Gram and Papa to the Rescue

Well, I broke down and called in the reinforcements. I knew we wouldn't be seeing the PD at all for these last ten days so I called The PG (Political Grandma) and asked if she could take care of us some. She took us out to eat not once but TWICE! I haven't eaten out twice in one week since I had kids. We really do miss PD, but a little of this:

a lot of this:

and especially this:












is really helping the time to go a little faster.

Out of the Mouths of Fairies

I have another post coming later today about surviving as a political widow, but I had to record a couple of funny things the girls said this morning. I asked PD2 if she was ready to go to her "class" today and she said, "But I can't have any friends there if David is not there." (David does not go to this class) I said, "Well, you will see him tonight for Trick or Treat!" and she said, "But Not Gracie, Gracie cannot come because she loosed a tooth."

Then later I was wrangling them into fairy costumes. (They are going to be cats tonight, but fairies for their class today) I handed PD2 some socks to put on while I pinned on the wings and she said, "but fairies do not wear socks mommy!"

Then I was instructing PD1 to clean up her room before we left because we are having a bunch of people over tonight and SHE said, "But fairies don't do jobs mom, they just fly around."

Political Boots

PD 1 received these boots as a hand me down last year and just loves them:

I never really thought anything of it until I was slopping through a muddy soccer field this fall carrying two chairs and snacks and drinks for 20 kids. As I sat down mostly in tact with PD2 to enjoy what can only be described as a bunch of kids running in a huddle, I looked over at a stylish mom next to me and she was wearing these:

Genius, I thought! So cute and I bet her feet are completely dry and toasty! I thought if I had some boots like that, I would almost enjoy dragging the PDs around in the wet weather to playdates, classes and errands. So I started looking online for the cutest pair I could put on my Christmas list

these?

or these?

or these?

or any of these?

then I found the perfect thing:

Republican Elephant Rain Boots

and they are on CLEARANCE! Wait...do you think that says something about the political direction of this country? nah.

Gravity

The girls play outside almost every day. PD1 especially, just loves to play with sand, dirt, rocks and water. They make mud or sand pies or castles or plant pretend gardens. The latest thing is to save the seeds from the apple they eat at lunch and then plant them later outside. They get really really dirty and destroy their clothes, but it is so worth it because they entertain themselves for hours and I love that they are getting all that fresh air and exercise.

Sometimes I have to say, "You just had a bath, please don't get dirty." or "Grandma is taking us to dinner tonight, please don't make a mess of your clothes." Then it becomes a litany of "can we just play with sand, but no water?" or "can we just get a little dirty?" or "how can we make an animal hospital without water?"

I think on this day, I had said "do not turn on the hose." Well, I looked out the window to check on them and I didn't know whether to be proud or dole out a round of spanks! They were using gravity to drain what was left of the water in the hose! Instead of spanking, I ran for the camera.

(the other little mischief maker in the picture is our neighbor.)

Pumpkin Patch and a Ten Minute Date

When election season started really kicking up, I asked PD to please find a couple of hours to go to the pumpkin patch with us. And, of course, he did!

Last week we went to Devine Farms. We had to find a new pumpkin patch because the one we used to go to was not having any festivities this year. I was very upset about this because I hate change, but it turned out to be maybe even better.

It had an active Bee Hive

Face Painting

This awesome little "train"

Click on arrow on the picture below to watch a video!

a barn slide and Kettle Corn

and of course...PUMPKINS!

It was a really warm day and we had a great time. When we put the girls on the train that would take them on a little ten minute ride through the corn field, PD looked at me and said, "Hi! What do you want to do?" So we just enjoyed talking and walking around together for a few minutes with no one asking us a million questions. It was a very nice ten minute date. And I really savored it because I am sure it will be the last one until after November 4!

Habla Espanol?

PD1 is starting to learn some Spanish. I looked into a bunch of curriculums, but it was kind of like when you research vacuums on e-pinions, there was always something wrong with each of them. So one day I just took a shot in the dark and started practicing Spanish numbers with her in the car and for some reason she really likes it.

So the other day she wanted me to say how old everyone is in Spanish. She is seis, sister is tres, I am treinta cuatro. When we got to Aunt Katie, I thought maybe she could figure it out for herself. She thought for a minute and said, “veinte ONE!” I burst into laughter and then so did she. Now she keeps coming up to me and saying “remember when I said veinte one instead of veinte uno?” Good times.

Then I overheard her trying to teach PD2 to count in Spanish while PD2 was a captive audience on the potty. She said, “say uno, dos, tres.” PD2 says “uno dos SPACE.” Hilarity ensues.

We are going to learn food and colors next. Here are some cute books I am going to try.

Motivated by my first "comment"

Still feeling paralyzed by my perfectionism, but since I received my first comment from someone besides my sister, I am going to post again!

Since it took me several glasses of wine to get through the VP debate the other night, I think I am skipping tonight's presidential debate. I can't risk a wine headache when I have to get up early to take the kids on a home school field trip.

I love musical theater and want the kids to like it too. So a couple weeks ago MIL (pictured below) and I took PD1 to see The Sound of Music.

A friend of ours was a singing nun and got us in for free to a dress rehearsal.

To prepare her I downloaded three songs off iTunes and we listened to them in the car. Then I discovered that a grainy version of some of the scenes from the musical are on YouTube. The girls watched them over and over.

Here is something else kinda funny.

The Von Trap Kids as Adults

Do you have 12 kids?

I chose my online name "ohio12" when I started visiting a home school board. I should have realized that everyone would think I had twelve kids! I actually chose it because we live in the 12th congressional district here in Columbus, Ohio where my husband works in politics. I was going to say that is what our lives revolve around, but that isn't really true. The most important things to us are family, education, ministry and home projects, but sometimes it seems like we just fit those things in occasionally when Ben isn't working. He isn't a workaholic or anything gross like that. But his job is such that the work is never done and people always need something and he ends up helping candidates pro-bono because if you don't you aren't a team player. The last election cycle in 2006 was so hard mostly because of this little 18 month old campaigner.








Now she is three and a half and much more pleasant! I only have four weeks left in election cycle '08. I will keep you posted.