INTRODUCING....

Hades!!
As in hotter than...


Ya'll thought I was gonna say I was pregnant didn't ya?? Uh, definitely not, soooo not a good time for that!

Three years ago our heater broke. We just used lots of blankets and got some space heaters "to get us by till we could replace the heater and put in AC". Weelll, three years later, I still had no heater, a miserable swamp cooler that is a useless piece of junk the last week of June till the last week of August, and I was not going to freeze for one more winter. I know, I know we really don't freeze in Tucson, but I'm acclimated and I freeze. Not to mention space heaters are
D A N G E R O U S!
Stephen grew up in Bisbee in a house originally built by Phelps Dodge (very typical mine quality) with no insulation in the walls, no central anything and they used space heaters. The fact that his parents are still using this kind of heater worries us constantly! I've finally convinced him that the big holes in our walls are where warm air comes out in the winter and "cold" air comes out in the summer.

He started his hunt for a fix that we could afford. He usually succeeds triumphantly, but this one is mine all mine. One morning my mom and I were driving home from Bountiful Baskets and noticed a yard sale sign. I told my mom, "oooh, that's the Golding's neighbor, they always have good stuff."
I've found lots of great kid stuff that's still in good shape there. This morning was no different. We were walking back to the car with our loot when something caught my eye. It was Hades. I stopped and asked if that was a heater. The lady said it was (they took it out when they put in AC...cruel twist) and only 2 years old. I called Stephen he looked the model number up online, did a quick price comparison to other heaters listed on Craigslist, called me back and said to grab it. He joined our cold little home for 50 bucks.

He's been installed for the whole winter and works like a champ. I love it. All but one of the space heaters are gone! The day Stephen got him hooked up he took the house from 60 to 68 degrees in 15 minutes. So, he's also much more effective than our old one too. The old monster ran constantly--that equals a BIG gas bill.

I am so grateful we stopped that day, and that we've had such a nice cozy winter.

Baby Steps...

This title could apply to so many aspects of our lives right now, like Stephen finishing the semester's worth EMT course crammed into 4 weeks...crazy, 1st interview with one of the fire departments, a good amount of work for me this semester, but, no this is about literal baby steps.

Yesterday Lincoln gave us all a great Valentine. The whole family was in the big boys' room while they got ready for bed. Lincoln was hanging onto the side of a storage tub, turned around and started walking toward me like he'd been doing it forever. He got a solid 4 steps in a row in before he lunged the rest of the way into my happy Mommy arms. Gabriel yelled, "Whoa! Did you see that?!? Lincoln can walk!" Garrett just giggled and laughed with excitement. Both big boys are so excited for him. I was excited we were all there to see it together. He's been taking a step or two off and on for a while now...I knew he was getting so close.

From the second he was born I knew I'd miss a lot due to the need for me to work. I'm glad I have the earning power to step in as needed. I've managed to get his pictures semi on time, I have lots of candids from here at home, and surprisingly, I've been able to see quite a bit. I'm working much more this semester (which is a much needed good thing), and Stephen has been absent for the last 4 weeks. I just knew that's when he'd decide to start walking and both his parents would miss it.

We claim being the ones to see it first. IF we're not, I DON'T WANT TO KNOW IT! I want to live happily in my delusion that I was able to see my baby's first steps before anyone else. If you've seen him take that many steps in a row already, DO NOT share it with me....EVER. Having that said, I'm very excited for him. He's already a climber just imagine all the new stuff he can climb in/on once he's proficient at walking.

House and Home...

Garrett has called a trues to his hunger striking ways and is now trying to eat us out of house and home.

For lunch he just ate the following:

1 PB&J (2 full slices of bread, not one folded in half)
2 oranges
1 whole banana
5 baby carrots
1 cheese stick
1 full cup of milk
4 Hershey's kisses (from the Valentine playgroup activity this morning)
1 chocolate cupcake (from the Valentine playgroup activity this morning)

Crazy.

He and Gabriel are eating this much, or more, for just about every meal these days. I'm a little nervous about when they become teenage, bottomless pit, eating machines.

Kindergarten Musical

Last night was Gabriel's Kindergarten Musical. They titled it "Dreams Really Do Come True" then the kids learned dances to several Disney songs. SO CUTE! The teacher that did so much of the work on this thing is battling cancer right now. As she stood there in the hat covering her now bare head, she talked about her only dream was to see this show happen. It was touching. She talked about celebrating the magic of childhood, and fostering that magic. She's a wise woman that has been teaching Kindergarten for over 30 years. She knows the magic of childhood is fleeting.

I remember at the beginning of the year the teachers explained the kinds of things the kids would do during the year. When they talked about the musical I thought, "Good luck getting Gabriel to cooperate with that one." Well, all I have to say about that is SHAME ON ME for selling my kid short on expectations. Gabriel is NOT an easy kid, and took so many years of work to get him on an equal playing field with his peers. I have to remind myself often that he's not that multiply delayed kid anymore. Some areas he still struggles with, but is willing (most of the time) to work to overcome those areas. At church he LOVES Sister Golding and the fun singing times she comes up with, but rarely do I see him sing a note. So I really didn't know how'd he respond to a musical type activity.

He was assigned the character Timone. (The little Meerkat from Lion King.) When he told me that I thought it was a perfect, skinny fit for him. He took his dancing and practicing so seriously. He would come home and watch Lion King, when the part with Timone, and Pumba came on he'd hush the room so he could pay attention. He'd watch it so intently to make sure he didn't miss anything. He was a regular little understudy. I've been so happy with the growth this program has fostered in him. Now, I have to be clear, he was in a very short segment that you could tell was reserved for the kids with the short attention spans. Did he know that his part was shorter? Nope and didn't care either; and I am glad that they recognized they couldn't overwhelm him with a long dance. His part was just as important as any other. He was SO cute! For several weeks now he'd tell me all about his practices and the black lights. I kept thinking how do they work black lights into something like this? Well, now I know and how cool it was! His eyes beamed with delight, as he danced his little heart out. I can't even begin to express the feeling I have when I see pure, unadulterated joy radiating from my Gabriel. It was the joy of success. Kids need to feel triumphantly successful. I love that little Timone!

The kids did a performance for the school during the day that was professionally filmed. You may be thinking, "professionally filmed, come on it's Kindergarten." Yeah, I bought the DVD. It was that level of great.

After we got home Gabriel told me that the kids waiting to go on stage were watching Sponge Bob. I don't let them watch that show. It's not a really bad show, I just don't like it and I'm in charge. Anyway, he told me that he went and told the teacher that he can't watch Sponge Bob. I asked him what he did instead. He answered so matter of factly, "I just watched a different show on her phone." "Oh, what show was that?" "Scooby Doo!" I wonder when he got into that show? I don't think we've ever watched it at home... I was proud. This is the beginning of him standing up for what he knows he needs to do. It was a little thing, but practice with the little things is what preps these kids for the big things. Unfortunately, the big things start coming while still in elementary school. Working in the schools has been good for me to keep in touch with when these kiddos need to be ready for standing up for what's right.

I've said it before, and I still believe it....THIS is the school Gabriel needed. The entire district's focus is on fostering positive learning environments for these kids to succeed in. The actual superintendent was in attendance last night. All the seats were taken by families there to support their kids, so the head of the whole district stood for the entire show. He didn't leave till he'd seen the whole program and chatted with many of the families. I've seen this man attend NUMEROUS activities throughout the district. I've seen him walking around different campuses talking with the students. He recognizes staff, frequent visitors (like interpreters), and students. The students also know who he is, how many of us had any clue who our superintendent was? I don't even know the name of the superintendent from my district, much less what he looked like. These are the differences that reinforce my decision. So many times in life we're faced with a decision that we know will have long lasting ramifications. I'm so relieved we made the decision that was right for Gabriel. So much of child rearing is a stab in the dark, it feels good every now and then to know you did good.

Overheard...

Garrett: "Hey! Wait a minute dinosaurs don't eat people food, aanndd, I'm a dinosaur. I can't eat this!"

Garrett and Gabriel are attempting to be picky eaters. It WON'T happen, and I'm more stubborn than they are. It's just flat out an important life skill to appreciatively eat what is presented to you; especially for boys that will go on missions someday and be fed who knows what. I'm very frustrated right now because they aren't even consistent with what they like and don't like. There are days I'm feeling feisty and will serve something I figure they won't like because I'm up for the battle, they'll gobble it down and ask for more. Other days I'll be feeling tired and weak so I'll serve something they've liked in the past so we can have a quiet easy dinner, they'll freak out and refuse to eat it. F R U S T R A T I N G ! ! Several months ago I made a decision-- They Will Eat What They Are Served Or Get It Again The Next Meal. I refuse to fight anymore. If I, or anyone for that matter, take the time to prepare food for these ungrateful critters they can eat it. Although, as long as Mom doesn't make it, they seem to like it...poor Mommy. I DO NOT like to cook, when they start complaining it makes me crazy. We all sit down, they can eat or not, but at the end of the meal if their plates aren't empty I put them in my "Mommy's Refusal to Eat Mitigation System" ziploc bag and put it in the fridge. The next meal I pull the plate out of the fridge and present it back to them. :+) They LOVE (wink, wink) my new system. We still have plenty of screeching dinners, with lots of "tummy aches", "I'm gonna throw up" threats, "it's no good, I think it's rotten" complaints and my favorite from Gabriel, (take a little taste) "I think this has soy in it I better not eat it". Yeah nice try, this is a soy free house. I will win.

This morning Stephen made chocolate chip pancakes. I have a good husband, he does this pretty much every Sunday he doesn't have meetings. The boys were so excited...till I pulled the dinners they didn't finish out and served those to them while we ate yummy pancakes. We already finished our dinners. Garrett only had a few bites left and was debating having a full stand off or just a token protest. He came up with his dinosaur theory.

Nice try bud. That was about all the fight he put up. He got pancakes before church. Gabriel didn't get his till tonight after an all day standoff. We knew he was hungry, but also very stubborn. We will win.

On our way to church we heard this from the backseat....

Gabriel: "Hey! My nose whistles!" He thought it was so cool. Now that is a talented child. We all have our February allergies kicking in.

Garrett: "No, No, No, I eat that at Nanny's house. She picks me up from school!"

Garrett: (crawling on all fours) I walk like this because I'm a Tregosarus-Rex! ROAR!
Me: Do you mean a Stegosaurus?
Garrett: Yeah! Stegosaurus Rex! ROAR!

He's so into dinosaurs, and if you can mix a carnivorous T-Rex and an herbivore Stegosaurus, then they're tons better!

Anytime we eat after dark the big boys "see" and talk about the Omninore out in the backyard. This happened last night.

Garrett: Gabriel, does the Omninore have eyebrows?
Gabriel: (looks out the window into the blackness) No those are just hands coming out of right here (puts his hands at his eyebrows)
Garrett: Ohhhh, it looks like eyebrows.
Mommy: Garrett come get your last bite.
Garrett: Did you see the Omninore?
Mommy: Yep, you better eat this last bite before it gets you.
Garrett: Ok! (down the hatch it went)

I thought they'd been mispronouncing Omnivore, but they're pretty consistently referring to a specific kind of dinosaur they've imagined up. I'm going to have them draw it in separate rooms and see what each of them comes up with.

Whooo Me??

This morning Stephen went to the side of the house to get a satellite dish he listed on craigslist for someone to look at. When he got over there he found a dismembered rabbit leg on the ground.
GROSS!
He's lucky I didn't find it, I wouldn't have handled it well. When we lived in Holbrook I went out one pitch black, inky night to collect my rabbits for a 4-H show and only found pieces of them. I was traumatized and have been terrified of the dark for years now.
Tonight as I was loading up to go to YW Volleyball I looked up and saw our little friend here. This darn thing is huge! I told Stephen, guess we know what ate the rabbit. Just as we were talking about that we realized he was eating another rabbit tonight. Now that the critter has had multiple meals in our backyard I'm a little worried about our "rat" dogs. Chihuahuas are not much bigger than a rabbit.
A few years ago we got the bright idea to breed our little female Chihuahua, sell a litter to recoup what we paid for her, then fix her. We paid a hefty deposit on a Chihuahua "stud" and brought him home. He disappeared over night. He'd been grabbed from the backyard by a large bird of prey and dropped in the desert about a mile from our house. Fortunately, he survived and someone took him to the pound where we found him and returned him to his owners. They offered to give the deposit back, but after all the trouble we just let them keep it. It didn't even work...no puppies. After all that drama we had her fixed anyway. We are the proud owners of an AKC papered, spayed Chihuahua. :) Knowing that her "stud" friend was carried from the yard makes me nervous for our little dogs now.
The boys thought it was way too cool. Stephen was glad they couldn't tell he actually eating something. They just thought it was cool to see a big bird.

Yard Sales

I like to go to yard sales as much as the next girl, buuuut if my car ever looks like this will someone please tell me to get a grip. Every Saturday I have to just shake my head as the yard salers from south of the border come up to go shopping. Can you imagine getting into a wreck with this?

I've been informed....

that my swim suit has a tutu on it!

The other morning we'd all just loaded up to leave for the day; the big boys were talking about something in the back seat as I got in. Just as I buckled my seat belt I hear Garrett reply to Gabriel, "Well, Mommy's swim suit has a TUTU on it!" I had to laugh, what a lovely thought to send me off to work with. A funny thing happens in my brain as I'm getting ready to head to an interpreting job, everything I hear starts creating pictures in my head. Sooo, the second I heard Garrett I had a mental image of myself standing next to a pool wearing a tutu. Yeah...nice image I know. Just so we're all clear my swimsuit has a skirt on it, not a tutu. I wish the skirt was longer, however, that would probably make swimming a little difficult. This post child body is something I'm still trying to come to terms with. I wish I'd appreciated what I had while I had it.