Polarity

Life on Earth is all having both sides of the story. Staying sane, especially for parents, requires having a grasp of the fact that life is a balance of opposites.

Good versus bad. Health versus illness. Joy versus sadness. Peace versus war.

Five minutes before taking this picture, Vinny and Gio were screaming, "Give it to me!" and "Thats mine!"

And I was ready to runaway to an uninhabited tropical island with perfect waves.

Then remarkably minutes later the boys are working together and getting along like nothing ever happened.

Huh?

The secret to parenting more than one child is knowing siblings will have their conflicts, which being an only child, I've had to learn the hard way. Since fighting is inevitable, the goal is to prevent bodily injury, which is easily achieved by a physical separation and a cooling off period. So far this had worked.

Their bickering, though I detest it, makes me appreciate and adore when the boys get along.

"Wow you guys are getting along so well," I say, making sure to point out their desired behavior. "I love it!"

And when my strategic tactics fail there is always Plan B, Operation Tropical Island.

Tile In!

The bathroom is tiled and grouted as of today! Yahooooo! Yes, there's more work to be done, such as grout sealing, painting, and plumbing fixture installation. But I can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Phew.

Remodeling is like being caught inside by wave, after wave, after wave.

Animals Are Good For Humans

How does Vinny breathe in this position? Also thanks to blogger or gmail this post was even later than I anticipated. Normally, I take pictures with my phone and email them straight to my blog without a problem. Lately however, the pictures have been orienting incorrectly.

I am seriously frustrated. And I also wish SOMEONE would FIX IT!

That is all.

Weird Science

Location: Tree House Science Lab.

"Whoever drinks this potion will turn into a worm!!" says Gio.

"What if some spills on me?" I ask worried. "Or on you?"

"Don't worry," Gio assures me. "The potion only works if you drink it."

"Phew," I sigh in relief.

Weird Science is now playing in my head.

The Beanie Baby Hunger Games

I've read The Hunger Games. I've seen the movie. But The Beanie Baby Hunger Games may be the best version yet. Though, for Beanie Babies it's surprisingly intense.

I'm Sexy And I Know It

"Wiggle Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle yeah
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle yeah, yeah," I sing.

Hello Internet, the only reason I even know the song, "I'm Sexy and I Know It," is because I work out. Just kidding. The skating rink, where I work out, ALWAYS plays, "I'm Sexy and I Know It."

My favorite part of the song is, obviously, the, "wiggle, wiggle, wiggle," part. And now Ricky Martin wiggling, and my husband imitating Ricky wiggling, will forever be etched in my mind, every time I skate around the rink, working out to, "I'm Sexy and I Know It."

Look!

"Look at the cats," says Gio. "They're hugging!"

Yes, they do it all the time, but it's so sweet! And it's one of those things I adore in life .

21 Jump Street

Hollywood took the TV series 21 Jump Street and turned it into a raunchy comedy for the big screen.

21 Jump Street is probably best saved for a DVD rental for $1 from Redbox rather than the price of a $10 movie ticket.

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star in the spoofy bromance where they go back to high school as under cover cops. Only the overly friendly duo act more like teenagers on a drunken rampage than cops. Somehow by the end of the movie they BOTH manage to rap the Miranda rights while arresting suspects.

Johnny Depp, who starred in the original series , makes a cameo appearance in the movie. But they killed him off so don't expect to see him in the sequel, "21 Jump Street Goes To College."

Writer in Progress

Gio is supposed to be working on his math facts, but he's obsessed with writing. He wrote four paragraphs with lots of "juicy," details this week alone. What's a parent to do?

Flash Cards

Vinny quizzing Gio on math.

I adore this scene for many reasons, but especially because Gio is much more receptive to math tutoring from his big bro than me.

One Of These Things (Is Not Like The Others)

This picture has not been photoshopped.

Before I can mention the funny picture, Gio reads the post title, "One of these things is not like the others."

"The last person on the left doesn't belong," says Gio. "Who wouldn't know that?"

Sometimes, life imitates song......

Happy Spring Equinox!

Happy first day of Spring, Internet! The new season is off to a great start, especially since the waves were fun today.

The bathroom vanity is one step closer to being chosen. I think. Or should I say I hope?

And now my Awesome Mom is coming to help make dinner. Does it get better than that? Tomorrow maybe be better, but today is perfect exactly as it is.

Reusable Grocery Bags

Reading the signs.

Normally, I remember my reusable bags when I'm in line at the grocery store and the bagger asks, "Paper or plastic?"

My response is, "I'll be right back," as I frantically run out the door to grab my reusable grocery bags.

This new sign at SavMart saved me from running out to my car to grab my reusable grocery bags, yesterday. Luckily I parked right in front of the sign. I also noticed SavMart added a place to recycle plastic grocery bags.

It's the little things that make a difference. That reminds me of this song by Jaci Velasquez, "We Can Make A Difference."

Now I just need to remember to put the reusable bags BACK in the car..............

Go Skate or Go Home!

Rainy weather makes it a great day to hit the skating rink for some exercise!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Hold Me Now

The picture goes with the an 80s classic, "Hold Me Now," by the Thompson Twins.

Time Change Troubles

Gio's in the box!

"Daddy please let me have the box!" cries Gio.

"No, I need the box for a magic trick," says Hubby.

"Can he just use the box until you need it?" I ask, unaware of what I'm getting in to.

"Sure, he can use it, if you get it for him," says Hubby.

OK! Sounds simple enough. Get box, kid stops crying. Easy peasy!

Vinny even helped me get the box out of the garage. Apparently, he wanted Gio to stop crying more than I did.

Finally we're going to have some peace.

"Mommy I need the scissors to make a window," whines Gio.

"You can't cut the box," I say. "Daddy needs it intact for his magic trick."

"But how are people going to buy stuff from my store if there's no window?" howls Gio. "What kind of store has no window?!"

"I am doomed!" wails Gio. "NOBODY LOVES ME!"

The time change is harder on some than others. And particularly difficult for parents of children who are unable to fall asleep because their bodies haven't adjusted to the springing forward of time........

Broken Tile, Again

The bathroom remodel is going well. Er, make that was.

Last night the Huz noticed four or five squeaking floor tiles.

"Arrrr, eeeeeee, arrrrrr, eeeeeee," squeak the NEW tiles.

As soon as the tile guy arrived this morning, I mentioned the squeaky tiles.

I would quote him but I generally avoid swearing in posts.

I left the tile guy to his work, but minutes later I hear an all too familiar sound of the hammer on tile, "Smash, smash, smash!"

"Why does it sound like someone is breaking tile?" I ask myself. "That's impossible, right?"

I scramble down the hallway to the bathroom. My eyes confirm what my ears already know. Yep, the tile guy has broken out five or six pieces of NEW tile.

"Wah!" I want to cry upon seeing the once beautiful now broken tile.

That was at 9 a.m. Internet and I only had one question: Is it too early for a Margarita? Oh well, it's after 5 o'clock now.......................

Parent Teacher Conference

It's that time of year again: parent teacher conferences! This year Vinny's conference has a major twist: Instead of his terrific teacher being in charge of the meeting, Vinny is the leader.

On our way to the conference I ask, "Are you nervous?"

"Not at all," says Vinny confidently.

I guess he doesn't take after me, conferences usually make me feel jittery. Though he has known us his entire life making stage fright unlikely.

Once the conference begins, Vinny takes charge like a professional teacher. He leads us through his classroom pointing out his projects and explaining them articulately.

Vinny considers his writing and math skills to be tops. But he mentions areas in school where he is working to improve, such as working better in groups and understanding the author's purpose better.

I'm sure I can improve in those areas too. Maybe he and I can work on this together?

Though I was impressed with his entire presentation my favorite parts were when he said, "Writing comes to me easily," and "I'm great at math!"

Yay!

The conference left me smiling and feeling proud of my son.

**Note

This post was part of my parent teacher conference homework assignment.

Concussed

Today, I had a message on my cellphone from the school nurse.

"I had the pleasure of meeting your son Gio today," says the School Nurse.

Before she could say anything else, my stomach begins turning upside down and inside out, then my brain says, "Gio has lice! Why else would the school nurse be calling?"

Then I listened to the rest of the nurse's message.

"Gio fell and hit his head today," says the Nurse. "He was dizzy after hitting his head. He seems fine now, but you should watch for signs of a concussion including headache, blurred vision, nausea, vomitting, and confusion."

I felt relief for about a millisecond.

"No lice! Hooray! Concussion, oh no!"

Anyways, Gio has been okay so far tonight.

"How did you hit your head?" I ask.

"I was sitting at the lunch table," explains Gio. "Jenny reached across me to give someone the cheese touch. I didn't want the cheese touch, so I went like this (he leans back) fell off the bench, and hit my head."

"Ouch!" I say. "Does it hurt?"

"Only when I lay on hard earth," answers Gio.

Skating Rink

Tow days in a row at the skating rink and I'm exhausted. Is it Friday yet?

Spring Forward

Internet, tomorrow is the time change! Set your clocks ahead one hour tonight. Since springing forward means losing an hour I'm glad I went to Trader Joe's today!

Drywall In!

Internet, the bathroom remodel is progressing as planned. The green board, moisture resistant drywall which is really purple, is on the wall.  The hardy backer is also installed.

The vintage glass for the decorative band arrived today. Also, the new sink is in the house! Things are going well.

In other news, tonight the boys' school held a Mother Son Dance.

For weeks and weeks both boys insisted, "No way are we going to the dance."

Then suddenly Gio asks, "Can you do jazz dance or does everyone have to do ballroom dancing?"

"You can do jazz dance," I say worried.

"I'm definitely going to the dance,"

I'm pretty sure Gio's change of beat can be blamed on his Nana.  And I'm certain Vinny's sudden agreement to go was due to her bribery.

Mothers. I can say that, because I am one.

Hmfph.

The dance party was crazy. Imagine100 boys ages 5-11, running around playing tag while hyped up on Gatorade and an unlimited supply of delicious cookies.

Even better the party goers were armed with weapons in the likes of glow sticks and beach balls. One Mom got beaned in the head with
a beach ball, that I saw, but I'm sure there were more causalities than that.

This post would be incomplete without mention of the glow sticks being tethered together and swung around like lethal ropes. Of course, with this rough play the poor glow sticks were mortally wounded spattering glow juice everywhere, leaving many moms wondering, "Eww, is this stuff toxic?" 

Then there was the music. The volume was way past LOUD, set at the level of, "Are you nuts?" 

Yes, one hour of Mother Son Dance Party pandemonium felt like a lifetime. But thankfully it went by fast.

As we left the party my Mom says, "That wasn't  anything like what I expected." 

"It was totally what I expected," I say happy we both got out of the party unscathed.

The boys had a blast. And my Mom and I were thoroughly entertained.

Tonight, I will sleep like Baby Kate, except with my eyes closed. ;)

Insulation

The insulation is in, thanks to the Huz! The tile is here. Well, all of it except the vintage glass for the decorative band, which will be here in the morning.

Tiling officially begins tomorrow.

Bathtub

The sub floor is fixed! Thanks Huz! xoxo

AND The new bathtub is in the house!!!!

Hole in the House

"I think we have some dry rot in the bathroom," I say.  "We need to get it fixed before the bath tub gets installed."

"I'm on it!" says the Huz springing into action with his crow bar and hammer.

Now there's a hole in the bathroom. Uh, and it was my bright idea.

"That's so easy to fix," says the Huz.

I'm certain the Huz is right, but I am feeling anxious about the whole hole.

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.

Lindsay Lohan on SNL

I haven't watched the Saturday Night Live hosted by Lindsay Lohan, but The Real Housewives of Disney skit, from the same episode is hilarious.

Long Day of Play

Gio had such an exhausting day, first he fell asleep at the dinner table. Then he fell asleep on the heater vent, as seen in the picture above.

Unfortunately, I woke Gio up to go potty and brush his teeth. Then, of course, we had to go get some books out of the library.

"How many books do you have?" I ask in dismay.

"Thirteen," answers Gio.

Now, thirty minutes later, Gio's read all the books and he's still awake?

"Gio, how is it you were asleep earlier, and yet you are still awake?" I ask.

"I was pretending to be asleep," answers Gio. "I won the battle."

Duped again.

Goldilocks

Someone's been sleeping in my bed, and he's still there.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple." - Dr. Seuss

Gio and I are celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday by reading Dr Seuss books.  The best part is Gio is reading to me. O:-)

One of THOSE Days

I'll be smashing these tiles tomorrow.

I had the tile and decorative band picked for the bathroom remodel Monday, and it was OUT OF STOCK.

Yes, I'm yelling, while simultaneously pulling out my hair. All the while wishing the bathroom hadn't been demo'd because as my memory recalls, it wasn't that bad.

Internet, please do not tell Hubby I said that. Actually, the bathroom isn't being remodeled because I didn't like it. It's being remodeled because there haven't been any waves. When there aren't waves I get bored, and I must find something to do.

Just kidding. Sort of.

The real reason for the remodel is the bathroom was only tiled for a bathtub, meaning the tile only goes one third of the way up the wall, but we were using it mainly for a shower.

Can you spell water damage? Unfortunately, I can.

Though if the waves had been good the last three weeks, I wouldn't have even remembered the problem of inadequate tile. However, due to the lack of surf it was ALL I could think about.

Anyways, today, I committed to some tile, which I actually love much more than that OUT OF STOCK tile.

Phew!

Now I just need to get the plumber over here to install the new bathtub, and assorted pipes and plumbing that go with a complete remodel before the tile arrives on Thursday.

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.