Trying Again to Remember....

The days go by in whirlwind fashion. I love Soulemama's Friday {This Moment} posts. Here's our moment for the week, even though it's Monday.

For a long time now, we've had family language that has included 'hammagas' and 'fwamps'. Smallest Cubkid just figured out the origin:

The worried expression on his face is priceless, along with his outraged outbursts, "Mama! Guess what they did now!"

Happiness is...

a mugful of hot tea, a warm fire, satifying knitting, and watching 8 inches of snow falling, with more in the forecast.

There's Been a Mutiny

Apparently my children don't like squash. Summer squash to be specific. It was most impressive tonight, when I served the offending vegetable. Every single one of them lined up on the opposite side of the table, and flat-out refused to eat any. Even the enticement of ice cream afterward was barely enough to make them take a bite. Interesting. I think I see a new potential threat.

Freezing to death!

Brrr! In the last few days, the temps have plummeted, and the snow has fallen, and we finally hit double digits for the temperature this morning. And we have about a foot of snow. Unfortunately for my kidlets, it's just tooooo cooooold to sled for very long. We concluded this morning that it takes longer to get dressed in all the gear than they can stand to be out. On the flip side, our Christmas tree has never looked better.


Where, oh where, is my warm beach?

Mi Vida Loca

My wild and crazy life! We've taken an interesting turn. My mom had booked herself on a cruise some time ago, and was having trouble finding someone to go with her. A couple of weeks ago, she made an offhand comment to me that it was too bad I couldn't go, since we travel so well together. Well, I talked to The Lion King, and the upshot is I'm in London, heading for Dover, and then the Baltic Sea. The cruise covers the Baltic capitals. We've only ever been to Copenhagen, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the other sites, particularly Tallinn and St. Petersburg. How cool with that be? I am also going to particularly enjoy not having to distill the information I'm learning and reteach it. This is an information-for-me-only trip! I'm hoping to also go home with a good plan for the next schoolyear. I have no idea how this is going to go, not having ever been on a cruise before.

Big Doin's in the Lion Kingdom!

This morning, I volunteered to jack my auto insurance rate into the outer stratosphere for the next 20 years. It's official- the Oldest CubKid has gotten her driving license! She earned a perfect score on her driver's exam this morning. The Lion King is in shock, I think. I suggested that she drive her siblings to the soccer field, (joking, of course, I'm not ready to turn her loose just yet :-P), and he just sputtered. "You can't do that!" "Why not?" "You just can't! She's not legal!" Oh, yes, Daddy Dear, she is. Better get used to it.

And just to update on 2nd CubKid's big music contest last weekend, she did very well. The steel drum group scored a 1 (top score), and the comments were great. She also received a 1 on her piano. When it came time for her flute solo, which had fallen apart in spectacular fashion the weekend prior, I told her not to worry about it. The judge she had was giving out 2's and 3's- he'd given about 6 1's all day. I just told her to go in and do her best, and we wouldn't worry about the score. She did fine, 2 little trouble spots, but sailed through much better than the prior week, and we were both pretty pleased. He didn't write very long, so we figured it probably going to be one of his favored 2's. Well, she wound up being one of the 10 1's he gave all day. And then, silly me, I volunteered to take her and 3 friends shopping after, since they'd all done so well. What was I thinking? Repeat after me- never, ever, ever take 4 teenage girls to the mall without tranquilizers. I'm not sure for whom, but they're definitely necessary! I'm still traumatized...

Who? Wha? What's this?

A blog? Out here in cyberspace? Methinks we've been neglecting it a bit. I believe LB told me a month ago to update. So I'm a little late.

First of all, we're all good. Busy, but good. Second CubKid has a big music contest tomorrow- playing steel drum, flute, and piano. Soccer looks like a wash, literally. We've had about 3" of rain today. I offered to stay home and clean house, but the Lion King said he'd chance the soccer. Actually, I believe the comment was he'd rather be drowned on the soccer field, than be forced to sit through umpteen middle school music performances. All righty then. Off I go, at the lovely hour of 7.15am.

We are winding down our school year- reading more, Math still going, and finishing up the co-ops we're in. I'm in pretty good shape for planning next year. The Little Cubs need the most attention, since they're both just reading, so that's the direction we're heading.

Today was Government and Biology- the Supreme Court, and boiling purple cabbage leaves. I think I need a nap.

More later, I wouldn't want this to become a habit or anything.

Letting Go of My Perfectionism

I just had to share one more thing. I'm trying to be gracious. I really am. And I know the kids like to wrap presents. But by golly, I'm having a really hard time with Oldest CubGirl's artistic license in wrapping her presents to her siblings. Her choice of wrapping paper? Brown grocery bags. And the adhesive of choice? Duct tape.

Ugh.

New Math

So because I've been slow off the marks this holiday season, we didn't get our traditional Playmobil advent calendar going. And Grammie usually sends us the little ones with chocolate in them, but she didn't this year. So I finally found 2 yesterday at Michael's, and made the younger 4 Cubkids' night, when I told them they could eat the chocolates up to yesterday's date. But then a minor battle ensued when they realized that there were 38 chocolates to be eaten by 4 children. I posted this dilemma to my favorite email group, and a friend responded with new math. I love this suggestion.

She suggested I could eat 2 and then the kids could divide 36, or I could eat 6, and the kids would each get 8, or the best answer, I thought, was that I could eat 34, and the kids could each eat one. At which point, I read this answer, and started laughing out loud. Then they all came running to see what I was laughing about, and said, "Mom! You wouldn't!" Then First BoyCub pointed out that he was pretty sure 34 pieces of chocolate weren't Weight Watchers-approved, and wouldn't I prefer a cookie or piece of fudge instead?

So much for that diet plan. But I do like new math.

The Great Pumpkin

For those of you who don't know it, owing to the fact you live overseas, tonight was Trick-Or-Treat night in our neighborhood. And I knew within 10 minutes of waking up it was going to be a long day. I had 4 cubs on my bed before 9 am, with various pieces of their Halloween costumes, wanting to discuss nitty-gritty details with me. Please wait until your mother has put her contacts in and had at least 1 cup of tea, before you expect her to focus, let alone be rational. And please check your swords and rapiers at the door.....

So later this evening came The Great Sortation. Did you know that tonight is the night The Great Pumpkin comes? Yes. The deal is this- the more candy you give up, the better the present you will find in your chair at breakfast tomorrow. The best giveaway ever has been the year #1 Cub gave away all but 6 pieces of candy. This year Small Girl Cub kept all but 14. The Great Sortation comes after the gathering/snacking, when they winnow out the Best of the Best, and put it in a Ziplock bag. My family room looks like it's been hit by marauding candy elves. But the sortation is all finished, all small cubs are upstairs, if not sleeping, and it appears The Great Pumpkin may have to make a Walmart run. Sigh. Whose stupid idea was this anyway?

By the way, the Cubs were quite creative this year- we had a Pie Rat, complete with pie pan shield and fork, a Tigger, a Musketeer, a Knight, a Fairy Princess, and the best- #1 Cub dressed in a pair of jeans with stars she'd sewn on them, layered t-shirts, blue stripes in her hair, mp3 player, and a sign that read 'Trick or Treat' on one side, and then on the other side, to answer the question, "What are you?" 'Bored Teenager.' Yup, just the best. She even has the eyeroll modeled to perfection.