The Ozmerican Life

Wednesday is Vacuum Day. I do one part of cleaning every day...much easier that way. So Wednesday being vacuum day means Tuesday night is "get the house ready for vacuum day." Quaid and Ava were doing the toy room and Jentzen was told to go to his bedroom and clean up. I was cleaning up after dinner...isn't there some unspoken rule that the cook never cleans up? Hhhhmmmmm, I guess that rule doesn't apply in the Walkington's...anyway, from time to time...

"Jentzen, how are you doing up there?"

"Good."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep, I'm almost done!!"

Wow I thought, there is definitely no hurry in Jentzen's life. He's usually dragging behind, the last one to put his shoes on, the last one dressed, and he's been known to spread his three course dining over 2 1/2 hours. So when he said he was almost done, I was shocked!!

I ran up to find this...
Not bad at all! Not a toy in his room! But what I failed to mention is this was the sight right outside his door...

Yep, that's right...he just chucked everything out of his room all over the hallway! I couldn't be irritated at that. It was sort of ingenious. His room was perfectly clean...just like I asked him. I hadn't mentioned anything about the hallway. And as you can see from the hall...his room was quite a mess that was a lot of clearing out! He had indeed been working hard at it!

And the little vacuum himself...caught in action! Lesson learned...be a little more exact with my instructions.

Turns out...we are "those" parents after all.

We got a membership to the Children's museum for Christmas. And we hadn't gone yet. So we planned a trip on Friday night. I wanted to go with Nathan first to find it, see how it all works, etc. I decided to meet Nathan at school because it was after all right around the corner from Dunwoody in Minneapolis...you know, right on Wabasha and 7th...near 35 and 94.

Turns out...Wabasha is obviously NOT in Minneapolis....and it was 35E not 35W. So once again...I had the wrong city. Nathan a bit irritated with my mapping abilities, and with every right to be.

Last year we had gotten tickets to the Lion King at the Ordway. We took Quaid with us. So we parked, walked all the way there. We entered to a quiet building...hhhmmmm...maybe everyone else is not coming until 10 minutes before the show? NOT likely! I checked my tickets again. OOPS! :) The Orpheum...it was at the Orpheum...which is not in St. Paul, it's in Minneapolis...the farthest edge of Minneapolis in fact.

So me and my Twin Cities knowledge gets a bit mixed up.

So we finally made it all the way across town. The kids were pumped. We entered the first "room" display. China...it was all about China. No toys, nothing to climb on...boring. I think they put the boring educational ones first, otherwise no one would bother with it :) We moved on to the next room. Fun stuff about our world...grocery store, fire station, kitchen, post office, doctor's office. The kids were running around having a good time...and I did my count...1....2....3...kids. Three, that's not right.....1.....2.....3.....Yep that's it. Only 3 kids. Where was Jentzen. I looked at Nathan....nope...nothing. We look again...he is for sure not in this room. Nathan ran out looked around...came back...nothing. I went out to the lobby area...nothing. Nathan still running around. I saw the look on his face, it was not a pleasant one. Then I turn and there is a nice couple with kids of their own bringing Jentzen over to the edge to sit with one of the employees. He looked a little worried, not crying, not real scared. Just a little concerned.

"Jentzen! What were you doing?"

"I was just going to find the dinosaurs."

Which just happen to be two flights up. The nice couple...obviously able to watch their kids plus mine...told me they found him upstairs wondering around by the dinosaurs.

Nathan's advice to me, "Next time you come with him, bring a leash." As we continued to reel him in the entire evening. That boy knows what he wants to do....and the need for parental guidance is optional in his book!

This is Ava. This is Ava's hair. This is Ava electrocuted.

Not really but doesn't it look like it!! I am baffled. How on earth does her hair look like this when she gets up?? The sides perfect like a princess sleeping. The back...well there's just no words. She must lay on her back and then rub her head back and forth all night long, all while sleeping! Truly, I think it's a talent.

PS...Ava was NOT happy I was taking this picture. She was all excited when I was taking the camera out...she loves getting her picture taken. But when she asked why...I told her I was taking a picture of her crazy hair...NOT impressed. She somehow knew that meant she looked sort of funny. When is it that the feeling of embarrassment starts? I never taught her that.

From Quaid...

Guess we need to work on spelling a bit...but not bad for a 5 year old...

I suppose I will be making a stop on the way home from work today.

We are dog sitting for my bestie (that's a hip, trendy term...feels like I just shed 5 years just by using it!!) Deb and her hubby RW. They have Zeke, aka ZeketheFreak Rat Terrier:

Zeke's kind of a formal dog as you can see for the picture...always so put together, don't you think?

For those of you who know me...it goes against every possible belief I have about dogs...that is to actually let one in my house...let alone a sleepover...a 10 day sleepover! But Zeke has skimmied his way into my "acceptable dog" category. I don't mind Zeke, I kind of like him...Kind of, I only said kind of. He is quite amusing and makes me chuckle at his human like qualities and behaviors. And it's great fun to see him get taunted by the kids :)

So Deb and RW are lazing around Mexico for 10 days and we have Zeke. We promptly removed his jingly, jangly dog collar. Well truth be told, I came home from work on his first day with us and noticed he was not as noisy as usual.

Me: "Where's Zeke's collar?"

N: "I don't know...I never heard it all day."

Me: (thinking) "I know he had it on when I left."

N: "I haven't seen it."

Don't worry, I went up to put my PJ's on and found it laying on our bedroom floor, unlatched and all. Not sure how that happened...oh well! I wanted it off anyway...that jingle is enough to send you to the loony bin after a few hours!!

Zeke has made himself quite at home...sitting on all my pillows that the kids conveniently place on the floor and gives me the, "What you lookin at?" look.

He has figured out that Keira is most likely the one to share her lunch...and if he jumps up a little bit she'll stick her hand out for him to lick....they're lunch buddies. A behaviour I KNOW isn't allowed at his house...but hey, I'm the fun babysitter right?!?!?

So tonight we were eating dinner...Zeke right there darting from crumb to crumb snatching all he can.

Q: "When is Zeke's birthday?"

Me: "I don't know...maybe when Deb gets back we can ask her."

A: "Well why don't we just call her in Mexico?"

Me: "It's a long way away, it will cost a lot of money...we'll wait till she gets back."

A: "That's okay, we can call her."

Q: "No Ava! It's a lot of money we don't want to use a lot of money. Then we won't have any money to....(thinking)....to buy Chinese!!!!"

A: "That's okay, grandma can do that for us!"

It's good to know where Quaid's priorities are.

And we only forgot him outside in the freezing cold 2 out of 5 times...not bad in my book!

Never the less...I think Zeke is getting along just fine!

I actually did it again! I'm trying to be a fun mom. My sister was giving me a hard time because every time she calls, the kids tell her they are cleaning! Which it usually true...the first step is admitting you have a problem right? Yeah well I might have a problem!

Anyway, this was our craft day. Ava got this project for Christmas and has been begging me to do it...so today was the day...It was a lot of fun. You can't really play with it when you're done, and you shouldn't touch it much or it breaks. And Keira for sure shouldn't play with it, it didn't fair too well with a one year old...but it is pretty fun to do.

And the boys got to water color.
Such posers aren't they?

So when they tell me, "Mom, all we ever do is clean!" Sorry, I have photographic evidence that it's just not true!!

Yesterday morning I was finished with my morning chores...those chores included washing a load of laundry 3 times because I had ignored that little voice in my head that said, "You probably shouldn't wash Nathan's gasoline covered shop clothes with the rest of your laundry."

Anyway, I heard the kids jumping all around on the bean bag we got for our reading corner...



I ran upstairs and jumped right in with them, tickling and throwing them around. Quaid was not impressed. He and Ava were playing some sort of house game...had their beds set up...etc. Quaid is quite particular how he likes things and when he's frustrated with something he gets pouty...oh that reminds me...take a little trip off road with me...When we are doing school he usually gets things straight away. I tell him once and he has it. Not very many things give him trouble. But he is growing up and the more we learn the more it takes him a couple of times to get things. Counting by 5's for one thing...that poor boy...it's finally starting to click. But he had a rough time with it. So whenever he can't get something the first time...he gets mad at the page and huffily puts a big, strong, dark "X" over it with his pencil. As if to protest what's on the page. And then he huffs back down in his chair, arms crossed and all. It's quite funny...as if him making that mark on the page is going to change the fact that he does indeed need to do it...Big X and all. I have successfully learned how to combat that behavior and it doesn't get him very far and it rarely happens anymore...Just yesterday...those darn root words!

Ok, so back on the highway...did you enjoy your view? So he had finally had it with my tickling and tossing him around and he went storming off..half laughing because he knew he was having fun...what kid doesn't like to be tickled...and half mad because I had ruined his "house." I called him right back as just like in school, the huffy attitude doesn't last in our house. So he came to me crying and we has some cuddle time with a few leftover tears.

Keira looks up to see Quaid in tears...then immediately comes barreling over and throw herself up on the bean bag and claws her way to Quaid...she climbs right up on him and smacks on his chest for a cuddle. Then she climbs up further and tilts her head and reaches her neck around to get straight in his face and plants the biggest kiss on his cheek. We have been trying to get Keira to give kisses for quite some time. She usually just swats us away as if it's a game. But recently she has given a few away. So to see her do this on her own is new for her. And then she kissed him again, and again, and again. A real kiss...not one of those open mouthed drooling one that kids usually start out with. And every time Quaid turned his head in smiles she found his cheek again and again and laid her head right down on him and reached her little arms around him and Quaid returned the hug...by now...all smiles and giggles. It was so precious. She knew he was sad, and she wanted to help. There is a special bond between the older brother and the little sister.

I have many many memories of special time, just me and my brother Bob. Out of all of my siblings when I was little, he always had time for me and played around with me like a kid. As the youngest of 6...all my siblings played a different role in my life...and Bob, despite being 6 years older than me...still had a special bond with me! We did so many fun things together as kids...and seeing Keira and Quaid made me remember them all! And then I thought...if Quaid was in school he would miss all this. He would not have had that moment with Keira. I love that my kids are all together making memories together...no one is missing out.

In the middle of that kissing attack...Ava tried to get in on it. She reached to grab Keira and pull her over. Oh NO! Miss Keira was having none of that. She swatted Ava away and grabbed on even tighter to Quaid and more kisses continued. It was Quaid who needed her and she was there for him!

There is nothing sweeter than seeing your kids love on each other and take care of one another.