Tuesday, July 14, 2009
I cannot go to school today said little Peggy Ann McKay...
So Adam is sick with some sort of stomach bug. Anything that goes down keeps coming up. He's been trying hard to eat some chicken broth, but that's not working out too well. He's getting frustrated with his lost eating abilities and expressed his frustration with the following comment. "It's like, I can't even eat chicken broth. What gives?"
Friday, July 10, 2009
Interview with Adam, revisited
Mom and Dad
as described by Adam Hooten, age 7
1 What is something Mommy always says?
"I love you.”
2. What makes Mommy happy?
“Me.”
3. What makes Mommy sad?
“When I’m mean.”
4. How does your Mom make you laugh?
“By telling me silly jokes.”
5. What was your Mom like as a child?
“You were like me”
6. How old is your Mom?
“37.”
7. How tall is your Mom?
“So tall.”
8. What is your Mom's favorite thing to do?
“Spend time with me.”
9. What does Mom do when you’re not around?
“Have fun and try to be happy.”
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
“Money.”
11. What is your Mom really good at?
“Loving me.”
12. What is your Mom not good at?
“Not loving me.”
13. What does Mom do for her job?
“Stay home and work by watching Thomas, playing with me, going to the bathroom, and making me happy.”
14. What is Mom's favorite food?
“Noodles.”
15. What makes you proud of your Mom?
“Being my mommy and loving me.”
16. If your Mom were a cartoon character who would she be?
“I have no idea. Oh, I know who you would be - the Mario in Super Mario Brothers Super Show and Super Mario Two. Big belly and he’s pretty much a talker, like you.”
17. What do you and your Mom do together?
“Play and have fun and tell jokes.”
18. How are you and your Mom the same?
“Being people.”
19. How are you and your Mom different?
“You’re a grown-up and I’m a kid.”
20. How do you know your Mom loves you?
“She tells me.”
----------------------------------------------------
1.What is something Daddy always says?
“Dad (whispering) what’s something you say? He says maybe later..”
2. What makes Daddy happy?
“Me, right Dad?.”
3. What makes Daddy sad?
“The same thing as you.”
4. How does your Dad make you laugh?
“What do you do to make me laugh, Daddy? Sometimes he tells me jokes.”
5. What was your Dad like as a child?
“Dad, what were you like as a child? A lot like me.”
6. How old is your Dad?
“40 years old”
7. How tall is your Dad?
“Verrry tall.”
8. What is your Dad's favorite thing to do?
“He likes to play ... well, no, let’s see... he likes to spend time with me.”
9. What does Dad do when you’re not around?
“Work.”
10. If your Dad becomes famous, what will it be for?
“Money.”
11. What is your Dad really good at?
“Carnival Games Mini-golf..”
12. What is your Dad not good at?
“Running”
13. What does Dad do for his job?
“I have no idea”
14. What is Dad's favorite food?
“I don’t have any idea.”
15. What makes you proud of your Dad?
“Going to work without being very, very, very, very, very, very, very (a lot more verys) sad.”
16. If your Dad were a cartoon character who would he be?
“Luigi that’s in Super Mario Bros Super Show and The Adventures of Super Mario Bros 3 ‘cause he’s bigger than Mario and you’re shorter than him..”
17. What do you and your Dad do together?
“Sometimes we play Carnival Games Mini-golf. We just started to play multi-player today. It’s actually pretty good. I’m almost the twin of the [carnival] barker.”
18. How are you and your Dad the same?
“We’re people.”
19. How are you and your Dad different?
“He’s a grown-up; I’m a kid.”
20. How do you know your Dad loves you?
“He tells me.”
as described by Adam Hooten, age 7
1 What is something Mommy always says?
"I love you.”
2. What makes Mommy happy?
“Me.”
3. What makes Mommy sad?
“When I’m mean.”
4. How does your Mom make you laugh?
“By telling me silly jokes.”
5. What was your Mom like as a child?
“You were like me”
6. How old is your Mom?
“37.”
7. How tall is your Mom?
“So tall.”
8. What is your Mom's favorite thing to do?
“Spend time with me.”
9. What does Mom do when you’re not around?
“Have fun and try to be happy.”
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
“Money.”
11. What is your Mom really good at?
“Loving me.”
12. What is your Mom not good at?
“Not loving me.”
13. What does Mom do for her job?
“Stay home and work by watching Thomas, playing with me, going to the bathroom, and making me happy.”
14. What is Mom's favorite food?
“Noodles.”
15. What makes you proud of your Mom?
“Being my mommy and loving me.”
16. If your Mom were a cartoon character who would she be?
“I have no idea. Oh, I know who you would be - the Mario in Super Mario Brothers Super Show and Super Mario Two. Big belly and he’s pretty much a talker, like you.”
17. What do you and your Mom do together?
“Play and have fun and tell jokes.”
18. How are you and your Mom the same?
“Being people.”
19. How are you and your Mom different?
“You’re a grown-up and I’m a kid.”
20. How do you know your Mom loves you?
“She tells me.”
----------------------------------------------------
1.What is something Daddy always says?
“Dad (whispering) what’s something you say? He says maybe later..”
2. What makes Daddy happy?
“Me, right Dad?.”
3. What makes Daddy sad?
“The same thing as you.”
4. How does your Dad make you laugh?
“What do you do to make me laugh, Daddy? Sometimes he tells me jokes.”
5. What was your Dad like as a child?
“Dad, what were you like as a child? A lot like me.”
6. How old is your Dad?
“40 years old”
7. How tall is your Dad?
“Verrry tall.”
8. What is your Dad's favorite thing to do?
“He likes to play ... well, no, let’s see... he likes to spend time with me.”
9. What does Dad do when you’re not around?
“Work.”
10. If your Dad becomes famous, what will it be for?
“Money.”
11. What is your Dad really good at?
“Carnival Games Mini-golf..”
12. What is your Dad not good at?
“Running”
13. What does Dad do for his job?
“I have no idea”
14. What is Dad's favorite food?
“I don’t have any idea.”
15. What makes you proud of your Dad?
“Going to work without being very, very, very, very, very, very, very (a lot more verys) sad.”
16. If your Dad were a cartoon character who would he be?
“Luigi that’s in Super Mario Bros Super Show and The Adventures of Super Mario Bros 3 ‘cause he’s bigger than Mario and you’re shorter than him..”
17. What do you and your Dad do together?
“Sometimes we play Carnival Games Mini-golf. We just started to play multi-player today. It’s actually pretty good. I’m almost the twin of the [carnival] barker.”
18. How are you and your Dad the same?
“We’re people.”
19. How are you and your Dad different?
“He’s a grown-up; I’m a kid.”
20. How do you know your Dad loves you?
“He tells me.”
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
My Little Consumer...
Ah, the power of commercials. Adam definitely hears them LOUD and clear...
"Mom..."
"Yes, Adam?"
"I'm thinkin' Arby's."
-------
Me: "Sprint PCS.com is so slow!"
Adam: "Why don't you get Hughesnet?"
-----
And finally...
We went to Wal-Mart the other day so that Adam could spend some of the birthday money that he'd been saving. He decided to get a new game, Wii Carnival Games Mini Golf. He'd wanted that game for some time. As we were preparing to check out, he said "Mom, could I get a cell phone?" With a twinkle in my eye, I said "You could - you have enough money, but you don't need a cell phone." He responded with "Well, then when I want to call my friends to play you wouldn't have to call them like if you were busy. I could call them and ask if they wanna play." I said "Well, I think you have really wanted Carnival Games Mini Golf for awhile. You should stick with that." Adam said "Well, if I do get a cell phone, I would have to get AT&T because it's the nation's fastest 3G network."
A few days later...
"Adam, what is a 3G network?"
"I don't know."
On an unrelated note, our kids have been having a tough time with our dog, Scooter. He's only ten months old and he can be a little rambunctious at times. Michael and I sat down with the kids and explained that they needed to be nicer to the dog or else we would have to find him a new home. To demonstrate their tone and affect when they were speaking with the dog, I gave each of them a personalized sample of how they had been yelling at him. I warned them first that I was going to do this, so they wouldn't actually think I was upset with them. I "yelled" at Frankie first, and even though she knew it wasn't real, she was obviously taken aback. Then I turned to Adam. "Adam," I said in a very angry voice, "You pick up these toys right now!!!" Adam started to cry. I asked him if he was crying because he had been mean to the dog or because I had yelled at him. "Well," he said, sniffling, "let's just say a little of both."
"Mom..."
"Yes, Adam?"
"I'm thinkin' Arby's."
-------
Me: "Sprint PCS.com is so slow!"
Adam: "Why don't you get Hughesnet?"
-----
And finally...
We went to Wal-Mart the other day so that Adam could spend some of the birthday money that he'd been saving. He decided to get a new game, Wii Carnival Games Mini Golf. He'd wanted that game for some time. As we were preparing to check out, he said "Mom, could I get a cell phone?" With a twinkle in my eye, I said "You could - you have enough money, but you don't need a cell phone." He responded with "Well, then when I want to call my friends to play you wouldn't have to call them like if you were busy. I could call them and ask if they wanna play." I said "Well, I think you have really wanted Carnival Games Mini Golf for awhile. You should stick with that." Adam said "Well, if I do get a cell phone, I would have to get AT&T because it's the nation's fastest 3G network."
A few days later...
"Adam, what is a 3G network?"
"I don't know."
On an unrelated note, our kids have been having a tough time with our dog, Scooter. He's only ten months old and he can be a little rambunctious at times. Michael and I sat down with the kids and explained that they needed to be nicer to the dog or else we would have to find him a new home. To demonstrate their tone and affect when they were speaking with the dog, I gave each of them a personalized sample of how they had been yelling at him. I warned them first that I was going to do this, so they wouldn't actually think I was upset with them. I "yelled" at Frankie first, and even though she knew it wasn't real, she was obviously taken aback. Then I turned to Adam. "Adam," I said in a very angry voice, "You pick up these toys right now!!!" Adam started to cry. I asked him if he was crying because he had been mean to the dog or because I had yelled at him. "Well," he said, sniffling, "let's just say a little of both."
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not onto thy own understaning...
One can't always tell the gender of a baby as early as fifteen weeks, but clear as day, our fourth (and in my opinion, final) baby is unquestionably ... a boy.
We plan on naming him Max Tucker Hooten. I guess the good Lord only wants us to go through teenage girlhood once. Granted, our one teenage girl is equivalent to at least two or three, but I really wanted the pretty little bows and frilly dresses part. Well, He knows better than we do what we are equipped to handle. C'est la vie. I already told Frankie that as my only girl, I apologize to her in advance for how I'm going to behave when it's time to plan her wedding. She responded by telling me that she wants me to cater it. Never gonna happen, my friend.
Sonogram pictures will be posted soon, but for now I wanted to at least share the news. And now, I'm heading to bed to dream blue dreams.
Until next time...
We plan on naming him Max Tucker Hooten. I guess the good Lord only wants us to go through teenage girlhood once. Granted, our one teenage girl is equivalent to at least two or three, but I really wanted the pretty little bows and frilly dresses part. Well, He knows better than we do what we are equipped to handle. C'est la vie. I already told Frankie that as my only girl, I apologize to her in advance for how I'm going to behave when it's time to plan her wedding. She responded by telling me that she wants me to cater it. Never gonna happen, my friend.
Sonogram pictures will be posted soon, but for now I wanted to at least share the news. And now, I'm heading to bed to dream blue dreams.
Until next time...
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
'Aint it great to be crazy?!?
What a hectic time of year this is! This Saturday (June 6th), Michael will turn the big 4-0! Hard to believe I'm married to someone who is that old. I mean, I'm 37 but I'm still in my 30's, right?
We're going to our friend Jenna's wedding on June 12th. Adam will turn 7 on June 13th, and the following day is Father's Day. What an insane time of year!
I'm still putting my June dinner calendar together. Wish me luck in getting it finished.
Lastly, although Adam is usually fairly bright and well put together, I thought I'd share the following recent conversation:
"Mommy, isn't it CRAZY that the 4th of July happens on the fourth day of July???"
-Adam
Crazy, huh?
We're going to our friend Jenna's wedding on June 12th. Adam will turn 7 on June 13th, and the following day is Father's Day. What an insane time of year!
I'm still putting my June dinner calendar together. Wish me luck in getting it finished.
Lastly, although Adam is usually fairly bright and well put together, I thought I'd share the following recent conversation:
"Mommy, isn't it CRAZY that the 4th of July happens on the fourth day of July???"
-Adam
Crazy, huh?
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
It's beginning to look a lot like spring time...
...and then again, sometimes it isn't.
We've had mostly dreary days with drizzly rain, some hail, and teasing blue skies with brisk breezes. We've also had enough of this icky weather. We're ready for spring.
The 411:
Michael - loves his new job at Northrop Grumman. He's finally working with people who have a very similar skill set and experience. He fits in beautifully, possibly for the first time in his career. He's been plainly told that his supervisor is looking to retire, and that he was hired specifically to be trained to take over in his supervisor's stead. It feels really good to both Michael and me that his abilities are being fully utilized.
Frankie - she's had a tough couple of weeks, but she's a fighter. She has such a good heart, and truly wants to do what is right. She struggles with her past and her teenage hormones, and is working with our amazing therapists to learn how to feel safe and move forward. Her dance performance is coming up, and family and friends have the opportunity to put a personal message in the program. It's the only fundraiser the studio does, and they desperately need the funds. I may hit some of you up for donations soon, but it's for a really worthwhile cause.
Adam - loves home schooling (and I love having him home). He's such a bright kid. We're still working out a few kinks with scheduling but we're getting there. Every home schooling mom I've talked to says it's a process that we have to learn and grow with. I wholeheartedly agree. He's playing soccer again and really trying hard this year. Now he runs with the group (instead of in little circles at the opposite end of wherever the ball is), and we're teaching him to become more aggresive about going after the ball instead of waiting for it to come near him. He hasn't scored his first goal yet (which is big for him because he'll get a reward), but that doesn't matter to us. What matters to us is that he's learning the value of team work and hard work.
Speaking of hard, Thomas has two lower teeth, and two descending upper teeth. And he likes to use them...to bite...HARD. I swear he's trying to rip a chunk out of my arm. I don't know why I keep letting him do it. It's kind of one of those, oh cute, Thomas wants to gnaw on Mommy, how swee... OUCH! He's a happy, curious, giggly baby who gets excited whenever his big sister enters the room. I think Frankie and Daddy might be his favorite people in the world. Mommy is chopped liver because he sees Mommy all the time. Adam is fun, but he's around a lot too. He's still more interesting than boring ol' mommy.
Me - I'm going nuts. That's all. This is just one of those times in my life where there aren't enough hours in the day, even though there are more hours of daylight. I'm trying to teach my kids to be respectful of each other, not tattle (not tolerable in my house), not to be bossy, as well as the importance of working together, gratitude, and kindness. PLUS, I'm running them around to their activities and hoping to eventually get my house clean and my laundry done. As hard as it all is, as tiring and frustrating as it can be, it's truly the best time of my life. Molding these little children (background noise: my son whining to my husband about how he and Frankie disagree on how to play with the baby's toys) is the most important work I will ever do. I feel so blessed to be their mom. I'm stressed - worried about the pregnancy, trying to balance our budget (as we rebound from the layoff), trying to increase the spirituality and healthiness of our daily lives, and broken record redirecting some icky behavior my children are trying to develop (see above), but I am at peace. I feel greatful every day to be in this stage of my life. The love I have for my family brings tears to my eyes (well, that and the hormones of pregnancy).
As you can see by our insane May calendar, if we don't call you, don't take it personally. We're just ridiculously busy.
I skipped the April dinner calendar because it was a crazy month, but here is the May calendar for your perusal. I can honestly tell you that we save a lot of money by planning ahead. It's remarkable how much planning helps!
No news on the pregnancy yet. We have to wait until Friday (at which point I'll be 7 weeks, 3 days) to (hopefully) find out if our little egg has become a little embryo. We'll keep you posted. We have great hope that all is well, but if it turns out not to be so, we trust the Lord that what He means to have happen will be what happens. I feel peaceful about this pregnancy, whether for better or worse.
So, for your viewing pleasure, here is our May calendar. I'm off to Costco to spend a small fortune. I forgot to put our defrosted chicken away this morning, and since I don't believe in room temperature meat, I think we'll have to plan B it tonight for dinner. Del Taco for Cinco De Mayo? Si, esta bien. Well, not bien, but inexpensive and quick (which is bien).
By the way, thank you for your comments on my last posting. It means a lot to know that the time I spend writing isn't solely for my own sanity and amusement.
Until next time...
We've had mostly dreary days with drizzly rain, some hail, and teasing blue skies with brisk breezes. We've also had enough of this icky weather. We're ready for spring.
The 411:
Michael - loves his new job at Northrop Grumman. He's finally working with people who have a very similar skill set and experience. He fits in beautifully, possibly for the first time in his career. He's been plainly told that his supervisor is looking to retire, and that he was hired specifically to be trained to take over in his supervisor's stead. It feels really good to both Michael and me that his abilities are being fully utilized.
Frankie - she's had a tough couple of weeks, but she's a fighter. She has such a good heart, and truly wants to do what is right. She struggles with her past and her teenage hormones, and is working with our amazing therapists to learn how to feel safe and move forward. Her dance performance is coming up, and family and friends have the opportunity to put a personal message in the program. It's the only fundraiser the studio does, and they desperately need the funds. I may hit some of you up for donations soon, but it's for a really worthwhile cause.
Adam - loves home schooling (and I love having him home). He's such a bright kid. We're still working out a few kinks with scheduling but we're getting there. Every home schooling mom I've talked to says it's a process that we have to learn and grow with. I wholeheartedly agree. He's playing soccer again and really trying hard this year. Now he runs with the group (instead of in little circles at the opposite end of wherever the ball is), and we're teaching him to become more aggresive about going after the ball instead of waiting for it to come near him. He hasn't scored his first goal yet (which is big for him because he'll get a reward), but that doesn't matter to us. What matters to us is that he's learning the value of team work and hard work.
Speaking of hard, Thomas has two lower teeth, and two descending upper teeth. And he likes to use them...to bite...HARD. I swear he's trying to rip a chunk out of my arm. I don't know why I keep letting him do it. It's kind of one of those, oh cute, Thomas wants to gnaw on Mommy, how swee... OUCH! He's a happy, curious, giggly baby who gets excited whenever his big sister enters the room. I think Frankie and Daddy might be his favorite people in the world. Mommy is chopped liver because he sees Mommy all the time. Adam is fun, but he's around a lot too. He's still more interesting than boring ol' mommy.
Me - I'm going nuts. That's all. This is just one of those times in my life where there aren't enough hours in the day, even though there are more hours of daylight. I'm trying to teach my kids to be respectful of each other, not tattle (not tolerable in my house), not to be bossy, as well as the importance of working together, gratitude, and kindness. PLUS, I'm running them around to their activities and hoping to eventually get my house clean and my laundry done. As hard as it all is, as tiring and frustrating as it can be, it's truly the best time of my life. Molding these little children (background noise: my son whining to my husband about how he and Frankie disagree on how to play with the baby's toys) is the most important work I will ever do. I feel so blessed to be their mom. I'm stressed - worried about the pregnancy, trying to balance our budget (as we rebound from the layoff), trying to increase the spirituality and healthiness of our daily lives, and broken record redirecting some icky behavior my children are trying to develop (see above), but I am at peace. I feel greatful every day to be in this stage of my life. The love I have for my family brings tears to my eyes (well, that and the hormones of pregnancy).
As you can see by our insane May calendar, if we don't call you, don't take it personally. We're just ridiculously busy.
I skipped the April dinner calendar because it was a crazy month, but here is the May calendar for your perusal. I can honestly tell you that we save a lot of money by planning ahead. It's remarkable how much planning helps!
No news on the pregnancy yet. We have to wait until Friday (at which point I'll be 7 weeks, 3 days) to (hopefully) find out if our little egg has become a little embryo. We'll keep you posted. We have great hope that all is well, but if it turns out not to be so, we trust the Lord that what He means to have happen will be what happens. I feel peaceful about this pregnancy, whether for better or worse.
So, for your viewing pleasure, here is our May calendar. I'm off to Costco to spend a small fortune. I forgot to put our defrosted chicken away this morning, and since I don't believe in room temperature meat, I think we'll have to plan B it tonight for dinner. Del Taco for Cinco De Mayo? Si, esta bien. Well, not bien, but inexpensive and quick (which is bien).
By the way, thank you for your comments on my last posting. It means a lot to know that the time I spend writing isn't solely for my own sanity and amusement.
Until next time...
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