Waldameer Park, Presque Isle, Erie, PA
Lake Erie, Beach 6 Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
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5 seven and eight year olds laughing instead of arguing over
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$3.00 for jumpropes
($84 you didn't intend to spend)
5 seven and eight year olds laughing instead of arguing over
1 jumprope
PRICELESS
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
She Said What?!
So, a nice visit with the fam. Or rather, with Sweetie's fam.
My mother in law was in the chicken enclosure breaking up a fight (cock fightin' is still illegal in their neck o' de woods.)
The Howler watches Grandma whack both roosters with a broom handle, then walks up to the gazebo, where Grandpa is sitting by the fire, watching a rousing game of Ladderball.
Grandpa asks, "So where's she at?"
And the Howler responds, "She's beatin the hell outta the chickens."
Luckily, Grandpa is deaf as a doornail.
My mother in law was in the chicken enclosure breaking up a fight (cock fightin' is still illegal in their neck o' de woods.)
The Howler watches Grandma whack both roosters with a broom handle, then walks up to the gazebo, where Grandpa is sitting by the fire, watching a rousing game of Ladderball.
Grandpa asks, "So where's she at?"
And the Howler responds, "She's beatin the hell outta the chickens."
Luckily, Grandpa is deaf as a doornail.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Leetle Girls
Can be annoying.
Especially when there's two of them, and they're both shrieking.
We had promised the Howler that when summer came, and Missy was at her Dad's house, and I had the next day off (or went to work late in the afternoon) Missy could spend the night.
Last night was the night.
Of course, My Sweetie was not well--too many hours a week, too many years at a physically demanding job, too old...and he apparently pulled more than one muscle in his neck. He's in intense pain, and is not, in any sense, of being up to dealing with two seven year old girls. Which I happily do, if for no other reason than he deserves some rest, and I did promise.
It's now 12:06pm EST and they're still in pj's, with one wiggling a tooth incessantly and the other asking how soon is lunch.
God, but I'm a glutton for punishment.
Especially when there's two of them, and they're both shrieking.
We had promised the Howler that when summer came, and Missy was at her Dad's house, and I had the next day off (or went to work late in the afternoon) Missy could spend the night.
Last night was the night.
Of course, My Sweetie was not well--too many hours a week, too many years at a physically demanding job, too old...and he apparently pulled more than one muscle in his neck. He's in intense pain, and is not, in any sense, of being up to dealing with two seven year old girls. Which I happily do, if for no other reason than he deserves some rest, and I did promise.
It's now 12:06pm EST and they're still in pj's, with one wiggling a tooth incessantly and the other asking how soon is lunch.
God, but I'm a glutton for punishment.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Community Relations
Oh, I didn't fill y'all in on the new-and-improved neighborhood fun.
Blonde and Bully have been behaving, and there's been no abusive treatment of any one.
The girls get along. The boys get along, and if they have to pass each other on the green green grass of home, they do it peaceably. No tackling, no crying.
It's all good.
Sunday, the children also had a water battle in my backyard. At first, it was just the girls. Then the boys showed up. Cutie, the youngest, complained every time someone splashed him that his new shirt was ruined (it was water.) Bully didn't want to get wet, so I made the rules clear:
1) You don't want to get wet, you don't get to use a squirt gun or splash anyone else.
2) Don't shoot anyone in the face.
Waif apparently thought that rule wasn't for her, and I spent more time telling her to aim lower than I spent reminding anyone else of anything.
At one point, Bully was effectively shut out and wasn't allowed to load his weapon. Now, it's a water battle, and they're all nailing him right and left, and he's got no ammo? No fair (no matter what I think of the kid, it's still not fair)
I told him to meet me 'round front, and bring the squirt gun. (He arrived looking like I was going to kill him with his own weapon.) I filled the gun for him, and told him, Don't shoot in the face and under no circumstances tell them I did this!
He ran back around the house, shot them all and when the water was depleted, they all found other things to do.
With no fighting and no crying.
I'm not such a terrible wench after all.
Blonde and Bully have been behaving, and there's been no abusive treatment of any one.
The girls get along. The boys get along, and if they have to pass each other on the green green grass of home, they do it peaceably. No tackling, no crying.
It's all good.
Sunday, the children also had a water battle in my backyard. At first, it was just the girls. Then the boys showed up. Cutie, the youngest, complained every time someone splashed him that his new shirt was ruined (it was water.) Bully didn't want to get wet, so I made the rules clear:
1) You don't want to get wet, you don't get to use a squirt gun or splash anyone else.
2) Don't shoot anyone in the face.
Waif apparently thought that rule wasn't for her, and I spent more time telling her to aim lower than I spent reminding anyone else of anything.
At one point, Bully was effectively shut out and wasn't allowed to load his weapon. Now, it's a water battle, and they're all nailing him right and left, and he's got no ammo? No fair (no matter what I think of the kid, it's still not fair)
I told him to meet me 'round front, and bring the squirt gun. (He arrived looking like I was going to kill him with his own weapon.) I filled the gun for him, and told him, Don't shoot in the face and under no circumstances tell them I did this!
He ran back around the house, shot them all and when the water was depleted, they all found other things to do.
With no fighting and no crying.
I'm not such a terrible wench after all.
Benefits
So, I'm finally feeling the love in my neighborhood.
Dude, from two houses down, needed help getting the swingset and pool ready for summer. My Sweetie, who knows which end of the hammer to use (Dude calls a sawzall a "electric cutting thing") was happy to help, considering how much time the Howler spends at Dude's house.
Last weekend, we planned supper as a cookout--kids, hotdogs, marshmallows--and Dude says, "My mom's been cooking all day." And she cooks for an army. We had the best fried rice, and sweet-and-sour chicken I've ever tasted. (Did I mention that Dude is originally from Taiwan? Oh, yeah, baby!)
I spent last summer hearing about Mom's cooking (and smelling it) but never getting a taste.
Now, she knows we like it, and Friday night, she sent Missy up with a plate....and Saturday....and Sunday, after My Sweetie and Blondie's Mom & Dad spent the afternoon getting the old pool liner out and the new one in, we had a Chinese buffet on the patio.
Fried Rice (with shrimp)
Beef something (with green beans & carrots)
Sweet & Sour Chicken (with that fantastic homemade S&S sauce)
Puffy deep fried shrimp flavored chip things
Sticky Rice
Spicy Filled Pastry things (meat & veggies pan fried in a soft tortilla shell)
and after every was totally full,
Lo Mein.
No headache, no parched and dying too-much salt or soy feeling...just full blown happiness on a plate.
There was enough food to feed, I kid you not, 6 adults and 7 children with plenty left over.
But still, no egg rolls (which I've been told are the food-of-the-gods.) Not that I'm complaining.
My God! It was wonderful!
Dude, from two houses down, needed help getting the swingset and pool ready for summer. My Sweetie, who knows which end of the hammer to use (Dude calls a sawzall a "electric cutting thing") was happy to help, considering how much time the Howler spends at Dude's house.
Last weekend, we planned supper as a cookout--kids, hotdogs, marshmallows--and Dude says, "My mom's been cooking all day." And she cooks for an army. We had the best fried rice, and sweet-and-sour chicken I've ever tasted. (Did I mention that Dude is originally from Taiwan? Oh, yeah, baby!)
I spent last summer hearing about Mom's cooking (and smelling it) but never getting a taste.
Now, she knows we like it, and Friday night, she sent Missy up with a plate....and Saturday....and Sunday, after My Sweetie and Blondie's Mom & Dad spent the afternoon getting the old pool liner out and the new one in, we had a Chinese buffet on the patio.
Fried Rice (with shrimp)
Beef something (with green beans & carrots)
Sweet & Sour Chicken (with that fantastic homemade S&S sauce)
Puffy deep fried shrimp flavored chip things
Sticky Rice
Spicy Filled Pastry things (meat & veggies pan fried in a soft tortilla shell)
and after every was totally full,
Lo Mein.
No headache, no parched and dying too-much salt or soy feeling...just full blown happiness on a plate.
There was enough food to feed, I kid you not, 6 adults and 7 children with plenty left over.
But still, no egg rolls (which I've been told are the food-of-the-gods.) Not that I'm complaining.
My God! It was wonderful!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Seriously
Today was the school picnic. It was fun. Of course, the drizzly rain dampened things a bit, but overall, it was fun.
First graders were in "gold" this year--and they decorated their shirts with a bleach pen--our class had suns created with a "big circle" template and the imagination of every child creating their own sunshine. Adorable. (And I have to say that the each-grade-in-one-color-shirt idea deserves a Nobel Prize. Seriously.)
Magician in the morning, then some sand art and indoor cart races then lunch. Nobody threw up today, and I lost a dollar on that bet. Seriously.
The drizzly rain did NOT keep us from enjoying the Blongo Ball, Body-boppers, bean bag toss or the duck races. And it didn't stop me from getting in the creek to help out, either. Of course, those little ducks were pretty sneaky in getting past me, but I caught 'em all in the end (and the Howler won a prize--the first 3 winners did--so everything is okay.) It's also heartwarming to see Dads at the picnic...especially Dads who are willing to hop on one foot to take off his shoes and socks and get in the creek to help, too. And then even more so, when the Dad in the creek hops on one foot, in the creek, to put his socks and shoes back on (and giggling while waiting for him to fall in the creek entirely) Seriously.
Then, finally, after this entire year, figuring out which kids were which.I couldn't tell the difference between most of the boys or the girls for most of the year. There were 4 boys from the Howler's class last year, so those, of course, I knew. But the rest of them? Other than the two other girls in the class with dark hair, they all looked the same--and all their names, it seemed, began with the letter A. Seriously.
It was fun, and while I'm sad that this year is ending, I can't wait for next year.
Seriously.
First graders were in "gold" this year--and they decorated their shirts with a bleach pen--our class had suns created with a "big circle" template and the imagination of every child creating their own sunshine. Adorable. (And I have to say that the each-grade-in-one-color-shirt idea deserves a Nobel Prize. Seriously.)
Magician in the morning, then some sand art and indoor cart races then lunch. Nobody threw up today, and I lost a dollar on that bet. Seriously.
The drizzly rain did NOT keep us from enjoying the Blongo Ball, Body-boppers, bean bag toss or the duck races. And it didn't stop me from getting in the creek to help out, either. Of course, those little ducks were pretty sneaky in getting past me, but I caught 'em all in the end (and the Howler won a prize--the first 3 winners did--so everything is okay.) It's also heartwarming to see Dads at the picnic...especially Dads who are willing to hop on one foot to take off his shoes and socks and get in the creek to help, too. And then even more so, when the Dad in the creek hops on one foot, in the creek, to put his socks and shoes back on (and giggling while waiting for him to fall in the creek entirely) Seriously.
Then, finally, after this entire year, figuring out which kids were which.I couldn't tell the difference between most of the boys or the girls for most of the year. There were 4 boys from the Howler's class last year, so those, of course, I knew. But the rest of them? Other than the two other girls in the class with dark hair, they all looked the same--and all their names, it seemed, began with the letter A. Seriously.
It was fun, and while I'm sad that this year is ending, I can't wait for next year.
Seriously.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
She's Actually Doing It!
If you don't know by now, I'm a reader. I lose myself--literally--in books. I set an alarm on my lunches at work so that I know when it's time to pack up and head back. My Sweetie hates books--at least, he hates whichever one I've got my nose buried in at the exact moment I'm ignoring him. I don't ever remember NOT reading, and I have a few memories that are verifiably from before I started school--and I started school at 4 years old.
Anyway, it's been a heartache to me that the Toad refused to read. He can, and he had a high comprehension level, but he's never taken to it quite like I had hoped.
The Howler, however, seems to WANT to read. She wanted to before, mostly because she believed (and still does) that I am lying to her continually. If she can read for herself, she can verify that I am only lying a little bit right now.
A month or so ago, I blogged about the Howler reading Charlotte's Web. On her own, by her choice..and that she was enjoying it.
She then proceeded to refuse to look at or consider reading any other chapter books. Period. No teacher, librarian, or mere mother was going to get her to read any other chapter book.
I discovered a really neat-o way to convince her.
I started talking about books I've read that a little girl would probably like.
Then I refused to take her to the public library.
Then, I went to the said library, and rented the PBS aired movie, "Anne of Green Gables." (and smart as I am, I borrowed the book, too.) Tee Hee.
Guess who is now angling to get "extra time" before lights out bedtime to read a chapter book?
Yeah, baby.
(oh, and I know this is all just a great big fluke, and the other shoe will drop soon, and I'll totally blow the "Good Mommy" thing. I'm just enjoying the great big gushy goodness that is the Howler right now.)
Anyway, it's been a heartache to me that the Toad refused to read. He can, and he had a high comprehension level, but he's never taken to it quite like I had hoped.
The Howler, however, seems to WANT to read. She wanted to before, mostly because she believed (and still does) that I am lying to her continually. If she can read for herself, she can verify that I am only lying a little bit right now.
A month or so ago, I blogged about the Howler reading Charlotte's Web. On her own, by her choice..and that she was enjoying it.
She then proceeded to refuse to look at or consider reading any other chapter books. Period. No teacher, librarian, or mere mother was going to get her to read any other chapter book.
I discovered a really neat-o way to convince her.
I started talking about books I've read that a little girl would probably like.
Then I refused to take her to the public library.
Then, I went to the said library, and rented the PBS aired movie, "Anne of Green Gables." (and smart as I am, I borrowed the book, too.) Tee Hee.
Guess who is now angling to get "extra time" before lights out bedtime to read a chapter book?
Yeah, baby.
(oh, and I know this is all just a great big fluke, and the other shoe will drop soon, and I'll totally blow the "Good Mommy" thing. I'm just enjoying the great big gushy goodness that is the Howler right now.)
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