10 Things To Know About Girls and Boys

My son, the one who just turned four, is getting confused by his sisters.  I understand that girls and boys are different and can confuse each other, so I was trying to help him.  Here are some things we came up with that every boy needs to know.

1.  Girls do not have three hands, do not just hand them all the things you are supposed to carry.

2.  Girls actually like boys that treat them nicely.

3.  Girls are not exactly like boys and they don't always want to talk about boy things.

4.  Girls like candy.

5.  Girls like food, and they eat.

6.  Girls do not like it when boys burp.

7.  Girls do not like boogers.

8.  Girls like to do things that are fun.

9.  Girls do not like boys who hurt them.

10.  Girls sometimes like to be alone.


Here are some things that girls need to know about boys.

1.  Boys like cars.

2.  Boys like planes.

3.  Boys like burping.

4.  Boys like getting dirty.

5.  Boys like toys.

6.  Boys like girls.

7.  Boys like boogers.

8.  Boys like bugs.

9.  Boys like food.

10.  Boys like candy.

As you can see boys are a bit different from girls but there are some similarities.  Let's hope this helps you understand boys or girls.

Things to do during a blizzard

When you have four children that love to play outside, and an ice rink they like to skate on it can be difficult to entertain them during a blizzard.  We have a small house, so that adds to the challenge.  We are currently experiencing a blizzard for us.  I realize that our version of a blizzard is what people in the north of us would call a small spring storm, but here's what we are doing now.

1.  Playing catch.  It turns out that the area with the kitchen table is perfect for this, move the table.

2.  Practicing hitting the ball.  The tiles work well for home base.

3.  Teaching the baby how to roll a ball.  He would really rather eat it so this could take a while.

4.  Discussing the differences between golf and baseball.  There aren't as many as I thought.

5.  Running the bases.  There are currently only two bases so it's faster.

6.  Discussing the differences between ballet and baseball.  It turns out there are really only two, the glove and the bat.  Who knew.

7.  Discussing why we shouldn't throw the bat when playing baseball in the house.

8.  Cleaning the pizza off the floor after it was hit by the ball.

9.  Getting more pizza from the kitchen.

10.  Applying ice to the wounds that occurred from numbers 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8. 

I sure hope it isn't snowing tomorrow.

Mother's day gifts she actually needs

My husband doesn't buy me Christmas presents, or birthday presents, and this is a mutual thing and I'm really happy with it, but he does get me Mother's Day presents.  So if he were to ask, which he hasn't because it's only February, I would give him this list of things that I always need and never remember to purchase when I am at the store.

1.  Superglue gel, I love this stuff, it works on almost all the plastic toys I step on regularly.

2.  Pens that work.  I have yet to find pens with a child-proof lid, but that would be ideal.

3.  Pony-tail holders, also called hair-tyes in colors that aren't black.  I always see these at the checkout and realize I need them (remember I have two daughters) but the only color at the check out is black.  Black is boring :(

4.  Pencil erasers.  My children have taken to chewing the erasers off of the pencils during school.  I can't figure out a good way to stop them so I have big erasers that I keep where they can't find them.  So of course they find them and eat them or something and the erasers are no where to be found.

5.  Staples.  You might notice a trend of office supplies but staples apparently disappear if you leave them in a desk drawer.

Of course these are things I need, I will likely get something I don't need but inherently gives me more joy like a cool beaded necklace that matches my cool hand-print shirt, or something equally important for my wardrobe.  I hope I get something made with lots of bright colors and multiple pictures or hand prints.  That would be wonderful.  I will just put these other things on my shopping list and buy them myself.

2 February birthdays

We had tons of fun helping my little girl turn six years old.  She wanted bacon for breakfast and Indian food for lunch.  I made a cake of Rapunzel's tower, and she got lots of fun goodies. I asked her what she liked best about being five, she said "getting big enough to reach the kitchen counter."  I asked her what she was looking forward to about being six, her brilliant reply "I don't know, I just got to be six."  I think she's in for a great year.  I can't wait to see what she learns and accomplishes this year. 

We also had fun helping my son turn four years old.  We went on a ski vacation and his birthday was the first day.  He spent his birthday on the slopes, and had steak for dinner.  I asked my son what he liked about being three.  He said "learning to run faster."  I asked him what he was looking forward to as a four year old.  He did not hesitate, "getting to eat more carrots."  You now know pretty much all he thinks about.  Running, or otherwise moving, and food.  That's about it.  I am excited to watch him grow this year as well.  He is learning how to be a big brother, as a third child this is a slightly difficult adjustment, but he's getting better and it's fun to see.

Quote to consider

Human happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.
George Washington

I ran across this as I was reading something else and it made me stop and think.  If he truly said this, I haven't checked the source, he was a wise man.  I know George Washington was known for being intelligent and a quick learner, but this is something most people lately seem to not learn.  Are they unwilling to learn it, unable to learn it, or is our society becoming so morally bankrupt that this is nearly impossible to learn.  We have become so incredibly afraid to offend people that we have forgotten that sometimes the truth is offensive.  True friends and those who truly love you will be more concerned with trying to improve you than with trying to appease you. 
These are things I've been thinking about of late and these thoughts have lead me to truly appreciate those who truly love me.  Thank you to those who have improved me especially when the truth was painful for me to hear.

10 things I'm pretty sure I'll miss in about 17 years

I've been seeing a picture going around facebook that says that when our children leave home we will miss the huge pile of laundry that is keeping us from going to bed at a decent hour.  The first time I saw this, I was sitting on my bed nursing my smallest in the middle of a pile of clean laundry.  I thought to myself, "I will not miss the laundry, but the reason for the laundry."  Of course I started thinking about all the other things that could be said instead of laundry, and a few of the things I will actually miss.  So here's 10 things I will not miss, followed by 10 things I will miss terribly.

Things I will not miss...

1,  Cleaning the floors and the bathroom in the middle of the night.

2.  Changing diapers.

3.  Having to purchase milk at Cost-Co weekly.

4.  Sweeping the floor, five times a day.

5.  Dishes.

6.  Mom-showers

7.  That stuff under the carseat.

8.  Having my pants pulled down in public.

9.  Looking for shoes before leaving the house, finding them, putting them on someone else.

10.  Averaging four loads of laundry a day.

Things I know I will miss...

1.  Getting up at 5:30am to drive 4 hours for a 1 hour game, and the "thank you, Mom" that comes with it.

2.  Tying so many skates that I have a callous from September to March, and the smiles when their skates hit the ice.

3.  Spending many hours going over the same lesson again and again, and the look of accomplishment when they finally get it.

4.  Answering questions.  This week's winners "Mom, do all unicorns have wings or just the magic ones?" and  "If I have to move far away when I grow up, do you promise to come visit me a lot?"

5.  Washing the table, and the floor, and her dress, and her shirt after she made a lovely watercolor masterpiece.  Getting to keep the masterpiece.

6.  Putting on my boots to cook dinner so when I get hit with a puck it doesn't hurt so much, and the "Did you see that shot, Mom?"

7.  The "Mom! I forgot my towel!" and the warm thank you hug that results.

8.  Bedtime talks.

9.  Early morning tickles.

10.  Hearing the answer to "Well, what do you think?"