Thursday, February 24, 2011

Spring


Is it spring yet? I don't know how much more of this wintery, blah I can handle.There is only so much hot chocolate one person can ingest before you get permanent chocolate and marshmallow stains above your lips.("Got milk?")

Its almost March though, so there is hope.I don't know if its a mental thing or not,but being that this is me we are talking about the answer is most likely yes.It doesn't matter how much snow and cold there is, the moment the calender changes from February to March, my spirits are instantly lifted.I have hope,I feel more cheerful,there is anticipation!
There will be an end to this"10 months" of winter.If only for a fleeting moment.There will be a chance to feel the warm sun on my face, watch the trees blossom and fill the air with their delightful smells,get dirt under my finger nails,enjoy the longer days.Oh bliss!

I tire of the long, cold,grey days.Even the ones that look deceptively lovely.Bright blue skies and sunshine.That is until you go outside and your nose hairs freeze together instantly and you are forced to make a hasty retreat back into your house.But like I said there is HOPE. Somewhere under the two foot pile of snow covering our front yard is a blade of green grass just waiting to come up.

Patience is all I need.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Leapin' Lizards

Yep, its official.My kids are weird.If I were to limit the toys in my house to two things, I bet you would be surprised to know what they were.Well maybe not one of them but the other is certainly not your typical "girly" play thing.

Let me start by letting you know "monkey" has been a challenge right from day 1 in regards to toys.She never liked them much,could have cared less about them really.It wasn't until she was almost 2 when she showed interest in doing puzzles.She put together her first puzzles in about two minutes flat.So I kept increasing the difficulty.I thought I found something to keep her interested.In fact she made it all the way to a 65 piece puzzle before she was 3.Then in typical "monkey" fashion, it was "Ok, been there, done that, what's next? " I have tried every imaginable toy
I can think of.From your typical average kid toy, all the way to games,puzzles and educational ones too.Nothing.Except this one thing.No it is not a cardboard box.But it was just as cheap.It, or rather they, cost me $1.50 at Michael's.

A package of brightly colored, rubber, lizards.Yes folks you read it correctly.Rubber lizards!! I have absolutely no clue as to why she is fascinated with these things.But she takes them everywhere.Forget playing with dolls.These lizards are the babies and the ones on all the adventures.Being orphaned because the mom and dad lizard died. (typically from drowning in the bathtub or falling off of some extremely high place aka the book shelf).Which brings me to the second thing. A doll house. Not too out of the ordinary except for the fact that no people reside in it.Only the little lizards dwell here, while the people are left to fend for themselves.These little lizards bathe in the bath tub,eat at the table,drive the cars,sleep in the beds.Nope no people here.

This past Christmas she got lots of things.Nice things.Even a REAL laptop of her very own!But that came in second best to the present she got from auntie "S". You guessed it rubber lizards!! 3 of them to be exact.These ones are big and ugly as far as I'm concerned.But hey, what do I know?She loves them.They don't creep me out or anything.I mean hey I worked in a pet store and held my fair share of them.But it is a little unnerving when you step backwards on to one of them or step on them in the middle of the night.They squish between your toes because they are a rubber outside with silicon beads inside.Yuck!

These, like their miniature c
ounter parts, take center stage at play time.They do manage to work their way into the doll house most times.However meal times are usually spent at OUR table.I am sure you can imagine how well that goes.You know,hanging out in the drink glasses,eating off our plates,throwing food on the floor.They are a pretty rowdy bunch, let me tell you!

One day I will look back at this and laugh.But for now, I think my kids are just plain weird!