Little Red Hen

Here's a little video from Hudson's kindergarten's classes first play of the year.  They do lot's of plays in his school so I'll be going to school next week to see another one.  This was his first and he was a mouse. I didn't video tape it so you can't see him till the end.  The play is about a little red hen who plants wheat to make bread and he asks his friends the dogs, cats and mice to help him plant the wheat, harvest the wheat and finally to grind the wheat.  The other animals refuse to help him. However, when they smelled the wonderful bread that he baked with the wheat they all wanted to eat some and promised if he'd share to help him the next year....
Click here to view this video

Indian food, adoption, and defending chickens...

Last night's dinner conversation was sooo interesting that I finally had to start doing short hand notes. What started as an innocent comment turned into a heated debate where I was wondering if my boys were going to become vegetarian.  (Having been vegetarian/vegan for 8 years I totally understand their passion). 

Keith said, "I like eating indian food with my boys and girl (referring to me)".  Hudson looked up and cocked his head to one side, "Well if you like eating indian food with a girl then you need to adopt one.  I can share my bed with her and she can be my little sister. Let's adopt an indian girl so she'll like indian food."

Apparently this got Eli considering the chicken shahi korma he was ingesting and he chimed in with, "Why do you kill chickens?".

Keith says, "To eat them."

"But I like chickens and I like roosters. You not know that! You know what, I like mommy, daddy, huddy and chickens".

Keith's fatal response," But we are going to get chickens so that we can eat them."

"Daddy if we eat those chickens I'm gonna hit you in the wace (face)!"

Hudson getting absorbed in chicken defense said, "Yeah if you eat one chicken the others will peck you!" 

Eli pointing his finger at Keith, "Daddy why did you kill a chicken?"

Keith raising his hands in defense,"I didn't. Somebody else did."

Hudson concludes, " Eli, Indians kill meat!"

There are worse things than being called a SOCCER MOM!!!

I remember back in the day when I thought being a soccer mom was the epitome of a boring life.  And when I became a mother I ardently hoped that my children would not play soccer so that I would not have to be the dreaded... soccer mom.  Well the day finally arrived and I have found that it is really the biggest joy in my life to watch my son play soccer with his friends.  And to be amongst parents who are  involved in the process of nurturing their children's abilities.  Not that athleticism we care about the end result of games but that arenurture your children are learning another skill/s in life that bring them more opportunities.  They can interact with their peers, they know more of the adults in their community, they are networking for their lifetime.  It has been invaluable for us to know more people in our neighborhood and find out what other gems people have found for their children.  So after soccer it will be off to suzuki violin, gymnastics and learning languages.  This quote from Shinichi Suzuki sums it up nicely,  "Please do not fail to nurture your child.  It is a mistake to think that your child's future is only a matter of heredity or inborn qualities.  In response to the skill and ingenuity of the nurturer, any child can be fostered to achieve a high level of ability.

Huddy's soccer buddy/school buddy, Jonah.

Since Eli was too young for the team we made our own baseball team which he plays with the other youngsters.  (Although, this weekend he bogarted the soccer ball and made a goal for the other team!)

We've had 3 games so far and the first game Hudson was a little lost and didn't know why he was running after the ball and thus a little bored.  He didn't really want to keep playing so I just let him watch on the sidelines but we discovered that he likes playing goalie. So in a soccer game where there really was no defensive strategies, Huddy blocked 4 goals by the other team.  Yay, for you Huddy...

Is this Love?

After the weekend that Keith and I had all I can say is, "WOW!"  We decided over our vacation that we should demolish the third floor and move my pilates studio  home.  We had wanted to tear out the third floor in a couple of years, however,  after getting black mold on the third floor this spring  (leading to a mold abatement) the decision to move ahead was made for us. Thank goodness we did because the mold abatement apparently was incomplete and there was more black mold!  Also, the wiring was unbelievably dangerous. Old knob and tube just lining the walls behind wood paneling held in with nails.  Very glad to have it all out of my house.

On the good side of things, the kiddos went to my mom's house and Keith and I felt like our old selves,  the one's we were the very first summer we started dating.  That summer I helped Keith renovate a house.    We do have fun when we get to work together and unfortunately, we haven't been able to as much on this house the  because of our two little monkeys.  According to John Gottman its doing the small things together that make marriages intimate ie.  going grocery shopping, making dinner and we can now add demolishing your house. 

Marital Bliss.

Third Floor before

Third floor in my side yard

Blown insulation blows!

The biggest shout out ever to our friend John who spent 8 grueling hours with us and a celebratory dinner with us.  We love you so much for your morale boosting.  We are eternally grateful.

We struck the same pose at our wedding.  My things have changed!

2nd floor bedroom that we are expanding for the boys. 

2nd floor finished.

Keith triumphs over 1580 Spring Lawn Ave.  All demolition is FINALLY over after 3 years!!!

First Week of School

Things were pretty hectic at our house the week before school and the week of.  We got back from vacation to crazy work weeks and a planned event at our house for Hudson's entire kindergarten class.  We were a little worried that Huddy would be nervous before school because he would have mostly new people in his class and a new teacher.  We invited everyone over for a meet and greet and it was such a wonderful success that we are going to do it for Eli's class too. So much fun meeting wonderful parents who are also vested in their children's futures and read.y to go the extra mile for their kids.  Truly amazing.   The pic above is from the party and the kid's had a blast.

First day of school was no problem this year. Both were so excited to go and in fact wish they were going 5 days a week, which I didn't sign them up for because I still want to relish in my last year with Huddy before real kindergarten that's full time and with Eli who I feel has always been more Hudson's child than mine!  Its all going so fast, I really don't know where the time goes. 

On Wednesdays Huddy goes to school but Eli doesn't .  This proved to be very upsetting to Eli until we came home and pretended it was his birthday.  We sang happy birthday a few times and drank hot tea and he was very happy!

Such a little monkey.  I am hoping to make Wednesday's our special day.  Our special No School party day!