Disturbia, fiction, family, friends, and everything else between the lions.
the bland, the bare
Published on March 27, 2007 By Tova7 In Blogging

I know my life is getting busier by the number of days a week I wear make up.

 

Hunter is playing tennis on a doubles team.  I like tennis and am so glad he is not playing soccer this year. I hate watching a bunch of 11-12 year olds play soccer.  Or actually watching them kick the ball out of bounds (or whatever it’s called) every other hit.  Gah, I’d rather watch paint dry, it’s less frustrating.

 

My 4 year old is not a tennis fan.  In fact, he much preferred soccer because it was outside on a big green grassy field.  He could play there.  The tennis club is a little more high brow, thus no fun for Gavin.

 

 

Speaking of Gavin, my second son is almost the total opposite of my first.  Sure, they have some things in common, but when it comes to temperament…nothing.  Hunter was an obedient child, never lied (even when it would benefit him).  He was articulate and logical from a very young age.

 

Gavin is my wild child.  He is a good boy, but has a temper surpassed only by his stubborn streak.  And he lies as a first response to every yes or no question I ask.

 

Me--“Gavin do you want some juice?”

 

Him--“No.”

 

Me—“OK”

 

A few minutes later an ear splitting screech will come out of that sweet mouth “WHERE’S MY JUICE?!”

 

Or another example….

 

ME…”Did you get all this water on the floor?”

 

Him…”Nope.”

 

Me…”Are you lying to me Gavin?”

 

Him—“Nope.”

 

Me…”There’s no one else in here taking a bath.  How do you suppose the water got on the floor?”

 

Him, straight faced….”A dinosaur was drinking out of the toilet and it got on the floor.”

 

Me….”Hmmm.  I think you’re lying to me.”

 

Gavin….”Well God says you shouldn’t say that to me!”

 

He often begins comments with “God says..”  for instance…”God says you should give me some juice whenever I want it.  God says you should take me to the park….”  Hahaha…I call him our little prophet…heh.

 

When Gavin gets angry, or hurt, he holds his breath.  He doesn’t do it intentionally, but about 6 times (in 4 years on the planet) he’s passed out.  He falls down, usually straight back because he’s got a fat head.

 

What?  I didn’t always think it was fat, I thought it was normal.  But then I noticed everyone asked me about the size of his head.  Even his pediatrician said it was funny to see a 95 percentile head on a 25 percentile body.  He has grown into it, but for a long time……fat head.

 

So last week we were in the yard, he grabbed a rake.  I took it from him.  He likes to do things like beat the trees, bushes, cars, with the tines.  This annoys me, and it’s not exactly safe, so I took the rake from his grasping little fingers.  I turned to put it back in the shed when I heard him start crying.

 

I whirled around in time to watch his fat head fall straight back.  It hit the edge of a river rock path in the yard and started bleeding.  He came around about 30 seconds later. 

 

I came inside and looked up “how to tell if a wound needs stitches” on google.  It was gaping, but only a little so I took him to the ER.  He was chatting to everyone in the ER as they coughed, threw up, slept, and otherwise looked miserable.  We waited for 4 hours.  They stapled his head shut.  He didn’t chat then, he screamed.  Very.  Loud.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

A few days later we were back in the ER because something flew in Hunter’s eye while we were cleaning out the garage.  He’s ok now, nothing permanent, but it looked awful and was painful.

 

We only waited 3 hours that time.

 

There should be some kind of “get out of line free” card when you have boys who are as accident prone as their mama.

 

We’ve gone to the ER so many times we have our own chairs in the waiting room.  Or, er, at least Gavin thinks so…if someone is sitting in the chairs we usually occupy he says (in a stage whisper) “Why is that person sitting in our chair?”

 

 

I talked to my husband today.  Yesterday he walked right over an unexploded ordinance.  He’s not stupid; the area was “cleared” and there was building going on around it.

 

He was annoyed because the guy who discovered it (an Afghani working with NATO) who dug it up and left it, didn’t tell anyone it was there.  Instead, he stood across the road and watched my husband walk right over it.  Then afterward, LAUGHED, and told him about it.

 

My husband marked it and cleared the area.  It was blown, and the area re-swept.  It still makes me sick to think about.  He said the guy was just waiting for someone to step on it.

 

 

The kids and I are taking a road trip south the first week in April for spring break.  I think we will go to Mississippi.  We have family there, and property I need to check on.  It will be warmer and Hunter wants to skin a rabbit.  So I guess we’ll do a little rabbit hunting too.  It’s always easier to do it on our own land than trying to find a place up here.

 

 

I am doing a lot of reading.  Right now I am devouring Greg Keyes’ books.  He is a great story teller.

 

 

It was in the 70’s here yesterday.  We did tennis, the park, cleaned out the van, then worked in the yard.  I think my hydrangea are going to rock this year if I can keep the snails at bay.  Need to get a battle plan for the summer, maybe use birds as foot soldiers.

 

 

Remember the commercial for hair care that said….”Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful?”

 

Well, Don’t hate me because my life’s exciting.

 

~snort~


Comments
on Mar 27, 2007
It sounds like you need to get that kid a helmet - lol. Isn't it funny how the wild child always comes second. That's because God knows you would probably stop if the wild child came first. Hey, maybe I'm a prophet too. How scary about your hubby and the ordinance. It made me sick to my stomache just to read about it and I'm not even married to him. Have fun on your trip.
on Mar 27, 2007

Have fun on your trip.

hahaha, well it is Mississippi..only so much fun to be had there...heh.  Thanks.

It made me sick to my stomache just to read about it and I'm not even married to him.

Yeah it freaked me out.  The guy only dug it half way up before he discovered what it was...so he just walked away and went and stood across the street.  An hour or so later it was covered by a light layer of sand again with all the building activity going on...along comes my husband and steps right on it.

Isn't it funny how the wild child always comes second. That's because God knows you would probably stop if the wild child came first.

This HAS to be it.  If Gavin were first...he'd be an only child.

 

 

 

on Mar 27, 2007
More often than not, the first and second child are polar opposites.  Why?  Because the second is trying to establish his (or her) identity distinct from the oldest.  They never grow out of it, but at least they do mature.
on Mar 27, 2007
Tova.

There are people who would kill to have your life. I'm not one of them, but I can appreciate why they would. Your life has texture, depth, the kind of everyday, unassuming, importance that makes the world go round. You have something to get up for, every day. At night you have the bitter joy of knowing that, on the other side of the world, there's a man who would give anything to be with you at that moment. You have sons, whose entire world orbits around you, whose personalities you help create with every word you speak, every gesture you make. There's immeasurable wealth in your life, wherever you look.

And you're right. Just like vanilla, your life is subtle, complex, full of depth. The kind of subtlty that's often overlooked because, after all, it's just vanilla.

There are people who would kill, to have your life.
on Mar 27, 2007

They never grow out of it,

WHAT?!

I want a refund!

hahahaha....j/k I love the little fat head.

on Mar 27, 2007

There are people who would kill to have your life. I'm not one of them, but I can appreciate why they would. Your life has texture, depth, the kind of everyday, unassuming, importance that makes the world go round. You have something to get up for, every day. At night you have the bitter joy of knowing that, on the other side of the world, there's a man who would give anything to be with you at that moment. You have sons, whose entire world orbits around you, whose personalities you help create with every word you speak, every gesture you make. There's immeasurable wealth in your life, wherever you look.

Sometimes it takes someone looking in, to see what the every day living does to blind me to reality.

I don't mind a vanilla life, since I fought tooth and nail most of my life to just be vanilla..with no nuts thrown in to break my teeth on...heh. 

Thanks for your thoughtful response EOIC.  I appreciate it...and am learning to appreciate vanilla.

on Mar 27, 2007
know my life is getting busier by the number of days a week I wear make up.


Yeah, I know the feeling... (joking!)

my second son is almost the total opposite of my first.


...and I know the feeling there, too! (NOT joking!) My boys are poles apart -one, the oldest, is quietand thoughtful and the other is...well...NOT! But it's amazing how they are such good friends anyway.

He was annoyed because the guy who discovered it (an Afghani working with NATO) who dug it up and left it, didn’t tell anyone it was there. Instead, he stood across the road and watched my husband walk right over it. Then afterward, LAUGHED, and told him about it.


He shoulda shot that son of a bitch.

So I guess we’ll do a little rabbit hunting too.


Let's see...yeah, April will be alright. You did know you're not supposed to eat a rabbit killed in a mounth without an "R" in it didn't you? Just a little country boy wisdom I'm tryin' to pass on there...

I think my hydrangea are going to rock this year if I can keep the snails at bay.


Snails are like Shovelheats -they LOVE beer. Put some in a half buried pie plate and they'll drown in the stuff..

Well, Don’t hate me because my life’s exciting.



No way, Jose!
on Mar 27, 2007
LOL @ "God says"...

I agree with Emperor.

You should write books, Tova. I don't do SCI-FI, but you are so great at relating things, you could write a different kind of book just for ME. haha.

I hate when the kids get hurt. I'm not calm under pressure. I'm glad most of the major incidents have taken place when daddy was home.

Xavier's had stitches in his head. His brother (who was only 1 and a half at the time) bashed him in the forehead with a Lysol can for no apparent reason. Foreheads aren't very meaty, so it just split the skin right open and bled and bled.
on Mar 27, 2007

bashed him in the forehead with a Lysol can

Sounds just like something Gavin would do.  He went through a stage where he'd take a sippy cup full of fluid and throw it as hard as he could right at my face, usually while I was laying down, or not looking.  He blacked my eye and bloodied my nose.  He made his brother who is SEVEN years older cry by throwing it in his face.

That was a spankin.  Do you still love me?  hahahaha

You should write books, Tova. I don't do SCI-FI, but you are so great at relating things, you could write a different kind of book just for ME. haha.

Ah Tex, after that compliment I think I need a cigarette...heh.  You know I wrote the story JUDE...based on people here at JU and you are in it.  It's in my articles file.

I'm pretty calm under pressure, its usually later that night when it hits me.

Let's see...yeah, April will be alright. You did know you're not supposed to eat a rabbit killed in a mounth without an "R" in it didn't you? Just a little country boy wisdom I'm tryin' to pass on there...

Never heard this before but its really cool, I am going to tell my son.  Actually I don't eat them, I cut them in half and feed them to the huge dogs my FIL owns.  They gulp them down, bones and all.

He shoulda shot that son of a bitch.

HAHAHA.  That's what I told him. 

 

on Mar 27, 2007
Never heard this before but its really cool, I am going to tell my son.


The reason behind the "R" thing is that months without an R are the warm months and thus the wormy, parasite conductive months. Don't wanna eat no bunny with worms!   
on Mar 27, 2007
What's with that Afghani? I agree with Shovel you husband should have shot him, or at the very least did some damage to him.

I love the way Gavin thinks. I'm going to use some "God says" lines on Rose.

We use to call one of my brothers Fathead. We even got him a football jersey with 'Fathead" on the back.

Good article, Tova.
on Mar 27, 2007

What's with that Afghani? I agree with Shovel you husband should have shot him, or at the very least did some damage to him.

I don't know what the guy's problem is....he wasn't some Afghani grunt soldier...he was a high ranking Afghani representative to NATO.  (Of course he probably was a soldier before this.  He knew how to dig it up without setting it off.)  I'm just so thankful it didn't go off, or my husband would be minus a leg or worse.

This is my biggest pet peeve with everything over there right now.  The citizens watch explosives be planted, then sit and watch our soldiers drive/walk over them without ever lifting a finger of warning.  I don't get it.

I'm going to use some "God says" lines on Rose.

Be sure to stand on a chair, spread your arms wide, and use your loudest voice...of course if you are just demanding juice it might not seem authentic.

The reason behind the "R" thing is that months without an R are the warm months and thus the wormy, parasite conductive months. Don't wanna eat no bunny with worms!

That actually sounds logical....I wonder if my FIL knows this?  I can't wait to try out this new knowledge on him.

 

on Mar 28, 2007
I know my life is getting busier by the number of days a week I wear make up.


Yeah, I know exactly what you mean

Gavin's prophet complex is hilarious. He must be a great kid. One of my brothers had a 75% head on a 25% body too. If its any relief, he did grow into it, eventually.

As for the ordinance incident, your husband must have been bloody angry. I know I would have been. Like both Shovel and Udigit said, I probably would have shot the bastard.

Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful?”


Again, I have to say I know how you feel

Incidentally, there is nothing even vaguely bland about your anecdotes. Not even slightly...
on Mar 28, 2007

Incidentally, there is nothing even vaguely bland about your anecdotes. Not even slightly...

Everyone is so kind about this.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

As for the ordinance incident, your husband must have been bloody angry.

He was angry.  He's pretty laid back but this riled him.  He didn't shoot the guy, but if I know my man, there will be some sort of sweet pay back before his time is up there.

Gavin's prophet complex is hilarious. He must be a great kid.

He is a great kid.  And his imagination is quirky and deep already at the age of 4.  I can't wait to see where he goes with it.

 

on Mar 28, 2007

They never grow out of it,

WHAT?!
I want a refund!

While I said they never out grow it, they do channel it to more productive endeavors in the future.  Those of us with 2 or more see how they do mature and branch out on their own, and often become as successful or more so than their older siblings - just usually not in the same area.