Impact!

As parents we usually don’t know the impact our kids have on others. It is not until they are gone from the environment they affect that we truly find out. When people, which as parent, I have little or no interaction with come up to me and ask, “Hey where is Grayson?” Reply with the same answer each time, “He has gone back to the States for the summer.” The expression on their face turns to one of disappointment or sadness. Apparently when Grayson goes out to play during his free time from school, he interacts with just about anyone he can find. There is not a single person on the housing compound that does not know Grayson. After seeing the expression on their faces I quickly reply, “He will back at the end of summer.” The expressions go from one of sadness to one of relief and then back to being happy. I don’t really know what kind of interaction Grayson has with the people he meets, but it is clear through my interactions with them, that he clearly has an impact and it is clear it is a good one that brings joy to another life. As a parent, I cannot be more proud of him. But it does make me question what impact I have on the people I meet? I can only hope that when I am gone people we have the same reverence for me as they do my son. I hope he never looses his ability to interact in a positive manner with the people he meets.

Sick Kid, Funny Kid

Grayson is home sick today.  Poor thing is running a fever and has a nasty cough.  Don't feel too sorry for him though because mostly he is sitting around relaxing, watching TV and playing with his iPad.

Every once in around he will say something random and very funny, or at least I think it is funny.

Grayson was watching TV and playing on the iPad at the same time so I asked, "Do you want me to turn the TV off?" to which he replied "Nah, I'm multitasking."

Okay then. Multitasking.

Later he was still multitasking when he asked without looking up, "Can I build a bomb?"

??!!!???

You know, all things considered I'd rather he didn't.  Thankfully it turned out he was talking about a mentos and coke bomb. Still no. Ditto for the baking soda and vinegar idea.

After watching some documentary about coral reefs in Micronesia he looked up and very seriously told me, "We need to tell Dad we are moving to Pulau when we leave here."

Oh, if only bidding were that easy. It does look pretty though, wonder if the schools are any good.  Wonder if there are schools.

On the occasion of me telling him he needs to take a nap because he is running a fever. "Yeah, because you are putting too much stress on me, that's what happens people get sick because you put too much stress on me."

No idea where he heard about stress, or multitasking. Exactly what is stressful about laying around watching movies and playing mine craft? Oh, and he is still going to go take a nap, I hear napping is good for stress.

Pumpkin Lips

One thing every parent knows is that when the kids get really quiet they are up to something.  Today I went to investigate my suddenly way too quiet kids and found this:

Pumpkin lips tattoo.  Just fabulous. 

Things Kids Say - Homeschool Edition

Dave was working with Gray tonight on his math.  Gray was not into the assignment, which is why he was still working on it after dinner tonight. Dave decided to give us both a break and take over from me  for a while.

At one point he looked up at Dave, his eyes brimming with tears and stated, "My brain is all full, I can't learn anything else."

I'm afraid I had to leave the room so he wouldn't see me laughing.

Things Kids Say Math Edition

Mom:  How much is 18-10?

Child: I don't know I don't have eighteen fingers.

Wordless Wednesday - Homeschooling

Homeschooling Day 1

Today we are supposed to start homeschooling. It is now 9 am. Only one of the boys has had breakfast.  No one's bed is made. the books are still in the cabinet. Two boys are fighting, one is crying, the other is smirking because he made his brother cry, and one boy is hiding in his bedroom as far from the other two as possible just in case some of the blame for the bad behavior should spill over one him.  Great start.

Today's plan was to start slow. List what everyone, including mom, hopes to study this year.  Look over all the new books.  Do a little math, a little writing, and work on a daily school schedule. I am having a few problems figuring out how to school 3 kids at 3 different grades all at once.  I expect we will work it out eventually. When I home schooled Alonzo year before last it took about two months to settle into a  schedule that worked.  Hopefully it will go faster this time.  

In addition to the academic basics of reading, writing, math, science, and history, I really want to teach life skills like simple cooking and the basics of sewing and most importantly MANNERS. What  skills, academic or otherwise, do you think are essential for kids to learn?

They finally quit fighting and are checking out their new math manipulatives. Things are looking up, fingers crossed. 

I set out all their books on a blanket for then to look at but they just grabbed the math stuff and took it to the table to play with.

Wordless Wednesday - Haircut

Wordless Wednesday - The Thursday I forgot yesterday was Wednesday Edition

Book Week 2012

Today the kids were supposed to dress up for book week. Colin and Grayson after some serious thought decided to choose characters that would allow them to dress as regular kids, no uniforms. I think they may be sick of uniforms. Grayson chose Horrible Harry, and Colin chose to be a moron from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books.  Alonzo decided on Malfoy.  Most kids would choose Harry Potter, but Alonzo chose the villainous Malfoy. So I have a Horrible Harry, an unnamed moron, and Malfoy.  I am so proud.

 Choosing costumes was tough. Grayson wanted me to run right out and buy a ready made costume. I tried explaining that there are no costume shops in Malawi so that would be a bit difficult.  He was ready for me though.  "Mom, you are supped to hire a tailor."  Ummm...Yeah.  Perhaps it might just be time to look at a DC posting.  I think baby boy has been overseas a bit too long.

A moron, Draco Malfoy, and Horrible Harry. That's a whole lotta trouble on one couch.

Reading selections.

Apparently the choice of moron was related to hair length. I did offer to cut his hair so he could be the main character Greg, but he declined. I guess as long as he is happy, I'm happy. In any case he is at school and I can have some coffee in peace and quiet. Ahhh...Life is good.

Wordless Wednesday -- Science Experiment by Colin and Grayson

Not Exactly Wordless Wednesday - I'm An Elf!

Wordless Wednesday - Happy Birthday Grayson

Wordless Wednesday - Look Mom A Lizard!

Slightly Confused

Grayson is wandering around the house singing very loudly and off key "Country roads take me home to the place where I live."

In an attempt to share a bit of musical interesest with his baby boy David pulled up John Denver on itunes and played the original Take Me Home Country Roads. Grayson enjoyed it but when it was over he insisted that John Denver had the words wrong. Quote, "He doesn't know the real song does he, right?"

Wordless Wednesday - A Special Treat

The Last First Tooth and a Spider Too

Today Grayson lost his first tooth. He's my baby. This is the last first tooth any of my babies will loose. It's the beginning of the end of an era.

He looks so darn cute with the little gap in front.

Tonight while I was cooking dinner Colin walked in the backdoor, I heard him giggle, he was happy about something. In hindsight that giggle had an evil sound to it. I turned around to find this in his hand.


That my friends is a baboon spider. In other words an African tarantula. A real live nightmare that lives in my backyard.

I screamed, the boys, including my husband, made fun of me, then took the little horror outside for a photo shoot. Oh thank God they took it outside! Apparently it is a budding spider super model because David took dozens of pictures while it obligingly posed. Meanwhile I decided I was too traumatized to continue cooking, poured myself a glass of wine, turned off the oven, and figured it was about time I updated the blog. Everybody managed to feed themselves so I guess it was a reasonable reaction.

No one was bitten, I have no idea why. I know for darn certain that if I ever lost my mind and tried to pick one of these up I would end up getting bitten and probably die on the spot. Here are a few of the pictures so you can have nightmares too.

OMG do you see those FANGS?!?!?!

The seductive pose.

I think it is smiling with its eyes.

Wordless Wednesday - Tear Free!

Calgon Take Me Away!

Last night after the kids went to bed just as I was settling in with a cup of chamomile tea the littlest one appeared in the door looking very pitiful.

“I threw up.” He said at about the same time the smell hit me.

David told me to stay put and enjoy my tea then he scooped up the kiddo and walked away. Aren’t I the luckiest woman in the world? He voluntarily took care of a sick, barfy kid AND all the mess, and let me tell you there was some mess. Poor baby got all tangled up in the mosquito netting and couldn’t get out of bed in time so it was all over the blankets, the pillows, the stuffed animals, the mosquito netting, the floor, and himself. ICKY! I ended up cuddling the littlest one while Dave mopped the floor, changed the sheets, took down the mosquito netting, and tried to get the smell to dissipate. I think I got the better deal.

By two in the morning I was feeling a lot less lucky. David had to work today so he slept while I stayed up with Grayson. Poor baby just kept moaning, “My tummy hurts, my tummy hurts!” I hate when my babies are sick. I feel so helpless, I want a magic wand to make it all better. It’s even worse when they are sick in the middle of the night.

This morning I am not loving life. I didn’t get much sleep. I still have to clean, cook, do laundry, and homeschool the oldest. I have a tired, sick, grumpy kid on the sofa who would rather be at school. It’s international day so lots of fun is being missed, but I kept him home anyway. David is on a road trip with our only vehicle so I am stranded for the day. I am out of saltines, Gatorade, and applesauce, the only part of the BRAT diet I have available is the bananas. I guess it is time for an Amazon order, I can’t buy those things locally anyway.

The rat that chewed it’s way into the house last week, discovered the fruit bowl last night and sampled all of the apples looking for the tastiest one. I HATE RATS! And seriously he couldn’t just picked one apple instead of ruining the whole bowl? I guess the fruit bowl goes in the fridge from now on. The GSO dropped off rat traps but has made no move to fix the hole. I think it is time for a trip down to Area 2 to find some stuff to block the hole before the rat invites his friends and cousins by the dozen.

This morning there was a giant roach upside down in the kid’s bathroom sink. I thought it was dead until I tried to scoop it up to throw it away. Then it suddenly came to life. Lazarus roaches??? God help me!

So here I sit playing on the computer trying to mentally escape my reality. For me that means I am looking at house plans, kitchen ideas, over the top bathrooms, and mentally designing my perfect house with bright open rooms, clean lines, lots of color, and an interior designed by Candice Olson from Devine Design. And most importantly NO RATS OR ROACHES.

So how do you take a mental vacation when life gets to be a bit too much?

Overheard Conversations

As I was cooking dinner the boys were huddled in the corner heads together. They weren't fighting for a change so I thought I should leave things well enough alone. A few minutes later I wondered if I should have investigated the situation just a little sooner as a bit of conversation drifted my way.

"Just eat it, it tastes like sweet milk."

"You should kill it first."

"Yeah! Kill it so it doesn't wiggle around when you eat it."

"I always kill them, I like my termites dead."

After I finished gagging I managed to put dinner on the table. Termites must not be very filling because all three boys ate like pigs. However just thinking about eating termites will keep Mom on her diet.