ProlificMom

All For the Love of a Cat

Please put the cat down and eat your lunch.

Dressed for Dinner

I couldn’t get him to take the helmet off long enough to eat so I decided that it was not a battle worth fighting.  What could it hurt?  If he fell out of his chair during dinner at least his head would be  protected.

This is ProlificMom Breaking New:

The time is 8:58 PM CT and I have just been handed this special request from #5.

Special Request

In a related story.....

My Little Safety Expert

This is #5, also known as the bonus baby.  #5 turned seven this year, and on his birthday money was too tight.  I really wanted to buy him a new bike but I couldn’t.  It broke my heart, so I told him that when I started my new job and we had more money things would be better.  He would get his bike before Christmas.

This week, on Thursday, the Mister bought bikes for #s 4&5 and surprised them after school.  I wish I could have been home to see their faces…well, at least #5’s face.  The report on #4 said that she was disappointed because it was too “girly” looking.

For #5 this meant freedom.  The kind of freedom that gives me nightmares and keeps me up at night.  For me It’s a two edged sword.  I have such pleasure in giving my children good gifts and a bike is an awesome gift for a boy.  It opens the door for adventure, speed, races and visits with other friends in the neighborhood…friends who live down the street and around the corner.  This freedom also means that I can’t see him or be with him all the time – like I could actually do that at home anyway.  It means I can’t protect him from everything, every threat, and I can’t save him from his own fearless decisions.  He’s still only seven and doesn’t know what he doesn’t know yet.    But today, TODAY I caught a glimpse of a bright light.

First, he has been asking to ride his bike every possible moment since he got it.  Then, this morning he told me that he needed to buy a safety helmet.  Then he asked me about 25 times if we could go to the store and buy a safety helmet.  Then he kept asking me WHEN we were going to the store to buy his safety helmet.   I kept trying to put him off by distracting him with other things but, like a dog with a bone, he wouldn’t let go.   He was focused on the need for a helmet while riding his bike.  I know, you must think I’m an awful mother (one of THOSE mothers) for denying my son a bicycle safety helmet.  But, you must remember that he is #5 in my collection and by now he’s lucky to be alive.  After the other four, by the time I got to him there was no point in washing a pacifier that fell on the floor if it didn’t have visible dirt on it.  Nevermind the fact that the floor hadn’t been mopped in a week.  I could just blow it off or spit wipe it and pop it back in.   Yes, I’m one of THOSE MOTHERS, and he has fifth child survival skills.

At noon, we finally went to the store to buy medicine for #3, who woke up sick this morning so he stayed in bed most of the day.  (That is a whole other story – Our little school district just announced a closing for Friday and Monday due to flu-related absences.  This news came complete with a memo from the County Health Department – oh the joy! NOT.  The verdict is still out on #3.)

At the store…First destination: The bicycle aisle.  He selected his helmet, complete with elbow and knee pads.  We finished our other selections and checked out.  In the car, he immediately dawned the helmet and opened the blister-packed elbow and knee pads.  I’m not sure how he got through the packaging all by himself.  I have a difficult time getting those things open even when using scissors, but this boy was on a mission and nothing was going to get between him and his safety pads.

At home, he rode his bike for hours until it started raining and he had to come in.  Even then he resisted.   After all, whats a little bit of  rain? Agian, he has those 5th child survival skills.

When the Mister came home we were all in the garage talking and THAT IS WHEN I SAW THE BRIGHT LIGHT.  NOW IT ALL MADE SENSE.  #5 showed off his new helmet and pads to Dad and THEN HE PULLED A STICKER FROM HIS BIKE that read:

BE SAFE WEAR A HELMET

Taking safety precautions is always good.  And in this case, the sticker was appropriately placed since it was next to a pad that says “WIPEOUT”!

WIPEOUT!

That is where the idea came from and he knew that he had to follow the directions.  I’m so proud of my little safety expert.

THE END

Why is there a belly button in my soap?

There is a belly button in my soap.

This happens to almost every bar of soap in my house.  It was especially frustrating when it happened to my $6 bar of all natural hand made soap.  This is why I no longer buy it.  I don’t understand the fascination with poking a hole in the soap.

And here is another mystery:

What do these belong to?

Why are there two screws and a dried up macaroni noodle behind my closet door?

Somewhere in my house, something is missing some screws.  This is what boys do.

And I really need to vaccuum my closet.   Actually, I need to vaccuum everywhere in my house.  :-)

I couldn’t resist this one.  This morning I decided to check on the kids before leaving the house…just to make sure they were really still alive.  I knew #3 had moved his furniture but I didn’t see the final configuration.  This was an interesting choice…but it was HIS choice.