tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-164402742012-02-17T17:59:02.365-06:00Katsukenoreply@blogger.comBlogger7311100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-2423323933728427822012-02-16T16:41:00.000-06:002012-02-16T16:41:02.511-06:00

This is all part of a conversation by Punky between her toys. "Can you do it, doctor?" "I'm not a doctor!" "What?" "I'm not a doctor, I'm a ducker!" I never did find out what it meant to be a ducker... And yesterday she was "reading" a valentine for her daddy."Dear daddy.  I love that you are daddy.  When you are not here you are still daddy.  I love to give you hugs.  I love you daddy." It

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-42846834724843585162012-02-14T11:11:00.002-06:002012-02-14T11:11:32.477-06:00

I was really worried that today would be a bad day when I woke up unable to do anything but croak sounds and feeling a definite ear infection.  So far it's been good, one piece of evidence being that the girls are playing nicely and allowing me to sit at the computer for a few minutes. We've been battling the sickies for several days now, and the girls seem to be getting over it and N seems to

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-76769012688944651732012-02-13T12:22:00.000-06:002012-02-13T12:22:00.198-06:00

I have been thinking for a while that I needed to take in the straps on one of my sundresses.  It was just looking so stretched in the shoulders and it didn't seem to sit right anymore.  I was dawdling and hmm-ing over it until I caught sight of that same dress in a picture from 10 years ago.  This was a hand-me-down dress, too, so I don't know how long it was in use before that.  It was not my

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-69534630315306559772012-02-11T22:01:00.001-06:002012-02-11T22:01:40.884-06:00

I know I've shared with some people about my concerns over Punky's level of empathy, otherwise known as minimal.  For every strength there is weakness and this seems to be one of hers.  We work and teach and the dawning of "other people are people who hurt" is a long process and one just barely begun. There have been issues of the girls playing together happily until Punky decides to pick up her

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-78901500392747430572012-02-09T20:49:00.000-06:002012-02-09T20:49:00.191-06:00

1) Something I need to do more of. 2) Something I do way more than I use to. 3) Something that gives back way more than I put in. I never found exercising much fun, but after I started running and sticking with it I found that I really enjoyed it.  I even liked it so much that when it became too cold to go run outdoors I got together a routine that can be done indoors that includes crunches

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-89169203907851942432012-02-08T10:50:00.000-06:002012-02-08T10:50:00.596-06:00

When one wakes so does the other.  Though, sometimes, it's happy cute-face giggle time.

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-18533315816732636642012-02-07T21:00:00.000-06:002012-02-07T21:00:02.133-06:00

Sometimes I think about decluttering.  I don't like doing it.  I love having everything in place, but I don't like having to get rid of anything.  I do get rid of things here and there if they break or if we don't have space; maybe that's the way to go, one thing at a time. Fortunately, I really haven't ever had to do a massive decluttering. What with moving several times and alternating

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-21095442153105225472012-02-06T23:45:00.001-06:002012-02-06T23:45:41.120-06:00

Back when we were living in Texas this exact situation happened on multiple occasions.  Enough, at least, that I stopped counting. I bought a bag of oranges.  I peeled every single one and never ate any.  I would peel them for Punky, I would cut them for N, and when I felt it was time to eat one myself they would be all gone.  After a while I decided it was quite ridiculous and instituted my "

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-86860600660149089302012-02-05T12:53:00.000-06:002012-02-05T12:53:00.069-06:00

This is probably an impossibility, most likely, but it's still a nice thought. I would love a decent sized home with a awesome kitchen and a library/study room.  The living area on the ground floor and bedrooms (save one) on the second.  That one extra bedroom would be a little separated and different.  It would have a tiny sitting area with kitchenette and it's own bathroom. So up until the

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-9941770136910114712012-02-04T13:02:00.000-06:002012-02-04T13:02:00.591-06:00

I guess I should clarify a little. I do have no problem "doing school" with a wee little one as long as it's what they are wanting to do.  A child's brain is so malleable when they're little you can "brainwash" them into loving life-long learning easily.  You don't have to do anything but engage them, play with them, take them to the park, and answer the incessant questions. Also from what I've

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-43512421061561484972012-02-03T12:24:00.001-06:002012-02-03T12:24:31.177-06:00

At 9:38am I looked at the calendar.  It's February.  It's Friday. Storytime starts in 22 minutes!  There hasn't been any for over two months now, and the girls (well mostly just Punky) have been wanting to go very badly. Part of me realized I shouldn't bother, just pretend it hasn't started yet and go on with our day.  The other part knew it would be a happier day for storytime.  The problems

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-41052863925700406602012-02-01T20:58:00.000-06:002012-02-01T20:58:00.423-06:00

Don't you want to hug me?

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-82888151324560927902012-01-30T13:02:00.001-06:002012-01-30T13:02:42.738-06:00

Yesterday Bunny had an accident, much like an accident she repeats on a regular basis. Go to bookshelf.  Pull all books off said bookshelf.  Attempt to pull self to stand and cruise along bookshelf.  Slip and fall on aforementioned scattered books.  Cry.  Repeat. This time was a little different because instead of landing on her stomach or butt she landed mouth-first on the side of a book.  As

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-60814504992170247682012-01-28T08:32:00.000-06:002012-01-28T08:32:00.573-06:00

I don't believe in school for young children, I just don't.  I do believe in learning and exploring and fostering curiosity in children of all ages.  That being said this is what "school" looks like for us most days. We eat breakfast and I always finish eating first.  I then read out loud while the girls finish.  Right now we're going through Little House in the Big Woods.  Punky loves it;

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-58896428388215742592012-01-26T09:00:00.000-06:002012-01-26T09:00:00.130-06:00

I have a stack of papers on my desk that is growing little by little.  Eventually it will be completed and then I will have to do the taxes. I think I need to make myself to logic puzzles more often.  Either that or my brain is screwed on a little wrong, because I actually kind of enjoy sitting down and getting some quiet time to do the math and make everything perfect and neat. Yeah.  I need

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-77878939972861777652012-01-24T00:19:00.001-06:002012-01-24T00:19:33.322-06:00

 So, the missy has been wanting to cook with me.  She's even been wanting to play cook on the stove, so I thought I would try my hand at making one. What I had: two identical boxes, a couple pieces of loose cardboard, four used/broken CDs, five juice can lids, a bunch of nuts and bolts, and a hot glue gun.  Oh yeah, and a good box cutter. l  This was the first basic step.  I know it

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-17206812223332693792012-01-22T17:08:00.000-06:002012-01-22T17:08:41.052-06:00

Warning: look at the title.  It's not about smearing poop, but do you want to continue?  Okay, do or don't, that's up to you. I've read so many articles about what to feed babies and when, the immaturity of their digestive systems, and why you shouldn't force it too soon.  The general consensus being that babies can't handle food until about 6 months old, and maybe even later. I floundered

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-91831490694716781162012-01-20T13:59:00.002-06:002012-01-20T19:23:13.587-06:00

So I was watching Hart of Dixie today.  I wasn't feeling like Sherlock Holmes while feeding the kiddo, and I decided to try something different.  A TV drama/comedy based in a little southern Alabama town, I could give that a shot. As far as that kind of thing goes, it was okay.  Nothing spectacular and I probably won't watch it again, but it was entertaining and I didn't mind closing my eyes and

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-33833481361969591052012-01-18T14:48:00.003-06:002012-01-18T14:48:33.856-06:00

So the girls have been sleeping at the same time for an hour now. This is amazing, wonderful, and just awesome.  I have been productive and that makes me happy.  I have completely cleaned and de-tarred (not just today, this is a running total) the stove, all the cabinets, the door frames, and most of the doors.  I can not believe how beautiful those cabinets are the original ones (with hardware)

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-10152751524251256002012-01-16T21:14:00.000-06:002012-01-16T21:14:17.437-06:00

Reduce, reuse, recycle.  I'm not a total green-freak, but I do think it is good to take care of the things we are given.  Treat your kids well, treat your animals well, treat your car well, treat the dirt well. I tend to think the ordering is important.  Mostly I hear about recycling.  Recycle, recycle, recycle.  But the thing is, you don't just recycle.  While it's good and all it still uses

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-17291221886648752762012-01-16T18:08:00.000-06:002012-01-16T18:08:29.498-06:00

 More BRRAAAAINS!!!!  I mean... BERRIES! At least one of us is loving the cold and snow.

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-32477261223123691742012-01-15T23:12:00.000-06:002012-01-15T23:12:00.644-06:00

After the first month of horrible dairy problems the little one had I have been so scared to give her any to even see if it was a protein allergy or lactose intolerance.  If it was protein, there could be no dairy at all until it all magically went away between 6-12 months(ish).  If lactose, small amounts of butter and aged cheese would be permissible but it would be lifelong.  The difficulty was

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-87940233631130881972012-01-14T21:51:00.002-06:002012-01-14T21:51:45.610-06:00

Today ending up being one of those half lazy half crazy days.  The morning was just lolling around doing practically nothing.  Punky and I did get to play a couple of her new games which was exciting, and although she was upset to lose one of the games she did handle it pretty well. The crazy came in when we needed to go to the grocery store because, hey, we have the car free and we also need

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-76707755065615649242012-01-13T13:53:00.001-06:002012-01-13T13:53:37.659-06:00

We have snow, real snow, for the first time this winter, so we decided to truck over to the hill about half a mile away and try sledding on our makeshift "sled" aka a box lid. Everybody got all bundled up, layers on layers, because it was only about 18-20 degrees outside.  Most bundled was the dear little baby who had two pairs of socks, her sleeper, a snowsuit (with mittens and hat), a large

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-58830275447746952612012-01-07T14:22:00.000-06:002012-01-07T14:22:29.739-06:00

How can a child scream so much and not go hoarse? Really, how? Bunny has gotten to the point where I must be holding her.  All.  The.  Time.  And it doesn't count if I'm holding her with one arm.  Or holding her and looking at the computer.  Or holding her and sitting down.  Or hugging her while sitting on the floor.  Oh no, I must be holding her in the exact position she likes or else. The "or

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-39242688233750457852012-01-05T16:10:00.003-06:002012-01-05T16:10:40.236-06:00

When dealing with things covered in smoker's tar. With wood, if it's possible, steam it.  This will make the wood sweat nasty yellow goo.  Then scrape before scrubbing.  The rest is elbow grease and lots of nasty nasty time. A putty knife, a green scrubbie, and a magic eraser are your best friends.  The offending previous-resident smoker is not.

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-91351493364408455862012-01-02T22:21:00.003-06:002012-01-02T22:21:41.916-06:00

I don't make my way through books very quickly anymore, but I keep seeing people post about what they're planning on reading.  My list is growing, but these are the main ones.  The ones I really want to read if I can get my hands on them. Hunger Games.  How many people can love this book before I take a peak?  I don't know, but I haven't heard from anyone I know who's read it and doesn't love it

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-36691402348824773562011-12-31T11:59:00.001-06:002011-12-31T11:59:53.190-06:00

You know, with the amount of screaming that is going on from sleep deprived children it's gotten me thinking. I really need to try some kind of sleep training for kiddo #2, nothing worked for #1, but Bunny is a little more malleable so it could possibly work. The trouble is the only time I get to nurse without wrestling with her, or pinning her down, or getting bitten is when she's sleeping. 

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-41980174965217375352011-12-29T11:21:00.003-06:002011-12-29T11:21:52.537-06:00

Unfortunately, Annie had to go back.  The sniffles weren't able to be controlled with any reasonable amount of medication and kept getting worse. At least for her the lady at the humane society said she was still small enough (and certainly personable) that she wouldn't be there for very long. After a thorough deep cleaning of the apartment where every surface got wiped, every floor cleaned,

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-63485711567019592062011-12-23T14:42:00.000-06:002011-12-23T14:42:00.342-06:00

I love cats a lot, I really do.  In general I just love fuzzy things that let me pet them without biting me.  So I'm not so big on bunnies and hamsters anymore, but I am getting over the whole dog thing. But sometimes I wonder. Where is the sanity in bringing into our homes natural predators?  These fuzzy-bum's true, inborn, purpose is to attack, kill, and eat.  Totally the product of every

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-55101315680771738872011-12-21T22:22:00.000-06:002011-12-21T22:46:04.520-06:00

We live in a nice little building with eight apartments and after only about two months I verified the occupants of five of them (though, one was us and doesn't really count).  I refer my neighbors in my mind as: The Kid, The Cat People, The Bus Lady, and The Smokers. This left three elusive people who, for months, I saw neither heads nor tails of.  After eleven months I caught a glimpse of

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-84007410923956846422011-12-19T23:52:00.000-06:002011-12-19T23:52:00.293-06:00

I realized today I have been having a very bad case of the winter cranks.  I have just been completely out of sorts, and nothing seems to be going right.  I couldn't even tell you what except I felt cranky cranky cranky. That is, until one thing. I got to go sit in church with just one kiddo (who only wanted to sleep and snuggle) and I got to listen to beautiful music with rich words, hear the

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-29159189470934714102011-12-18T23:15:00.001-06:002011-12-18T23:15:53.429-06:00

Lately the female folks here have been having sniffles, coughing, headaches, or some combination of the three.  Bunny is getting off the best with just a stuffy nose (at least until she got a fever, poor kid), but Punky has been coughing some during the day and persistently at night in her bed.  And I'm actually the worst of the lot, having almost plugged sinuses despite being chock full of

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-39756870602705108212011-12-17T17:28:00.002-06:002011-12-17T17:28:53.995-06:00

Today, Punky decided her goal in life, or at least the moment's ambition is to be something a little different. An organ grinder's monkey. She wants the little coat and hat and to hold a little cup for people to put pennies and nickles in. We have a book from the library that has an organ grinder character in it, and she just loves his monkey.  I just can't imagine how cute she'd be with

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-87953328062235900162011-12-16T16:42:00.000-06:002011-12-16T16:42:46.711-06:00

We did laundry today and there were a few things that just stuck out as interesting and noteworthy. The Good: Good as in it made me laugh, not as in good-good. Helpful Punky helped clear the table after lunch and threw the dirty napkins and bib into the laundry basket, which was then dumped into the washing machine.  Little did I know that the orange peels were still wrapped in the napkin when

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-23974160789399148992011-12-14T13:57:00.000-06:002011-12-14T13:57:58.103-06:00

In the most sigh-worthy way. Punky: Mommy, I want to dress up and be Booeegee. Me: A booeegee? P: I want to dress and be Booeegee. Me: What's a booeegee? P: No! Booeegee. M: Sweetheart, I don't know what a booeegee is. P: Booeegee.  Boo-ee-gee. Mario and Booeegee! M: Oh, Luigi.  You want to dress up as Luigi. P: You be Mario, I'm Princess Peach.  You find me. And then she ran away.

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-62383819228078940342011-12-12T17:15:00.001-06:002011-12-13T22:46:18.762-06:00

What happens when two different accents teach a kiddo how to talk? Generally everything is fine; standard American English with a little bit of North and a little twang of South thrown in for extra cuteness. We did hit a little bit of confusion, though, the other day when Punky came up to me with this comment, "Mommy, the kitty is bagging." Bagging?  What could she mean that sounds like "

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-6922969799226634452011-12-05T22:56:00.000-06:002011-12-05T22:56:00.150-06:00

She loves to eat.  This kid loves to eat. And I mean love.  Here's a basic day rundown on food intake:  Night- nurse 2-3 times. (for a total time of 40 minutes to 1.5 hours) Day - 1/3 cup mixed cereal and fruit for self-feeding Nurse 1/2 cup ground meat and veggies for lunch Nurse Nurse 1 cup ground meat and veggies for dinner Nurse. How does a child that size fit a whole cup of food

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-64542261434694317512011-12-04T22:34:00.001-06:002011-12-04T22:56:39.699-06:00

I just realized that since the Punky just gets up to so much stuff, I normally share things about her.  But the little Bunny Boo-Boo does awesome stuff too, and I figured I needed to dedicate some time to just her. Eight months old now.  Wow, time flies so fast. She wants to walk so very very very badly.  Problem is she can't.  When we help her balance she can stand for a second or sometimes

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-54536868409993993302011-12-01T20:25:00.001-06:002011-12-01T22:59:45.270-06:00

Punky has a new friend. A little bit different then the majority of her friends in that A) she is fuzzy* and B) she is real. Meet Annie: Annie is named after Henry's (of Henry and Mudge) cousin.  Punky thought Henry would be a good name and when I told her it was a boys name she decided Annie would be better. She's still got the kitten crazies for playtime, but when she's not wanting to run

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-2205963907846986632011-11-22T22:34:00.001-06:002011-11-22T22:35:10.815-06:00

To the tune of "Sing a song of Sixpence" Sing a song of PunkyA really silly girlShe really likes to danceAnd she likes to spin and twirlShe sings a silly songWith a little silly tuneThen she likes to go to bedAnd read Goodnight Moon To which the kiddo responded with: Sing a song of mommyA silly silly taleShe sumersaults andla la la la la la la laShe doesn't do computerla la la la la

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-74690702234405041452011-11-20T21:21:00.000-06:002011-11-20T21:21:00.236-06:00

I was clearing pictures off the cellphone and I found this one from way back in July.  The best shots come not from pure skill or an amazing camera, they are shots of opportunity.

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-71676842416807502752011-11-18T08:29:00.000-06:002011-11-18T08:29:32.682-06:00

Punky has found a new series she likes that's along the lines of Lillian Hoban's Arthur books, Oliver and Amanda, and Henry and Mudge.  It's called Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa and they're pretty good.  It's about the interaction between a girl and her talking horse while they're doing ranching stuff (like counting cows, checking fences, learning to lasso). She loves it, and a lot of that is because

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-4423791804514323162011-11-17T20:35:00.000-06:002011-11-17T20:35:00.582-06:00

I know I make pretty tasty bread.  It's very brown and doesn't suit everyone's taste, neither does it ever seem to taste as amazing as my mom's, but it's good stuff.  Not only do I like it but, now that I'm off soy and dairy, it's the only bread I can eat (so therefore it's even better). My favorite part is pulling it out of the oven.  The wonderful smell that just fills the entire apartment

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-17248697696995129762011-11-15T20:13:00.001-06:002011-11-15T20:21:47.644-06:00

The little Punky decided a while ago that she wanted hair like mine, without bangs.  So we began the process with the pins and headbands and ponytails and attempted braids. Sorry, mom.  Why didn't you just shave me bald? In all honesty it wasn't too bad because if I didn't feel like fighting that fight for what she kept telling me she wanted I just let her run around like a mop-head.  A very

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-55014489483486029552011-11-14T20:38:00.001-06:002011-11-14T20:59:44.002-06:00

I don't let the kiddos watch much TV in general.  The baby doesn't watch any, although she will fixate on any screen she sees, and the munchkin only gets it occasionally. But, it can be very useful sometimes. Today was just one of those baby scream-a-thons that, you know, just happens sometimes and especially so when the baby is teething.  So poor little miss was feeling very ignored.  Except

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-69793929312197839902011-11-13T20:49:00.000-06:002011-11-13T20:49:00.533-06:00

For the record, since it snowed (even though it only accumulated in the morning and melted by 3pm) it is now winter.  I don't care if it doesn't technically start for another month and a half, we're on the edge of being "Up der in da Nort" and I declare it winter. With that in mind: Last winter when I had no husband warming my bed for me due to working 3rd shift there were times when I schemed

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-22036754751429826402011-11-11T14:24:00.001-06:002011-11-11T14:32:28.644-06:00

I decided about a week ago I was going to start making meal plans.  I sat down and planned and charted and went through my backlog of my lists of meals we've eaten. Haha! Then I do something like defrost the wrong meat the day before, or open the wrong kind of can of tomatoes.  I've ended up switching meals several times so far this week.  Even today we're having chili though stir-fry was on

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-88354215911386782482011-11-10T18:08:00.001-06:002011-11-10T18:12:07.803-06:00

Some kids want to grow up and be firefighters or ballerinas.  My awesome kid has decided she wants to be a "glasses helper" ever since she went with me to pick out new glasses at the store.  She was very taken by the lady who helped me look at glasses.  She has been practicing with BunnyBunny, putting on every pair of fake glasses and sunglasses she has and giving commentary on them.

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-17975645945696962142011-11-08T18:13:00.001-06:002011-11-08T18:13:50.908-06:00

The littlest missy has decided that since she can now crawl that it's about time to attempt pulling herself to a stand. What?  Don't you need some semblance of balance for that?  Not according to her.  And thus she has earned the nickname "Booboo" as I'll turn my back and hear a whack within seconds as she pulls up and falls to the floor. I've learned that she can't do too much, in general,

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-61824392477914409372011-11-07T09:37:00.002-06:002011-11-07T09:38:00.846-06:00

"Mommy, tell me I'm the prettiest." Laugh, "No." "Say I'm the very prettiest." "Ha, you're pretty funny missy." "Mommy!  Say, 'You're the very prettiest!'" "You're cute." "No!  Tell me I'm prettiest!" "Don't you have a high opinion of yourself..." "Mommy, you need to tell me I'm the prettiest." "Dearie, you think you're the prettiest." Glare of doom.

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-67275127424818233702011-11-06T14:36:00.002-06:002011-11-06T14:36:42.773-06:00

Baby wants to stand. Mommy's back hurts from bending over so much. Mommy helps baby to stand in a box. Mommy fills the box with stuffed animals. Problem solved, plus some.

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-68101617343236830052011-11-05T14:53:00.000-05:002011-11-05T14:53:00.121-05:00

For the most part I like keeping things clean and tidy; it makes me happy when my bathroom is cleaned and the dishes are washed. My problem is I can not make myself clean things unless I have energy and things being dirty and messy take that energy away. So I can clean a pretty clean home, wash when there are few dishes, and keep a sink mostly free of toothpaste. But once I get into a funk, or

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-64950470765148760902011-11-03T15:43:00.002-05:002011-11-03T15:43:50.595-05:00

Here are all Punky's imaginary friends: Tessa and her younger twin siblings Caka and Coda. Ick, Nick, and Tick, all brothers. Poptop. Angelina. And the newest friend: Birda. Not to mention six real people she "plays with" when they're not there or the imaginary people who show up only once or twice.  Those nine regularly feature in playtime and all have different personalities. It's all cute

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-53999819695936135192011-11-02T15:56:00.000-05:002011-11-02T15:56:00.431-05:00

I don't claim to be a perfect parent, far from it I have plenty of my own failings and daily struggles, but it still bothers me when my job in teaching my children is made so much more difficult when other parents don't parent. Sharing is a big thing.  It's very very hard to teach a young child to share if the other child isn't being taught the same lesson. Last story time there were a lot more

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-60232849809809412852011-11-01T15:12:00.001-05:002011-11-01T15:12:27.883-05:00

We found an illustrated version of the story Rikki Tikki Tavi at the library and Punky has just been loving it. It is long, as in 24 pages with multiple long paragraphs of text.  It takes us at least 10 minutes to read.  But as anyone who's gone through the children's section of a library knows 10 minutes of one good book is preferable to 10 minutes of five or six ear-stabbing annoying books.

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-9601800463602535992011-10-31T17:16:00.000-05:002011-10-31T17:16:31.339-05:00

"Mommy, I have a question." "Okay Honey, what's your question?" "You know how Bullseye is a horse." "Yes." "You know how Bullseye can... talk..." "Yes." "I have a question about Bullseye and Jessie." "So what is your question?" "Mmmmmm... no." Ack!  Now I'm going to be eaten with curiosity.  What was the question?

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-11994010973284464162011-10-25T15:25:00.003-05:002011-10-25T15:26:35.535-05:00

Punky's first book report.  Book report in that we read a book and then she reported it back to me and wanted me to write "her story." Once there was an old man and an old lady.  Once they were young and they got married.   The old man had one kitty, then two kitties, then three kitties.  One day there was a man who had lots of kitties.   The old lady said, "I want hundreds!" The old man

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-71864634057934273812011-10-22T22:43:00.000-05:002011-10-22T22:43:00.440-05:00

As a former homeschooler I remember hearing about socialization a lot.  I could get into lots of different stuff regarding that but I'm just going to go with one aspect. I always thought it was a silly question because a person's level of sociability, while is honed by various types of interaction, is very much dependent on personality. Personally, it has taken me many many years to reach the

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-80735010289603777082011-10-22T09:28:00.000-05:002011-10-22T14:26:21.422-05:00

One of our well-meaning, but obviously not the most logical, neighbors has begun leaving food for the birds outside our door again. Last winter they did this on a regular basis, just tossing stuff outside for the birds and small animals.  And since it was mostly on the snow we weren't stepping on it too much. That doesn't sound too bad does it?  Everybody likes watching birds in the winter,

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-14128843628170878552011-10-20T20:38:00.002-05:002011-10-20T20:38:31.388-05:00

For one reason after another Punky has been extremely fixated on going to school.  It started with she wanted to ride the bus, and she wanted to so very very much that meant she had to go to school.  Where else do those lovely yellow buses go besides school?  I wondered if a city bus would suffice, and no it would not. Then throw in that the kids I babysat went to school and her friends at

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-3040266952379832692011-10-16T09:37:00.005-05:002011-10-16T09:37:00.204-05:00

I can't believe it's been eight years since I decided to cave into the peer pressure and start blogging. I've been through multiple sites, but I'm still here.  It's like my own little diary, just excluding the annoying little bits that always led me to burn every single journal and dairy I have ever owned in the past. So here's to trying to keep it up for as long as my patience lasts, and that

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-47063009056772485042011-10-15T14:25:00.000-05:002011-10-15T14:25:12.722-05:00

The little lady seems to exercise her creativity most often while on the toilet.  Here is her first complete poem, alhough I'm not sure if she'll remember it or not.  She comes up with lots and lots of words while doing her business. Slinky dinky how are you? Slinky dinky it is true,Slinky dinky you are you. Later, while we were out, I figured we would stop by the store for a short stop and

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-25925638425067587172011-10-13T18:20:00.000-05:002011-10-13T18:20:29.271-05:00

Mother to painting child: "I love that color blue!  That's the color of your eyes." Child: "My eyes are blue?" No, child, I only make reference to your blue eyes several times a day because I'm a pathological liar. Fortunately, that was not my response.  We went and looked in the mirror and had an "oh, gasp" moment followed by lots of giggles. But still, I tell her repeatedly that her eyes, my

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-2883728394365365322011-10-12T21:31:00.001-05:002011-10-12T21:32:18.208-05:00

If you aren't a Dr Who fan, or not a Rose/Ten fan, just ignore the pictures.  It's just a nice mushy song about "I love you.  You know that, don't you." On the other hand if you are a big fan of Rose and Dr #10, this will make you all giggly all over. In this song the line "Lucky I'm in love with my best friend," just makes me love the song so much.  And the bubbly little beat doesn't hurt

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-74023455188344892562011-10-10T18:03:00.033-05:002011-10-12T21:34:00.365-05:00

I'm normally not a big fan of Fall.  This largely stems from the fact that up here in the North most of the season consists of clouds, rain, wind, and brown, brown, and more brown. But this year we've had some cold, overcast days, but for the last week it's been lovely.  I could do with it being like this for months (excepting a few days here and there for necessary rain).  70 degrees with deep

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-33769362319218322692011-10-09T20:08:00.000-05:002011-10-09T20:08:02.035-05:00

We had a grand old time the other day making up games and then playing them out.  Punky is very fond of this and will generally come up to me once or twice a day and say "Play such-and-such game with me." These such-and-such games can be anything from "riding the camel" to "catch the puppy because he's wet" or "making pumpkin pancakes that are yummy."  They always involve words you have to say

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-86455962901807220142011-10-07T18:01:00.001-05:002011-10-07T18:12:15.044-05:00

Happy Fall!Love, happy girls.

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-46259294410747652522011-10-04T21:39:00.003-05:002011-10-06T21:01:24.143-05:00

I went downstairs to do laundry, got everything started up and whatnot. Since I had one real load and a mini load (due to the cleaning of the stove I had rags I would never, ever, put with regular laundry). I decided to just go against my usual grain and just use the big dryer.I don't like using the big dryer because the vent pipe is cracked and sometimes it shoots hot air and lint out and I

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-74135704581463841892011-10-03T20:30:00.002-05:002011-10-03T20:56:25.340-05:00

Missy #1 is growing up and getting even more independent every day. She's learned buttons and zipping her own zipper, loves tracing letters, writing "A"s, playing tea party, and has started begging for snow.I can't put her to bed without memory work either. She didn't nap today and was really tired, so after I got her in bed tonight she sat up and nearly broke down into an uncontrollable fit of

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-69366194595201487852011-09-29T21:01:00.002-05:002011-09-29T21:12:22.943-05:00

Fact 1) Bunny is floor mobile. Floor mobile is not necessarily crawling, Punky backscooted, but through a mixture of scooting, shimmy-wiggles, and rolling the little Bunny can get pretty much anywhere she wants.Fact 2) Bunny is obsessed with the clean diapers from the diaper basket.I don't even bother picking up the diapers she dumps and strews across the floor, except when I want to give her

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-72421200127376166682011-09-27T16:59:00.001-05:002011-09-27T21:26:28.063-05:00

Me: "Do you know some people don't go to school?"Kiddo: " Because they don't have backpacks?!"In other news I learned the "?!" is an acceptable form of punctuation. It's called an interrobang.

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-79297421988643607492011-09-23T09:49:00.004-05:002011-09-23T09:55:53.884-05:00

I was walking around the library and an old book caught my eye. It was pretty, it was from the 30s, it had that smell. I had to pick it up. It said it was romance, but romance from the 1930s probably isn't a bodice-ripper; most likely safe.I was right, it wasn't heavy romance and nothing objectionable. Romantically objectionable that is. About half way through the book I reached this point

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-1017926357743386622011-09-22T20:41:00.003-05:002011-09-22T22:37:45.512-05:00

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton is one of my favorite children's books. I guess I should say that all her books rank up near the top of my list (which for children's books is admittedly longer than could be reasonably counted).Punky found it on her own at the library and asked me to bring it home. Really? All right!I made it about half-way through before I started getting choked up,

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-61294601737666407452011-09-21T07:50:00.002-05:002011-09-21T08:00:58.043-05:00

Both children woke up at 6am, one needing food the other just because that's when she wakes up.I crossed my fingers and went back to sleep feeding the baby and wondering how long it would be until the Punky-pie got bored.When 7:15 rolled around I woke up again.What had kept the kiddo busy for an hour? Even a little more than an hour, and so busy she hadn't been what woke me up.While going to get

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-70102008960003076882011-09-20T21:22:00.002-05:002011-09-20T21:40:12.298-05:00

I am fully aware that I look a little ridiculous in my out and about get-up. When us girls go out and we don't have a car I end up with one kid in the Snugli, one kid in the stroller, and sometimes even a large diaper bag slung over my shoulder. Occasionally, it looks even weirder when I add on things like several dolls or a large basket of sand toys or my sock monkey hat. The grocery bags or

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-55922244599469249792011-09-18T21:15:00.003-05:002011-09-18T23:05:36.517-05:00

When Punky was born I felt intimidated by how much information there was on the "right" way to do things.Teach your baby to sleep better.Get your baby to eat well.Do such and such activities for brain development.If you're doing what we've proven works and it's not working then you're obviously not actually doing it right.Seeing everyone else's success in these things made me feel pretty much

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-87206547827322830522011-09-15T20:31:00.002-05:002011-09-15T20:40:20.820-05:00

I make a good point to not let scary things into the house. Okay, we play "monsters." But they're mommy monsters and baby monsters that like to tickle, hide, or chew toes; they're not scary monsters.So I am at a complete loss as to where this came from."All right, good night honey, I love you.""No mommy, don't go. It gets strange. When you leave it gets strange in here." (It's actually

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-76316965474283981012011-09-14T22:56:00.002-05:002011-09-14T23:17:24.906-05:00

In an effort to see how everything is doing allergy-wise with the little Bunny I purposefully ate some cheese. Not much, and definitely less than the previous test, but more than the last amount that caused problems (5-6 M&Ms of milk chocolate)We are now over 48 hours past "contamination." Everything seems okay so far. No clogged up nose, no extra fussiness, a little facial speckling but not

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-76856280918553136462011-09-13T20:28:00.003-05:002011-09-13T20:33:55.929-05:00

The SwingBy Robert Lewis StevensonHow do you like to go up in a swing, Up in the air so blue?Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing Ever a child can do!Up in the air and over the wall, Till I can see so wide,Rivers and trees and cattle and all Over the countryside --Till I look down on the garden green, Down on the roof so brown --Up in the air I go flying again, Up in the air and down!I

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-41975512679395439352011-09-11T20:32:00.002-05:002011-09-11T20:51:21.296-05:00

I sent my little Punky off to Sunday School for the first time today.She's been in Bible study with me every time I've gone since she's been born, and I think I've been to church only two or three times without her in that time as well.I knew it would be a big difference for me, but, apparently being in an emotional state, it almost made it tear up. Every time I turn around lately she's been

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-82256376462375047402011-09-09T07:26:00.000-05:002011-09-09T07:26:00.738-05:00

Over the last year I have gotten increasingly negative behavior and "helpful" commentary from some of the other parents on the playground."Are you sure it's okay for her to be climbing that?""She looks awfully small to use that big slide.""That doesn't look safe."Now, most of this I've chalked up to people being way too over-protective. I understand you're freaking out that my two year old is

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-91658632469909826722011-09-08T14:08:00.003-05:002011-09-08T14:10:16.322-05:00

Sometimes it just blows my mind that the kiddo who didn't say more than a couple words until almost two, now a year later comes up to me with things like this:"Mommy, can you please spread out my balloon blanket for me? I want to pretend to paint it with green stripes."

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-10753473070601089952011-09-03T23:48:00.003-05:002011-09-04T22:47:57.936-05:00

There are some very basic cooking ideas that are easy enough to learn if you're taught (and willing to learn). How many teaspoons in a tablespoon, what do you substitute for baking powder, and how to fry an egg. (Repertoire set 1) The hardest part for me was creating my cooking repertoire. I watched my mother cook from scratch without recipes, so as long as I had the basics (and a decent

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-1129099609894785342011-09-02T20:58:00.002-05:002011-09-02T21:24:45.515-05:00

We were at the playground today and Punky was running around and being crazy wild, just as a child should on a playground, when all of a sudden she stopped and sat down. "I'm at church!" She declared, "This is a church." "What do you do at church?" I asked. "Sing." And she proceeded to sing. All in her own tunes and some with new words. These are the ones I got written down before I forgot

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-90074066919062340782011-08-28T16:45:00.000-05:002011-08-28T22:50:15.124-05:00

Me: "Punky, those are different colors, what did you draw for me today?" Punky: "Poop." M: "Sweetie, I don't want a picture of poop up on my fridge. Could you draw me a picture of you, or of your sister, or of a tree?" P: "No, I can't draw anything, just poop." M: "You can't put poop on the fridge." P: "My hands are not good, mommy, the don't draw well. Mommy's hands draw well." Eventually she

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-50327910516669850802011-08-25T11:48:00.004-05:002011-08-25T12:53:25.276-05:00

So husband goes off to work and I wonder: what are we going to do today. This is never a frustrated question, but just a curious one. Where is the day going to lead us? By "the day" I essentially mean "Punky's whims." Occasionally I do have to come up with something, but normally it's park, library, reading, painting. This works great. Eventually I'll end up having to mediate between Bunny

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-50575541209530017102011-08-23T23:30:00.002-05:002011-08-24T00:28:15.779-05:00

I've gotten really used to shopping with one kid strapped on my front and the other kept within arm's reach -actually within arm's reach as she has taken a liking to sitting in the cart and being up high. We have been going in the mornings so I can plan on spending one to one and half hours in the store. Bear in mind that this is a shopping trip for three eaters and that due to space issues we

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-46245785678311896842011-08-21T23:17:00.002-05:002011-08-22T00:08:25.213-05:00

It seems probable that I have acquired something called Cold Hives. It's exactly what it sounds like. Skin gets cold, skin gets hives. Yup, seriously, you can be allergic to the cold. Not to be confused with Raynaud's Disease, which is also sometimes called being allergic to the cold. I'll high-five my sister of awesome here. I started noticing something was weird when my hands started

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-27304330904127970732011-08-12T11:55:00.001-05:002011-08-12T11:55:00.765-05:00

Over the past month or so I've overheard Punky playing and quite frequently I hear the name "Tessa," along with the occasional "Princess Ivy" and other things. Normally, I'm in a different room and can't see what (or who) is Tessa. When I have been able to see there have been a multitude of different toys, even non-toy playthings like crayons or markers. So I'm guessing "Tessa" is a

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-52621544766378529472011-08-11T13:07:00.002-05:002011-08-11T13:09:59.694-05:00

"What do you want to eat for dinner?" A: "Bunnies." "You want to eat rabbit meat?" A: "Yes, I want to eat Thumpers." Not exactly what you usually expect after a child watches Bambi... "One and two is one three." I can't tell if that was weird counting, or adding. "Aaaah! Mommy, you are driving, put your hands on the driving wheel!" While brushing hair out of my eyes.

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-47313763524951793782011-08-08T17:51:00.004-05:002011-08-08T21:09:00.407-05:00

Punky telling a story: "Jessie is a cowgirl. Jessie was at home. I went to see Jessie. We ate cake. She had Bullseye. Jessie let me ride Bullseye. I rode around and around. Then he jumped over Jessie, and we stopped." All children love popping bubbles, or at least all the little children I've seen do. Punky is no exception, she just positively adores popping bubbles even more than she

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-18546687527410138002011-08-07T23:09:00.003-05:002011-08-07T23:15:58.971-05:00

A can of pop explodes in your freezer?Cut open the can and pretend you're eating ice cream with your cake.Voila! A completely dairy/soy free treat. We'll just overlook the high fructose corn syrup, the caffeine, and the freezer cleaning and see the bright side of things.Granted chocolate-zucchini cake doesn't need anything silly with it, no frosting (oh the abomination of frosted zucchini cake)

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-15159994004427413512011-08-05T13:15:00.003-05:002011-08-05T13:28:04.427-05:00

There is a cicada in my home. He's not loose. He's in a jar. A jar that's locked and twisty-tied shut for extra security.It still creeps me out.I don't just handle most bugs, I even encourage the little Punky one to explore, to find new bugs, to pick them up, to watch them. We've even had what most people would call nasty big hairy spiders in that jar and it doesn't bother me. But cicadas?

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-6175515518507134722011-07-30T18:49:00.003-05:002011-07-30T19:22:10.404-05:00

Well, the news for me is between the littlest miss's allergies and mine my diet now has no soy, no dairy, and preferably no coconut or peanuts.Growing up Wisconsinite cheese and dairy are a very fundamental part of me and my eating habits. I don't drink milk, but I ate enough cheese to make up for it calcium-wise. That was, and still is, a hard thing to adjust to. It is made much easier

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-28158223210216767292011-05-12T23:47:00.000-05:002011-12-15T23:48:53.771-06:00

Exchange with my babysitting charge. "So you were homeschooled." "Yes." "So did you learn how to multiply in boxes?" "Like matrices?" "I don't know what...  like http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/268/unleddaw.jpg/" "No, I didn't." "So you don't learn anything in homeschool?" "I learned how to multiply the regular way. That's just a teaching method for showing children how to order

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-79595043506793678062011-04-27T13:41:00.003-05:002011-07-30T18:56:39.707-05:00

I was walking around with two little girls today.Punky: a toddler with long hair dressed in pink shoes, blue flowered pants, and a blue sparkly shirt.Bunny: a baby in a pink car seat with a pink burp cloth and dressed in purple.A lady walked up to me and said, "What cute little children. How lucky you are, a girl and a boy." My jaw dropped and I didn't know what to say. My only question is:

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-60005644923396605002011-03-04T20:36:00.002-06:002011-03-04T20:43:04.732-06:00

During dinner my little singer girl came up with this cute little gem.(To the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star")Lamby, Lamby I love youPretty, pretty, pretty areBaa baa baa baa up so highLamby, Lamby I love you.Lamby, Lamby little starPretty, pretty, Lamby are.Lamby went with us to the library and several stores this morning, and when we went to the grocery this afternoon there was almost a

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-29114464246968624042011-03-03T13:30:00.004-06:002011-03-03T15:17:46.021-06:00

Since little Punky has gotten more verbal, I have had the fortune to be privy to some very entertaining dream descriptions after she wakes up from naps. The other day she was telling me about how the fish were swimming with cows, priceless stuff.On the other hand, last night the little lady woke up crying and crying from what seemed to be an extremely distressing nightmare. The problem because

Katsukenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16440274.post-50674691760173405882011-02-11T23:49:00.000-06:002011-12-15T23:50:30.795-06:00

Unions served their place in the past when they were one of the only ways to safe and decent workplaces. But we can see that now a days non-union workers are making their way just fine in the world, meaning unions are no longer necessary.  They don't have to be disbanded, but it doesn't make us any less American if we don't have unions anymore. Unions were meant to help; help the

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