Little Worriers

I've decided that Sparky and I tend to breed little worriers. When our kids hit four or five, they tend to start obsessing over something that they won't have to deal with for decades. When Thing 1 was younger, he wanted to know how to get a job. I told him if he helped clean the windows, I'd give him a dollar, but he said no, he was talking about a real job, like Dad's. I asked him why he wanted to know, and he looked at me like I was an idiot. He said, "Someday I'm going to be married and have kids, and I'm going to need to have a job so we can have some money. So how do I get a job?" He was genuinely concerned about this, and he was around five years old. He wouldn't let it go until I mapped out for him the whole high school - college - grad school - job interview thing, and then he finally started breathing again. Poor stressed out baby.

With Thing 2, it was leaving home. He kept saying he was going to live with us for the rest of his life, that he was never moving out. The funny thing was, he would usually say it when he was acting up or doing something to bother me, and I'd say under my breath, "You wanna bet?" He was really worried for a solid year about growing up and moving away, and then all of a sudden, he started wanting to sing "I hope they call me on a mission" every family night and started talking about going to BYU someday (like I said before, his brainwashing is officially complete!). Sparky and I breathed a sigh of relief when Thing 2 grew out of his worry phase.

So I've been wondering lately what Thing 3 is going to worry about, and I think that I stumbled upon it this week. He's worried that when he grows up and moves away, he won't be able to find our house again. He's been begging me to promise that we'll never move to another house. He asked me if, when he grows up, I would come pick him up from his new house and drive him to our house when he wants to visit. I pointed out that he would probably have his own car by then, but he insisted that he wouldn't remember where our house is, and I should just drive him in my car. He happened to have a friend with him when he said all this to me, and his friend said to him in exasperation, "Come on! We're not grown-ups! You can't even drive yet!" Thing 3 can't help it; he's just like his brothers. I should probably be concerned about my kids getting so stressed out, but it's just so cute to see a little four year old worrying about something that's 15 years away. I guess what I'm trying to say is, my kids are weird but cute.

Busters

The boys are currently on a lego kick. We've had them forever, but they recently realized that they're actually fun, and they run to play with them after school. Thing 3 can't put together all the sets, but he loves the lego people. In fact, he loves the lego legs. He calls them “busters,” and he pulls them off all the lego people and just plays with the busters. Our playroom usually looks like there's been some sort of lego massacre, with legless lego people lying all over the place. Sometimes he'll put the busters on top of each other so there's one tall, mutant buster. Other times he'll line them up and have them kick in bizarre rockette style.

I don't know how he came up with the name busters, but it stuck. The whole family calls them busters now. I curse the busters when I step on them in the middle of the night when Thing 3 wakes me up and makes me tuck him back in bed, and I shake my head at the busters when I find them clanging around in the dryer. Busters have totally taken over my house!

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Oh, I love March. I'm like a kid at Christmas with my nose pressed against the store window, gazing longingly at the Red Rider BB gun. It's March Madness, baby! The brackets came out today and I'm in heaven.

We have done a pool with our friends (for bragging rights only, of course!) for about 10 years now. I've only won it once, and it's a year when my brother in law has chosen to experience some very selective memory loss. I know I'll never win again. Usually someone wins who has no clue about college basketball and just picks all the high seeds (except the two years my dad won). I end up grumbling about it for a few weeks and then placate myself with chocolate and Mariners games.

All three Things are already claiming victory with their picks. Thing 1 has declared that he will win with his superior knowledge and insider information. Our brain washing of Thing 2 is complete, he picked BYU to win it all and is appalled that anyone would pick differently. I love his dedication. It's totally me at his age. I'm just afraid he will end up like this kid:




And Thing 3. He picked Gonzaga to win it all, after all, he's heard us talking about them constantly for the last 4 months. But it's his final four that's really gutsy: Gonzaga, BYU, Portland State, and To Be Decided. Yep, he picked the winner of the "play in" game, one of the two worst teams in the tournament, to go to the final four. I love it.

We've sent out our email to everyone from last year. If you want in, let me know. It doesn't matter if you are a huge basketball fan or not; like I said, you actually have an edge over me if you aren't. And, hey! You could be the one I grumble about in April!

Thing 3 Turns Four!

I can't believe my baby is four! He started off as our miracle baby, surviving being inside a very sick mommy and having the cord around his neck. Now he is our comic relief and one smart cookie. Last night a friend of ours was sitting with us at Thing 2's basketball game (He is finally well enough to play in a game! Yay!), and she asked Thing 3 to dance for us. He jumped right up and did this booty shake thing that Thing 2 taught him, much to the delight of the crowd/horror of his mother. Well, I guess I wasn't too horrified - I had to stifle a few giggles myself. Thanks, Thing 3, for being a part of our family and making us smile!

We had a birthday party for him on Saturday. Here is a picture of the poster that the kids colored for him, and one of the little rascals themselves. It was a "Halloween" birthday party. Yes, it's March, but hey, that's what he wanted. Who am I to judge? We had a pirate, Diego, four Star Wars guys, a ninja, and Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.

A Friend to the Rescue!

After my last post, a dear friend of mine asked me if I wanted her iPod mini that she wasn't using anymore. Jen, you rock! It came in the mail yesterday, and it works great. I think she was worried that I would mind that it's pink. On the contrary - I am so thrilled to have a working iPod that pink is my new favorite color. Thanks, Jen!

Something completely unrelated - Thing 2 has pneumonia. This is the second time he's had it in the last couple of years. He had a chest x-ray on Tuesday and you could see some junk in there. He has missed a lot of school, but he is back at school today after begging me to let him go. This round of medication seems to be working. He has more energy, but is still pale and coughing. We're keeping our fingers crossed that he will get better soon - he has been sick since the end of January! I know many of you have been praying for him - thank you. We received a nice call from his Sunday School teacher today to see how he was doing, and my grandmother put his name on the prayer roll at the temple the day before we found out he had pneumonia after feeling prompted to do so. We feel so blessed to have such great friends and family!