Today's Therapy Session Ended Early

Mostly because my kid was throwing things at the therapist.

And the kid was doing so well.

The kid has been helping in the decision making process for weekly "homework."  It's all up to the kid, it's no one else's responsibility, I don't even know what it is or when it's done.  Apparently today there was a disagreement on how many times the kid was suppose to do the assignment.  The kid swore it was only twice but the therapist had written down the number three.

The kid closed down.  Declared, that if anyone had made a mistake, it was the therapist.  Certainly not the child.  Then the kid announced a desire to chuck a shoe at the therapist and wisely opted for pillows instead.  Some blankets were thrown too.

The therapist left the room, decided that wasn't such a good idea (there's a lock on the door) and had the kid leave the room and had me come in so we could talk.  She related what had happened, we talked about what to do and I went back to the waiting room to let the kid know, there was a mess to be cleaned up and that kid was the one cleaning it.

My dear child announced, there was no way THAT was going to happen, so I sat down, said that was okay, I had my book, there was plenty of time and I read for a bit.

Maybe five minutes.

Kiddo stormed up, went back, cleaned up the mess and stormed out.  We were done for the day.

Obviously there is a reason this child is getting help.  Overall, things are better.  This kid is happier, is doing better with friends, with siblings, has figured out how to better problem solve in everyday life, not to mention doesn't rage nearly as often or as violently.  There is good coming from counseling.

It's just taking some time.

Three Good Things

I haven't posted a lot of stuff the past few months.  Some is embarrassing.  Some, I don't know how to express myself without causing problems because I'm bound to offend *vague waving of hands* somebody.

So here's my neutral, feel good post.  Three good qualities of each of my children because I need to write it and someday, they just might need to read what their mother thought of their potential while they were still children.

Jane

1.  My dad made the comment when Jane was three that she was the most cheerful child he'd ever met and that still holds true.  If ever there was a ray of sunshine, that smiles at the drop of a hat and finds joy in the littlest things, it's my Jane.  She's always been happy and that is a gift from God.  How many of us can find happiness just in being.  My Jane can.  I hope she can hold onto that as she continues to grow. 

2.  She loves unconditionally.  It's the same beautiful quality my brother Malcolm has.  It doesn't matter who the person is, what their interest are, if they're a jock or a beauty queen, a nerd or a brain, Jane loves them all.  I remember when she had a falling out with the neighbor, this girl had decided that Jane wasn't "cool" enough to hang with and I told this girl that someday she'd realize what a mistake she'd made because although she wasn't "cool", she's real and when it comes to friends, you want the real ones, the ones that are there, no. matter. what.   That's the kind of friend Jane is and it's because of this beautiful unconditional love.  It translates into a person that doesn't judge.  I really think it's one of her best qualities.

3.  From the day she was bitty, she's always been generous.  There's different kind of generous, there are those that are generous with their time or those that are generous of their belongings or even those that are generous with their talents.   Jane, is a bit of all of that.  When she was a tot, she'd shove her half eaten cracker in your mouth.  As much as I didn't appreciate saliva soaked snacks, this inner need to share did give me great delight and she's kept that as she's grown. 

Christmas this last year was fantastic as she chose to shop for everyone on her own.  The amount of thought that she put into each present, it was clear she didn't buy merely out of an obligation because her parents told her too.  She had obviously, carefully handpicked each item.  Not only that, but she carefully picked out presents for all three birthdays that are the week of Christmas.  We were and are so proud of her.  Think of what kind of world it would be if everyone immediately thought of the person next to them and just tried to make them smile.   What kind of world would it be?   So generosity.   A quality I admire in my oldest.

Kate

1.  Kate is tough.  It's rather funny to type out because Kate's my meltdown child.  "My arm is itching"  (meltdown)  I have a hangnail (meltdown)  I can't figure out my math homework (then the world ends).  But seriously, when it counts, when it really counts, that child digs in her heels and plows forward like nobody's business.  It's truly amazing and she has only just begun to realize that she's much tougher then she ever imagined.

You can really see her digging in her heals in her school work, which brings me round to number two.

2.  I have never seen anyone put as much effort into school as Kate.  You have to understand that Kate has a severe learning disability and it's been a battle to figure out how to help her learn.  With a big, in your face to her learning disability, Kate has poured herself into schoolwork with a tenacity that is awe inspiring.  The child, in her main stream classes pulls A's and B's.   Folks, Kate has trouble reading which means every academic class is a major challenge for her.  Talk about digging in your heals. 

3.  Kate is my natural mother.  From birth, she's mothered others.  When the twins were born, she stole them, so she could mother.  She naturally tries to help the littler people problem solve.  She kisses owies without flinching.  Her feelings are hurt if someone goes to the higher authority (me or dad) but she still puts herself out there and tries to help the littler ones, in whatever way possible.  I love this about Kate and I know, from a blessing she was given that she will be a mother and raise her own children.  I do believe she has the tools to do a very fine job, when the time comes.

Ean

1.  Ean is a person of logic.  When he understands the logistics of something, nothing will sway him away from an innate truth.  You can't fool him, you can't sway him, all he wants are facts and thank you very much, he'll draw the natural conclusion.  After experiencing two emotional females, it's truly a different world to have this kid that is basically, the facts, just give me the facts.  Sometimes it's downright refreshing.  *smile*

2.  This kid is scary smart.  He eats knowledge for breakfast, usually coming back for seconds.  He loves to learn.  Now don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean he loves school.  School is a challenge for various reasons, but he loves to learn.   For instance, it's now Wednesday, three days after Easter.  For Easter, Ean received a book, aimed towards children but still pretty darn detailed on the human body.  He finished it yesterday.  All eighty pages of text and diagrams but not only did he finish reading the book, but he understands what he's read.  Go ahead, ask my eight year old what the lymphatic system does.  I dare you.

3.  He's trying to be a better person.  Words can't describe how much I admire and appreciate his willingness to recognize that his way wasn't working (in life, in school, at home) and he's using new skills to find better ways to problem solve.  How many of us simply plow forward using the same faulty techniques that have failed us time and again in the past.  It's been hard but my son is not only trying to be a better person, he's succeeding.  His big triumph three weeks ago was walking away from a threatening situation and going to his teacher. instead of staying in a potential altercation.    I don't think words can describe how huge this was for him.   Talk about my mother's heart swelling with joy for him.   You go son!

Greg

1. Often called my "velcro child", Greg is my lover.  Oh does that kid love deeply and fully.  He loves unconditionally, fully, with devotion.  While I fear for his heart breaking as he grows and the future point he'll be in relationships, I have no doubt that when he finds someone worthy of his love and devotion, that lucky woman will be treated like a queen.

2.  Greg enjoys helping.  He'll help his dad fix the dishwasher.  He'll help me bake cookies.  This is the child that will throw himself into something, just to make the load lighter for whatever sibling was given the job. 

3.  Greg never lies.  Well okay, just to be clear, Greg only lies when protecting his identical twin but other then that, he is the most truthful child I've ever met. 

David

1.  This is our active kid.  It's funny, he's the one that had so much trouble with muscle development from babyhood to toddler hood.   Yet he loves physical activity.  Loves to walk, loves to bike, loves to play outside.  It's a wonderful thing to see.

2.  Dave is the kids most willing to try new things.  He'll eat whatever veggie you throw at him.  He likes his daddy's hot sauce on his Mexican Enchiladas.  Then, after trying something and deciding that he likes it, he'll cheerfully have three helpings while ignoring the moans and groans from the picky *cough* Kate, Ean *cough* eaters in the house.

3.  Dave is the most natural reader in the house.  The thing that makes him a natural reader, isn't really his reading ability, because in first grade, the middle child was a better reader but it's the enthusiasm he's thrown into reading!  He tackles words like a pro wrestler, without fear, diving in and sounding it out.  When he fails, he just keeps plowing forward, without hesitation.  It's pretty darn cool

So there you have it, three good things about all five of my children.  I could easily list more but this post is long enough, not to mention, I have laundry to fold. 

Please Think, before you Stink

I have a problem. 

Some people have to be careful about what they eat.  They have allergies or sensitivities to gluten, nuts, milk or shellfish.  Some are life threatening, essentially isolating the individual that must be careful with every morsel of food that crosses their lips and in extreme cases, the residue of food on skin, wrappers, counters, or any surface someone else may have unintentionally contaminated.

It's isolating.  Restaurants, visiting family, casual get togethers at the bowling alley can become a huge nightmare in logistics.

Well I don't have a food allergy but the isolating factor, I'm understanding a little bit more.  You see, I am allergic to scents. 

I've always been sensitive, strong perfumes bothered me when I was a teenager but most things, scented candles, lightly scented powder, strong smelling lotion, I could deal with without too many problems.  Over the years, that's changed.  I've had increasingly difficult times when strong scents are present.

A decade ago, I noticed how hard it was to be in the waiting room at the dentist with the constantly burning scented candle.  As the years have gone by, my symptoms have increasingly gotten worse.  Mostly I get headaches, stabbing pain in the back of my head but occasionally strong scents set off my asthma, which is what happened last night.

I slipped into a small, unventilated room packed full of women, at least half dressed as if for church and the scent was exceptionally strong. 

Church in general has become increasingly difficult for me.  I often have to leave the meeting, switch seats mid meeting or if someone sits near me that smells particularly strong, right before the meeting starts.  If my headache is really bad or my chest feels heavy, we'll leave early. 

I hate that.  I hate missing meetings, sitting in the foyer by myself, missing out on the fellowship and teaching that happens in the classroom.  I hate missing Sacrament meeting, the "meat" of our three hour Sunday block. 

I do what I can, but there's a general apathy to my problem.  I've been told "But I just don't feel dressed up without putting perfume on for Sunday."  When my husband has tried to bring up my allergy to individuals that could make a difference, they make jokes about "marinating in perfume."  In general, I get an "Oh that's too bad." but it ends there.  The most empathy I get, are those that are kind enough to let me know before I get too close, so their scents don't rub off on me. 

Last night was a church activity, specifically for women with lots of folks bringing guests.  I shouldn't have been surprised.  I should have been more prepared and been smarter.

I arrived late, having a cub scout activity I brought the boys too, so I missed the dinner.  Usually they continue the spiritual presentation in the cultural hall and clean up afterwards but they did things differently this year, having all the Sisters move in the (dreaded, small, unventilated) Relief Society room and that's where I found everyone, apparently half way through the program.

I wanted to stay.

My chest got heavy.

I tried to relax.

I said a prayer.

My breathing go more labored.

My mistakes.  I tried staying, my desire to stay was so incredibly strong.  I needed that fellowship.  I needed the spirit that was there but it was making me incredibly sick, far sicker then usual.  My second mistake, it's been so long, literally years since I've had an actual asthma attack, I didn't have my inhaler in my purse. 

Oh it was embarrassing.  It was awkward.  I was trying not to cry and because of this, and the labored nature of my breathing, I'm pretty sure some individuals thought I was overtaken with emotion, caught up in what was said. 

That wasn't the case, the tears that slid from my eyes were tears of frustration that I couldn't control something so basic, that I don't even know if I can attend a meeting until I get there and see how strong the perfumes and aftershaves are.

I was incredibly lucky my neighbor let me use her inhaler. 

If this continues to get worse, I wonder if I'll be able to attend church at all.  It really makes me sad. 

More Parenting Challenges

We have one child that has proven to be consistently challenging.  My husband is convinced the reason the Lord sent us the twins so closely after him is because if he'd gotten any older and we'd realized what we had on our hands, there's no way we would have had more children.

I have to say, I agree.

This kid was nineteen months when the twins were born.  He was already a bit of a handful, always climbing onto everything, loved to see how stuff felt and dumping?   You've never seen a kid dump like this kid.  Food, milk, eggs, soap, oil, pasta, flour, sugar, basically if it was in a container, it was his personal mission to make sure it ended up on the floor.  Or carpet, counters, toilet seat, it really didn't matter.  He wasn't to choosy where he dumped.

We found out not to soon before his second birthday that he was extremely behind in his speech.  I was already on the lookout for autism red flags since we have such a high rate of autism in our extended (and immediate) family.  So I was right on the speech delays.  Turns out little mook had his ears full of gunk.  He never complained, never cried, never said or did anything to indicate a problem but it was persistent, even with a few rounds of antibiotics.   So he ended up with tubes.

The ENT said that the "fluid" in his ears wasn't actually fluid, it was a sticky goo that had to be scraped out.  his tubes were put in by his second birthday and he started speech shortly after that.

0f course he had to make everything difficult.  His tubes fell out six months after they were first put in and then they fell out again before he turned four.  He had three sets of tubes total put in.

When he was in Early Intervention, there were times when he just screamed during the whole class time.  The teacher called them "Red Headed Days" and handled them by ignoring him.  She had my support, I knew that when he melt down, there was no reasoning with him and that if you interacted with him, he'd take his frustrations out on you.

He was in Head Start the following year and we were blessed with an incredible teacher that had the patience of a Saint.  His class was afternoon, from noon to four, riding the bus on the way and with me picking him up on the way home.

The twins were still bitty and the middle child often had meltdowns going out the door, leaving me with three screaming children and only two arms.  There was a kind teacher that often helped me carry children out to my car.

At that age we readily saw his impulse issues.  He had to touch everyone.  He also did this odd thing with making noises and hand movement at the same time.  He'd skim his hand up the back of your head while chirping, twenty times in a row.  BeYOND aggravating.  Needless to say, relationships with other kids were tough.  They're still tough.  Boundaries and limits are still struggles for him.

Then there's his temper.  Remember those toddler tantrums I've talked about?  As he's aged, they've morphed from tantrums into fits of rage including lashing out at others physically.  Last summer was very rough at our house.

So here we are now.  The kid has been diagnosed officially with anger problems and ADHD NOS.  The ADHD is basically the new labeling for the ADD diagnosis.  It's the same diagnosis our oldest has.  At the beginning of the school year, he started therapy specifically for his anger.  He's seeing the same therapist the oldest saw for her anxiety.  I strongly felt this therapist was worth waiting for and wait we did, over that long and tedious summer but it's proven to be worth the wait.

So where are we now?  There's still loads of problems and I've spent many a good afternoon sobbing out of sheer frustration and exhaustion in dealing with the middle child.  We've been blessed with a wonderful teacher that has worked with us through the first couple of shaky months at school to put a system in place to motivate the middle child in controlling himself at school.  We now use the "Smiley System", where the day is divided into two sections, before and after lunch with the potential to earn a smiley in each section.  Each smiley is worth a half hour of computer time and a week of smileys earn computer time for the weekend.  We've still had half a dozen incidences of harassing, touching and/or hitting other kids over the school year.

The school was a champ, giving him a few chances to get his act together and the last few times, he's had increasingly serious consequences.

I don't know what motivates him but last week, he pushed the envelope as far as he could and touched two girls where their breasts are.

The school told the in house police officer, the kid has lost recess until after school break (that's a month folks) and the boom has been lowered at our house.

It's personal space boot camp at our house.  Absolutely nothing is tolerated.  Not standing to close, not running and head butting me, not poking our little brother to make him miserable.  Now this wasn't really tolerated before, but obviously wasn't making an impact.  Any infraction and he's instantly sent to his room until he can respect personal space again.  Any problems at school and his bedtime is after dinner.

His dad lowered the boom if there are any further phone calls as well.  Some of you may or may not remember when the kid was five and he went on that klepto spree?  He stole left and right over and over again and he figured, as he kept getting caught, he simply needed to learn to lie better.   Yeah, after a month, his room was stripped of every belonging except one blanket and he had to earn his whole room back.  One more call from school and he loses everything in his room.  Everything.  

I also put in the positive goal that he can earn a geode (rock with crystals on the inside) if I don't get anymore calls from school the rest of the year.

Smart alec says "What if I throw up?"

*grumble grumble grumble*

O...KAY....   No calls for discipline reasons or schoolwork reasons.   

Like he didn't know what I meant.

So it's been a hard week.  I haven't talked about it because it's hard to talk about.  I've stated to friends how different the behavior problems are because unlike my girls learning disabilities, people understand those.  Your average person often sees discipline/behavior problems as a problem with parenting.

I can tell you first hand, sometimes it's just not.  As his mother, I can see his potential and it's incredible.  It's just getting him there. 

Today's Appointment

Actually I'm not really posting about my doctor's appointment because it's all personal and not stuff I feel comfortable talking about.  Yes, I just wrote that.  Hard to believe I'd choose not to talk about myself, but there it is, even I have limits. 

So, finally taking care of myself, I marched off to the appointment I had scheduled three weeks ago.  Of course, since this was "girl stuff", there was a brief discussion on my childbearing history.  That was expected however since I had my tubes tied with the twins C-section, there wasn't a whole lot to say. 

I had planned to not even mention the twins pregnancy.  That pregnancy was many things for me, truly the ultimate in emotional highs and lows but since I'm done having children it just wasn't relevant to this exam.  The doctor made a comment about twins, basically what a struggle it can be to have twins and I sat there a minute before disclosing that these guys were a struggle very early on.  

I kept my explanation brief.  Heaven knows I can talk for hours about the nitty gritty details but I curtailed the conversation back to the issues at hand because, lets face it, I wanted to get the exam over and done with.  

At the very end, the doctor brought up the twins again, just to say how amazing it is that they made it.  Now granted, due to his profession, the doctor will, at the very least, be familiar with the syndrome. Still, I found it oddly comforting to have someone understand, understand all the things that could have gone wrong.  Understood all the possible birth defects.  Just understood that it wasn't easy.

That brief two minute conversation was very comforting to me.  It was nice to not have to juggle how much to say, not wanting to overload an acquaintance but at the same time, being bothered by brush off statements that "Twins are usually early" and "You expect a few more complications with twins."

It was very compassionate of this doctor to make the point of recognizing struggles I hadn't even brought up. 

I'd gladly recommend him. 

Sooooo 50% off $120.00 is how much?

It's the end of January.  Even though the weather is still chilly and there's plenty of freezing nights ahead of us still, in the stores, it's time to prepare for the next season.  Simply put, if you're needing gear for next winter, now is the time to buy.

I called my mom, invited her along and off we went, stopping at Fred Meyer first.  Now Fred Meyer can have great sale prices when clearing stuff out but you have to keep in mind that items can start much pricier to start with.  Something of good quality though, just might be worth the higher price, even on sale. 

We came across a lovely coat perfect for Kate.  It was in the woman's section, so no girly pink or purple.  More like a ski jacket, very compact, not bulky in the least with an edgier purple, black and grey plaid fits Kate's maturing style.  The coat hung from a clearly marked rack of 50% off but the original price of $120.00 still kept me grabbing the perfect coat and marching straight to the registers.  My mother being the kind and generous woman she is, offered to put her spare cash in making a payment of $40.00 plus tax more doable for us.

Since there wasn't anything suitable for Ean in the store, off to the checkout we went.  There wasn't a line and we didn't have to wait.  I was fussing with my purse while the coat was rung up and my mom leaned forward and whispered I needed to check the price.  Glancing up to a number rounded up to $78 gave me pause.  I mentioned to the checker that I thought there was a mistake, the coat was clearly on a rack marked 50% off.  She must have been tired because she glanced at the price tag and said "Well it was $120.00."

I stopped a moment.

It's a been a long time since I was in school but I'm pretty sure I can halve $120 and add $4.00 tax and still have less then $78.00

I calmly pointed out the math and the waiting began.  First for a call back from ladies clothes.  Then a gal came up from the back because she had no idea what coat the checker was talking about.  Then she went back again to try to find where it was found. 

In the meantime, the line behind us started stacking up.  A few employees came by to find out why our line was stalled.

I joked at least we hadn't gotten in the express line.

Finally a call to say that the clothing department employee couldn't find where the coat was found, so my mother and I took the coat back to the racks and had to hunt down the woman helping us.  It took maybe five minutes to locate her.

Then there was a call to someone that could look up stock on the computer.  Then a call to someone else and finally a call to the service desk so we could check out with the right price.  In the end, I think mostly to another coat on the rack that was the same brand, same style, we got the 50% off. 

I must say, even with the confusion, I appreciate the obvious effort from the store employees to figure out what was actually going.  It would have been easier to say the price that was rung up, was the proper price.

Kate appreciates her new coat. 

I love when my children show gratitude. 

Dental Drama

Jane gets her braces on February fifth.  So it's coming up.  I had scheduled this cleaning very carefully, a week in advance so we could fit in another appointment if a filling was needed but still really close to the actual application of the braces, so her teeth will be sparkly and ready.

Jane's going for bling and doing gold braces.  She should be absolutely adorable!

I was also able to schedule today's appointment so the teenager wouldn't miss school.  No small feat for the kid that doesn't get out until almost four, Tuesday through Friday but Monday, with it's mandatory early release was the one time we could guarantee getting there on time after school.

Today's Four O'clock appointment was a real score.  This of course made my dismay, not to mention my stress level elevate pretty quickly when the gal behind the desk looked me puzzled and said my daughters appointment was cancelled. 

Uh no.

It wasn't.

I had not received a call about any scheduling problems nor had I called earlier to cancel the appointment.  The last time I heard from that office was a call Friday to remind me about Monday's appointment. 

I almost instantly started to panic.  Normally such a thing just might be an inconvenience but today's appointment wasn't the only one on the line.  I had already rescheduled Jane's band appointment from mid-January and dang it, we needed to get her taken care of.  I'm embarrassed to say I did get a bit snippy, although I did apologize when it was all said and done.

To the receptionist's credit, she squeezed us right in and Jane was taken care of.  She has one cavity and that will be taken care of before the bands are put on.  

All in all, it was more excitement then I needed!  

Sometimes, I'm so DANG Sentimental

I cry. 

I cry easily.

I cry when upset.

I cry when moved.

I cry when amazed.

I'm just a dang, emotional being and there's no shame in that but I do wish I could handle myself without falling to pieces just a bit more.

Today my eyes welled up because of speakers!   In all fairness, not just any speakers.   These babies are special. 

About 17 years ago, after marriage, before children, I was talking to my dad on the phone.  If you haven't figured it out, my dad was a tech junkie.  He loved, and I do mean loved technology.  He loved music, from Mozart to Madonna, loved movies, from Alfred Hitchcock, to Top Gun and pretty much everything in between.  It's not a stretch to see his love of technology filling our home with music and movies.

He had a stereo, hooked to multiple speakers, wired throughout the house.  We could play music, or the movie on TV in the living room, dining room or the kitchen and usually it was all three at once. 

He liked his music loud.  It's no wonder my hearing is bad. 

There was a set of speakers, huge, brown, kick-butt in their day.  I remember them from when I was bitty.  They're heavy too. 

One day my dad decided after years of his old system that it was time to upgrade.  While on the phone, I mentioned in jest that he should send me his old system and he laughed and we said goodbye.  A few days later, he called and told me to keep my eye out for five really boxes from UPS. 

Seriously, I was floored.  I mean, who mails that kind of stuff on a whim??????   Obviously my dad did.

I mentioned to Kent, he might want to refrain from hooking up his stereo in our apartment because my dad was sending his old one and Kent, with a little trepidation, said he'd wait and see before deciding.  When I came home from work a few days after that and it looked like Christmas morning with boxes everywhere and the front room torn apart as Kent excitedly was hooking everything up, I asked the obvious "So I guess there wasn't a choice to make?!"    *laugh*

Kent cheerfully let me know that this was the best UPS delivery of his life!  My dad mailed the old stereo, the two huge speakers, a new CD player, because he figured we probably could use it and a VCR player.  Yup, five huge and heavy boxes. 

My dad was one of the most generous people I've ever known.

Well a few days ago, my husband pulled out a thrift store find, a decent, working stereo that he excitedly hooked up in our front room.  He said he wanted the windows to rattle.

Oh my gosh, he's channeling dad.

He pulled the old speakers, dad's old speakers from the basement and as I turned on music about an hour ago, I felt my eyes fill up as I thought of him and his speakers. 

I miss him. 

Seven Year Old Boys

I was informed by David this afternoon, that I wasn't performing up to expected specs in the mothering department.  Not only was I failing to bake my children cookies, but the cake that was suppose to go with them, didn't exist either.

Had I mentioned cookies or cake.  Was I exuding some weird motherly vibe that made my children instantly believe that baked goods were in their future?  I don't believe so, but I've been wrong before.  Seriously?  This child argued with me for fifteen minutes to let me know that I needed to get a move on the baking!

Then of course, there was the blizzard.  I picked up the boys right after school.  They were already checked into the after school program but there was a bonafide blizzard here in Pocatello and the roads were nasty.  I got off work about a half hour early to pick up kids.  Well Greg, the child that cried for me the first couple of days of  the after school program, cried today because I wasn't letting him stay.

It's nice to know he now likes it.

Maybe today was the day to argue?  When Greg discovered there was no hot chocolate in the cupboard, he debated me for twenty minutes on whether or not I should go to the store.  When I told him I wasn't going, the streets were very slippery, he got a concerned look and asked if the stores were all out of hot chocolate.

Greg often misses the point.  It was still pretty amusing.

Then there was two seven year olds tromping in the house, with snow falling everywhere, my mom is telling them, go stamp your feet outside.  They hear stamp and instantly there's snow flying all over the front room.

And finally there was the two upset boys because one wants school canceled tomorrow and the other doesn't.  Truly life or death debating!

Ah, my boys.  They keep me young.