Isaac and the Yellow Crayon

Yesterday I noticed that Isaac had this yellow thing in his hand that I hadn’t seen before so I asked him what it was and he told me how he got it from Zack and it was a yellow fat crayon. So as I look closer I see that it has a price sticker on it from a store we had gone to the day before. I knelt down and asked Isaac if he had really gotten it from Zack or if he had gotten in from the store? I said tell mom the truth. So he did. He told me he got it from the store and that he took it because he never had a big fat yellow crayon like that and he wanted one because Naissa and Zack and Jade got lots of stuff for school and he didn’t get stuff.

Wow! Okay, well I had to take a quick moment to sort out my emotions from the fact that he stole this yellow crayon eraser from a store. I felt bad for him, because what he said was true. His siblings had gotten school supplies…because they are in school. He is at home with me and has access (well, approved access) to all kinds of supplies; they just aren’t specifically “his”.
When I told Jim about the yellow crayon, I asked his opinion on my dilemma. Should I make my son take it back to the store? I believe that is the right thing to do, however, the store is clear across town and as everybody knows gas ain’t cheap. I know it shouldn’t matter that the thing only cost 99 cents, it’s the fact that he took it! But let me tell you what happened when we did this with my other son…

Several years ago we had gone to Target as a family. When we got home we found that our other son had brought a gift card home with him. It obviously didn’t have any money on it, but he stole it from the store. He wanted it because of the picture on it, so he put it in his pocket. We decided he would have to return it to the store and confess what he had done and “pay the consequences” which would most likely be a stern talking to about how stealing is wrong and how you could go to jail etc…

So Jim takes him to the store and he confesses and goes to return the stolen gift card and the guy working there tells him, there’s nothing on it, it’s okay, it’s no big deal, you can keep it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What the crap??

We then had to explain to our son how the guy working there was wrong, stealing is not okay…even if the item has no value. We did not allow him to keep it and I’m not sure he fully understood all that went on.

So my dilemma now, is what if I drive all the way back to this store and I encounter something similar? Can I consider this dealt with since I’ve taken the yellow crayon eraser…that says, “Jesus colors my world” on it by the way, away and explained how taking things that don’t belong to you is wrong?? UGH!!!

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Old Man!!

3 weeks old!

Alice has taken the first step of letting go. She has pushed her babies out of the igloo and will go in there by herself, I'm sure, for a little break. Occasionally a couple of babies manage to get in there with her but mostly it's a nice haven for her. Can you imagine having 12 babies...all the same age...all nursing?? You might as well just forget wearing clothes for several months. Don't worry about losing those extra "baby" pounds because you will lose them as you will never have a chance to get yourself something to eat. Peace and quiet and your body as your own...forget about it!
It's probably a good thing that mice don't have the emotions that we do, they don't carry grudges or feel resentful. I'm thinking the mortality rate of all male mice would be really high.

Poor Alice, She's got 12 blind little mice that catch her scent when she scurries by and they all just lunge at her and drag themselves underneath her trying to nurse. She literally just sprawls out on top of them and they treat her like the rock star who has jumped into the crowd to be passed around from one fan to another, above their heads and they just move her this way and that. She looks like one of those parachutes the kids play with at school, where they raise it up and the kids run underneath....yep! That's Alice! Not much longer little one!

I've been trying to tell if we've got boys or girls and though the "experts" say you can tell by this that and the other...I can't tell the difference. I'm thinking I either have all baby boys or the "experts" are wrong. (which you know happens all the time) Nothing like a little experience to upset a theory - - - can't remember where I heard that - - - but it's true!

So those are Alice's babies up there. They still haven't opened their eyes and yet some of the "experts" say that they should start weaning at 3 weeks! I, however, am not going to remove them from their mama until they are able to eat regular food on their own. The mama is shelling peanuts as big as her babies right now.

Back to School

Kristi: How ya doing Naissa?
Naissa: I'm feeling a little nervous.

Kristi: About what?

Naissa: What if the kids at school laugh at me?

Kristi: Why would they laugh at you?

Naissa: Because I do the chicken dance.

Kristi is at a loss for words

Naissa brushes her teeth and comes back.

Naissa: Will the sun be up yet when I have to go to school?

With all the excitement of going back to school I think the anxiety gets covered up. It's easy to hide behind a new backpack or new outfit or seeing some of your friends you haven't seen all Summer. Finding out you are in the same class as some of those friends is great but still the unknown beckons loudly and your stomach aches a little and it's hard to eat dinner and you can't fall asleep and when you finally do you wake up to the sound of the neighbors dog and you are right back where you started.....awake! The kids are not alone in this, us parents feel it too. We ask many of the same questions the kids are asking. Will the teacher be nice or mean? Will they give lots of homework? Will they give lots of homework on the first day of school? Will my kids fall asleep in class on the first day because they barely slept all night? Will my kids still be friends with the same kids? Will they know what to do and where to go and get there in time if they have to go to the bathroom? Will they do well this year? Will they feel left out? Will girls be girls and be mean and nasty one minute and best friends the next? Will boys be boys and beat each other up on the basketball court both physically and verbally and then high five each other later? Will my child feel safe? Will they be able to develop into the person God created them to be without too many scars from their childhood....I have heard many people say that tough times make tough people but us moms hate to see our children hurting. And kids these days can be just so mean.

So many thoughts going on the first day of school. I'm sure there will be less of them on the second day and hopefully even less on the third day. That's how it goes. Until the new becomes the regular, the usual, the norm. We all just want our kids to be okay, do well, make friends, learn good stuff, be safe and to come home with a smile at the end of the day.

Isaac

Isaac was playing good guys and bad guys, switching back and forth as he played, when he came into talk to his mom.

Isaac: I'm gonna kill myself.

Kristi: I don't want you to pretend to kill anyone. When you kill someone, they die and they don't come back. Let's not pretend to kill. How about you just fight them instead. You can flatten them like a pancake or karate chop them or throw blueberries at them or sword fight them or spar with them or even kick 'em in the butt but no killing.

Isaac laid his head down on his arm which was on mom's desk and was quiet for a moment. Kristi feeling she had done her job of explaining and giving other options picked up her pen and began to write when Isaac spoke.

Isaac: Tomorrow can I?

Feeling frustrated yet wanting to laugh she answered sharply.

Kristi: No

Isaac: How 'bout bake 'em in a cake?

Kristi nodded and smiled and off he went to play. A few moments later he was heard talking.

Isaac: I'm gonna kick him's butt off.

My Critters

I've got mice on the brain. We went to our friend's 55th wedding anniversary celebration last Sunday and the nuts on my plate reminded me of the baby mice and I could not enjoy them. This is Gunner.

We used to call him Gunpowder but that was before Lead died.

Now he's just Gunner.

I enjoy him tremendously.

I let him run loose in the backyard everyday.

He loves it.

He's big enough the cats don't mess with him.

They are still curious and will follow him

but when Gunner sniffs or hops towards them,

they move away.

(And my cats aren't the scaredy kind,

they taunt the dogs behind us

and Harley's son Zeke used to chase

the neighbor's dog whenever they walked by)

(a big dog...not one of those toy dogs you carry in a purse).

We have some zucchini plants that

Gunner likes to hide and sleep under

and I'm sure he's the one who has been

nibbling on them as well. Josiah Shazaam!!
Gunner and Josiah
Alice's babies - 5 days old

Jade holding Harley while I gave Alice

more food and water.

Harley - watching Alice

We've got babies!

Alice had her babies Friday (8/16) afternoon. A baker's dozen, I believe, though it's hard to tell when you're looking from underneath the tank so as not to disturb them. According to several sources (friends and google) if the momma feels threatened....she may eat her babies. If she feels like she can't take care of them all....she may eat her babies. If she doesn't have enough food or water....she may eat her babies. I can't get over the fact that all of these babies were inside her yesterday and she's already got her figure back!!

Mice, Eggs and Chocolate Milk

Our mouse Alice is going to have babies.

We had to remove Angelo, formally known as Angelina,

from the tank and put him in a smaller cage

so she will have the best chance at being a good mouse mommy.

We weren't sure she was really pregnant until the last couple of days

when her tummy grew enormously!

She wouldn't hold still long enough for me to get

a really good picture so these blurry ones will have to do.

Her head used to be in proportion to her body.

Us moms know how it is the last month or so of our pregnancies,

when we can't imagine our tummys protruding any more...

yet they do.

So here is Alice and her pregnant belly.

While I was trying to take a picture of Alice, Naissa came in to tattle.

Though I am rather seasoned in tuning that sort of thing out

I still heard her say something about Isaac and eggs.

It took only about 30 seconds for me to acknowledge

that I had to go deal with this one - just in case.

As I walked towards the kitchen,

Naissa hollered at Isaac, "OOOOO You're in tra--ah--bull!

In my nicest annoyed voice I told her to back off,

I hadn't seen any messes yet.

THEN I reached the kitchen.

My jaw dropped as the words down in the darkest parts of me

came up through the bucket of my voice

and a slew of profanities

poured out into the air of my kitchen,

reaching out to grab and choke my child.

There in front of me was a mess so big

I couldn't believe it was done by one child

and in only a few short moments.

What was he thinking?

That it would please mom if she had to

clean up a hen's days work across my kitchen??

Or that we would all grab a glass

and share in the now mud-looking

watered down chocolate milk mix on the floor?

And Just for Fun,

because we want mom to really be happy,

let's throw in the grapes we just got from the store!

The entire kitchen was affected by this event -

the fridge on the other side of the room

was dripping brown juice onto the floor -

the table and chairs -

my son was splattered as were the walls...

every one!

I turned to Isaac and said, "Naissa was right -

you are in tra--ah--bull!!"

He looked at me with that Iceman sparkle in his eyes

and with pure joy reflecting off his huge smirky grin

and he said,

"But I didn't do it!"

Beaches

A couple of weeks ago my parents took us to the Coast for some beach fun and to relax from the stressors of life. We went to Pismo one day and to Morro Bay, Cayucus and Cambria the next. I took a gazillion pictures and still did not get "THE" picture of all five kids together. I admit it's not easy to focus on taking a picture when there's waves crashing behind you just double dog daring you to jump in them. Isaac was in Heaven, he loves to be outside, in the water, digging in the dirt/sand/flower beds/whatever! I think even Jim had a good time and he hates sand between his toes or in his shoes!

In Pismo the kids spent forever catching and releasing these crab like things...the poor things just weren't fast enough to burrow into the sand to get away.

Jade found a sand dollar that we were told was still alive...at least for the moment

Zack building his fortress
My mom and her alligator

Leesha's friend (not boyfriend) Brendan went with us.

He's so great with Naissa and Isaac.

The guy in the background on the left is Brendan :)
Isaac didn't want to take a picture, he wanted to kick sand.
Say "Cheeeeese Pizza!"

Jade and Isaac eating lunch near Morro Rock.

Morro Rock.

All those birds in the background are Pelicans!

I've never seen so many before.

They would just dive bomb into the water

It was crazy!

Isaac was a little distracted by the BIRDS!

4/5 at Morro Rock
The walk to Moonstone Beach
"I gotta go pee!"
Seriously?
"I gotta go pee"
But we just got down here.
"I gotta go pee!"

The rock is all MINE now!

This was one of my favorite trips to the beach. The weather was great. The kids had a blast. We all got sunburns. We only made like 14 trips to the bathroom. It wasn't too crowded. We had a great hotel suite and were able to separate fighting kids. Brendan helped entertain little ones at times. It went by too fast. I can't wait to go again.