12/30/06

Saturday Rambling!

I can't ever remember it being this warm for New Year's.

It's 52 degrees right now. I'm shoo-ing the kids outside. It's BEAUTIFUL!!!

I also love the fact that this will be so much nicer for my gas bill! :o)

I think this is the first December that I haven't been sitting under a blanket every night. We keep our thermostat at 70, but ever since having kids, I am freezing most of the time.

So today DH is off deer hunting once again and I am trying to finish a puzzle that I got for Christmas from Grandma. I want to get it done before the babysitting kids come back on Tuesday. I don't want to be rushing any kiddos to the hospital with a windpipe full of cardboard.

Steven is actually playing a lot with a toy that he got last year for Christmas. He didn't really pay much attention to it before, but it migrated into the living room with all of his other "treasures" and he can't stop.

It's a V-tech Smartboard and he's having a blast with it and getting pretty good, too! I really hate to make him stop playing with it to go outside, but who knows how long this nice weather will last.

Matthew is the type of kid that loves to learn and be taught. He will sit and watch something until he figures out how it works. If he can't figure it out by watching, he'll ask to take it apart. Steven wants nothing to do with being taught or with learning anything that doesn't involve crashing or jumping off of something and then crashing.

I have taken the 'he'll learn it when he's ready' approach with him and so far it's worked. He's 4 and can write his name, recognize most of his letters and spell/read some basic sight words. He's not much into phonics, but I stress them to him when he comes to me with a question. You really just have to catch him at the right moment and make the most of the brief educational moment.

In the meantime, Matthew did some of his homework without any suggestions from me today, so I am happy with that!

We went to my Mom's house yesterday to visit with Grandma Margie. She lives about 45 minutes North of us and we don't get to see her nearly enough. She has a hard time seeing to drive at night, so my cousin drives her most places, but this time, Mom and Mandy picked her up. We exchanged gifts and had a good time.

I was thinking about how to describe Grandma Margie to you. She's definitely an original! She used to work in Cleveland making costumes for all sorts of shows and I think even the Cavs girls at one time. She also made costumes for my sisters and I. My favorite is still the red sequin tutu's. I should get the picture from Mom and post it for you... it's a sight!!!

Grandma has never dressed or acted much like your typical Grandma. She's a tiny slip of a woman who loves fringe, glitter and gauze. She's very artsy, eclectic, loves to sew and craft and loves dogs. She brought her latest dog, Georgie, with her yesterday. Georgie is a poodle mix and she's a jet-black fur-ball. I think my 18 month old niece thought she was a stuffed animal.

Grandma likes her karaoke, too. Who can blame her on that one? Give her a mic and background music and who needs American Idol?

I'm glad Grandma has a new friend since she doesn't live near any of us (which we are desperately trying to change). My cousin Eddie (yes, you heard that right. He's pretty much like that, too.) lives with her when he's not in jail or on the lam and he's nothing but trouble. Grandma will never leave him out in the cold no matter how much he screws up and no matter how much we try to convince her that he's always up to no good.

So now Grandma works at the pizza shop near her house. I would guess she's been there for 20 years because I remember going to work with her when I was little. She lives in the same house that she did way back when with no plans to move anytime soon. I really wish she'd move closer to us and get a small apartment where my sisters and I can keep Eddie away from her... I mean, keep an eye on her. :o) So far we can't talk her into it.

I'm sure you are on the edge of your seat thirsting for more stories on my adventure-filled days, but that's all I've got for now. I need to kick these boys out into the back yard.

3 comments:

Stephanie Appleton said...

Does Steven like to play on the computer? Lydia love Starfall.com. It works on phonics. It may not be action packed enough for him though. No crashing cars! Sometimes just being on the computer is cool enough! I know Nolan is going to be the same way!

Heather said...

Steven isn't allowed on the computer yet. He likes to just 'type' like mad and he's downloaded some things and gotten the whole thing frozen up already, so we need to hold off on that for a while. We also held him back from preschool for a year (he's in his first year now) for maturity reasons.

Samantha said...

He'll come around ;) I hope you are having a WONDERFUL new year :) *hugs*