The Ozmerican Life

My goal was really to post something every day...I've already missed a day on the 2nd of January!! I have to say....all for good reason. A rematch of 500 with Deb and RW. How on earth did I get Nathan "the game hater" to play yet another night of cards so close to the last??

The ultimatum...

Me: "So honey, so are you ready for tonight?"

(Earlier in the day Nathan had sent me an email saying we should go over our budget for the year...something I knew was going to be extremely helpful for the rest of the conversation I had planned.)

Nathan: (with a huge disappointing eye roll) "Yeah Sure"

Me: "Well you have an option. We can talk money....or....Deb and Wayne want a rematch."

Nathan: (answering way more quickly than I had expected) "A rematch is fine."

I couldn't believe my ears...I had victoriously found something Nathan hated more than cards!! So do you think I can threaten him the budget talk every week??

For those of you wondering, the outcome of this second match is still not over...we had to quit at 11:30pm....Although I have to admit it's looking a bit dreary for Nathan and I......

On a kid note for yesterday a few little snipits of humor....

Ava comes down the stairs dressed in her "good clothes." (At our house all of their good clothes are in the closet hung up and their play clothes are in a dresser...so they always know what to put on and can dress themselves.)

Me: "Ava why do you have your good clothes on?"

Ava: "Because I want to go somewhere."

Me: "We're not going anywhere today."

Ava: "But I have my good clothes on!!!"

As if the fact of her putting her good clothes on was going to convince me to go somewhere!! Try again honey!!

I have to admit, since little #4 came along...I venture out for church on Sundays and that's about it...so the kids are stuck in the house pretty much every day. They are used to me working 2 days a week and going to Bible study one other day a week...so this change of life has thrown them a bit.

On New Year's Day I decided to make a change in my daily routine. I figured public schools are closed so "The Walkington Home School" was going to be closed too.

(I have started to homeschool Quaid and Ava every day for about an hour....well Ava lasts about 15 minutes, but still is desperate to do it every day. Quaid really does like it, never complains about it, and has fun doing it....remember that for the following conversation so you don't feel bad for him.)

Ava: "Mom when are we going to do school?"

Me: "I'm taking a vacation from school today."

Ava: "Where are you going? Can I come with?"

Me: "I'm not going anywhere. It just means that we are not doing school today, I'm on a vacation from school."

Ava: (thinking thoughtfully for a moment) "Yeah but I want to come with you."

Me: "Ava, all I meant was that we're not going to do school today."

Quaid: (with a big sigh) "Oh good mom, now I don't have to be cranky and tired!"

That probably came from the day before when he was learning to write his "K's" Who knew that letter was so tricky!

Jentzen last night added a little humor to our evening as well...at least Deb thought so! (You know how it's always funny when it's someone else's kid.....)

They were all crowded around Wayne and the garbage carefully sharpening all their colored pencils...when Ava and Jentzen decided that they both needed the same colored pencil. So obviously there was some screaming, grabbing, and fighting happening. I gave them the mom, "Hey" and nothing happened so I got up and took all of them away and they both lost all rights to colored pencils for the rest of the night. I explained that Ava was screaming and not sharing and Jentzen was grabbing and not asking properly.

Jentzen turns to me, stands firmly scrunches his little eyebrows with a very angry look....(which is absolutely the cutest thing ever!! You know in that cute but not so cute way that kids misbehave that you have to turn your head and laugh) He flings his arm straight out with his finger pointing right at me and yells, "Mad at you mommy!"

So of course I go promptly to grab him up take him to a different room to "talk about his behaviour." As he does every time he knows he's in trouble and I'm about to grab him....He looks at me with this melted sweet and innocent look with the softest voice, "sorry, mommy?" Oh son of mine....that's a little too late.

Ava always has questions....ALWAYS...she always ask the obvious and questions she already knows the answer to...I think she just likes making conversation.

So yesterday we were going around the room as we often do..."Who loves mommy?" And they all yell, "I do!! I do!!" (Aren't I sneaky making sure they don't forget it!!) We do that with all the family members. So yesterday I say, "Who loves Ava?" Quaid and I yell, "I do! I do!" Ava decided to chime in with this response pertaining to herself as well.

Ava: "I love myself mom."

Me: "That's good Ava, you should love yourself because God made you very special."

Ava: "How did He make me mom?"

Me: (trying to skirt around the question...she is only 3) "Very carefully Ava."

Ava: (with a huff of frustration) "I know carefully mom,(with a "duh" kind of expression) but how did He stick the head on?"

As you can see what answer I give every time something like this comes up..."carefully" won't work for long with her!!

Me: (thinking quickly) "In mommy's tummy just like baby Keira."

No response...oh good...a satisfying answer...at least for now!!