Like a rowboat for the flood

Captain's Log
Stardate: Saturday, Feb 28
The Mall

I got ambitious and took the kids to the mall Saturday. Alone. It had to be done. The big one needed soccer cleats and a new nosepad for his glasses and Todd was in Houston.

Soccer store: Success (if you don't count the little one screaming SOCCER SHOES, SOCCER SHOES, SOCCER SHOES until we handed him one to hold)

Lenscrafters: Success

Lunch: Er, well. The kids chose to have Sonic. Remember my Sonic post from back when? Well, they wanted Sonic and it seemed like that had matured enough to have Sonic cups :-). The first thing the big one does is poke a hole in his with the sample toothpick from Rollerz. While I'm getting a new cup the little one jams both thumbs through his Sonic cup. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

I tried to get him out of his stroller and the puddle of Watermelon slush the back-heavy stroller dumps over backwards and the slush puddle goes flying, the stoller crashes and my diaper bag lands with an ungraceful thud on the dirty mall floor. The lady sitting at the table next to us with her 5 (I'm not even kidding) clean kids, offers me a sympathetic smile and a napkin.

I get it.

Really, I do.

But from my sweaty point of view with the soaking baby on the hip it was so absurd that I couldn't even be gracious...

Thanks mall. We'll see you in about 10 years...

I'm okay!

You'll have to excuse my shrill voice - concrete floors in the house will do that and you'll have to excuse the dim lighting. It's because it's SO DIM that Todd even allowed me to share this video.

Of course, I'm proud that the little one RIDES A SCOOTER at 22 months, but that's not the funny part. You have to suffer through watching the little one "throw" the soccer ball to hear Teeks in the background crash and yell afterwards. It's so funny that I die laughing every time I listen. Comedy genuis... Oh and the little one riding a scooter is pretty cool, too.


I'm Okay! on Vimeo.

After I re-read "Hey Tracy" I realized that perhaps I came off all American Gothic and preachy - but I was raised in the South...and I am just partial to good manners. :-) AND I think that if a 6 year old calls me by my first name the boundaries of authority are somehow blurred...that's all.

Hey Tracy

"Hey Tracy!"

Something I hear at least 20 times per day. And it doesn't phase me one bit. Unless the voice is pre-pubescent and coming from a child in TK's class or from our neighbor across the street.

The first time our 1st grade neighbor said "Hey Todd" we both fell out laughing...and then Todd said "Um, it would make me feel better if you said Mr. Todd or Mr. W. Would that be okay?" "Sure Todd."

I have never thought of myself as old-fashioned and I still don't think I am, but there's something about kids calling adults by their first names that really bugs me. Is it too much trouble for you to teach your kids to use respect when addressing adults? At age 6 you are not my peer...I've got a few years on you.

Things

Just some things - in no particular order

• If you aren't a coach, please don't wear coaching shorts. Especially if it's *obvious* you aren't a coach. Coaching shorts are barely acceptable for real coaches.
• TK asked me last night what "government grants" were and "what did qualify mean and how do you do it". Time to turn the TV off, son.
• I never went to sleep last night. Unfortunately, it wasn't because I was out having fun - it was because I took a Sudafed 24 hr at 11:00 pm. I'm still not tired.
• I'm not surprised that my relatively new camera is broken and being held together with black duct tape. You might be a redneck...
• I have a 6 year old. Last night I was watching the kids eat dinner with no assistance and I started crying. I think it's because they are growing up so fast. Todd quickly said "That's how my cousin ended up with 6 kids - you need to dry your tears, like right now - we don't have room for 6 kids" :-) He's right - but it's sad.
• TK - my kindergartner has a school dance this Friday night. Yes, a dance. K-2 brings cookies, 3-5 brings drinks. I'm laughing just thinking about it. TK told me this morning to "watch his sweet dance moves" and proceeded to have what looked like some sort of seizure...

That's all for now. The drama happens around the clock here now so it's hard to figure out what's worth blogging about :-)

TTFN!