Hindy Dindy NOTEBOOK~

If there is one thing that Blue's Clues instilled in my children it's that everyone should have a Handy Dandy Notebook or, as commonly referred to my Odin, a Hindy Dindy NOTEBOOK (with strange emphasis on the Notebook part). Everyone was given a spiral bound notebook to write down their Journal Entry's for the Summer, including the younger two. As it goes

Jaxom has written 1 elaborate story...it spans over 1 page of single spaced text where the letters take up two lines for the wide ruled paper.

Brenna has drawn 12 pages, has yet to write a word other than her name. She writes in the finest invisible ink that money can't buy.

Gunnar has mastered the letter "A", that's it. There is 50 pages of the letter "A." I still find it a bit sad that his 4 year old handwriting has far surpassed his 9 year old brother's.

Odin has the best scrawlings of a two year old that I have ever seen. His loopty loops, and zig zags...well he has the best detailed pages in his Handy Dandy Notebook,

In an effort to avoid having to do their summer work, they have taken to forgetting, getting distracted, having a sibling hide a notebook or two or four (however it best suits). Today was one of those days when everyone's disappeared, Jaxom got distracted after forgetting, Brenna had all of her words erased with a single grazing swipe of Gunnar's eraser, Gunnar's was consumed by hydrogen peroxide, and Odin drew on his face instead of the paper.

Am I ever going to get this right? At least my Handy Dandy Notebook is online...the others may take my sanity, but they can't take my internet (unless the power goes out, or we exceed our usage).

Mommy Doesn't Let Us Throw Things Away

I'm not a hoarder...it wouldn't be a stretch to call me a hoarder, but I do not keep obscure things...I am just afraid of not remembering how they were when they were little...and with their mouths that they have now...it's going to be difficult when they are teenagers...

Tonight was one of the rare nights that Mommy and Daddy both had to be at work at the same times...hasn't happened since before Gunnar was born. So Nanna and Poppa Bear had to come over and keep the wildlings tame until one of us got home (and with the way that things went at my training session, it was anyone's guess as to who could be first to arrive).

Justin ordered some pizza...not from his work...the kids get to create their own creations/abominations (the words are interchangable) so long as they eat what it is that they create. They had instructions to clean up after they were done, however, done and through have 2 entirely different meanings between my house and Nanna's house.

                 Kidd Meanings                                                Bania Meanings
Done :       You clear your spot                                           for now
                  you can always get more                                  don't be wasteful,
                                                                                         you'll come back to it

Through :    You are so stuffed you can't button your     You clear your spot
                    pants...and if you can there is a                 You get no more to eat
                     fear that someone                                     Begging will yield no
                         could loose an eye                                   results

So when the kids said that they were done, you can imagine how confusing that was for children and grandparents alike. That was until Jaxom muttered, "Mommy doesn't let us throw anything away." That was the deal ender on both ends. My mom made sure to tell me what Justin had said, and what Jaxom had muttered under his breath. I clarified for both parties, the kids know that if it doesn't go in the fridge there is the chance that the ant hoard will come and you'll see a slice walk across the floor, and to my mother that with 4 of them, there is no need for waste...someone will eat it...and if it isn't human...the dog will.

When my sisters and I grew up we ate when we were told at preset intervals...my kids are a bit different and kinda just graze especially in the heat. They know though that they do not get anything else until what they asked for is gone.

Other notable things that happened today :

         Mommy woke up extra early so that she could greet the kids outside in her "I'm a teacher" Nightgown. Welcome Home Jaxom and Brenna!!

          The 3 older ones played 8 hours of the Wii (as they tell it, it was all the other 2, I never got my turn).

          The 2 older ones are helping their younger brothers learn their letters, how to color anywhere but on the walls. The younger ones are helping their older brother and sister the true meaning of patience.

They are all teaching me to find humor in the little things....I think it's going to be a GREAT night!

The Start of Great Things?

As I sit here listening to Pat Monahan ~ Great Escape, really belting out the lyrics in my off key kind of way that the kids just seem to adore. I look around, and somehow through out the chaos in my voice, Odin has passed out, lulled to sleep by the lyrics, and Gunnar is standing beside me singing right along (ish).

I come to work everyday with another exciting story about what silly, weird, disgusting, cute, etc things that one or more of the clan has done the day before. My coworkers have started asking every Monday what exciting things they did, because the stories are always amusing. I find that these things have become very interesting to everyone else, however, they are literally just another ripple in the day to day life at my home...so I decided to share with everyone and possibly start something new. I am not afraid of how public this becomes...so share as you will.

This weekend was fairly uneventful, in mine own eyes.

Gunnar "cut" his own hair - result 6 bald spots speckled about his hair

I came home from work on Friday and had to look hard at Gunnar because something just didn't look right. I thought to myself...his hair looks blonder in spots...so I went to sniff thinking he put lemon juice in it, or heaven forbid sprayed himself with the counter cleaner...upon closer inspection, I discovered that it was scalp. I asked the question that I already knew the answer to...Why did you do that...cause it was fun. Now Mommy has to cut the rest of your hair...He protested...I look awesome, I like it...so now my son looks like his hair is falling out in clumps, but he's happy. I figure that it will even out eventually.

Odin wore two different sizes of the same shoe to the store

Sounds weirder that it actually is. We pass down shoes with the boys. I figure that if it can survive one of them, they must be sturdy and they go along until they meet a more timely demise. A few years ago, Gunnar fell in love with these red Chucks...so when he outgrew them, we had to get him another pair 1 size up. Now it's Odin's turn to wear them...so he brought me two at separate times...all I saw was red, right foot, left foot...let's go. One looked like a clown shoe compared to the other. But he only tripped once, and he didn't seem bothered by it.

Justin and I celebrated our 7th Wedding Anniversary.

Love you baby!

And finally, we survived our first weekend without TV!

So I leave you with the lyrics to Gigi's new favorite song so that you may be better equipped to decipher the howls in the wind!

Thought I could
But I just can't wait
Started planning for my great escape
Where I'd live and
What I'd leave behind.

Made a list of things I'd have to take
Things that make me feel like hell for heaven's sake
Who I'd love and
Who would toe the line.

And I need you
Everybody needs someone like you
If you need me too
You would be the only thing that I'd take
On my great escape.

Float through this time like a cosmonaut
Reminding me of all the things I haven't got
Like time and space
A smile on my face
And you

And I need you
Everybody needs someone like you
If you need me too
You would be the only thing that I'd take with me...
Find More lyrics at www.sweetslyrics.com

Maybe I find that my destination
Is somewhere I already know
You were as far as I ever had to go

And I need you
(thought I could, but I just can't wait)
Everybody needs someone like you
(started planning for my great escape)
If you need me too
(Who I'd love and)
You would be the only thing that I'd take with me
(what I'd leave behind,
what I'd leave behind)
I need you
Everybody needs someone like you
If you need me too
You would be the only thing that I'd take
On my great escape
On my great escape