Not Every Day Can Be Hunky Dory

5:06 p.m. - On hold with AT&T....again...for at least 30 minutes...still waiting as I type...kind of feel sorry for whoever finally picks up my call

5:00 p.m. - Obama on the news. He sure is a big talker. Not sure how he expects to "win this war (on terror) on our terms" while closing detention centers where terrorists are held. But, hey, some people think he might be supernatural, so who am I to criticize...

4:45 p.m. - Received an email outlining the new president's moral agenda, copied directly from the White House website. Stem cell research from live embryos, unlimited abortion rights, etc. Seriously? We have that much apathy about the sanctity of human life now?

3:15 p.m. -Took my kids to the park to enjoy the GORGEOUS 70 degree weather and left 15 minutes later, trying to teach Mason about how to deal with bullies. I watched 2 boys about his age flat out, no-holds-barred bully my child. They were trying to intimidate him into giving him one of his Rolo candies, even after he had finished them all. They worked tag-team and would back away to laugh and point at him in between threats. We were at the nicest park in town, and the bullies were clean-cut kids wearing Ralph Lauren shirts. It was the best opportunity in the world for me to talk to Mason about bullies, though. And, yes, I gave him full permission to turn around and give them back whatever they're dishing out.

We were also late to Mason's school this morning, and my day at the preschool was less than fabulous. SO...I'm not cooking dinner. We're going to Chili's.

Underwear Update

48 hours in big boy underwear
1 poopoo on the potty (only a tiny bit on the floor before the mad dash to the potty)
1 fire truck prize for going poopoo on the potty
2 peepee accidents
0 packages of Pull Ups in my future (hopefully)

Thoughts of the Week

On Laundry:
1. No matter how cost conscious you are, don't even think about washing used Pull Ups in the washing machine. They just end up weighing 10 pounds, bulging with water, and still slightly yellow in the front. And the rest of the clothes in that load end up with a hint of a urine smell.
2. It's kind of sad to see the clothes in my laundry getting bigger - and I'm not just talking about my own jeans. Mason and Carter's clothes are no longer "baby clothes." (No, it doesn't make me want to have another one.)

On Words:
1. Mason's new word is "dude." He starts every sentence and comment with, "Dude!" He no longer refers to me as "dude," though. We have a strict "no calling moms, teachers, or any girls 'dude' " rule at out house.
2. Mason's other new word - and I debated about admitting this on the internet - is "ain't." I can guarantee with 100% assurance that he's never heard that word at home. I'm guessing it's an unpleasant side effect of living in small-town Oklahoma. He seems to be saying it much less, though, since I started taking toys out of his room when he slips. It really only took one lost toy to solve the problem...for now...
3. Mason's new experimental "shock" word is "bebe" or "boobie." Both words refer to the same part of female anatomy, and he says it with a mischievous giggle. It's particularly annoying when he says it during the prayer in church....for no apparent reason. This one is new as of today, so I haven't devised a remedy yet...probably the toy removal plan that worked so well with "ain't."

The Spirit of Christmas Future

With all the technology we have, you'd think someone could invent a virtual Christmas Tree that looks beautiful when the projector is on and disappears when that projector is off. You could even decorate it by selecting lights, garland, and ornaments from a menu. Of course, there would also be several toppers to choose from. If I ever see one of those for sale, I'll be the first in line to buy it. My bet is on Nintendo to get that on the market.

Our Christmas Future will include these ideas:

• Three gifts per child - one to play with, one to read, and one to wear (thanks to KJ for putting this on your blog)
• Mason and Carter making each other a gift to exchange on Christmas Eve
• Making ornaments for the grandparents to put in their M & C ornament boxes (both of which I still have for some reason, but they will go to the Gigi and Mimi next year).
• Reading a page from Just 25 Days 'Til Christmas each night starting Dec.1
• Adding one piece to the nativity scene each night (M & C loved looking in their stockings every night to see which piece was in there)