Walking School Bus

The world is so screwed up that kids shouldn’t even walk to school by themselves anymore. There’s a program our public school has started called the Walking School Bus. Basically an adult or two (with cool orange vests) accompany a group of kids to and from school every day to make sure they are safe. They all have to wait for each other just like waiting for a bus, then they all walk together and have different stops. Brilliant and safe, but also sad in a way that we have to worry about our kids so much.

I don’t remember walking to school much … my mom probably drove me on her way to work once she became a Working Mom again. But I definitely remember walking home FROM school because that’s when I got bullied by people bigger and smaller than myself and by people I thought were my friends. School was pretty cut-throat for a petite only child like myself who’d only had her friend Ambre to practice defending herself against (and Ambre was no Mike Tyson).

Here’s a picture Michael drew of a walking school bus because we get a kick out of the whole concept. And because he’s so literal. Sorry it’s cut off … that’s because I own a DELL printer/scanner/copier and it’s a piece of !@#$ that I’m about to pull an Office Space on (take it in a field and beat it to death with a baseball bat while “It’s Good to Be a Gangstah” plays in the background).

Soap Operas

The other day we were doing projects and picking up the house and homeschooling on our main level but accidentally left the TV on in the family room downstairs. Around noon, as I’m making lunch (canned ravioli since Aron wasn’t coming home), I heard the Days of Our Lives theme music coming from downstairs and I laughed.

I love the stereotype of the housewife sitting around watching her soap operas all day, or at least while the kids have a nap or quiet time or are at school.

When my first child was a baby, I got out of the house plenty, but I also sat on my butt nursing and holding my sleeping baby for many hours each day. I watched a lot of TV, read a lot of books and relaxed. I had zero desire to lay Joel down so I could get stuff done. I just held him all the time because I was 30 when I had him and was SOOOO ready to have kids.

My days are a little different from that these days. “Quiet time” is when the baby takes a nap on me. The other kids might watch TV while I read or journal or make a phone call. Sometimes they have a friend over or are playing outside, and I get to watch some of the shows Mom has taped for me (like Rescue Me, Celebrity Apprentice, Grey’s Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters). The less the baby naps, the less TV I watch and the books sit untouched, also.

I have a friend who watches Young and the Restless with her husband (a big, strong father of 5 boys) after the kids go to bed … isn’t that cute?! I love knowing cool stuff like that about marriages.

Little Eva

She’s not even a year and a half yet, but here comes her personality!

She can say TACO. Of course, because she hears it at every diaper change.

When she’s hungry she stands by her chair, which contains her booster seat. Then she makes grunting or whining noises. She insists on feeding herself (Mom says it’s because she sees the other kids doing so), and tips the spoon upside-down as it gets to her mouth.

She eats Chapstick and chews on dog toys and is still somehow super healthy.

She kept taking out barrettes and ponytail holders, so I just cut her long front hair into bangs.

She likes to throw potatoes in the trash can, just like her siblings did when they were little.

I have to keep reminding myself that with every mess she makes, she is learning and her brain is growing. And I will certainly miss all this mess-making when it’s gone.

*The digital camera is still in Illinois being checked out. As soon as it returns I’ll be a picture-posting fool (instead of just a regular fool). I know you’re all dying to see the kids and my preggie belly. You know you wanna rub it for luck, but I’ll probably smack your hand away, so BACK OFF.

She’s the Mailman’s Daughter

My dad delivered mail for like 30 years. When he’d see someone impatiently waiting for her mail, tapping her foot like he was taking too long, he’d say, “This is actually TOMORROW’s mail … you’re getting it EARLY!!!”

Thank you very much. Don’t forget to tip your mailman on the way out.

*And they CAN accept Christmas money, by the way … you just have to make sure you’re not giving them TOO much, because the post office gets pissed off about that. There are guidelines, you know. Why, I have no idea. Maybe they don’t want the mailmen getting too rich and quitting?

Anti-Nursing Home

Here’s the plan for when our parents are old and feeble since I’m anti-nursing home:

Build 3 separate shacks in our backyard for Aron’s parents, my mom/stepdad and my dad/stepmom. My stepdad has no kids and my stepmom’s are in Michigan. As far as Aron’s parents, well, we’ll just have to see. He has 4 siblings, so I’m sure we’ll all be fighting over who gets to take care of the parents.

Don’t worry, there will be a bathroom in each shack and room for a hospital bed, a TV and a home-health nurse. And a mini-fridge. And maybe even a hot plate if the parents are good and don’t act up too much. I swear I’ll take my mom’s hot plate away if she gets too mouthy with me.