4.26.2011

Hanna

This is not a movie review.

The other day Olaf and I were out on a date at Sonic Drive-In. Fancy. We have children and have to fit dates in somehow. As we were sitting there eating our burgers and tater tots I said, "We haven't been to a movie in FOREVER. Let's go to one this weekend."

"All right! What do you want to see?"

I pulled his phone out and looked up movies. I won't discuss why I used his phone and not mine. I hate my phone. It's slow. It's not old, just slow and dumb. I'm not talking about my phone anymore.

"Hey, Hanna is still out. Let's go to that."

"Ask your Sister if it's good. She saw it the other week."

Sister Accountant and I have very similar movie tastes. While the rest of my sisters like girly movies, Sister Accountant and I love good movies. So I texted her for her opinion of the movie, expecting a recommendation. This is what transpired.

Me: So was Hanna good?


SA: I don't think you'd like it. Very bloody & a lot of dead people. It's about vengeance.


Me: I'd just cover my eyes. Some vengeance is ok.


SA: You see the after effects of torture


Me: Oooh

I turned to Olaf and said, "I don't think I want to see it. Sister Accountant doesn't think I'll like it so it must be pretty bad."

Olaf pulled out his phone and started making a phone call.

I tried another movie.

Me: What about Source Code?

I looked at Olaf and said, "Hey! Who are you calling on our super romantic date?!?"

Just as my phone notified me of a new text I heard him talking to the person on the other end. "Thanks. A. Lot. I had her all ready to go see Hanna and you talked her out of it. Thanks. A. Lot. What kind of Sister are you?"

New Text from SA: Ok I thought I was talking to Sister Homemaker. I think you'd like it. Haven't seen Source Code.


Me: Wondered what kind of movies u thought I liked. Twilight?

I waved the phone in front of Olaf and told him "I'll go! It's OK! I can see the movie!"

Even though I knew those other texts were meant for a sweeter, softer, blood-detesting sister, I couldn't help but be super jumpy during the movie. I kept covering my eyes expecting horrific acts of torture and gore. In reality it wasn't worthy of the eye covering. I might have to see it again to really enjoy it.

Now for the movie review: Good Movie. But Hanna's hair was really snarly, like actual knots I wanted to untangle, through most of the movie and it drove me crazy.

4.24.2011

The Fight Without Witnesses

This has been a hard year for Baby at school. I'm hoping he learns a lot of lessons this year, which haven't seem to sunk in yet, and doesn't turn into a juvenile delinquent and spend time at "Juvey." I thought things were going better.

Then I got a message from his teacher to call her please. I didn't get the message until the next day. When I picked Baby up from school I asked if he needed to tell me anything about class yesterday.

"No, why?"

"Did something happen at school with that kid K? Or did you get sent back from class again? Did you go to Skills?" Skills is for Bad Apples who can't behave in class and he has spent more time in Skills the last two years than I care to admit.

Finally after grillling him he finally told me a story. But the way Baby tells a story is not the way most people do. He jumps around, he inserts useless info as if it has importance, he brings people into the story that have no relevance, he back tracks and jumps ahead without any warning. It's almost as if he doesn't want to tell the Real Story.

After about five repetitions of the same story, all different because they all included different parts, I finally was able to piece together what happened after school the day before.

Apparently the kid he's been fighting with all year, we'll call him K, was out front after school. Baby said he was out back on the playground with his friends. Someone came up, punched K, and ran off before anybody could see the perpetrator. Because of the ongoing feud between the two K went in and told his teacher that Baby punched him.

The next day at school Baby's teacher pulled him aside and talked to him. Baby swore up and down that he was in back playing and since K didn't get a look at the Inflicter of Pain, Baby was cleared of any charges. Once again we have escaped Suspension.

Two days later we were out with the family and Baby's best friend, Z. I asked Z, "So K tried to accuse Baby of punching him after school the other day? Good thing you guys were all playing out back!"

Z looked at me a little confused. I looked at Baby and told him he better teach his Alibis to be more convincing. Baby just kept smiling and saying "Oh, we were in back playing on the playground"

Z looked at Olaf and I and said, "I don't like to lie, at all." Olaf and I were stunned. Z poured out the whole story about how Baby HAD punched K because K had punched another friend and talked his way out of it even though there were witnesses and had escaped getting in trouble. Baby decided to mete out his own punishment after school.

As they walked off to get something Olaf turned to me and said, "You couldn't just let us live in blissful ignorance?!?"

I have never been so ready for Summer Vacation as I am this year.

4.17.2011

San Diego

My Baby Sister recently moved to San Diego with her Marine Hubby. They've only been there a month and we already bombarded them with a visit. We had so much fun. We went to the beach the first day there.


Enjoyed a gorgeous sunset.


 Middle Child played with Alien-looking Kelp.

Baby used his kelp as a fire hose.


Baby Sister and Me.

The next morning we went back by ourselves since everyone else had to work. We tried to find the same beach. But we took a wrong turn and ended up just a little bit south of the beach.


We ended up at Lo Jolla Cove. We parked and Olaf peeked over the edge of the cliff. He saw this beautiful beach.


And Sea Lions! They were loud.


We walked down the to cove. The water here was perfect for Scuba Divers, not so great for swimming because it became deep really fast.


The tide was starting to go out so Olaf looked in the tidal pools area for sea life. He found some sea anemones and little crabs.


We walked a little farther down and found some rocky outcroppings that we walked along.


And then we came upon the Seals! They were quiet and didn't make a peep.


After we trudged back to our car someone offered to take our pic.


By this time we were all hungry and had lunch at this cute seaside cafe. It's called Goldfish Point Cafe. They give you goldfish crackers with your sandwich! Then we took the boys back to the beach and let them play in the water for a couple of hours. We put sunblock on at this point. But it was too late for me. My feet and ankles were sunburned to a crisp from the walk. I wore the same shoes the rest of the time there.

Tune in next time for more of our adventure!

4.13.2011

I Want My 20 Dollars!

The other day Middle Child realized that he was missing $20. He came to me and explained what had happened.

"I had it in my pocket last week and put it on my bathroom counter and left it there for probably five days. Now it's missing. I know Baby took it."

Whenever he loses something he instantly blames his brothers. After fighting with the brother and waiting a few hours it almost never fails to show up somewhere in his room.

Once again i explained to him that he can't blame anyone for taking his money. He didn't see Baby or anyone else take the money, and he left it out in plain sight. I listed all the people that had been through the house in the last five days and the list was full of kids his age and younger. A $20 bill left laying around is just too tempting. He went and searched his room. He came back up and complained again that he couldn't find it and that Baby must have taken it.

A little later when I was coming down the hall to where the kids were I heard Baby insisting that he "didn't take it!"

"Don't you dare blame anyone!" I told him. "I really don't think he took it and you left it laying around. Hopefully you'll learn to put your money away."

Throughout the day when I would wander into a room where both the boys were it would be the same situation; Middle Child blaming Baby for the loss of his money and Baby vehemently denying the charge. This pretty much went on all day long.

That night they finally quit fighting about the money and we all sat down to dinner. After dinner Olaf told the boys to fill the bird feeder. They don't mind doing that so they hurried out to fill it up.

When we sent the kids to bed a little later Middle Child came storming back up the stairs and down the hall, "Mom! Come see what Baby did to my bed!"

Sigh and Groan. "Can you just tell me?"

"He put bird food in my bed!"

I turned to Baby and exasperatedly asked, "Why did you put bird food in his bed? You know that's wrong."

"I was just so sick and tired of him blaming me for taking him money. I just got so mad I couldn't help myself."

I was completely fed up with the fighting over the money and looked at Middle Child and said, "You pretty much deserved that. Take care of it yourself. Maybe next time you won't blame anyone."

But Olaf heard what was going on and he came out and said "Two wrongs don't make a right. Baby go clean up the bird food right now."

Sometimes I get so tired of the same fights that it's good to have Olaf around. By the end of the night the Referee needs to be replaced.

4.10.2011

Trouble

I got an email from Baby's teacher. I groaned. We've had a few problems this year with Respect for Teachers and Fighting with Another Boy. It's been a trying year but we're hoping by conquering the problems now Baby will not be a Delinquent by the time he's a Teenager.

Apparently in this incident he had been naughty while in another teacher's class and she had sent him back to his own classroom. His teacher talked to him about what had happened and then against her better judgment had him write a note of apology to the other teacher.

When we came in to talk to her it was all she could do to suppress a giggle when she handed us the note.

4.07.2011

Last Weekend

Last weekend we watched Church on TV. It happens twice a year. We always look forward to watching Church on TV, unshowered and still in our pajamas. And I make it a food fest. Although I'm getting old and can't eat as much as I used to or as much as the boys would like. And I always plan to make way too much food and only one or two things get made. This year it was a tribute to the next holiday, Easter, my favorite candy holiday; peeps, chocolate cadbury eggs, robin eggs, peanut butter eggs, and M&M eggs. Seriously, Easter is Candy Trouble for me. And when you can combine some of your favorite things with chocolate, what would be better?


Four boxes of 12 Peeps each equals 48 Peeps!


The boys were excited for this little treat. They both got in on the dipping. Even Olaf dipped some Peeps too.


Of course Middle Child dipped all the purple Peeps and Baby dipped all the green Peeps. Favorite colors are important at this house.


The first part was done.


Then I dipped the second layer. The boys were on the computers at this point.


See how cute?!? They look like they're wearing little suits. All dressed up for church since we didn't have to this weekend.

4.05.2011

If You Build It

So, I ignored my blog for a whole month. When I post regularly I always like to look and see where people are who are checking out my blog. I think it's kind of cool when someone from another country looks at it. While I was taking a break I didn't expect anyone to look at it since I wasn't posting. I was wrong, I had an average of nine people a day look at it, that's not a whole lot less that look at it normally! I've never had people from this many countries look at my blog in a week before. I ranked #4,026,169 down from the most popular webpage. I think I'm catching up with Pioneer Woman.

4.03.2011

Spring is Definitely Here

Yesterday



Today. You can't see the flowers anymore.


The trees are heavy with the wet spring snow.


We even lost branches. At least we didn't lose power like some people apparently did.


I love a Spring Snow. It's beautiful and never lasts for more than a day.