http://www.kimthew.com/ en-us matthew@kimthew.com 2010-03-05T13:32:42-05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://www.kimthew.com/000303.html 303@http://www.kimthew.com/ Center 2010-03-05T13:32:42-05:00 http://www.kimthew.com/000302.html 302@http://www.kimthew.com/ Center 2010-02-15T14:21:21-05:00 http://www.kimthew.com/000301.html 301@http://www.kimthew.com/ Center 2010-02-13T15:40:07-05:00 http://www.kimthew.com/000300.html We shoveled the driveway. We shoveled the roof. The grape arbor collapsed. My back hurts. Lots more pix here. 300@http://www.kimthew.com/ Center 2010-02-06T15:57:21-05:00 http://www.kimthew.com/000299.html From K: A ladybug starts flying around the kitchen table light. Stella goes into her usual hysterics about "bugs," wailing and crying. I get the bug. O: (imperiously) Stella bugs can NOT hurt you, except bees which sting you all the time. Ladybugs are nice. Butterflies are nice. Ants are nice. S: No, Oh-ber!!!! No!!! Ladybugs are very bad and dey sting me on duh ear!!! O: Stella, laybugs do not sting and butterflies do not sting S: NO OH-BER!!!! Duh butterflies are not nice and dey chew off my legs!! Me: Stella, I don't think any ladybugs will chew off your legs. S: They dooooo Mom!!! At night!! When you is sleeping. They come in my room!! Me: Stella that is not true. S: It isss!!!! Mom!!! It is!! And the stinkbugs bad too. They eat my eyeballs!! Me: Uhhhhh. O: Mom!! Mom!! Will they eat my eyeballs??!! Mom!!! DID they eat my eyeballs and so this is why I have glasses??!! S: Oh no!!! Oh dear!! I need glasses too!!?? Cuz stinkbugs??? I can't see!!! 299@http://www.kimthew.com/ Right 2010-02-04T22:39:59-05:00 http://www.kimthew.com/000298.html 298@http://www.kimthew.com/ Center 2010-01-25T22:34:45-05:00 http://www.kimthew.com/000297.html 297@http://www.kimthew.com/ Center 2010-01-03T23:16:01-05:00 http://www.kimthew.com/000296.html 296@http://www.kimthew.com/ Center 2010-01-03T23:05:02-05:00 http://www.kimthew.com/000295.html That's Oliver, about 35 seconds into the video. 295@http://www.kimthew.com/ Center 2009-12-15T12:13:45-05:00 http://www.kimthew.com/000294.html K says: I tell the kids that since Daddy is staying in town, they can (for once) sleep in Mommy’s bed. They are SO excited. We can barely eat dinner. We can barely make it through bath. After bath, Stella climbs into the bed and is so worried she might have to leave it that she initially refuses to let me put on her pajamas. We read stories. Then we get read for bed. Me: Okay Oliver, you sleep on the outside here, Stella in the middle, and me over here. O: Why? I want you to be in the middle Me: I don't want Stella to fall out of bed. O: Why? Me: Because it would hurt. O: What about me? What if I fall out of bed? Don't you care if I fall out of bed? Me: Of course. But you are a big boy who already sleeps in a big boy bed, so know how to not fall out of it. O: Oh. I turn out the light. My devious plan: They will be so happy to be in mommy's bed, I will make them be quiet and they will fall asleep quickly. Then I can get up and watch TV until it is time for me to go to bed. Twenty minutes later: Me: Oliver, stop talking Oliver: I'm not talking. I'm whispering. It isn’t the same thing. Me: Stop whispering. Oliver: Why? Me: It is time to go to sleep. Stop. Silence for about twenty seconds Oliver: Hey Mom! I stopped talking. Me: You just talked. Oliver: Oh, yeah. Stella: Stop talking Oh-ber!! Can't seep! Be quiet! Oliver: Mom, Stella is talking too. Forty minutes later: Stella: Stop touching me, Oh-ber Oliver: I'm not! Stella: You ARE. Mommy, Oh-ber touching me. Can't seep. Oliver: This is why you need to be in the middle, Mom. I get in the middle. One hour later: Oliver is giggling. Stella is giggling. They are poking each others bellybuttons. I inform the kids there is a change of plans. They will go to sleep in their own beds, and I will move them to mine when I come to sleep, so they can wake up with Mom in Mom’s bed. Promise. They are okay with this. they go to their beds and go to sleep. I watch TV. I come to bed and dutifully drag them, asleep, to mine. I turn out the lights. 1:30 am. Stella: Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all way!! Jingle bell, jingle bells. Hey! Oliver: Snore. Loud snoring. Me: Stella, go to sleep. No singing. Stella put her finger up my nose. Giggles. Me: Serious, Stella. If you don’t be quiet, I'm going to put you in your own room. Stella: Okay! Me: You want to go to your room? Stella: Yes! PLEASE! Me: Why? Stella: Oh-ber is SNORING. Can't SEEP. And you taking up WHOLE BED!! Me: Fine. I take Stella to her bed. She goes to sleep. 6:30: I wake up to huge Oliver face right above mine. O: MOM!! MOM!! WE LOST STELLA!!! SHE IS NOT IN THE BED!! I LOOKED AND SHE IS NOT DOWN UNDER THE COVERS AND SHE IS NOT UNDER THE BED!! WE LOST HER!! OH DEAR! OH NO! DADDY WILL BE SO MAD! HE LIKES STELLA! 294@http://www.kimthew.com/ Right 2009-12-09T10:37:07-05:00 http://www.kimthew.com/000293.html 293@http://www.kimthew.com/ Center 2009-11-22T21:09:48-05:00 http://www.kimthew.com/000292.html 292@http://www.kimthew.com/ Center 2009-11-08T20:39:20-05:00 http://www.kimthew.com/000291.html We are playing with the pop-together beads. S: Canyu make me necklace? O: Sure! (I make Stella a necklace) S: Canyu make me bracelet? I make Stella a bracelet. S: Annudder one? I make her like six more. S: Canyu make me ring? I make Stella rings for every one of her fingers. Stella stands up. S: Now do I look like Cinderella? Me: Yes. you look so pretty. Stella does her weird ballet impression, which involves closing her eyes, tipping her head back and trying to stand on her toes without falling over. Stella: Do I dance like Cinderella? Me: Yes, you dance beautifully Stella: Canni BE Cinderalla? Me: Sure! Stella: Canni have glass slipper? Me: Yes! (I get her one of her sparkly red shoes) Stella: Canni have mouses called jack-gus? Me: Of course! You can have them! They are living in our pantry! (We go to look. Then I get her the stuffed rat) Stella: Canni have pretty dress? (We put on her red riding cape) Then Stella looks at me with a naughty grin. Stella: Canni have wicked stepmudder? 291@http://www.kimthew.com/ Right 2009-11-06T14:03:19-05:00 http://www.kimthew.com/000290.html O: We need a dog, Mom. Me: Yes! I would love a dog. Let’s ask daddy. O: Yes! Me: what kind of dog would you like? Oliver thinks: We need a dog that speaks English, I think. Me: Um, dogs don’t speak English, Oliver. They just speak “dog.” They bark. O: They don’t even speak Spanish? Me: No O: Oh. Well, we need to name the dog “Marina.” Me: Marina? Why Marina? O: Because that is Italian. Me: Uh, oh. O: And she can have a nickname. Her nickname will be “Ritorni.” Me: Why? O: Because that is also Italian, MOM. Me. Got it. Yes, but what kind of dog do you want? What color? O: Purple and yellow Me: Well, Oliver, dogs don’t usually come in purple and yellow. Most dogs are white or black or brown. O: We need a white dog with black spots! Me: That’s a dalmation! You want a dalmation? O: (in a voice that suggests I’m retarded): No, MOM. We can not get a DALMATION. If we got a DALMATION, we’d have to get 101 and of them! Me: Why? O: Because that’s what it is in the movie. It is always 101 Dalmations. And that is a lot. And they can not all sleep in my room. Me: I see. Well, do you want a big dog or a little dog? O: I would like a medium-small dog. Because a big dog would not fit in the house. And a big dog would not fit in my mouth. Which is good. Because dogs are not for eating. Me: Uhh, true. O: Except if you are Chinese. 290@http://www.kimthew.com/ Right 2009-11-06T14:00:04-05:00 http://www.kimthew.com/000289.html 289@http://www.kimthew.com/ Center 2009-11-01T13:29:42-05:00