Friday, May 29, 2009

All he wants for (insert nearest holiday here)

is his two bottom teeth!

Both of Trevor's bottom teeth are loose, and one new tooth is pushing up already.

I just knew the internets would want to be the first to know.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Devin's Future


Architect.
Right? He made this with paper and tape. PAPER AND TAPE!


Frank Gehry made his out of brushed aluminum and welds.

Very similar, I think.

Medical Problem?

I don't like to sugar coat things for my kids. If they don't look both ways before crossing the street, they could die. If they don't wear their seatbelts, they could die. If they even play with their seatbelts while the car is in motion, die. If they kick the back of my seat just one more time... You see how this goes. My most basic message as a mother is "Be careful or die." (Also, stop kicking my seat, Devin.) My worst case scenario engine is highly developed, and I want the world to know it by observing my cautious and polite children.

Trevor gets it. He's careful. He'll opt out of fun if it seems too dangerous. Devin, not so much. I have to be careful on his behalf, keeping my eyes peeled for things that could be dangerous while not appearing to be the voracious helicopter parent that I am (is that working?) And, I think it's because he just doesn't quite get how easy it is to get hurt when you're not careful.

For example, yesterday, the boys were playing with the dog. They were playing rough as they do. And, the dog was biting, as he does. After one particularly bit of rough play, I told Trevor to stop! You're gonna rip the dog's head off! (I imagined it, so it must be possible.) Devin asked, "if his head was ripped off, would that be a medical problem?"

He just didn't inherit my worst case scenario engine. Where I see a deaddy-dead-dead dog, he sees a quaint little trip to the vet. It's no wonder his version of crossing the street has him CLOSING HIS EYES and shaking his head back and forth wildly before darting across the road. No wonder at all.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Saving room and reading

Trevor cleaned his plate tonight. That's not all that unusual, but it still felt good! After dinner, he asked for dessert. He still had a little room, but he didn't want to waste it on any more dinner.

Just now, Devin is playing video games on the little computer. He asked John for some help, and while John was helping, he pointed to a word and said, "Does that say Exit?" John said that it did. Devin excitedly told his dad how he actually "read-ed" that.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Lakemont

We went to an Amusement Park (Lakemont) in Altoona yesterday. The first one of summer! We rode "Leap the Dips", the oldest roller coaster in the world. IN THE WORLD! The car can only hold 4 people, we think maybe they only send one car at at a time, and there was no safety bar. NO SAFETY BAR! There was a bar 18 inches in front of me, and I grasped it tightly with one hand and held on tight to Devin with the other hand. I suppose you could call that bar 18 inches away a safety bar, but it didn't meet the criteria I normally have for a safety bar. No, no, no. But, take away my worst case scenario engine or beat it to death with a safety bar, and the ride was pretty cool! I bet some of the wood on that old wooden roller coaster was from 1902 (when it was originally built). The guy used a hand brake to slow us down. It was pretty stinking nostalgic and reminded me of the days when people took their own safety into their very own hands rather than relying on things like bars and harnesses to protect them from themselves and their pursuit of fun.

They had another roller coaster and Devin was allowed to go on it. It was his very first "big" roller coaster ride if you don't include Leap the Dips. And, I think it was MY last. It felt like a brain injury. Devin, however, loved it. He wished the whole world were it! That's what he said. He rode it twice. I thought if it was so great that Devin wished the whole world were it, that I should ride it, too. That's when I experienced the sensation of a brain injury. Also, I crushed Devin once with the little help of some "g" forces when we went around a corner. He didn't mind, though.

Later, he rode a little Ferris Wheel with his brother. He said it was very peaceful.

Then, we all played Miniature Golf. I should tell you that Devin has very little interest in Mini-Golf beyond the third hole. So, don't rent him his own club. Maybe just get him a ball so it feels like he's playing. Trevor loved miniature golf, but wanted his ball back at the last hole. Then, got upset when he realized it was over. Which made us upset for investing 45 minutes in a game he wanted to play. Kids. I'm pretty sure I never was one, else I'd understand them better.

So, I would give this park a thumbs up, but I won't go back ever again if I have to pay full price. It was fun and stuff, but not worth $10 per person. And, I won't go there to play mini-golf either. I might never play mini-golf again...

Salesman of the year

Yesterday, we had a garage sale. I told the boys if they sold their toys they could keep the money. We didn't sell all their toys, and they only made about $5 apiece, and I was just giving them a portion of all proceeds to get them there.

But, Devin did his best to make sales.

He handed a little girl of about 16 months a toy from a little people farm set, and asked her if she wanted it. She, of course, took it. Devin then said, "It's not free!"

I added a little mental ha-ha (ala Nelson from the Simpsons) in my head, and then assured Devin that he had, in fact, given her the toy for free.

But, then her mom was kind enough to buy the barn that went with the little people toy Devin had "given" her.

It was one of our biggest sales of the day.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Surprises. Trevor likes them.

Here's what happens with kids. If you tell them something exciting is going to happen, they will not stop asking you about it until that exciting thing has arrived. So, smart parents just don't tell their kids about upcoming exciting events. It's a little sad, right? They don't get to experience the joy of anticipation. Poor children of smart parents.

So, Trevor and Devin are pretty excited about going to Memaw's and Papa's house in June. And, they asked recently when we would be going. I discussed it all calm like. And, then I told them how I sorta wish I hadn't told them about the trip, still very calm like.

Then, Trevor suggested (very calm like) that maybe I shouldn't tell him and his brother about upcoming exciting things...

I love this one


He has "whup" cream on his nose. And, he's giving that some serious and thoughtful consideration.

Upload/Download

One thing you should know about Trevor is that he loves video games. Loves them. He's learning to read now. And I'm guessing that 48% of his motivation has to do with reading video game instructions.

One day, he was talking to John, our resident computer guy, about how he wanted to make a video game. In fact, he asked John for help since he knows that John is a computer guy. John gave him his standard answer. I can do the programming, but I don't have any artistic ability.

Taking his cue, Trevor came home and starting drawing the characters for his video game, creating all the art needed for a video game. It's going to be Super Pets vs. Super Pests! Cool, huh? I engaged him in imagination, asking him to describe the levels in the video game he was drawing. I didn't really understand the scope of the project, though. I just enjoyed hearing the stories.

Later after he was all done, he asked John to "upload" his video game. John told him it didn't really work like that. Frustrated, Trevor asked if he could "download" it, then.

Poor Trevor. He cried himself to sleep that night because he really wants to play his video game. He did remain undaunted. He kept creating characters for his video game. In addition to Super Boots, Super cat, he created Super Butterfly. There are others. He also created a host of bad guys. There was Toxic Frog, spelled inventively as "Toxuh Fog". So cool. He meant to call him Toxic Toad, but got lost along the way.

Yesterday, we went to visit grandma and grandpa for grandpa's birthday. Trevor went through all of his characters, labeled all the bad ones as such and presented those to his grandpa for his birthday. As I told Grandma where the drawings had come from, I mentioned that Trevor had asked John about uploading the video game. He quickly corrected me. "No, mom, I wanted him to download it."

So, does anyone know a good video game creator??

Also, for reals this time, Trevor has a loose front tooth. Does anyone know what the tooth fairy is paying these days??


Super Boots


I'm not sure on this one. Super Duck, maybe?


Super Butterfly


Super Cat


Super Somebody


Super Somebody Else

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Hot Rock

When Devin and I walk around our circle here, he always likes to stop at the little unfinished park at the top of the hill. Walk up two and half flights of stairs, and the view of Mount Nittany is amazing. The best in the neighborhood, maybe the best in State College if it's Mount Nittany you're looking at.

But, he doesn't stop for the view. He likes to go up there and find me a present, a souvenir of our walk. Normally, it's a nice little fist sized rock for our flower garden. But yesterday, it was a brick sized rock for our flower garden. He brought it down 2 and half flights of stairs and presented it to me. Then, we tossed it in the trunk of his tricycle and came all the way home and planted it in the flower bed in this nice little path made of local stone.

It is a really nice rock. And, I can't help but wonder if it's a special rock. I can't help but wonder if it's stolen...

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Just like HD

Trevor doesn't normally wear goggles during his swim lessons. He don't need no stinkin' goggles. But, this last time, he actually needed some stinkin' goggles during swim class. They were using diving rings, and he was at a disadvantage in his goggle-less state.

After class, he tried a pair of goggles during his favorite part of the lesson...free swim! He came up after exploring underwater world very excited. It was just like HD! Like what? I asked. You know, Hi-Def TV.

Cool. The real world is as crystal clear as HDTV.

I, uh, am gonna go turn off the TV now.

Happy Electronic Mother's Day!

Saturday, May 09, 2009

Everyone ate this fish by Tricia

4 boneless tilapia fillets
marinate for 10 to 15 minutes in this sauce
~ 1.5 tsp grated fresh ginger
~ 1/4 c. soy sauce
~ 1 tbsp honey
~ 1 tsbp sesame oil
~ 1 tbsp lime juice

melt 1.5 tbs butter in pan until it starts to brown. Place the fish in the pan one piece at a time (I cut them all in half so there were 8 small pieces).

After the fish is cooked, deglaze the pan with the marinate, add a little soy sauce if needed, pour over fish.

Served with sushi rice and broccoli.

Everyone, including Devin, cleaned their plates.

Did I ever tell you the story of Devin Delicious?

We went to an orchard last year, and there were several varieties of apples out in big bins. They weren't free. It was expected that people would buy them. By the bag, they were quite a bargain. By the apple, they were about 50 cents apiece.

Devin was only 3 (almost 4) so he couldn't read those signs. So, he walked right up to a big huge bin of Golden Delicious apples, grabbed one quicker than we could say "NO!" and took a big huge bite.

Ever since, Golden Delicious apples have ceased to exist. Those apples will forever be known as Devin Delicious (at least in our house).

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

I made this bread


Then, I made John take a picture of it. Pretty, huh?

Invented Spelling

This is how invented spelling works, I think.

Something you should know about Devin

He dresses himself. And, when he does, 99.9% of the time something is on backwards or on the wrong feet. Sometimes, it's just his underwear. Almost always, it's his shoes. Half the time, it's his pants. 28% of the time, it's everything.

Also, this morning, he found me as soon as he woke up and asked for a hug. Come, bask in that with me.

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Am I the only one?

I went to the doctor once because I thought I had strep. He didn't think I was sick enough, but did the test any way. When it came back positive, I was all, "YES!" And, he called me insane. I didn't really want strep. But, worse, I didn't want to be wrong! I had another similar moment today. Trevor's been complaining of a sore tooth for the last week. So, I took him into the dentist. It's a back tooth. I'm not sure which one. I never looked because...yuck. That's why. Because mouths gross me out! Oh, no!

When, they first started looking, they thought it was just a loose tooth. I was so embarrassed. A loose tooth?! And, I had never even bothered to check if that was the issue for my 6 year old.

Just a moment ago, I was thinking how glad I was that it was really a chipped tooth and not a loose tooth because had it been a loose tooth, I would have been so embarrassed. And, here I am. Embarrassed anyway...

Also, they just filled it in a little, and he's fine now. Just fine. He chipped it on some skirt steak. It's pretty tough. I guess.

Friday, May 01, 2009

Trevor won the lottery!

The lottery to attend a local charter school, that is. And, I don't know what to do! Do we go ahead and enroll him? Do we just let him go to the regular public school. OH! My stomach is all in knots. It seems like such a big thing choosing where my children will go to school when I have choices. I want to make the very best choice. Ack.