Roar!!! (Part 2)

As seen earlier, Carys had her face painted as a tiger for the Bowling Party. Since then, every night when I read her her current favourite story at bedtime, when we get to the part about the baby lion meeting the baby leopard, she points to her face and says she is a baby tiger and lets out a roar!

Patrick

Adam Ant

DSC02375, originally uploaded by the_stakes.

I can't seem to get pictures from Flickr together in one blog post so please bear with me!

Roar!!!

DSC02408, originally uploaded by the_stakes.

Carys Bowling last weekend. She has her face painted as a Tiger.

Peck

DSC02418, originally uploaded by the_stakes.

I was in bed on wednesday Morning and asked Carys to give me a kiss. She said no. we then started to play the "I will give you a kiss whether you like it or not game".... I relented and chagned tactic. "How about a peck on the cheek?" I asked.

What? asks Carys looking a bit confused.

" Go on.. give Mum a peck on the cheek" I encouraged persuasively.

Well.... Quick as a flash, her little hand lashed out and she slapped me across the cheek!

Moral of the story--- Make sure you know your kid understand what a peck is before you make her follow through!!

Hijacked!

My Blog has been hijacked! See.. it is a sensitive subject (always gotta have the last word :-) ).

Adam sat at the computer last night doing his spelling words on Spellingcity.com. It is a great site for creating games and puzzles from his spelling lists. He just enters them online any and away he goes!

I have woken up at insane-o-clock (4:30 am) to get some work done because I want to have fun with my sweet sweet little girl today. We might go to the park.. or to the playspace or colour or play puzzles etc. Nearly vacation time and not too much further into the planning. We've decided what will be will be!

Nothing further to report.

over and out

The problem is, Monica thinks that because the red light is on in the kitchen, then we must be burning gas, this is NOT the case. The red light only means that the timer is on and that if the water is below the required temperature, then and only then will the gas come on, it's thermostatically controlled, just like the heating. If it's warm enough, then the gas will not burn, even if the red light is on and dancing a jig in the kitchen!

Maybe one day she will understand.

Pet Peeves

I am sure every has their onw little ways of doing things and one littel thing always seems to be a bone of contention in your house. Well, a major 'little' crazy driving thing we disagree on is the heating/hot water controls. Ee have lived in this house for 8 years and for that whole time we have disagreed over how often the hot water should heat and how many times the heating should come on. I flick it off, he flicks it back on, i flick it off, he flicks it on. Its like a game as to who see's that little red light on the control. Well.... we got a new control yesterday, ( because i broke the last one!) and not only has it got an option to program how many times it comes on in the day it now includes a seven day timer/ to control weekdays versus weekends..... or set each day differently if requuired. It has also got a holiday mode, isn't that great! (Sarcasm is trying to come through) What happend to the simple on and off switch? Mom.. I think those wood chopping skills would come in handy right now..... maybe the stoneage wasn't so bad after all!!

Anyone who knows Patrick will know that we are two opposites,, he loves the technical and programmable.. I don't ahy complicating something is necessary!

Moronic speller strikes again!

The re-reading of my last post provided the inspiration for this posts title. Enough said.


I had a lovely call form my Dad this morning. After the normal prattle of "How's my grandkids?" question my Dad asks me

What are you doing?

I reply . " I am busy I don't have time to do much"

Dad. " DON'T have time. Whadya mean you don't have time? Your Mom had four kids and she still had time to chop wood, bring it in and make my dinner"

Hmmm... Mom I think that was a compliment.

Dad... your still living in the stone age.
There are now things such as central heating, internet, computers, TELEVISION, books stacked ceiling high, plumbing and microwaves.....

Love you!!!!

Get in Gear

I have jsut been reminded that my blog is getting out of date (thank you folly for that kick up the backside.

We are running around like headless chickens in the Doherty house.

Carys has decided that now would be the BEST time to show her spirit and personality (translation : stubborness and frequent use fo the word NO). Adam has also chosen this time to *want* to sit down and do homework (positive step that needs nuturigng but at a time when deadlines are looming hard to please everyone!)

James has reached the stage where his tasks have become longer and 1.5 hours twice a week we have a cookery lesson followed by 2 hours study to catch up on schoolwork. And another hour a week to give him one to one time.

We have half-planned out trip to China (bearing in mind we leave next Tuesday).. we jsut discoverd that we booked the wrong days to take the train out of Beijing because for some reason they only leave on even days, this then has a knock on effect on taking the train out of shanghai because this train only goes to Hong Kong on even days in March but on odd days in april and then only every two days in May. Combined with the fact that we cannot buy these before we go and cannot find a travel agent who speaks ENglish to buy them for us before we leave may mean we have to thumb it the however many miles from beijing to hong kong only armed with flashcards in chinese that read "I can't eat mushrooms" and " wheres the toilet". i am NOt panicking at all as I am sure you can see.

We have yet to pack our bags.... or or do the laundry in order to have clean clothes to pack said bags. Our hallway still has no floor .... industrial driers and a dehumidifier ar still drying it out... I should have these on 24 hrs a day but can't stnd the noise so they are onfor more like 2 hours and I haven't submitted any quotes to the insurance to get the work on walls done nor have I been able to go and choose alternate flooring to put down. Result: Carys being lifted anytime she goes through the hallways as she does not like walking on black floors (coating on the cement) because they are " scary".

Yes anything black is now "scary" in Carys book thanks to her modelling the behaviour of her brother and the dark.

Adam is enduring hastily prepared packed lunches of "tuna" ( no mayo as I haven't any in the house), on croissants that nana sent up ( because I haven't been to the supermarket) and ryvita with jam as dessert (i don't have any biscuits sweets or crisps to give him). I really need to go to the grocery store!

This morngin I lost my care key.. in a somewhat overzealous search I broke the heating control thingy that controls our heating and hot water.. as a resutl noheatingor hot water until thats fixed.

A positive note to the mornign was Adam ( voluntarily, no coersion, pleading, stern loosk necessary) broguht donw his book " Horribke Henry adnthe babysitter" to take to school to read during quiet time. MY SON WANTS TO READ A BOOK!!!! I'd say thats progress!

Yesterday I have declared a no television rule. No television what-so-ever anymore!! The wails from that boy you'd think I cut off his arm. He went through tears, pity, guilt trip the lot in trying to get me to let him watch it. After an hour we were happily playing scrabble, painting, and doing homework. he can still play onthe Wii and the computer just no habitual, mind numbing televison that has too long been used as a pasttime for my children!

Carys loved her pretty dress this mronig soo much that she refused to wear it when she ate her breakfast/ too avoid gettinig it dirty.. then in the loo/ too avoid having to hike it out of the way... and then when we finally had it on her.. she declared she did not like it. She wore it anyway despite the kicking, rolling on the floor, and the limp spaghetti noodle status.

Last week ws MOTHERS DAY. Kids and Patrick were down south for Katy J's party so we are celebrating this Sunday.

I have got an essay to write and an exam to study for both due on Monday so me thinks packing/cleaning/washing/shopping/cooking/sanity will be out the window.

Now......a few minutes to get myself together .. to become an aura of clamness.... to get productive.... and start on my list.

(one more note... Adam is making his first holy communion on the 10th of May).

I love my kids and my husband so much! They have given up so much to support me in this and I truly do appreciate them!

kickin' it at 'La casa'

Today the kids spent the morning 'rockstyling'. Rockstyling defined means kickin it like a rockstar on the trampoline. Fearturing air guitar, 'the hustle', and a bum,tum, back bounce. Carys as you may guess did a low impact version and created a bend over and touch your toes adaptation. Lots of laughter, lots of fun.

Patrick took the kids off to an 'urban' farm and that scottish restaruant I am loathe to name at the risk of earning a 'Razzie' award for child nutrition.

Carys and Adam saw the ducks, donkey, turkeys, sheep and pigs and a good time was had by all. I was stuck in a library finishing up some work.. blah!!!!

Patrick be going out on pub crawl this evening so I will have the night to myself. woo woo

Pictures to follow.

Parenting

Adam is giving me gray hair, wrinkles, worry warts and sleepless nights. He is going in a direction I don't think is good for him and I don't know how to turn him around. He's 7, not the end of the world, he's just starting out on the whole life ladder. What worries me is that life, even for little kids, isn't always kind. How can you tell him so that he understands that the reason the kids don't want to play with him is because its always go to behis way. If its not the tears start and he stomps home crying no one likes him. He HAS to be the ringleader, his ideas, his execution, his rules (that are changed ona second pe secodn basis).
He is never wrong. Adam: the sky is blue, Mum: the sky is grey today, Adam mum why did you make me say blue.. hello, its your eyes that are the problem not my psychic ability that fixes yur answer before it comes out of your mouth.

He always has to have the last word. He doesn't like to do his hoeowrk and he has a bad attitude when he has to do somethin he doesn't want to do. He does not listen.

I truly do not want to put this down as a 'phase' all boys go through nor do I want to break his 'spirit' becaause as we all know Adam has had some of these characteristics since birth! Have I given him too many choices? Have our boundaries fallen by the wayside or are there too many? Have we not been giving him enough time? I truly want a happy little boy without and not concentrate too much on all the rules.

I'm up a few barriers as well. I am going to have to go back to basics with routines and might just throw away the television.

Tennis pro

Its been a looong week. Me and the kids have partyed hard ( pillow fights, rolling off the beds, water fights), shredded up the dance floor (living room break dancing and a sock hop), had international cuisine (£0.99p pizza, chicken kievs, chinese, beans on toast), and staged our own 1st annual olympics ( trampoline headstands, mop relays, sweepathon). All this funa nd we evenhad time for some interior design--- the removal of the "Irish Lace" (cobwebs) from those high up places.

The kids have bee as good as gold. Yes we have had our boughts of fighting, biting, yelling, crying, whining but theyhave been intertwined with laughing, hugging, loving and fun!

Highlights have included Carys runnign and jumping into her brothers arms saying "Adam, my love you" and Adam saying " Mum, its okay you stay in bed and I'll get our breakfast and call you in ten minutes!"

Lowlights have included Carys dropping her drawers and mooning me a la Bart Simpson (complete with wiggle) and Adam stomping about Its not fair.. why do I have to be bored! and always having to have the last word.

Adam's been to beavers/ football/tennis/ a birthday party/ had a lesson with his tutor and a mate over to play. Carys has been to Ria's, playgroup, and stuck to her mommas side.

We rounded off the week with a fabulous morning of tennis- (if you can call what I do as playing tennis).

Tonto is back tonight! :-)

Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger reports again! Patrick has gone off and left me with two little rascals and a teenager with 'man flu'. Patrick has gone off to a training course for the week and won't be back until next Sunday 5pm. The kids and I went to see him off a the train station. They promised their dad they would be good and this lasted all of 30 minutes! James has been 'dying' for the last three weeks. I have never seen such a drama queen. He had a cold, then a cough, then a sore throat, then dizziness, then a sore hand, then a headache.. the list continues. We might be able to start up a soap opera here!

Adam is not often in one place long enough to get him in a picture. I always seem to be posting pictures of Carys but he tuly is like a worm and you can never find him when I have the camera!

Carys sporting her first real braids.