Lost tooth and other things

Ryan lost his first tooth this week and it is a major event for him. He is cataloging things like, "mommy, this is my first mac and cheese with my tooth gone." Oddly enough, he didn't want to give it to the tooth fairy and actually teared up with worry that the tooth fairy would take it even if it wasn't under his pillow. It has something to do with a book he read at school. So, it is in a jar and he wants to show it to his friends. I hope they find it as cool as he does. I refuse to look at it. It's gross and I have no idea why parents want to to keep their kids teeth. EEEWWW! My friend Charlotte find it amusing that I don't do teeth. I really don't. I had nightmares about teeth falling out of my mouth growing up--I mean ghoulish horror movie gaping and bleeding. A dream book said it meant that something bad would happen. I was just glad when the dreams stopped. Anyway, if you have a wiggly tooth, I am okay not to see it. I will not help you pull it. I am feigning enthusiasm for Ryan. He has so many questions. He checks several times a day to see his new tooth and has decided he won't play football because his new teeth won't grow back if they're knocked out. I didn't really want my extremely slender kid getting knocked around the football field anyway, so for now, our goals mesh:)
My first 8 week class this rotation is done and I got an A--in case you missed the Facebook entry:) My next class opens today. I did not turn on the computer for 24 hours, read awful romance novels yesterday and pretty much relaxed and recharged. I work all weekend. I am so looking forward to my break in April. I am making a list of shows on DVD I want to rent and catch up on.
Greg has a business trip or 2 coming up and George has graciously offerred to come out an be our nanny while Greg is gone. What a blessing that will be!!

We are getting notices about kindergarten registration thru Fairborn and I am putting it off as long as possible! All day K will wipe her out--they don't do naps or rest periods. As always, the lottery remains a prayer:)

Time for pick up.

Yes, we're still alive

Ah, so far behind on the blog. Joined Facebook and I kill some webtime there when I need a break from schoolwork so I have been remiss in updating the blog! What's new.? No snow. 50 degree weather. Mud. Sleep deprivation. Oh, yeah, that's not new. Am in week 6 of 8 in my current class and all is well. Am looking forward to a break in April. Am tentatively planning a trip to North Carolina, however, Greg dropped a bomb last night that he may be going to New Mexico from April 10-24. Which would be do-able if I worked days! So we'll see what the word ends up being. I may have to scrap my much anticiptaed vacation plans and take time off while he is gone so the kids have someone in the house with them at night. He says he won't know for sure for a few more days.

Ryan's Pinewood Derby was last Sunday. I imagined a low key affair with a plywood track. Oh, was I wrong. There was a 4 lane incline, complete with starting boxes, lights and timers. There were four heats. There were basic sanded and painted cars and there were intricate rocket launcher looking cars. Ryan took 2nd in his troop, 23rd overall. Greg told me the differences in times were seconds. So I had a great time helping Ryan sand and paint the car. Greg cut it out and the finished construction complete with weights. We went to Michaels to get the right paint etc and since Ryan can read now, he has discovered rockets. And has noted they can fly over 700 feet up. Guess what we're doing this summer? His love of Legos continues. And he has a new fascination with the Titanic. Ships and pirates receive alot of attention too. Charlotte is building with the big blocks and the build your own clubhouse kit continues to be a favorite. She loves telling stories. She often arrives early enough at the AS to help Ann with copies, so she is quite comfortable in the office and now includes hugging MJ in her daily activities. She is so comfortable there and valued.

Another sled day

School was cancelled for Ryan again, most cities around us were on a delay. But after getting on the road, cancelling was probably a good idea. Charlotte was home as AS was closed or conferences today. I realized I missed hers about two hours after I was supposed to be there. The snow days have thrown me off! So Charlotte is home again tomorrow (Friday) and Fairborn is already on a 2 hour delay. Since we are supposed to get another 2 inches tonight, I reckon it'll be closed again. All of which is wreaking havoc with my homework!! Luckily, this seems to be a lightweight class!

Anyway. Sledding. Pictures sent to most of you will show our sled trip yesterday. Let me say that it,or the weather, or my impending cold totally kicked my butt yesterday. Greg and I were exhausted by 8pm. We held out til 10 because we're grown-ups and not supposed to be in bed at 8:30.

Today Rebecca, (Tahlia and Evelyn's mom) invited us over for lunch and sledding. Some cool things came out of this. One is I have to take Ryan to Mad River Mountain. Evelyn showed him her skies and very graciously told him all about them. He soaked it all up. She also let him try them out, but his feet were too big for the boots. He really wants to try skiing. I've never been. So I'll shoot for a trip in late Feb--any takers? The second thing was the hill at Gant park in Yellow Springs--totally perfect for sledding!!! Wright Brothers has the hill --and lots of trees. Gant has a slightly smaller hill--but NO trees! We rocketed down the hill! Charlotte's tolerance of sledding was characteristically low. She does not like snow in her face, so she usually rode behind me. But man, we flew!

On the funny side. Rebecca tried to set her stove on fire. She turned on the wrong burner and cooked her wooden cutting board--we wondered why we smelled smoke. Her husband Frank shook his head and nicely took the cutting board downstairs and threw it in the fireplace. Also, Rebecca's car was completely iced over, and then we found out her battery was dead. I gave her a jump (she didn't have cables). She was very happy I was there. I felt quite handy--until I backed over her lightpost. She was very cool about it and we bent it back upright. Maybe Frank won't notice??

All in all, a great day. The snow is here to stay for a bit. It won't get above freezing until Sunday.

More snow!!

Ah, the predictions of snow snow snow continue!. We've had about 4 inches so far (?). I've been asleep for most of the day because I worked last night, but I pushed a solid 3 inches off the car this morning, solid powder!! Schools were closed all over--even the Antioch school closed in the afternoon which almost never happens. They closed once last year because someone left the kiln on and melted stuff--but it is very rare for them to close for weather. Predictions are for 6 more inches tonight. I hit Trader Joes and DLM yesterday, so we are stocked on food. The only snag in making this a perfect winter holiday is our water heater. It's not working well and we are having trouble getting a new one in. The old one is a gas water heater that went in before '97 when we moved in. Electric is cheaper in product and power. Turns out we need an electrician to re-wire something first, so the new electric tank is sitting in the plumbers garage until the electrician can come. With more snow on the way, we aren't holding our breath. I washed my hair in the sink yesterday using warm water off the stove! We get hot water intermittently, so everyone bathed today, but there's no telling when it will run out--hopefully not during the kid's bath!

Yesterday was Chinese New Year, which goes unmarked in the public school, but is celebrated with zeal at AS. Each class contributed to the making of the food--which was all very good. The kindergartners manned the dragon and there were cymbals and tambourines too. It was lovely. Charlotte is very at home there, easy with the teachers and students. Ryan is still welcomed and recognised. He likes to visit with Brain in art and Science and Ann is so gracious to listen to him as he asks to read her a book. She sits and listens to the whole thing. Sitting at the table yesterday, it was easy to see the birds darting through the snow covered trees and then watch the kids go out and play in the snow.

Ahh, isn't it cute. It must die.

Today, Charlotte adopted a ladybug. She found it while she and Ryan were playing with trains. I vaguely remember Charlotte saying: "The ladybug needs food." It was a simple statement as she walked past me in the hallway. A few minutes later I found her outside with her snow boots on and a snow shovel, the garage door halfway open: "The ladybug needs a leaf." Okay...
I help her find a dried up leaf, the only kind we have after two inches of snow. She takes it upstairs and all is well. She comes back down, and the ladybug has started walking across Charlotte's hands and arms. Charlotte is fascinated by the whole experience. I have to call Grandma Jo and share the Cute-Moment(TM).
Fast forward a scant five minutes. From the basement, I can hear the Screech Of Horror(TM) and the stomping of panicked feet. She comes running down as I come running up. Her first explanation of the horror that was the ladybug was indecipherable, but eventually we discover that ladybugs can fly.
-as told by Greg

Snow...Part 2

It was positively balmy Thursday. While it only hit 52, it was declared a heat wave--no coats!! It really felt so warm. When you consider lately it has been below zero with the windchill, it was a significant boost! Today, the snow returned. Pretty snow. Sometimes it fell in big heavy flakes, sometimes light, but all straight down. So today was a Sunday at home. No work for me. A special treat was going to a breakfast buffet. This is our second time out to Frisch's for the buffet and the kids just plow through their food. It was a delight to watch. They got a kick out of getting theor own food from the buffet--Ryan was better with the tongs. Charlotte really tried. I was good--I ordered a Eggbeaters spanish omelet and fruit. No fried potatoes, bacon or sausage. I am drinking tons of water and eating more salad, fruits and veggies than ever. I feel better when I move around. I can't call it working out yet. I did 2 sets of push ups today--the modified kind and I'll get on the elliptical tonight. I still have to log my food for the day, my exercise and goals. The nice thing about this plan is I am taking it slower this time. I am meeting the goals for the first stage which is really cool. In case this is Greek--I am doing Bob Green's The Best Life plan.

I have found a new source of joy. Last night was movie night so we had Pizza Hut and went to Blockbuster. The kids picked a Tom and Jerry movie. I balanced the occasional guilt I felt by letting them watch something so ridiculous with the fact I watched Tom and Jerry as a kid, along with many others. They got to pick, so that was it. I settled down with them under a blanket, holding a book--totally planning to read while they watched. The first giggles killed that idea. I mean all out squeals and giggles. I didn't watch the movie, I watched them. It was ultimately so relaxing. I laughed at their laughing.

Had a brilliant idea today. The kids were playing nicely in the living room, Greg was busy in the den. Clothes needed to be washed, folded and put away. I do all of these better with music--but the boom box was out because I didn't want to disturb the kids playing. So I hooked into my ipod and got to listen to all my grown up music (read not kid friendly) while I boogied and shimmied all around the house. Ah, fun and productive (and loud).

School is blessedly low-key this rotation. My instructor is a very busy woman it seems. She has a link to her professional website in our course info (tacky, I thought). I'm not sure why she teaches on top of being a lawyer, forensic nurse, disaster nurse and I forget what else. She has been a very absent instructor, which really bugged me the first week, now I am calmer. Grades are very late and her contributions to our discussion threads are almost nil. I am learning a great deal thru self-study. What a difference from last rotation. But I still would like more interaction and direction. I am so much better at managing time for school now. Getting stuff done early really is the key!

Charlotte is writing her name. She knows the letters and I can recognise what she writes--even if the letters form a circle or travel up the side of the page. She was tracing her hand and my hand today. She is drawing more. She spends big hunks of time just looking thru her books. Ryan is reading like a fiend. He is still fixated on numbers, their value, putting sums together in his head, figuring out how it all works. the next purchase for him will be a joke book. He is reading jokes off his juice boxes now and tries his own knock knock jokes on us. His curiosity and sweetness have not been dampened. I hope they won't. Public school for both next year. Charlotte will go to all day kindergarten. She'll be so wiped out. I will be glad for the money in the bank, who knows how much longer the Toyota will last? But I am sad all the same. The Antioch school will remain a goal. Such a wonderful community of people and no freaking whistles!

In other fantastic news--Greg has consented to a pooch! We are planning for a trip to California this summer, so we will aim for a new family member mid to late summer after we get home. The kids talk about a pet or Snickyy daily. A golden retriever seems to be in the lead at the moment--and likely a rescued one at that. I would love a puppy, but realistically (and this is a big step for me folks!) we can't handle a pup. We haven't told the kids. We'll wait a bit for that. I am excited but it will be so hard to be patient! Reality is, though, we really don't have someone to watch an animal while we are gone, so it is better to wait.

Lots going on, as always:)

Reasons to be hopeful

Yesterday was Inauguration Day. I was invited to a brunch at my friend Rebecca's house to watch the event. She and a handful of her acquaintances watched as the new vice president and president were sworn in--verbal blunders and all and Aretha's fabulous hat! I was struck by the the lack od red whte and blue among the clothing and the fact that the musicians featured (Yo-yo- ma et. al weren't wearing winter coats!!

But as President Obama, Yes President Obama!! gave his speech, I was filled with hope. I imagined how different John McCain's speech would have been--I think I would have left half way through--the same talk, the same relentless policies. I hope that blacks and whites can continue to move forward. The feeling I get from some is that blacks feel like they have been set free again. One of my co-workers, while talking about Kwanzaa told me "you, people..." referring to whites. I did not enslave anyone, nor did my parents or grandparents. I work hard, very hard, really for everything I have. We live in a country where all faiths, ethnicities and sexes have a right to live, preach, pray as they like. I hope we as a country exercise more tolerance to those who are different from us. I hope that President Obama can change how we live. Our schools aren't working, our mortality rate for children is insane for an industrialized country. Not everyone is Christian and that is really okay.

I am hopeful.

My friend Charlotte has had her baby. She had him her way. It was safe, natural and so beautiful. I am filled with joy!!!

I am hopeful for all that we can become. I am overjoyed that someone has stepped up. I am thrilled that this courageous, charismatic man has stepped up and is willing to change our future.