Hot Crossed Buns

Inigo is doing very well in kindergarten. He had some testing done and we found out he is reading on a second grade level. (His class finally finished learning their ABC's -- about two weeks ago!)

When I was in second grade, I started piano lessons, so I thought that since the boy is reading on that level, I'd get him started. He really needs a challenge in his life and this is an inexpensive way for me to give it to him. (Lessons are cheap -- I'm his teacher!)

(He hasn't learned actual notes yet. He's still just working on learning fingering so I have him say out loud the finger numbers so he can remember them.)

Unique Inigo

A couple of posts ago I talked about Inigo and how he sleeps with his eyes open. If you don't know us well or haven't actually observed my son's peculiarity, it's hard to grasp exactly how open his eyes really are. Two nights ago I had the perfect opportunity to digitally record this event.

Inigo is completely and utterly asleep in this photo. I took three pictures and he didn't move, flinch or -- to be literal -- bat an eye.

He sleeps about 1/2 the night in this state, the other half his eyes are completely closed. No one else in our family sleeps like this. It's just another reason we love him and another thing that makes him unique!!!

Can You Get The Awards Back?

Despite the severe winter storm warnings, these demonstrators are getting ready for Al Gore's appearance before another government committee to testify on the "urgent need" to combat global warming.

(I think these protesters are living in my backyard!)

(They moved in yesterday when school was cancelled because of the -20* temperatures.)

It Bugs

Can I gripe for just a minute?

Tonight I went to Walmart. On the way in, we walked past a young father carrying a child under the age of one. He was just wearing a long sleeved shirt and the infant was wearing a cute purple vest. Her long sleeved shirt was pulled up to her elbows. The poor baby's arms were bright red, and her face was red -- from the cold.

IT WAS -2 OUTSIDE!!! (Yes, negative two degrees)

Okay, Dad, if you want to freeze, that's YOUR choice!! But this poor infant, who doesn't have any body fat to keep a goldfish warm or the words necessary to convey her needs to you needs to be bundled up.... I'm talking hat, mittens, a COAT WITH SLEEVES!!! I don't care how cute that little vest was, it was woefully inadequate for the current dangerous temperatures we are experiencing.

This is not the first time I've seen something like this. I see it every time I leave the house. It's something that needs to be fixed. Please parents... fashion doesn't matter when your kid can't actually verbalize the designer's name. Safety, warmth and comfort should be your main priority!!

Diversity

How to tell your kids are 10 years apart:

The teenager is trying on beautiful princess dresses for the upcoming girl's choice dance (none of which I can afford):

(The socks make the outfit, don't they?)

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While her younger brother has his first ice skating lesson at the local golf course:

Equal Rights? I Don't Think So!

A conversation held in my kitchen last night:

"Inigo!! Please come and empty the dishwasher!!" (His job is to put the silverware away.)

Inigo came to the kitchen and as he was doing his chore, I told him that when that job was finished he needed to walk around the house and pick up all the toys he and his friend had left laying around.

"Mom, you are turning me into a SLAVE!!!" (said with dramatic conviction.)

Mom, thinking about the teaching moment this could turn in to replied with a short lecture on the value of work, how everyone has to help with chores around the house, etc. etc.

It fell on deaf ears....

With the same dramatic conviction Inigo replied at the end of my lecture: "So when are you going to give me my freedom?"

Note to self: Call the school and tell them they are doing a good job teaching the kids about President Lincoln. (Our school is having a big Lincoln extravaganza since it's his 200th birthday this year.)

Camera Dump

I realized it has been a while since I dumped my camera and I found a pretty funny shot of Inigo. To be truthful, any shot of Inigo sleeping is hilarious because 90% of the time he sleeps with his eyes wide open. This picture was extra special because you can see that he gave his stuffed animals precedence over space in his bed -- Superman and Curious George pushed him right out. (Believe it or not, he is sleeping with more stuffed animals now. I think he added about 5 to that pile. There are so many that he sleeps right on the edge and fell out of bed the other night.)

You can also see one of his most precious toys in the bed next to him. Who knew that a blow up globe could be so much fun for a 6 year old? We have spent hours looking at that thing, learning where Komodo Dragons live, where THe Crocodile Hunter (Steve Irwin) and his daughter Bindi lives, where the continents are and where the various ocean are (and what sharks live in them) among other things. I've never known a 6 year old to be this obsessed with geography.

I need to post this picture because I need to show various family members from near and far that there are times that Inigo can actually sleep with his eyes closed. Ahhh... he looks so peaceful!!!

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The other day, Inigo put on the pair of down-hill skis our next-door neighbors gave him and attempted to ski around the yard. It's been warm and then cold and then warm again with no more snow fall, so it was pretty icy. He didn't care.

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And lastly: Thorkgal nailed it on the head when she said my hubby treats me like a queen.

Today my doorbell rang. I've been expecting my dad to stop by on his way home from x-country skiing and thought it was odd that he rang. We're not a "ring-the-bell-can-I-come-in" kind of family. Imagine my surprise to open the door to some strange young man holding a vase full of flowers.

"I'm looking for Valerie the Witch," he said.

"Why, that's me!" was my reply.

"These are for you," and he handed me three beautiful, pink roses.

Max sent me roses FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER!!! The card reads: "Thinking of you. Me"

Awwww.... what a great guy!!!

Final Parting Thought

Now we look to the future.

I sincerely pray for our new president's success.

A Real Random Facts Post

Okay, I decided I would stretch the ole brain cells and see if I can come up with some random facts all by myself. I'm sure it will take 3 long days to come up with something -- and none will be very interesting.

Here goes!!! (I'm only going to come up with 12 because Thorkgal did such a great job already!)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

1. (I'm going to get this one out of the way first) My secret pleasure is Judge Judy. Yes, it's true. I don't watch Oprah, but I really enjoy a nice episode of the caustic judge. It's a great way to spend a half hour folding laundry.

2. I love going to movies. Comedies and musicals are my favorites. (That's why I saw Mama Mia 6 times in the theater.)

3. Potatoes are my staple food. I don't think I can cook a dinner that doesn't involve some form of the guber.

4. I like fruit much more than veggies.

5. Okay, I don't like vegetables at all.

6. I have worked in YW at least 10 out of the last 13 years. I hope to never leave it.

7. I signed up to be camp director again this year. Yippee!!!

8. I like driving and do most of the household driving.

9. I don't dance. I have two left feet. It's very embarrassing.

10. When I grow up, I want to move to the mountains of Montana so I can quit: doing my hair, wearing make-up, and wearing a bra.

11. I love to travel, but I'm a chicken when I go to new places. I'm getting better at it though. (You should have seen the anxiety attacks I had when we went to Disney World in 2000. I only had half as many when we went to Disneyland last fall.)

12. Cold weather bugs. It's a chore to put on a coat and boots, and warm up the car to just run to the store for toilet paper. SUMMER ROCKS!!!!

Random Facts

It seems that right now everying is doing a post titled Random Facts About Me -- you list 17 things (a very random number) that people don't know about you. I have been tagged a couple times to do this. When I sit down to think of that many things about me I draw a blank. I'm quite boring and not very cool. It's sad really.

My wonderful friend, Thorkgal -- who I've known and crafted with for 10 years (can you believe it?!?!) -- took pity on my sad life and did "Random Facts about Valerie."

1. I like chocolate

2. I like peanut butter

3. Putting 1 and 2 together is simply heaven.

4. I have a husband that treats me like a queen.

5. I am honored to be a mother and wish I had a dozen kids!

6. I like crafting but it sometimes take me forever to

complete a project. I'm getting better though. :)

7. Do I have to explain my email address -- smellychelli --

or is it self explanatory???

(Now Thork.... you only assume this about me. You don't really know!)

I'd just like to say, thanks Thork for doing all the work for me!! I will now cross the "Random List" off the posts that were hanging over my head.

OF COURSE!!!

I'm brilliant....

Just BRILLIANT!!!

I thought I was being so clever too.

n n n n n n n

I spent a lot of time

creating a new "code name" blog.

I worry and fret over what names

I am going to use

and whether I will remember

to use them when

I'm writing about my family.

I spent a lot of time

today creating a new email

account that didn't have my

last name on it so I

could send out the notice

to my friends and family.

You probably noticed, when you

got that email, that my

full name was on it, didn't you?

I don't know what happened.

I think g-mail superseded

my wishes and did what it

wanted to do.

All my precautions were for

NAUGHT!!!

I just have to ask you,

as a favor to me....

please delete that email

and forget what my real name is.

Thank you.