Do More Things, Have Less Things

That's my new plan. I want to take the kids to do more, have more experiences. And I want them to have less. I'm tired of watching too many kids, mine included, who have little appreciation for things. They feel like they are entitled to the things, regardless of their behavior. So, I've been trying to spend money on activities and experiences, while cutting back on the things.

As a result, we've been crazy busy having fun around here! We went to the Jazz vs. the Wizards last week and had a great time. I debated leaving Tayler home, but I'm so glad we took him. The kids all loved every minute of the game and the experience as a whole. Their reactions to my question, "What was your favorite part?" perfectly exemplified each child:

• Tayler - "Get treats!"
• Tanner - "When Bear was walking on the railing and fell and landed on his private parts!"
• McKayla (with a shy little smile)- "Kyle Korver." (I'm with you, sweetie!)

Last weekend, we then tried to do something fun everyday, which became exhausting for me, but fun for them I think. Friday we bought and assembled a new trampoline. The old one was close to failing I'm sure, and the net had been ruined last year. When pricing a new net and pads, it was cheaper to sell the old trampoline and get a new one then to buy just the new parts we needed. So, we got a new one, and Tayler and I got to go see Tyson's new office in the process and have lunch with him.

Saturday we went on the bike ride to a park a couple of miles from our house and had a picnic. (Prior to that, I had my fun buying the Twilight dvd:)) Then we let the kids pick where they wanted dinner. McDonalds. New strategy next time.

Sunday we had a family slumber party with movies, treats, and sleeping on the floor/couch. The floor would be the children, and the couch would be Tyson and me. It really wasn't as bad as I expected.

Monday the kids were out of school, so we were lazy all morning and then Tyson took the older two to see Race to Witch Mountain, which they all loved. Afterwards we went to a neighboring city's rec center for swimming. Aside from the poop in the pool (turned out to be a stupid prank by teenage boys. It was a Mounds bar. Yuck! [the poop, not Mounds in general :)]), it was a fun night.

Aside from the complete exhaustion, it was really fun to stay busy together.

$4.50 and Some Crazy Repellant

Am I seriously the only one who attracts the crazies? Everyone tells me that they attract weirdos, but then I go out with them and somehow the weirdos find me instead of the confessing friend. Maybe I just hang out with people who attract strange people, and so by default I end up dealing with them. Whatever the reason, I deal with way too many crazy people! You may remember the over-zealous scout master. He's just the tip of the iceberg in my ability to find the weirdos.

Most recently, I was able to enjoy a great movie with one of my wackos. No, it wasn't Tyson. It wasn't even Marlene who I was with at the movie. I don't even know his name, which you'll find is a good thing. Picture the scene: Marlene and I have found that the best way to escape our routines as SAHM's is an occasional girls' night. And by occasional I mean frequent. We found our favorite night out - the local dollar movie theater. For $4.50, we get admission, a drink (yes, we bought the nerdy mug for refills!), and popcorn. We even smuggle some sweet contraband in to offset the salty popcorn. We go see movies our husbands don't want to see with us, and we go after the kids are in bed so we don't have to deal with the "How-do-I-take-care-of-these-kids" phone calls. It's perfect. If you're Marlene and you take the aisle seat.

An empty seat next to me in a theater just screams for the crazies. I might as well place a sign reserving the seat for the individual most psychiatrically medicated. A couple of weeks ago, he found me. To begin with, we were there to see Twilight, and my "friend" was there with another guy. The theater was filled with women, a few husbands/boyfriends who were reluctantly dragged along, and these two. They sat next to me, of course, because my reserved seat was calling to them. As the previews started, I couldn't help but notice the one next to me fully turning his head and shoulders and staring straight at me. No sly, peeking out of the corner of your eye, this was a full position changing stare.Who does that? Now it wasn't a romantic, I'm-interested-in-you type of stare (not that I would know what that looks like). It was a crazy blank kind of a stare. I was uncomfortable, but sure it would end when the movie started. It didn't. After about 45 minutes of on-again, off-again staring, I snuggled in as close to Marlene's chair as I could and finally whispered to her about the psycho. He may have heard me, because the staring cut in half for the rest of the movie. Sounds great, except that he had a new plan at that point. His drink was sitting in the cup holder in the arm rest we shared. He began drinking his drink from the straw without lifting it from the holder. This wasn't one of those huge 64 oz. cups that stands as tall as you sit. This was one of those 12 oz cups that are a few centimeters short of clearing the cup holder itself. Seriously try this the next time you're at a movie. It's a very awkward way to spend a couple of hours with someone you know only from the intense staring you've been subjected to. So now, between stares, he's bending clear over for a drink, his head nearly in my lap, slurping loudly the drink that needed to be refilled at that point. These things only happen to me.

We exited quickly when the movie ended (we being Marlene and I, not the psycho). She had missed most of the excitement, so we laughed the whole way home retelling the story. Apparantly, if you want an exciting night at the dollar movie, take me. For you're $4.50, you'll get a movie, treats, and a bonus crazy for no extra charge! (Crazy repellant is recommended and is not included in the purchase price.)

And Another One...

Tanner: "I know what makes us not float up to our roofs."

Me: "Really, what is it?"

Tanner: "It's a big huge gigantic magnet in the middle of the earth. Some people call it gravity, but I know about the magnet."

Bombs and Books

It's no secret that Tanner makes me laugh. I think half of my posts here are about him and the things he does and says. A couple of days ago, he was trying to figure out the lyrics to a Jonas Brothers song. He kept asking me what "nader cal peter" meant. After about 20 replies that I didn't know and he must have the words wrong, he came to a conclusion: "It must be a kind of bomb." Apparently if you don't know what something is, it's safe to assume it's a weapon.

Last night, though, he made me laugh harder than ever before. Tyson's been reading him to sleep a lot lately, and last night was no exception. When he thought Tanner was asleep, he turned off the lights and slipped quietly out. Seconds later, Tanner bolted out of his room, asking why in the world Tyson would turn off the lights and leave. Tyson explained that he quit reading and Tanner didn't respond so he thought he was asleep. Tanner's reply? "I thought it was just a dramatic pause." What do you do with a kid like this?