Category Archives: Parenthood

so you’re telling me the vice president is a penis?

Ethan called Andrew a “dick” today. My husband heard him and called him in the room to discuss this with him. We all sat down and Tony started talking. This is how the conversation went.
Tony: Ethan, do you know what dick means?
*andrew and ethan cracking up laughing*
Tony: this isn’t funny.
*I start laughing*
Tony: ok, y, you’re not helping.
Me: sorry, you’re right.
Tony: Ok, do you know what it means?
Ethan: no?? *laughing*
Andrew: then how come you were laughing when you said it ethan?
Ethan: shutup andrew!
Tony: ok, dick can be a mans name, like the vice presidents name is Dick Cheney.
Andrew: his name is dick! *laughs*
me: *laughs*
Ethan:*laughs*
Tony:*tries not to laugh*
Tony: but, it can also be a bad word, it’s another name for penis, so you just called your brother a penis.
Ethan:*falls to the floor laughing* so people name their babies penis?
Andrew: you called me a penis. *laughs*
Tony: well, dick is a nickname for richard.
Ethan: daddy said dick.
Andrew: *laughs*
me: TONY, GIVE IT UP!!!!! JUST TELL HIM NOT TO SAY DICK ALREADY AND BE DONE WITH IT.

I’m not smiling, I have gas.

I have a problem.
I find it hard not to laugh when my kids are getting in trouble or being smart asses.
My husband gets upset when I do this, but I can’t help but laugh at some of the things they say. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think rude behavior is acceptable and I don’t let them get away with it, but there are many times when they say things that are totally out of line but funny as hell and I have to run out of the room, or put something in front of my face so they can’t see me laughing.

Luckily, Tony doesn’t find it as funny, so he can take over when I can’t handle it. I just wish I had the control he does.

Never again.

I went with Ethan’s class to the Los Angeles Zoo. Let me just say this.
I hate the zoo. I mean i hate it!!
It’s boring, it stinks, you have to walk too damn much, it’s boring, it’s hot, it’s boring, it’s dirty, it’s boring.
After an hour Ethan was crying that “his ankle hurt, his legs were tired, the animals ‘weren’t doing anything’, he was hungry, he was thirsty, blah blah blah. I enjoyed spending the day with him and tried to make it as positive of an experience as possible, but I HATED EVERY SECOND OF IT.
Why would anyone go there voluntarily? I love animals and all, but to see a big ass elephant confined to a small cage, or a seal in a tank of water as big as my bathtub just seems cruel… and then there’s all that WALKING just to see ONE gorilla sleeping for 5 minutes. I don’t get it. I will never go back, ever.

Happy Birthday To My First Baby.

Today is my baby’s 10th birthday. I have a lot to say about it, but I have to go surprise him with his favorite lunch (chicken crispers from Chilis). I already took cupcakes and punch for the class earlier and embarassed him by making his classmates count out while I kissed him 10 times in front of everyone! Now it’s time to surprise him with some good food!

Alright, stay tuned for my sappy, “I can’t believe my baby is 10” post! 😉

Making Art With My Boys

Today after work I surprised my boys and took them to a little place called Art Attack. It’s a great little place where you can take kids to paint ceramic pieces. You pick the piece you want, then there’s a little room in the back with all the paint and supplies you need.
It took my boys a few minutes to decide on the piece they wanted but they finally decided on these cute little fish. They let you eat and drink in their while you’re painting, so about 15 minutes into painting, they were dying of thirst. Of course, I didn’t have any cash ( I never carry it) so we had to leave our stuff there, find an atm and get something to eat and drink. We grabbed some hot dogs and cokes at a little deli and headed back to finish painting.
Andrew and Ethan both took the painting very seriously. I had the best time watching them take their time, choosing which colors they wanted to use. I loved how they would ask me for advice on which color I thought they should use and how every 5 minutes they would turn to me and ask me if I liked it or if I thought they were doing a good job.
It’s the simple things like this that I love about being the mother of these two amazing little boys. I watched them take these plain white, little ceramic fish, with no color, no personality. With every stroke of the brush, they were making it their very own little masterpiece, adding their favorite colors and with each stroke it became a little more beautiful and unique. I thought of how being a parent is kind of like that. You are blessed with these little creatures, they come into your life and each day, like the stroke of the brush adding paint to the ceremic, you help form the unique individual this child will become. You instill the values that you hold dear, yet try to teach them to be their own person. It’s a beautiful thing watching these little babies, grow into beautiful, colorful human beings who bring joy and laughter to your life and to so many others.

Anyway, they have to fire and glaze their pieces so we won’t get them back until Friday. I’ll be sure to take some pictures to show off what great painters my boys are!

*sniff*

This morning Andrew woke up to find $5.00 from the toof fairy. Ethan saw it and started to cry. I asked him why he was crying, he said “because Andrew has more dollars than me.”

I sat down next to him and explained that’s how life works and he would be getting visits from the tooth fairy very soon. As I was talking, Andrew walked over, handed Ethan a dollar bill and said “here you go, Ethan, you can have one.” Ethan got the biggest smile on his face and thanked his brother.

I grabbed Andrew and hugged him and told him he just made me very happy. Then, I turned to Ethan and asked if he knew why his brother gave him the dollar.

“Because he loves me, mommy and wants me to be happy.”

That made my day.

Until they broke out in a fist fight over breakfast.

brothers.

my boys love to fish. they go with their dad every couple months, but this day i decided to go with them. i am so glad i went. i did a little fishing myself, but mostly, i sat and i watched them. i can’t explain it, but it was the most amazing feeling watching them stand there, talking to each other, or just being quiet, waiting for a fish to bite, realizing they were not only brothers, but had become best friends. it was incredible and when i look at this picture i am reminded of how sweet it is to watch your boys grow and become little men right before your eyes.