Thursday, March 22, 2012

Accents intrigue even the young.

I go to physical therapy. I try to arrange it so the little kidlets get to stay home with Kenzi. That doesn't always happen.

They love to go to therapy. They get to see daddy. They get hot chocolate. They get to "play" on equipment they shouldn't be playing on. They get to see Pieter...the therapist that works on me. Pieter was the therapist who worked on Bella when she needed it a while ago as well. Bella loves Pieter.

She draws him pictures. She gives him Valentines. She gives him hugs and hugs and hugs. She jumps on him. She tells him stories and talks and talks and talks. He doesn't seem to mind. He has boys and has commented how he would have liked to have had a girl as well.

Actually, all my children have gone with me to therapy at one time or other. If not for therapy than to hear Pieter talk. He's from the Netherlands and speaks Dutch. He's been in the U.S. for many years so I'm sure his accent isn't as strong as it could be...but he still has one.

I didn't realize Bella noticed until today. We were in the car on the way to therapy and she said...and I love the wording here. She said, "Hey, if I was born of Pieter I would have an action too." (Been reading the Bible baby girl?) I giggled at the wording, ran it through the mom filter and figured out she was saying accent. Too funny.

I let her know even his kids don't have accents. It sort of depends on where you're raised what kind of accent you have. She was pleased to know that she does have an accent it's just American. And she thought it was funny that different parts of America have different accents.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Don't dash dreams...throw'em a bone dang it.

I was sitting at the computer today when the backdoor slammed and I heard screaming, "MOOOOOOM, you gotta come see this!!!" "We found a dinosaur bone in the backyard...it's all white with scratches...it's huge...you gotta come see this!" This was all said at a high pitched excited screech. Bella was the one using words. Josie was just running around screaming.

Of course being a curious (note: see previous post) soul, I went out. It was like walking through an excited pack of dogs waving around small pink and yellow shovels. They were running around my legs screaming how exciting it would be if we had real dinosaur bones in our yard.

Little side note: It's possible. We do live in Utah. EXCEPT, I know they built this lot up with a boatload of junk "dirt"...cement, rebar, rock, glass, and not much dirt. Probably no bones.

Do you want to guess what they had dug up? :-)

The sprinkling system. Poor kids. I could totally see how they thought they had a dinosaur bone. I really wanted to let them believe it too. I stood there for a few seconds watching them dig like maniacs trying to find the end of this bone. When it was obvious they were prepared to dig up the whole sprinkling system I told them what they had unearthed.

OH, the disappointment. Precious little archaeological excavators. Bella sat back and just looked at it. Josie noticed the lack of digging mania from Bella and sat back and looked at Bella. She started pushing the dirt back into the large hole they had created. I reminded her of how we put all that pipe into the holes last year. She remembered. She had a disappointed smile on her face and said, "oh yeah." Gol dang.

What did I learn?

1. Don't be a dream dasher.
2. Let the kids dig up the whole darn yard believing we have dinosaur bones.
3. To see the light go out of a child's eyes causes regret.
4. I hate regret.
5. I'm tired of being practical.

If ever I need a digger, I've got two.

Was that a practical thing to say? Dang it.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Curiosity gave me a headache.

We live in a "newer" neighborhood. Seems to be new houses popping up every month or two. Which is a good thing to have the neighborhood filling up. Yay!

I've got an insatiable curiosity to see what all those houses look like inside. I try really really hard to not go in. It depresses me a little...."WHAT???? They weren't offering that when we built." "THAT is standard now? " "I want that!!" Every now and then I think..."Oh, I'm so glad we didn't get that." Anyway....I try to stay out of the new houses.

One day we were driving past and I said, "Man, I'm so curious to go into that house!" Bella was in the very back of the car and she said, "What's curious mean?" I explained and then she said, "Oh I get that. You just have to smack yourself in the forehead and it goes away!"

I said, "Really?"

She said, "Yeah, you just smack it right out."

I actually laughed out loud and thought, "What the heck?" I lightly smack myself in the head. I looked at her in the rear view mirror and said, "It didn't work. I'm still curious." She said, "You didn't smack hard enough!"

Some thoughts here:

1. Kids are curious creatures, right? That's a lot of smacking.
2. If that was a rule, it would be kind of funny.
3. Maybe this is why Bella had neck problems.
4. I have a headache.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Flu shot status

I put them off. I go back and forth about them every year. Here's the breakdown so far:

#1. Steve! He wins. First one done. It was a work thing. They get the vaccine in and go around the clinic giving all employee's the shot. Whoot! Good job Steve. I think I would have found a way to avoid it. :-)

#2 Chelsea (over 18...tried as an adult) flat out refused. No way Jose! She got sick once from the flu shot and has refused AMA since then. Stubborn.

#3. Bella and Josie. 2nd and 3rd done. Bella's having some neck issues so she was at the pediatrician. They asked if the kids had shots yet...uh...no. We scheduled the next available shot clinic a couple weeks later. Bella had lots of time to think about it and had worked herself into a tizzy. She hate, hate, hates shots. As a matter of fact, she threw up the morning we were scheduled. Thank the Lord shot clinics are Saturdays...because Steve could go with us. NICE! So much easier to take kidlets in separately. In the car on the way to Dr's office she was threatening to throw up again. Not, "Hey mom, if you make me go I'll throw up!" It was more like, "MOOOOOM, I have to throw up! AHH!" Steve was driving so I jump in the back seat with the only available catching apparatus...a left over clean pull up from Josie's potty training days. Not like it's going to help too much with leg holes. But you do what you gotta do. Fortunately, she didn't throw up.

We got to the office. As a precaution, I let them know she had no fever, no lack of eating or drinking, no sickies...but that she had thrown up. I thought perhaps it might be stress related. (thumbs up there) They checked her out. She passed because the nurse said, "So, who's first?" Bella ran out to the waiting room...like lightening. So...that meant Josie was first. I got Josie. Steve got Bella. YES!!!!!!! I scored on that one. Josie sat on my lap and looked innocently at the nurse. Got the shot, had some insult, tears, and moved on. I took her to the waiting room and Steve took Bella back to the room.

They didn't get two feet out of the waiting room when the panicked voice started. Kind of a low..."nooooooooooooo". Steve was kind of dragging her a litte by that point. They got into the room and I'm thinking she saw the tray. High pitched panicked whiney voice and crying. "I doooooonnnnnn't waaaaaaant a shot." I'm not sure what actually happened because Josie and I were contentedly sitting in the waiting room playing with the train. I shouldn't have been happy, but I was. I wasn't the one getting my eardrums pierced while keeping her from committing kamakazi murder/suicide this time. Josie did stop once when she heard high pitched screeching and thrashing about. She looked toward the commotion and said, "Is Bella ok?" "Oh yeah baby...ah...she's not happy." (duh)

They came out lickety split. Bella took some time to compose herself and forgive all involved in the insult and promplty asked if we could go get her special "I'm going to be brave getting my shot" treat. Well...slap me silly...what are you gonna do? Don't want to make it worse by denying the "brave" treat. (Oreo McFlurry from McDonald's).

#4. Colleen. You can pay me to have one. I was trying to hold out for the research clinic that would pay you to get the shot. Unfortunately, they closed the study. I was going to wait patiently until it opened up again...next year maybe? Until we were at Steve's work getting Bella's physical therapy (for her neck). When Pieter (her PT) was done Bella asked him if he could give her mom her flu shot. Side swiped...dang it. Pieter looked quite surprised and said he wouldn't know where to put it. (I can think of some places...just saying). She said her daddy knew how to give shots. A couple years ago he brought home all our vaccine's and gave us all flu shots. Made an impression on Bella. I think she did scream and flung the needle across the room. We never did find it. Heebie jeebie dance. Bella was adament I get my shot-by golly. Steve had that "ba ha ha ha, busted" look in his eye and arranged my flu shot. As I put on my brave face and went to get my shot Bella shuddered a little and assured me she would be there when I got done. Sweet girl. Grumble, grumble. I had to get the shot and I didn't get paid. Because it was at Steve's work it was free. So, next best thing I suppose.

#5. Jaz (over 18, tried as adult) refused as well...until she thought she could get paid to do it. :-) Study closed. More refusal. Stubborn.

#6. Kenzi....pending. (Until I can get her to dad's work or he brings one home for her!)

Josie...chiropractor

I took Josie (3 1/2 years) to the chiropractor today. Background: Josie has chronic sinus infections. Been tested for allergies to all things living and not. Been on antibiotics forever and still gets sinus infections. I finally found a chiropractor I was comfortable adjusting my children (Dr. Andersen...btw!).

It works wonderfully for her. (He does "tick tocks" and "popcorn". Anywho...

I took her in today because post nasal drip gagging has returned. Before he adjusted her she put her hand out and stopped him and said, "You be gentle, dude".

LOL...it was really funny.