Reagonomics

Today, while I was on my way to Wendy's to get a dollar menu salad and drink, I heard an interesting use of the word "Reaganomics." It turns out, there's a campaign to remove Ulysses S. Grant from the fifty dollar bill. Instead, Ronald Reagan might soon appear on the fifty instead.

However, I have no idea when I might see a fifty any time soon. Jack would love to go see Percy Jackson and the Olympians which I have promised and promised we'd go see as soon as dad got paid... hahahahaha. I guess we'll just have to go see it anyway, since payday seems to have been given up for Lent. Movies, etc. are hard to forgo when you are a kid.

There are other things that are hard to explain to the kids. For example, when I brought Asa home on Friday, he asked me several times, "Why come it's my last day at school?" (I love that he doesn't use "How come." Everything is "Why come" or "Why this" not why not? It's so very four-years-old.) Asa asked again at home, and I had explained that preschool was very expensive, and he seemed to understand expensive, but he doesn't understand money, so that part is hard. He also doesn't like being trapped at home with his tyrant of a brother, Max, who doesn't mind being home with Asa.

Of course, there's tremendous guilt on both sides from the two daycare providers. I don't dare go inside the daycare center to get Asa's stuff. The daycare girls told me to wait a week and they'd finish up Asa's portfolio. I have gotten 2 emails (both sad) from them about how much they miss Asa's cute face, and one from Max's provider about how much the kids miss Max... and it's only Wednesday!! I also had guilt from the money-lady about how cash-strapped their program is!

All change is hard, and the boys are loving being home with their dad. Yesterday, they spent the day "inventing" with their dad and uncle Sam. Sam is working on something that delivers paint evenly, and the boys were tag-alongs for a project at the Home-Despot (where they love to steal your money for all home necessities). They are spending good times together, and as long as they don't spend every spare moment fighting, it will be OK. Now... we'll just have to see if we can scrounge up some Grants to get us through. I wonder if Congress will really vote to change his face to Reagan. I doubt it. Wasn't he a Republican?

Flat Stanley Visits for Adventures with Mothering

Today, Jen posted on Facebook that she was looking for someone with extra food for dinner. I thought that was really funny because I was cooking on a game called "Cafe World" which is really, really funny because I don't cook at all "in real life" because I mess food up so much so my children won't eat it. The only thing I cook that they will eat (except Asa) is "mom" macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, IchiBan soup, peanut butter sandwiches, rice & soup, chicken noodle soup, and flautas. Asa lives on air and water. Max, on the other hand, will eat anything.

John made my grandmother JJ's goulash (which my mother always called red macaroni.) I can cook it, and volunteered, but John overheard me and rescued *everyone* from certain culinary mayhem by doing so before leaving for scouts.

We set the table, and Max wanted to chow down. We did wait until Jen arrived.

Here's Xan post-piano lessons. She is learning 2 new songs and still practicing her Christmas pieces. Her best skill includes playing by ear, complete rote memorization, and mimicry in the finest presentation. She does play at least a half-an-hour every day, and she often practices twice a day. While she loves playing, I often wish she'd work on theory as much as her younger brother, Asa. Ace has mastered note spelling, and he's actually quite good with Mischelea, the piano teacher. For being only 4 years old, he's a good little pianist.

Jackson gets a bit frustrated with piano on some days because he'd love to play the piano perfectly on the first time through, but when he can play the song to perfection, no one is more proud. :o)

Flat Stanley also came to visit, all the way from Rochester. My niece Kahri is reading his book and sent him to visit my sister Jen, so he's come (via her diaper bag) to visit. Here he is sharing Grandma's Goulash...

Extreme CLOSE-UP

The kids declared today's adventure a GOOD one. YAY. Go me! So glad my sister suggested it. SO glad John cooked! It was MUCH better than Taco Tuesday. Now, who invented Mustache March?!

Scout Mama Minute

Last Tuesday was the Blue and Gold Banquet. Why has it taken me a week to get the pictures and the write-up, you ask? Well, it was migraine weekend, and then my computer cord broke. I did get the pictures uploaded to Facebook, so those of you who have Facebook did get to see them there. But the PRIMARY reason was: O.L.Y.M.P.I.C.!!

We have been OLYMPIC watching at our house. Of course, now that the closing ceremony has happened, let real life commence. We'll all get back to our regularly scheduled lives. However, it was great while it lasted, and during our evenings after we scooted the children off to bed, John and I did more sport watching in 2 weeks than we will do in the next 2 years. This 2 weeks was winter. Next 2 years, it will be summer. We only know anything about Olympic sports.

And now, back to the only OTHER thing we know anything about: Scouting.

Jack received his Bear award. Sorry you missed it.

It looks like this:

Based on the picture, you can also see he got a really great centennial patch, another beltloop, and a volleyball pin. As soon as he sees Grandma Max, he'll be yammering at her to sew him Bear patch on his shirt. Beware.

Here we are, John and I, being pinned:

The big surprise of the night was a present of PINEWOOD DERBY cars...

 

Asa was more thrilled than Jack. Of course.

Now we need to get cars for EVERYONE... and go to Grandpa Phippen's to cut them out again. Hopefully cars for everyone can be squeezed into the budget. I guess I'll have to google how expensive THAT is. When is pay day again?! April 21 is the magic race day...

Pizza was the dinner for the evening, and my favorite picture was when Max prayed. It was SO cute, I made him pose for it again:

The day wouldn't be complete without a Xandri picture, so here she is. She has a great one, and then a silly one:

 I actually like the SILLY one better. :o) That's just ME.

Jack, the Indoor Soccer Player

Recently, Jack has been playing on an indoor soccer team. He's been playing with the boys in our ward, coached by Brother Woodhouse. Here are some shots taken at his last game: (Which they WON!)

Jack, the speed demon (He really IS fast, and is campaigning to run track.)

Alyxandria (who is thrilled to be along as specator)

Action-Adventure shot (Look, I really DID play!)

Another shot... with odd focus, but more proof of playing.

Jack has also scored a goal against a real goalie, which is an accomplishment considering we're not sure everyone on the team they played for that game was actually the correctly stated age. :o) Let us just say in the interest of political correctness that the team was Hispanic, and their birth dates were not all in the American system of dating. :o) Some of them were awfully large 10 year olds.

It has been really fun for Jack, and after being away from soccer for 2 years, he's even more excited for track season to start! ;o)

Baby Soggy Toes

Some Sundays are lazy, and some Sundays are long... and some Sundays are full of fun and games. Last Sunday, I couldn't get Max out of the tub. In fact,  we might have been able to make Max punch out of the tub water, because we certainly had baby pruney-toes when he was done. The only way I could get him out of the tub was to promise I would take a picture... and this is the resultant photo shoot:

What a ham this kid is!! Do you need a slightly used, mostly tyrannical 2 year old? I'm sure John would love some help during the day. He requires Star Wars Lego, a Dora DVD, a Nuby Sippy cup with some apple juice, and for you to follow his every whim. Other than that, he's really, really easy to get along with.

Being the Grown-up

Sometimes I get tired of being a grown-up. It'd be really great to go back to being a kid, when summers seemed to last forever, sleeping in was the best thing ever, and I only had to worry that my mom would get mad if I didn't go to school, versus getting a substitute, having John rush to school to rescue my video from a locked cabinet, and who would stay with the kids while someone did the kid run...

Yesterday I was sick, so it required quite a bit of maneuvering. I have a staph infection for the second time in 8 weeks. I hate being a diabetic because an infection requires a whole lot more than just an antibiotic. I also have to get a shot, sleep more, etc. Of course, I couldn't sleep last night, still have the fever, headache, nausea, etc, but had to work today, because who else is going to be me? My students were delighted to see me back, and they also wanted to continue to read Shakespeare for the rest of the year. I thought, are you KIDDING me? I don't want to read Shakespeare for the rest of the year! That's my definition of forever!

Asa, Max and John were off today doing an "experiment" at Home Depot. I am not sure what that means... but I'm a *bit* worried. Since John is now the stay at home dad, he'll have more of these moments, and I guess... so will I. Did I mention how much I hate being a grown-up? Asa is still very much confused about the schedule. He asked me, again, "Why come I not go to school anymore?" Oh, how I hate being the grown-up! Let's just all sleep in tomorrow!