one teensy problem

I will post pictures or video or something of the new house soon.

For the most part, I am in love with this place. Big backyard, everybody's bedroom on the same level, finished laundry room, mature trees, space for dancing in the basement - all things I didn't even know I loved until I didn't have it. But there is always something - always some little hook - that isn't quite right, and I discovered it today.

I borrowed a mower, so I could tackle the 4-inches of grass that were threatening to engulf the house. About ten minutes into it, my dream home became less dreamy.

Toads.

The first two didn't bother me - they were small, and crouched down pretty low to avoid being hit on the second pass with the mower. But after the 12th one, I just screamed. Screamed so loud that Punk and Kooka came running over to see if I was OK.

It was like a plague.

These things were all over the place - big ones - trying to crawl back under the mower - which I was now terrified to move - lest we all be sprayed with copious amounts of amphibian guts.

There are TWO gianormous problems with toads.

ONE: The only things that eat them are owls - which are in short supply around here, SNAKES - which I can do without thanks, and other, bigger toads. I can't win this one. No toads means there must be snakes - or giant toads in the yard. But the other option is having the little ones try to burrow into my keens as I mow. Neither is acceptable to me.

TWO: Even if the mower did manage to quietly and cleanly obliterate the disgusting little gnomes, toads happen to be Punk's very most absolute favorite animal on the planet. So there is a fair amount of guilt associated with this issue. I guess for me it would be the equivalent of having Punk come in after a day of yardwork and say "Hey mom, you might not wanna go outside for a while. I think I accidentally plowed over half-a-dozen bottlenosed dolphins out there." The trauma would be more than I could take.
So what am I supposed to do? If I call Punk to get them out of my way, he goes into rescue mode immediately. As I type - there are SIX of them housed in his bedroom. SIX!
At the going rate for crickets - we are now into $350 a year to feed these fricking things! FEED THEM!!! My GOD - why didn't the mower just do it's job?!

Eventually, the professor took pity on me, and stopped moving furniture long enough to finish the backyard.

I am seriously considering buying an owl.

whew

The new house feels like home. It felt like that from the moment we walked in.

Both kids slept in their own rooms last night - no arguments, no worries.

We still have a lot of work to do - and I need to be in class tomorrow - but things are finally coming together.

We have wonderful neighbors - and two of our favorite girls came over to play today.

Come visit us soon.

moving

We are moving - again. This time we are happy about it.

Might be quiet here for a while until we get settled.

We've only moved a few things.

The first two things Punk brought over were his robot dinosaur - and the grenade.

Thanks Pa.

quote of the week

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.
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"Hey Pa - thanks for the grenade!"


Punk -
upon receiving real military weapons from his grandfather

school supplies

Much to everyone's disappointment, it is almost time to shop for school supplies.

This used to be easy - a new notebook, and some sharpened pencils and we were done. Maybe some new markers for good measure . . . but we didn't need much else.

That is, until Kooka decided to take a swing at public school - last year's supplies for first grade alone (not counting clothes) set us back over $65. SIXTY-FIVE dollars! Sixty-five bucks worth of glue sticks, and tissues, and pencils, and dry-erase pens, and God-knows what else.

This year, both kids are going to a new charter school. Not that they didn't good opportunites last year - it was an important experience for both of them. Still, we think this school will be the next best thing to homeschooling.

But we haven't received our school supplies list yet. Based on what I know, it will likely be something like "a handful of river pebbles, one feather, and organic wood pulp so they can make their own paper."

Regardless - second grade should cost us less than first.

kooka's prize

We are not really sore loosers at our house - not really at all. And if the truth must be known, I am rather glad to be done with all of this "please judge my child worthy" business.

But today is a little difficult. It is hard to explain to a seven year-old why she didn't win, when random audience members came up to her afterward and said things like "What the hell happened?" One person even went so far as to say, "WTF? Give me a fricking break! She was hands down the best in all three categories!"

Two visiting princesses found her after the show to say, "You were amazing! I do not understand why you didn't win."

Makes it even tougher to swallow when their chaperone says, "Yeah - I remember you from last year - you got ripped off then too."

Nice.

None of that bothered me today - we weren't looking for a win. But, when the "lead" judge gave her a dirty look and elbowed the center judge as if to say "It's an act - she's really a little snot," it was about all I could handle. She accused Kooka of the same thing last year.


Hate to come right out and say this - but I have to.

Contrary to popular belief - some kids do actually have manners. Not that mine are perfect by any stretch, however, Kooka happens to be a good looking kid with near impeccable manners when she is in a public setting. She is talented - (she added the magic trick to her song - not me). She sits quietly, she doesn't fidgit, she looks you in the eye when you talk to her, she loves to be on her best behavior and be praised for it. She is a bit serious and likes to do things right - always. She doesn't make many mistakes because she is hard on herself - she likes perfection - it is who she is.

She is not a fake, or a fraud, or pretending to be something she is not. She is my daughter - my amazing beautiful daughter, who was not only poised and well-spoken today, but who - when it was all said and done - clapped for the winner with a smile on her face, and had the spirit to say this:

"Mom - if they don't want me like I am, then I am lucky to have not been chosen. I am happy being me."

There is no prize in the world better than hearing those words.

the great kookini

Tomorrow is Kooka's big day - her big debut as a real magician.

Not sure why I am nervous - she's been performing since she was three - but still . . .it is unnerving to have your baby out of arms reach, in front of hundreds of people, attempting to entertain alone.

But for once, she is more nervous than me. I think the combination of singing and performing magic simultaneously has her little brain reeling. It was her choice, but when she said prayers tonight it went something like this, "Dear God, I know there are more important things out there, but please, please help me not to spill my water, and help me remember my words, and just not FREAK OUT!"

Yes, dear God, for the sake of us all, PLEASE.

homeschooling

I initially started this blog to write about our homeschooling adventures. We have had lots of them lately - but we're not quite as good as these guys. This cracked me up.

punk and kooka's visited states (so far)

visited 16 states (32%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or vertaling nederlands duits?

the great american road trip - home at last

It will take days to recover - but we are finally home.

One last stop at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD - and we were done.

Whew.

When I get a chance to update I will . . . but in the meantime, I have to get myself ready for Camp Liz next week, school the week after, Kooka ready for the DJJD show next weekend, and Punk prepared to end his summer - which may be the toughest task of all.

the great american road trip - day 14

Someday, I will do this trip justice. But for now - here is the latest update:

The truth about South Dakota is - there isn't much there.

Miles and miles with nary a gas station - yet somehow, we had the time of our lives.

The best bang for our buck was in Rapid City, SD at the dinosaur park. For 99¢ you can get a hot dog with all the fixings, a root beer, and small bag of popcorn. While we munched Punk and Kooka climbed on the Jurassic jungle gym - 1930's era life-sized, concrete dinosaur statues. Thank goodness we were traveling with kids who really know their dino stuff, contrary to the info there - brontosaurus is not a real dinosaur, and as far as I know, t-rex did actually have teeth. But it was fun nonetheless.

We couldn't drive I-90 through this state without stopping at the badlands. It is one of Punk's favorite places in the entire world - giant mountains of ancient volcanic ash to climb and explore. Oddly enough - Kooka was wearing the exact same thing she was wearing when we were here 4 years ago - same hat, same shirt, same hoodie. I took way more pictures than I needed to - including one of the "beware of rattlesnakes" sign.

We finished our night in Murdo, SD at the LandMark Inn - which is absolutely charming and keeps their indoor pool heated to 90° and open until midnight. We ordered dinner from Prairie Pizza - amazing stuff - and to top it off, the crust is brushed with a light cinnamon sugar glaze, which you dip into the warm cups of frosting they add free to every order. Dinner and dessert all in one.

Hopefully, we'll be home tomorrow!






The giant trike outside of the LandMark hotel.

the great american road trip - day 13

We are finally heading home.

After a quick stop at a mountain man encampment, we went to visit Old Faithful, and spent the next nine hours on the most harrowing mountainside highways in America. After hours of 20-35 mph switchbacks we finally landed in Sheridan, WY.

the great american road trip - day 12

Day 12 - and though I am still fighting ebola - or whatever it is I've got, I could not leave Yellowstone without taking Punk and Kooka whitewater rafting.

So after a drive through the bubbling mudpots, hotsprings and other earthly rarities, we climbed aboard a giant yellow raft with our guide Tyler for a 2 hour trip down the Yellowstone River. It was amazing - but I am too sick to write much more.

Punk and Kooka want me to say that they do miss their family and friends (especially Daddy and Maia), and that they will have lots of adventures to share with you when they get back.

why

Why are about 25 different people lurking on this site, but treats is the only one who ever leaves us a note?

the great american road trip - day 11

The Great Salt Lake is a wasteland. I suppose there is some value in being able to say you tried it - but not enough value to outweigh the absolute disgustingness of the place.

Of course that means ONE of us loved it.

Punk thought floating in the lake was "amazing," which I guess is true, if your idea of amazing is swimming in lukewarm brine with billions of gnats and trillions of sea monkeys. The rest of us thought it was like taking a dip in a hot outhouse hole.

The black clouds moving over the lake were visible from 600 yards out.

They were swarms of gnats - and they were everywhere.

Kooka reluctantly followed me in, high footing the entire time. I didn't have the heart to tell her that her Russian goose-stepping wasn't going to protect her from the infinite number of brine shrimp carousing in the water. The lake was actually orange from all of the shrimp, and the whole place smelled like semi-decayed cat food. I did manage to get her in deep enough for both of us to float, but that was about it. Punk and our friend hung around a bit longer, but not much. When we returned to pick up our bag and shoes on the shore, it was a scene of Amityville proportions. We couldn't see our shoes, or the bag - they were black, absolutely covered in gnats. I had to grab each item and do the Olympic hammer throw just to get the bugs off - and then we had to pick them up quickly, before they settled down again. I have not seen anything so vile in a long time.

On the flip side, our little cabin in Yellowstone is absolutely perfect - Laura Ingalls locks on the doors, a porch swing, the smell of dying campfires wafting through the window. As I snuggled a very sleepy Kooka on the swing tonight she whispered, "Mommy, this is one of my happiest moments of this whole trip." It was for me too. The only downside is that Punk seems to be catching my most terrible cold/sore-throat/malaria, and the one thing he has been looking forward to most ended with him cuddled up in bed early. Hopefully he (and the rest of us) will bounce back soon.