Thankful Thursday

I am thankful that my kids like (or should I say love) salad, but once in a while I would like to eat my own salad in peace and in its entirety.

I am thankful that Stella makes up her own mind about things she wants, especially her outfits; with that comes an inability to change her mind. There are days we go out with some dandies. She did find and check out Tim Gunn’s Fashion Bible from the library last week.

I'm not sure she followed any rules

 

She's making it work

I am thankful Stella had a fantastic time at her party. I can’t say I’m thrilled to have all the sundae bar left overs. I have had a sundae every night this week and we’re not talking a small one either. I guess I can welcome those 5 pounds back.

This will help me find my 5 lost pounds

I am thankful they serve breakfast at school. There are some days (like today) when Maizie just cannot pull it together in time to eat at home, or should I say drink a glass of milk because that’s all she is willing to have.

I am thankful that Teddy is so into health and fitness, but I don’t need to feel his muscle every time he does some pushups. We have no dedicated Friday to weigh in and muscle feeling day, he cannot ask me to feel his muscle until Friday. His quest for a beach body is leaving hand prints all over my walls.

He must do well over 100 "push ups" a day

For more Thankful Thursdays head on over to Baby Gator's Den

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful that Stella loves me so much that she’s willing to physically attack the other two kids when they make an attempt to sit next to me. Not only will fists and feet fly, there will also be a bevy of crying and foot stomping with a side of, “You don’t love me!”

I am thankful that the couches are white and evidence of Alabama’s outlawed couched sleeping is prominent. I guess I’ll have to start to do late night patrols with my squirt bottle.

I am thankful the weather is starting to warm up, now I can send the kids outside to play.  They play, play, play and wear themselves out. The downfall is they get so tired that they sometimes fall asleep before bedtime and then are up all night or they are so overtired that they will cry over Alabama licking her paw.

I am thankful that Teddy is capable of getting his own breakfast sometimes, but I wish he would understand that just because you can make one thing doesn’t mean you can make everything. He gets up at the ass crack of dawn most days and he needs to eat immediately. The other day I heard him trying to make egg salad for breakfast. He has made it before but not without someone to supervise the mayo distribution. Thanks for getting me up at 6:17AM the first day of vacation.

I am thankful that vacation is almost over. When I was a teacher, I LOVED vacation as a SAHM…not so much. When one kid wakes up, comes downstairs and smacks another (for no apparent reason) that usually means we’re not going to have a good day.

Here Fishy, Fishy, Fishy

Thursday was Stella’s birthday and her last one before she is in school. So we decided to take the kids on “an adventure”. We started with lunch at Johnny Rockets and then headed off to check out Biomes in North Kingstown.

 

Sitting pretty

I had never been to the “little” location, but I have friends that went there quite frequently. They recently moved to a new, much larger, location on Post Road and they added a story time and craft area. My kids love to story times and crafts and they also like going to the aquarium, why not checkout both at once?

We walked in and the place in so spacious. At the first turn you see Mr. Grouper (yes from the Bubble Guppies). Then there is a tortoise that, you can touch. But believe it or not, he’s pretty quick. 

 

He's pretty fast, no wonder he won the race

Teddy, who walks around like a Great Dane puppy, had no problem navigating his way around. They also have easy to read descriptions on all the tanks (Maizie read it all to us).

 

She read all the signs for us

Stella and Maizie were fascinated with all the different fish (they were all found in Rhode Island waters), Teddy was “meh”.

They weren't sure if they were going to touch that tank or not

There are several touch tanks. 

 

Maizie loved touching the sea life

That’s when Teddy started to lose it. We got to the tank where you could touch the sharks and he had a little freak out and I thought he might spend the rest of the time sitting in the car. Maizie didn’t want to touch the sharks or “fishy” looking things, but she HAD to get a starfish.

 

NO ONE was touching that

Or that

Teddy got brave and Maizie handed him the starfish

Story time was wonderful and Aimee had tons of patience. Ted and I were cracking up over Teddy’s over enthusiastic participation; Aimee let him go with it. 

 

Storytime, Teddy is mid hand gesture

The craft was simple enough for younger kids while older kids could get more complex with their design.

 

Talking and working, as usual

Deep concentration from Stella

Done!

So Sparkly

TaDa!

Story and craft time runs every day (several times each day) and each week has a different theme. The story area also has books and activities for the kids to read and take a break from fish gazing. 

 

Checking out all the things to do

I don't thing Maizie did anything else

Even though she was 5, she still wanted a ride

If you have a hankering for sea life, I highly recommend checking out Biomes. My kids can’t wait to go back.

I received complimentary passes to facilitate my review, but my opinions are strictly my own.

When a Mom Falls in the Living Room, Everyone Hears It

Usually I write about funny things that my kids do, well it’s my turn now. I did something that I’m sure some people would never want to speak of again. I fell. I didn’t just stumble fall, I fell hard like a tree in my living room. I recently wrote how I was ready to get rid of gravity, that feeling is stronger than ever now.

I would feel better if a heavy amount of drinking was involved, but it wasn’t. All I did was trip over the threshold between my living room and dining room. I have tripped hundreds of times in the seven years we’ve lived here, but have always recovered, not today.

 

There it is, it's all his fault.

Since I can’t blame alcohol, I blame the Danskos. If you have worn them, you know how easy it is to turn your ankle in them. I did just that, plus a whole lot more.

I was looking for my pocketbook so I could get Maizie to the doctor. I spotted it and started to step sideways. I stepped and the side of my shoe (Dansko) hit the threshold and I started to go over. If the damn threshold wasn’t there, I would have stood a shot of recovering. Unfortunately, there was no saving myself. I went down like a tree, HARD.

All I felt was pain, head to toe pain. In less than half a second all these thoughts went through my head.

• There is no way I’m going to make it up the hill tomorrow. (Soccer starts and Stella plays on top of a hill in the very back of the entire complex.)
• We are having a party on Sunday and there is still way too much to do.
• I can’t be on crutches because last time Teddy kept stealing them like the Richard sisters did to Brandi.
• I’m not old enough for this to happen, this happens to nursing home people.
• I’m completely sober, what’s my excuse going to be.
• Ted is going to make fun of me.

Maizie saw the whole thing happen and was a bit concerned. I wasn’t sure what I had done to myself so when she was standing over me asking if I was okay, I told her to go get Daddy.

She went and got him. He wasn’t sure what was going on, until he saw me on the floor. By then I had enough time for the initial shock pain to wear off and just regular aches to set it. I realized I didn’t do any real damage (as far as I could tell). So I did what anyone in my situation should do, I started laughing…a lot.

Ted had to help me up and I realized I had a semi-puncture wound on my arm. From what? I have no idea.

Maizie had to get to the doctor; we were really starting to run late now. We get into the car and as we are driving my left shoulder is KILLING ME (the one I landed on) and I have a banging headache. I’m sure I will hurt much worse the next couple of days. As long as I can still walk, I’ll be happy.

For more funny stories, go to The Mommyhood Chronicles.