The Spring Break Post

The weekly conversation:

David to kids:  Fill the woodbox.

Kids:  We did.

David:  Try again.  Not full enough.

Today, when I went to check the fire, I found this:

I feel like they are getting a bit passive-aggressive in their old age.  And I felt like I was playing a terrifying game of Jenga while trying to load the fire.

Yes.  It’s the end of March and we still need a fire.  We had one heck of a winter, my friends.  Cold and snow for days.  But, alas.  Spring is coming.

We are on Spring Break.  We are NOT at Disneyland, which is where I long to be.  We just finished up with “Birthday Week.”  Handsome Dude turned 10 and Daisy Mae turned 13.

Daisy Mae!  13!  Here she is on a recent adventure to her Great Uncle Harry’s house.  Harry invited the kids over for fish tacos.  He finds himself to be hilarious.

It’s goldfish crackers in a crunchy taco shell.  Hardy har har.  (Kids loved it, actually)

Yes.  She has a phone.  Both the girls do.  WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD?  They have to pay for it monthly and all that jazz and we, the uncertain-parents-who-are-not-yet-ready-for-their-girls-to-be-teenagers, put several rules in place regarding the usage of the phone.

Here’s further proof that Taylor is not ready to parent teens:

Allow me to set up the scene for y’all:

Sweet Pea is 14.  She is interested in going to a dance with a MALE.  My favorite part: “And maybe more than I am not remembering.” (Feel free to steal that genius line, parents)

You see, this covers me for future rules I might come up with on a whim because I AM NOT READY FOR THIS.

And check out Sweet Pea, the good-natured 14-year-old who gives her terrified mama a thumbs up.

#winning

Now, let’s talk about Handsome Dude.  He’s 10!  And (generally speaking) he is so much more mature and hard-working and responsible than I could have ever imagined him to be at 10.

Yes!  Handsome Dude!

1.  He completely takes charge of his homework and completes it in a timely fashion AND does it well.
2.   He has muscles.  I am not kidding.  He has started helping David out more around the property and that kid is buff.
3. He can plow our driveway with the 4-wheeler and plow.
4. He NEVER breaks his glasses.  (Long time readers will take great joy in that statement)
5. His teacher scored him as “advanced” for his behavior.  (I can’t even.  The kid used to pee on my washing machine and then offered no good reason or apology)

Recently, his class performed a square dance and here is, being all good-natured and not all oh-she-has-girl-cooties and dancing with girls.

He looks more like a basketball player than a square dance, but, you know . . . baby steps.

Last night, I made chicken and wild rice soup and he was feeling a bit uncertain about it.  Because, you know, it wasn’t mac and cheese or pizza or something safe like that.  But after a bite or two, he said

“Mom, I love this.  Do you think you could make this next time I am sick?”

Be still my heart.

Little Dude is still . . . .little dude-ish.  He is a bit wacky.

Sweet Pea had some friends over and Little Dude was being all charming and flirty with them.  He bragged to them:  “My dad is the Ladies Man!”

Oh, dear.

Me:  Dude, do you see Dad flirting with girls a lot?

LD:  Oh, yeah.  All the time.  But mostly with you.

He also smacked me on the hiney the other day.  Because Dad does it.

He’s a work in progress.

Also, a quick update on my knee.  The knee manipulation in December was the last procedure I had done on it.  It still hurts quite a bit and does not have full range of motion.  But, I can walk!  I am working on trying to get 10,000 steps every day and hoping that strenghtening it might help.  If it isn’t better by the end of May, I might have to to a new doctor.

Happy Thursday!