We're all a little Loony

Today I am going to explain the origin of the nicknames for our children. It only takes two words... Tiny Toons

John = Tazmanian Devil because he leaves messes everywhere he goes.

Emily= Montana Max(ine) because she screams and yells all the time.

Olivia = Gogo because she's insane.

Ella = Furball because I am Alvira who is always loving and squeezing Furball and never leaving him (in this case, her) alone.

Jason is Buster Bunny because John thinks his daddy is the coolest guy in the show.

I'm up late, with nothing to do but blog, and I can't think of anything to write about. Maybe I'll go post on foodie babies about all the yummy dinners I've made lately.

Just to learn to be a parrot

I flatter myself by thinking some of you may want to know how school has been going for us. I guess I'd have to say that all depends on the moment ...

This is Taz when he "just can't handle it right now!"

We have done some really fun activities, like measuring our hallway with unifix (is that what they're called? I don't know...) cubes, and making a "barn" on the bunk beds that we read Charlotte's Web in.

But The Tazmanian Devil is still kinda having a hard time with all the practice reading and writing. Oliver DeMille would scold me for all the structured content I've put in the school schedule, and Susan Wise Bauer would say there's not enough!

How about what Mommy (aka Alvira) would say??? I think we're playing it by ear to tailor my child's curriculum to exactly what he needs. And he's doing great.

We've already seen some improvement in his handwriting, solving problems that he suffered with all through kindergarten. He just needed the one-on-one attention and encouragement. He is reading fairly well, I wish he was better, but I really can't force him. I want him to continue to like learning, so I'm just trying not to push so much that he begins to dread school time.

The girls are sorta-kinda-maybe adjusting to the new schedule. They all want my attention ALL THE TIME no matter what and school time doesn't seem to be any different. Furball usually naps during the bulk of school time and that helps. It's most bothersome when I'm trying to help Taz with his reader and his handwriting. They don't want to sit and listen/watch, but they wont go play on their own, either. Some days are better than others. With math, science, and history they are pretty involved in what we're doing, I just tailor it to them. They all LOVE being read to. That makes things A LOT easier, we do A LOT of sitting and reading... science books, history books, poems, fairy tales, children's scriptures, etc.

The only thing that's certain is that mommy has NO TIME!! And I make time to do the things I want to do (like blogging) by ignoring things that are much more important. That's why I don't blog as much as I would like to. That, and I'm having trouble thinking of my fun song-lyric-blog-post-titles.

I'll come to her by night,

So, last night I had a dream that I was pregnant again. I didn't know the definition of NIGHTMARE until now.
I guess if we had another one, I'd just add her ('cause that seems to be the gender trend) to our little conveyor belt

not a new concept, but very effective.


On a sidenote... I wish I were as cool as Chrissy (and so do my girls).

Try the gray stuff, it's delicious

Furball got her first rice cereal today. And in my new granola style, it was organic whole grain brown rice. Aren't you proud of me???

She really liked it. I like this picture, I think it captures her "Mom, stop taking pictures and come feed me!" face very well.

And there's the cereal all over her face.

She was funny - she would suck on the spoon like a Binky to get the cereal off.

After she was done with cereal, I gave her a favorite treat... wet paper towel. (always a hit)

In other news....
We set up bunk beds for Taz and Montana Maxine. No broken bones yet, but I did catch the Tazmanian Devil jumping off the top bunk. We're in for it!

Furball experienced bubbles for the first time the other day - she was fascinated!

It was pretty hot and sunny outside that day. But I've made sure my kids have good fashion sense no matter what. They are so in the NOW!

She's got a ticket to ride

not for long
I just got my second ticket in a month. I was going 45 in a school zone. Only I didn't realize it was a school zone right away, and when I did I slowed down. But Officer Fisk had already nailed me. I asked him to let mo off the hook all sweet like, but I think that only works in the movies.
My other ticket was for rolling through a stop sign in LAKE LA!! Who knew there were cops out here? So two tickets, + a rear-end accident ~9 months ago = three offenses in one year. Does that mean I get my license suspended? I'm hoping once I do traffic school for the speeding one, it won't.

I wonder if Chuck E. Cheese could have convinced Officer Fisk to let me off the hook...
I guess Jason's been right all this time, I'm a crazy driver.

I like speed.