Posted in Everyday, Ruthie, Thomas on Nov 30th, 2009 4 Comments »
The creative mischief never ends at our house, and it seems I have two children destined for tattoos in their future. Some might prefer I be more concerned about this, but I just can’t seem to get worked up over a little ink. It washes off. Usually. Our Thanksgiving weekend was thankfully free of horror [...]
Posted in Everyday, Ruthie on Nov 25th, 2009 1 Comment »
Ruthie, now a first grader, is fully into reading and writing. This sounded exciting and adventurous at the outset, but I quickly realized literacy provides one more way to express defiance. I should have stayed content with slamming doors.
Posted in Everyday, Ruthie, Thomas on Aug 2nd, 2009 2 Comments »
Ruthie became dehydrated twice this week as a result of the heat – and despite my constant nagging about drinking water. As she hovered over the toilet, I held back her hair and stroked her back as she heaved. I’m not sure how I knew she was dehydrated, as opposed to actually having a stomach [...]
Posted in Comfort & Control, Everyday, Ruthie on Jul 23rd, 2009 5 Comments »
Isn’t she beautiful? I’m really struggling with this little girl right now. She is a challenge, and every day is a series of battles over things as minuscule as Please Put Your Shoes on the Shoe Rack (because apparently that’s the most unfair thing I could ask of her). And I’m tired. I’m tired of [...]
Posted in Everyday, Ruthie, Thomas on Jul 16th, 2009 No Comments »
Thomas: What are we doing here again? Me: I’m picking up the canopies our friends borrowed. Thomas: I WANNA SEE THE PEAS! Me: The peas? Thomas: Yeah, I wanna see the can of peas! — Ruthie: Mom, is the chicken we eat the same as the REAL chicken that goes BAWK BAWK? Me: Yup. Ruthie: [...]
Posted in Ruthie, Video on Jul 9th, 2009 3 Comments »
Ruthie skipped dinner tonight because she was busy working on a project upstairs. Bryan thought the idea was brilliant, so when I suggested she may have seen a snack hat invention on Curious George he was quite offended. But still. She made one. And it’s pretty cool.
Posted in Everyday, Ruthie, Thomas on Jul 1st, 2009 3 Comments »
Ruthie: Mom, why doesn’t [old babysitter] come over anymore? Me: She went off to college. Ruthie: When she’s done with college is she going to be a mom? Me: Maybe. Or she might get a job… Thomas: OR MAKE DINNER!
Posted in Ruthie on Jun 14th, 2009 2 Comments »
We’re marching into the home stretch: Ruthie’s last week of kindergarten. I remember driving through town within the first few weeks of school last fall and hearing this from the back seat: “SSSS….. TUH… OPP… ST..OP…STOP! HEY THAT SIGN SAYS STOP!” Bryan and I looked at each other in wide-eyed amazement that in just a [...]
Posted in Ruthie on Jun 5th, 2009 2 Comments »
My little girl had a blood draw yesterday, and she was very brave. The lab technicians gave her a princess frisbee as they set her up, and asked her to name all the princesses. She hadn’t even made it past Belle by the time the vial was full, and it was so quick there wasn’t [...]
Posted in Bryan, Everyday, Picture Book, Ruthie on Apr 27th, 2009 2 Comments »
Me: So Ruthie, your homework tonight is to write three words in the “air” family. Ruthie: CHAIR! Me: Awesome. What’s another one? Ruthie: STAIR! Me: Yup. One more! Ruthie: PAIR! Me: Close! I know it sounds the same, but that’s actually spelled P-E-A-R. Ruthie: [blank stair stare] Me: Um, yeah. Actually, PAIR is right. Good [...]
Posted in Everyday, Ruthie on Mar 28th, 2009 1 Comment »
Ruthie, playing with Thomas: “I’m gonna kill you!” Me, scolding: “Ruthie!” Ruthie: “Oh. Sorry mom.” Then to Thomas: “I’m gonna slice you into pieces!” Me: “RUTHANNE!” Ruthie: “Oops, sorry.” To Thomas: “I’m gonna…TURN YOU INTO A GROCERY STORE!”
Posted in Ruthie on Mar 10th, 2009 1 Comment »
My biggest girl turns six today. Why don’t you click on over to her blog and wish her a happy birthday!
Posted in Everyday, Ruthie, Thomas on Feb 14th, 2009 1 Comment »
I set aside The Control Freak for an hour this week and helped the kids sign and assemble their Valentines. This is a fun age full of independence and exploration. I need to remember moments like this in the midst of the screaming, hair pulling, door slamming moments.
Posted in Everyday, Ruthie on Feb 11th, 2009 1 Comment »
To clarify, the fall came as she was arguing with me about quitting her task. When she’s got her wits about her, she’s a very careful kid. I’ve never had to worry about her on play equipment or anything – she’s always had a steady foot. But on this particular occasion she whined about quitting [...]
Posted in Everyday, Ruthie, Thomas on Dec 16th, 2008 No Comments »
Buzz Light Year: Hey, you wanna go for a fly? Optimus Prime: I can’t. I don’t have wings. Buzz Light Year: You could pretend your arms are wings! Optimus Prime: Hey, I have a great idea! I saw some wings at the store! [insert wing attachment sound effects] Optimus Prime: Okay, let’s go! Wanna go [...]
Be warned: what you see here is not my best work. It is what Anne Lamott describes in Bird By Bird as a series of “shitty first drafts.” Blogging dragged me kicking and screaming out of creative constipation by getting me to actually write. So I do that. A lot. Without worrying about every word choice or comma placement.
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