Rules to Fit

This weekend was filled with fun. Saturday we met up with Grayson's best friend Devin and his family for an outing to the zoo. It seems we always go together. I imagine the workers there think we are one big family. After a few hours at the zoo mom and dad got a couple quiet hours at home while Braxton napped and Grayson went to play at Devin's. My friends might get ideas when we say we had quiet time with no kids running around.... but...Quiet Time= finally sort through our latest quotes for new life insurance policies and decide if they meet our needs.  We've been married a while now my friends :-)

 

 

 

 

After we picked up Grayson, Dusty ordered a pizza and picked up the last of the Shrek series to watch. We even let the boys stay up a little late to watch the movie. Both passed out in no time once ready for bed :-)

And as expected with every "Fall Back" weekend... both boys were up before my clocks adjusted time read 7:30. Bummer. We ran a few errands today and Grayson talked us into some $1 wooden cars you put together. Nothing like a trip to Michaels to make you buy crafty stuff. So while mom cleaned and Braxton napped, Dad and Grayson put together some cars.

About the middle of this process Dad came in to tell me about Grayson's race. They were "racing" just the wheels they had put together. According to Dad, his wheels stopped a couple inches farther away than Grayson's. He informed Grayson he had lost. Grayson had a different opinion. He said they both won. 

He explained that they tied, because the fninsh line was in fact.... a diagonal! It ran from Dad's wheels to Grayson's wheels. Convenient Huh?

Always nice to adjust the rules of the game as you go.... wish it worked that way in every day life!!!!

Ava's Birthday Party

Grayson does not like Girls. Or so he claims. Everything is "Will there be any boys there?"  "I don't want her to babysit, she is a girl." I guess I get a free pass being mom? He at least pretends to love me.

A few weeks ago Grayson brought home a birthday party invitation. The party was for his classmate Ava. I have volunteered for recess duty at school a couple times, but haven't yet learned everyone's names so I really wasn't sure who Ava was. Grayson likes a good birthday party so I decided to ask him if he wanted to go.

Mom: Gray, do you want to go to Ava's Birthday Party?
Grayson: Ava from school?
Mom: Yes.
Grayson: Oh mom, Ava has looooong pretty hair. (sure he doesn't like girls)
Mom: Do you want to go to her party?
Grayson: Well Yeah (like I asked the most obvious question ever)
Mom: Well you will have to buy her a girl present.
Grayson: Why?
Mom: Because Ava is a girl, she would probably like a girl present.
Grayson: Well, I guess we can get her a mermaid.

Mermaid. Let me just go grab one of those to take. Lucky for me, there is apparently a Barbie Mermaid movie that was out recently so there are plenty of mermaids out there to buy.

So we make it over to Ava's party. Grayson kept up with Ava all night. Whichever area in Jump Zone Ava went, so did Gray. And between them, I'm pretty sure he chased her the entire time.

Ava is in the front row wearing black, and has some nice blue lips from the cake... if you make note, she does have long pretty hair :-)

 

Margaringo!

When I was little I attended a Catholic elementary school. I didn't ever really hate school, but once I started in the public schools, I realized I was much happier. I swore to myself that my kids would never attend a private school. So much for that :-) That was long before the move to Little Rock and getting tired of trying to play the system to get my kid in a school that was good for him. Grayson now happily attends Holy Souls.

The downside to this realization that private school might be our best fit, is that there are always fundraisers. Even before school started we were given raffle tickets to sell. Then there was the Boosterthon where at least Grayson had to run laps to earn his money. We have also had Tshirt sales and Fall Fest (this is only the first 9 weeks people). Every time you turn around there is a fundraiser..... but..... being a Catholic school of course they had the BEST fundraiser idea ever.

GIRLS NIGHT OUT

Complete with Margaritas, Bingo, Wine, Beer, Nachos, Popcorn, and lots of entertainment from the fellow attendees. Never thought a school fundraiser would be good people watching ;-) And of course I didn't win any of the bingo games or the prizes, many of which came with a bottle of wine (who would have guessed that one?).

Anyway ready for Next Year's Girls Night Out Margaringo?!?!?

Mom is Moving Out

Lately Grayson has had quite the pre-teen attitude. I think some wise elders left out the part that kids aren't sweet all the time before puberty like you are led to believe. Anyway, he has had several moments lately.

Dad tried to floss Grayson's teeth. Grayson insisted that he brush them, then floss them. When Dad argued this was poor technique Grayson responded with "I am the kid and I tell you what to do"

Right. 

Grayson also has been very upset with our choice for dinner several nights. On one occassion when I didn't provide the food he wanted he told me (with tear filled eyes):
"You are not my mom anymore, You have to move out"

Oh, and when I made him take a bath the other night, I was relieved of my mom duties then too. Guess one day he'll learn that I just don't go away that easily!

Wonder what he would do if I left when he told me to??? Probably not be so tough like he acts. Or at least that's what I hope.

I'm Sending My Husband Back to His Mom...

A few days ago I was scrambling at work to keep up and stop running so late with my patients. I can't stand to be late, but the longer I've been a PT.... the longer it takes me to complete a patient visit. Anyway, the office manager tells me that my husband is on the phone and he said "Tell Stephanie Not to be mad at me but that I have a question if she is around." RED FLAG! Actually there is more than one red flag in this situation.
1: Dusty only calls the clinic phone when its "important". After several years of not understanding that I don't keep my cell phone with me while I"m working with patients he is finally trained to realize that he needs to call the clinic for important stuff.
2: He starts his phrase with "Tell Stephanie Not to be Mad"
Hmmm...

When I get on the phone I get some speedy sentences about some guy showing up selling new alarm systems in the neighborhood and how if he sells so many today he gets extra points towards a trip. (This is one reason I may eventually allow my husband to have an off-site office... so he can't answer the door). I also am informed that there is a 3 day window yada yada yada. Now keep in mind that we already have an alarm system installed. So I tell him that I am busy and that I really just want to talk about this tonight. He keeps on about the  fascinating electronic features this system has. He can name 100 I'm sure. I can probably only repeat about 4. None of them are necessities. Just nice amenities. After a couple minutes of him telling me the guy has to know today and its a great deal.... just $15 a month (this seems unrealistic to me considering the increased features and that it will cost less than our current monitoring system)... I finally say "Just do whatever you want then. We can talk about it later"

Lesson for the Guys... DO NOT JUST TAKE MY WORD WHEN I SAY THAT. It really means ... I am tired of you pestering me. Make the decision you want AT YOUR OWN RISK.

After picking up the boys from daycare I make my usual call home to Dusty. He tells me that the installer is there. I pretty much repeated that sentence. Said I'll see you later. Hung up. We have been together for almost 14 years now. He should have this when it is okay to make a decision alone down.

I come home to find this poor college kid installing our alarm system. He had apparently started not too long before I got off of work. I don't know where Dusty got the idea that these things are installed in a short period of time, but since this is the 3rd system we've installed I have noted that it takes more than just a couple hours. Something inevitably doesn't wire up correctly or something.

Problem #1. I have 2 hungry kids. I am hungry. I have a college kid working at my house who will likely be there past dinner time. Do I (A) make dinner and feed my children (B) Take the kids out to eat and let Dad starve ... looking good for option B at this point... or (C) Make dinner and offer some to the kid. After a few minutes of ensuring that Dusty is aware of how I feel about this situation, I choose C. But I make Dusty find enough food in the cabinet and he chooses wisely to be the last to eat to make sure there is plenty.

Problem #2. Installer is still there after 8 pm and is working on taking something or other out of our current glass break sensors. One of these is in Braxton's bedroom. And... its nearing bedtime. I make Dusty tell him he has to come back.

Problem #3. There are lots of questions popping up about this company I have never heard of. These are resolved after several google searches and concerned messages to the sales person (who Dusty politely tells that he was wrong for making this decision alone and is not sure that it will stand up to my concerns) A WISE DECISION

For the great part of this story... Dusty is very trusting. Everyone is "A great guy" until proven otherwise. This is opposite of how I work. The sales guy would never have gotten the opportunity to sell anything to me if I had opened the door. Especially if he started talking about earning a trip. My friends are all aware of Dusty's nature. One of them even remarked when I said that we were getting a new system and I wasn't sure about the company or sales people that "Dusty probably invited the guy over for dinner" Pretty funny considering he ate a couple tacos the night before at my house :-)

And by the way, the system is $15 more a month than our current one. Somehow this miscommunication may have been avoided if he had just listened and read between the lines.

I do still love the poor boy, but I almost sent him back home to his momma for a few days. Let her try to fix the kinks.

Its Just Sheet

Bedtime at the Weems House is usually fairly tame. We adopted a schedule back when Grayson was little and have adapted it with necessary changes (i.e. Braxton). Usually one of us gives the bath and then we get the boys changed. Braxton is easily coaxed to bedtime with his blanket and paci and most nights I rock Braxton for about 10 minutes, lay him in bed, and he falls right to sleep. Then I go upstairs to hang out with the other boys. It used to be fairly on time....but as time goes on, Dusty has gotten more slack. Grayson tends to not be in bed nearly asleep until 9:30. That is another story. 

One particular evening we were finishing up reading Grayson's bedtime story and went to turn off the lights. His "Monkey" (or crib toy that easily adapted to his new bed and plays music with lights whenever he wants) was on and we were on the last stretch. Then my sister comes home. She was hanging out with the latest guy (although he has been around the longest and seems pretty nice) as usual and came home right at bedtime. This is a schedule she perfected when she moved in so that she can try to be strangled if the dogs wake up the baby. If she is seeking out this kind of torture for herself... we may need to get her some counseling. 

Anyway, the dogs started barking and Dusty loudly whispered "SHIT". 

As dad went running down the stairs to get the dogs under control, Grayson rolls over and looks at me. 
Grayson: "Why did dad just yell Sheet?"
Mom: "He was just talking about your bed sheets"
Grayson "But why did he yell it at the dogs" (he is apparently confused)
Mom: "I have no idea honey, but he was talking about your tractor sheets"

As you can see I had some quick thinking to start with (important for any parent) but had to use the final tactic for preschoolers with curiosity and you are at a loss.... just tell a simple truth. Usually this is enough to get them onto another subject. Luckily Grayson hasn't had any discussions with the dogs about his sheets, although that could be highly entertaining to hear.

Our Little Risk Taker

Boys will be boys.... or so the saying goes. Grayson is energetic, but usually a little reserved when it comes to danger. Braxton, well, he is another story. He thinks he is big. He thinks he is 4 like brother. He copies brother...and then adds on his own twist. 


I was sitting in the living room chair working on my computer while the boys were playing on their Little Tykes slide. I am used to them running their cars and trucks down the slide and "chasing after them" and I am used to watching for Braxton's attempts to go down the slide while standing. Yep this happens. No ER visit.... YET. 


As I am sitting there I hear Grayson say 
"NO BRAXTON! You don't STAND on the dumptruck. You SIT on it" 


Seeing as how I have come to suspect that things are not always as innocent as they sound, I look up. What I see is Braxton standing INSIDE the back of his dumptruck that is ready to GO DOWN THE SLIDE! 


Makes me think I should have paid more attention to the loud noise that occurred just a minute prior to this conversation when I saw out of the corner of my eye a green garbage truck and Grayson.


Maybe the ER visit will be for Mom first. 

He Always Looks so Innocent