All the rice you can eat ?!
My Step-Daughter Shannon “let” us babysit for my granddaughter starting at 6:30 am today. The little one is oh so cute and really easy to watch except she bosses all of us around. (it’s still adorable but ask again in a few years) She sat on my lap to watch her TV shows and had a special eyes in the back of the head sense that knew when I was trying to close my eyes….Like I said…6:30am! Her mom works and goes to school so we don’t get to see her as often as we’d like but today we got a special treat. I got a phone call later in the day asking if we’d like to go to the Chinese Buffet with them. Heck yeah, No need to ask twice. The boys had never been and I’m sure believed Chinese food only gets delivered in little white boxes. When I told Ian about it he said…Rice? As much as we can eat? Whoo Hooo!!!!! Rice? the poor boy. I have deprived him. If you haven’t been there….The Chinese Buffet is warehouse sized. There must have been at least 7 double sided buffet lines and people scampering everywhere to make sure they are well stocked including a fresh sushi bar. I told the boys to try anything and everything they ever wanted to. We had a lot of firsts on our table. Hayden ate lots of crab legs, and Caleb finally tried sushi (hated the sticky rice..ended up trying to flick it off his fingers like a….well…like a….he said booger ewww I know but it was funny). Ian, well, Ian came back with something different every time. No food was wasted as they ate like they had been starving. One of my highlights was when they kept sneaking back to the table with a fortune cookie…They really thought they were sneaking…I had to remind them it was part of the buffet and paid for….The floodgates were open on the fortunes after that! The night began with rubbing Buddha’s belly for luck and ended with wishes in the koi pond. We had a great time and they have declared this their new favorite restaurant. One more new experience down…a million and two to go!
Palos Heights Pool
The boys are finally out of school for the summer and we can concentrate on what’s important. FUN IN THE SUN. I work nights so Summertime is great for family activities. We can spend a whole day doing things before I have to get ready to go in. Time is not an issue. It’s the money and motivation that I struggle with. Today was met with inclement weather predictions and was a little cloudy but ohhhh so Hoooootttt! We decided to go ahead with plans to swim until the rain shut us down. Well, we arrived in the parking lot and the sun came out in full force. Amazing! I found a chaise in the shade (ok. so I pushed it deep into the shade) opened a book and pointed the boys to the slides and diving board. They stayed busy for over three hours before whining for Taco Bell. The prices were inexpensive the pool was sparkling clean and well staffed and the snack bar was open for business. Not a single complaint…until we got home and realized that while still in the shade of an evergreen I was just as sunburned as the kids. See, I can always find something! Kids already want to go back tomorrow…We’ll see…….I still have a few dollars left over!
Palos Heights Pool 7607 W. College Drive Palos Heights, Il 60643
Male Role Models
I try to be a strong role model for the boys but…I’m just a girl. Not meant as a sexist remark, woman can do anything but… there are a lot of things I don’t know how to do or just plain don’t want to do. I can teach them how to do things I enjoy like cook, I can teach them how to enjoy reading..(working on that still) But, some stuff….is just best learned by hanging out with the guys. Biggest brother does like to hang with the little bros but doesn’t live here (grown and moved out…boo) So, we get male role models where we can. Hayden(reading over my shoulder) is reminding me that male role models are around but they seem to be the bad ones. ahem…Well, I have been trying in vain to get someone to help me finish painting the trim in my living room/dining room . I had two people start…and stop, several times as a matter of fact. I don’t like painting, I’m bad at it. I’m sloppy and well, I just hate it in general. A cousin was telling me her 17 year old son Mike was looking for work. Whoo Hooo…I have a sucker. I mean a volunteer to help me finish up. We worked out the details and I kept him for a whole Saturday. He was great. He not only did a great job but he let the boys help him with the patience of a saint. When he was done he even let the boys take him outside to burn ants with a magnifying glass (I know…ewww… But it’s a thing a boys got to do right?) When the day was through Ian asked Mike if he would like to be adopted. I explained that he already had loving parents who would miss him and he was already pretty much grown at 17. Ian then made sure Mike understood that I wouldn’t be adopting him, Ian would adopt him and be his dad. Oh so cute. Family, patient and handy! Wow! I already have new home improvement projects in mind for the next time I’m lucky enough for him to have a free day!
Vampire Watcher Said What?
Ian has been begging to watch New Moon from the…yes, The Twilight Series. It came in for me as a hold at the library and I knew that Ian would be ecstatic. He loves monsters ALL monsters. He is a man’s man..well, at least as manly as you can get at 7. Well, wait…his favorite color is pink…But in his defense he says “Yeah, you want to make somethin’ of it” ready to fight when he has to defend his choice and he likes to dance…but…uhhh yeah…other than that… We gather around on movie nights, spread out on the floor and couches and watch. We watched Twilight a while back. Did you see that one? Of course every person on the planet probably has by now. Well there is a scene where Edward grabs Bella, throws her on his back, jumps out his bedroom window and starts to scale a tree at a high rate of speed. Well, Ian…layin’ back with his hands behind his head says…”I wish I was a girl!” There was silence in the room. Even from his brothers. I said…What? Surely I was losing my hearing faster than I thought…I quietly said…You want to be a girl?…He said…Yeah, That way I could have a Vampire for a pet! Grin on my face at my precious baby boy, I explained that boys could have girl vampires as pets. He was satisfied with my answer…Cool…another crisis pushed back for another day.
Top 5 Things You Don’t Want To Hear Shouted From Your Backyard!
It’s officially Summer in the City and we are looking for ways to keep cool. This big ‘ol house was awesome when we moved in last fall but now that the heat is here…and with no air conditioning….Ouch! It doesn’t matter how big the windows are when it’s only blowing in more heat. I did think ahead a little bit and one of the gifts tucked inside their Easter Basket this year was a Banzai Kamikaze Blast Slide. We pulled it out from under the bed for its maiden run. I remember slip and slides from my youth…long strips of plastic with the hose laying on it or someone spraying you right? Well, these are a thing of the past. This model is a modest one but the pics…well, who could resist. Well, I’m telling you they must have a heck of a water pressure to make it spray like the photo because ours paled in comparison (there really is poor water pressure here). Well, got it set up…Audience ready… Camera ready.. Boys Lined Up….Running leap….and now…the top 5 things you don’t want to hear shouted from your backyard.
No. 5 SH*&^!!!! Sh*&%!!!! Shi*&!!!!!!! (yikes! you get the idea?) The water was really COLD!
No. 4 (second run) Ahhhhh!!!! I think I broke my B%^@ (inset mainly parts here that share a name with a round bouncing toy)
No. 3 We need more dish soap to make it faster! NO….Even MORE!!!!!
No. 2 I’m gonna take a running leap from the top of the stairs!
No. 1 You guys line up at the end there like bowling pins!
We have to move the slide around the yard each day because after about 30 minutes the catching end is a mud puddle…making it even MORE appealing to them…NOT me. They’re used to the cold water now and look forward to it. It’s easy, it’s in the back yard. I do think I’ll have to look for some foam padding or something to put under it. I’m not going to be complaining…too much. Well, maybe. I mean…why stop now?
Naked Lady Alert!
We drive past this Antique/Used Furnature store almost every single day. Leaning against the fence in the side lot is a large plaster garden statue. Well, it happens to be a Greek statue of a nude woman. Who knows how they came about seeing it that very first time but…THEY DID!. Ever since, whenever we go by, someone…sometimes even me will yell “Naked Lady Alert”! and we all look over and giggle…Little boys, so much fun. In the interest of expanding their horizons to new experiences, I figured instead of driving by, we had to make enough time to stop. The isles are crowded, the store is full to bursting its seams. It claims to be an “antique” store but most of the items I saw could be found at a local estate sale so I felt comfortable taking the boys in. There are even items stored out front on the sidewalk and in a backyard of sorts. It was an adventure. I’ve been in the store by myself, but it’s always different seeing it through the eyes of your kids. We meandered for a while before making it to….The Naked Lady… When we did there was a few hands over their eyes and nervous furtive glances. I don’t think a one of them actually took a good look at it. I’m sure I’ll regret sending them down this road one day. But for now…for today it was fun.
David McClain Antiques 2716 w. 111th Street Chicago, IL 60655
Riley’s Trick Shop
We LOVE going to Riley’s Trick Shop. Each time we go it’s a new adventure. The kids look forward to going because, as a small family owned shop, they always greet you with a smile and are always pleased to let the kids explore as long as they’d like. My kids will ask to see just about everything demonstrated and they have yet to lose patience even once. This place is wall to wall costumes and novelties. If you can’t find something you want there it’s because you haven’t opened your eyes. Even the ceiling is dripping with hats and masks. You can spend a lot of money in there but you don’t have too. The kids always walk away with a trick or a gag and the smile they get is a mile wide. Here are some of the pics of one visit there. Ian asked for a pad of gigantic dollar bills, Hayden got a trick spill cup and Caleb ended up with a can of exploding worms…Classic! I wouldn’t let them get the can of fart spray! They got to smell it through the can because the owner said it really works and it’s vile so NO spraying it in the store. LOL I’ve been going there since I was a little kid. I’m not sure who enjoys going there more. Even my oldest and I stopped in when he came for his last visit home. You are never too young or too old for Riley’s.
Riley’s Trick Shop 6442 W. 111th Street Worth, IL 60482
“ANYPLACE” Is A Destination
Mirriam- Webster lists Destination as:
1 : the purpose for which something is destined
2 : an act of appointing, setting aside for a purpose, or predetermining
3 : a place to which one is journeying or to which something is sent 4 : a place worthy of travel or an extended visit
Kids just want to have fun…(those of us from the ’80′s should just break into Cyndi Lauper here) My children just want to GO. It doesn’t matter where or how long they just want OUT. When asked where they want to go? The answer is generally ANYPLACE. It’s not hard to get them to go…It’s hard once we get there of course! I want my kids to experience different places, see new faces, and I want them to learn how to behave when we get there. Kids like to eat out but how many times do we opt for the drive through when we can make time to actually go IN? When did our lives get so busy that we can’t just stop at the park that we drive by instead of head home to watch TV or jump on the computer?
The simplest places become a DESTINATION place when you go there on purpose. Show a little enthusiasm and even McDonald’s can be a destination. I always almost always have my camera with me. When kids have their picture taken they know its a special event right? I’ll post the places I go to here on my blog. If you’d like you can search by terms or the zip code. Yes, I live in Chicago but even if you can’t go to these places maybe you can find something like it in your neighborhood too. Just GO! Take the kids and make it a memory.
If you own or work at a “Destination” that you would like us to visit please contact me and we will see what we can do to feature our visit right here on my blog.
Twas The Night Before Mother’s Day
Twas the day before Mother’s Day and all through the house.The boys were all wrestling as mom was not about. The rain and the wind kept them inside all day, when boredom stepped in and caused them to say…. Play ball in the house what a splendid idea, chase and tag even better or wrestling…whatever.
Grandma was busy and caught just the scatter as brother on brother went down in a clatter . A bump on the head oh what a disaster, An aspirin or ambulance or more serious a matter?
A call to my work caused my heart beat to miss, What to do, what to do…Ah I know…call my Sis! She rushed from her house to the home of a neighbor, a paramedic by trade to ask for a favor.
Down the sidewalk they flew gauze and tape in their wake. Good wishes to God that it’s all it would take.Just a bump and a bruise, gauze to hold ice in place was turned into a turban that put a smile on his face.
The ice is all melted the headache now gone. One more injury behind us…until the next morn.
Natural Disasters
Fourth grade will be the death of me. Hayden came home with yet another research project due. This one is on the Natural Disaster of his choosing. The teacher listed several examples, tornado, volcano, hurricane, tsunami. etc..well, Hayden said he wanted to do one not listed. He had his mind set on an earthquake and not just any earthquake. A very specific earthquake. I said..really, which one? San Francisco, Mexico City, Hatti? He said No, none of those. I want to do mine on the earthquake in Hades (Hay-Dees). I gave him a puzzled look and said you know that Hades is another name for Hell right? He reply was classic…I KNOW MOM! DUH! I heard them talk about it on the NEWS. My mom jumped on his bandwagon and said hey, I bet we could use the Bible as a resource. They tagged teamed me I tell ya. I told them we couldn’t find any pictures we could print out that were larger than his hand (requirement) or the requisite video splice to show his class. I’m such a party pooper. Now he has to do just a regular ‘ol earthquake…like for example HATTI… (HAY - TEE)
This isn’t the first time that slight hearing loss has given way to a funny misunderstanding. There was one time when he was younger he panicked because I told him he didn’t need a bath one night. He told me yes he did because he didn’t want to become Extinct. What I actually said was he had to take a bath every night because he didn’t want to stink.
