Overheard

This week, I finally broke down and put ads on my blog. A friend of mine mentioned that she had ads on her blog and was making a little walking around money. Honestly, I've thought about it for years, but figured that I didn't have enough visitors or followers and that it was just too cheesy.

Then I made $30 in five days. Enough to support my Diet Coke habit for a month, actually.

So ... if you'd like to help support my Diet Coke habit, please click an ad. Or, if you'd rather not support my bad habits, do it to keep the Cheerios flowing 'round here.

Isn't the dirt just beautiful?

I do have some good habits, you know. For instance, I've had a vegetable garden for the past seven years. This past week, we started preparing the garden for this summer. I've really enjoyed sticking my bare hands in the dirt. I've decided that I prefer that to using garden gloves. The plan is to have four 4 by 8 foot raised beds which will make my vegetable garden more manageable. And with three kids, my hobbies need to be manageable.

I can't really remember what happened here this week. I've been wildly successful at synchronizing naps this week and even indulging in naps myself. So, it's been a good week. This is also the first week in a while that no one has been sick. I haven't called the advice nurse. There have been no trips to the pharmacy. We haven't been to the doctor's office once. The week before we were there three times. I think that's some sort of record for us.

Anyhow, without further ado ...

Owen's new word: PopPop. He said it the other day when he saw PopPop walk into the back yard.


I can do [fill in the blank] whenever I want to, he says with hand gestures and a very cute tilt of the head. He says this a lot lately. But, no, we don't let him do whatever he wants. No matter how cute he is. 

I can wipe my nose on my arm only at home but not at preschool, he says. Well, it's a start.

Later is canceled. There is no more later, Danny, I tell him after he asks to eat his breakfast later. For weeks now, he's been putting half-eaten meals in the fridge and ignoring them. It makes me twitch.

Does mommy's water taste better than yours? I ask Fiona.
Yeah, she says after taking a swig. Just as I suspected. That must be why they're always begging for a sip of my water.

I'm going to get big and go on the school bus and be angry at the kids. I have no idea why he says this. Maybe he just inherently knows that kids on school buses are mean?

What are you doing, mommy? 
I'm writing. Did you know that mommy is a writer? 
Yeah. And a nurse. In light of the past few weeks we've had here, I'd say he's pretty perceptive.

These are my keys for when I grow up and drive a red convertible. Danny has been carrying around an old set of keys all week.


Do you ever say yes, Fiona? Jim asks.

No. Of course not. She's two.


What are you doing with my laundry basket? I ask Danny as he hops into a laundry basket that I was about to use.
I'm going to drive it, he says without missing a beat. Of course. He even had his keys. 


Look, mom, it's a dump truck. 
Actually, honey, it's a water tanker truck.
NO, it's a dump truck. [pause] Stop arguing with me.

You forgot to put your turn signal on. You have to go back! Sigh. I hope he outgrows this before he gets a wife.  I was chastised at least a half dozen times on the same van ride about turn signals.

Come on kids, it's time to go sit in front of your dinner, Jim tells the kids. He's being generous here. They neither eat nor sit these days. 

Have a great weekend.