March 15, 2015

kitchen mouse

“Hello little mouse.
Welcome home to your house.”
Words I said to my youngest son as we met at the top of the stairs.
He’d just returned home from an overnight with friends.
He was walking up.
I was about to descend after starting a load of laundry.
He was almost to his bedroom with a twin pack of Little Debbie snack cakes in his hand.
He hadn’t gotten there quite fast enough.
He replied with a grin and attempted a Jedi mind trick with the words, “You didn’t see anything.”
Oh, but I did.
The pantry is self serve and holds a plethora of goodies.
If only the food refilled automatically…
Though from his point of view, it does.
Gradually, when favorites are “disappeared” from one too many mouse raids, the children are learning to recycle the empty boxes and tell me if something is nearly or completely gone.
[creak of pantry door]
[tip toe tip toe away]
[crinkle of the wrapper]
[mmmmm so yum]
NOTE TO MOUSE: Throw the “evidence” away.
*squeak*

March 15, 2015
This conversation really occurred at the top of the stairs around 10:30 this morning. Afterwards I checked the pantry and there is at least one unopened box of Little Debbie snack cakes remaining. My oldest son calls this particular flavor, “Heaven Bites.” They must be really, REALLY good!

May 24, 2014

stupid pickles

Boys are awake. I was sitting next to my youngest in living room. We hear his big brother shout from the kitchen, “Stupid pickles!” Pause and then ask what happened, not sure if he was in the pantry or fridge. TEENAGER replies he was trying to get pizza for breakfast and the box was “perched precariously.” The jar fell on his foot. The pickles are OK. So is he. Pizza is being eaten. Here I figured he’d go for leftover cake.

May 24, 2014
Saturday morning just a little after 7am

May 23, 2014

Big Day here

Yesterday was a lilac scented morning walk, filling and delivering 100 water balloons to the park for the fifth grade picnic, attending junior high chapel presented by eighth grade, and more. Today started with another morning walk, though birdsong was more noticeable than the still blooming lilacs. It will be a quieter morning inside than usual because my oldest gets to sleep in a bit, not needed at school until midday for pictures and practicing for eighth grade graduation. No caps and gowns, just dressed up with a tie, but not the Star Wars one that he really wants to wear because it is against the rules this time. Half a day of school for my fifth grader because I'm springing him early for the 2pm ceremony. Cake after. Store bought. Big day here. Hoping for more smiles than tears. My, but that was a fast school year.

May 23, 2014

March 17, 2014

cat vs. dog

I carried Blue dog to the basement today. He let me and didn’t thrash about. I am so tired of my animals not getting along. Get over it already. Snuggles the cat ran. Blue got ahold of her with his mouth. She got her claws into his face and held on. I didn’t know what to do then. I made him drop her. She ran upstairs and hid in the laundry room. She came out for my youngest son, age ten. She let me pick her up. No blood. Just saliva on her tummy. I held her. Told her she was the fuzzball boss and needed to let Blue know it. Carried her to the basement where the dog still was. Blue was waiting at the bottom of the stairs but not barking. That was good. Better was that when Snuggles snarled at him from my arms and went to jump, Blue ran up the stairs on his own and Snuggles found a basement spot of her own. Since then Blue has fussed at the top of the basement stairs, but won’t venture down on his own. He doesn’t like the feel of the painted wood. Too slippery. Afraid he’ll fall. They look too steep from the top. We’ll try again another day, even though my sons think I am crazy for what I did today. Just get along. I also told Miss Snuggles that I loved them both. She is my favorite cat and Blue is my favorite dog. That my heart was big enough to love them both. Oh. She heard me. She’s thinking about. Though feline plotting is more like it. *sigh* =^.^=

March 16, 2014

March 10, 2014

Where is the bus?

Monday morning after the time change.
My fifth grade boy wanted to stay burrowed in his bed.
Eventually he got up, ate and dressed.
The school bus was 20 minutes late.
An unusual occurrence.
A snowball fight ensued.
Throwing, dodging, trash talk, laughter, and a few hits too.
Where is the bus?
Each creak and squeak carried on the air got our hopes up.
Nope.
Dump truck.
End loader.
It’s also garbage day in our neighborhood.
What time is it?
We speculated on where the bus might be.
Broken down?
Driver overslept?
Or got amnesia?
One boy asked, “What’s that?”
I replied, “When you forget who you are.”
Then we saw the flash of yellow begin as the bus appeared around a corner.
The bus!
There it is!
Finally.
Just in a nick o’time to take the children to school without being late.
All snow play ceased as the line formed once again.
One by one they step aboard.
“Good morning,” says the driver.
*whew*
Made it.

March 10, 2014
Nothing like a little bit of extra excitement on a groggy Monday, the day after the time change.

February 5, 2014

neighborly help

No school here
Lots of snow
Just in from shoveling
Was gonna just do front porch and steps
Then a path to sidewalk
Then sidewalk
Then half the drive
Threw Blue inside for nonstop woofing
Kept shoveling
Boys zzzz’ing
Boys who were wild, knowing it was gonna be a snow day, and didn’t go to bed until sometime after 10pm
Was about ready to say, “Enough”
Then I saw Snowblowerman
My hero today 🙂
Not that I wasn’t gonna take my oldest son up on his offer to help me shovel today
I was
But the neighbor who was snowblowing his sidewalk kept coming my way
I’d done my part of the sidewalk and a little more already
It was that driveway
He offered, said it’d just take a sec, commented, “That’s some drift.”
It really was
I accepted and said, “Thank you.”
He really was done lickety split
I stayed outside while he worked
Kept my shovel moving
Just a few back and forth passes, stopping to adjust where the snow was blowing, then done, “Voila”
I said, “Thank you” again
And added, “That was amazing.”
I’m not even sure which house he lives in, just the direction he walked from, blowing snow as he arrived and as he left
Done now
So thankful that it is
Kindness
Neighbors helping neighbors
I love my neighborhood
Where Blue dog and I manage to have all sorts of Adventures before 7:00am

February 5, 2014

January 30, 2014 Image

So, there was a little hostage situation here last night…
My youngest son, age 10 in fifth grade, asked for the yardstick to measure the dog’s long, fluffy tail. When I didn’t immediately hand it over to him, he began taking items out of the pantry one by one, reading their labels aloud, stacking them on the kitchen counter as he stockpiled hostages. Along the way he found the yardstick and Blue did NOT want his tail measured, so my boy resumed taking pantry items hostage. Not just the extra food, also batteries, straws, flashlights, lightbulbs and the broom. Then, since I made white chicken chili yesterday, and the crock pot found itself surrounded by other hostages, that boy blocked his captives off with the yardstick and declared the crock pot hostage too. What?! The crock pot was an innocent bystander! Just sitting on the counter, minding it’s own business, after working hard all day, when it found itself surrounded by hostages and a crazed madman brandishing a yardstick about. Too funny really, both in the moment and as hindsight. Love him. The older boy too. He had his own smiling, trying to get my goat, way of pushing buttons last night. His grin said he knew he did too. My narrowed eyes didn’t convince him to move because my grin gave me away. He showered. Such a simple thing, but heaven forbid it be one. Thursday morning now. The sun rose. Both of my sons rose too, even though they were still rather tired, grumbly and wanting more sleep. Oldest is delivered to school and youngest is en route. Blue has been out twice. Time is 8:30am. I stayed in my flannel pjs and am making coffee now. Errands and cat duty and miscellaneous whatnot will all fill in the hours until those two boys who hold their mother’s heart return home again. I may have agreed to make a chocolate cake last night to free the hostages. I sort of think I did. I better make one, to appease that crazed madman, age 10.
~Janean

January 30, 2014
There is a new moon tonight. The second new moon of January 2014. There are two super moons this month, on the first and thirtieth, but actually, there were three because of the full moon in the middle. I have a feeling “moon effect” had a little to do with the antics at my house last night. The rest was a very creative, witty and hilarious way to avoid bedtime.

January 30, 2014

hostage situation

My ten year old son just said to me from the kitchen, “I have the olives as hostage, until you tell me where the yard stick is.”
(I’m laughing in reply.)
“I took the olives first because I know you like them best.”
“I took the whole pantry hostage.”
“No more large pitted olives from the pearl company.”
“No more mini moos half and half”
“No more honey, grade A.”
(A longer list goes here that I didn’t all type.)
“Tell me where the yardstick is and you’ll have all these objects back.”
“No more cake mixes, Mom.”
(Oh…there’s more…it’s not bedtime or anything. Maybe I should give him the yardstick?! He wants it to measure Blue’s tail.)
“Let’s see what else I should take for ransom…”
“I have the battery charger on ransom.”
“No more white distilled vinegar.”
“Where’s the yardstick?!
(Answers his own question) “Oh. Found it.”
(To the dog) “Hey, Blue, can you lay down?”
“No more mini marshmallows.”
“No more dark chocolate.”
“No hot traditional salsa. Even though I don’t see anything hot about it.”
“No more brooms.”
“No more measuring cup.”
Me: “That’s to measure Blue’s food with.”
10 year old: “Well, you’ll have to guess now!”
This is where the pantry hostage taking standoff ended at 9:27pm. That is when I walked into the kitchen from the family room to see all the items he held hostage from the pantry stacked on the counter. Tomorrow is soon enough to shove them all back in. By 9:41pm my youngest son was tucked into bed with his covers all straightened out from last nights acrobatic sleeping and the bedside light on. Never a dull moment. I’m so glad!

January 29, 2014

January 27, 2014 Image

This morning’s sunrise gave the illusion of warm in shades of gold and orange. I checked my weather app AFTER stepping back inside from walking Blue. Weather status at 7:30am, “-1*F here, feels like -23*F.” The really crazy thing is being out with Blue this morning, it didn’t feel THAT cold. Dogs paws didn’t hurt. He walked on all four around the mini block. I checked the temp again just now and it’s “warmed up” to zero and feels like -23*F. Indoors is best. Thankful for heat and money to pay the bill when it comes due. My boys of course are thankful for sleeping in, no school and another day at home. Blue has since fallen back asleep. Dog is love seat zzzz’ing in his favorite spot. The house is momentarily quiet, even with all of us home on a Monday. Good morning.

January 27, 2014
9:33am, and my youngest son just woke up

January 12, 2014 Image

“It’s not the scary house anymore.”
I overheard a mother say this to her son on Halloween night from where I stood on the front porch holding a bowl of candy to give away. A moment later, the boy did walk up the driveway from the sidewalk and say, “Trick or Treat?” I gladly gave him treats and hope he’ll be back next year without the sidewalk hesitation. Like his mother said, that old designation is now put to rest once and for all. Getting there. Step by step. NOTE TO SELF: Get rid of all your old Halloween decorations. The ones you didn’t make time to put out this year.

January 12, 2014

Turquoise Tangles

art & writing by Janean M. Baird

son