I swear, I'm not a bad mom, really!

As you can see, we have a little refrigerator outside on the patio by the pool. We keep sodas, water, juice boxes and yes, Chris' beer out there. The weather was so lovely the other day that the boys and I took our lunch outside. After lunch I took our plates inside and came back out to this:

(No, he's not really drinking the Guiness!)

The next day the boys ran outside to play while I was getting dinner ready. I heard a "concert" going on outside and found all of Daddy's beer bottles on the table.

I think I'm scared to let Colin go off to college...can you say Harvard Homeschool?

Art & Me

Your result for What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test...

Conscientious, Fulfilled, and Spiritual

25 Renaissance, 11 Islamic, 1 Ukiyo-e, -39 Cubist, -35 Abstract and 19 Impressionist!

The Renaissance was a cultural movement that profoundly affected European intellectual life. Beginning in Italy, and spreading to the rest of Europe by the 16th century, its influence affected literature, philosopy, religion, art, politics, science, and all other aspects of intellectual enquiry. Renaissance artists looked at the human aspect of life in their art. They did not reject religion but tended to look at it in it's purest form to create visions they thought depicted the ideals of religion. Painters of this time had their own style and created works based on morality, religion, and human nature. Many of the paintings depicted what they believed to be the corrupt nature of man.

People that like Renaissance paintings like things that are more challenging. They tend to have a high emotional stability. They also tend to be more concientious then average. They have a basic understanding of human nature and therefore are not easily surprised by anything that people may do. They enjoy life and enjoy living. They are very aware of their own mortality but do not dwell on the end but what they are doing in the present. They enjoy learning, but may tend to be a bit more closed minded to new ideas as they feel that the viewpoint they have has been well researched and considered. These people are more old fashioned and not quite as progressive. They enjoy the finer things in life like comfort, a good meal, and homelife. They tend to be more spiritual or religious by nature. They are open to new aesthetic experiences.

Take What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test at HelloQuizzy

No, no and no

This must be a refrain that my kids hear from me because they are starting to use it back to me. It got me thinking how often I must say "no" to them...
"No, you can't go outside right now."
"No, you can't have a snack now."
"No, don't hit your brother."

Well, you get the point.

Now, some things require a no. Like when Colin is wanting to draw on the television (like right now!), or when Sean is scratching at Colin or Brian's face, or when Brian pulls out a big knife. Safety aside, I want to be a mom that is more of a "yes" mom. Not that I want to be a doormat or let my children run the roost. There are certain boundaries and rules that are in place to try and keep our house and family running well, but for the other things, my goal is to say "yes" when my previous instinct was to say "no".

"Yes, we can go outside and play"
"Yes, I will play trains with you now"
"Yes, I will read this book to you again"
"Yes, you can have a snack now - would you like an apple or a banana?"

Are you a "yes" mom or a "no" mom?

Boo at the Zoo 2008

Friday night we met up with Tommy, Kellie and Leighton for a night at Boo at the Zoo. Our local zoo closes early the 2 weekends before Halloween. Then at 5:30 they re-open for some trick-or-treating throughout the zoo. Last year we went to Boo at the Zoo - I'm seeing a tradition coming on here. The only downside of going to the zoo in the evening is that most of the animals are already put away. It's still nice to walk around since our zoo is very tropical in nature - it almost seems as if you are walking through the animal's natural habitat. So without further ado, here is a quick slide show of our evening. You'll notice towards the end that someone put on his cranky pants!

Umm, what exactly are you saying, Sean

I have a similar scale to this in our bathroom. Colin loves to press all the buttons and hear the beeping noise.

This morning, Sean was playing around with the scale. I told him to hop on it and stand very still and we would see what he weighed. 35 pounds. Great job Sean.

He hopped off, stooped down to look closer at the scale and said, "Okay Mommy, time to monitor your fat." (The scale reads "Tanita Fat Monitor") Sometimes this early reading this isn't so good for Mommy's self esteem!