Watch what you say in front of your children...
Just giving you a friendly word of advice.
Last night at dinner, just as the waitress came to take our drink orders, Riley looks up, points, and says "Mom, there's your boyfriend".
It took me a moment to realize she was pointing at the tv, and that she was actually talking about Grady Sizemore (very cute, very young Indians player on whom I might have a slight, school-girl crush).
However, short of stammering an explanation to the bewildered waitress, I just let it go and Josh and I CRACKED UP as she walked away.
This is not the first time either. About a year ago, Riley pointed out another boyfriend of mine (Dr. McDreamy) on the cover of People magazine at the grocery store.
Lucky me with all these boyfriends.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
1st grade
Riley has taken first grade by storm. We are so proud of her. She has aced every one of her pre-spelling tests, moved on to the challenge words, and then aced them. She is her teacher's helper, always running things to the office or helping other kids. We received a letter home last week that she was referred to the gifted teachers for testing, which she began this week.
In light of this, I wanted to do something small to show her how proud we are of her and how well she is doing. Like most (all) girls her age, she loves The Jonas Brothers and their new cd came out recently. Last night at dinner, we told her what a great job she has done so far in 1st grade and said that for a special treat, I would pick up the new cd and have it home for her today after school.
Riley, who unlike Conor, is not one to ask for material things very often, was super-excited... at first. Then she got a little quiet. So I said "is there something else small you'd rather have?'
She said "no"... and then "well maybe".
Of course, I said "just tell me what it is, we can do something else instead", to which she replied "a new dog".
Um, not exactly what I was thinking.
In light of this, I wanted to do something small to show her how proud we are of her and how well she is doing. Like most (all) girls her age, she loves The Jonas Brothers and their new cd came out recently. Last night at dinner, we told her what a great job she has done so far in 1st grade and said that for a special treat, I would pick up the new cd and have it home for her today after school.
Riley, who unlike Conor, is not one to ask for material things very often, was super-excited... at first. Then she got a little quiet. So I said "is there something else small you'd rather have?'
She said "no"... and then "well maybe".
Of course, I said "just tell me what it is, we can do something else instead", to which she replied "a new dog".
Um, not exactly what I was thinking.
Monday, August 25, 2008
And Conor's version...
I got such a kick out of Riley's answer, that I decided to ask Conor what he thought Jesus looked like. His description: brown curly hair, glasses, and a brown jacket.
Seriously folks!?!
In their defense, when I was little, I always imagined he looked somewhat like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo but with a white robe. Weird?
Seriously folks!?!
In their defense, when I was little, I always imagined he looked somewhat like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo but with a white robe. Weird?
Sunday, August 24, 2008
What do George Michael and Jesus have in common?
Tonight Riley asked me if I knew what Jesus looked like. Of course, I answered "no, not exactly", but I had to ask what SHE thought he looked like.
This was her answer... "Well, I think he wears little white shorts and a white t-shirt."... hmmm.
I'm picturing George Michael circa the Wham days (remember the video to "Wake me up before you go-go"?).
Yikes.
This was her answer... "Well, I think he wears little white shorts and a white t-shirt."... hmmm.
I'm picturing George Michael circa the Wham days (remember the video to "Wake me up before you go-go"?).
Yikes.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Go Buckeyes!
In honor of the first game of the season (less than two weeks - woo-hoo!), here is a picture of my future Buckeyes...
Friday, August 15, 2008
It took until now...
... before I could write this post.
Well, without crying, that is.
Because this was Quinn's first week of preschool.
He's a big boy - in the 2 year old class two mornings a week.
And - he loves it.
I, on the other hand, have not adjusted quite as well.
There has been lots (and lots) of crying (just ask Josh).
But I'm doing better.
Donations are currently being accepted for anticipated therapy I will need for kindergarten. Thanks in advance.
:) Just kidding... sort of.
Well, without crying, that is.
Because this was Quinn's first week of preschool.
He's a big boy - in the 2 year old class two mornings a week.
And - he loves it.
I, on the other hand, have not adjusted quite as well.
There has been lots (and lots) of crying (just ask Josh).
But I'm doing better.
Donations are currently being accepted for anticipated therapy I will need for kindergarten. Thanks in advance.
:) Just kidding... sort of.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Riley, the skeptic
Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord... Riley finally lost that darn tooth last night. So the toothfairy (aka Josh) left her treat under her pillow last night (okay 5am when I reminded him as I got up to run - yes, I run that early, and yes I am that crazy)... you may wonder why I didn't just do it myself. Think hard. Not graceful, known to trip over my own feet. You got it. He snuck in and out in mere seconds and gave me the thumbs up. Anyways, I should have just done it myself because this was what happened when she woke up...
Riley: Guess what? The tooth fairy left my money and she even left me my tooth. She only takes the first one. (this is true in our house, too hard to also try to feel under a pillow and find a teeny-tiny tooth in the dark without waking said child)
Josh and I (not in unison, but you get the point): Wow! Awesome!
Josh goes upstairs and Riley looks at me.
Riley: Well, I'm pretty sure I ACTUALLY saw dad put something under my pillow and not the tooth fairy.
Me (trying not to make eye contact): Oh, you must have had a dream that it was daddy putting it under your pillow when it was really the tooth fairy.
Riley: Um, well I wasn't really asleep so I think it was him. I saw him closing the door.
Gulp.
Me (nervously laughing now): Well maybe the tooth fairy used her magical powers so she would just look like daddy.
Conor (poor sweet gullible Conor who will believe in everything until he is 18): The tooth fairy DOES have magical powers you know.
We dropped it, but she knows - and she knows I know... you can't pull one over on Riley. But I thought it was sweet that she tried to spare Josh in all his tooth fairy glory.
And just for effect, look at her cute toothless smile...
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Guilty as charged...
With the big kids off at school, Quinn and I are left to our own devices for the day. Today that meant grocery shopping and then yardwork (read: Quinn bringing out a bucket of cars to play with outside and mommy doing yardwork in the 97 degree heat)... we came inside to cool down and have a drink. I found Quinn curled up on the chair with his sippy cup and Riley's beloved baby. I'm burning the evidence (after I post it of course), because if Riley knew Quinn had his hands on her baby, there'd be trouble.
And speaking of Riley, the tooth fairy is officially on alert. She has a tooth dangling on by - well, it's nothing short of a miracle, because it twists and turns in ways not ever witnessed by man.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Saturday, August 2, 2008
School junkie
I admit it... I have a problem. I love school. Seriously. We've been happily spending ridiculously amounts of money school supply shopping, buying new backpacks... today is new shoes. We went to Conor's 2nd grade orientation and Riley's 1st grade orientation this week, where the halls were buzzing with last year's friends, smiles, yells, excitement. The principals were in the hall, directing parents and children to classroom, smiling and welcoming everyone and warmly greeting everyone they knew BY NAME (and yes that includes me, in all my pta-chairperson glory).
In the classrooms, the teachers had cute get-to-know-you activities ready for the kids to do, desks with nametags, new agendas. As soon as Riley's teacher saw us (because, of course, she was Conor's teacher the previous year and we asked to have her yet again), she smiled, ran over, said "And here's the Bowens!", where she hugged Conor and Riley like they were her own children.
And school is much cooler now than it was when we were young. Parents are in the halls and the classrooms DAILY - all over the place. They want you there, they ask for you to come - to have lunch, to volunteer, to read, to help with activities, anything. Riley's class has laptops this year. Conor's class is designated a teach 21 classroom, where they emphasize technology in the classroom, and it is gifted endorsed and is part of a team-teaching program. In both classes, the guidance counselors came in, welcomed the children, made sure they knew that they were there if they needed anything.
I love school. I guess that's why I became a teacher. And luckily, my enthusiasm for school has rubbed off on my children, because they are as anxious and excited as I was (okay, am) for the first day on Monday, to do all the cool things they did last year, to meet up with old friends and make new ones. And I am looking forward to it too - to put my name in the hat to be room mom, take over my former chair position on the pta, volunteer to come in to help, to plan the parties, to be the Friday reader.
I'm so thankful that we live in an actual community, where everyone knows each other, where the school is an extension of that. We (literally) run into teachers at our pool, on walks, in the grocery store. We call Riley the "mayor" of Towne Lake (the master planned community we live in), because no matter where we are, someone yells out "Riley!" and runs over to give her a hug. I love that EVERY school my children will attend until college is located right inside this little community, that last year when Riley had a bad day, her teacher took her over to Conor's classroom so he could give her a hug, that when Conor called from the nurse's office complaining of a sore throat (although he had not one other symptom to speak of) and I asked if I could drop off some cough drops, she said she'd keep him in the nurse's office for me until I got there, because sometimes kids just need to see their moms. I don't worry when they're gone, and I look forward to seeing them and hearing their stories when they get home. I love knowing they've learned something I would never think to teach them even though I'm a teacher myself.
Have I mentioned I love school?
In the classrooms, the teachers had cute get-to-know-you activities ready for the kids to do, desks with nametags, new agendas. As soon as Riley's teacher saw us (because, of course, she was Conor's teacher the previous year and we asked to have her yet again), she smiled, ran over, said "And here's the Bowens!", where she hugged Conor and Riley like they were her own children.
And school is much cooler now than it was when we were young. Parents are in the halls and the classrooms DAILY - all over the place. They want you there, they ask for you to come - to have lunch, to volunteer, to read, to help with activities, anything. Riley's class has laptops this year. Conor's class is designated a teach 21 classroom, where they emphasize technology in the classroom, and it is gifted endorsed and is part of a team-teaching program. In both classes, the guidance counselors came in, welcomed the children, made sure they knew that they were there if they needed anything.
I love school. I guess that's why I became a teacher. And luckily, my enthusiasm for school has rubbed off on my children, because they are as anxious and excited as I was (okay, am) for the first day on Monday, to do all the cool things they did last year, to meet up with old friends and make new ones. And I am looking forward to it too - to put my name in the hat to be room mom, take over my former chair position on the pta, volunteer to come in to help, to plan the parties, to be the Friday reader.
I'm so thankful that we live in an actual community, where everyone knows each other, where the school is an extension of that. We (literally) run into teachers at our pool, on walks, in the grocery store. We call Riley the "mayor" of Towne Lake (the master planned community we live in), because no matter where we are, someone yells out "Riley!" and runs over to give her a hug. I love that EVERY school my children will attend until college is located right inside this little community, that last year when Riley had a bad day, her teacher took her over to Conor's classroom so he could give her a hug, that when Conor called from the nurse's office complaining of a sore throat (although he had not one other symptom to speak of) and I asked if I could drop off some cough drops, she said she'd keep him in the nurse's office for me until I got there, because sometimes kids just need to see their moms. I don't worry when they're gone, and I look forward to seeing them and hearing their stories when they get home. I love knowing they've learned something I would never think to teach them even though I'm a teacher myself.
Have I mentioned I love school?
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