Baby Beluga

Beluga via Noolmusic.com




When I graduated from high school, many moons ago, I wanted to be a marine biologist. Or at least I thought I did. I wanted to be one of those people that worked with the dolphins and whales at Sea World. Not one of those people that were put on a deserted island for months studying the mating habits of sea slugs. Turns out you can't just go get a job training animals at Sea World. Imagine that.
But, my lack of college education and experience has not hindered my love for the ocean and the animals in it.

There is a certain kid's song about a sea mammal. "Baby Beluga" is sung by Raffi. He is the Hannah Montana of child songs, of the 80's. "Baby Beluga" is the only song I know of his. I swear.

Ever since I started having children, many moons ago, I have been shoving it down their throats encouraging them to love the song and book also. With no luck.
Until Jeven! He LOVES "bawooga". I have been greeted early mornings by a book in my face with "Pweese? Bawooga?".

This makes me so happy for some sick reason. It gives me an excuse to sing a silly little song about a whale? It gives me some "special" time with my baby? It proves that I can make my child like something? All of those reasons I suspect.

I have searched for some "deeper" meaning to all this but I just conclude that it makes me happy and it makes Jeven happy so that's good enough.

Have you ever?

Have you ever had the pure joy of getting gum out of eyelashes?
OR
Trying to wash peanut butter out of a screen door?
OR
Said to a child "If you fart on your sister one more time...!"?

NO?
Oh, I feel soooo sorrrryyy for you! You don't know what you're missing.

It's not mine!

We went to a birthday party a few days ago and one of the kids brought home one of those balloons with the rubber band attached. The big, thick ones? Yeah. One balloon--4 kids. Not a good ratio.

Today, I finally blew it up and gave it to Jarrett to play with. Here is how it went down:

Josie: Hey, that's mine!
Jarrett: No, it's mine!
Jayce: Josie, you gave it to me!
Jeven: Mine!!
Josie: That's not fair!
Jayce: Too bad!
Jarrett: Don't take my balloon!
Jeven: MINE!!!!!
Josie: Let me have it!

****POP!!!****
Now the broken, defeated, balloon is on the floor.

Me: Throw it away, please
Josie: It's not mine!
Jayce: It's not mine!
Jarrett: It's not mine!
Jeven: Not mine!

Typical.

No roots

Josie found a leaf outside the other day. It looked like a leaf from an ivy plant. She decided she wanted to grow it.
She proceeded to put the plant in an empty yogurt container, with some water. Then she decided to put it in a cooler. With soap. Then back to the yogurt container. And then changing the water every. two. minutes!
This meant coming in and out, in and out, thru the house, dripping water everywhere.
Being the patient mother I am (ha!) I just politely asked that she not come back in with her leaf.
She asked if she could put the container up on the kitchen counter, out of reach from her little brothers.

Now, you and I both know that leaf isn't planting roots any more than if I put a rock in there.
But, she was really IN to that leaf. And, kids do these kind of things.

That yogurt container sat on our kitchen counter for days. I worked around it. I left it right where she put it. That little leaf was just floating in there, happy as a little leaf could be.

Finally, I wanted to move it and picked it up, and looked at the little leaf and found out it was FAKE!! It was a leaf off my plastic plant I have out on the front porch!!

Poor Josie. I had to tell her it was fake and it was never going to grow. I expected tears and frankly for her to argue that it WAS real and it WOULD grow.
That's what Josie does. She will argue the sky is purple until you finally agree the sky is a lovely shade of purple.

She laughed and got a good kick out of her silliness. Actually, we both did.

Real helpful

Our local news programs have "budget tips" for grocery shopping. Here is a few examples:

Buy store brand instead of name brands.
Buy large packages of things then seperate into portion sizes.
Use coupons.
Plan ahead before you go to the store.

Well no duh, dumbo!!
Those are things any college student can suggest.

I would like some real help with "budget tips". Can someone please plan out a weeks worth of meals with the following criteria:
1: cheap
2: healthy, somewhat
3: easy to fix
4: oh, by the way my family doesn't like: chicken, rice, pasta or casseroles of any kind. My husband DOES like meat (as in beef) and fried stuff.
5: did I mention cheap?

I am just finding it harder and harder to stretch our budget any further and feed everyone. We have been eating many hotdogs/hamburgers from the bbq. And grilled meat with veggies. And lots of taco salads.

I am also finding it more difficult to eat healthy while on our tight financial constraints. Healthy food is more expensive. Why? I bet more people would eat it if it was the same price as the other things. Like fat free hotdogs. They cost about 2x the price as regular ones. And bread. Whole wheat is more expensive than the white, cheap stuff.

I know money is tight for everyone right now and prices have gone up so much on EVERYTHING. I used to be so proud of what I spent on food for my family: less than $75 a week! For a family of 6! That's pretty impressive, no? Now, I haven't walked out of the store spending less than $85 in a very long time. It's only a $15 difference but that's weekly.

I went shopping tonight and just was very frustrated with the whole process. Making a menu, making a list, going to the store, fighting the crowds, paying for the groceries, loading into the van, unloading into the house, putting everything away.

Only to have someone, certainly, say: "Are we having this? Again?"

I think there will be a special place in Heaven for grocery shopping mamas.

Only my children...

..would accidentally dial 911. While I am in. The. Bathroom.

Yes, I am serious.

I let my little kids play with my cell phone sometimes, it keeps them happy in the grocery store or busy for a minute while I get something done. Like going to the bathroom. But, I ALWAYS make sure it is key locked.
Yesterday, I was in the bathroom (have a mentioned I was in the bathroom?) and I could hear a little rough housing going on out in the living room but, heck, that's usual. Especially if (everyone now:) I'm in the bathroom. Well, Josie soon comes in and she's crying and has the cell phone up to her ear. She says "The lady wants to talk to you"
I say: Hello?
Lady: This is the 911 operator. It seems like your baby has called 911 and I need to make sure there is no emergency.
Me: Um. Who is this??
Lady: see previous statement made by Lady.
Me: I am so sorry! I don't know how that happened, it is key locked.
Lady: Ok. Maybe don't let the baby play with the phone.

I get off with her and I double check to make sure my phone was key locked and it WAS!!
I went online and found that even if a cell phone (at least mine) is key locked, all you have to do is hold down the dial button for at least 3 seconds and viola! You're talking to the 911 operator. While you're in the bathroom!

Motherless

Disclaimer: this is not a griping post but rather ponderings of mine. In case it starts to sound like griping and moaning and groaning, please remember that I love my husband. He is a great dad and provider for us all.


I was out of the house today for about 4 hours. I went shopping for the kids' school clothes and also my weekly grocery shopping. I went with my sister in law and my niece. We even took a break and stopped and had some food and drinks (but I will deny that part if asked). I accomplished quite a bit in only 4 hours, especially if you compare what I would normally get done,if I had taken my kids with me.

I don't get to go out by myself often. I run to the store to get milk sometimes. Or even if I do go for an extended amount of time, I take at least 1 kid with me. It gives me time with 1 child exclusively for some time.

My husband is a wonderful dad but a terrible mother. He doesn't know where anything is or at least he pretends he doesn't. Things that come naturally to me, they never occur to him. Like feeding the children. And changing diapers even if they aren't leaking or stinky. But the kids always survive.

But. Whenever I do manage to go anywhere by myself, I am always greeted with a messy house and lots of whining and sippy cups thrust in my face with "plweeze mommy. I want some." Or "Can I.." Or "Dad wouldn't....". To be fair I do also get greeted with lots of "MOMMY!!!" and hugs and kisses. And that's always fun.

But it makes my wonder. If something (God forbid) was to ever happen to me, how would my husband cope? Besides being beside himself with grief I mean. Would it ever occur to him to go and buy more diapers? Or more milk before breakfast the next morning? Would he know where the fabric softener was? Would he even know how to use it? Would he know that Jarrett doesn't like Jeven using the blue sippy cup? Would he know that the yellow skirt in Josie's drawer is too short for her and she can only wear it to bed? How long would he let the filth and grime pile up before he cleaned?

I tried really hard today to not complain about the shape of the house or the fact that I have a sneaking hunch that hubby spent most of the time in his chair while kids did whatever, thirsty and hungry.

From him, I got the greeting of the silent treatment. And I thought that unfair as I had brought home treats. When I asked him if he was mad, he said he didn't know that I was going to be gone so long. Well, duh!! If I had told him how long I was going to be gone, I would have never gotten away!

But how long until it's not such a big ordeal to get away for awhile, by myself? Whenever I do, it's like I have left motherless children behind. And I have to apologize for being gone at all.