Tyler Politics and Anniversary

After watching a TV segment that featured a song listing all the U.S. Presidents...Tyler says to me: "Mom? Are girls allowed to be President?"

I was a bit taken aback that he'd noticed all our former presidents (and the current one) were men. "Well Ty, in theory, yes - a woman can become President. It just hasn't happened yet."

"Why?"

"Um...because for a long time women weren't even allowed to vote and none of them ever ran for President until recently. There was a lady running for President for this next election, but it looks like she is out of the race."

"Oh. Mom? I wish you could be President. I would vote for you. Maybe you can do that when you get old?"

"Ha! Aww...thanks Ty. Maybe someday."

Chances of a college drop-out and full time Mom getting to be President one day? Unlikely. The fact that my son wants to vote for me? Priceless.


And in other news: Today is our 16th wedding anniversary. I was so exhausted and stressed this week, I completely forgot what day/date it was and I don't even have a card for my sweetie. So I just want to say to my husband...thank God you're home and I love you, baby! If you have to go away again for any time longer than overnight, I'm going with you. The boys can stay with Grandma! Ha!

Da Bears!

I got an automated phone call from my son's school the other day. They have this system that phones every emergency contact number you list on a form at the beginning of the school year and plays a recording to whomever answers.

The auto-phone message went something like this: "Attention parents of students at Blah Blah School...do not be alarmed. A large black bear has been spotted near the high school. Authorities have been alerted, but we ask that no child be allowed to walk home today. Every effort to pick your child up at school should be made. Thank you."

Yeah! Good times. LOL

I asked Tyler about "the bear" when I picked him up...he stared at me blankly. I guess they didn't tell the students about the danger. Probably a good thing since the first thing out of Tyler's mouth when I explained the situation was, "A real bear?!?! Can we go see him??? Pleeeeeeease Mom!"

Oh boy.

No good very bad day...

Baby up at 6am. Sucks when you fell asleep at 4:30am. Husband took Ty to school and went back to bed until after 11am. I may hate him. Then he packed and left for a week in Las Vegas. I'm pretty sure I hate him. As he was leaving, he says, "I really don't want to go. I don't even know who the entertainment is at the last conference event...some band called Matchbox 20..."

It's official. I almost certainly hate him.

Then I made dinner alone. Kids dying from hunger, screaming, coloring on the windows, crayons spilled everywhere, Tyler insisting on making his own peanut butter sandwich (no, he won't eat what I cooked)...and the chicken came out half cooked and half raw. Why do they put HUGE chicken thighs in the same package with little tiny ones??? How hard is it to sort them by size?

It's way past their bed time. Peas and rice spilled into my sofa. Kids are wired and bouncing off the walls. Tyler lied about brushing his teeth. No hair left to pull out. John has 4 nights of a bed to himself in a city built for fun and loaded with great places to eat...yeah, it's a work function and he has to mingle and go to meetings. But I know those sales guys. Someone is going to suggest a strip club and it's all down hill from there.

Yeah. I hate him.

[If hubby reads this... Just kidding honey! I love you! Travel safe and bring me home a present, mkay?]

Binki Experiment - Day 2 (Thanks Lotus!)

One of my fav bloggers (who else could get all their readers to send photos of their boobs?) is currently in the process of weaning her boy off the binky. Since our boys are very close in age, I thought I would give it a shot. I'd much rather say bye bye to the bink NOW than have a repeat of the extreme pacifier addiction that Tyler had. (He refused to give it up until he turned 4 - then gave it up cold turkey that very day.) For several months now, we've already limited Max's paci use to nap and bedtime only (or when we were desperate on a long car trip.)

Day 1 - No bink given at naptime. You know what? He went to sleep without complaint! No bink at bedtime. He woke several times during the night, but didn't cry. Just rocked in his bed to sooth himself. Success!

Day 2 - Again, no binky at naptime. He fell asleep on the sofa and was carried to his bed, so no problem there. Bed time is now. He has been talking, rocking and calling for me for a half hour now. *sigh* Crossing fingers.

Update at 11PM - he fell asleep after a second sippy full of milk. This might not be the best time to take his comfort items away. Max has started to settle in to full blow separation anxiety. I hope it doesn't get as bad as it was with Tyler. I couldn't even leave the house without him breaking down into a hysterical mess. Poor kid.

The other issue I have in parallel with Lotus (see link) is our excessive need to control all writing implements and keep them away from little hands except under the strictest supervision. Yeah. It worked great when it was just baby Tyler in the house. There was only ONE instance where he got his mitts on a pen and drew on my dinning room table and chairs. Now? Tyler is much older and very careless with his things. Max finds crayons in the sofa, pens under the bookcase, markers on the floor near the whiteboard, and a multitude of other writing implements anywhere and everywhere. Ugh!

So I've been cleaning up Max's "art work" on a daily basis and it's driving me a bit batty. He loves to use markers on the dining room window. That's not so bad. The ink comes right off the glass easily. He'll also follow big brother's example and draw on the white board I mounted on the back-side of the breakfast bar in the kitchen (where the bar stools would normally be parked). Also easy to clean. BUT, then he write on the carpet and the furniture. Ugh. He has some major special radar. If there is a loose pen anywhere in his reach, he WILL find it and use it. LOL


Meanwhile, in Second Life, I am attending a Kiss tribute concert. Wow, this takes me back.

Dragon Flys, Boys, and Making Babies

I had an interesting discussion with Tyler the other day. He was watching "Miss Spider" on Noggin with Max and said, "I love this show."

I asked him if it was because he had something in common with Miss Spiders' kids. He looked at me blankly. "Think about it Ty. She is a spider and her kids are spiders, bed bugs and dragonflies. Didn't you ever wonder about that?"

That triggered a lively discussion on adoption and the differences between being born into a family and being adopted into one.

Tyler wisely said to me, "You know what Mom? You are lucky your belly was broken. Getting a baby out of there really hurts!"

"How did you know that childbirth was really painful, Ty?! Did they talk about it at school?"

He shook his head at me and said, "Think about it. It takes a DOCTOR and a HOSPITAL to get a baby out of there. That HAS to hurt! Plus those holes down there are so SMALL!"

I burst out laughing and when I composed myself, I said, "You know what Ty? You are right. I am very lucky."

WeAss #219 Transportation

Weekend Assignment #219: What is your favorite form of transportation, and why? You can choose any means of traveling by land, sea or air, with just one catch: it has to currently exist in the real world, or have existed in the past. No TARDIS, no Star Trek transporter, no flying DeLoreans, all right?

Extra Credit: What's the most unusual form of transportation you've ever taken?

While I love the comfort and convenience of my mini-van, I confess I crave some very different modes of transport.

Firstly, I would LOVE to have one of these:

We rode these in Bermuda and I've wanted to get back on one ever since. I think it would be GREAT to tool around town on one. I'd get Tyler a nice helmet too. What a fun way to get to school in the morning. (Of course I have no clue what the laws are when it comes to passengers on these...but I would check, of course.)

Second choice would be a Segway. Currently I have an issue with the maximum allowed weight on these (which sucks) but maybe one day I can address that. Maybe that can be my incentive. Hey honey? If I get under the max allowed on a Segway, will you get me one? Or better yet, get me that cool Vespa?

Third choice would be one of these:

But seriously, I might be forced into one of those at the rate I'm going.

EDITED 6/8 1:49PM to add:

I forgot to do the extra credit part! Most unusual form of transport I've ever taken...hmm. There was the sky tram in the New Mexico mountains, cable cars in San Francisco, scooters in Bermuda...probably the most unusual was catching a ride on a C-130 (at least I think that's what it was called) military transport plane. Can't recall if it was to or from Okinawa where my Dad was stationed when I was a kid. I only remember that is was VERY LOUD.

And a note to Trish - that Vespa up above? It is FAST. It can do freeways with no problem. :-)