I spent time playing video games with my younger brother Matt and my sister Whittney (8 years younger than I). I played kick ball, wiffle ball, and football in the street and in the back yard. We loved to pretend we were the Dukes of Hazard, Cops and Robbers, and Cowboys and Indians. I played Barbie meets GI Joe, and with Hot Wheels in the sandbox. I loved flash-light tag and catching lightning bugs and snakes.
These are the memories most dear to my heart. I am so grateful to the boys in my life who have grown into wonderful the men I now call my friends. You all kept me from becoming too girly. You made me appreciate a great comic book, an epic battle in a movie, and a good game of baseball. I have been farted on, burped at, Melvined, nuggied, slugged, received a ‘flying cross body block,’ mocked, teased, been the recipient of a 'dutch oven,' and most of all, loved.
So, I thank you all; even if having my brothers take my hand and fart on it was not my favorite thing in the world, it always made me laugh. (Except for loogies- those are just gross.) I’m proud that I know who all the Avengers are and my husband Ben has to ask me. I’m proud I enjoy watching action flicks and I don’t flinch when a man’s head is chopped off. I’m glad I was the best at playing Sonic the Hedgehog in our house, and that I love to watch Star Trek, Star Wars, Superman, X-Men, GI Joe, and countless other things men enjoy.
With the arrival of my niece so nearby, it is my fervent hope that Franklin and Rufus will be as great to their little sister as the boys in my life were to me. So, Jeff, Matt, Markie, Kevin, and Mark, thanks for all the memories. You are the best!
We only have boys on my side of the family, but for Ben’s the opposite’s true. His sister Chris has a son and two daughters, and Shannon has two girls. I don’t see them often because Chris’ family lives in Ohio, and Shannon’s in Wisconsin. However, when I do, I always enjoy spending time with them.
This weekend made me realize how very different boys are from girls. The way they talk, the way they play- even the way they interact with one another is different. My younger nieces love Justin Bieber, Barbie dolls, princesses and sparkly things that are pink and borderline tacky. The more frills the better! This is just adorable, but I felt a bit lost playing with them. Especially after coloring a princess picture because I gave her blue skin and green hair and said she was an Avatar princess. I thought it was funny. A similar snafu happened to me while playing Barbies with my niece Jenna. I was Mulan, she was Snow white and here’s what our conversation was like:
Jenna: We’re swimming in a beautiful waterfall, laying in the sunshine on the rocks.
Me: Ok, Mulan is swimming too- she caught a fish. Let’s eat if for dinner!
Jenna: (horrified face) Yuck.
Now, I laughed so hard at that face she made, but I had clearly forgotten how to play like a little girl. Having Mulan catch a fish seemed logical to me. It was native to her diet; she grew up in a small village where fish was a staple. She was a tough and independent girl, Mulan. She seemed like the type to catch and cook her own fish to me. I was apparently wrong about this. The Avatar coloring page solidified my belief that I am in fact much better at playing with boys than girls, but it got me to thinking. Was I that way? Did I love girly stuff and princesses and frills when I was little?
I remember loving bows, doing my hair and nails and playing dress-up, and Barbies were my favorite toy, hands down. I played with Barbie for countless hours with my cousin Sarah. We also loved to play a game we called- boyfriends. Some of my happiest memories are of playing Barbies with Sarah, yet, my memories of that are fuzzy.
So what do I remember? Playing guns in the backyard with my brother’s Matt and Jeff, my cousin's Markie and Kevin, and Jeff’s best friend Mark then eventually when she was older, my sister Whittney joined us. We would be on teams and stage the most elaborate battles. I played Dungeon’s and Dragon’s with Jeff and Mark, Magic the Gathering and Superhero dice games and read comic books. I spent time playing video games with my younger brother Matt and my sister Whittney (8 years younger than I). I played kick ball, wiffle ball, and football in the street and in the back yard. We loved to pretend we were the Dukes of Hazard, Cops and Robbers, and Cowboys and Indians. I played Barbie meets GI Joe, and with Hot Wheels in the sandbox. I loved flash-light tag and catching lightning bugs and snakes.
These are the memories most dear to my heart. I am so grateful to the boys in my life who have grown into wonderful the men I now call my friends. You all kept me from becoming too girly. You made me appreciate a great comic book, an epic battle in a movie, and a good game of baseball. I have been farted on, burped at, Melvined, nuggied, slugged, received a ‘flying cross body block,’ mocked, teased, been the recipient of a 'dutch oven,' and most of all, loved.
So, I thank you all; even if having my brothers take my hand and fart on it was not my favorite thing in the world, it always made me laugh. (Except for loogies- those are just gross.) I’m proud that I know who all the Avengers are and my husband Ben has to ask me. I’m proud I enjoy watching action flicks and I don’t flinch when a man’s head is chopped off. I’m glad I was the best at playing Sonic the Hedgehog in our house, and that I love to watch Star Trek, Star Wars, Superman, X-Men, GI Joe, and countless other things men enjoy.
With the arrival of my niece so nearby, it is my fervent hope that Franklin and Rufus will be as great to their little sister as the boys in my life were to me. So, Jeff, Matt, Markie, Kevin, and Mark, thanks for all the memories. You are the best!
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