Fashion 101

I do not claim to be a fashion diva. Most days, it's jeans and a t-shirt, no makeup and hair up in a claw clip. Partly, because I don't have an extensive wardrobe and the other part really? Who do I have to impress?

But still. I do know that you can't wear (or shouldn't wear) big clunky white tennis shoes with a skirt. Or bright yellow pants with an orange sweatshirt. But my daughter? She finds all this not only acceptable but cutting edge.

Since she started school, I try to get her clothes laid out the night before. And I do try to let her pick out what she's going to wear. After all, if she's picked it out, there's a better chance she'll get dressed faster in the a.m.
But. WHAT. A. BATTLE! She always wants to wear a dress which would be fine if she had enough of a selection. But she wants to wear her Christmas "formal" dress. From 2 Christmases ago.

So, where do I draw the line at: her choice vs. I am the boss?

I guess I feel that how she is dressed is a reflection of me. Of how I take care of her. So when she goes to school wearing the turquoise skirt with the red tights and pink shirt, her teachers will wonder "Doesn't her mother care about her at all?"

And the answer will be: yes, I do care. I care enough to let my child make her own choices and reap her own rewards. Even if it is "worst dressed kindergartner" award.

But, then she may not win that award. Have you SEEN how some of those kids are dressed? Don't their mothers pay attention to them?

Pictures say a gazillion words

Family on the beach!



Jayce lookin' good!



Jeven enjoying the sun!



Josie on the first day of school.



Jayce and Pastor after Jayce's Baptism.



Jarrett with his big catch!



All the kids. Together. Not fighting.

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.