Damn Dog

She likes cats. Not like she wants to play with cats. She wants to eat cats. Particularly my friend Kelly's 4 month old kitten who has now been chased up the tree twice. This morning at 6:30 she was so desperate to get a neighborhood cat that she broke her leash. Her leather leash. I chased that damn dog all over the neighborhood and the only reason I caught her was because she gave up on the first cat and instead chased Kelly's cat up the tree - then tried to climb it.
Damn dog.

Moving on

Dean: Mom? Um, Disney is getting old for me so now I'm going to work at Scooby Doo. And when I see you - I will say hi.

Concrete Thinker

This is my phone conversation this morning with the woman in charge of renting pavilions at Lake Balboa:

Me: Hello. My name is Kelsi and I'm interested in renting a pavilion for a birthday party.
She: For what date?
Me: November 18th
She: Oh, I'm sorry but we have a 30 day policy and you have to make your reservation 30 days prior to your reservation and we must have your payment 30 days in advance. But Pavilion #3 is available and you can have it on a first come, first serve basis.
Me: Oh. Well, I can move my party to the 19th. Can I rent a pavilion on that date?
She: I'm sorry but all the pavilions are booked on the 19th.
Me: Well, you know even though today is the 19th there are still 30 days until Nov. 18th.
She: Well, we do it by the date, not by the actual number of days.
Me: Can we just pretend that I called yesterday?
She: If I do that for you then I have to do it for the other 50 people who come after you.
Me: Not if I don't tell anyone.
She: Alright, I will break the rules just this one time but you have to understand that it's just this one time and that you can't tell anyone about it.
Me: I promise I won't tell anyone.
She: And you have to give me the payment today and we close at 5:00 and I close the office from 11:30-12:30 for lunch.
Me: ok. What does the pavilion rental cost?
She: How many in your party?
Me: I don't know yet.
She: Well, I need a number because the cost is based on the number of people.
Me: Ok, around 50?
She: For a party of 1 to 250 the cost is $75. If you want a moonbounce then you have to add $20 for the permit and you have to use one of our approved vendors.
Me: Great. Can you give me a list?
She: Well you have to use one of our approved vendors.
Me: Right. (Pause)Do you have a list of approved vendors?
She: Yes.
Me: Can you fax it to me?
She: Yes. Do you want to reserve pavilion #3 for Nov. 18th?
Me: Yes. I will bring the payment to you after lunch.
She: We close at 5:00.
Me: I'll bring it before then. Thank you very much for your help. I'll see you this afternoon.

Two hours later in her office . . .
Me: Hi S_____, I'm Kelsi and I spoke with you this morning about renting a pavilion for a birthday party.
She: (blank stare)Did you talk to me?
Me: Yes, it's for a rental on November 18th.
She: Do you have a reservation?
Me: (Pause - could she really have had that many calls from a Kelsi this morning?)Yes, here's the paperwork.
She: Oh, yes. I have it here. Kelsi?
Me: Yes.
She: And you don't want a moonbounce? Oh, you do want a moonbounce. That'll be an extra $20.
Me: Yes.
She: Your permit will be mailed to your home.
Me: And I need to have that with me on the day of the party, right?
She: YES, you have to have it with you.
Me: Ok, great. Thanks so much for your help. I really appreciate it.
She: Mmmhmmm.

Some Pictures!

That's Dean, I mean Batman, in the cage with Sanka, I mean Tikka. Oh - the dog's name is Tikka now. Jack, I mean Robin, has locked them in. He he he.

The boys and their sister watch Teen Titans together.


That's Peter Pan there. Yes, the boys are just not themselves lately.

And of course, Captain Hook. Isn't he formidable?

Name Game

We've been playing the name game in our house as we try to come up with a new name for Sanka. Dean has been adamantly opposed to changing her name. Have I mentioned how much that kid hates change? Anyway, in an effort to convince Dean to change her name Tom told him that Sanka isn't a good dogs name because it's a kind of coffee. Then Dean proceeded to have the greatest argument (to date) of his life with his dad because IT. IS. NOT. COFFEE!!!!!!
Yeah.
But, he finally conviced him and then they decided that her name would be Shasta. I know what you're thinking. Don't go there. IT. IS. NOT. A. SODA!!!!!!!!!
But, Shasta isn't really rolling off the tongue for me. And now the latest name is Tikka. I like this name because it reminds me of Indian food. Mmmmm - tikka masala. But I digress. And it's different enough from Sanka that I won't be trying to call her Shanka or Sasta or Sasha.

Dinner Conversation

Dean: Hey Mommy. Guess what? I have something for you.
Me: You do? What is it?
Dean: A costume! And you know what you can do?
Me: What?
Dean: You can come to my work and then I will take it out (demonstrates how he'll take it out) and I will put it on you (more demonstrating). And it will be a surprise.
Me: A surprise? I can't wait!
Dean: But, but I will tell you what your costume is. I will tell you.
Me: What is it?
Dean: (Pause for effect) Batgirl!!
Me: I get to be Batgirl?? Oh, that's great!
Dean: You can borrow it. (Nodding so I'll understand) You can.

Our Girl

Sanka came to our home yesterday at around 10:00am.

We love her.

She is sweet and mellow and already adopting us as her charges that she needs to protect. Jack is still a little nervous around her but he also loves her and wants so badly to not be afraid. I have a feeling that once he gets over his fear, she is going to become his best friend.

She's a little nosy when it comes to the kitchen and twice I've caught her trying to get something off the countertop. But, she's easily corrected and I think we'll break her of that pretty quickly. Last night while we ate dinner she kept coming into the dining room and nosing around. Tom and I took turns leading her back into the living room onto her bed and after the 5th or 6th time, she understood that she wasn't allowed to come to the table while we're eating. I'm sure we'll have to do it again tonight but it probably won't take 5 or 6 times. She slept in our room on her bed and didn't get up at all during the night. I slept in the boys' room just for the first night because I was concerned that they would wake up and come into our room, forgetting that we have a dog, and get scared by her.

Dean calls her his sister and sometimes his batdog.

As we drove away this morning, Tom was sitting on the front porch with her in front of him watching us go and the boys yelled out the window that they loved her.

Now with more sugar

Is it bad that the main reason I want to make brownies is not so my kids can have a special treat but so I can lick the bowl?
And the spoon?
I'm suddenly grateful for all those times when my mother selflessly handed me the beater, the spoon, or the spatula and let me lick to my heart's content. Then she sat the bowl in front of me and I'd use my fingers because there wasn't enough in the bowl for the spoon to scoop out.
And yet, I can't help but wonder . . . how many times was she off in the kitchen surreptitiously licking every drop of delicious cake batter (or brownie or cookie batter) while I napped or played innocently in another room?

It's a Girl!!!

And she'll be ours next Sunday. Isn't she gorgeous? She's about a year old and is the sweetest girl. She's unbelievably gentle and mellow, especially for a puppy. Jack even walked up to her and stroked her head.
We're still working on a name for her. She looks to be pure German Shepherd but there may be some rottweiler in her.
We're so excited!!

The Lesson

I've heard a lot of stories of my Grandpa Jack over the past week. For instance, he never raised his voice or his hand to his kids or grandkids. Instead, he used some unconventional methods to get his point across. One of my favorite stories is that of my mom who in the midst of a temper tantrum found herself soaking wet because my Grandpa dumped a glass of water on her. Not surprisingly, it stopped her tantrum. I heard about how my Uncle Dave used to pretend to be asleep so he wouldn't have to go to church and Grandpa would pour water in his ear. I heard that rather than yell or hit his children, the worst thing he could do to them was tell them he was disappointed in them. My mother said she'd rather have been beaten than hear that. One time when I was smarting off to my grandma, he just looked at me and said "Kels.". That's all he had to say. I shut my mouth.
His patience was unending. I wish I had inherited it but I didn't and so I have to work at it. But somehow, knowing that Grandpa is watching over us I feel like I'll have some extra help when I feel my patience waning. I hope.
When he quietly slipped away from us on Friday night I was surprised at how peaceful I felt. Of course I felt sad too but he was surrounded by people who loved him. I'm so glad I went when I did. It's so important to say the words you feel to the people you love, especially during a time like this. And that's the other lesson that I take away from this experience. It's important to tell people how you feel. And tell them often. And I don't mean just telling someone that you love him/her. I mean it's important to tell people how you feel. I whispered in my Grandpa's ear that I love him very much and that I will never forget how he and Grandma took me camping, took me to the park and took me to the zoo. I told him that I will soon be able to take Jack and Dean to the miniature golf park and that I'm pretty sure Jack will be the one to get mad just like his mother used to and throw a club. The thing is I have a head full of happy memories of things we used to do but I had never told him what those things meant to me until the day he died. From now on, I want my loved ones to know what they mean to me and how I feel about them.
What about you?

Going Home - Addendum 9/24/06

I booked a flight to Indy for this Thursday, 9/14. Grandpa is getting worse by the day and I need to go home to see him and give my mom a much needed break. I'm not taking the boys with me because it would be just too much of a distraction and would add more stress. So, there won't be much posting happening in the next week or so.


Addendum 9/24/06:
Grandpa Jack died peacefully on Friday, September 15th at 10:42pm surrounded by his daughter Melinda, sons David and Monte, grandson Nathan and myself.
I'll write more later once I'm able to compose my thoughts. He was one of the kindest, gentlest people I've ever known.

Grandpa Jack

My Grandpa Jack isn't doing very well. Mom called last night to tell me that he's only lucid about half the time, is easily confused and is starting to fail. She arranged hospice care for him and is doing everything possible to make sure he is comfortable. I am sad and feel helpless. My Grandpa Jack is a kind but mischievous man who has never said an unkind word about anyone. When I was a little kid he used to delight in teasing me, the cat, the dog and anyone or thing that would give him a reaction. My brother was always a better ping pong player than me, even though he was 3 years younger. Grandpa would tell him to give me an "ephus" when we were playing. I'm making up the spelling of the word just as I'm sure Grandpa made up the word. Anyway, an ephus is when you set up the ball so your opponent thinks they have an easy slam but there's a wicked spin on it and when you try to slam it, it just flies straight out and you miss the table every time. If I played ping pong with Grandpa he would serve me an ephus every single time because I fell for it every single time. He loved watching me get mad and try to hit it harder and harder. He also liked to take me to the local miniature golf course. I used to get pretty frustrated there too and I was known to throw my club around. He loved it.
He is fiercely loyal and adored my Grandma. He cared for her as long as he could and was never the same after she died. I think he simply hasn't wanted to be here without her.

Dean the Wave Master

This is Dean. He's holding a feather. He's yelling at the waves but they don't listen.

Bizarro World

When I arrived at daycare to pick up the boys last night I could tell just by looking at Dean that he was coming down with something. That kid can't hide a thing. But we had big plans last night. We had to go to our Congressman's town hall meeting. Our friend Peter is running against him and we wanted to be at the town hall meeting both to see what it was all about and also to be there for Peter who was hoping to have people asking questions of his opponent that would draw some attention to himself. Wow. Long run-on sentence. Anyway, first the boys and I met Tom at the Arby's near the high school where the town hall was to be held. There was a large woman in a wheelchair in front of us at the restaurant. I heard her complaining about the access ramps to the restaurant and various other things but was just ignoring her. Then it was our turn to order and Tom asked for 2 small roast beefs and an order of chicken tenders. The cashier asked if we wanted the 4 for $5 and Tom asked what that was. The wheelchair butted in and said that we wanted the 4 for $5 - trust her. Then she told Tom to get out of her way so she could get by. Yeah, she was a gem. Tom told the guy we just wanted the 2 roast beefs and the chicken tenders and as he was saying this a toddler in the restaurant started crying. The wheelchair yelled ENOUGH!!! at the little girl. The father of the little girl told the woman that she was just a baby. The wheelchair went on a rant that children shouldn't be out but that they should be at home and that the woman was a bad mother. Tom told the cashier that we would take our food to go. We went over to the other family that was being harassed by this terrible person and we told them it was ridiculous and they agreed and said that she was mentally ill. I don't know if this woman was mentally ill or just miserable but I wanted to hurt her. I wanted to belittle her and demean her and I wanted her to be removed from the restaurant. I wanted the police called. But I have two little boys who look at me as an example and I needed to remain calm and remove us from the situation with as little trauma as possible. And on to the town hall. It was another weird thing that I can't really put my finger on. There were strange, muttering people wandering in and I looked at Tom and said this is a weird night. He agreed and called it bizarro world. We went into the town hall and sat with Peter for a few minutes but Jack was fidgety and Dean started to feel hot so we got up to leave just after the Congressman answered the first question. When we got home I took Dean's temp and it was 100.7. He has no other symptoms - just the fever. Today, they're both running fevers with no other symptoms and the good news is that once they get motrin in their systems, their spirits really improve. I hope this is just a little virus and that it moves through the house quickly. I've got way too much going on to get sick.

Superman Clothes!

Thanks Grandma!!!

Superman Shoes!

We love you Grandma!!!

Bat-Dean

Zen moments

Superheroes ready to party at Frank's costume birthday party.
Dean enjoying his sand race car.


And Jack enjoying his tub time.

Batmen

See? They're really cute. And I did a pretty good job on those bats if I do say so myself.

By the way, the naps seemed to do the trick. They each slept almost 2 hours and their attitudes improved immensely for it.

We were supposed to have Uncle Julian and Uncle Peter over for dinner tonight for an early birthday celebration for daddy but daddy is fighting a cold and doesn't feel well so we had to postpone. So, instead of having filet mignon for dinner we had lipton cup-o-noodles and peanut butter crackers. Poor daddy. Jack helped me make dessert so we also had brownies and ice cream. Then Jack and Dean played in the front yard with the neighborhood kitty and I managed to get a little video of them. It'll be loaded up soon. The boys and I went for a walk around the block and when we got back they played together in the backyard. It was by far the best behavior we got out of them all weekend!

the trolls

Who swapped out my sweet, loving children with the tantrum-throwing, maniacal trolls that spontaneously combust at the suggestion that they may not get exactly what they want exactly when they want it which is NOW.

Lest you think I just lock them in their rooms without entertainment, here's what we've done so far this weekend:

Went to a birthday party where they got to run around with 40 other kids in an indoor playplace which was air conditioned thank-you-very-much and filled with things to climb on, in, under and over. They were fed pizza and juice and cake and ice cream. They went on a treasure hunt with a pirate - a cute girl pirate and then got their faces painted. J was spiderman and D was batman. On top of that, they got goody bags filled with toys and candy. Then, because they were so hopped up on sugar, we went to the mall where they could run around the indoor playground and burn off aforementioned evil substance. Despite all this fun, there were frequent flingings to the floor, by them - not me but don't think for an instant I wasn't tempted. Finally, we headed home the long way in an effort to get them to go to sleep. It worked but it took much longer than I anticipated and still involved some screaming. I won't mention who was doing the screaming.

And today? Well, we hit Target at 9:00am where I promised them I would buy a face painting kit so I could paint their faces like batman and spiderman. Alas, Target doesn't carry face painting kits but I saw some batman pajamas and the boys fell in love so I bought those. But, they wanted toys. And again, much floor-flinging commenced. In the car we go and I ask them if we should go somewhere else for the face painting kit and they whine yessssssss. So, off to Michael's we go. One small meltdown because D's shoelace became untied. THE HORROR!!!! But, disaster was averted and we went into the store. A quick rant about the state of customer service??? PUHLEASE people, look your customer in the eye especially when you're giving a woman with two melty downy preschoolers the bad news that you don't carry face painting kits right now because it's not the season for them. The season??? What the hell season is it that requires someone to paint their kids' faces? Isn't that birthday party season? Isn't that kinda all year long? And by the way, nobody gives a rat's @$$ that you want to take boxing lessons. What they want is to know where the freaking face paint is.
So, we head over to the party store just a mile down the road. They have face paints but no book of samples. I take it anyway with the assumption that I can wing it. Ok, so this part was probably not that fun for J and D but I had to get them out of the house because we sold the jogging stroller today and they would really lose it if we sold it while they were there. We went back home and I painted their faces - both chose batman and they looked really cute. I took a picture and I'm glad I did because shortly after we were finished Jack melted down and was put in his room in a time out where he proceeded to mash his face into his pillow. There's a lovely imprint of a bat on his pillow now. Then it was D's turn to lose it and he went in for his time out. Seriously, it was insane. We had lunch and then there was more whining - J was hungry (huh? didn't you just eat?) and wanted to eat candy, go to the park, blah blah blah. I told them we were going to go for a little ride in the car. Park, Park, Park???? We'll see. J threatens that he's going to be sad, he's going to cry. I tell him it's ok to cry and it's ok to be sad but right now he needs to try to calm down a little and find a way to be happy. He tells me he loves me and now I see he's trying so hard. 3 songs later he and D are asleep and we're pulling into our driveway. That was at 1:00pm. It's now 2:30 and they're still down. Let's hope that's all it takes.