Why we need more places to play Curling in the USA…

While watching Curling on the Olympics:

Dill: I think those Canadians are cheating!

Pepper: Honey, you don’t know enough about curling to say they are cheating.

Dill: Well, they are really killing the American team… they must be!! :)

SNOW DAY!!

Gotta love those unexpected days off!! Just think instead of TV and the computer Dori and Macy COULD be sitting in class. If we all had school, Kirby would be sleeping in her crate... miserable. Sleeping on the couch is sooo much better!! :)

While watching Curling on the Olympics: Dill: I think those Canadians are cheating! 

Pepper: Honey, you don’t know enough about curling to say they are cheating. 

Dill: Well, they are really killing the American team… they must be!! :)

Kahlua teases Kirby

First the GREAT news... Kirby slept the best ever last night! We decided to move the cage right up next to the bed (not that the room is that big!) so that Kirby would be closer to us. She whined for about 2 minutes then fell right to sleep. She slept until almost 4 AM and cried to go outside. The bad thing about her being so close to the bed is that when I didn't get right out of bed to take her outside... she bit my toe!!! When I put her back into the cage Kahlua climbed on top just to tease her. (Pepper was sound asleep and would never believe that her cat could be so mean, so I took pictures!!)

Cologne

I remember hearing a skit from Richard Pryor… about stealing his father’s cologne to try it out. He sneaks into his Dad’s room, grabs the “Brut, by Faberge” from the dresser and sneaks into the bathroom to try it out. He isn’t sure where to put the cologne… but from the commercial he knows it makes everything its on smell better so he drops his pants and sloshes some on you-know-where. Well, he quickly realizes that Brut by Faberge… BURNS!! He is frantically trying to wash himself in the sink to stop the burning when his Dad walks in on him. Now that was the “G-rated” version, Richard Pryor was much more graphic!! But you get the idea.

Well, yesterday Pete and his friend got into my car after a sleepover…. The scent was overpowering! They have discovered… men’s cologne. Pete was so happy because his friend gave him a whole bottle to keep. About an hour later, Pete got his bottle back out (apparently he felt it had started to wear off) raised his arm and sprayed both of his arm pits. I said, “Pete, that isn’t deodorant… want are you doing?” He told me he did not like deodorant…. So he was going to use his cologne instead. Hmmm…. Middle school boy with no deodorant. Not good! I said “The cologne does not go in your arm pits” He said, “Ok, where do I put it?”

I realized this was one of those things about men that I did not know. I was so proud of myself for figuring out how to tie a tie and how to point their boy parts in their diaper… but I never even thought that a son of mine would need me to tell him where to put cologne. So, I did what I usually do, I said, “let me think about it.” Luckily, tonight we had dinner with Dad D… so I asked him. Turns out, it is pretty much like putting on perfume. Not so much the “dabbing it on pulse points” like my grandmother taught me when I was a child and wanted to try on her Emeraude, but the kind of perfume you spray into the air, then walk quickly through.

I still need to touch base with Pete and tell him that with cologne ‘Less is more” because I think it is important that people SEE him before they SMELL him!! …but it is so cool to watch him grow from a baby into a young man. How lucky am I?! :)

Remember kindergarten?

I remember a little bit from kindergarten. I remember my teacher, Mrs. Kibbler. A very tall woman. I remember my table was right in front of a window that looked out onto the parking lot. I remember doing lots of cutting and coloring and learning to write my name, my address and my phone number. I also remember Mrs. Kibbler telling me to sit on my hands a lot. I do not remember why. I must have been a touchy-feely type of kid. Mrs. Kibbler always told the boy that sat next to me to put his hand over his mouth... so I always thought I was lucky that I just had to sit on my hands.

There did not seem to be a lot of problems back then. I remember coming into the school one day and the window had been broken... that had been the worst thing that happened.

Now that I am back in kindergarten... as a staff member it amazes me what kindergarteners today are having to deal with. The 'Wordle' below are just things that I have dealt with or been involved in with this year's kindergarteners... and its only February. Every day we hear how bad our economy is.... it trickles all the way down to our youngest citizens. Its sad that being a kinderartener today is nothing like what it was like for me.....

A Kindergarten Tale

A little girl comes up to me to tattle on a boy in her class. Pulling on my shirt and pointing she said, "Teacher, teacher, he said the 'F' word to me!!" Since I have heard many colorful words out of kindergarteners mouths by now, I was not all that shocked. But, I call the little boy over and ask, "Where did you hear the 'F' word?!" Without a pause he said, "My Dad says it all the time!" "Hmmm, well that is not a word we use in school. And you should be careful not to use words when you do not even know what they mean." The boy proudly retorts, "I do know what it means.... it is a butt burp."

I remember a little bit from kindergarten. I remember my teacher, Mrs. Kibbler. A very tall woman. I remember my table was right in front of a window that looked out onto the parking lot. I remember doing lots of cutting and coloring and learning to write my name, my address and my phone number. I also remember Mrs. Kibbler telling me to sit on my hands a lot. I do not remember why. I must have been a touchy-feely type of kid. Mrs. Kibbler always told the boy that sat next to me to put his hand over his mouth... so I always thought I was lucky that I just had to sit on my hands. There did not seem to be a lot of problems back then. I remember coming into the school one day and the window had been broken... that had been the worst thing that happened. Now that I am back in kindergarten... as a staff member it amazes me what kindergarteners today are having to deal with.

Another Old Photo

Here is me... grade 3. Mom's number one rule for picture day was she wanted to see teeth. That is my rationale for the goofy smile!! Great hairstyle, huh? I remember arguing with my mom about it. She thwacked me in the head with the hairbrush when I complained!! The photography people used to hand out these cheap little combs while you waited in line to get your picture taken... Mom had put in so much hairspray in my hair that I couldn't even get the comb through it!! Think this hairstyle will ever come back in style? (if it ever was!!) ...It sort of looks like I am related to Donald Trump!! :)

An old photo

Check out my cool ride!! I was so proud of that bike... the banana seat... the orange flag... I also had stickers on it and sparkling gems in the spokes! I am not saying how old I am... but don't those antique cars look pretty new?!! We lived on a road without sidewalks so I spent a good deal of time just balancing that bike on its kickstand... fun stuff! :)

Kirby the Therapy Dog

Pepper and I took Kirby to school. She was petted and touched and waved at by over 350 students and had a ball! She loves going to school with us and cries when we leave for work without her. Kirby went into every classroom and was very well behaved. Pepper and I did a speech lesson on puppies and Kirby loved being the star attraction! She is a great addition to the family... now if she'd just sleep through the night!! :)

My favorite Season

This morning Pepper asked a question and I answered it badly. We had just had an argument with Dori, who was mad at Macy because she did not wake her up for school (even though she has THREE alarm clocks in her room) so things had been tense, but were calming down. Everyone except Dill had left the house for school. (Two on the bus and one walking...) Dill, Pepper and I were sitting at the table eating breakfast. Usually Pepper makes breakfast, but this morning, I did. Dill mentioned how much he liked the eggs... how they were just the way he liked them. Pepper commented that yes, they were very good and then asked, "What do you even see in me?!" Now I have lots of really good answers to that question... so I have no idea why I said what I said. I knew she was feeling stressed because Dori always finds a way to blame Pepper for any hardship in her life... and Pepper always feels hurt after their arguments and wonders how the situation could have turned out better. In my head I was thinking... its a poached egg. It tastes pretty much the same as every morning. And every morning (other than this morning) Pepper makes them. I always love coming into the kitchen smelling freshly brewed coffee and breakfast waiting at the table for me. So I was thinking of that and not really what Pepper wanted to hear when I answered. I really did have lots of better answers.

What I should have said, I thought of later. Dill was on his bus and the two of us were playing with Kaluha and Kirby. We were all cuddled up with the cat and dog enjoying our day off. Pepper asked me what I was thinking, and I thought for a second. I had been thinking about her and this blog.... so I said, "my favorite season" (Meaning Pepper...cuz that's what I call her and pepper is a seasoning... wasn't I clever?!) She said, "Oh, like summer or fall?" I said, no. With barely a seconds hesitation she said... "Oh you mean like MATING season?" I laughed so hard, I scared both the cat and the dog and almost fell off the bed!

I see a lot of great things in my favorite seasoning ingredient. After so long together... what I like best about Pepper is she can still surprise me. She can make me laugh and makes my life better. Oh, and it is a bonus that she doesn't stay mad at me when I say something lame! :)

My Birth Story

I am taking a class and this weeks assignment was to write a story about my birth. We also had to draw a family tree but I am not artistic or technological enough to put it on this blog... so I will just tell the story.....

When I was born... Mom didn't know much about kids. She was the youngest child in her family and I was the first of hers. I was born in our local hospital and when I was a couple days old, Mom and Dad drove me home where all my grandparents were waiting at Mom and Dad's house. Dad held the screen door while Mom proudly carried me into the house. As she did, she forgot that my head was hanging a bit over her arm and she whacked my head on the door frame. I still have the dent in my skull!

My Grandmother stayed at our house for a couple weeks to help my Mom. I was a summer baby and we spent lots of time outside enjoying the sunshine. One evening when I was only a couple weeks old, there was a chill in the air. Grandma asked my Dad to bring out a pair of socks because my feet felt cold. He brought out a pair of his socks. My Grandmother put them on me all the way up my legs to where my diaper started and there was still several inches dangling below my toes. She rolled them up and told my parents I had "Pixie shoes" She has called me Pixie ever since. :)