The Queen of Nope

Hello. I am the Queen of Nope. I ascended to this position thanks mostly to two six year olds who spend most of their day asking me questions that I am forced to answer, "Nope."

9:00 Them: Can we have a popsicle? Me: Nope.
9:30 Them: Can we go to the Space Needle today? Me: Nope.
10:45 Them: Can we have a popsicle? Me: Nope.
11:30 Them: Can we have a cookie? Me: Nope.

How I wish they would ask me questions I could say yes to:
Can we have more carrot sticks?
Can we play in the backyard and let you read a magazine/newspaper/Facebook in peace?
Can we use our own money to buy you a latte?

I guess all this give and take builds character-- for all of us.

A Little Bit of Dirt Never Hurt

I had to keep reminding myself that a little bit of dirt never hurt as we were camping the last couple of days. While the site was in a beautiful spot next to the Cooper River, it was very dusty and rocky. Not the best terrain for a two year old and a six year old who's been known to stumble now and again. Down they would go, only to be picked up and needing dusting off.

It was also an adventure in camping with a dog. We've become foster parents to my sister's dog, Abby. She's already built a reputation of being a runner and inadvertently catching one of us off guard, giving me, CSR and RTR rope burns by getting tangled in her tether. But I digress.



RTR was the latest to get caught up in the rope. It was so scary. While TSR and I were setting up camp, the kids were playing. Abby's rope became looped around RTR and when she ran one way, he got pulled to the ground and dragged, with the rope around his neck. You never saw a mama move so fast. I picked RTR up and untangled him. He was crying and then his eyes rolled back into his head and he went limp-- just for a moment. Of course, running through my mind is that we're God knows how far from paramedics or being able to even call for help. After holding him and comforting him, he perked up and seemed like himself. After dinner, we put him to bed in the tent. Of course in my worst-case-scenario thoughts, I'm thinking about Natasha Richardson, the actress who died from bleeding in her brain several hours after a fall while skiing. It was nearly a sleepless night, always checking whether I could hear RTR breathing. He did wake up bright and early the next morning. And he's been fine ever since, although he doesn't really like to go near Abby when she's on her rope.

Calling The Tooth Fairy

The tooth started to wiggle more than a week ago. Maybe even before school got out. Oh man, I should write these things down. At first, I thought maybe it was one of CSR's imaginary dental situations. But it turned out to be a real wiggler. So this afternoon, CSR's first tooth fell out. It turned out a little creepier than I expected (I am a person who has her wisdom teeth tucked away in a box). His new tooth has already broken the surface too. So tonight we hunted up something to put the tooth in so the Tooth Fairy can find it. A little organza drawstring bag complete with a sparkly old earring attached. CSR even included a note. What fairy wouldn't like that?

Ice Cream Anxiety

Just trying to have a simple ice cream turns into high anxiety. This was the first time RTR was really possessive about his ice cream cone. It was a huge cone-- the girl who served it packed ice cream deep into the cone, so it was a lot of ice cream for one little boy.

Author's Night

CSR surprised us by wanting to participate in his school's Author's Night, where the students get up on stage at a local bookstore and read something they've written-- in front of an audience of about 100. He was the only one from his kindergarten class to participate. And while what he chose to read was brief, we were so proud of him.

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In case you can't understand him, he says, "My name is ___. I like my new dog. Thank you."

Father's Day Camping Trip

We just got back from a family adventure, camping for Father's Day. Despite a little rain and some vomit, things turned out pretty well. Friday night found us setting up camp in the rain. What kind of Western Washington residents would we be if we let a little rain stop us? We were able to get a fire going and roast some hot dogs and marshmallows (not at the same time). A few hours later, the barf hit the fan-- well, not the fan, but blankets and pajamas. RTR woke up around one AM blowing chunks. We had to use our glow sticks to clean up the mess as best we could. But we forgot about the second round rule when it comes to throwing up. Just when we're all ready to settle back in, here comes the second round. So now we're out of clean pajamas and warm bedding for RTR. I have to admit I didn't anticipate needing more than one set of pajamas for any of us. Thank goodness we know someone with laundry facilities nearby. Other than that, it was fun. South Whidbey State Park is a great place for families. Recommend campsites 15, 37 and 40. There's a fun beach for building dams in the sand (imagine CSR yelling "Dam it, dam it"), exploring the low tide and a patch of natural clay for getting all gooey messy.

Look Ma, No Training Wheels

Just when we were wondering if CSR was EVER going to give up on using training wheels on his bike, he's off like a shot. TSR's hard work (a lot of coaxing and running up and down the street) paid off a few weeks ago. Now he wants to ride everywhere, well, except maybe up hill.

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