this is a song...

man-cub got off the bus today, clutching this paper to his chest, with the strict warning that i NOT look at it. he proceeded on a single minded mission straight up the stairs to his bedroom to get his guitar, then asked all of us (me, t, noah and s) to gather in the living room for a performance. i got the video camera.

after 2 false (shy) starts, he sang the kayla song for us. none of the adults could look at eachother because we would have burst out laughing at how cute he was. now, if we would have laughed, his fragile psyche would have been crushed, so we held our laughter in until we cheered at the end of his warbly song and atonal strums. hilariously adorable!

he's known kayla since prenatal childbirth class. they now sit directly across from eachother on class, and recently developed a little crush on her. the younger sibs are already in love, and i regret i have no more children to betrothe to their youngest-- the baby born last wednesday for whom i knit the sweater. i'll translate the lyrics in case you can't make them out:

2 Kayla, your so butiful oh kayla. so butifulelel oh yaa aa aaa. your the butifullest girl ive ever seen. oh ya ya. your so butiful oh kayla. the end. speaks volumes, doesn't it?? he would be MORTIFIED if he knew i shared this with anyone.

miscellany

let's all sit and have a nice breakfast of bacon and eggs this morning, just as my darling daughter did. she was generous enough to share with four cats and three dogs. she gives new meaning to the phrase 'playing with your food.' meanwhile, our ACTUAL dog went in to be spayed this morning. she's only 8 months old-- we've had her for almost 7-- and i kind of feel lost without her. she's my constant companion, and it's weird to not have her at my feet. i hope she's okay-- i'll go visit her later-- and she'll come home tomorrow morning. waaaa!


on another note, i finished another project. a friend of mine had a baby girl last weds, and i finished the jacket and hat just in time to give them to her. granted, they are more sized for a 2 year old, but it's the thought that counts, right? i'm pleased with the outcome and hope the whole thing doesn't come unraveled. makes me think of the sweater song by weezer..."if you want to destroy my sweater... hold this thread as i walk away..."



next, t took the kids to the aviation museum in asheboro yesterday, cementing our daughter's new ambition-- to be a soldier. she wore her jango fett costume, the closest she could find to a soldier suit in our dress-up bin. lucky boy got the flight suit and bomber jacket. anyhow, they had a blast and i got to feel like crap all by myself and file tax receipts. i got a ton done, but there is still SOOOOOO much more work to do.

was that enough miscellany? or shall i tell you about the book i just finished? maybe tomorrow.

friend survey

my friend andrea sent this email to me, and i thought i'd post it instead of email it to my friends.

2006 Friends Survey--Welcome to the 2006 edition of getting to know your friends.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:56 am
2. Diamonds or pearls? emeralds
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? 8 below
4. What is your favorite TV show? right now, project runway
5. What did you have for breakfast? bacon 'n' eggs
6. What is your middle name? lynn
7. What is your favorite cuisine? japanese
8. What foods do you dislike? raw onions
9. What is your favorite chip? tostitos
10. What is your favorite CD? of all time? probably lincoln by they might be giants
11. What kind of car you drive? 2004 nissan quest, my true love
12. What is your favorite sandwich? reuben
13. What characteristics do you despise? lack of humility
14. Favorite item of clothing? right now?? umm... my 5 long sleeve tshirts from walmart
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation where would you go? i've got spain on the brain since our trip last march... probably galicia or the basque country
16. What color is your bathroom? purple, orange, green and yellow.
17. Favorite brand of clothing? whatever catches my eye.
18. Where would you want to retire to? here. and maybe travel a whole lot.
19. Favorite time of day? late morning
20. Where were you born? southfield, mi
21. Favorite sport to watch? tennis!
22. Who do you least expect to send this back? since i'm posting it, nobody
23. Person you expect to send this back first? nobody again! but feel free to add yours in the comment section or on your own blog or whatever.
24. What type of detergent do you use? all free 'n' clear
25. Coke or Pepsi? diet coke
26. Are you a morning person or a night owl? morning, but not by choice.
27. What size shoe do you wear? 9.5
28. Do you have pets? 1 dog (jane) 2 cats (tibby & clarence)
29. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with anyone? ummm... no?
30. What did you want to be when you were little? a ballerina
31. Favorite Candy Bar? take 5
32. What is your best childhood memory? the cottage
33. Different jobs you have had in life? sales clerk (gift shop, bakery, pharmacy), stock clerk (victorias secret, banana republic), lab assistant (u of michigan), comic book colorist & mom.
34. What color underwear are you wearing? none currently
35. Nickname? as a kid it was (shudder) missy. my dad calls me memo. my mom calls me lissa lynn sisser.
36. Piercing? 2 in each ear and a navel
37. Ever been to Africa? no
38. Ever been toilet papered? no
39. Love someone to much it made you cry? of course!
40. Croutons or bacon bits? mmmm... bacon!
41. Favorite day of the week? sunday. nothing to do.
42. Favorite flower? anything wild and bright
43. Favorite restaurant? yamazushi
44. Favorite ice cream? chocolate peanut butter
45. Disney or Warner Brothers? disney i guess
46. Favorite fast food restaurant? hardees
47. What color is your bedroom carpet? ugly berber
48. How many times did you fail your driver's test? none
49. Before this one, from whom did you get your last email? i don't know!
50. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? i wouldn't max out a card. i hate debt.
51. What do you do most often when you are bored? read
52. Who are you most curious about their responses to this questionnaire? don't know
53. Last person you went to dinner with? beth, jennifer, lucinda, katy and angela
54. Ford or Chevy? nissan!
55. What are you listening to right now? the dishwasher
56. How many tattoos do you have? one
57. Which came first the chicken or egg? good question
58. How many people are you sending this email to? nobody, i'm posting it!
59. What time did you finish this survey? 9:31 am

i can feel it coming...

what can i feel coming? sickness, that's what. it's crawling on my skin, tightening my breath, and rimming my eyes. i'm praying to the gods of vitamin c and hot tea with honey and lemon that i can shake it off successfully, like i normally do. but with s being viral and t being strepped, i think my immune system is about at the end of it's rope. let's hope not, 'cause mommies can't afford to get sick, they have too darned much to do. especially when they have taxes taxes taxes to do. just the thought of those thousands of receipts calling my name from their little blue file box makes me sick in a whole different way.

went out last night to rockfish at southpoint mall with 5 friends. i didn't do anything crazy to make me feel so crappy today, i swear. only one really large and heavy goblet-ful of red oak. man, there is NO way to look ladylike drinking from one of those things. good thing i'm not all that worried about looking ladylike, huh? the dinner was good, but the hot bread pudding soaked in a buttery bourbon sauce was... was... the adjectives i'm thinking won't do it justice. heavenly? mouthwatering? memorable? i don't know, all i know is i wish i could go back there RIGHT NOW and have another.

kids are zooming stylish barbies along the floor in their happening cars. all i see are big blonde frizzy fluffs popping out the top of the convertibles. the storyline seems to be something about stolen puppies. hmmm... barbie as dognapper? unlikely. although maybe i'll write mattel and suggest it as the plot for their next lame cgi barbie movie. the princess thing is getting a little tired, don't we think?

thin ice

with the blog title "thin ice," one may be considering the state of the WEATHER in this state. not so. it's been an unseasonably warm winter, over which i am rejoicing because of insane propane prices. in actuality, we've had a couple days of "wintry mix" (thank you, weather channel, for that apt description), and girlfriend (left) is demonstrating appropriate fashion attire for just such a day.

yesterday was our afore-mentioned hooky day, which started with a lazy morning. we then went to lunch at wendy's, where they are currently (is this in the carolinas only?) serving their special "carolina classic" burger. for those uninformed individuals, a typical carolina style burger is served with a dollop of chili and a dollop of cole slaw. it was pretty good, but nothing compared to the now-defunct eddie's that once dwelled at university mall in chapel hill. the kids got their curious george toys, ate their chicken, and we were off to the rink.

for their first time on the ice, i was really surprised. i figured we'd be there 15 minutes and they'd be sick of it. we lasted the whole session-- over 2 hours-- and they were sad to go! wet knees and bumped heads were no deterrent. h man looked much like the tin man when scarecrow and dorothy are attempting to oil him back to full range of motion. he clung to the wall, fell, and when i tried to give him pointers he declared that he already knew everything there was to know about ice skating. fine. so i just left him alone with his expertise and his two equally comical friends. we called them the three stooges, and i could just hear the stooge theme song playing in my head.

girl child, on the other hand, really went to town. she kept her feet under her rather well, took instruction, and cackled when i skated backwards and pulled her around the rink. she was attempting dance-y moves like spins and arabesques to the music. ever since we left, she's been bugging to go again. i'd love to! i am sorry to say that the camera ran out of batteries before someone could snap a shot of me going down hard on my boo-tay after a particularly hilarious attempt to re-claim my balance.

after the rink, we met daddy at the movie theater since h has been dying to see "8 below. " it was a hard movie to watch-- 8 sled dogs left behind in antarctica for almost 6 months. the poor boy just sat there with tears pouring down his face most of the movie. i felt like crying, too! so our icy adventure continued (a poor substitute for a proper winter, i know) through the movie, but abruptly came to a halt when real life came barging back at a tired little boy in the form of homework. he just couldn't manage it; he was too tired. i drove him to school this morning so he could finish it after a good nights' sleep.

hooky

we (the kids and i) are playing hooky today.

no reason, just need a break. for 2 months there are no vacation days and no teacher workdays, and that just seemed like kind-of alot for a little guy. or maybe i just felt like having fun with my 2 best kid friends. i aided and abetted in the absence of 2 of h's best friends (at another school... otherwise the teachers might get suspicious) and we're all going ice skating. my kids have never been, so this should be interesting! hopefully the experience lasts for more than 15 minutes because i love to skate and haven't been in years.

it was a nice surprise for my little man, he didn't know why he wasn't being shuffled around first thing in the morning, and why he was able to sit and play with his sister. she, too, was excited about "skipping school"-- even though she has no school today anyway!

grandma & papa left early early early this morning, so a fun excursion will be just what we need to ease the separation. i'll post pictures tomorrow.

oh, after we skate we may go see "8 below" if we can sit in a theater without our butts hurting from falling on the ice too much.

first grade social commentary

h got off the bus today and had a little surprise in his backpack... a stack off torn-off pages from his ex-girlfriend's (yes, it was a kindergarten flame that burned hot and bright) notebook. i flipped through the pages, and this was the very last one. i laughed so hard i choked and was crying. if you don't understand the language, i'll paraphrase: "This is Annie. She's popular. She acts so mean. She's good in school. She has good report cards and has 110,000,000 dollars. I hate her."

something about it's astuteness struck me as so funny, and reminded me of the angst we feel throughout our school careers. i just don't remember it starting so EARLY! maybe kids really are growing up faster these days. say it isn't so!

false alarm

the cat caught on fire.

he was grooming himself near a candle (it was in a jar! i'm a responsible pet owner, i swear!) on the counter (he shouldn't have been on the counter anyway! i swear!) and caught his profusely fluffy hind quarter on fire. luckily mom was standing right there and got him away from the flame before it did more than singe a significant portion of fur close to the skin. sigh.

the house still stinks.

pain au chocolat

i met thoa, zuzu and elizabeth up in hillsborough this morning for breakfast at a lovely little french bakery just down the side street from downtown. i had french toast (which at a french restaurant should just be called "toast," right?) and sausage with a cup of coffee. it was a lovely breakfast with lovely company and a lovely assortment of pastries. i hadn't been in hillsborough for years, but the drive through the country reminds me why i should do it more often. possibly if the little historic town were more of a DESTINATION i'd find a way. they do have a nice skating rink, however, and s has been dying to ice skate.
the daughterly one is fully recovered and is bouncing at full speed off the walls since she hasn't been anywhere all week. it'll be nice to have her back to school tomorrow, even if for only one day before the weekend.

got wallace & gromit: curse of the were-rabbit on dvd last night. what a masterpiece of cinematic genius! nick park deserves a medal for telling a story that is massively entertaining for kids AND the parents that have to take them to the film. clever, witty and charming.

tonight is bojangles night for our school. for all y'all not from the south, bojangles is a fast-food chick'n 'n' bisskits place. on this given night, they donate 10% of sales to the school, have balloons, face-painting, and a bike giveaway. very exciting for first grade boys.

the plot sickens...

we're even more mired in child bodily fluids now than yesterday. i went to get my first grade son out of bed this morning for school, and found that he had wet the bed. it's been AGES since this happened, so of course the mattress pad wasn't waterproof. while i was still getting him in the tub, i hear noises from s's room that sound remarkably like retching. one bed full of pee, the other bed full of vomit. laundry, anyone??

the poor girl is just gray and can't keep a thing down. of course, she can't manage to get the barf IN the bucket provided, just on everything else in her immediate vicinity. i wish i had a tarp.

reason #3 for the blogging vacation: my first knit garment. a jacket for the girl.

aren't you proud?

where to begin?

i've had an unintentional blogging vacation because i've been BUSY. everyone is BUSY and it is no excuse. i'll apologize to those few who were counting on me and checking my blog regularly, only to see a fuzzy blue bunny face smiling back at them. isn't that the WORST??!

reason #1 for lameness is gross absorption in novel (to the right). i took a photo of the actual copy i read, as it is well worn. those who know me know that i almost only buy books at thrift shops at 10% of the original value, so many are already well loved. now i understand the condition of this one. this book took me in, spun me around, chewed me up, flipped me over and then on my side, and knocked me down before spitting me out. i am exhilirated, tired, and about as worn out as the book itself. it is a *rare* keeper (although in hindsight there were several others i should have kept) and i will absolutely read it again to extract the most possible meaning from the intricate prose. the best way i, in my clumsy manner, can sum up the book is to say that not many people can take just an ordinary family and describe thier lives and relationships so well that you are shaking your head in understanding, disgust, and voyeurism. i didn't want it to end, but i wanted it to end so i didn't have to see these people suffer their everyday lives for one more minute. whew.

was that enough of a rant? shall i stop right now? or tell you another reason i haven't blogged? how about reason #2 and then i'll be done for now? my parents are visiting again, installed successfully in the new attic room which we've taken to calling "the penthouse." lots of projects going, and more on the horizon. so much gets accomplished so quickly while they are here it makes my head spin. i feel renewed every time.

my darling daughter kept us up for several hours in the night claiming that she didn't feel well and that her tummy hurt. she is known for her cry-wolf-ishness (a new word! i just made it up!), so even though i could hear her little tummy grumbling (through the constant chatter-"mommy did you know that fly and cry RHYME?") i didn't put much stock in it.

until this morning when her bowels let loose with a terrible ferocity. the first time on the pot. the second time ON THE LIVING ROOM FLOOR. adventures in parenting are never dull. and luckily it was ME and not my poor parents who got to deal with one of the most wretchingly disgusting parental duties. and luckily we have wood floor. it reminded me of the time that my "sister-in law" (it's in quotes 'cause she's really my brother's girlfriend but i love her) was sharing a room with s last summer at the beach at got to deal with a big pile of kid barf. kate was SO BRAVE and took the whole thing calmly and in stride, but i will forever be in her debt for having to suffer the bile nastiness of a child not her own.

more later.