When I'm an Old Lady and Live With My Kids

When I'm an old lady, I'll live with each kid,
And bring so much happiness...just as they did.
I want to pay back all the joy they've provided.
Returning each deed! Oh, they'll be so excited!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

I'll write on the wall with reds, whites and blues,
And I'll bounce on the furniture...wearing my shoes.
I'll drink from the carton and then leave it out.
I'll stuff all the toilets and oh, how they'll shout!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

When they're on the phone and just out of reach,
I'll get into things like sugar and bleach.
Oh, they'll snap their fingers and then shake their head,
And when that is done I'll hide under the bed.
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

When they cook dinner and call me to eat,
I'll not eat my green beans or salad or meat,
I'll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table,
And when they get angry...I'll run...if I'm able!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

I'll sit close to the TV, through the channels I'll click,
I'll cross both eyes just to see if they stick.
I'll take off my socks and throw one away,
And play in the mud 'til the end of the day!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

And later in bed, I'll lay back and sigh,
I'll thank God in prayer and then close my eyes.
My kids will look down with a smile slowly creeping,
And say with a groan, 'She's so sweet when she's sleeping!'

~ Joanne Bailey Baxter, Lorain, OH

Wordless Wednesday--Adolescent Girls and Boats

Shapes

Arveragus has been doing pre-school once a week, here in our home with another friend and his Mom and little brother. We have a different focus each week, with craft, gross motor skills, finger play, circle time, food prep etc. It is a lot of fun. Generally I am preparing for this the night before and the morning of. It's what I do--last minute prep is my speciality!

Today's theme was shapes. I had masking tape shapes on the floor, cheese and turkey cut into shapes, they made different shaped biscuits. SHAPES SHAPES SHAPES!!

We needed some appropriate music for damcing on the floor shapes. Here's what I got:

They Might be Giants Particle Man (cause triangle Man hates Particle man)
10,000 Maniacs I Dreamed of a Circle
Pete Seagar All Around the Kitchen
Paul Simon Boy in the BUbble (bubble--round--get it?)
Indigo Girls Airplane (?!)
I threw in some Gershwin too just for kicks.

No one was critical--they all danced around the shapes just fine thank you.

My Excuses

Well--y'see, I lost one camera, then bought a cheap one. The thing about a cheap camera is you get what you pay for. But I'd use it if I could, which I can't because my disc drive is broken so I can't upload the program for the camera--it's that time in the Great Recession when we Wear it out, Use it up, Make do, and Do without!!

Those are my excuses for not blogging very much. Those, and Facebook.

But now I have a couple of reasons to be blogging more. Mostly, I'm considering taking a Facebook Break for Advent. Partly, blogging seems less ADD, and a bit more thoughtful than Facebook.

That's like saying the cheesecake has fewer calories than the Brownie Pudding, but there it is; compared to Facebook, blogging is downright dissertational!

John and I had a funny conversation about the phrase "steep learning curve." As in, "I sure have a steep learning curve going on with this parenting an adolescent thing." He, with his precise, mathematical mind, is sure that the proper terminology would be "shallow learning curve." But this is about as satisfying as the St. John's Senior Math tutorial deciding that the Enterprise should actually get squashed together rather than stretched out when it accelerates to light speed. WHO CARES!! It's the right image whether it's right or not technically. Steep--like climb a mountain steep, like this is REALLY hard work steep.

Yup. That's why I married him. He's the details, I'm the image!

Saint Day Celebrations!

We have St Anthony by Moi, Saint Appolonia (with a bloody tooth around her neck!), by Sondra, The Assumption of Mary (notice the planets), by Thaddeus, Our Lady and Baby Jesus by Thalia, and St Joan of Arc by Cathy.

I think I will do another Artist Trading Card party in December with a Christmas Theme!

Worth Remembering

There are many images in my mind that I know won't remain. Maybe one day I will read this and remember:

Mary Catherine spinning around with a giant sparkler. Joyous, beautiful, on the cusp of womanhood.

Three boys running races outside the window, laughing together.

John Henry and Thalia playing a tough game of chess together.

John snuggled with his sons pouring over a Naval aircraft book.

Blaise seeing his siblings faces and cracking into a wide smile.

Thaddeus making the weird dinosaur noise, and Blaise belly laughing.

The 4 younger children having a conversation about how much they love Mary Catherine when she calls them "baby" and "honey".

Baby in my arms. Baby mouth on my face. Baby fingers in my hair.


I wish I could hold onto these moments, and keep them safe from time. Like that song that they did on the muppets "If I could save Time in a Bottle" As I recall there were some explosions in the Muppet versions, but with 4 sons, that's appropriate too.

Thaddeus Paul

Six year ago Thaddeus was born. He has taught me SO MUCH. Thaddeus, my fourth child, is the one I describe as my "straw"--you know--the one that broke the camel's back. I'm the camel. After Thaddeus I had to really get organised, and dedicate myself to larger family rearing. My volunteer work had to wind down. (though it didn't for about a year--that's another story).

Thaddeus is Loud, expressive, creative, left-handed, loud, exuberant, muppet-faced, small for his age, determined, has the sweetest tender heart, and he's loud. He thrives in the lap of order. Lisa is a favorite of his because her home is so orderly. Maybe he will have a vocation to a very neat and tidy order of priests!

His first verbal demand was "Sissy!Candy!!"

He loves his Godparents Sondra and Chip. They give him candy too. Last month at a contra dance, I was encouraging him to ask a little girl his size to dance. He said "I know who to ask Mamma." He asked the librarian.

I love Thaddeus, and thank God for his precious, unique soul.