The Wednesday News May 19, 2010

Hmm...can't italics the title or underline it...my former English teachers would be appalled!  It also drives me crazy since I am a stickler for punctuation and grammar (and very little else in the world).

Onward to this edition of The Wednesday News.  Ahh, THERE it is...proper title etiquette!

I'll start with my dear hubby this week, just for the sake of change.  He's in Moscow and currently 8 hours ahead of us right now.  Lilly almost stayed up late enough last night to call Daddy first thing in the morning over there!  However, there's first thing and then there's just WAY too early...

I haven't talked with him very much given the time difference and all of our comings and goings at home, but we've managed to catch up a little bit.  He said things were going really well business-wise so I'm very proud of him for that.  Can't wait to have him back on Saturday!

OK, time for my story.  In a word (or two) I'm burned out.  I must say my attitude has improved today and I am much more productive than I have been.  I guess sometimes it feels overwhelming that there is ALWAYS too much to do.  I know, I need to expect that with 4 kids and I wouldn't change it for the world, but I need a day off!

I have been going through the motions of getting kids to school, bathed, fed and their homework done, but I have put in very little effort more than the bare bones.  There have been too many hours of video games and TV, but I am encouraged by how much I got done today already.  Still holding onto the "one piece at a time" philosophy...just that some days, I really don't have my heart in it!  Holding out hope for today though, like I said.  :)

Andy is covered with poison ivy!  Monday night he showed me some spots on his wrist.  I denied them and told myself they were "bug bites" although I knew they weren't.  He didn't seem too bothered by them so he went to sleep.  Last night, he came down again after going to bed, complaining of itchiness.  I could no longer deny the spots and now there were spots on his arm, his ankles and behind his ears!  He had taken a long, soapy bath on Monday night so whatever poison ivy oil was gone.  The damage was done.  There was nothing we could do.  I told him not to scratch it and he fell asleep.  Good, because I was too tired to get the calamine lotion!  I would have of course, but he fell asleep so I was relieved.

Still scratching this AM, but off to school he went.  He told me he had gone into the woods and was "cutting down plants" with a stick in a sickle-like fashion.  Whoops!  those plants had their own defense!  This after he hurt his ankle coming out of the tree on Sunday.  It was nasty and bruised up right away so I thought it was sprained, but he was walking on it by Monday morning.

Sigh.

Lillian has missed two days of school since last week's The Wednesday News.  She had her first migraine on Thursday and another one on Monday.  It's been very hard for me to get her to do homework since the headache has been lingering since the first migraine on and off.  She's been a trooper though.  I don't know what's triggering them, but she does have terrible seasonal allergies.  I've been having her drink a lot of fluids too.

Malcolm is enjoying Andy's Nintendo DS more than he should, but I've had to fall back on it this week.  Guilty as charged.  Other than that, he's loving tee ball and soccer.  He's had a lot of outside time in the great weather we've been having too and having a great time playing with neighborhood kids.

Harry too is having more than his share of screen time.  He's also in a vicious cycle where he falls asleep in the afternoon, can't fall asleep at night, falls asleep in the afternoon....I'm hoping that gets back on track soon.  He, too, is enjoying tee ball, soccer and the neighbors!

One Piece at a Time

Yes, I am a HUGE Johnny Cash fan, but in this case, I'm not talking about taking one piece of a car home everyday from my job and building my own car for free.  Although, that isn't a bad idea, until you get caught, arrested, etc.

I am taking it "one piece at a time" in terms of getting through this week while Dave is away.  Those of you who read my blog and/or know me, know that I kind of flounder without structure, even if the structure is just "some downtime with the kids".  So far, so good.  He left last night for 7 days.  I took dinner, baths and bedtime each as their own chunk.  It went well!

So far, this morning, I've been to Andy's makeup baseball game and have come home.  My terrifiic weekend babysitter has made lunch for the kids (another piece of the day) and now I have to have my lunch (another piece).  I don't like to miss Mass, but it is an exercise in futility to take all 4 with me alone.  I watch Mass online when I can't go on Sundays.

I am going to take my wonderful kids to Dairy Queen this afternoon to make up for the fact that Daddy's gone on the weekend.  So, this will be one more piece of our Sunday.  Then, Lilly has some homework to finish and then we'll be back on the dinner/baths/bedtime track.

Tune in tomorrow for more pieces!

New Tradition!

Hi Everyone!  I have been thinking about doing this for awhile.  I find that I tend to talk about different members of my family depending upon what person is providing the most "newsworthy" events!  So, I am going to try something on for size.

It's called the Wednesday News.  I will take time to recap what's going on in each of our lives each Wednesday!  Here goes:

Why not start with Yours Truly: I have been especially enjoying my blog lately.  I've added some new features.  BTW, any readers who haven't signed up for BlogFrog, sign up!  It's free and we can follow each other's happenings.  Thank you to the readers who are following me and visiting on BlogFrog!

Not too much to report.  Still looking for that extra hour in the day (isn't everyone?), except for me, I want the extra hour during the SCHOOL day!  I love my kids but I really love having only one home at any given morment...and that's only during the day!

I'm still struggling to do basic chores.  I know, just do them!  I get too bored too fast.  However, I am still seeing the benefits of keeping up daily and being bored rather than having all of it escalate into total chaos.  I already have enough chaos in the house without the house adding its own.  Our goddaughter's Communion was Saturday, one week after Andy's.  We had to fight what seemed like the same downpour following us to get there, but it was wonderful.

Dave has come off of a family reunion of sorts.  He was away last weekend and I stayed back with the kids.  He is going on another business trip very soon, but in the meantime, he's fighting horrible seasonal allergies but still being a great dad.  He's been showing up at all of the baseball games (and there've been a lot of them) and pitching in around the house (more than his share lately, but I'm trying to take back more again).

Lilly is still making origami boxes.  They're amazing!  She even made some for her brothers to put their "presents" in for Mother's Day!  I'll add a photo as soon as I have one.  She is keeping up well with most of her homework.  Her advanced program still presents a challenge, but she does very good work.  She loves her friends and her family and she got the opportunity to see a bunch of people we hardly ever see at the two Communions!

Andy is doing a lot of baseball.  He typically has 3 games a week.  It goes pretty well for us since the rest of the kids can play at the playground while Andy's game is going on.  My kids are also old enough now that they can wait until after the game (typically, we're home by 7:30p) to eat dinner.  It's not ideal and after they leave the playground, they realize how hungry and tired they are and ROOOOOAR!  At least I don't have to bring dinner to the ballfield anymore and try to fight them off the swings to eat a bite here and a bite there...  He's loving the advanced math sheets his teacher gives him and completes Lilly's math when we're not looking.  He's in 2nd grade and she's in 4th.  She's not complaining but we are!

Harrison is doing T-ball.  He is on the same team as his twin brother Malcolm.  They tend to feed off each other and tune out the coaches, other children, their parents, the world...So, I have to lend a hand to their coaches so they can focus on, well, coaching!  Harry is my afternoon errand helper.  I am really trying to split it up so Malcolm goes with me sometimes, but Mal is home in the morning...and you know how I am in the morning.  I am pretty useless, but it has to get better.  I have to get things done around here!

Malcolm is also doing T-ball.  They both love it.  It's interesting how their pants don't get dirty until AFTER the game!  Malcolm and I have very quiet mornings together.  It's so nice to spend time with each one of the twins one-on-one.  He never gives me trouble when it's time to go pick up his brother from morning kindergarten.

That's it for this edition of Wednesday News.  News updated throughout the week!  Come back and visit soon!

Mother's Day 2010

 This one was unconventional, but still great!  Dave was away for the weekend for a family thing.  I hired a sitter to watch my remaining 3 kids while Andy and I took off together.  Andy had a playdate of sorts, but I dropped him off and waited....by myself, in the peaceful quiet of the beautiful Sunday morning.

Was this the best Mother's Day so far?  Absolutely!  To me it was perfect.  Recharge my batteries with no kids in the morning and then be all smiles, full of patience and energy by the afternoon to spend time with my kids!

It was my mom's birthday on Monday so she was going to come visit with my sister's family, but it didn't work out at the last minute.  That's OK though.  Two more playdates (one more for Lilly, one for Andy).  Twins were tired and calm.  Tacos for dinner and everyone in bed on time.  Perfect!

We are rescheduling the Mother's Day holiday for this coming Saturday to do our usual traditions like breakfast in bed.  Two Mother's Days!  Am I the luckiest mom in the whole world?  Yes!

Purely Anecdotal

Hi friends! Thought I'd share a couple of fun bits of our life with you today.

The first one is called, "Have a Coke and a Smile!"

Am I the only one who remembers when Coke had that as one of their many slogans over the years? I am? OK, then, just take my word for it. They did. There was a commercial with a little boy, Mean Joe Green (formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers)...anyway...watch the video (from www.youtube.com/ "Mean Joe Green Superbowl Ad, 1980"). 
Get a load of the GLASS bottle!

So, I finally made it to the grocery store Tuesday out of desperation. My trusty helper, Harry, was with me as it was the afternoon and the time I usually realize that if I don't go NOW I won't be able to go without taking everyone with me after school! Would that be so bad? Could I do that? Could I be lazy even longer and take everyone just this once? No, I had to go. We couldn't skip karate to go shopping, or else I would have hauled the gang with me. I was so tired and lazy!  I didn't want to do ANYTHING!  Like I said in a previous post, this Tuesday was worse than a Monday.

Got it done. We had run out of Coke. Now, my DH is a Coke drinker as he has no other options that he likes for caffeine. I know I need my coffee everyday, so I try to make sure we always have it in the house. So, we're going down the soda aisle and there's another mom with 2 kids shopping. She goes, "Kids, we have to get Coke for Daddy! Daddy's not happy without his Coke!" Being the friendly type that I am, I uninvitedly comment on her conversation with her children, "Our Dad isn't happy without his Coke either! That's why we never run out." I fibbed, but it was only a white lie to make conversation.  It made everyone smile.  Coke apparently can do that even if you're just BUYING it!


"Twin-iata" (pronounced like piniata but with a twin)
This would have been a great post for yesterday, Cinco de Mayo, but alas, I'm a day late.  So, Andy made his First Communion on Saturday.  Great job, buddy!! (an anecdote in and of itself, but I had already mentioned it in another post and I don't want to be redundant.)

We had a wonderful day with family and friends that of course, included a lot of outside play with the kids.  Harry has a tendency to climb up small trees and then freaks out when it's time to get down.  That day was no exception.

There he was hanging from the lowest branch a few feet off the ground.  I was inside preparing to serve the meal.  The husbands were all outside including mine, but he had his hands full doing something else.  Harry made his usual cry for "Heeeeeeelp!!" even though he could have come down on his own with no sweat.

Dave, DH, called to Malcolm, his twin brother, who was just inches away from him to give Harry a hand.  Not only does Malcolm NOT help him, he runs in the opposite direction and retrieves a wiffle bat.  Then, charges toward a still-dangling Harrry yelling, "PINIATA!!!"

The husbands are now laughing hysterically.  I never did find out who actually got him down, but isn't it interesting that instead of rescuing and/or coming the aid of his brother, he decides he's going to hit him like a piniata.  Wouldn't that have been a hoot if CANDY came out.  Boys.  What are they THINKING?!?!


In other news, Malcolm and Harry promoted from their very first belt in karate...only took them 10 months!  They have a lot of trouble behaving as a twosome in class so one, the other or both often had to sit out.  Hey, I'm still very proud of them. 


I'll leave you with some pictures that are worth a thousand words, but I'll write a few anyway.

Malcolm wears the pants in the family.

Lilly's Emergency Preparedness Kit in response to the Severe Thunderstorm Watch the other day.  If you recall, Lilly's my beyond-budding meteorologist.  I have since removed my asthma inhalers, Dave's iPod charger and a pitcher of water.  One of the boys took the flashlight (can't keep one...EVER!...they just disappear) and Lilly repossessed the portable DVD player.  Good to know her brother's shoes are still there as are 3 of our favorite DVDs!  Thanks Lil (oh, better put the player back in...and some batteries!).

Finally, Lilly and I got our nails done!  Mine are the orange ones attached to my bumpy hands...oh, and I'm the one with the wedding rings...

This Tuesday is Worse than a Monday

Think about it, you have an excuse to be unproductive on a Monday.  What's my excuse for today?  Well,
I'd better go do SOMETHING this afternoon.  See you soon!

Busy Week

I went away for the weekend with my mom and now I'm preparing for my second-born's First Holy Communion this weekend!  I'm enjoying the excavation that is decluttering my rooms for my guests.  Baseball is in full swing (pun intended) and my boys are all getting lots of outside time.  Life is good!  Be back soon.

April Vacation and the Livin' is Easy

Today is the first day of April vacation.  My kids have run amok and played outside.  So far, they haven't noticed that we didn't do anything structured today and they're OK with it.  I promised them some fun stuff later in the week (bowling, roller skating, playground, etc.).  For now, we're just chillin'!  What are you doing for vacation week?

Buried Alive!

When I saw that as part of the name on the Hoarders TV show, I realized that they are exactly right. When you have so much clutter in a home, you really feel like you're being buried alive! I know this firsthand, sadly.


Now, I don't think I'm as bad as some of the hoarders on TV. For instance, my stove is fully functional. I don't have piles on it (near it, yes, but not on it). There isn't any actual filth either. We don't have gross critters (well, except for the mouse Andy found...see an older post entitled "Eek"). I do take out the trash regularly and we only have aquatic frogs so there are no pet odors, stains or hair around. I can relate to most of the clients on Clean House however.


There are many, many reasons for it, but the bottom line is I don't know where to begin and I also do not know how to organize ANYTHING! I am coming up with better and better ideas as my kids get older (and I do too), but inevitably, I just don't have a good eye for the right size container for a purpose nor do I take the time to go through that pile of papers that keeps falling down. I just pick it back up.


My husband is one of those miracle workers who can take 2 hours "cleaning out" the basement, say and it will look incredibly tidy when he's done. True, I do sort things as I try to purge, but even if I force myself to just "reposition and neaten things up" they do NOT look like his work! I have some friends that are good at this too. Thankfully, my husband and friends love me for my other strengths!


I had discovered http://www.flylady.net/ in 2003 on the tip of a friend. I would highly recommend her website! Not only is she compassionate and encouraging, she makes this stuff fun! My family borrowed Pippy Longstocking from the library. If you haven't seen the movie, there's a scene where Pippy, a ten-year-old girl, is mopping the floor with her feet as the mops! My first thought was, "Hey, I read about that on FlyLady.net!"

You can sign up for her daily emails that include reminders to do your morning, afternoon and evening routines; testimonials from other members and other resources from people that work with her (such as help with meal planning, exercise and getting our kids involved in fun ways of cleaning and decluttering to name a few). What's more, it's free!

FlyLady has really helped me feel like I can tackle my house one 15-minute chunk at a time. I am the kind of person that cannot do tedious tasks for longer than that. She is a big proponent of the timer as well. My timer is on right now so I still have time to do the dishes before another child comes home! I love to write, I don't love doing the dishes. So, without my timer, I'd just keep writing and writing!

Back in 2003, I was such a newbie at learning just how bad things could get if you don't keep up, that I would attempt to do the things on my daily list (with FlyLady's reminders coming into my inbox). I was finding that I was getting too bogged down with all of the items on my list. How can I possibly empty the dishwasher, load the dishwasher, do a load of laundry from start to finish, eat breakfast, feed my kids breakfast, sweep the kitchen floor, etc. before lunch? Maybe by dinner...but then we wouldn't have lunch or dinner!

FlyLady's answer is that I was being too much of a perfectionist. Did I really have to mop the floor every morning? No. Did I really have to scrub the table after each meal instead of just wiping it down? No. Was it OK that one of my kids' projects was still out in all of its glory on one end of the table? Yes!

Just knowing that I could do, as FlyLady says, "anything for 15 minutes" and that "doing some today and more the next day" is still better than just sitting here feeling lost and tired by all of the stuff around me and running around in circles not knowing where to begin. She TELLS you WHERE to start! This was HUGE for me and it still is.

Now, I have cut myself some slack. We had 4 children in 4.5 years (2 of them at the same time!), I was very ill for about 2 years with energy issues related to my adrenal glands shutting down and let's face it, it's not my forte! I would rather talk to my friends, play with my kids, read, watch TV or even go to the dentist than do ANYTHING housework related!

However, I have really learned my lesson the hard way here. The clutter has gotten so bad that some days you can't even walk in here. My kids have grown out of a lot of their toys but I just haven't brought myself to get rid of them all. I do very small chunks when the charities CALL me and tell me WHEN to put out my donatables, but it's just a small, small ding, not even a dent in the mess.

I realize that it is a lifestyle change that I need to undergo. I have to build "new habits and string them together into routines" as FlyLady says. They just don't come naturally to me and I get bored way too fast! I used to think it was because I'm an artistic type, you know, too creative for order. You know what? How can I be artistic if my favorite printed scarf is buried under my decorative bed pillows in my bedroom? Now is the time for me to put those decorative pillows ON my bed, dig out the scarf, finish the dishes and then go play! I've earned it! I just can't keep moving stuff out of my way to get to my book, my snack or even my computer!

Now that Lillian is in fourth grade, I am seeing the benefits of having a much more organized home. It shouldn't take me 10 minutes to find a sheet that she brought home on Monday, when it's now Thursday and the assignment is due on Friday! This is also preventing her from looking for it herself because I was the one who stashed it somewhere. No one knows where, including yours truly. She should be learning how to keep track of those things herself. I found her sheets today because I was doing "5 minutes of decluttering" per FlyLady's instructions. There it was! I didn't just move piles around, I actually processed the whole pile that was on top of the homework. Progress!

I hope those of you who are reading and feel just as overwhelmed as I have check her out and take the system seriously if you decide to go for it. I just started her system all over again this week. It really works! You also have a smile on your face as you are no longer putting yourself down for not taking better care of your home and you will be on time more because you've found a place for your car keys once and for all! Check out her website. It's saving me from myself!

Sledding and a bonfire!

Malcolm and Lilly on a sled, Daddy on a snowmobile and a giant bonfire! Thanks to our friends whose families own the property and put up a generator with floodlights for the night!

Groundhog was Right!

Punxsutawney Phil was spot on, 6 weeks after Groundhog Day, here is the spring he predicted.

I don't need a groundhog to tell me that though. See, I live in New England. Here, people are their OWN groundhogs! In other words, we peek out of our little dens, we don't see our shadow and out we go in full force! However, we don't do it on February 2. (TOO COLD! Are you kidding me?) Our personal Groundhog Day varies from year-to-year depending on Mother Nature's whims.

Seriously, yesterday, EVERYONE was outside! It had reached 70 degrees! I saw strollers, babies, toddlers, grandmas, crocuses, people eating ice cream cones, motorcycles, convertible cars, classic cars (that you woudn't DARE drive around here in the winter. You'll ruin them AND most are rear-wheel drive which stinks in the snow), subwoofers shaking cars (and my car next to them at red lights), bees, sunroofs open, people in shorts, sandals and yes, even WHITE SHOES BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY! (In my mother's day, this was a fashion faux pas.)

There's something special about the first signs of spring in New England. It's like everyone is coming alive! People are practically jumping into their outdoor swimming pools (before they're open for the season...ewww!)! It's like we've NEVER seen warm weather before in our lives!

Yes, the novelty wears off. We keep having fun all spring and all summer, but it's nothing like the first few days of nice weather! We do start taking it for granted and then the complaints start up again around September or October until we're forced to adjust again. Can you blame us?

My kids also rediscover their scooters, bikes, baseball gloves, daily baths and skinned knees. My kids do play outside all year round, but they've been bitten by the same bug...like they can't remember the last time they could take off their jackets and wear crocodile shoes!

Our winters are long here. We're one of those weird families that enjoy winter, but most people around here live for spring. However, it's still New England. This is the place with the reputation "If you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes and it'll change." So, I'm not planting anything just yet. There could be, no there WILL be another frost...maybe more snow! You just never know.

I am loving it just as much as the next person, but I'm still in winter mode (to clarify, I'm still wearing winter colors and still hiding under long pants.) I guess I gotta catch up! Ooh! I think I hear the ice cream truck!

EEK!

Sources:

Clkr.com
Wikipedia.com


"Eek can refer to:
An onomatopoeia imitating the sound made by a monkey, mouse or rat
Eek, Alaska
Eek River, Alaska
Eek! The Cat, an animated TV series
A colloquialistic expression denoting someone is nervous about something
A spider given in Halloween event of RuneScape. "

Who knew this word was so versatile? I thought the only use for it was reserved for an event in which a mouse is witnessed and with the assumption that said witness is frightened by the sight of the animal and makes such an utterance. Well, except elephants. They're supposed to be afraid of mice but I'm not sure if they can properly produce the exclamation given their vocal structure. Maybe Wikipedia could help with that information too. I digress...

So, we live near the woods, right? Woodland creatures have been named after their dwellings, the woods. Mice live in the woods. Mice got into our house.

We had them two winters ago. We heard them scurrying around in the walls and in the ceiling between floors. We got those ultrasonic devices that plug into the wall. If you're not familiar, they're about $12-15. You buy several depending on the size of your house. It's supposed to create a "racket" that sounds like hammering and other construction work being done on your house. The good news is you can't hear the noise, only the mice can! So, they take off to pester someone else and possibly meet with a crueler fate from my neighbors who may not make the same humane choices as we do. We don't do traps or poison.

This was our solution short of getting a cat. We have two aquatic frogs, Jumper and Spring. I replace their water once every 3 months and give them 4 tidy little pellets twice a week. This is the extent of our pet allowance until my kids are much MUCH older. I'm also allergic to most cats.

It worked for two years! We didn't hear or see "mouse one". This was one of my favorite expressions my dad said. I'm not sure if he made it up. He probably did since he was a very clever man. He would insert a noun and follow it by "one". Another example would be if the weather folks on TV were predicting a huge snowstorm and it didn't start when they said it would, he'd say, "I don't see snowflake one." He was also very cynical of people who predict the weather and media sensationalism...often not mutually exclusive.

This winter, the scurrying started up again. We concluded that the plug-in "racket-makers" had run their course. So we bought new ones, but couldn't find the same brand. The scurrying did not go away, but did change locations. Instead of running clear across the ceiling from the living room to the dining room, they confined themselves to the edges of the house. In other words, there was still a racket, but they tried to get as far away from it without leaving the house because it was too cold. We gotta get the other brand next time.

Spring definitely has been poking its head in around here so we thought the mice would go back outside for good for another season. We haven't heard any more scurrying for awhile. Well, on Friday night, while Lilly and Andy were getting ready for bed (very cooperatively I might add! Thanks, guys!), Dave and I were downstairs sitting on the couch.

All of a sudden, Andy yells, "I found a rat!". I'm thinking, OK, it's a huge, misplaced puff of laundry lint. After all, it's almost always that gray color. Could be a stuffed animal or simply a....mouse....nah, couldn't be...you know, the racket! So, down the stairs he comes in typical boy fashion. Something fuzzy is in his bare hands...it's not...is it? He gets closer! AGH!! EEEEEEK!!! A MOUSE!!! Oh, wait, it's dead...or is it frozen from fear. Gee, no one else is! Truthfully, I wasn't scared...just grossed out. BARE HANDS, OK, PEOPLE?

Andy, "So, is it a rat?"

Dad (calmly): "No, just a mouse."

Andy: "Is it dead?"

Dad: "Yes."

Mom: "Are you SURE it's dead and not just playing dead?"

Dad: "Yes."

Andy: "It is real 'cause I felt a bone."

Lilly (accusingly): "It's so cute. Did you POISON it?!?"

Mom: "No, of course not."

Andy: "I thought it was fake and then I felt a bone."

Mom: "Oh GOD! Don't put it on the couch!" (yes, it's an ancient and horrible couch, but STILL!)

Dad: "Why not?" (he's kidding right?)

Mom: " 'Cause it's germy!"

Dad: "Nah. It's too new to be germy."

Mom thinks to herself. Men. Boys. What planet are they FROM? Also, what is the threshold that defines when a dead mouse (now "Eww!" instead of "Eek!") becomes germy? Anyone know where Gil Grissom is these days?

Mom: "Andy, go WASH YOUR HANDS!!" (in typical Mom fashion)

I can't be too hard on my husband though. He got up and got a plastic bag and provided a proper Ziploc burial and I didn't even have to touch it. Thanks, Sweetie! Hopefully, that's it for the mice for another 9 months!

Below are some of many familiar mice...as far as I know...not "Eek"-evoking.







Source: disneylandpostcards.com

Source: sploofus.com

Source: um9shop.com

Who is Todd Cooke?

This was the question I asked Andy when he told me he had a biography book report assigned last Tuesday.

He told me, "My friend got Helen Keller and I got Todd Cooke."

I'm thinking...OK...I consider myself educated in many areas. This should include all of the "popular" biographies assigned to 2nd graders (George Washington, Helen Keller, Pocahontas and other various and sundry educators, inventors, business men and women), but Todd Cooke. Todd COOKE? Athlete? Politician? WHO?!?!?

So I ask. I'm only human right? "Who is Todd Cooke?"

Andy says, "Hmm. I'm not sure. Let me double check the book I got from my teacher. (looks in his backpack). Oh, I mean Henry Ford!" TODD COOKE? How did he come up with THAT? OK, whew. Henry Ford I know! I HAVEN'T been under a rock.

My friend says that Henry Ford (aka Todd Cooke) is perfect for Andersen. He loved to take watches apart and tinker with combustion engines. This is right up Andy's alley. This is the child that took my vacuum cleaner apart at age 2. He was 2, not my vacuum cleaner. Of course, I couldn't put it back together so I got out of vacuuming that day.

This same child also used to peel and break every single crayon to see what was inside. You got it. The whole box. After all, maybe green has a different middle than brown that may be different from red, etc. Every toy car he owned (or still owns) have the rubber tire parts removed and are driving around on their rims. So, OK onto Henry Ford.

With Andy, I have to reel him in. My daughter has trouble getting started and planning a big project. Andy, on the other hand, wants to start the project at the end (skip the research, skip the roughdrafts). So, he's already printing out pictures of Henry and asking where the gluestick is. Of course, I let my kids do as much on their own as possible, but I have to make sure Andy at least follows the directions and does this in steps.

The mystery has been solved though. Todd Cooke is a REAL PERSON! I almost woke up the entire house with my outburst of laughter the other night. I was the only one still awake and I was watching TV. I'm a night owl and particularly relish the time after everyone's gone to sleep. This often comes at the expense of my alertness the next day, but I've been setting limits on myself better.

What comes on but a commercial for Todd Cooke, a local business man with a website and an 800 number. My son obviously saw this ad too (albeit earlier in the day) and got his wires crossed with the American founder of the Ford Motor Company.

The Calm Before the Spring

"Play Ball!"

This is usually the signal to start a baseball game, right? Well, in our case, we have baseball games, soccer games ("Gooooooaaal!" no, they don't really do that at my kids' games) and karate equipment ("Hi-YA!" They DO do that.)! Harry and Malcolm are 5 and hence, are starting T-ball this spring! Oh, and they're doing soccer...oh, and Andy's also playing baseball. Karate? That's not going anywhere...no, Lilly still hasn't tested for her black belt so she hasn't quit yet. All four are still chopping, punching and kicking up a storm.

Yes, this is a totally crazy schedule. Yes, we may have to reduce it, but we'll take it one step at a time. This is how our weeks will look this spring: 2-4 baseball games during the week (that's if my twins end up on the same team) and, assuming the same team thing, 2 on Saturdays.

My twins are still young enough that they only play soccer once a week. It's from 8am-9am on Saturdays, so there shouldn't be any conflict with anyone's baseball games.

Karate is still twice a week. We can choose any two days M-F. The blessing here is that Lilly and Andy are in the same class now as are Harry and Malcolm. The two classes are back-to-back and life is GOOD in the karate chaffeur department.

OK, I know you're asking "WHY is she DOING this?!" Well, one reason, the most obvious one, is my kids (especially my boys) I think are the most active beings on the PLANET! Their energy is unprecedented. For example, my son, Andy, will shovel my entire driveway (which is not short)clear of wet, heavy snow and then come in and ask when we can go to the big hill in town and sled for the remainder of the afternoon (or right through dinner and into the evening if I didn't set limits!). Come summer, this shoveling and sledding will be replaced with endless amounts of swimming. These are just some manifestations of their boundless energy.

The only thing I can do with them is get them to exercise. My daughter, being 10, has found pleasure in doing more calm activities lately, but is still very active. My children do sleep well and can wind down, do homework, read/look at books, play with Legos and do puzzles. However, this is MUCH harder to accomplish without at least one hour of running, jumping, climbing, etc. As you can imagine, rainy days are VERY difficult. That doesn't mean that the boys don't go out though. Thank goodness they enjoy getting wet!

Ironically, all of these activities actually help me too. Our family, especially me, does not do well without structure. Even when the weather's nice, when we don't have any plans, my boys find ways to get into fights outside (not just the verbal kind either). I also get much more done around the house if I can plan tasks around things. My husband is a huge help too. He will shuttle around the sport participants and I will stay home with whoever is not participating or vice versa. This way, everyone gets to split up nicely. We do "schedule" downtime as I know the family needs that too, but there just can't be too much of it!

Can it be hectic? Absolutely! The spring is usually the most busy time for us. Since we live in a cold climate, spring is the only time to play town baseball. Andy loves all sports so he does this one in the spring. My twins really enjoy doing soccer and want to stick with it. Since they're only 5 and they haven't tried baseball yet (well, T-ball at their level), we kind of have to bite the bullet and double up this spring. This way, they can each see what they like better and go down to only one next spring.

For now, I am savoring the warmer days and the slow pace of the kids coming home from school and going out to play. Soon, we'll be "going out" to "play"!

"At the Car Wash..."

"...whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Workin' at the car wash, girl. Come on ya'll and sing it for me. Car wash..." ---Rose Royce, MCA Records, 1976

OK, so I'm dating myself here. By the way, hi everyone. I'm back to stay and write often and a LOT! Watch out!

Some days since I last wrote have just been too jam-packed to take in/take jaw off the floor, digest, critique, put a humorous and positive spin on it and then share with you. I have decided, however, just to write some of it even if I can't write ALL of it. So, here goes..."reset button"...onto the "car wash incident".

We've had a messy winter in the northeast. Not nearly enough snow as I would have liked while other parts of the country got way MORE than they would have liked. However, it seemed like I had to wash my car at least once a week! This is a often for me.

My minivan is a dark maroon, so it really shows the dirt. We knew this going into it when we bought it, so I'm not complaining, just amazed at how much faster it got dirtier this winter than last!

I would wait until a snowstorm was over and all the slushy, salty, sandy, gross mess was dried up on the roads. I also knew it was time when I would open the rear hatch and there would be so much crust covering the paint that telltale fingerprints (telling the tale that SOMEONE'S BEEN IN THE TRUNK...check it out next time you're stopped at a red light behind a dirty car) wouldn't even SHOW. Bad. Yes.

Boom! Then it would snow again...just enough to make a MESS and not enough to enjoy (sledding, snow days, snowmen, and for Andy, shoveling as he lives for it). Back window? Do I HAVE one? I can't see through it. Telltale prints? Nope. Back to the ol' car wash.

Last Friday was no exception, well, "except" for the fact that it was supposed to be like spring this weekend...no messy roads in the forecast! Malcolm is no longer afraid of the loud brushes and the jets of water spraying directly at his little face looking out the window. So, I don't have to wait until he is not with me to do the soapy, watery, frequent task.

OK, I pull up and put my $10 bill in, 'cause it says they accept cash $1's, $5's and $10's as well as codes that you get when you fill up at the attached gas station. (Oh, sorry, this is an automatic one...no humans except the simulated robot voices that sound like them.) Not this $10 (my only cash on me), not this time. It kept going in and coming back out. Oh, that's because there's nowhere to receive change for my $6 cheapo wash. Only people who pay for the $10 wash get to use $10 bills...there was NO signage to this effect...just figured that out on my own!

OK, I'll find my debit card...darnit...oh, look! A line is forming behind me. Doh! I hit the steering wheel with my elbow as I was putting my card away. Is that going to be OK? I think so...uh oh...

I hit start, take my foot off the brake, put the car in neutral...sit and wait...track starts moving...clang, CLUNK!! My car is being pushed up on the left side by the little wheels on the track and slamming down again...this is not good. Some comments from the patient but concerned Peanut Gallery in the back start..."Mom, what did you DO?!?!" "I'm scared..." Reassuring comments TO the Peanut Gallery, "Oh, Mom just knocked the car out of the track. I'll back up and try again."

Back up, try again. Fully-automated plastic curtains close on the car wash as the machine thinks my car is all done and waits for the next person's money. (Hope they don't try a $10 bill for the cheap wash). I hit the "HELP" button and ask for a code from the human inside the gas station whose voice is real. They graciously give me one. I enter it. Redo. Let's roll. Look! The curtains are opening. Yay!!! Wait a minute...

Clang, CLUNK!! Not AGAIN! By now, poor Andy is crying. I don't blame him! It was quite a jolt! I reassured him again, but he just wanted to leave. Well, Mom can't get out of line because there are now...1, 2, 3...uh, 6 cars waiting behind us. Rose Royce was right that "...those cars never seem to stop comin'".

Thankfully, I could back up enough to once again attempt to put my (explicative) tires in the (explicative) track. WHY is this the first time this has EVER happened to me when I've done this 100 times?!?! There go those (explicative) curtains again...like they're MOCKING me! Speaking of mocking, some guy (employee? random guy trying to torture me?) walks out from the front of the gas station (he's NOT in the ever-growing line...just walked up to me...). Why did he care? I dunno, maybe he's a friend of the curtains because he says, "You have to pay again. You missed your wash." (Ya think?). I said, "I already paid and I'm not going to pay again." Off he goes...good riddance, man-on-foot.

Third time is usually the charm, right? Let's hope so. At least Andy has stopped crying now. Drive up, hit the HELP button again to talk to the human. I must say, no one was honking at me, which I appreciated. I assumed because they just wanted to see how this nightmare would END and didn't want to disturb the show!

While waiting for the human to talk to me over the loud speaker, a man yelled out the window from the car behind me, "Take your foot off the brake!" "Well, dude, I would, but see, I'm waiting for the human to give me the code!" I didn't really say that. I figured, I can't say anything to make myself look less blond or less "clueless mom in a minivan". It was NOT the brake, it was my dang elbow that caused the whole problem, at least the first time.

Hark! Here comes the human that matches the voice! A different "human-on-foot", a female this time, not in a kind mood though. She said that I MUST line up my tires on the track and next time, open my door to SEE if they're lined up...(I DID!...it was my elbow first, then I don't KNOW WHAT the second time and...oh, NEVERMIND...there's just NOTHING I can say right now...). She typed in another code with her eyebrows furrowed.

Behind her was a youngish man who had emerged from one of the cars in the queue, dressed as if he was clearly coming home from work (...on a Friday...sorry, guy). He stood there and said, "You know you have to put your car in neutral, right?" I felt like he was really trying to help, although he was kind of smirking which made it unclear what he was doing...other than trying to move me the heck THROUGH. I tried to explain to him, since I thought maybe he'd understand about the elbowing and the second time fluke...

He commented that I still had my foot on the brake, as he could see my brake lights (smirk again...grrrrr to myself...). I explained that the human just left and I didn't want to roll over her toes since she was already in a bad mood, I hadn't started my wash yet and gee, I was talking to HIM now!!

He did end up walking me through though as I could barely think anymore..."put the car in neutral and THEN hit the start button..." I was moving!!! NO CLUNKING!! Cheering from the Peanut Gallery! Triumphant "YYESSS!!" from me....final smirk from the dude in the business casual clothes with magnetic ID badge around his neck...and this time, a comment to boot...oh lucky me. "Next time put your car in neutral!"

So, we made it through. I'm not sure if anyone in that line bailed with their car still dirty. I was NOT going to look BACK!!! Even though my break-away mirrors were pushed in from the car wash and I couldn't see the reflection in them, I peeled out of there FAST! I thought maybe someone might be waiting for me who may do something worse than smirk. Not really, but I got out of there...my face was almost as red as my maroon car! I pulled over in the next parking lot, fixed the mirrors and went home to Facebook about it.

"Let me tell you it's always cool..." Sorry, Rose Royce, not ALWAYS...