Saturday, March 7, 2009

Skip to the End (Name that movie!)

Wellllll, I'm back from the living dead. You didn't know I was with the living dead, did you? The beauty of saved drafts.

Is it just me or is this winter's round of illness particularly prevalent? And harsh? Bo has been SO sick this whole week. It started last Saturday and the moment he said, "My head hurts" I looked at him and knew it was the flu. And it was a doozie.

Today is his first fever free day and he is using all newly regained energy to yell at and taunt Avee---so I know he's on the mend.

I loved the comments in the last post--I wanted to respond to them individually, but I just didn't have the oomph to do it, and now it seems like I'd show up at a Fall party wearing white shoes---so I'm just not going to embarrass myself. But I appreciated what people shared, and some really got me a'thinkin'.

One thing that stood out to me was how much other's words affected us, in our youth. I told J last night, "If I ever catch our kids being cruel to each other, I will...I will...I will beat them." I was so serious and he laughed at me. It makes me sad that people still struggle in their adult life with things their siblings said carelessly or even parents. It makes me want to be more careful with how I say things to my own children. Makes me want to.

Bo really wanted to go to school today but I bribed him to stay home with the promise that he could play with friends when they got home, and we'd go on a walk or to the park, and that we'd go to Family Fun Night at his school. Sort of backwards, but ehhhhhhhh, he wasn't quite ready for a full day of school, even though he wasn't contagious anymore. If it's possible for a child to ever not be contagious. What with all the licking and picking and touching...
This was acceptable for Bo.

So basically, what I realized after a day spent with semi-healthy Bo is, I could pretty much never send him back to school and be happy with it. There'd be some guilt with such a decision because I also probably wouldn't homeschool him--but I'm sure more TV and less getting up to take him to school would assuage that guilt. He's just downright delightful. And I'm not just saying that because I'm his mom. People stop me all the time and say, "he looks like he's downright delightful."

No they don't.

We had a really fun day.

My friend came over in the morning and after stepping over my piles of laundry long enough, we decided to get lettuce wraps and go to the park. We called a couple of other friends and made it a party. The weather is beautiful here right now. Danyo thinks he's died and gone to heaven---he hasn't played outside since the Bush Administration. We all know that the Bush Administration essentially ended before a new president was actually put in. It's been a long time for poor lil' Danyo.

I was sort of dreading FFN at Bo's school, but I had a promise to keep. But THEN I found out that the Family Fun Night was actually Family "Empty the Bank Account" Night and that it was a totally packed event and blah blah blah. So I bribed Ben AGAIN with a trip to Mr. Cheese's to play ski ball---his new passion. He threw in a trip to get a pack of Pokemon cards with his own money, and we had ourselves a deal.

We got a babysitter for Avee and Danyo and went out on the town. By way of Chuck E Cheesery's. My friend called me on our way home and asked incredulously, "Why'd ya get a babysitter to go to a kid's place!"

Ehhhh, we wanted to play. Avee and Danyo were tired and are kind of the "have to be watched and stuff" brand of kids.

Bo probably played 37 games of ski ball. He's really good and it kind of cracks me up to watch his little 5 year old self hurl a ball up the ramp in hopes of the 10,000 point hole "up in the coh-no"

I've been a little sick myself this week, and while one of the symptoms is exhaustion, for me it's also coupled with mild restlessness. Where I usually fall asleep quickly at night or take a nap easily when the opportunity presents itself, I have been unable to do both all week. The combination of which, has resulted in a Nobody with diminished capacity. On all fronts.

I knocked the cup of tokens off the ski ball lane two times in less than 5 minutes. My high score on ski ball was on average, 10,000. For some perspective, Bo was averaging about 22K. There's a basketball game I love to play there and I try to beat my best every time I go, my best of about 197 or something. I got nothing over 150. I bumped into people regularly, I dropped over 100 tickets, like three times. Basically I was a bumbling idiot. It really made me laugh. J? Not so much. I guess he doesn't like "picking things up all the time". Whatever.

We got some nice pictures taken. I think I'll cancel our appt with JCPenney's Photography and just have Avee and Danyo photoshopped in. What do you think?










One thing I noticed is Bo's similarity to Barack in that 3rd picture. As much as he'd like his skin color, his nice suits, and his residency in the White House---for now he'll have to settle for pictures of them both with a disproportionately large hand.

37 comments:

Adolescent Family said...

first?

Adolescent Family said...

Wow! I am sorry to hear of all your sicknessesssss. yeah.

Glad to hear your feeling better though.

Klin said...

Those are awesome pictures. fo sho, just photoshop the others in and save some cash.

You can't take a kids out for a special thing if you don't get a baby sitter. Then it really wouldn't be special just for him, right?

I hope you are not coming down with the flu, but chances are that it's a for sure thing, you being the mom and all.

Klin said...

Hey looky that. I wasn't #65 for a change!

ucmama said...

J looks really Canadian in these pics.

M.Howerton said...

Those pictures are AWESOME! Who needs a photographer when you can spend all your money with Chuck!
Such a good choice to skip FFN - I am sure you will not regret that decision.

And boy, you sound lazy for not doing your laundry - what do you do all day? :) hehehe

Cindy said...

I love the pictures of the three of you, especially the last one.

Speaking of Mr. Cheese...I think I am ready for a rematch in basketball!!!! If you think you can handle it.

Millie said...

I love your long hair!

Bex said...

Nobo, girl you are lookin' FINE!!!! Lovin the hair!

Bex said...

ucmama, What does a Canadian acctually look like?

Camille said...

Hey! No one guessed the movie yet! It was easy for me, it's one of my favorites...Princess Bride!! Ok, now I'll go back and read your post.

Camille said...

This season has been especially bad with sooooo many people being sick. I think I've had no less than 5 serious colds.
Glad you had fun at Chucky's! Sometimes it's great to have some one-on-one time with one of your kids.

Carrot Jello said...

I don't think I would like you if you sat around vomiting food and eating it back up. Especially if you were crawling around on my food doing it. I'm not sure we could be friends if you were a fly.

Carrot Jello said...

Oh yeah, nice pictures.

Kim said...

I have been linked by Nobody...what an honor.

Kim said...

J also looks like Dwight in the second to last picture... I think he would take that as a compliment.

Carrot Jello said...

How weird is it that Kim is my friend Maren's sister. Very odd indeed. Not that they're sisters, but that we know sisters, separately. Small world.

Anonymous said...

I'm so happy to see you got to spend time with just Bo.. The pictures are great!!

Code Yellow Mom said...

J and Bo's smile are almost IDENTICAL in that second smile - it's adorable.

You are the best mom EVER to go to Chuckmeister's. That must have been some Family Fun Night that animated Rodents and Pizza was a better option. :)

My favorite line? "What with all the picking and licking and touching..." So accurate. I almost can't take it anymore.

Also "have to be watched and stuff" made me laugh out loud. Also so accurate. And exhausting. I like the babysitter idea. Why have I not thought of that? Thanks for the parenting tip. :)

Glad you're feeling better.

Code Yellow Mom said...

I meant, "second picture."

ucmama said...

Beckie,
think Mike Myers, Michael J. Fox, Celine Dion.

Probably more Michael J. Fox than someone like Pamela Anderson, IMHO.

J would be more like the older more responsible McKenzie Brother to Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis.

Bex said...

I see!!! I so see a little Baywatch lurking inside of J in these picutres though. :)

Sketchy said...

You know I heard once of a family who once a year had a "date" with each of their kids just them Mom and Dad, and I thought, that is such an awesome idea. We should totally do that.

And then have never ever done it.

But I still think it's awesome.

Sketchy said...

Oh and Princess Bride.

We watched that yesterday.

ucmama said...

You know, we can only see J from the chest up. Who knows if he's rockin some red swim trunks in the bottom half of the picture? Don't hassle the Hoff, uh, I mean the J!

Anonymous said...

Those pictures are awesome, and you're so pretty! I think it's incredibly sweet that you guys got a babysitter for the other kids and took Bo out. I'll bet he was in heaven.

Becky said...

I love the pictures! They look like such a perfessinal photo-taker took them!
You guys are so cute!
I understand the "getting a sitter for the little ones". Sometimes you don't feel like babysitting while you are trying to shoot hoops! Makes sense!
Get some more sleep!

Suzanne said...

I hope you're getting a little more sleep! I don't know how you do all this fun stuff while being so busy.

How fun that you and J got to spend some one on one time with Bo. I think that is so important for kids to get that, especially the oldest because the younger kids are ALWAYS home when they are.

I hope for everyone's sake that Spring gets here soon!

Suzanne said...

P.S. The pics are darling! :)

Tori :) said...

You forgot to mention your friend who got you in trouble for texting during the Bo date...

Rebecca said...

love the pics.. heading there next.. love the 2nd to the last one.. the serious look on your face.. thats great.. cause I know your always laughing!! :) Now hurry and get your butt down here!!! Ya hear!!

Heffalump said...

I think a night with just the two of you and Bo was a great idea! Kids can always use some time with their parents, and without their siblings.

Emily said...

Ha ha. I read that last sentence, "disproportionately large head"

and it still made sense.

Plain Jame said...

Where to start.

OK I totally get getting a babysitter to go to the cheese. I am made fun of by my sisters because of my affinity for such places. Boondocks, Peter piper pizza and chuck e cheese. I get the coins, HOARD them, and play the games I know payout tickets with some mad skills.
I have a stack of "Sketches" of random funness, but they never turn out as good and cute as yours did!

What IS up with the disease infested nation we live in??!! My kids were sick almost the entire month of february with it ending with a big bang of them being horrendously sick with a doozie strand of SUMTHIN.

Oh and princess bride - dont waste my time...

Super Happy Girl said...

I like the picture named Scan1, where you are pumping your fist like saying "YAY! Victory" or something. What was that about?

I am glad you all had a fun time and got to go out with friends.
It's not like you are me and you're sick (again) and have to call your friends and tell them you can't come and the you say "I feel like I am sick all the time...do you think I am sick all the time?" and then there's along pause and your friend says "no..." and you are all "AHA!! I am sick all the time! You just hesitated to answer" and your friend goes "Ok, no, you are not sick all the time, but you are sick a lot".

Wow, what a loser you'd be Nobody!

Super Happy Girl said...

PS: You are very pretty dude.

Anonymous said...

I love those pictures! Was that a PDA I saw in one of those?