"You hafta blow my nose!"

We hear that about 100,000 times a day.  I usually just stare at him until he adds, "PLEASE?" to the statement.  He is fuh-reaking out if his nose runs at all, screaming, "It's weaking (leaking), it's weaking, hurry!"

He's been napping.  G, napping.  That hasn't happened in a long time.  And voluntarily napping, like we find him in his bed when we think he's playing in his room.  It's kind of sad actually.  Here you'll see his "bestest friends" Tom and Jerry.  He loves those two.  It's moments like these that show me the baby G from so long ago.

He has a really mean cough, so much so that I was pretty sure it was croup.  I didn't sleep one night because it sounded like he was going to choke to death on his own phlegm   He didn't die and eventually I slept.  

Gee, I just can't figure out why his cold won't go away.  It couldn't be because he's playing in the snow and water in March.  Don't mind the box on his head, it's his "Christmas hat."  Really it's a shoe box for some hella cute ballet flats I got and it's hot pink but in G's world, it's a hat.

And when it's not a hat, it's a boat.  Man was he pissed when his boat not only sunk but fell apart thanks to the water.  Duh.  

Holy handsome and happy sick boy!  Anytime G is outside he's smiling, he loves his out of doors.  That's why I'm ready for it to be summer again, I'm tired of being cold or being stuck in the house with a 4 year old crazy.

 

 Gotta love a brown eyed boy.  Seriously.

That's his new cheese smile.  I can totally see that being his school picture smile for the next several years.

This sickness he has just doesn't seem to want to go away.  I'm so glad that he's not a whiny baby when he's sick but after about a week of the ick's he turns into kind of a jerk.  Like crabby, mouthy, defiant, etc.  It's really hard on a parent to have to beat a kid with a cough.

Okay, okay so I would never beat him but I might stick cough drops up his nose since he won't put them in his mouth.  Or hide his "nose blower" and let him run around screaming about the "weaking" just to tick him off.  Or make kiss him all over his face because I feel bad that he's not feeling 100% and I can't make it all better with the flick of my wrist.    

Not the 'gina!

http://thestir.cafemom.com/teen/153277/biology_teacher_gets_in_trouble?utm_medium=sm&utm_source=facebook&utm_content=fanpage


I am really hoping that there is more to this story and those parents aren't as idiotic as they appear.  My 4.5 year old knows it's called a vagina and he has no problem using the term appropriately.  He'll even tell people that mommy has a vagina and daddy has a penis.  We love it when he does that to perfect strangers, especially.

FWIW he also calls it a front butt, which is just hilarious to me.

Biology Teacher Gets in Trouble for Saying the Word 'Vagina'

He said "vagina"!!! EWWWWW. That's how some parents apparently reacted when ascience teacher used the word "vagina" to describe, well, the vagina. I know. He was totally out of line, amiright? Whatever happened to giving our children a good education and using the proper term for a vagina, such as "fun muff," "cooter," "lady flower," or "beef curtains"? What is wrong with our schools, I ask you??? Anyway, four parents who didn't want their tenth graders listening to that nastyyyy word complained, and now the teacher, Tim McDaniel, is being reprimanded.

It all started in Idaho, when horribly misinformed biology teacher McDaniel was teaching science class, which apparently must contain some reproductive health information. (WHAT?!! Science is about fuzzy little creatures and like, um, chemicals in beakers and stuff, isn't it?? OMG!!!)

McDaniel, who says he teaches "straight out of the textbook" (yeah, the textbook of SIN!), says he doesn't mention any words that aren't in the textbook. And the word VAGINA was in the textbook!!! OMG, this isn't a textbook, it's a porno magazine!!

Four parents were not only offended by this horrific description of the female genitalia (Women do not have genitalia!! They have pretty little flowers!!), but also the fact that McDaniel showed a video clip of herpes, taught different forms of birth control, and explained the orgasm. (The WHAT?! OMG, ladies do not have -- ugh, I can't even say that filthy word!)

So four parents complained -- even though McDaniel has been teaching for 18 years without one complaint. Sheesh, who moved into town? The vagina police?

Additionally, all students are given the option of NOT taking the class if they might be offended by the material. Hmm. Something tells me the kids weren't offended, but the idiotic parents were. And now McDaniel is refusing to sign a letter of reprimand, as well he should.

To parents who don't like the word "vagina": Please keep your kids out of school and teach them at home about "lady flowers" and "beaver" so the rest of the future generation can get a proper education.

old men plant trees

This made me think of E and G.  Odd, I know but E was 52.5 when G was born.  He likely won't be around to see G at 30 or 40 years old, he'll never get to sit in the shade of his larger than life third child.     He won't be here for G's biggest career successes or see him raise his own children.  He helped plant the tree that is G's life and he gets to help nurture its growth and health.  He might not get to watch it bloom where he planted it and reach its leaves towards the sun.

It's a kind of cruel trade off, being old enough to enjoy and appreciate the miracle that is having a child and being old enough that he won't live to see G be an old man himself.  Time means that much more in our world when we consider how little of it we'll actually get together.

Jesus is bigger than everything!

Jesus is bigger than everything.

That's what G informed me he learned in Sunday School today.

Interesting, I forgot to ask the teacher what the lesson was but I like it already.

We were at the mall and I was browsing some dresses and G says nice and loudly, "Mommy, I love you bigger than Jesus."

Love all, trust few, always paddle your own canoe.

face it...

I have nothing original to say but I love this article titled, "So You're Feeling Too Fat To Be Photographed," and wanted you to read it too.

It kind of goes along with this article that I also love about the same kind of topic.  

"Life doesn't want you to get thin enough to capture it."  

"Can we just let our loved ones remember the YOU that they love?"

"So you're feeling too fat to be photographed?  Okay.  But you're the only one who notices.  The rest of us are too caught up in loving you."

I still hate having my picture taken.  I am not a beauty.  I'm not classical or regal or even average.  I don't like my face except when people tell me that my boy looks like me or that I look just like my dad.  But it's my face and I've had it for almost 35 years now so I am just used to it.  I can see, from my face in a picture, if I was fat at that time in my life or not.  It comes and goes from my face first (boobs second).  It's like a super power. 

When my husband points his camera at me I cringe because somehow the angle he shoots at is always extra unflattering.  But he thinks I'm beautiful so isn't that what matters?  Not always, to me anyway.    

He takes nice pictures and so even though I say it's an unflattering angle what I really mean is I don't like the way I look.  It's not him, it's me.  Aren't I too old for this self-conscious crap?

Regardless, great article to read so do it.

Finding Joy In What Really Matters

"Joy and pain, they are but two arteries of the one heart that pumps through all those who don't numb themselves to really living.  Pages of a gratitude journal fill endless, yet I know life is loss.  Every day, the gnawing...What will I lose?  Health?  Comfort?  Hope?  Eventually, I am guaranteed to lose every earthly thing I have ever possessed.

When will I lose?  Today?  In a few weeks?

Who will I lose?  I will lose every single person I have ever loved.  Either abruptly or eventually.  All human relationships end in loss.  Am I prepared for that?

Every step I take forward in my life is a loss of something and I live the waiting: How and of what will I be emptied today?  How will God's grace be given to me today?"

~Selections from One Thousand Gifts Finding Joy In What Really Matters.
Ann Voskamp

Contentment

That's me, just tryin' to do the best with what God gave me.  Some days are easier than others but I really am thankful for what I am because in His eyes I am perfect.

Selway in March

Somehow we've neglected to take Nana to the Selway River up until this last Sunday.

We had to fix that because we love the Selway!  It's a little bit of a drive (about two hours to the junction of 3 Rivers) but it's worth it.

We were just trying to get "below" the snow that we currently have at the house and we knew we'd do that if we went downriver.  

It was cool still but so very pleasant.  We got to get out of the truck and hike some and show Nana the beaches that G loves so much.  I can't believe we neglected to pack him a fishing pole OR a toy truck to dig with.  Bad mommy and daddy.

Hey look, it's the three of us!  

G loves him some Nana, in case you've never noticed.

I think we've convinced her to come back and camp on the Selway.