Victory and Defeat

Why whenever we are on a good streak does it come to a screeching halt? Maybe I am just overly sensitive, but I am so mad right now.

For over a year I have been searching for a specific table and bench set for our kitchen. I look on craigs list at least once or twice a week for it and have found them for sale between $200 and $500. Yesterday I found it for under $75.00. Not only that but today we had the money. All our bills are paid and things are looking good. Well, except for the no job thing. We are in a better financial state than we have been in a long time.

We go to look at the table and he before we even get there tells me it is probably a pice of junk. OMG, we haven't even seen it and already he is negative. I asked him to please hold judgement until we see the table. We get there and I sit down on a nice steady stable bench. The table isn't great but the bench is in perfect shape. It is what I needed the most. I would have bought a bench separately if I found it for sale.

He looks at me and signals that it worth the money and so I agree to buy it. We go to my brother's house because he is going to help us move it and nothing indicates that he is upset about the deal. As far as I know everything is fine, no problems or complaints.

Well, after he and my brother move it and the boys talk about the price, they decide it is no longer a good deal and now it is my fault for pressuring him into agreeing to buy it. This really irritates me and of course we end up having a huge fight. I hate when he does this too me. It is a constant pattern and you would think that I would expect it, but it always surprises me and it always infuriates me.

Not that I need permission to spend money but we always talk about large price items together before we buy them. When it is something he wants — usually sports tickets — we talk about it and agree to it, he buys the tickets and everything is fine. When I want something — usually for the house or kids — we talk about and I thick we agree and are on the same page. I then go ahead and buy it then after I buy it he gets mad that I spent too much money and he never needs things for him. I am to materialistic. I am irresponsible with money and the only reason he let me spend the money was to avoid and argument. This of course results in a huge argument because I feel betrayed and hurt by his words and actions.

Today was no different, though I thought I had worked my way around the usual problems. I am so hurt by this, I wish I could get him to see it from my point of view.

Starting to Work Through Our Differences

Last year on the day that P's soccer photos were taken my husband and I had a horrible fight. I wanted a couple different photos and he didn't want any of them. There was no compromise offered and we at each other's throats. It was such a bad fight that I cringed when the photo packages sheets were passed out for soccer photos this year.

With D being out of work and two children on the soccer team I was sure there would be a repeat of last year. Somehow we managed to avoid that scenario from happening. We still didn't totally agree on what we wanted to order. We managed to talk it out civilly and each one of us gave a little.

I think that is why it turned out okay this year. No ultimatum was shoved at either one of us. He didn't want two pennants purchased, I didn't want no pennants to be ordered so we decided on one hoping that B (who really doesn't seem that into a team pennant) will not freak out.

Instead of individual photos and sports card for each child I compromised and only ordered the sports cards. He didn't freak out when he found out I wrote two checks instead of one. I was real impressed with that one. I know he has a hard time with multiple transactions to keep track of.

The photo's were taken, no arguing, it was very nice. I can only hope that somehow out of all our problems something is changing and we are starting to work through our differences. Hopefully we can go back to being a happy married couple again someday. I can have dreams, right?

Adventures in Bowling

It is official my son is obsessed with bowling. When he wakes up in the morning the first thing he asks is "When does the bowling alley open?" Once he knows when it opens it is an endless countdown until it opens. Once the lanes are open we have to be there before too many people are there.

B enjoys it too, but not nearly as much as P. She is happy doing an activity with the family and really I think couldn't care less about bowling. She is happy if she gets a gutter ball or if she gets some pins down. Heck she is entertained if the ball gets stuck and the guy behind the counter has to rescue her ball from the lane.

P's goal while bowling is to have the high score. He is learning to aim the ball better to get strikes and spares. He understands the difficulty of various types of splits. He is even learning the terms of the game. He approaches this like any other sport, he wants to be the best at the game.

B I think is the opposite. Her goal is to be entertained while bowling. She dances and looks cute. Her talent seems to be getting the ball to roll in reverse. I first saw her do this the other day and somehow when we bowl I know that at least one roll of the ball will stop and come back to her like a yo-yo.

Today she did it twice, much to our amusement. It is amazing to watch. She pushes the ball off ever so slowly. It looks like it will stop any second because it rolls so slow. About halfway down the lane the ball stops and then starts moving again, this time back towards B. She of course is waiting patiently for the ball to come back to her. After what seems like an eternity the ball is back in B's hands and we are left shaking our heads. The best part is that I know it will happen again.

Now P has his own little tricks that he preforms. He has bowled his ball down the gutter while the bumpers were up. It was like the ball rode the bumper like a train on train tracks. Today was another first for me. He somehow managed to get one of the bumpers to fall down and then his ball stopped halfway to the pins in the gutter.

I will be visiting the bowling lanes a lot this summer. I am sure I will have more tales to tell about the children's and my adventures in bowling. Hopefully my game will improve and I will break into the triple digit scores.

Walking With Dinosaurs Part II

Tonight was the night, we went to watch "Walking With Dinosaurs" downtown at the Arena. The kids were so excited because they knew that we not only were going to watch the show but we were taking the subway to get there.



When the doors opened the car would rock and P thought that we were floating. I love how he puts things together. I could see how he thought that, after all we couldn't see the wheels from inside the car.

I was really proud of both children. They held our hands when we were in the large crowds and followed our instructions to our seats very carefully. They even didn't get scared with all the dinosaur roars. Though the roaring was not as loud as I thought it would be.

The best part of the show was when the baby T-Rex came out. There was a huge build up and then the drapes opened and this little T-Rex came out. Of course it was even better when his mommy showed up.



I wish I could see it again, it was worth the cost. Though if there is a next time I am going to try to sit in the lower seats. It was good from the nosebleed seats and I know it must be fantastic from the lower seats.

P was trilled when he saw the dinosaurs. He was literally on the edge of his seat. B was so cute, she was telling everyone that the dinosaurs were not real, they were robots and they couldn't hurt us. She was al smiles for most of the show. Though near the end she needed to walk around a little bit. A four year old eventually has to move around even when facing dinosaurs from millions of years ago.

How Different They Are From Each Other

We took P to the driving range this week. He has always wanted to go and it just hadn't happened before. Well, it turns out that he is quite good at hitting that little dimpled white ball. This is yet another sport that he is good at; Hockey, Baseball, Bowling, Soccer and now Golf.

His father is so proud, I'll admit that I am too. He really seems to have a talent for any sport that he tries. I love watching the joy on his face as he is participating in any sport. Tonight he had a soccer game and managed to get six goals. In four games he has scored twenty goals. He even is playing defense and keeping the other team from scoring.

B tries to love the sports. She participates and gives it a good try but her passion lies elsewhere. When we bowl she starts out okay and will decide to stop bowling somewhere in the middle of a game. She is on the soccer team too and today was the first game she managed to play on her own. Usually she latches on to daddy and won't let go.

Today she wanted to go to the driving range with P. She tried and just isn't coordinated enough for it yet. So she entertained herself as only she can do.



She is our Diva. When the camera is out she wants photos taken of her in various poses. She is like this at four, I can't even imagine what she will be like in her teen years.



It is amazing how different two children can be when they are growing up in the same environment. P is all about the sports and B is all about the glamour. Mommy however is all about the love.

Bowling in the Afternoon

How sad is it when your six year old beats you at bowling in both games that are bowled? Of course to make it worse he even announced that he was going to do that before we started the games. It may have been a while since we last bowled together, but he still remembers that he won more often than not.

We signed the children up for free bowling this summer. They can have two free games each day. There was an option for the adults to pay for a discounted bowling pass for the same length of time. So our whole family is going to be bowling this summer. I even bought myself a cheap pair of bowling shoes and ball off craigslist. My next mission is to purchase a pair of bowling shoes for my son. Then we will really be saving a lot of money by not paying for shoe rentals.

We got to the bowling lane today about 2 p.m. and the parking lot was empty. I was really concerned that the lanes were closed. Then I looked at the hours. At first I looked at the wrong date and for a moment was convinced they were closed. However my oldest had stepped on the magic self opening doors and found his way in. He asked the man behind the counter if they were open and it was happily announced that they were.

It was a ghost town in the lanes. We were the only customers there and I felt bad that we had coupons for free bowling. Well, I had to pay for his shoes so they would make some money off us. Money, Yikes I had left my purse at home. I dreaded the thought of getting the kids in the car for a side trip home and back to fetch my forgotten purse. The man behind the counter came to my rescue by allowing me to use the phone. He even sold us pop knowing that I didn't have the money, and that my husband was bringing it to me.

P took off one shoe and put on a bowling shoe took a step or two and did the same with the other foot. I know this because his sneakers were left in a trail. If he had more feet than two there would have been a long line of sneakers behind him. B was allowed to bowl in her shoes because her feet were too small for the rental shoes. Now I put my new slightly used bowling shoes on and P wouldn't believe that they were bowling shoes because they looked like sneakers. Only when I showed him the soles of the shoes did he see the difference,

The game started and he was so excited that he felt that he should help his sister. OF course he is helping her because he wants to bowl more. Watching the two of them bowling in unison was adorable. If only they could work that well together more often. She let him help for the first few frames but then she wanted to do it herself. This was almost as entertaining as both of them bowling together.

She would run up to the lane, per her brother's instructions. Then stop and gently place the ball on the ground centered on the lane and push. Then came the wait. The long eternal wait for the ball to get to the pins. At first she managed to get gutter balls which is an accomplishment because we were using bumpers. Better yet was when the ball went so slow that it started going in reverse. I had never seen that before.



P had his own unique style to his bowling. He would run up to the lane and launch the ball up and out. It wasn't a roll as much as it was a throw. The sound made me cringe. It sounded like the ball would break through the lane with a huge crash. He would often slide and fall on his butt. Even with his odd way of bowling he still managed to get better scores than both me and B.

I am blaming my low score on the new bowling ball. I kept getting my fingers stuck in the holes. There was actually a popping sound that was made when I released the ball. So I am going to have to have them re-drilled at some point this summer. The ball return also really liked my ball. It would get almost up to the ball holder but not quite. You could see it inside of the hole almost all the way up but not quite. So I had to use a second ball (with better finger holes) to get my ball to pop out of the ball return.

We bowled our two games and then the kids suckered me into buying them an ice cream treat. We had a nice afternoon and are looking forward to many more days like today. Luckily the lanes started getting more bowlers by the time we left so it made paying the $2.50 total easier for me. We are planning on going back on Thursday before we see Walking With Dinosaurs. Bowling in the afternoon will give us some family fun this summer.

School is in Session

I overhear my children playing today. They are playing school and my son is the teacher.

"Class today we are going to learn the difference between 1 and -1. 1 is one number above zero and -1 is one number under zero."

Wow he is just finishing first grade. I know I didn't learn about negative numbers this early when I went to school. He then continued on to 2 and -2. He really seems to understand the concept and I love that he is trying to explain it to my four year old.

Next he announces that it is time for science. He then draws on the board a science experiment they did in school a couple months ago when they made clouds in a jar. I posted the picture above. The jar has water in it at the bottom and a metal (pink) lid. On top of the lid are two (blue) ice cubes. Inside the jar you can see a cloud forming.

Now they are having recess in the back yard. Then of course it is lunch time (actually dinner, but who is counting).

He is excited that I am going back to school to be a teacher. I remember playing teacher as a child and my younger brother or my dolls were my students. The cycle is repeating and it makes my day.

Walking With Dinosaurs Part I

My mom called me tonight and offered my family a dream come true. Okay it may not be a huge dream but it is a dream none the less. She is taking us to see "Walking With Dinosaurs". As soon as I heard that it was coming to my area I have been trying to justify the cost. After Dennis lost his job I just put the thought out of my mind.

It was so hard to see the commercials and her the pleas of the children to go see the show. Tonight I got to tell them that we are going. I don't know which day yet or what time, but hey our schedule is pretty open right now. It also gives us something to look forward to.

Now I have to use the time between now and when we go to prepare the kids for loud large dinosaurs. How do you prepare them for something that you haven't even experienced? I expect that we will be doing laps around the arena a few times.

The Hidden Chocolate Milk Effect

Tonight after bedtime I was watching television when I heard my daughter scream and go hysterical. I thought she was hurt really bad. I of course went to her right away, she sounded so scared and I could see her face looked more scared than hurt. Often after bedtime they feign being hurt to get our attention. This was no act.

She latches on to me and holds on real tight. She then announces that she is going to die. Okay now I need to find out what is going on and I ask her why she thinks that she is going to die. She finally manages to tell this story to me in between screams and sobs.

Earlier in the day she hid her chocolate milk so P wouldn't drink it. While I was watching TV in my bedroom she snuck out of her room and got her milk out of it's hiding place. She drank some because she is thirsty and the milk is very warm. Well, she has heard us talk about warm milk going bad, and how spoiled food can make us very sick. So when she drank the milk and it was warm she panicked and figured that she was going to die.

Oh was she so upset and scared. It took me a while to finally understand what happened and then to finally calm her down. She held onto me so tight. This really effected her. She finally settled down and went to bed. I bet she never hides her chocolate milk again.

Memories to Save

Today like always I opened up my son's backpack when he got home from school. I pulled out his folder and since it is the end of the year I never know what I will find in it. Yesterday it was his art smock (daddy's old t-shirt) today it was his yearbook and two awards that he earned.

He has been in this school for two years and has not earned any of these awards before. I had know about them but I guess I had forgotten about them because he just never won them during any other month. The awards are given out every months and there are two or three different kinds. I however didn't know they also had awards for academics.

The first one I saw was pink (you would think they would have found a different color since pink is associated with girls or girly things) and said he had outstanding achievement in science (mommy's favorite school subject). Last month he has a science test that he had a perfect score on. Of course one of the topics the test covered was basic astronomy, another of mommy's favorites.

The second one was a Citizenship award — for being a good role model for other students at the school. I am ashamed to say that the thought of my son getting this award never crossed my mind. Though now that he has earned it I am very proud of him. He is a good role model. That is definitely worthy of an award.

I can only assume the meds helped him earn these. He can pay attention better at school so his academics has improved. Other children have seen the change in his behavior. I know the teachers and Principal have noticed the difference in his behavior.

I have the certificates (and his yearbook) in a safe place right now. I will add them to his school scrapbook. These are definitely memories I want to save.