Life gives you Lemons? Make Lemon Cake!! :D

Zowie!!! :D

My lovely friend Diana came to play today with her two kiddoes. She amused me by saying, no sooner had she come in the door, "Your house is so much tidier than mine.....!!" Had she arrived a mere 5 minutes earlier she'd have been able to hear me yelling from out in her van !!! "Clean this UP!!!" "WHY is this stuff all over the floor!!??!" "Quick!!! Take this out to the trash!!!" "Jack!! Put the toys AWAY!!!! ".......

Ahem.

Yes, folks, another fine example of how NOT to be an AP parent. I MAY have to change the name of my blog!!! :D My only excuse is I'm currently suffering through another period from HELL and have the patience of ... um....a very impatient thing...that's probably veeeery small. Ah well... the key is to be flexible and honest enough to admit when you have a problem! That and to have an aces recipe for Frosted Lemon Cake up your sleeve and to whip it out just at the right moment!! ;D

( For those of you who arrived here on my blog after Googling the phase "Whip it out" I apologise, I'm betting this isn't what you were expecting, however, I'm leaving it in, it might improve my traffic!!! :D )

Now, where was I !! Oh yes!! The cake! :D It was darn delicious!! Diana and kids were great fun, my two had all sorts of fun, there was much screaming, laughter and tearing about the place. Good times, good times. So I suppose there are a bunch of you out there who want the recipe now..... I'll find it

... hang on.......

Found it!

I'll put it in the sidebar!! :D

Oh! And sorry if my blog sounds a little "punchy" today... I'm a TAD high on Sugar.....!! ;D

Aren't you glad you don't have to do it on the rocks anymore?!? :D

LOL!!! It's Laundry Day today!! :D I have, and sadly I'm not exaggerating, ELEVEN loads of laundry to do!!! :D ELEVEN!!!!!! The pile had grown to monstrous proportions and poor hubby was left digging through the dryer and dropping subtle hints as to the whereabouts of his underwear......! Poor guy!!!! So today I felt the need to do a little washing!!! :D I've been in a bit of a funk since all my company left at the beginning of the month. Part of me can hardly believe it's not even BEEN a month, I feel like I've been low for a loooong time now. Anyway, it might be the arrival of the sunshine and blue sky but whatever the cause I feel I am BACK and ready to take on the house, the dishes, the dust and the laundry!!!!

I'm just grateful we don't have to haul it down to the riverside and bash it on the rocks anymore!!! ;D

Is it the Wiiiiikend yet?!!? :D

I know, I know, the Wii and computer games goes against everything I wanted in our house... well sort of.... everything part of my personality wanted!! ;D My hubby teases me by saying that I am not a typical Gemini as I have six personalities rather than two! ;D One of my personas loves the Waldorfy type approach to homeschooling, another likes the Classical approach, another Unschooling and still another loves TV, computers, and, the Wii......!! The reason I like it so is more for what it has done for our family. Rex and Jack in particular seem to really bond over their racing games. Today the "boys" played We Ski. They took to the slopes and instead of racing each other or competing, they played at chasing and skiing into each other!!! :D They played for HOURS and they LAUGHED and laughed!! They used to enjoy watching movies together, but even the best of movies doesn't bring them as much mutual happiness as the Wii...!! :D

It's not what I had hoped for in a way, I mean, I look at some blogs with peaceful homes, white walls, wood floors, natural toys and baking together and I sigh a little sigh.. but then I remember what I DO have. I am happy and grateful to have a family that plays together and enjoys each others company. It might not be what I had in mind, but I'm happy with it all the same. :D


Wheeeeeeee.....!!!

Flakey me....!

We're finally getting a little more snow today.....REAL snow, not that pellety stuff that's good for nothing except being WHITE!! :D Yesterday some fluffy snow fell as we were driving all over town. The flakes landed on the van windows and we could see each little tiny branch, every minute detail. I am fascinated by the beauty that is a snowflake and intend to spend a reasonable amount of time focused on them today!! We'll use our microscope and
this website to aid our studies!! I think we may also have to see if it's snowball worthy yet!!!! We haven't had any snowball snow in ages!!! Finally I'm pretty sure that any expedition out in to the snow will have to be concluded with a cup or two of hot chocolate and perhaps a blazing log fire... we'll see how it all works out!!!

Don't flake out on me now!!

Little Boy Bladder! ;D

Jackster has been driving me half mad by peeing his pants on a regular basis. Sometimes he seems to have a bladder full, other times it's just a little pee... enough to wet his pants and through to his jeans but not enough to have a huge fight about. Yesterday I took the kiddoes to Super Target ( du du du duuuuhhhh!!) and prudently took him to the bathroom before we left home. It's a 15 minute drive people. When we got there, he had peed. GAH! It was 9 degrees out and I didn't want his willy to freeze off!!! I HAD to go in the store as we had gone to get his glasses repaired! We went in with him wet. Bah. Today we took Jack for an eye exam. We set off early in the morning, again, peeing first. A 25 minute drive, straight to the bathroom on arrival..... wet. AAGGGHHH...... Since we were out anyway I decided to call the Pediatricians and have them make sure the guy doesn't have some sort of infection. We took him in and they had him pee in a "hat" !! ROFLMAO!!! I LOVE when they ask him to "pee in the hat" such a visual!!! :D Anyhoo... he peed in the hat and they proclaimed him as having "perfect" pee!!! Who knew there were qualifications?!?! :D So, no infection, diabetes, nothing worrisome. Great. So why the blazes does he keep peeing?!!? It's making me NUTS. The nurse explained that little boys, from the ages of about 5 to about 8 tend to have spazzy bladders which will suddenly start spasming for no particular reason and without warning. Also, said small boys are less likely to pee until they are done, preferring instead to pee only as much as makes their bladder feel comfortable enough to continue playing!! Ah HAH!! Makes a lot of sense!! :D

I'm to make peeing "exciting" and "fun" for him..... perhaps have him pee on a Cheerio ( about all they are good for ...!!! ) or some other cereal product. The nurse said that he needs to pee for as long as he can and then try again to pee some more. I suggested I teach him to write his name in the snow....!! ;D She gamely smiled and pressed on .....!! ;D

Anyway, there ya go. Little Boy Bladder. A made up name for a condition that bothers Mothers more than Boys I'm thinking.

Reminds me of a nursery rhyme........!!!

Good Kid, Bad Parent.

When Jessie was a baby she was my first and a really well balanced "good" baby. She slept all night long ( most of the time ), she was pleasant, easy going, mild mannered....an all round "easy" kid. She still is today. Sure, she has her moments, but she aims to please, she is kind, considerate, helpful, generous and concerned about the happiness and well being of those around her. I'm happy to say that, even as a new parent, I knew it wasn't all my doing!! I would tell people "It's not ME, it's her!! She's a really good baby / child....." but still, it is and was easy to be fooled, lulled perhaps, into thinking that your parenting technique must be rocking since your child is So. Damn. Good.

Hah.

Then we had Jack.

He is a sweet, nice little boy. Unless he's not. He slept 23 out of 24 hours and we had to feed him constantly. He started out weak and low tone, he is now strong enough to knock myself and my husband off our feet. We know. He's done it. He is strong willed and strong bodied. If he doesn't want to walk any more, then hey, he's going to sit. It could be right in the middle of the road mind you. My husband has pulled a tendon in his arm and muscles in his back trying to lift / manhandle him into crossing the street. Jack loves animals..... we think. He MAY be trying to play with the puppy when he lifts her off the floor by her leash..... he COULD just be trying to play with the cat when he chases her off the bed with a baseball bat..... the fact he has a laugh that sounds like the villain on any cartoon could be deceptive..... We're SURE he loves his big sister..... he does hug her and pats her back gently..... he also throws her to the floor and sits on her, steals her toys, steals her food, screams and yells at her and beats her about the face and body..... but we are sure they can work it out..... right??

I've yet to find anyone who can show me how to parent my son in an AP manner that "respects him as a person" yet also has him remain at the table to eat, keep his feet out his food, not harm the pets, not hurt his family members, not throw and break things, run off in stores and scream in anger...... I've been told I need to "respect" my son. I've been told that I need not have rules, but rather should treat him as I would my husband and my friends...... I've been told to show patience and understanding, sympathy, regard...... believe it or not, I have tried all these things!! These Things Do Not Work. Jack does not respond to those things. Jack is not driven to make others happy or to please those around him. Jack, although honestly a lovely boy, has moments that would try any parent. Some days are made up of only these moments. These are the days where I collapse in tears of frustration and anger, disappointment and fatigue. These are the days that scare my children and my husband to the point of tears of their own. These are the days I wish for Valium / the Bahamas / a coma. These are the days I regret being a parent. I regret being a mother. I regret being alive. Thankfully they don't last long and they don't happen often. One happened yesterday.

Today is a new day. Last night ended on a loving, happy and peaceful note. We all moved forward with a new purpose. The ice was thin and fragile, but will hold. Each hour that passes adds a thicker layer to the first. Today, again, I seek answers. I seek advice and love and understanding from those who are on the front lines with me. Those with "easy" kids need not apply. I'm happy you can take your children to the store / to a restaurant / to a gas station bathroom and people compliment YOU on the behaviour of your children. I know what that is like, it happened to me once too....... if, however, you are struggling like me and you see me trying to cajole/ encourage/ bribe/ drag my son... please meet my eyes. Look at me with a smile and understanding, perhaps even give me a thumbs up! I'm doing what I can and I keep telling myself that each day is getting easier....each loooong loooong day...........