Chocolate Phoenix

On Having a Gifted Child

November 3, 2009 at 9:56 am · Filed under Family

There are days when I want to take Aiden by the shoulders, shake him, and yell, “You are Gifted!! Quit acting so DUMB!!”

I honestly can’t understand sometimes why such a smart little boy can “forget” to do something as simple as put his dirty socks in the laundry basket. The basket sitting right next to his door. And I just told him. He walked into his room to do just that, and then I catch him building with his Legos instead. The dirty socks are sitting on his bed, still. I don’t get it.

He forgets to turn in his homework. He remembers to take his homework binder out and have his teacher check the other work that he did, but he can’t remember to take the written work out of the front pocket and put it in the homework box. Every single day.

When it comes down to it, Aiden is a normal 7 year old with some pretty heavy brain power. I have to remember that. Just because he can read like a 5th grader doesn’t mean he is as mature as one. He does this crazy things because he is easily distracted or because he wants to see what will happen, such as when he squirts toothpaste in a line on the counter or yells “Hi Dad!” in the middle of a concert (even though i just spend 10 minutes discussing and quizzing the kids on proper concert behavior. He’s been going to concerts every couple of months for 7 years. This shouldn’t be a surprise. ~sigh~). He’s my Aiden, and I love him. Even when he frustrates the heck out of me and calls me an Evil Meanie.

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Dream House

October 28, 2009 at 3:23 pm · Filed under My Crazy Mind, house

I had my dream house all picked out. It is a colonial style with red brick and white pillars. It has a huge front yard and a huge back yard. It has fireplaces and a full basement. It has a family room and a formal dining room. It is just beautiful. It is also in Preston, Idaho.

It has been sitting on the market for a while (I happen to know the owners). It’s a totally affordable price. It’s just not where we live right now. That house screams “Sariah!” I know that house has been waiting for us to move back there because it’s supposed to be mine.

However, as in most things, this dream has come to an end. It has been sold and they close this week. I’m in mourning. Are we moving to Preston? I don’t know! Ches would need a job there, and that is a whole different discussion. As of right now, we are still in Arizona. In a rental. In a house that was supposed to be temporary (1 year) and is not anything at all what I want in a house.

The owner did tell me if it falls through she’ll let me know. ~sigh~ Is it wrong for me to hope that it falls through and to hope that the current band director doesn’t work out there so we can move into my dream house??? I’ll just keep hoping. I won’t actually pray for it.

(I’ll let Laural do that. hee hee)

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The Story of My Feelings

October 20, 2009 at 11:31 am · Filed under Books, Review, music

Last year, as I was teaching toddlers and preschoolers, I came across this wonderful book by Laurie Berkner. (Laurie Berkner is a great children’s singer. She is often featured on “Jack’s Big Music Show” on Noggin, a Nickelodeon station for the preschool set. She does mostly original songs and kids just go nuts for her, as I saw in the preschool last year. Check out The Laurie Berkner Band if you are looking for something fun for a gift for a toddler) Normally I don’t like books with CD accompaniment, but this one is just great. The illustrations are beautiful, but even more beautiful is the song. It’s just a guitar accompaniment with Laurie Berkner on vocals and some simple harmonies. The lyrics are as follows:

This is the story of when I cry.
When I’m feeling sad, that’s when I cry
And it makes me feel better.
It makes me feel better.
You know it makes me feel even better when I cry.

This is the story of when I laugh.
When I’m feeling happy, that’s when I laugh
And it makes me feel better.
It make me feel better.
You know it makes me feel even better when I laugh.

This is the story of when I yell.
When I’m feeling angry, that’s when I yell
And it makes me feel better.
It makes me feel better.
You know it makes me feel even better when I yell.

This is the story of when I sigh.
When I’m feeling peaceful, that’s when I sigh
And it makes me feel better.
It makes me feel better.
You know it makes me even feel better when I sigh.

And when I cry.
And when I yell.
And when I laugh
You know it makes me feel better.

I love this book and this song. I called it my Magic Book at school because no matter how hyped up the kids were in class, as soon as the guitar starts playing each and every kid would settle down and look at the pictures and sing along to the song. I highly recommend this book and CD for all toddlers and preschoolers. I was listening to the song on my iPod today and I teared up a little because it’s just so beautiful.

I think too often we only want our kids to be happy children. We know they aren’t, and we know they cry and yell, but we tell them to stop. We do everything we can to make them stop. I am sure guilty of it. I hate it when my kids just cry and cry. Drives me bananas! However, don’t I often just feel better after a good cry? Sometimes I’m just sad and I need to cry. Sometimes I’m angry and I just need to yell, and then I feel better. If it’s that simple as an adult, why not with kids? I find myself telling my children “It’s okay to be mad right now, but don’t yell!” I am trying to change it to “It’s okay to be mad right now, but don’t yell at me. Go somewhere and just yell for a minute, and when you’re calm we’ll talk.” Kids need to express their emotions just as much as we do. As much as we all love the sound of a happy, laughing child, that’s just not going to happen all the time.

My favorite part of the song is the end. “When I’m feeling peaceful, that’s when I sigh.” We’re working on the peaceful feelings around here. The no TV, no fighting, no chaos feelings. I love it when we are all just sitting around, playing together or reading or whatever. And then I feel peaceful and I hope my kids do, too. And then I sigh because it makes me feel better.

**special note: I was not paid in any way for a review of this book and CD. No one asked me to review it. I just like it and wanted to share.**

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At Least This Time It’s Not Mental

October 19, 2009 at 2:56 pm · Filed under health

My head hurts today. I’m having a headache where it feels like a million forks and knives stabbing into my brain. It feels like my brain is bursting and being squeezed into place in my skull. It doesn’t like being squeezed into place. It wants freedom! If I turn my head or bounce too much when I walk, another fork stabs at me. If someone makes the wrong sound or if the light turns on, add some more forks. All I want is to find a pitch black, cool, quiet room so I can sleep it off. If there is any noise, any light, or is even slightly too warm, my head just gets worse. I don’t have a pitch black, cool, quiet room. I don’t have anyone to even watch the kids while I sleep it off. So guess what I do in times like this? Suck it up and try not to move too much. And get off the computer for a few minutes.

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Mmmmm, Bacon

October 13, 2009 at 5:02 pm · Filed under Family, Living in Phoenix

The weather here has cooled off enough that we are able to go to the park after school again. It’s nice. (And let me just mention that it was suggested a few weeks ago that we start up “park days” after school again because the temperature would only be 97. Yeah.) The park is practically across the street from our house, and it’s where the bus stop is, so while Aiden does not ride the bus anymore, we meet at the park after school and play with kids who do ride the bus. Everyone gets all their wiggles out by running and screaming for a couple of hours, then it’s dinner time, homework time, then bedtime. I love it.

There are a lot of boys in the neighborhood, which is nice for my three boys. Not to say that there aren’t any girls. There are. I’m just not as aware because my boys pretty much only play with other boys (except for Ellie. All three of the boys love Ellie. Parker loves her the most, however, and calls her “My Ellie, My Friend Ellie” so much that whenever we see her Aiden or Dallin now say “Look Parker, there’s Your Friend Ellie!”). Boys, I am noticing, are extremely loud and overly active. They make weird sounds for everything and just can’t stop moving. I can’t get them to sit still for 2 seconds and take a drink of water. They bounce on the bench and look all around while taking a drink before they toss the water bottle to me and run off again. The boys chase each other with invisible guns and swords and yell at the top of their lungs. I’ve learned to tune most of it out as I would rather listen to something one of the moms is telling me rather than screaming from my son that the droids are attacking. The droids (or the clones) are always attacking.

One day last week I noticed that a girl was chasing Aiden. I didn’t think much of it, as she has two older brothers and she is in Aiden’s school and Primary classes. She can hold her own with boys, and she and Aiden see each other a lot so they seem friendly. Then I realized this girl was chasing Aiden, yelling, “Bacon!!!” over and over again. Turns out the girls in Aiden’s 2nd grade class like to chase the boys around during recess and call them bacon.

I had a great time teasing Aiden that the girls like him because everybody loves bacon and obviously she likes Aiden if she is going to call him bacon and chase him until she gets her bacon. Aiden didn’t find it as amusing as I did. I can’t wait ’til he’s in high school and I can really tease him about girls. Heh. (I’m such a good mom. So nice.)

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October

October 1, 2009 at 10:51 am · Filed under health

It’s October! Do you know what that means? No, I’m not talking about pumpkins and harvest and candy corn.

Time to feel your boobs and encourage all your friends to feel their boobs. Yes, it it that important! And after you have done that, check out the official site for Breast Cancer Awareness Month or the site for the Susan G. Koman For The Cure.

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Ummm, Seriously?

September 22, 2009 at 9:55 pm · Filed under Funny ha ha, Uncategorized

This sign was up recently in the hallways of the high school Ches works at:

“Need help?? Totoring in the Library!!”

Someone had written on the sign, “Does that include spelling???”

I only wish I was kidding about this. It still makes me laugh, though.

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Protected: I Don’t Know If I’m Going To Click Publish Until I Actually Do It

September 21, 2009 at 12:04 pm · Filed under Family, My Crazy Mind

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Is There Anything Better Than Cake??

September 11, 2009 at 6:21 pm · Filed under Family, I'm Crafty (Kind of)

The answer is yes. Birthday cake.

For Ches’ birthday, he just asked for a chocolate cake. Nothing special. I didn’t know what to do with a “nothing” request!! Aiden wanted to get him a trumpet for his birthday, but of course we can’t afford a new trumpet, so I decided to surprise Ches with a trumpet on his cake.

And here is where I turn into Ms. Cake Wreck. I didn’t have time to make frosting (I have a pretty good recipe from my stepmom… a professional cake decorator), so since I was at the grocery store anyway, I just picked up a small package of yellow, pre-made piping frosting. BIG MISTAKE. Never ever ever use that. It’s just easier to make the frosting from scratch. If you ever want my recipe, ask and I’ll share. Trust me. It’s worth it. This stuff was too hard to use. It actually split my piping bag!! Good thing I wasn’t using the good bag and was just using a disposable plastic one. Anyway, I couldn’t get the detail I had planned because the frosting was so hard to use, and I was so frustrated and done, I didn’t even write Happy Birthday or anything. Oh, well. Too bad. So sad. I wanted it to be a shiny, new trumpet, so I bought yellow sugar sprinkles. The sprinkles went everywhere! Argh! I cleaned it up as best as I could, and this is the result:
Ches' Trumpet Birthday Cake

Aren’t we all glad I’m not paid for this? heh

Parker’s birthday was a week later. We are celebrating tomorrow (due to schedules and finances). He requested a Toy Story 2 cake, and I agonized over it! How in the world would I pull that off? I finally came up with an idea, and after searching Coolest Birthday Cakes I found other cakes along the same idea. I found a set of figurines at the Disney Store for $12. My friend and neighbor, Kim, is a professional and she offered to help me along. Ches was too busy to be able to help this time. I made a normal sheet cake for the floor, and used a bread pan to make Andy’s bed. Only the quilt, the pillow, and the rug are fondant. Parker LOVES it, and I honestly don’t think it’s going to last til tomorrow night. We’re going to have to do cake and ice cream for breakfast or something.
2009.09.11, toy story 2 cake 025edit

(Bo Peep is hiding in the back because this is a boy’s cake. heh)