When Habtamu latches on to something, he's relentless about it. He doesn't have any 'Play it cool' genes. Maybe it's a kid thing, maybe it's a trust issue, but once he zeros in on something, he does not give up. Now, this is great when he focuses on the lawn. But he's been running around with his money in a ziplock bag for about 6 months and recently asked me what I call that thing I carry my money in. I knew once he heard the word 'wallet' I wasn't going to hear the end of it until he had one in his pocket. So that day we ended up at KMart for another errand and we looked at wallets. We found one he liked, the cashier rang it up, and promptly said, "I'm sorry sir, this wallet has been recalled. I can't sell it to you. Maybe the fabric is not flame resistant enough or something." I figured if your wallet caught on fire, you probably had other things to worry about, but I didn't fight it. The only thing worse for H than not getting a wallet, is to THINK he's getting one only to be smacked down in the checkout aisle. I apologized to him and explained what was going on, not that he cared. Walking out of the store without a wallet told him everything he needed to know.
After that he came at it from every angle he could think of, starting directly and working his way toward a very passive aggressive approach.
"Can we go get a wallet for me today?"
"How about now? Can we go now?"
"Can you take me to the Dollar Store?"
"Let's go shopping. I JUST want to look around. Maybe find something for Mommy's birthday."
"What's that thing called again... 'WalMart?' Ohh... 'WalLET' heh. Sounds like 'WalMart.' WalMart is the store, right?"
So about 48 hours later, I find myself wallet shopping again and we spot a pseudo-leather ID holder with a zippered change pocket AND a key ring that he finds acceptable because it's just like Daddy's (more or less.) We get up to the counter and all I can think is, "Please don't be recalled... please don't be flammable... please don't be recalled."
All is good. The wallet barely hit the bottom of the shopping bag before Habtamu scooped it out and asked me if he could tear the tag off. I told him to wait until we got out of the store. So he did. He made it 3 steps outside the sliding doors. We get in the car and Habtamu sets up shop to transfer his stash from the plastic baggie. His two dollar bills weren't a problem, but getting all his change moved over was more of an issue and he ended up spilling a bunch of it in his lap. The next thing I know his whole arm plunges between his knees and after ample digging, he comes up with two coins. Needless to say I found that quite amusing.
"What's so funny?" he asked, still with a big smile on his face from his recent discovery.
"Oh, I was just thinking how nice it would be to have a butt like yours," I said.
"What do you mean?"
"I wish I could pull money out of my butt like you. Then I wouldn't have to work."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I'd sit at home, watch tv, and pull money out of my butt all day. It'd be great." That got a laugh.
"Daddy, it was only a dime and a penny."
"That's fine, then I'd just have to do it all day. When I got tired of picking dimes out of my butt, then you could help."
"Daddy! Yuk!"
"Only eleven cents huh? Hmm, maybe you should dig deeper."
"Ha-Ha! Maybe I could find a hundred dollars!"
"Um... I don't think you want to dig THAT deep." That got him rolling.
Nothing is more universally funny than butt humor. Except for possibly boogers.
6.08.2009
6.07.2009
There are birthdays and there are BIRTHdays
A year ago today, for Chris's birthday we were on a plane heading to Ethiopia. Look at the cool, optimistic, confidence in those eyes on the way to the airport! There are no pictures of us after the 30 hour flight, for what should be obvious reasons.
Yesterday, my children became cousins as my sister had a baby girl, Jovie Marie.
Happy Birthday Jovie!
(Sorry folks, no pictures yet...)
(Sorry folks, no pictures yet...)
Oh and Happy Birthday to you too aunt Chris!
Look at that little cutie!(I'm in sooo much trouble...)
6.06.2009
A lesson in American Economics
Since we've gotten past so many of the big American cultural surprises, I forget that there are still some American institutions that are rather foreign to the kids. Like garage sales. I suspect there weren't a whole lot of people in downtown Addis Ababa putting big signs in front of their houses saying, "I've got so much stuff, I'm just going to put a pile of it in my driveway and ask for such a meager pittance that you won't even steal it."
The kids love and are fascinated by garage sales. I think they get that from their Grandmother.
In our neighborhood, some kind soul about 2 blocks away puts up a sign in late April that says, "Neighborhood garage sale coming June 5,6, and 7th!" Which gives the rest of us plenty of time to schmooze off their advertizing efforts. So today, we are having our first family yard sale.
It's 10:30 and thus far we have sold:
-one bag of lightbulbs
-an English/German dictionary
-a remote control car from Habtamu to Yordanos
-a pair of rugs from Chris to Yordanos
Oh, and Yordi ran across the street to another garage sale and bought a "Cutie on Duty" t-shirt. So far we've netted a dollar, but at this rate we'll be in the hole by the end of the day.
The kids love and are fascinated by garage sales. I think they get that from their Grandmother.
In our neighborhood, some kind soul about 2 blocks away puts up a sign in late April that says, "Neighborhood garage sale coming June 5,6, and 7th!" Which gives the rest of us plenty of time to schmooze off their advertizing efforts. So today, we are having our first family yard sale.
It's 10:30 and thus far we have sold:
-one bag of lightbulbs
-an English/German dictionary
-a remote control car from Habtamu to Yordanos
-a pair of rugs from Chris to Yordanos
Oh, and Yordi ran across the street to another garage sale and bought a "Cutie on Duty" t-shirt. So far we've netted a dollar, but at this rate we'll be in the hole by the end of the day.
6.03.2009
New School Subject
I found this idea on someone else's homeschool site, and took it. :) I wanted to get the kids writing stories or journaling.
I have to say they exceeded my wildest expectations on DAY ONE. AND they liked it!
I have to say they exceeded my wildest expectations on DAY ONE. AND they liked it!
5.29.2009
Contradictory
Ok, all you experienced parents of pre-teens. There are some days that if I say the sky is blue, one or both of my children will tell me it's red. Please, please tell me what to do... pretend like I'm absolutely NEW TO PARENTING. It's pretty much driving me crazy.
I end up either
1. arguing and making both of us upset, or
2. agreeing with child, which makes both of us upset because they know they are wrong and therefore they know that I don't really mean they are right, or
3. trying not to say ANYTHING which is construed by them as me being angry
Case in point... Habtamu will argue with me about multiplication. I have told him many times that I will NEVER lie about 'what times what is what'. I know my times tables very well, and if he insists that 9x7 and 8x8 are the same, by golly, I'm going to challenge that. He will fight me tooth and nail and swear that 9x7 is 64, then realize his mistake, and get real quiet and write the correct answer down.
Yordanos is a literal minded youngster, and if I say it's 7:20... by golly, it had better say 7:20 on HER watch. Otherwise, I hear "No Mommy, it's 7:21. You not tell the truth." (eye twitch - mine)
Any advice to survive the onslaught of the "Mom and Dad don't know anything years" would be appreciated.
I end up either
1. arguing and making both of us upset, or
2. agreeing with child, which makes both of us upset because they know they are wrong and therefore they know that I don't really mean they are right, or
3. trying not to say ANYTHING which is construed by them as me being angry
Case in point... Habtamu will argue with me about multiplication. I have told him many times that I will NEVER lie about 'what times what is what'. I know my times tables very well, and if he insists that 9x7 and 8x8 are the same, by golly, I'm going to challenge that. He will fight me tooth and nail and swear that 9x7 is 64, then realize his mistake, and get real quiet and write the correct answer down.
Yordanos is a literal minded youngster, and if I say it's 7:20... by golly, it had better say 7:20 on HER watch. Otherwise, I hear "No Mommy, it's 7:21. You not tell the truth." (eye twitch - mine)
Any advice to survive the onslaught of the "Mom and Dad don't know anything years" would be appreciated.
5.28.2009
Arrrrr! Pirates!
Habtamu now wants a boat. He got to drive Uncle Bob's, and now he's hooked. He wondered why WE don't have a boat. I had to explain that when you buy a boat, it's not just the boat you have to buy. I told him that it's better to KNOW people with a boat. :)
The kids learned a new word: dinghy. My cousin Jeremy took his kids and my kids out in it on Lake Michigan. At one point the dinghy was going around in circles. I wondered what Jeremy was doing, then realized that Habtamu was driving. Oh. Got it.
I have to say, I love coming to Grand Haven (That's in MI, if you're not from around here). I'd come out here every week during the summer in my teenage years. I broke a toe on this pier. It just makes me happy to be near the big lake.
The kids learned a new word: dinghy. My cousin Jeremy took his kids and my kids out in it on Lake Michigan. At one point the dinghy was going around in circles. I wondered what Jeremy was doing, then realized that Habtamu was driving. Oh. Got it.
I have to say, I love coming to Grand Haven (That's in MI, if you're not from around here). I'd come out here every week during the summer in my teenage years. I broke a toe on this pier. It just makes me happy to be near the big lake.
Vacation Time or Forced Family Fun?
Wellllllllllll, we have successfully finished our first real tour of my family in Michigan. We did a trial run back in February, visiting for one event, then high-tailing it out of there. This time we stayed several days at my Aunt and Uncle's. We lovingly call their house the Lap of Luxury, as it was rather like staying at the Hilton. The kids had a room and we had a room. Everyone had a TV in their room. Our kids got up at 6 a.m. every day to make use of said TV until I got up around 8. Ok, bad parent! But we were all on vacation and I make very little apology for taking the easy route... just this once.
We also got in local visits of 2 other sets of Aunts and Uncles. After a few days we went up to see my Dad, then took the Badger from Ludington, MI to Manitowoc, WI. Then, just a quick 3 more hours in the car... complete with "Are we there yet?" "How many more miles?!?!" "I have to PEE!" etc, etc, etc... And that was just me... ha ha.
Seriously, though, the kids did REALLY well, considering we were taking them hither and yon. I think it helped that we had a home base, and that the other people we visited were within a 30 minute drive. I know it helped me having a separate bedroom, because I really, really, cannot sleep with "people" in the room. Lee is ok... 11 years of marriage, and he's part of the bed, really. But I hear every snuffle, roll-over, cough, partial snore, etc., of "those other people who now live with us and it still seems strange sometimes like at 2 in the morning in a motel when I'm wondering what that noise it and realize there are children in the room."
I'm going to post this now, and I've got highlight pics of our trip to post later. I'll try. I know it's been too many days for some of you not to get your Gardner fix.
I'm sorry there was not Police involvement on this trip to make it more interesting, but there were Pirates!
We also got in local visits of 2 other sets of Aunts and Uncles. After a few days we went up to see my Dad, then took the Badger from Ludington, MI to Manitowoc, WI. Then, just a quick 3 more hours in the car... complete with "Are we there yet?" "How many more miles?!?!" "I have to PEE!" etc, etc, etc... And that was just me... ha ha.
Seriously, though, the kids did REALLY well, considering we were taking them hither and yon. I think it helped that we had a home base, and that the other people we visited were within a 30 minute drive. I know it helped me having a separate bedroom, because I really, really, cannot sleep with "people" in the room. Lee is ok... 11 years of marriage, and he's part of the bed, really. But I hear every snuffle, roll-over, cough, partial snore, etc., of "those other people who now live with us and it still seems strange sometimes like at 2 in the morning in a motel when I'm wondering what that noise it and realize there are children in the room."
I'm going to post this now, and I've got highlight pics of our trip to post later. I'll try. I know it's been too many days for some of you not to get your Gardner fix.
I'm sorry there was not Police involvement on this trip to make it more interesting, but there were Pirates!
5.20.2009
What was that noise?
Oh! That was the other shoe dropping.
Got a new one today. "I hate you guys!" And it's not from the one you may think. Nope, it was my darling daughter, who, if she is not PMSing, I'll eat my hat.
She was really touchy all day. She got into trouble at a friend's house this afternoon. Aaaaaaaaand, it's been downhill since then. She finally lost it... I mean LOST it, when I told her I would not fix her hair for the walk she was going to take with Habtamu and Daddy. They'd already been waiting for her to put shoes on, put lotion on, look at herself in the mirror, etc, etc... So I told them to go on and she cried and carried on.
I told her not to leave the house, and out she went out the back door. I shooed her back in and she then went to the front door and opened it. I then told her her only choice was to go to her room. On the way up she informed me that
a. she's not going to ever eat dinner with us again, and
b. she hates us
Oh, and now she's banging on something upstairs and mumbling about injustice, etc... ad nauseum. I am not responding to any of that, because clearly she she is scared and worried and probably feeling guilty over her earlier indiscretion, and she's now ranting about how we don't like her and we're angry at her. She equates anger with dislike, and that makes a certain amount of sense in kid logic.
Got a new one today. "I hate you guys!" And it's not from the one you may think. Nope, it was my darling daughter, who, if she is not PMSing, I'll eat my hat.
She was really touchy all day. She got into trouble at a friend's house this afternoon. Aaaaaaaaand, it's been downhill since then. She finally lost it... I mean LOST it, when I told her I would not fix her hair for the walk she was going to take with Habtamu and Daddy. They'd already been waiting for her to put shoes on, put lotion on, look at herself in the mirror, etc, etc... So I told them to go on and she cried and carried on.
I told her not to leave the house, and out she went out the back door. I shooed her back in and she then went to the front door and opened it. I then told her her only choice was to go to her room. On the way up she informed me that
a. she's not going to ever eat dinner with us again, and
b. she hates us
Oh, and now she's banging on something upstairs and mumbling about injustice, etc... ad nauseum. I am not responding to any of that, because clearly she she is scared and worried and probably feeling guilty over her earlier indiscretion, and she's now ranting about how we don't like her and we're angry at her. She equates anger with dislike, and that makes a certain amount of sense in kid logic.
5.14.2009
Hair Today and Possibly Tomorrow.
I met a nice woman at the grocery store. I've been asking people with hair like Yordanos' where they get their hair cut, and this lady had her daughter with her, and she had nice hair. Anyway, I asked who did her daughter's hair and hooray! She cuts hair. So we scheduled for a Friday afternoon for a hair cut. It would be Y's 1st cut here. (She wants to grow it out, so we just let it grow, AND I couldn't find a local place that did hair like hers.)
Jeanine, the beautician, took one look at her hair and said, "Oh, we'll have to straighten it first to cut it. Otherwise you can't tell what shape you're making." I realized that none of us would have time for that so we scheduled for a few days away.
In the car, I asked Y if she understood what Jeanine had said and why we couldn't get her hair cut today. "NO! You said she knew how to cut my hair! Why she not cut my hair?! You not tell the truth!" I had to assure and reassure Y that Yes, Jeanine DOES know how to cut your hair, but she has never SEEN your hair before, so she couldn't know that it needed to be straightened until she saw it. There was lots of harumphing from the backseat, and mumbling of "You not tell the truth." (I get that a lot, but in my defense, it is not my practice to lie to my children.)
I learned a lot on Tuesday. I had NO idea how complex it is to do "black" hair. In the end, it took 5 hours. (Thankfully, Habtamu was at a friend's house... from 9 to 4, as it turned out... thank you, Katherine!) 5 hours is apparently not a big deal for the regulars. Some ladies had brought sack lunches! We ended up having lunch at 3, before going to Beauty City to buy new combs and silk scarves for her hair.
Here's a layout of our day... 10 am to 3 pm.
Classic Bird's Nest. Thankfully, Jeanine said I'd been taking good care of her hair, so I didn't have to carry around that nagging doubt that I'm not doing it right. This is combed out before the shampoo.
Shampooing. I know from experience that this is not easy. She has SO MUCH HAIR that it takes forever to get the shampoo in AND out. We both agreed that having a hair washing station like this at home would be awesome.
The Deep Condition. We tried to have fun, starting to realize that this was going to take longer than we thought... and also thanking God that Habtamu was not with us. I could barely hold MY act together.
I think it looks like I have a halo. Ha ha. I was pretty ok at this point, flipping through mags and still thinking that maybe we'd be done in time for a late lunch... like 1 p.m. That empty Tupperware container was our snack. Gone by 10:30 a.m., both of us claiming that the other had had the lion's share.
Rinsed out and waiting to dry. After rinsing the conditioner out, her hair was put into big braids and back she went under the dryer.
Flat Ironing. Next, section by section, her hair was flat ironed. I do mean small section by small section... this part took about 2 hours. Did I mention she has a lot of hair? As soon as she saw the first section straight at her face, she was riveted to her own image. Did I mention she was already riveted to her own image?
Beauty is not without pain. You can see her wince in the mirror.
Beauty. I knew she was pretty, but dang.
New Friends. It was fun hanging out with the ladies at the shop. We had a long time to hang out.
We spent all of the next day keeping her hair from getting wet, so she could have this hair for family pics Wednesday night. Mission accomplished.
Jeanine, the beautician, took one look at her hair and said, "Oh, we'll have to straighten it first to cut it. Otherwise you can't tell what shape you're making." I realized that none of us would have time for that so we scheduled for a few days away.
In the car, I asked Y if she understood what Jeanine had said and why we couldn't get her hair cut today. "NO! You said she knew how to cut my hair! Why she not cut my hair?! You not tell the truth!" I had to assure and reassure Y that Yes, Jeanine DOES know how to cut your hair, but she has never SEEN your hair before, so she couldn't know that it needed to be straightened until she saw it. There was lots of harumphing from the backseat, and mumbling of "You not tell the truth." (I get that a lot, but in my defense, it is not my practice to lie to my children.)
I learned a lot on Tuesday. I had NO idea how complex it is to do "black" hair. In the end, it took 5 hours. (Thankfully, Habtamu was at a friend's house... from 9 to 4, as it turned out... thank you, Katherine!) 5 hours is apparently not a big deal for the regulars. Some ladies had brought sack lunches! We ended up having lunch at 3, before going to Beauty City to buy new combs and silk scarves for her hair.
Here's a layout of our day... 10 am to 3 pm.
Classic Bird's Nest. Thankfully, Jeanine said I'd been taking good care of her hair, so I didn't have to carry around that nagging doubt that I'm not doing it right. This is combed out before the shampoo.
Shampooing. I know from experience that this is not easy. She has SO MUCH HAIR that it takes forever to get the shampoo in AND out. We both agreed that having a hair washing station like this at home would be awesome.
The Deep Condition. We tried to have fun, starting to realize that this was going to take longer than we thought... and also thanking God that Habtamu was not with us. I could barely hold MY act together.
I think it looks like I have a halo. Ha ha. I was pretty ok at this point, flipping through mags and still thinking that maybe we'd be done in time for a late lunch... like 1 p.m. That empty Tupperware container was our snack. Gone by 10:30 a.m., both of us claiming that the other had had the lion's share.
Rinsed out and waiting to dry. After rinsing the conditioner out, her hair was put into big braids and back she went under the dryer.
Flat Ironing. Next, section by section, her hair was flat ironed. I do mean small section by small section... this part took about 2 hours. Did I mention she has a lot of hair? As soon as she saw the first section straight at her face, she was riveted to her own image. Did I mention she was already riveted to her own image?
Beauty is not without pain. You can see her wince in the mirror.
Beauty. I knew she was pretty, but dang.
New Friends. It was fun hanging out with the ladies at the shop. We had a long time to hang out.
We spent all of the next day keeping her hair from getting wet, so she could have this hair for family pics Wednesday night. Mission accomplished.
5.05.2009
Pics from Today
At one point today for about 2 hours, I had 6 kids (including mine) at my house. What do you do with all that energy? Send it outside of course! Oh, and photograph it... can't waste an overcast day!
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