Duh

The other day Sam and I were driving through our neighborhood. We were on our way to the store and had the windows down since it was such a beautiful day. Russ our neighbor was playing basketball with his two young boys (ages 4 and 6) and another neighbor boy (age 6). Russ had just done a lay-up shot and made it and yelled "YEAH! I'm the man!"

Sam said with out skipping a beat, "well duh, of course you're the man."

So to our great neighbor Russ. Way to go, you ARE the man!

Can we get a frequent flier discount?

Sam has the luckiest mouth ever!

Yesterday Sam said his mouth was bothering him in the same area he has had a root canal (or pulpotomy). I knew when he said that, it was going to be a problem. So this morning we went to a local dentist (our favorite dentists are not on our list that our insurance covers- and since Sam seems to have lots of issues we can't afford to keep going to the ones that are not covered). When Sam had the root canal we were told that if that tooth still gave him any problems then that tooth would have to be pulled (it's a baby tooth).

Sure enough they had to pull the molar (this is tooth #4 to be pulled by the dentist). Sam was a trooper and did a good job holding still. They had given him a couple shots and he was saying it hurt so they gave him a few more shots. The doctor said it should be enough to numb a horse molar. Poor Sam was still squeezing my hands pretty hard so i know it was still hurting him, but he still held still. As soon as they were done, the tears started. Poor kid. He was trying pretty hard to stay tough, but he cried in my arms for a bit and then let me hold him for a while before he was ok. He has to go back in next week for a spacer to be put in and a cavity that is next to the pulled tooth that was being affected. Unfortunately Sam has more issues with his mouth still to come. He is really good about brushing his teeth, and we give them all vitamins with fluoride, and they all rinse a few times a week, but Sam seems to have a ton of issues anyway.

I have commented on his root system before, but again i was amazed on the roots on this tooth. It's like a tri-pod. Ethan said the tooth was creepy, Ryan seemed to think the same thing. No wonder it hurt so much. Way to be brave Sam.

Egg-splotion

Did you know that if you put a whole hard boil egg in the microwave to warm up for 1 min and 30 seconds it will explode? And did you also know that when you put the same whole egg, in the microwave, in a bowl with 2 other eggs for the same 1 min 30 seconds, that when you pull them out of the microwave, because the first egg exploded, and you poke one of the other whole eggs it also will explode all over the kitchen and you (in your eyes and hair) and everything with in 10 feet. So since you've wised up and learn to be careful you cover the 3rd whole hard boiled egg and poke it under a paper towel it too will explode only this time over a much smaller radius since the paper towel keeps most of it in the bowl. And did you also know that exploded hard boiled egg is hard to clean up. I recommend a swiffer duster after it has dried some.
Happy Easter anyway!

Attention all FOOLS!:

We have clever ideas once in a while at our house. I try to have good ideas from time to time, but it's also another thing to act on those good ideas. It seems that every April Fool's Day comes and i have these good ideas and then the day is over and i have not been able to do any. Who am i kidding? That is the way it is more often then not, not just for April Fool's Day. ANYWAY, i was telling Blake of some of my ideas the other day, to trick the boys with dinner for tonight. And with Blake's amazing help we pulled off the dinner.

We had the boys favorites. Melted cheese sandwiches, asparagus (not shown), pop, and for dessert cupcakes. We told them that since it was April Fool's Day we'd let them have dessert first. They loved that idea.

Sam took one bite of the frosting and was about to go spit it out in the sink when we told him to wait for a second, that we'd really not feed him anything that was bad. Then Ethan and Ryan started to dig into their meals. They realized they'd been tricked. It was really turkey meatball muffins, topped with mashed potatoes (with a large amount of blue food coloring), with a side of actual asparagus. Then Sam went to go take a drink out of his cup and found that it wasn't coming up the straw. It was jello. They thought it was all great. The "toasted cheese" was actually pound cake that had been toasted, and the had orange frosting between two pieces. I found that if you don't look at the potatoes too long, you can eat them just fine. But if you look at them too long, and concentrate on the blue too much, you might start forgetting what you're eating. Over all I must say it was genius! And yummy too.

Happy April Fool's Day to my favorite fools.

Lightning Rider

Last week was the pinewood derby. All three boys were working on cars to have for it, but because of cold and sicknesses only Sam got to race his. He is the only boy scout technically in our house, but it is something all boys enjoy. Sam ended up doing pretty good and having loads of fun. He won 8th over all, and 2nd in the bear den. Good enough for a trophy and braggin' rights at our house. Ethan's only pinewood derby was one that mom had to help with (dad was gone on business trip) so he didn't do all that great. Good thing it's more about the fun, right?!

Way to go Sam!

Wii- the interactive game

Tonight after the boys were ready for bed they had some time left to play some wii star wars legos (their recent favorite game). I had to laugh as i was trying to take a still shot or two of Ryan and Ethan while they played. I finally switched to video since it was too funny. I had no idea how interactive the wii really was. Watch their mouths--neither one of them can keep their mouths still (or closed) and play at the same time. You should see them try to color or cut things out. They must be related. (sorry about the burst of laughter--i couldn't help it).

Sam for short.

Sam has become a slow eater this school year (Ethan went through a phase that lasted a few years like that). Especially at lunch time he eats slow. He spends more of his time inside the lunch room at lunch recess then actually out at recess. And it is for that reason that Sam has been able to get to know the janitor and the lunch ladies really well. They love him really.

About a month after i had been working at the school, i went into the lunch room as they were getting ready for lunch. The janitor was setting up tables and the lunch ladies were working getting the trays and such set up. I went over to the janitor and said something about Sam's events in the lunch room from the day before. Sam was making a concoction of a little of this and a little of that in his milk and then he was going to drink it--anything for entertainment right. Anyway when i said something to the janitor about it, his eyes lit up and he said "OH! You're Sam's mom!?!" I said yeah (i get that alot!). He said oh we just love Sam. He is so funny and is always asking if he can help. He is such a good boy. I said yeah, well that's Sam, and i started to walk away. As i got up to the lunch lady to pay for the boys lunches for the month, i didn't even realize that the janitor had followed me up there, and he was leaning over my shoulder telling the lunch lady that i was Sam's mom. To which, then she was gushing how much they love Sam and what a hoot he is. (SERIOUSLY, I get that a lot!) Then she relayed into the kitchen to the other ladies that i was in fact Sam's mom. Who knew a kid could be so well known by the lunch ladies? And he only gets school lunch once or twice a week. Ever since then when ever i see any of the lunch ladies or Janitor Crosby they say something about Sam, especially janitor Crosby.

Janitor Crosby has a story at least once a week to tell me about Sam.

Like the time that Sam took his Garfield desk calendar comics to school (unannounced to me) and was "selling them" to other students and faculty. If someone wanted one they had to sign the back of it. And by signing it they were saying they would "work" for Sam and a few of his buddies. Sam was handing them out i guess at lunch and explained to Janitor Crosby that these people were now Sam's slaves. Sam commented to Janitor Cosby that "he was selling them like hot cakes!" (I'll have to post more on this story later...i still have the part from the principle side to explain).

The other day Janitor Crosby stopped me again because he had another story. He said that they decided to ask Sam how old he thought the other janitor was. (I told Mr. Crosby that he was baiting Sam, and he said yes, but it was because they were giving the other janitor a hard time about his age). To give Sam a little credit, we have tried to explain that no one likes to be called old or a baby. So when they asked him how old he thought Mr. Haws (who has a head of silver and grey with some black highlights in it) was, he said 35-40 (he's really 55). They then proceeded to ask him how old he thought each of them were. He told the librarian she was teens-20's, and two of the other lunch ladies they were in their 20's (They really love him now) and a couple of the other lunch ladies 25-30 (and i think the youngest lunch lady is really 30). And then Mr. Crosby said well how about me, how old do you think i am? Sam said 35. Mr. Crosby is 25. I told him that's what he gets for baiting him. So today, wouldn't you know it, as i went though the lunch line with Ryan (since it's pizza day) each of the lunch ladies said how much they love that Sam.

This evening i was telling Sam how much all these people like him. He said "you know mom i like it that i have older friends, you know like a dult older, not older older as in elderly." I said why is that (as i held in a laugh)? He said "cause they just are so nice and such good friends, and you know us Young's we respect older people." I'm so glad he's caught on to some of the things I've taught him.

I've told people that come to me with stories that they need to write them down or email them to me. And then one day I'm going to publish a book of short stories. I'm working on a title still (maybe "Sam for short"), but i am accepting stories now.