"No Treat for You!"

If the boys wear their school shirts on Fridays, they're supposed to get a treat from Mrs. Rosemary, the school administrator. For some reason, she's offered treats to the boys on other days lately and now they think they're entitled every day.

I don't like them to have sweets late in the day (due to the heinousness factor), so after school when they asked Mrs. Rosemary for a treat, I decisively denied their request.

Are those daggers coming out of his eyes?

No lie, Josh cried for 20 minutes. He even cried out, "How could you do this to me?!?" Seriously? He's gonna be really mad when I deny his requests to jump off a roof into a pool and conduct 'experiments' on the cats.

"The Blood!"

Josh got smacked in the face with a real golf club. Three mistakes here: 1) Josh stood in front of a swinging golf club. 2) Zach swung a golf club when someone was standing in front of him. 3) We gave Zach a real golf club.

Josh howled for what seemed like an hour about "THE BLOOD! THE BLOOD!" as he spit it out into the sink. I offered him a cool washcloth in case there was more blood and to help it feel better.

When I turned around, he had stuffed the whole thing into his mouth and was gagging on it. Not quite what I had in mind....

What Was He Thinking?

Our good friend, Donna, had a 60th birthday party for Jay's boss (and hers) at her beautiful home in La Verne.

A couple of people brought their kids or were considering bringing them. Jay asked me about doing that a few days ago. I'm sure the look on my face said, "What have you been smokin'?!?" but I merely replied, "What do you think, Honey?"

We went sans children and were much better off for it. I'm certain we couldn't have afforded to pay for everything they would have broken. And we definitely wouldn't have had as much opportunity to make googly eyes at each other as we like to do....

Many thanks to my dear niece, Jessi, for tiring out the boys while we were away.

Taco Bell Isn't McDonalds

I hadn't made anything for dinner by the time I left to get the boys from school, so Jay suggested I stop at Taco Bell (someone had a bit of a craving). Zach was good with a bean burrito. Josh wanted no part of Taco Bell. I told him that was fine, but I wasn't going to another restaurant. I did offer to make him something at home.

"Do you know how to make McDonalds food?"

"No."

"Does Taco Bell know how to make McDonalds food?"

"No."

"Well, who DOES know how to make McDonalds food?"

"McDonalds."

"Can we go to McDonalds?"

"No."

I really don't think it was a satisfying exchange for Josh. In case you're wondering, he got a cheese roll-up at Taco Bell....

No-Nap Tuesdays

I decided today was the day that we were going to stop naps when the boys don't have school. While Josh still sleeps well at nap and at night, Zach...not so much. So, we got Subway for lunch and went to McCarthy Park to eat, ride bikes and play. We stayed so long that three sets of kids came and went before we moved along home.

I did tell them they could take off their helmets when they weren't riding their bikes, but they declined. Nerds....

It was fun; aside from the stepping in mud part and bothering the guy (or the Detector, as Josh called him) who showed up toward the end to find treasure with his metal detector. Josh said the guy only found a rock and that he wasn't interested in the strange object Josh found for him.

It's 8:04p. They're not asleep yet, but I'm hopeful...ever hopeful.

Grease Monkeys

I broke the garage door. Didn't know I did it, but I did. It wouldn't open earlier in the week and I kept trying and trying. I thought the hinges needed to be oiled like last year when we had the same problem. Jay discovered a broken cable. The garage door fixer guy discovered a broken spring...which is more expensive to fix.

I'm surprised the guy didn't charge us double for all the helpful information and long, rambling stories he was getting from the spectators. I think he felt sorry for us....

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I didn't do any green food or shamrock-shaped food or traditional Irish food. Couldn't make it happen.... But I did take the boys to school at the last minute this morning (it's not their usual day to go) and joined in on their St. Pat's party.

It was just funny hats, green shirts, green cupcakes and green grapes, but the boys thought I was an awesome Mommy McLassiter for taking them.

Zach's Bud & Jobxz

Zach and Josh are playing Wii Boxing using their alter-egos, 'Zach's Bud' and 'Jobxz' (yes, Jobxz). Both got knocked down a few times but, in the end, Zach's Bud flattened Jobxz. Something tells me Jobxz is lookin' for a re-match (he's kind of a sore loser).

Hey! Just noticed that Josh isn't wearing a shirt this time!

Owie!

Josh came home from school today complaining of 'owies.'

Owies?!? He nearly lost his arms from the look of it. We patched him up with a little help from Captain America, Transformers, Cars and, yes, Hello Kitty.

A Good Day for Golf

Today was such a beautiful day...perfect for opening up the windows to let the cool air and the sounds of chirping bird in, while letting the stale air of winter out.

It was also a perfect day to take the boys over to the golf course to hit a few balls. They've improved a lot since we took them there for the first time a year and a half ago but, still, sometimes it seemed more like target practice. And Josh's head, Dad's leg and Mom's camera were the targets (you'll notice who's not mentioned as a target and deduce the likely perpetrator).

Give a Boy a Box

If you give a boy a box, he's gonna want to make something really strange out of it. He'll probably ask you for some tape...no, strike that, A LOT of tape. Seeing the box taped together will make him want to create something other than what he wanted originally. So, you'll have to go back to school to get your engineering degree in order to make it work.

When it falls apart because your degree didn't come in the mail fast enough, you'll need to find the tissues and ear plugs to deal with the crying and wailing that will most certainly ensue. As you're wiping tears and boogies, you'll come up with an even cooler idea for that box creation. It will require even greater engineering skills that you don't posess. Against your better judgement, you offer up your idea anyway and it turns that boy's frown upside down. Now you're stuck; you gotta do it.

But then you come up with a really, really great idea that involves a trip to Disneyland or Tahiti or even the Target $1 Spot. You will hope that he'll forget about the silly box creation so you can move on to other dreams and tragedies.

Next time, you'll unpack your new vacuum in the dead of night so he won't ask to make something REALLY strange out of the box. And, if he does, you'll just give him a cookie....

Sweatin' Stripes

Stupid MSN weather forecast.... Last night, I very purposefully looked at today's forecast and I SWEAR it said it was going to be in the low 40s, so I dressed the boys in double shirts and put jackets on them.

As the day heated up, I knew that they were sweatin' their stripes off. Sure enough, when I picked them up, they had super-pink cheeks, sweaty little brows and attitudes to match.

Yes, Zach is holding a toddler wipes box. He brought it for sharing day along with about 10 other things....

Poor bubbas...they've got the dorkiest mom on the playground.

Good Ol' George

On the way home from school, Josh asked, "Mommy, who was the first president?"

"George Washington."

"I miss him...he's been gone such a long time."

Yup, I miss him, too; more than you know....

"I Speak Spanish?!?"

Josh was explaining quickly and incoherently to Jay what he needed to do to two boxes (one big and one small) in order to make them into a home for his caterpillar (which was cut out of paper). He was very particular about his specifications and kept adding on to the scope of the project. By the end of it, he had it on wheels and it had an elevator.

When Josh took the slightest breath, Jay said, "Josh, everything you just said to me is Spanish." With a look of utter surprise and delight, Josh said, "I can speak Spanish?!?"

Yes, just as well as your mother....

Peace & Quiet

When your husband plays golf all the time, you're a 'golf widow.' When your kids can't look up from their Leapster Explorers long enough to tell you what they want for breakfast, what does that make you?

Trick question. It makes you thankful for the peace and quiet. At least they're playing learning games : )

Floor Picnic

Somehow, between my house, Target, Vons and Walgreens, I got talked into making a fort out of the kitchen table so the boys could have their very own picnic. After 25 minutes of constructing said fort from 3 blankets, 1 quilt and a bunch of stuff to keep it all in place, they brought in toys, their starlight sea turtle and, of course, their dinner (fabulous, highly nutritious fare from Del Taco).  They were sooooooo excited!

They stayed in their fort about as long as it took me to snap this picture.

Josh did give me a kiss and tell me that it was "the best floor picnic ever!" Okay, we can do it again....