The Ozmerican Life

Keira's hair that is...It still irritates me every time I look at her and see 1/8" bangs all across the front of her head. It's okay, it's my issue...I'll get over it. It will grow back...in about 5 years I'm guessing.

Jentzen told Nathan about another kid in his MMA class, (they are the same size and are always partners when they are both there) "I could choke him out and probably snap his arm!"

His other buddy there is the instructor's little boy. He's only 4 so he doesn't participate in the actual class yet, but I'm sure he knows a thing or two. They play together before and after class. It might be the other kid saying that about Jentzen soon :)

Quaid got a remote control helicopter from Uncle Bob (thanks!) and now Nathan has morphed back into his inner child and wants to get one of his own.

Ava got games for Christmas...I can't wait to play them with her....Saturday. I'll be done working on Saturday :)

And do brothers have to help so it's more than just one little snip? There just happens to be some out of the side too...both sides.

We went to Deb's house for the Survivor Finale.

We cancelled our cable a year ago because we didn't watch much TV and when you live in the sticks like we do, you don't even get the local channels without one heck of an antennae, which we don't have.

I asked CBS if the would be kind enough to send us a DVD of the last episode so we could watch it with the rest of the world. They said no. Something about the last hour being LIVE would create a bit of a technical problem....Besides the great company, we used our friends for their TV :)

My kids were happy to find a present for each one of them under the Christmas tree upon arrival.

Keira's present: A doll, not just any doll....a doll named "Wipey, Dipey" Need I say more, I think not.

I showed Ava how to email this morning....

How to click 'New' for a new message.

How to find the right contact.

Where to start typing the message.

How to send the message.

How to know when someone writes her back.

And the most important....how to write "Love Ava" at the end of everything she types...just to save a little confusion that might arise from my contact list.

So if you're lucky enough to be on my contact list...I apologize ahead of time :)

So my kids have the stink eye, I mean pink eye. It's all the same. They should rename it...because it stinks! Pretty sure I'd rather have my kids puking!

Luckily Quaid came down with it this morning. Four out of four...we're perfect over here at the Walkington's!

Yesterday we had our home school co-op. We only have it every other Thursday so missing a day is like missing a month. But thinking of the others, I decided to have a quality afternoon with Ava in the foyer keeping her as far from the others as I could. She had a bit of stink eye leftovers...I'm thoughtful like that...sometimes :)

They were having a Christmas party, Irish Tea, and lots of fun. But we came prepared. We had colors, books, and cards. What could be better?

The part that really warmed my heart is that Ava didn't complain one bit. When I told her what we were going to do, she jumped and cheered. The thought of an afternoon with just her and her mom playing cards and hanging out out weighed the other fun things she could have been doing. If she had a choice...she would have chose me. And being one who values the very same thing...I was a happy momma!

I love that she values quality time...I love that she really wants to connect with people. When someone is unhappy, she wants to help. I hope she always values people over anything else.

Quaid and Jentzen were playing outside in the snow this afternoon for well over an hour. Ahh the silence. Ava was seated right next to me stirring Tapioca pudding over the stove for about 45 minutes. Why they even sell Tapioca I'm not sure. Who would ever do this if they didn't have to?

Why did I do it, you ask? I am in an all out effort to empty my pantry and freezer before I buy any more food other than perishables. Nathan's mom was kind enough to buy a package of Tapioca, make something creamy with Tapioca when she was here nearly two years ago...and proceed to leave half the package. It's been sitting in my pantry ever since. Tapioca is disgusting.

But it's been bothering me, sitting there way back in the dark recesses of my pantry. I have this thing about throwing food away. To me it's like taking a perfectly crisp $1 or $5 bill and just tossing it in the garbage. It's exactly the same thing, and I can't stand doing it. I get it from my dad. He was one of those that would eat whatever was left at the end of dinner just for the sake of not throwing it away. His actual need or hunger didn't have anything to do with it. I now do the same thing. Thanks dad.

The Tapioca is done, I think.....I'm not really sure. I know for a fact it's going to be disgusting no matter what. Nathan on the other hand, has a 50/50 chance of actually liking it. It better be the right side of the 50...or I just wasted 45 minutes of my life that I'll never get back all for him to say, "Yuck." And if that's the case, maybe I'll throw it at his face...1.)It would be hilarious and 2.) Then I would feel like it wasn't really wasted.

I wasn't going to go here but I just had to. This story needs to be documented so my grand kid's grand kids lives will be complete....

We were in Australia, circa December 2003. Anthony had just come home from receiving a speeding ticket, I think maybe it came in the mail. In Australia they have speed cams, so one day you just get a ticket in the mail with your beautiful mug shot. Anyways we were just sitting around the table eating pastries, (not me, I feel the same way about them as I do Tapioca) Melanie was doing what any good wife would do. Kindly instruct her husband that he knew there were speed cameras along that particular road, if he loses any more points on his license he won't actually have a license anymore, that she doesn't want to take the blame for his "oversight" of his knowledge of those speed cameras...and was just about to start on something else he "needed" to hear...when from across the table.....SPLAT! Right on Melanie's face went a vanilla slice.

For you Americans who have no idea what a vanilla slice is...it's a layered cream filled pastry thing that is highly coveted and adored by nearly every Australia I've ever met...and my sister Laura :)

Melanie had cream and bits of pastry flakes all over her face, in her hair and over the front of her shirt. Evidently Anthony had heard enough. I won't say the word "nag", but Anthony might have mentioned it prior to slice slinging. We all stopped, stunned at what just actually happened. Did he really just throw that at her....did it really hit her square in the face? Yes. Yes it did. And we were laughing hysterically at her. She....ummm....was not laughing quite so much.

We still tell the story...neither of them will ever live that one down.

Well that wasn't exactly where this was going, but I think it turned out okay. What I meant to go with was the fact that my boys were playing in the snow all day together. They came in wanting hot chocolate. After my hour stirring creamy yuckiness, I was in no shape to be whipping up some Hot Milo. They did it themselves, promising to clean it all up.

I was sitting in another room listening to them work together, listening to them count out their marshmallows, listening to the squirt of whip cream in a can. And listening to them laugh and enjoy it together. I love that they get to spend their days together.

An afterthought...does Tapioca expire?? I hope not!