For Mrs. B and the dog did what...

I know Mrs. B did not really want me to talk about her, but I can't help it I finally got something out of H that I thought I would just share because he is just so cute!

So H mentioned that he loves learning his home row, it took me a bit but I finally clued in to what he was talking about. He loves to go to computer lab and he loves learning new letters on the keyboard because I guess the little modules they use have characters of sorts, he likes getting to the end because they sometimes sing and dance. I mentioned he is learning to do typing in elementary school but I learned that stuff in Jr. High, he thought it was great that he was as smart as me in JH (probably not a far stretch but I still think I have him beat). G-pa stepped up and said he is still learning the keyboard, he loved the fact he was smarter than him (and yes again probably not a far stretch but I think the old man wins just by age alone).

I know she will be leaving soon as her son will be out of the school, I think this year but I wanted to make sure she knew we love her and has inspired the kid to get through the keyboard (even if he puts his fingers there and then still chicken pecks at home).

I posted on FB that the boy had a very hard day today at school but he pulled through and at least according to him he did not get in trouble but I guess they had a lot of school work today, I feel bad for the kid but I did let him know that all those days I have such a hard day at work is a lot like he felt at school today, he was a little more understanding. I only hope I gave him enough balloons and tickles to really cheer him up.

And just you know the picture shows that even if the dog eats the homework, well I guess in this case tore and threw up on the homework, we were able to tape it back together and clean it up and we got the library homework done, hopefully not late but done.

It can be done...

For as much as I love my sweet, handsome and adorable little boy, there is a down side to him at times. I have such a hard time cooking a meal that he will eat at home. No matter how hard I try I can not win sometimes.

As an example he LOVES drumsticks and chicken strips, however if I tend to make them forget it, I am lucky I actually get him to chow down one, which if he normally eats chicken on the bone he chows down so much that I get grossed out and ask him to stop because he is just sucking the marrow from the bone at that point (yes I know totally gross and way too much information).

Come this past week, I am really trying to cut a lot of sodium out of my diet and work on trying to eat more at home to prepare for this new diet I want to try out once I get some time to fully read the book, I made two meals that H actually liked.

First was a play on Top Ramen (yes, it is a staple at my house and please do not judge me) where I cut out some of the seasoning in the packs so it was lower in sodium. I then cooked up steaks and cut them into thin little slices and sauteed onions and mushrooms (yes, my crazy picky, young son LOVES mushrooms). He loved it! He even went back for seconds! That is unheard of when it comes to my meals at home.

The second meal was cooked tonight, it was a play off of a knock off recipe for my favorite soup in the world from Olive Garden. I even thought that the kale in it would make him not want to eat it but a rule in my house is you have to try it once before you can hate it, and you still need to try it in the future. He ate it, no second bowl but he did say he would eat it again if I made it, seriously I will take progress where I can get it.

Family math night...

So even with all the work I have been doing (of course it is only work if I can stop having complete melt downs and crying) there have been a few precious moments with H this past week. I don't mind working but it is so very important that my son knows he is the world to me and he truly will come before work when it is important to him.

This comes to Family Math Night at school (before this we had to work together to get his snowman decorated so he could put in on the board to show me come parent teacher conference), we went tonight. The joy on his face for him to see me pick him up from daycare is enough to kill me sometimes, but it is what is needed to get done in order to make our life better. We went to grab sandwiches and ate before heading over.

Even though the instructions and directions on where to go were right there, it was like a scavenger hunt to him. We had to find the way to the classroom. I beat him really good in one of the games (it was a mistake to let him win so many times before because he cries sometimes if he doesn't win with me) but he beat me on the other. He finally did decide that he wanted to try out the "Smarter than a... whatever grade you were in" and I actually remembered some things and once he was able to figure out how to work the controller (you think the principal would have offered some sort of instructions) we did rather well. Which led back to one more classroom for more games and yes I was winning but then forfeited many hands so he could win (I then started pulling out the correct cards for him to get higher up in points). He was so proud to beat me on that one, but is it really beating me when I set him up?

All in all we had a total blast, I am so glad I made this night for him, he is a good kid and I wouldn't change him for the world. Now he did mention that one of his friends plays a game that kind of freaks me out and I mentioned that to him (something along the lines of a devil game, devil's peak or something like that) and he turned to look at me and said "yeah, it kind of freaks me out and he totally embarrasses himself in front of 10 people", but I good thing it is only 10 and not the whole school right.

I have taught the boy nothing...

So I feel like I am a failure as a mother, and no it has nothing to do with me not providing for my child (because other than my nephews I have not met another spoiled boy who gets what he wants), it has more to do with having him not able to tell the difference between Whitney Houston "I want to dance with somebody" and Michael Jackson "Thriller". For some unknown reason when we were listening to Whitney on the CD we popped in he turned to me and said "I love this song, you know Thriller by Michael Jackson". They couldn't soung anymore different than if they tried.

Now I know he gets this from me, I have a bad habit of not remembering things very well. I confuse actor's real life names and screen names continously, I figure if I come close or you know what I am talking about then I am good. When I can actually pull it off some people I know don't believe me anyway and have to verify what I have told them (No I am not actually pointing fingers at you yet Mary, Ally McKay or Ally McBeal what is the difference really).

H has got on to northpole.com tonight too and I have found out that not one thing I have bought for him this year is really what he wanted because what he had originally asked for was a journal, well now they are all completely different things. I asked him about a video game I got him tonight, he said that he would like it okay but it was not his choice. Seriously I think he is going to be disappointed in Christmas because he is not getting what he wants or a better way to put it what he is wanted at the time.

But overall he is a good kid, I know he will put on a happy face and be happy with what he got and he loves to choose out what we get to take to the shelter every year because he knows that will make other people happy too but it is just a parent thing when you want to make your child happy. Given that I don't have many years left to make Christmas magical, I just need to accept that he will be happy and I don't need to get him all that he wants.

Also how in the world did I decide that we would make our pajamas this year, and no I cannot make a snowflake out of fabric so they are snowballs (or really just polka dots) but I will carry on and try to get them complete so we can wear them for Christmas Eve.

He is looking forward Christmas Eve too, he is so happy that I won't be working (yes, many, many late nights recently so I am really thankful he has been so patient with me) and it will be a long weekend for the two of us.

Season of joy...

I have been slacking but not just because I am lazy but more because I just have been busy and have not found the time.

I think I really do love Christmas the best, well besides my birthday which in itself is a holiday. I just like giving, I really don't like to get gifts for the most part, unless there is a meaning behind it. I really would just rather spend the time with my family and dear friends. They mean more to me than any present in the world could give to me (well unless you are talking about a trip or even a new house in Hawaii because sorry folks I would ditch you in heartbeat :D).

This year I am making treats for our neighbors, depending on the time it could be just a s'mores kit (idea stolen from another blog I follow) or I may be willing to try out making cake pops (minus the sticks, and still another idea stolen from another blog, but my sister follows that one). Could be both but who knows.

I plan on getting up some pictures here shortly of our recent adventure to the Festival of Trees, but I could be holding out a promise I can't keep. ;)

Dear Santa, define the word "good".

Black Friday shopping...

Wow, I went out once years ago shopping and I never really wanted to go again. I usually would go out after the crowds died down but even if I went the time I usually go it would have been just as crazy. I remember helping my mom work "the event" at Mervyn's a couple of years in a row, I think that was more fun than shopping it.

It was fun overall because the company I went with (my baby sister Mary, Stephanie and Mandy) and it was fun to run into my older sister Norah and my mom at Target even though some how yet again I have found another way to make my mom get ornery.

Really I can't say that I bought anything that had a really great deal (I know then I am just shopping and I should have gone out another time), but I did buy most of my presents and that means I am done with one a few other little things here and there so now I don't have to worry about finding much time to shop with H around.

We hit up a number of stores Target, Micheal's, Old Navy, Shopko, Hobby Lobby, Bed Bath and Beyond and Kohl's.

Shortest wait line so was probably Hobby Lobby, even though I had one item that did not have a tag that we could find and so I didn't even know what price it was the cashier knew right away what it was so I was very impressed. BBB was probably just as short there too.

The longest wait line and by far the longest time I have ever waited in a retail line my sister ended up timing it. 52 minutes, wow! My mom and my older sister went up to one more up north and they knew the people who worked there so they got in and out.

Now most of this would have been so bad and I would have been better had I had more rest the nights before (helping me sister and the SODA Center set up for their Thanksgiving run), my coffee wore off during shopping and I just felt like I was dragging. They apparently are going to get me an IV for next year to keep me going, I would settle just for a trip to Starbucks.

We were not able to locate the megablocks that Tami (yes, another sister but don't worry last one, just three of us, she is the middle child). But my mom did, she called as we were heading home.

We got to tired to go catch a movie and relax after, but still an overall success.

I again will probably go again but not for the shopping just for the company that was kept while we were out.

H gets back on Sunday and we get to get a tree next weekend. We will also be going to the Festival of Trees again and I will be looking forward to that.

Family fueds...

Your family would not be your family if you could not get into a fight but know that they will love you just as much in morning.

The current family fight is what to have for Thanksgiving dinner. It is definitely more fun to be just a bystander instead of the one in the fight (yes, the one that involved me before was Walmart and let's just say what I thought was innocent fun in the pictures being sent around turned into something ugly so the W word will not be brought up again). Food will be food, my sister just needs to take the same attitude as I do when it comes to it, make what you want the rest will have to just deal. I was told that all the specials (stuffing with out onions and the potato chunks for my older sister) did not need to be done anymore, guess what you will get what you get and you won't throw a fit. I say more leftovers for me so that works for me.

Well I guess you could be like the pie culprit though and just take it all home even though we didn't get any, we were too full from food to eat it then.