Thumb War at the Table is a Bad Idea

The other night we were sitting down to dinner, but we were not in our normal spots.  That might be the first part of our problem.  You see, O and Keith are leaving for a 4 college tour for a week.  As R was setting the table for dinner, E asked to sit next to O, because she is going to miss her, that meant that Keith who normally sits between O and J, now moved next to me.  I should say that no one wants to sit next to me, that is for the child who cannot obey or needs help.  Anyway, Keith was across from O.

During the dinner conversation Keith was asking R how many pancakes he wanted…  “1, 2, 3?”  to which O responded “4, I declare a thumb war”  Keith put his hand out across the table.

He put it back down and O stuck out her left hand…

One
Two
Three
Four
I declare a thumb war
Five
Six
“stop counting”
“dad you are squeezing too hard”
“You are cheating”
“I am not going to let you win”

Crash

A freshly poured cup filled with chocolate milk went crashing over into Little A’s plate with m&m pancakes and strawberries. Dumping a majority of milk on her plate, the rest made little rivers around her plate dripping onto PS’s high chair foot rest, dripping onto the floor, and onto Little A’s favorite socks causing her to cry.  The children not involved in the crash sat and watched.  I continued eating while Keith, O, and R scrambled to gather towels and rags to stop the spill and clean up the  mess.  {I should also mention I just hand washed the floors on Thursday, two whole days of clean floors…}

After it was cleaned up enough to continue eating R gave Little A a fresh plate with a new pancake on it.

When everyone was sitting back down I asked “what made you think thumb wars were a good idea” Keith tried to blame it on O…

So, in case you were wondering Thumb Wars are a bad table game.

After an educational conversation about gallon guy, and maple syrup, people started leaving the table.  I looked at Little A who was eating her new pancake still, and fresh strawberries and she looked different.  Her smile was amiss, there was a gap where earlier there had not been a gap.

I called her over to me and pulled her mouth apart.  My girl lost her first tooth.  The center left bottom tooth.  It was never even wiggly, it just fell out, or actually fell back.  She swallowed it, we assume, since there was no tooth to be found.  Everyone came running back to see and take pictures.  Aunt Kim has declared her toothless.  It is only one tooth, but this is it,  I have a big girl now, not a newborn, not an infant , not a toddler, not even a preschooler, but a big girl.  The end of her babyhood.  She wants to read and wants the training wheels off her bike.  I am sad, I hate change, I hate that my kids grow so quickly.  I know it is inevitable, but I have resisted as long as possible.

She was going to write the tooth fairy a list of treasure.  O pointed out that the tooth fairy brings what ever she chooses.  J informed her that he has had a tooth in the tooth pillow for 2 months now…  I guess the tooth fairy needs to get on that!

Little A said that “the tooth fairy cannot get my tooth because she does not want to go in the toilet, but she takes everybodies toothes, so I don’t know how she is going to get my tooth?”

During her bath she said “I miss my old tooth”

One of my boys swallowed his tooth while drinking a juice box, another tooth literally fell out of his mouth when he smiled.  Another one of my kids wrote the tooth fairy a note telling her to not come close to him, leaving the pillow on his dresser across the room.

Go hug your kids they need your love, and they are growing up right before your eyes.

jen

P.S.  An update on the tooth.  Early this morning she informed me that “I pooped last night, there was no tooth in my poops, I guess it will come out in my pees.”  shrugged her shoulders and walked away.
I do NOT want to know how she knew there was no tooth in her poops…
For good measure I made her wash her hands again.

P.S. #2  While at the orthodontist for R’s consultation he offered a free peak in Little A’s mouth, {she asked for it} He told her that she has to stop sucking her fingers when she starts to lose teeth.  Last night she went to sleep with out her fingers in her mouth.  5 Years and 4 months and she just stopped.  I am so pleased.   Sad because she is grown up but pleased that I won’t have to smell spitty smell when she wakes up {I should mention I have a very sensitive nose,  it really is a curse}

 

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Praying For A Baby Boy

Our schedule is quite predictable, we stay home playing, coloring, napping, laundry, watching Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood {we just discovered this gem, she loves it!  I won’t tell on the child, but one of the older kids was home recently and now hums the tunes from that episode little A watched with that older sibling.} .  But Wednesday.  Wednesday is ballet day, I know it was Thursday, and each week I have to explain to little A that the class we have gone to for 3 years was canceled, there were just not enough children in the class.  Now there are 10 in her class, seems like a lot of little children running around but so far it is working just fine.
After ballet day is Chick-Fil-A, that never changes.  Ballet to Chick-Fil-A to carline pick up.  {Although this week we did go to Hob’Lob, I needed a few things for a craft fair in May}  This story is about last week, or actually our conversation after leaving CFA, on the way home.  It was so funny I pulled over in a tire shop to write it all down, I did not want to forget any part of it.

***I AM NOT PREGNANT***
*** This is exactly how she started the conversation, apparently she had been thinking about it for a while***

Little A: SO does God come down to earth or do you go up to heaven to have God put the baby in your belly?
Me: No honey, when a person goes to heaven and sees God they don’t ever want to come back to earth, Heaven is too wonderful, and God is so amazing, that when we see God we want to stay in heaven.

Little A: So, does he come down to put the baby in your belly
Me:No baby, when mommies and daddies are in bed kissing then God sometimes gives them a baby.

Little A:Does He get in between you?
Me: Smirking {save room for the Holy Spirit…}

Me: no honey.

Little A: Well does he put the baby in your belly after you are sleeping
Me: Cheeks, I just don’t know

Little A:Why don’t you know you have a bunch of children
Me: {stop the questions!!!
I don’t want my kindergartner explaining the facts of life to her classmates}

Me: Baby, I just can’t explain it right now…
Me:{when will this end?}

Little A: Mamma did all of us get cut out of your belly
Me:{Sigh}
Me: No honey

Little A:Well how did they come out?
Me: Well, God gives moms a special hole for babies to come out.
Sometimes, it does not work out right then the doctors have to cut the baby out.

Little A: So when will God put a boy in your belly
Me:{whew} I don’t know baby

Little A: I’ll just pray about it
Me: ok honey that sounds like a good plan.

It was the longest conversation, and there was no way I could have distracted her.  I don’t want my child to be the one who casually explains baby making in the house keeping corner in the kindergarten classroom…  I don’t want to get THAT phone call from the principal…

Fingers Crossed that she stops asking questions, at least for a little bit…  it is hard to answer while still being obscure on my answers.

Go hug your kids, life is just too short to miss out on the fun.
jen

A Day in Court

This school year R tried out and made the Mock Trial Team.  Last year he was too young to join, but went along to as many practices and competitions as possible.  He was hooked.  This year when the team was starting up, he gave it a go and tried out.  He made the team as the role of witness for the Defense.  He had the role of the school principal, and lucky for him he has one he could easily study.  He presented his side with confidence and calmness.

For several weeks-months, he was at practice twice a week, and every other weekend.

The state competition was a few weekends ago,  I gladly sent the little kids to the babysitter to go out for a day in court.  {I was ever so thankful Keith’s aunt J and uncle J  from Mi were down for the winter, my girls were very excited to go over for the day.}

I sat silently watching the entire process, right before R was called to the stand I noticed he was very still and very pale.  I sent telepathic messages to breathe-b r e a t h e-breathe he was so still I was a little nervous that he might faint.  He walked up to the stand, pale and still, once he began talking his color returned and he was comfortable.  He was able to show confidence and knowledge without being rude or annoying.  {I cannot say that about the competitions witness, I wanted to convict him just for his arrogance.}  After the trial was over, the team went to lunch.  R invited me along, I sat with the adults.  We were chatting about the event, mostly they were explaining things to me. When I mentioned how white R had grown before he went on stage.  The coach said she was a little nervous and was mentally urging him to breath.  I laughed and said I was sending silent messages of my own, I said I was afraid he was going to faint.  I then mentioned that he has a tendency to faint.  She almost fell off her seat.  She looked at the other coach and said “why didn’t I know this?”  he said he had no idea either.  I laughed and said it was no big deal, he knows when it happens and usually warns people right before he goes down.  {Fainted away on the first day of 5th grade, his poor teacher, but she was warned}  He did not faint, and was fine.

I don’t understand a lot of what went on during the trial, I did not understand what was happening, but I knew a few things.  R was shining, this was fun for him, to think things through from both view points, to plan ahead and work all from a mental perspective.

Last week the school was sent their scores, while they did not do as well as they expected, R was disappointed in his score.  I reminded him that while trial team is fun and great, really what matters is how his life reflects Christ.  And doing his best for God’s glory was better than a perfect score.

What about you, do you have a future lawyer in your home?  If you think so, then urge your child to join your schools Mock Trial Team.  I guarantee they will learn something, even if it is how to plead their case before you.  Good Luck.

Go hug your kids and celebrate their differences!
jen

 

 

Sweet Tea and Exploding Tea Bags

We are southern, and like all good southern people, we love the iconic things of the south, big hair bows, the beach, or lake, or pool, any body of water really, monogrammed items, (if it is held, worn or driven, it needs to be monogrammed) and sweet tea.

Some of us are very picky about our sweet tea, must be made with real sugar, not corn syrup, must be sweet enough, but not so sweet  you can feel cavities forming, and it must be made with boiling water,  {sun tea is the exception, but then that water gets very hot} and it is best fresh made, still boiling hot poured over ice.  Right now I can hear the sounds of ice cubes popping as the boiling hot sweet tea is poured over them.  Perfection.  We like it either fresh made or ice-cold.  Nothing in between.

Years ago I got an iced tea maker from Mr Coffee.  It took me a week of trying until I found the correct brand of bags, and the equation of bags, to water, to sugar.  But I did it.  I threw out more tea that week of trying, after about 35 tries we knew how to make great tea.   {We do not like the directions on the Iced Tea maker, here is our recipe in case you care.}
7 regular size Lipton tea bags
2 sets of 4 cups of water {because that is all the storage holds 4 cups we do it twice}
1 cup of sugar
dump the sugar into the pitcher
7 tea bags
run the first 4 cups of water through the machine
run the next 4 cups of water through the machine
stir as soon as the machine shuts off
serve over ice
*** we have used our machine so much the pitcher is cracked, which is why we put the sugar on the bottom, it plugs up the holes.  After mixing transfer the tea to a not cracked pitcher.***

A few years ago, we were at our vacation spot in the mountains.  Here is the story of exploding tea bags, we {mostly me} still laugh about it, tears running down my face laughing about it.

Mistake #1 I did not bring the Iced Tea maker with us that year.

I can adapt, I decided that my bags, water, sugar ratio was the answer so I could easily make it with the traditional pot of boiling water.

Mistake #2 I decided to stir the tea bags with a whisk provided in the kitchen

The kitchen had spoons but wooden spoons are gross to me

Mistake #3 I decided to let the tea “settle” before trying to capture the lose

I thought the leaves would float and I could skim them off the surface

Mistake #4 I did not tell anyone my plan

If I had told someone then the incident could have been avoided

Mistake #5  I forgot the plan of letting the tea leaves float to skim

I just forgot

That afternoon most of the family went for a hike.  One of my favorite things about NC is the quite time I can enjoy, Keith and the bigger kids go on hikes while I stay back at the cabin, reading and swinging on the porch swing while the babies sleep.  I might get a good 30 minutes of peace, but I’ll take it.
During their hike, I went to get a glass of iced tea, because we were out I had to make some more.  All was peaceful, the babies were napping, the windows were open, the breeze was blowing.  I poured the boiling water over the tea bags and sugar.  The tea was not seeping fast enough so I grabbed a whisk {the cabin has wooden spoons but the thought of that is gross to me, I opted for the metal whisk that I had already washed}  I gave the pitcher of tea and sugar a vigorous stir.  In all of that stirring, one of the tea bags burst, there were tea leaves swirling all over the surface.  I grabbed a new pitcher, to make another pot of tea.  This time I made it right, no burst tea bag, no swirling leaves.  Perfect.

At dinner that night we were peacefully {who am I kidding, 6 kids, 5 adults, it is not so peaceful} eating, when the good pitcher of tea was emptied. O took the pitcher of the “bad” tea, poured herself a glass full and took a big drink.  {all before I can stop her} She ended up with a mouth full of tea leaves.  She opened her mouth to protest, only to have her braces full of tea leaves, her tongue was covered, and her mouth was full.  It was the funniest sight I had seen in a long time.  She opened her mouth to yell out in disgust.  I burst out laughing, she ran from the table yelling at me the whole way to the bathroom.  She rinsed and brushed and spit and rinsed and brushed and spit again.  She came back to the table mad as ever!

Every so often someone brings up the exploded tea bag story and O gets going with arm gestures and a loud voice as she complains about how terrible it was.

And every time she gets yelling when she tells the story I start to laugh.

Go hug your kids, watch out for exploding tea bags.
jen

P.S. Just a little FYI tea leaves are very difficult to brush out of braces, and even more difficult to catch out of the pitcher of sweet tea.  It is just better to go ahead and dump the entire thing and start over.