Parade

Mackenzie is thinking the same thing I thought when I was less than a handful of years old as I clean her face with my saliva soaked thumb: "eeeew." I swore I would never do something that used to gross me out to my own kid, yet, here I am, too lazy to walk away, wet a paper towel, and return. Certainly she'll break similar promises, if not this one. This girl melts down...she's in the difficult stage that the other two kids hit around the same time. We're in for a few months of pain, if my memory serves me right, then she'll be a saint until adulthood, or something like that. Although the weather has been in the 50's Fahrenheit recently she refuses to go out without hat and mittens...who am I to argue.

I was in the back yard ("garden" for our European friends) today picking up after Murphy when Dylan asked: "If someone doesn't own a dog do they have to pick up dog poop." Usually this kid has great questions that show he's using his brain ....but this? He's using the leftover balloons from Taylor's birthday sleepover for balloon fights. This game has 3 options: 1) He wins! 2) He wasn't ready, or 3) He didn't say "go!" yet. He's becoming accomplished with what he calls his "Game Boy" which isn't really a Game Boy but who cares since he loves it. I asked Dylan if his friend, Oliver, was still out of school sick. He said, "He's not sick, he's ill." Aha! Proof that he's learning British English in school since "sick" and "ill" are synonymous to me. I guess to the English "ill" says you aren't well and "sick" means you're throwing up. I don't remember missing work in the states for "ill" days but I'm sure I took a few "sick days" even if I wasn't vomiting. A quote from Dylan: "OK, when I go like this it means I shot your legs off and you say 'aaaaah.'" In other words nothing much has changed with Dylan.

Taylor's slumber party was backed off a week when Mackenzie was sick (ill). She took it well but you could see it put a downer on that weekend. Things got worse when she became sick (ill) on her birthday. Throughout the day she would shake her head and mumble to herself: "I can't believe it's my birthday and I'm sick." Her friends came over the next weekend and the girls went ice skating and had a movie night (while in bed) so all was OK in the end. In addition to her tennis lessons and sport academy she recently started piano lessons. This, plus the practicing that it requires, will take more of the precious few minutes she has each day to just be a kid.


A simple thing like taking the dog for her short walk (no more than 15 minutes normally) becomes complicated with 3 kids. Dylan, almost in tears: "I HATE WALKS!" So Dylan doesn't walk...he gets to ride his skateboard. Then, Taylor absolutely must Rollerblade and Mackenzie decides to ride her scooter (and who am I to argue). The "quick" walk is now delayed 10-15 minutes as Tay and Dylan search for, and put on, their pads. Dylan was unable to locate his right wrist guard. Wanting to press on, rather then prolong the outing, I told him to be careful and that if he falls to be sure to lean left. Our short walk is now a parade. Murphy likes to be in front even though she's old and slow enough that we don't keep her on a leash anymore. Taylor, who is now on in-line skates, also likes to take the lead. So the dog and the skater are leading the parade. I'm in the middle, trying to keep sane. Dylan, leaning hard left to protect his right wrist, and 3 year old Mackenzie on her scooter with her Dora backpack, are bringing up the rear. Nothing eventful happened, but it was another day in the life.....The pictures in this post are from our parade.

The kids wanted to make a surprise dinner recently and, not being one to argue, I agreed. It wasn't as much of a surprise for me as it was for Amy since I had to buy things from the store and set some basic rules like: "no children can cut or cook without me present." Thus, we had sandwiches and a lettuce salad. I was surprised, however, to discover that dessert for each of us was a half bowl of candy-probably triple their normal dessert calories. A new rule will be in place next time...