So She Can Know The Words

Lately Izzy has been pulling this guilt trip on me whereing she asks me to read her a book (usually WAY after bedtime or some other eqully inconvenient time), and when I say that she should just look at it herself she starts to cry "but I don't know the words." It is truly pitiful, and how can I not then go read her a book? I mean, she is showing a desire to READ for goodness sake. I have to nurture that.

But I also have stuff to do too. And being manipulated by an almost 4 year old is annoying, no matter how noble the justification. So I have decided that we are going to learn to read - when she knows the words she has no reason to bug me constantly to read these awful books (seriously - how do all of us not have a children's book deal? Some of these stories are barely coherent). She already has her favorite book (Lines That Wiggle) memorized - she can flip the pages and "read" the entire book to perfection. It would totally fool any onlooker who didn't know that I recite it ro her twice a day (yes really - RECITE. She gest distracted by toys if the light is on, and I can't really read it by the light of Tinkerbell, so I have it memorized too. Wonder what slightly less useless knowledge THAT pushed out of my brain). Memorization was how I first learned to read - I actually remember sitting down with my copy of Cinderella and thinking "this is what mommy says when she reads this page, so that must be what these words say." and from then on I could read. I also think I was about Izzy's age at the time (I was an early reader - I read The Hobbit by myself at 6 - no joke), so I figure she is ready to make a little effort on the reading front. Especially since she is showing interest in knowing what the words are.

So to that end, I have begun to make ehr flash cards of simple words.



She can breeze through the cards with everyone's name on them (so can Jack, actually, talk about memorizing), and unless the pressure to perform gets to her and she clams up, she can also identify dog, cat, bird, fish, eye, face, nose, lips. And even more importantly, she continues to ask me to "play the cards" with her - so she is enjoying this activity. Granted, most of the time she tells me she needs help and waits for me to tell her the word. And she gets distracted and frustrated really easily. But she is INTERESTED and that is the most exciting part. We have about 18 cards so far, and a list of about 50 more words she wants me to put onto cards.

I guess I better get the markers.

3-12-10

Am I Spreading Myself Too Thin?

If so it would be the only thin thing about me! Ba Dum bum!

I almost forgot to post today because I've spent all day thinking about... this new blog I've been asked ot be a part of! My bloggy friend Sarah has started a group blog for mom fashion, and she hasked me to be a part of it, along with some other bloggy friends. It is called All Kinds Of Pretty - please go check it out!

Now, if you have ever seen me in public (at least in the last four years since becoming a mom) you have probably laughed yourself right off your chair thinking about me giving fashion advice. But rest assured, I will only be posting about my lack of fashion sense and my struggles to find it somewhere within. The work in progress laid bare. Anyway, there are many other charming ladies involved, and I'm sure they all have wonderful, interesting, instructional things to say and I am super excited to be a part of it.

But adding yet another blog to my ever growing repetoir has just made the ideas bouncing around in my head even more frenetic. I have ideas for what I want to write about here, I have ideas for things to write there, I have ideas for things to write hither and yon, and I have ideas for a new project that I hope to unveil soon. I also have very little time to actually sit down and write them out, much less wrestle all these ideas into some sort of order so I can figure out what topic I'm writing about at any given time and where I'm posting when. Hopefully I'll get some sort of schedule down, and some sort of order mentally, and things will even out and the words will flow. Until then, they will probably still flow, but in a garbled mass rather than nice orderly sentences. I hope you will bear with me.

note: Only ONE MORE DAY to submit to this week's Saturday Say What! send your submissions to: practicalpablum at gmail dot com

3-11-10

What? You Need More?

Yeah, I know, one lousy dashed off dog post is hardly what you take time of your day to see here. but you've got to admit that video is cool - don't you want a dog too now? And maybe a super slow motion camera? Me too. Oh, and you know what is totally weird? I post this entry about wanting a dog today, and on the way home from swimming this afternoon jack starts telling me that he wants a dog, and the dog can sit in the back of the car right behind him, and that dogs eat and drink and have tails (he's TWO dude, his conversational skills are still developing, geez) and lick his hand and he pets them, etc. Isn't that strangely coincidental? Kind of like when Izzy tells us that we need two more babies in the family without any sort of prompting or coaching from me. These kids can read my mind! Good thing I never think about anything more off limits than having an extra two or ten cookies.

ok, that's all I got today. If you still need MORE, I posted here and here, too. Slave drivers.

I Want A Dog

Now is not the time. We don't have the money or the time in our schedules to take care of a dog right now. Our kids are too young, and I am too busy with them to worry about housebreaking a puppy. But I can't wait until the day I can have a dog. I've never really had a dog (briefly when I was very young), but I have wanted one for some time now - it seems a house with kids should have a dog. And when my aunt and uncle were here at Christmas with their dog the house felt complete somehow. I think it will be a wonderful addition to the household and to my day to get a dog when the kids are all finally in school and I can fill up my empty time with the companionship of a fur baby. But for now, I just like thining about it, and admiring cute pictures and videos. Like this one:

3-10-10

Treat Yourself To A Thank You

I love Starbucks. Decaf, non-fat vanilla latte, please. Everyday if I could, but I can't, so I only treat myself once a week. But that is all stopping, because right now, I want to treat you. Yes, YOU.

I want to thank you for reading my blog. For taking a little time out of your day to stop by here and catch up with me. For reading and commenting and making it seem like I'm not just talking to myself here.

Thank you.

If I could buy you all a latte I would, but unfortunately, I can't do that either. What I CAN do, is giveaway a spiffy new $10 giftcard to Starbucks that I purchased* just this morning for one lucky reader.

To enter:

-comment on this post

-tell a friend about my blog, and get them to comment on any post - if they mention you sent them you get an additional entry. If they comment on THIS post, they are entered too of course)

-tweet this giveaway (be sure to include @lonek8 so I know you tweeted)

-take a gander back through the archives and tell me (in this post's comments) what your favorite entry is from this month in 2009

That's it! Eligibility is open until Monday the 15th at midnight, so spread the word. Thanks for reading!

*sorry this is not some great, fabulous shiny prize. But this is not a sponsored giveaway and I was not compensated in anyway. I had to buy this with my own money, and I am happy to do so as a thank you. Sorry I can't afford more.

Snow Be Gone

This is our backyard last Tuesday:


The goal was to document what a beautiful sunny day we were having so I didn't get much of the yard, but I think there is enough for you to see that it was still covered in snow. I assure you that the stretch from the house to the playground was one unbroken stretch of white, at least 6 inches deep.

This is the yard yesterday:



Quite the difference, huh?



Turns out Omaha does not mess around when it comes to spring. Seems like we hit March and it just gets going. And that? is pretty freaking awesome. Of course, there is still the part of me that spent the last 7 years living in Colorado (and the 18 before that in Chicago) that expects the weather to turn cold again. After all, we are hardly talking global warm up - just a week's worth of weather that has been in the low 40's. That makes it feel like this is only a temporary respite, and that the snow and wind and cold will come back. Winter can't possibly be over yet - the temperature doesn't reach consistent levels to melt the snow until May at the earliest! But here we are. And judging from all the stuff I'm reading about outdoor activities resuming I'm thinking spring is here to stay.

And THAT is pretty freaking awesome.

3-9-10

We eat alot of bananas.

I Can't Figure Out A Mashup Of Mom And Hypocrisy That Doesn't Sound Like A New Form Of Government

I am a hypocrite. A raging, mushbrained hypocrite. Why? Because I absolutely HATE for my kids to drink juice.

Seriously.

All I can think of when they are drinking juice is the uneccesary sugar they are getting, when water would be just fine. Nevermind that the juice is 100% with no sugar added. Nevermind that I totally water it down. Nevermind that I just baked them cookies, fed them chocolate and let them have a milkshake with their McDonalds.

No, no, forget those sugary poisons, those are fine. But NO JUICE FOR YOU!!

I don't know why I'm such a psycho about sugary, caloric liquids. I rarely drink anything but water or milk myself, and while I certainly love soda, I view it as a waste and tragedy to actually partake of any - if I need liquids, I need water (I do drink one small glass of concord grape juice every night - but that is to stave off... something, I can't remember. Dementia? Memory loss? I don't know, but there is a valid preventative reason even if I don't know what it is). And I guess I have transferred those feelings over to my kids: milk with meals, water if you are thirsty. That's just how it is.

But today, as I gritted my teeth and caved to multiple requests for juice, I realized what a hypocrite I am. I feed these kids all manner of sugar under the sun - they get graham crackers, waffles, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, and at least one Hershey kiss almost everyday. I bake them cookies, and it takes very little eyelash batting for me to hand those out, but juice, whoa boy, juice takes some major arm twisting.

I follow the same rules when I eat. I think nothing of eating all manner of junk food or treats, but I would never drink a soda. I'll hit up the drive thru without a second thought, but no way will I drink the value meal pop - I'll just have a milkshake.

Maybe it is because I really don't like juice myself- I prefer plain water. But regardless of the reasons, it is ridiculous to apply such stringent rules to drinks when the same vigilance is not made of the food we eat. And while my natural instinct is to just relax and let them have the juice whenever they want, maybe I should instead focus on eliminating all the other uneccesary sugar we are getting in our diets. Ok, I suppose I could do both, and try and cut out the excess treats while also letting them have some 100%, no sugar added juice.

But only if it's watered down.

3-8-10

Spring has sprung.

3-7-10

I love this sea of light poles in the grocery store parking lot. It's even better from the road because it's a little higher vantage point, but obviously trying to photograph while driving would be highly irresponsible.

Saturday Say What

After scarfing my attempt at homemade pudding like she was in a race and stopping just shy of licking the bowl: "I don't like this pudding. I want a chocolate instead."

In the mornings, Izzy always comes and wakes my up, and often she will comment on how warm I am from being all snuggly under the covers. The other day, she told me: "you'll always be hot to me, mom."


getting ready to take a bath the other night: "look at my tiny boobs! Aren't they fabulous?" She then ran off to tell Daddy and called him Brett. It's like she turned into a 30 year old gay man.


Jack has sort of learned about knock knock jokes. His favorite (and only): "knock knock."who's there? "I am!" variation: " Jackie is!!"

So cute.

Now it's your turn; Saturday Say What is now accepting submissions! My kids, while funny on a regular basis, can't keep this feature alive on their own (aided by their mother who is incapable of remembering to write down half of what they say). So I need your help. Is your kid funny? Ever? Come, on, they must say something funny once in awhile. No? Sorry to hear that. Well, if or when they do, let me know! Send any funny, astute, precocious or precious statement your kids (or your anyone's kids) make to practicalpablum@gmail.com . Don't forget to include your name, your kids' names and ages, and any relevant context to the story, and it will appear in the very next Saturday Say What.

3-6-10

I love that this farm is less than 2 miles away from my house. I'm in the middle of the suburbs, but I won't have to move away from everything (ie, Super Target!) to have the acres and acres of property I want some day.