Santa vs. Shakespeare

Recently, the following conversation / fierce argument was overheard at our house:

Henry to Bronwen: Santa's not real, you know.
Bronwen: He is too!
Henry: No, he isn't. He's just Mom & Dad.
Bronwen: Well, Shakespeare's not real!
Henry, indignantly: Oh, yes, he is.
Bronwen: No, he isn't! Shakespeare isn't real!
Henry, now hot (he ramps up quickly, in case you didn't know, particularly in such dire situations when heroes are threatened.): Bronwen, Shakespeare WAS TOO REAL! He wrote hundreds of plays! You don't know what you are talking about!

This conversation continued with much of the same back and forth while I laughed in the other room until I feared they might come to blows and had to break it up. Too funny! Ever since, when Bronwen wants to get his goat, (which basically means she's bored because her brothers are doing homework and she wants their attention,) she pipes up with "Shakespeare isn't real, you know!"

It gets them every time.

Funny, she just let the accusations about Santa roll right off her back and turned the tables lickety-split. Smart cookie, that one.

Gluten Free Goodness

**Note: This is not a compensated review. I wish I had received the cookbook or GF flours for free, but alas, this is just me passing along something wonderful that I have discovered.

About six months ago, our son Henry went Gluten and Casein Free. The change for him was immediately noticeable. He stopped complaining of stomach aches. His bowels began cooperating. His tummy distention disappeared, as did the dark circles under his eyes. His swollen nasal passages and head congestion that he had suffered with since infancy went away. His mood swings improved as well, although he did get emotional for quite some time about food. (He loves grumpy faces, even when he's cheerful. Silly boy!)

I am emotional about food, too, so I hurt to watch my son go through this. At first we tried to all eat GFCF when we were around Henry, but there were two problems with this: it was an expensive way to feed a family of 7 and it didn't taste good. I gradually moved to frequently preparing two meals or two desserts so that Henry could partake with us while we ate our old favorite stuff. I did hold off on making things that were his favorites if he couldn't have them, at least until the holidays hit.

Henry has stuck to his diet, cheating only a couple of times when we have given him the option (and always regretting it later). I am proud of him, because it isn't easy. I do take heart in the fact that this experience is making Henry a stronger person, not only because it is better for him physically, but because he is learning that he can do hard things and not just give in to his appetites.

I was thrilled, recently, to find this GFCF cookbook put out by Silvana Nardone, called Cooking for Isaiah. Silvana is a foodie like me, only more so:) She is the founding editor-in-chief for Everyday with Rachel Ray (among other impressive gigs). She loves to nurture and bond with her family around good, homemade food. And she wasn't about to let her son, Isaiah's, gluten and dairy intolerances stop her from doing that. Her cookbook starts out with their story (don't you love a cookbook with a story?) and then her own recipe for an all-purpose gluten-free flour and a gluten-free pancake mix. These two flour mixes are used throughout her cookbook, but they can also stand in for all-purpose flour in other recipes. I love that she researched and tried all the options available on the market and tells you which are the best products for her recipes.


Anyhow, we are loving the recipes. Henry had a chocolate birthday cake (adapted) from the cookbook. Gluten -lovers and -eschewers alike gobbled it down (I did a base of her chocolate cake with an Irish mint frozen yogurt-- Henry can sometimes tolerate yogurt-- and her chocolate whipped frosting, frozen). Please don't look too closely at the picture, as the I was rushing when I put the frosting on and it was still a bit too warm for the frozen cake.

 The cookbook is full of sweet breakfast options. We have also loved her cinnamon toast waffles. (Yes, I had some whipped cream on mine-- and butter. But Henry loved his with just maple syrup, and it was far better than giving him a GF freezer waffle while the rest of us ate homemade.)

We also devoured her Frito-crusted chicken fingers with honey mustard aioli, and the Spaghetti & Meatballs with Garlic Crumbs was so good I made it again only a few days later. I'm going to share that recipe with you here, but if you or someone you love is Gluten-Free, you have got to get this cookbook! And if not, never fear! She has the gluten- and dairy-filled substitutions listed as well!

Spaghetti & Meatballs with Garlic Crumbs

Adapted to serve 8 people if a few of them are not big into meatballs (read: my family)

• 1 pound ground beef or chuck
• 1 small onion, grated
• 5 cloves garlic-- 2 grated, 2 smashed, 1 chopped
• 1 cup rice cereal crumbs (I used Rice Chex)
• 1/2 cup rice milk (or regular milk)
• 1 large egg
• 6 T. flat leaf parsley, chopped
• Salt
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 package corn or rice spaghetti
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or less if you have a wimpy family like mine

Combine the beef, onion, chopped garlic, 1/2 cup cereal crumbs, milk, egg, 2 T parsley and 1 tsp salt. Shape into meatballs. (I make 16 small meatballs, Silvana makes 8 large meatballs to serve 4 people).

In a large saucepan, heat 1 T olive oil over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Submerge the meatballs in the sauce, bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

Cook your pasta until al dente. Drain and toss with the sauce.

The garlic crumbs are what really elevate this dish! Heat the remaining 1 T. olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the grated garlic, remaining 1/2 cup cereal crumbs, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook until toasted, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Don't get impatient because you want that nice toast, but don't walk away either, or they might get too toasty (like mine did the second time around). Sprinkle them liberally over your meatballs and sauce and over your salad if you like as well! They add such a nice crunch.

Henry as Henry V

Henry learned the St. Crispin's Day speech from Henry V (Act IV Scene iii) to go with his Halloween costume. This one isn't flawless, but it is precious and the best we got recorded. Leave him a comment! He'd love to hear what you think.

Lost in Another World

Lately, if you can't find Henry, he's likely in the world of Roald Dahl. He discovered Charlie and the Chocolate Factory about two weeks ago and since has gobbled up five Roald Dahl books. This childhood bookworm couldn't be more proud.

Mile*Stones

*I actually ran a full mile this morning! Without stopping. I have been struggling to get in my 10 miles a week goal, but have been getting out at least a few days a week to do 2-4 miles of running and walking. This is by far the furthest I have run before taking a break to walk. Possibly in my life. I wanted to yell out "I'm running! I'm a runner!" at the gym, (like Bob in one of my old favorites. Why do I always think of that scene when I do something out of my comfort zone?)


* Henry turned eight a few days ago. That' a big one for us, as it means that he's old enough to be baptized, which he will be doing this Saturday. We are so proud of him. Coming soon: a video interview with the birthday kid.


*Little Meggie is discovering she loves solid food and mobility. Although she's not crawling yet, she rolls all over the room to get where she wants to go-- even down the hallway. She reminds us of a little pill bug and this family couldn't be more charmed by her.

*The boys are trying out some new sports this semester: Ian and Henry are in gymnastics now (with a class for Bronwen in the works), and Kimball is fencing. More on that, once I remember to bring my camera to class. Fun is being had by all as they push their bodies to do new things.


*And happy _9th birthday today to my wonderful mom-in-law, Myrna. She has been melting away lately at such lightening speed. Thanks for setting a good example to all of us, Mom!

Birthday Interview with Henry

Today is Henry's birthday. We have spent the day doing fun activities, including planting in the garden, hanging bird feeders, going to the library, and going on a lunch date to Chili's--just the two of us. We celebrated with cousins and grandparents on Sunday, combining with Bronwen's and Grammy's birthdays. Henry requested an "all-you-can-eat-chocolate-Pollyanna-cake." So I made two 12 inch layers (each took one doctored up cake mix), iced it with thick chocolate buttercream, covered it in MnMs, and told him he could eat as much as he wanted. He couldn't finish one peice, but it has lasted several days, so he's satisfied!

I thought in honor of his birthday, I'd interview him. Here is the link to last year's birthday interview. I know that I still need to post about Bronwen's birthday, but I'm still not sure what I want to do for that one, so in the meantime, here's Henry's.

• Me: Hey, Henry, could I do a birthday interview with you?
• Henry: Sure. Okay.
• Me: How old are you today?
• Henry: I'm seven years old.
• Me: What would you like for your birthday?
• Henry: I want a lizard. (Yes, we are getting him a bearded dragon. I hope I don't regret that decision!)
• Me: How old do you think I am?
• Henry: Ummmm, I don't know. 37? (ouch)
• Me: (hopefully) How old is Daddy?
• Henry: (shrugs) I don't know.
• Me: What's your favorite book?
• Henry: My favorite book is Henry Huggins.
  
• Me: What do you like to do when you have free time?
• Henry: I like to play with my Legos.
• Me: What do you like best about being a first grader?
• Henry: I like reading the best.
• Me: What do you like best about Tiger Academy?
• Henry: About homeschool? I like morning meeting and history best.
• Me: What's your favorite food?
• Henry: My favorite food is meat.
• Me: Any foods you don't like? (Want a list?)
• Henry: I HATE guacamole.
• Me: What's your favorite chore?
• Henry: I like to clean up.
• Me: What's your favorite thing to do with me?
• Henry: Cuddle. (Ahhh. How lucky am I that my 7 year old still likes this?)
  
• Me: What do you like best about your brothers and sisters?
• Henry: How much fun they are.
• Me: How many brothers and sisters do you wish you had?
• Henry: Three brothers and three sisters.
• Me:What's your favorite TV show?
• Henry: The Backyardigans.
• Me: What's your favorite song?
• Henry: Tomorrow (From Annie. Bronwen sings this constantly.) Hey, Mom, when I was little, was the answer Jig Along Home?
• Me: Yes.
• Henry: I thought so. I loved that song.
• Me: What's your favorite movie?
• Henry: Princess Bride.
• Me: What's your favorite color?
• Henry: Blue and green.
• Me: What's your favorite number?
  
• Henry: 61.
• Me: What do you like to do best when you're outside?
• Henry: Jump on the trampoline.
• Me: What's your favorite sport?
• Henry: My favorite sport is baseball. No, soccer. Soccer.
• Me: What do you look forward to this year?
• Henry: Getting into second grade.
• Me: What's your favorite place to go on vacation?
• Henry: Nana's house.
• Me: Thanks for the interview, Henry. (hugs & kisses)
  
• Henry: Where's my "Happy Birthday?"
• Me: Happy Birthday! I love you.
  

All He Wants for Christmas . . .

Saying Goodbye to Kindergarten

Henry had his last day of kindergarten a week ago. We were already a couple of months into the school year when we felt inspired to start a family homeschool, and we gave Henry the option of finishing out the year in kindergarten since it was in the afternoons and he could participate with us in the mornings. Even though the scheduling was often a pain (interrupting lessons so that we could rush him off to school, for instance,) I am so glad that Henry spent this year in kindergarten.

For one thing, Henry fell in love with his teacher, Mrs. R. I know that this is a pretty common occurrence, but up until last fall I don't think that Henry had been in love with anyone but his mommy. This was a big deal for him. And I watched him blossom as she poured out love on him, praised him, and appreciated him. She always had something special to share with me and acted like he was her favorite kid, but I watched her with other students and their parents; I think that one of her gifts is to make everyone feel like her favorite. When she and Henry said good-bye on the last day of school, both she and I had tears in our eyes. Henry looked between us, confused by our weeping. But I knew that she had touched his life, and he, hers.

Henry also made big strides in overcoming some bashfulness this year. I hadn't really realized that he was bashful until sometime last year when I observed him in a large group and saw that he always gravitated toward the adults or just hung back from the crowd. At home he has no problem asserting himself, but I watched him struggle to keep his place in line or ask for something he needed, especially if it involved getting someone's attention. Now he seems much more confident in himself in big group situations.

Henry has been able to see himself as smart. We make a big effort to not compare him to his brothers, especially when it comes to intelligence, but Henry has grown up comparing himself to his older brother. Kimball is advanced academically for his own age, but even if he wasn't, it would be hard for a younger sibling to measure up to that at this point in his life. We have always reassured Henry that Kimball is older and a lot of the skills that Henry will acquire as he gets older. Being in a group of his peers has helped him to gain confidence in his abilities, as he found that he excelled in the kindergarten curriculum. He has always loved learning and never complained about spending all morning in homeschool and all afternoon in kindergarten. He just drinks it all in. Now Henry knows what we already did--that he is smart and capable.

All of these reasons will surely have my critics wondering if we should be moving forward with the plan to homeschool Henry full time next year. I will admit that it gives me pause as well. But we will move forward with the faith that if the Lord has prompted us to do it, then it must be the right thing for him. I know that Heavenly Father will continue to direct our family as we strive to rely on Him and seek His guidance. If we feel prompted to return Henry (or any of our kids) to public school, you can bet we will do so. Until then, I feel so grateful that he had these experiences and opportunities in kindergarten. Perhaps they will prepare him for what lies ahead in homeschooling.

What I want to know is this: if we homeschool year round, how will we know when to have a celebratory last-day-of-school lunch, like this one at Red Robin? The kids ate like they'd never seen a french fry before!

An Interview with Henry

Since today is Henry's birthday, I thought I'd take an idea from my friend, Scrap Chair Potato, and interview him. Here is the interview, exactly as it went down:

• Me: Henry, I'd like to ask you a few questions. Would you sit down with me for a minute?
• Henry: OK. Whaddaya want to know?
• Me: How old are you today?
  
• Henry: Six.
• Me: What do you want for your birthday?
• Henry: (Thinking) A hug.
• Me: How old is Mommy?
• Henry: That's a hard one. Hmmm, uh, I know! You're 20. (Good boy!)
• Me: How old is Daddy?
• Henry: 35. (Hee hee)
• Me: What's your favorite book?
• Henry: Mmmm, my . . . . it's the ones that you let me read. All of them.
• Me: What do you like to do when you have free time?
• Henry: Well, I like to jump on the trampoline!
• Me: What do you like best about kindergarten?
• Henry: Everything.
• Me: Can you be more specific?
• Henry: Yes. (Pause) Actually, no. Everything, really!
• Me: What do you like best about Tiger Academy?
• Henry: Our field trips!
• Me: What's your favorite food?
  
• Henry: That one's hard. Every food I like. I like chicken . . . . (drops off.)
• Me: What food do you hate?
• Henry: Everything Kimball likes. Is that a good answer? Almost everything Kimball likes, like broccoli and corn on the cob.
• Me: What's your favorite chore?
• Henry: My favorite chore? What's my favorite chore? (as if he loves all of them,) OK. Doing the laundry.
• Me: What's your favorite thing to do with Daddy?
• Henry: Have Science Friday.
  
• Me: What's your favorite thing to do with me?
• Henry: Have homeschool. . . no, actually, not have homeschool. It's actually doing the white board time.
• Me: What do we call that?
• Henry: I don't know.
• Me: What's good about having brothers and sisters?
• Henry: Um, um, um, I don't know.
  
• Me: Do you like it?
• Henry: Yes, I just don't know why.
• Me: How many brothers and sisters do you wish you had?
• Henry: 100.
• Me: Where would they all sleep?
• Henry: We'd move to a place with 100 beds. Actually, 6. I'd like 6. At least 6. And when I'm 7 years old, then I'll want 7. Then, 8, then 9, then 10, then 11, then . . . .12! Didn't you promise me a piece of gum earlier?
• Me: In a minute. What's your favorite TV show?
• Henry: Magic School Bus.
• Me: What's your favorite song?
• Henry: Home on the Range.
• Me: Since when? (I've never heard him sing it or listen to it . . . )
• Henry: Since I've seen The Rescuers Down Under.
• Me: OK. What's your favorite movie?
• Henry: It's The Rescuers Down Under.
• Me: What's your favorite color?
• Henry: Red, blue, and green. But I like blue the most. Actually, blue.
• Me: What's your favorite number?
• Henry: 61!
• Me: Do you have a favorite word?
• Henry: No.
• Me: What do you like to do best when you're outside?
• Henry: I already told you!! Jump on the trampoline!
• Me: Sorry. What's your favorite sport?
• Henry: Soccer. I thought you already knew that. I play soccer!
• Me: What do you think will be the best part about being six?
• Henry: I don't know. OK. How many more quizzes?
• Me: Last one. Where's your favorite family vacation?
• Henry: Nana's house. And Disneyland. And Sea World.
• Me: (Hiding my laughter) Anywhere else?
• Henry: Yes. Monterey. Those are a lot of favorite places, huh?
• Me: Yes. Thanks for the interview Henry. Happy Birthday! I love you.
• Henry: Can I go play now?
  

Say "Pumpkin!"

Last week was Henry's first kindergarten field trip to the pumpkin farm. It didn't matter that we've been to this particular pumpkin farm multiple times, the excitement level was as high as the mercury on an Arizona summer's day. I knew that there would be zillions of parents going along on this field trip because it was the first, and thought that I might escape being a chaperone, but Henry really wanted me to come and I couldn't say no. For a class of 2o kids there were about 15 parents along, so none of the chaperones had to work very hard.
This particular farm plays to the field trips big time. They have singing chickens doing the Star Spangled Banner (it almost felt sacreligious) and a heavily made up "Mother Goose" as the emcee of the pig races. She told corny jokes (no pun intended) and told us when to laugh, cheer, etc. I found her to be barely tolerable, especially since I have sat through the program a few times before, but the kids seemed to enjoy the show. After the pig races (our pig came in third out of four), we headed over to the train ride. This meant standing in line while we waited for the train. The kids were just sure that we'd miss the train somehow and were very concerned. Here they are watching for the train to pull into the station:Henry and I got to ride with Sammy and his dad (Henry's soccer coach) and I snapped some great shots of Sam pouting. I can't even remember anymore why he was mad at us, but check out that face!After a few minutes, he didn't want to admit that he was having fun, so he turned around, hoping his dad couldn't see:
I sat out the hayride, since I had smuggled Bronwen along and she needed to eat. That proved to be torture because the spot where I sat and waited was just near enough the bakery that the most exquisite smells wafted my direction. At one point I went over and looked carefully at each item before deciding that it wasn't worth the money or the calories. I returned to my bench with a very hot cup of cider, which took me ages to sip because of its temperature, and got me through until the class returned.
Here are a few more of my favorite shots of the day:

Brycen's not my kid, but I can't help but snap his picture when he's around. I just love those sweet little freckles!

Ditto for Eliza. What a doll!
The apple trees line the pumpkin patch.
Henry didn't care for the noise in the train tunnel.
And he wasn't about to do the chicken dance, no matter how much that crazy Mother Goose yelled for everybody to join in! He can spot ridiculous from a mile away.
After a lunch and cider under the apple trees and a few rides down the Coyote Mountain slide, the kids climbed the buses and headed home. Something drew me to the bus logo!

P.S. Days later, I realize that this was my 61st post and can't help mentioning that for Henry's sake!

Fighting the Forces of Evil

This morning over breakfast:

• Henry: Last night while you were all sleeping, I played Animal Trivia with Darth Vader.
  

• Me: Really?
  

• Henry: Yes. Darth's question was, "True or False: Monkeys really do have tails." Darth said "False!" I said, "Wrong! It's true!"
  

• Me: That silly Darth Vader.
  

• Henry: Yeah, because he lives in space, he doesn't know about monkeys. . . Then, I played Zurg. His question was , "True or False: Dogs really do live." "False!" said Zurg. "No, true!" I said. "False!" I showed him the card. "Darn!" Zurg said, and banged his hand on the game. . . . I won the game, Mom!
  

That's my boy. Battling bad guys and striking down evil, one trivia question at a time!

Lucky 61

Scene 1: Kimball and Michal visit the allergist's office for a follow up appointment. The nurse checks Kimball's height and weight.

Nurse: Kimball, you weigh 61 pounds!
Kimball: (with much excitement) 61? That's Henry's favorite number!!!
Nurse to Michal: How did Henry get a favorite number like 61?
Michal: (shrugging) No idea.

Scene 2: Later that day, as the boys return home from school. It is the first time they have seen each other since Kimball's earlier appointment.

Kimball: (bursting through the door, eager to share his good news) Henry! Henry! Guess what? I weigh 61 pounds!!!!
Henry: (incredulously) You do? . . . . (as a smile spreads across his face) Coooooool.

Kids are so strange!

Team Spirit

This fall, we entered a world new to us as parents: team sports. Henry was old enough this year to sign up for the local soccer league, and had been anxiously awaiting the day. Practices began mid-August and by the first Saturday in September we were all at a soccer game.
An under six soccer team is a sight to behold. You always have one kid who's picking his nose or fiddling with his shorts when the ball is headed right for him. In all honesty, I expected Henry to be the kid who lays down and sucks his thumb in the middle of the game. He, who has resisted sleep since the day he was born, is perpetually fatigued and has a tendency to whine. I was surprised to find on that first week that Henry was active in the entire game and only started showing signs of fatigue in the last few minutes. He got in there and kicked the ball, chased it down, and did his best to take it away from the other team as well. Who knew?
What I have figured out now, three games into the season, is that at least on our team (Go, Eagles!) the kids seem to take turns on whose week it is to be the space cadet. Henry did not have his finest game last week, when he had been up at the circus until 11pm the night before with his Grammy and Papa. (Grandparents think that our kids have early bed times because we--the parents--are mean and grumpy. They forget that if our kids don't have an early bedtime, they become mean and grumpy!) At one point, Henry even tried to take a little nap on one of the goal posts! And the kids who seemed like a lost cause in that first game were in the thick of things this week, fighting for their kick at the ball, very much a part of the game.
It made me think about how as a team, everyone has bad days and good days. Instead of relying on the star of the team to carry everyone else, in a good team everyone feels like the star at least some of the time, and each member feels the responsibility to help the team succeed. If we all do our best, then hopefully someone else will have a good day on our off day and we'll still pull off a win.
I'm going to bring this up tomorrow night during Family Home Evening because we have been talking to our kids about family unity a lot recently. We've memorized together a scripture on the subject and try to bring up every day how our actions and words can unify us or tear us apart. And I think that the team spirit analogy may bring this home to them.
It's a good thing to remember in a marriage as well. Sometimes we resent that our spouse is having a bad day (at being a spouse), when we just need to cut them some slack and recognize that it's a good day for us to carry the team to victory. Marriage is the perfect setting for the team mentality rather than the "me" mentality.
Anyway, think about how a team mentality might help a relationship in your life. Then go out there and bring home the win! And if you're in the neighborhood next Saturday, the Eagles' game is at 10:00 am!

Summer Comes To A Screeching Halt

I was raised in the land of Southern California. Now, I know that plenty of you out there despise Southern Cal, but it has many, many fine points. Moderate temperatures year round, an ocean breeze at 5:00 pm sharp, plenty of great shopping, entertainment, and restaurants, and beautiful beaches. One thing that it offered that I failed to fully appreciate as a child was that summer doesn't end there until Labor Day. We always went back to school somewhere between September 4th and the 9th--at least a few days after the holiday that is supposed to signal summer's end.
We clearly were not considering ideal school schedules (or ideal weather patterns and climates) when we decided to move further north. Here, school starts in the middle of August, when we should still be relishing in family vacations, swimming pools, homemade ice cream, etc. In fact, I always thought that those "dog days of summer" came in August. So why in the name of everything good would they send kids back to school? It was 98 degrees today (those of you in Phoenix are jealous, I know) and all the moms were completely sweaty (not just lightly perspiring) when we picked up the kidlets after school. Yikes! And there was no way that I was sending them in anything but summer clothes--all those adorable fall styles with "back to school" written all over them won't be pulled out for ages. No sirree, my boys started school today in cargo shorts and short sleeved shirts, with a cold water bottle in their backpacks. Aren't they cute?
Henry started kindergarten today, something that has caused me great anguish all summer, wondering if he's mature enough, if he knows his letters well enough, if he'll suck his thumb in class! He did marvelously well and thankfully didn't notice my eyes welling up when we said goodbye. I love his teacher, Mrs. R and I can tell that she will be great for him. And because Heavenly Father knew that he can be a bit on the shy side when he's not around people he knows, He made sure that Henry had four other kids in his kindergarten class that he already knew from church or preschool. Here he sat with three of them while we waited for the class to open: I already adore Kimball's teacher, Mrs. C; after meeting her yesterday for a preview of the classroom with Kimball, I can already tell that she is a dream teacher for a kid with special needs. She has already thought of lots of things to help him succeed including placement of his desk, hand fidgets, a book nook for breaks from the stimuli of the class, and room to move around. I fully expect Kimball to thrive in her class. Yeah! We have been so blessed with his teachers.
At 3:15 I picked up my boys, who were so excited to tell me all about their day. We came home for brownies and cold milk and to relax. Bummer that by tomorrow, they'll probably have homework--since it'll only be August 22nd, it feels like we should be headed to the lake or bumming around the pool, still being too lax about bed time and housework. Oh well. They don't realize that they've been cheated out of two and a half weeks of summer.

At least I'll have a few hours every day when they are at school and my other two are asleep. That'll leave more time for blogging!

Alli & I headed back to school (AFTER LABOR DAY) in 1980 (1st grade and 2nd grade, respectively.)

Rules to live by

Here are a few rules that may make your life simpler and happier if you don't have to learn them the hard way:

1. Never make a batch of chocolate chip cookies thinking that you'll be able to resist munching the dough until it's gone.
2. Never assume that a recently potty-trained 2 year old who just went to the bathroom is "safe" playing quietly alone in your bedroom. He could explode at any moment (and probably will, all over your just cleaned carpet that is exactly 27 years old and needs all the help it can get to look decent until you finally put in the hardwood floor of your dreams.)
3. Never tell your child that he'll have to sit in front of his breakfast until it's finished unless you want to spend the rest of the day stuck at home while he takes one bite every hour. Why oh why do I engage in battles of will with my children when I know them to be stubborn little punks? (this photo was taken at 12:30 pm. He finally finished his breakfast at 2:37 pm, after which he proceeded to get dressed, make his bed, and do his chores as if it were 8:30 am. So, I guess I won the power struggle, but I lost most of the day.)
   
4. Never get involved in a land war in Asia
5. Only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when is on the line! (for those of you who are confused, time to revisit your copy of The Princess Bride and then take this quiz.)