Mom and Drums - we're number one!

Here is a project I highly recommend.   Ask you child to draw a map of his/her heart.  William came home from school recently with this "map"-

Here is the low-down.  Apparently there is a tie for the top spot in William's heart - family and drums.  I'm just glad drums didn't squeak out a victory!  Next comes swinging, baseball and math.  Gum and pizza are next (although he has told me he should have put gum higher!)   Next comes the creek, school, book, animals and tv.  I love this little snapshot into a 7-year old's heart.  Might have to have all the kiddos draw one.

Who or what lives in the largest part of your heart?  

Low tech

We have been informed that within the next calendar year, all three of our school-age children will be receiving their own iPad mini from the school district.  Not just one to share or work on at school, one for each to bring home each night, weekends and on breaks.   Owen will receive his on the first day of school, because his grade level was picked first.  WHAT?    As if I didn't have enough to worry about.   See this picture?

This Wednesday folder belongs to one of my children .  Its been living in the car.  Its supposed to be turned in on Thursday.   Today is Wednesday.  Yep, its five school days late.  This loveable, charming, polite child (who shall remain nameless) forgets everything.  He has left homework at home and books out in the rain.  So handing this child a $350 electronic device for his backpack is a great idea.  Will he remove it gingerly from his backpack before he just misses his designated hook in the garage and it crash lands on the concrete floor?  And the thing I'm almost sure of, because I've been to a Cub Scout pack meeting, is that these are common traits among grade school boys.

Now I'm sure there is some kind of insurance we will be able to buy on this new school version of the composition notebook, costing Bart and I money when we don't even want the thing.  Oh yes,  we'll take the insurance times three, thank you.

What bothers me the most is that we limit technology at our house.  Bart is in the IT field and we still limit technology.   We limit tv time and computer time.  Caroline did receive a phone this year, but signed a contract of our expectations.  I pick up Caroline at school and I see every middle schooler staring at their phone.  At the Pinewood Derby this year, most boys were not watching the races because they were playing different races on their iPod Touch or DS.  Bart and I were appalled.  It is hard enough for adults to escape their devices, now our children will have to navigate it as well.  Thanks school district for putting me in the position of keeping track of these things and of being the bad guy - "time to turn off the" - insert tv, computer and now iPad.   Surely we are not the only parents that want their children to have more play time, more down time, more bike riding, more face to face time and not FaceTime.

Thank you for letting me vent - now go back to your vices, I mean devices.

Wink, wink

Finn is taking his first medicine - eye drops and an antibiotic for an eye infection.  He looks like he's been in a bar fight.

Here are the directions on the prescription info. sheet:

Tilt head back and with your index finger, pull the lower eyelid away from the eye to form a pouch.  Drop the medicine into the pouch and gently close the eyes.  Do not blink and keep the eye closed for 1 to 2 minutes.  Remove excess medicine around the eye with a clean tissue, being careful not to touch the eye.

Here are my directions for a 10-month old:

Give baby a bottle for distraction.  Lay baby on your lap and force open baby's crusty eye.  Put drop in any way you can while baby is screaming and practicing contortion exercises.  Pop in nuk, snuggle, put in bed with lovie and activate glow worm.  To be repeated, most definitely AFTER Bart arrives home.

What I'm loving right now....

Hello, its me - the giant slacker.   Definitely need to get blogging again!   Today, I"m sharing a few things I am loving.

Number 1:   Scout bags.  So wish they had trunk shows.  Now this is something I could sell!   Love it all!  I don't own any (yet) - the decision as to the first Scout bag purchased is overwhelming!

Do you ever want to wear a flip flop but not a flip flop?  You know you know what I mean.  A dressy flip flop?    I am loving my new black leather flops from Banana Republic:

They come in many cute colors, but I went with the practical black.    They're $39, but why oh why would you ever pay full price when Banana sends those discounts to our e-mail boxes daily?   I picked up mine for $26.   Not bad for a dressy flop.

Oh if only I lived near NYC I would definitely be checking this out in person:

The Target dollhouse - set up in Grand Central Station.  Really?  This is unbelievably cool.  Love Target, love decorating, love dollhouses.   I'm in love!

Oh my goodness, I have posted.   Hallelujah!