Parenthood

Our days are full and busy, but life is good.  This is definitely not a difficult time to realize blessings.  We are all getting the itch to get back to Texas and family.  The countdown started way too early, but now is almost reasonable to even a 4 year old.
This morning we had an extra little person in our home for a few hours--our friend's one year old daughter.  I was quickly reminded how much freedom I've gained in the last three years.  It has been a while since I had to use the bathroom and throw clothes into the dryer to the sound of frantic screaming.  I got much less done today.
We have a leak in our roof.  Just a little one and thankfully the entire roof doesn't need to be replaced yet, but the time will come.  The fun of home ownership just never ends.
The weekend went by too quickly even with a delayed flight for Daddy that worked out in our favor--he came home instead of going back to the office Friday afternoon.  After three hours of popping over 500 bags of popcorn at the school while keeping our 4 year old and another entertained, I was D.O.N.E.  Thankfully Daddy took over for the afternoon play date and took everyone out for Nathan's haircut, to buy the basketball coach's gift and to pick up Nathan's friend for a sleep over.  Me time included the gym and a nice, long bath and book.  He's an awesome dad.
Saturday the girls went to a birthday party and the parents actually were able to watch an entire basketball game (the last one) without answering a single whiny "How much longer?"  They didn't win, but they played hard. 
He's all about basketball these days.  There's a tournament bracket sitting on the desk in front of me. 
Last week his teacher comments from school were about how impressed she is that he has already completed the 1049 minutes of reading in the Iditiread and about how they are working on keeping his desk clean.  Because I was at the school anyway, I popped in to see just how messy his desk is, but I was too late.  She had already helped him clean it out.  He's the first child.  He's supposed to be Type A.  Some would say he has a mother who is organized to a fault.  (Is there such a thing?)  And his dad has some Type A tendencies: freakishly nice handwriting for a guy, methodical dishwasher loading, slightly obsessive garage organizing and he swears he multi-tasks at work, although seems incapable of it at home.
This messy desk thing bugs us.  His teacher said she thinks it is a boy thing.  His sisters do exhibit my obsessive tendencies much more than he does.  I've never heard him say in dismay, "Oh Mom, who mixed up the Little People with the Thomas Trains?!"  Some might say I'm creating two little monsters, but I am so proud. ;)
On top of the messy desk, this child has misplaced more lunch money than should be possible.  Especially considering he did not eat the school lunch until after Christmas and he only buys lunch once or twice a week.  At first it was a note coming home, but now the automated system calls the SAME DAY to notify me that my "third grade son" owes $2.50 and that I should please have "my third grade son" pay as soon as possible.  One such phone call came tonight.  In the past, he has left the money in his desk and was able to find it.  Today he said the money was on his desk when he left for library and when he came back it was gone.  His theory is that someone threw it away.  I guess if one's desk takes on the appearance of a trashcan, that is possible.  I have talked and talked to him about being responsible with his lunch money and talked and talked to him about being responsible with his gloves, hats and sweaters.  Tonight after the phone call I was especially irritated.  Carry over from the messy desk note I guess.
Since he actually lost the money this time (and didn't even mention it until the automated phone call came!) I decided there had to be a consequence.  Talking about losing things doesn't seem to be working.  I decided he had to pay for the lunch himself and that he can't have the school lunch tomorrow like he'd planned.  I also told him that if it happens again the next time, that he'll have to take a break from school lunches.  Not sure how long.  I tend to be pretty harsh in the moment so I was tempted to say FOREVER.  I guess I'm more of a drama queen than I'd like to admit.  But in all honesty, the school lunch is a nice break from packing a lunch so I don't want to ban him from school lunch FOREVER.  I know.  It would also be way harsh.  At least I'm learning to pull back a little.  35 has mellowed me I suppose.  (I'm solo parenting tonight so haven't had a chance to run this by the even more mellow parent).
Ah, parenthood.  For now I'm thankful that these are our parenting challenges.  This seems to be the time when it would be most tempting to coast through, but something tells me that if we do, we'll pay for it later.  Gotta stay on top of things.  I always say that I run this house with an iron fist.  I'm only a little bit kidding.  Much better for them to think the rest of the world is easy compared to their parents' house, than the other way around.  They will spend a lot more time in the real world and there are rules there and consequences and unfortunately not everyone in the world loves them as much as we do. :)
This past weekend we also found ourselves busy with Hannah's kindergarten homework, alternately titled a "Cooperative Family Project".  In other words, please spend actual time with your children doing something other than playing video games or watching television.  Just in case.
Hannah loves projects and this kind of homework is so much more exciting to her than it is to her brother.  He prefers to do his homework as quickly as possible and without any assistance.
Together we made a Leprechaun trap.  She has to bring it in tomorrow.  Because her mother is quite lacking in creativity when it comes to projects and actually envisioned putting a penny on a mousetrap, the family did Google "leprechaun traps".  Once again saved by the tireless efforts of people sharing information on the world wide web.
It turned out quite cute if I say so myself.  Her father exhibited some of his aforementioned Type A behavior while "helping" the kids paint the rainbow part of the trap.  The lines are exceptionally straight.

And it wouldn't be a rainbow without Roy G Biv.  Thank you Magic School Bus books.

Sarah was still sporting the headband from her BFF's butterfly birthday party earlier in the day and very excited to be painting anything.

Our forced-to-be-clean-cut son also participated--post haircut.

Wouldn't be a "cooperative family project" without this guy.

He was one step away from using blue tape in between the lines.

One last thing.  On Saturday evening our friend Amanda was hanging out with us and while we were trying to have some adult conversation, we might have ignored the kids just a tiny bit too much.  The girls were in the living room playing with some dolls they had shared so nicely the day before.  Apparently they were done sharing and it was getting ugly.  Generally this would be the time I would intervene, but I was feeling lazy so I didn't.  Here's what followed some bickering:

Sarah: "MOM! Hannah stuck her tongue at me!"

Hannah: Muttered something intending for only Sarah to hear, but I was pretty sure I knew.

Sarah: "MOM! Hannah called me a name!" (pause)  "She called me a Caterpillar!"

Me: "Ummmm Honey, I think she called you a 'Tattletale' and she's kinda right".

Awesome parenting.