Happy on the Fourth

Photos from the FIREWORKS EXTRAVANGA (I couldn't have named it better myself).
Hey, who says a cell phone can't take a good photo? (I've NEVER been able to capture firewords with a camera):

For the first time in their lives, I allowed my kids to live la vida CARNI.

And they rode rides that are probably rarely inspected.

I didn't let them ride anything higher than 1 feet off the ground & made Daddy ride the crazy strawberry ride with them:

Our family photo ended up all Blair Witch looking.

Okay, now on the actual FOURTH, we decided to go strictly family home time & haven't left these four walls.

I took a quick break from my VBS preparation to coordinate some fun art projects...

Gabe was all business making his patriotic flag slash fans.
After playing with the bendy capabilities of her straw, she was able to concentrate on the task at hand, FIREWORK art.



Notice the symetry in FJ's art, versus Gabe's random style.


I was actually impressed that he blew -- I was afraid he would be confused & do the opposite.

Then that would've been a different kind of art.

Next on the list, taco salad & red rice cripy treats.

Livin' la vida liberty!

Sure to Get You in Trouble

Thank goodness she doesn't access my blog because if my firstborn had seen that last photo UPSIDE DOWN, there would've been meltdowns to be had.

Here is the sketch is it's right-side up glory:

I'm sure some famous artist somewhere had a painting displayed upside down & it became famous for that.

So, if my previous post makes my little artist rich, she'd better give me half.

Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto

Magna doodling by Flynn, May 2008

Vintage Find

I guess I could be partial to this piece because it's dated my birth year. Or because of the sweet little old lady, who owned the home, where I got this garage sale find.
Maybe it's the orange. Maybe it's the green. Maybe it's the cute little animals hiding behind each letter.
Whatever the reason, I knew this little piece of material, for which I paid 25 cents, would have a new life in Flynn's room. I contemplated framing it but wall space is limited & I knew little hands would enjoy being able to rub the stitching & trace the animals.
It's just waiting for a pillow to be slipped inside & to be laid on Flynn's white wood bed.

It's Noon, Do you know where your children Are?

Mine are right here. Enjoying a high-nutrient dessert of fig newtons. Thank God they're safe for Flynn.

It's been a busy morning. I did most of my "chores" last night while Jeff was in bible study, so that all morning I could belong to the kids.

Here's what we've packed into the morning:

Painted a unicorn suncatcher. This was one of Flynn's bday gifts that I tucked away for such an occasion (that occasion being Flynn being up before 7 am & me wanting Gabe NOT to be).

Playdough play. Making various common objects, such as bells & arrows. Someone tell me why cookie cutter companies think of things like bells & arrows?

Watercolor art. Because. Well, why not?

Flynn tried to call Papa twice. She wanted him to come over & join the fun. But he was out gallavanting with his retired friends. So, he was unreachable.

About this time, Flynn fell off the ottoman, backwards. Being the non-resiliant child she is, she decided to use her pain & misfortune to boycott getting dressed & being reasonable.

More playdough. Flynn likes to take the blue & green "swirly" (mixed up) playdough & make 'the earth'. Then, she points to a random (probably not random to her) spot & say, "This is where we live." "This is where Aunt Gee lives." Pretty smart, I realize now that I'm reflecting on it.

Then we played the brilliant game of "Let's Empty the Dishwasher". This is really a clever scheme that Daddy & I invented. Mmwwaaahhh aaa aaa (evil laughter). The kids think we're being super nice to them by letting them help. But the truth is, it enables us to get this daunting task done in about 32.7 seconds. Why? Not because of the extra hands putting things away, per se. But because of the fear that the extra hands will drop some of the glass & other breakables. It makes us move all that much faster. You should try this some time. Talk about expedited.

Next, I-Spy computer game. Flynn drives me crazy with the computer. This girl loves technology. And would've been happy with a blackberry from Santa. Bubs & I checked this game out yesterday, at the library....right after he boycotted storytime ("this is for the birds" he yelled out, in Mandarin).
I set the timer for Flynn, while G-man & I headed back to his room for some boy play. I taught him the important skill of holding his face just far enough from the dinosaur, that his sharp scary teeth will be mere millimeters away from your face, when he does his calculated turn. You know, life skills. Things he can take to school with him...experiences to make him a successful man.

By now, the troops were getting restless & ready for something else. Then, the cursed Dora Game House was requested. Dora Game House is a thorn in my side as it contains EIGHT, count them, games. And THREE of those are card games (a whole 'nother story), which look similar. Old Maid looks uncomfortably like Crazy Eights, which is the same color as Go Fish! So, imagine when ALL THREE card games are strewn across the livingroom floor.

So, the three of us play bingo. This is fun 'til Bubs starts doing somersaults. Bubby + somersaults + bingo chips + not-completely-flat bingo cards = Flynn having a total heart attack.
Bingo had to end quickly, and that took total creativity on Momma's part. Let's just say, it wasn't total fate that the spinner landed on Green Isa.

Fast forward to dominos. I didn't even know how to play this game. Flynn taught me. I asked where she learned it. I expected her to say the local retirement village. Or Nana's. Or Gram's. But she said, "Chelsea's House." Hmm, okay.
What was Bubby doing you ask? Well, I'll fill you in. He was standing on the couch (against the rules) behind me, stage diving. Onto. My. Head. At one point, I figured a good way for him to learn why standing on the couch was against the rules, was to let him go plummeting to the hard floor. He hit with a thud. Looked surprised. And started rubbing his hip. I thought to myself, 'Smart move Momma. That'll teach him. Looks like he got the message.' But that's right about the time he growled a satisfied growl & began a laugh that can only mean: Repeat.

God help me. I'm outnumbered. Then I remembered my weapon. Lunch.

"Flynn, what do you want to make for lunch?"

"Noodles."

So, I taught her about burners (right now, Nan & Gram are having a collective cardiac arrest). She turned on the back burner & started the water. She poured in the pasta when the water was boiling. Unfortunately, more noodles went all over the stove, counter, & floor, than actually into the pot. That's when supermomma turned into tired & over-extended momma & I made her push her chair back to the table to wait there for the rest of lunch.

But 1/2 way back to the table, she meets up with Gabe, and his dinosaur. Words were exchanged, some in english, some in Māori. Threats were made. And Sissy got owned.
Nothing a good bowl of noodles can't cure.
Thank God for carbohydrates.
Now we're all tired.
Unfortunately, some of us are in denial about our exhaustion.

Not me.

9-1-1

I haven't had the best of luck when it comes to staying perfectly healthy. So when I think about Jeff picking me up from the bathroom floor last year, it makes me shudder to think of the fact that it could've been 2 hours later & he could've been gone.

Which would've meant Flynn finding me on the floor, instead of Jeff.



Scary isn't it?



And the fact is that my kids are not allowed to play with the phone. The one time I left Flynn with full access, she dialed someone. It was the pastor's home, and the phone remained off the hook (possibly w/ them on the other line) ALL EVENING.

With us "going about our evening" with them possibly on the other line.

Mom & MIL, quit reading...

"About our evening"

Kids asleep.

Us "not asleep"

Us "not sleeping" in the living room.

Are you following me?

And if you ever have said, "no way, I want to die." It was after a moment like me realizing that the phone was off the hook & the last number dialed (pastor & boss) had heard any or all of what had went on that evening.

Mom & MIL, you can resume...

SO,

From that point on, the phone was off limits for the children. As a matter of fact, I (not always Jeff) make my best effort to keep the phone hung up, on the cradle, which is out of the reach of the children.



Convenient, but not always safe. So it had me thinking. What if I fell down the steps (which I've done before, not surprisingly) & was knocked unconscious. Or had a heart attack. Or just plain old die? Not only do I lay there unattended by emergency personnel, but even more scary is that my children are left to fend for themselves until Jeff gets home? -- possibly 12 hours (or so, dependent upon when this hypothetical emergency happens) later?

That's scary & sad.



So, today was the day I decided to teach Flynn 9-1-1.



It went something like this:



Mommy: Flynn, if there is ever a time where Mommy maybe doesn't wake up, or gets hurt or sick, & you can't get Mommy to answer you... there's something you'll need to do. Do you know what you should do if that happens?

Flynn: No-uh (spoken w/ major inflection)

Mommy: #1 you should find the phone. Where is it?
She knew right where it was, went to where it hangs & pointed to it.

Mommy: But it's too high...what would you do?

Flynn: I would get a chair.

Mommy: That's right, let's do that.

Mommy: Okay, now what?

Flynn: I don't know-uh. (again w/ the inflection)

Mommy: You will have to dial emergency. Press TALK. Press 9. Press 1. Press 1.

(I had turned the phone off before the dialing obviously)

Mommy: Then you say, "My name is Flynn and my mommy is hurt."

Then we talked about different things that are or aren't emergencies.

Then, being the odd-ball I am, I made her a paper phone, fashioned to look identical to ours. And we practiced.

Okay Flynn, here we go...

And I pretended to have some type of attack-arrest-faint. She stood there stunned. And stared, like she was scared & maybe thought it was real.

But not Gabe, he laughed & picked up his really heavy sandal & threw it at me. It hit my chest which delighted him. And I took that opportunity to tell Flynn it was time to call 911 on her pretend phone. Gabe took the opportunity to throw his other sandal, which this time hit me in the face. And so Flynn said that she dialed TALK 9 1 1. And she said, "I'm Flynn. My mom is sick."

Tomorrow I teach her how to sleep in.

I wish.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye...

Like a big dairy-free pizza pie...

That's amore!

(and a dirty oven)

While the pizza pies baked,

Flynn & Gabe made a pizza that can not be eaten (well, Gabe might beg to differ)

Can you guess which is the 'real' pizza?