Goofy twins

My friend, Liz, just posted about her son Samuel being silly. That reminded me of a couple of goofy things my twin boys have said recently.

I have to preface this with a touch of background. Andrew wanted to learn how to make coffee a few months ago, so Gilbert showed him a few times. One night while I was away singing in PA, so a couple of weeks ago, Andrew just got up, marched into the kitchen, and made the coffee. Gilbert noticed, was able to stop him before he started the pot brewing, and showed him how to set the timer for the next morning. It was a good pot of coffee, Gilbert said. Now both Andrew and Jacob want to get the coffee ready each night before they go to bed. Sweet! I love it when they take it upon themselves to do things.

Jacob, however, has not taken the initiative as often as Andrew, so he is a little behind in the coffee-making technique. One night he insisted it was his turn, so, off he went. Andrew was beside me on the sofa, and he leaned over to me and said, "He's a rookie." Well, as luck would have it, Jacob had a little trouble and needed Gilbert to help him. Andrew turned to me with a very wry look on his face and said one word. "Rookie." I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud!


The next goofy incident involves Jacob. Of course, they are always saying silly, funny things, but these two episodes stick out for me, at least this month! We were all just sitting around in the living room one night, just before the boys had to get ready for bed. Out of the blue, Jacob says, "I think I need to lose a few pounds, so I am going to lay off the chocolate milk at school." Then he got up and went to bed. (Keep in mind that you can see his ribs when he shirt is off, so I don't know why he thinks he needs to lose weight!)


They crack me up!

Good Times

So, I am getting things out of the barn to decorate for Halloween. Last year, I barely put anything out, but this year, the Mothers of Multiples Halloween Carnival is at our house (another post altogether!), so I am putting out all the decorations, and getting a few new things. One of the things I decided to purchase was a Halloween cd. Found two that I really liked on Amazon, but they wouldn't get here in time unless I paid $20 in shipping. Ummm, no. So I went to Best Buy and Barnes and Noble. Found a couple, one of which was the Kidz Bop Halloween cd. Normally, I despise the Kidz Bop cds, but this one is actually not too bad, and has some adult singers on it, not just the kids. So, I got it. I am glad I did, because it has led to some really great times already! Driving home in the van last night, I popped it in. The whole family had such fun singing along with old favorites of Mom and Dad, and new favorites of the boys. Songs like Monster Mash, Purple People Eater, and best of all, Witch Doctor. It was so funny watching Andrew and Jacob trying to master the chorus!

Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang

Walla walla, bing bang

Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang

Walla walla, bing bang...

Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang

Walla walla, bing bang

Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang

Walla walla, bing bang

It was comical to watch them trying to keep up, especially since the chorus gets faster and faster at the end. Add to that the fact that Andrew is still missing his two front teeth, and the end result is lots of giggling and laughing! We had a blast all the way home.

The downside? That stupid chorus ran through my head all night long!

Pissed OFF

This evening we had some excitement around here. I had a friend over who had just dropped by for a few minutes, and we were chatting in the driveway. Andrew was in the back yard with the dogs who were, of course, going crazy because there was a stranger in the driveway. In trying to come through the gate (ignoring my telling him not to do so), Andrew accidentally let the dogs out. Keep in mind, these are five fairly big dogs, and not very well-mannered (our fault, I know). They take off like a shot, straight out in the street. I yell at them, they veer back into our yard and head off toward our neighbor's house. Gilbert comes outside to gather them back up, and sees two of the dogs in the back yard just past our closest neighbor's house. Does that make sense? Two yards away, basically. So he goes to get them, with Jacob close behind.

Now, the man who lives in this house is in his back yard. Gilbert goes to get the dogs - again, Jacob not 3 steps behind him - when this asshole pulls out a GUN and points it at our dogs, demanding, "Which one? Which one do you want, you choose!" Gilbert just ignored him, tried to get the dogs, who of course ran further away, then turned around and walked Jacob back home. Yes, this idiot pulled a gun with my child standing right there. Never mind how scared Jacob was, what if the gun had gone off? I know the dogs can be intimidating, but it isn't like they run wildly through the neighborhood all the time. Yes, they do get out occasionally, but they usually come right back within five or ten minutes. What kind of moron is so out-of-control that he cannot rein his anger in without resorting to pulling a gun and brandishing it near my son?? I am so angry and resentful toward him right now. I want to know if it makes him feel like a big man, knowing he now can tell all his friends how he scared a 7-year-old boy with his big handgun. And what a great story to tell his daughter when she gets older!!

Perhaps we should have called the police, but didn't. Kind of don't want to cause more trouble with a neighbor who cannot be trusted to keep his gun in his pants, so to speak. And frankly, he would probably twist the truth and claim he felt threatened. Oh, by the way, his wife came running out, screaming at him to stop. Hope she knows what an asshole she married. I want to go and tell her how sorry I am that she had such poor judgement.

So, for now, that is all. If he calls the police about the dogs getting out, then we will certainly file a complaint. Oh, and the boys have been admonished to get back in the house the instant they see him in his yard, at least for a few days. ASSHOLE!

Beginnings

Well, here it is. My first blog. I have been thinking of doing this for a while, but wasn't sure I had anything worthwhile to say. Finally, I decided to just begin, and see where it takes me! These past few months have seen a lot of new beginnings and new ventures for my family and me. Matthew began his middle school career this fall, and is really adjusting and settling in. His teachers all have great things to say about him as a student and person. I kind of like him, just a little, so I tend to agree! No bias here, no sir, no way!

A new beginning for Andrew and Jacob was the beginning of piano lessons. They are both enjoying it, and are constantly on the piano, vying for "practice" time. Matthew takes piano, too, so it is quite a competition for the piano. But it is exciting to "hide and watch" as they sit at the piano, straight-backed, concentrating on playing a scale, or trying to play a piece in their books. Jacob also pulls out some of my music once in a while, marvels at all the notes on the page, and promptly puts it away. Too funny.

Let's see, my new beginning this year was the day I turned 40! Beginning a new decade...I thought it might bother me a little, but it really hasn't. The hardest part has been remembering that I am 40 now, not 39. I can no longer say I am in my 30s. Now I sometimes have to check a new age-range when filling out paperwork! For the most part, I feel comfortable in my 40-year-old skin. I even think it doesn't look too bad most days! Ha ha...something I need to begin would be an exercise program. Definitely lacking in that area.

A daunting new beginning for my husband is beginning his journey of sobriety. Gilbert finally admitted to himself and others that he was an alcoholic, and is seeking help. He has 2 months of sobriety under his belt, and is doing very well. Some days are harder than others, but nothing seems overwhelming, at least not so far. He did say he thought wistfully of having a beer when he ordered a Polish sausage at the state fair, but that was as far as it went.

Also on the horizon for Gilbert - perhaps a new career. Long story short, Gilbert lost his medical certificate. Overall he is healthy and able to work, but he lost his certificate due to a couple of things. Pending getting his certificate back, he may be able to go back to his job at Frontier, provided A) he wants to do so, and B) Frontier is still in business. For now, Gilbert is on long-term disability, so at least we will have some income from that. There are other options we are considering, as well. We will manage.

I had been thinking of trying to return to singing as a career, and this may be the perfect time. Since Gilbert will be home more, I won't have to worry about juggling sitters, trying to figure out if I can go to do an audition or a performance, etc. Gilbert himself even said that this was the right time for me to seriously pursue it, so, that is my plan. Now I just have to get off my lazy butt and get busy!

Hmm. Guess I had more to say than I thought, at least for now.