Winter Weather

Put It Off For As Long As Possible

I don’t see myself as intelligent . . . as in book-smart. I didn’t do well in highschool and dropped out in 10th grade. I finished, no worries, at a local community college and then went on to complete nearly 2 years of classes . . . though being 20, I had no idea what I wanted to do when I grew up (stop laughing) so there was no direction in my line of study . . . just lots of writing classes and literature. Ok, one biology class.

Anyhoo . . . I got good grades in college, weirdly enough. That doesn’t say too much for my highschool, I don’t think. They had the highest drop out rate, in the history of the school, the year I quit. Hmmm.

That said I have put off technically teaching Tobias anything school related. I’m a little shy of finding out I have not the smarts to pull it off. He’s over 3 and a half years old.

But I have felt the conviction to do so in the past few weeks . . . its been mounting for a few months. And I got on some of these websites, which abound by the way, of preschool curriculum and free downloads/printables available. I am jacked about how much I got and how excited I am that I have tools and ideas and stuff that I can start teaching Tob some of the fundamentals . . . I’m talking colors, numbers, alphabet, animals, etc. Not that we haven’t learned some of that just by talking but I believe this is timely, you know. God is good that way.

I’m writing this for a reason. I know some of my friends, that I hope still read this blog, homeschool and/or have taught preschool stuff. Any and all ideas, challenges that you overcame and how you did so, etc . . . I’m open to your comments and experiences. I really wanna know. Tentatively I have planned to do a letter of the alphabet per week (word association and writing) . . . and up to three numbers (practicing writing them) a week . . . 2 colors a week (coloring). And shapes but I’m going to see how that goes since we haven’t done any shape stuff . . . except for ball is round.

Ok, that is it. I’m pumped!

Oh, also . . . what is the best time of day you’ve found works for teaching . . . morning after breakfast, after nap, evening? Let me know!

God Bless!

ps . . . and did Bible stories work best for teaching the Bible. Why do I sound so pathetically clueless? Oh, cuz I am.

attitude?

I might be sporting quite the attitude today . . . and not a good one. I can’t seem to get past it . . . though I haven’t tried very hard. I don’t cuss on regular basis but today the potty mouth words have found their way into my irritated rantings. Uh, and yes, I am human . . . not perfect. And today I apparently needed to clarify and solidify that very fact.

Tobias has also been whiny, irrational, and emotional today . . . yeah, thats not tied into the way his momma was acting all day.

Bath time is right before bed time. I had noticed Toby’s hair getting out of order the other day and promised myself I would cut it next bath day. They have baths approximately every other day or so.

Tobias hates getting his hair cut. The scissors were misplaced ions ago and so I use only the clippers . . . the vibrating, man eating and ear chopping clippers. He always has some kind of response to the monster clippers . . . though not so dramatic that I can’t even cut his hair.

Ok, so the rational bit of my brain is whispering not even take on this feat with Tobias. He’s tired, he’s crabby and he’s being as irrational as his mother. But did I heed the rational, wise voice in my head? NO! NO, I did not.

I got the clippers as they ate a snack at the table right before bath time, plugged them and then proceeded (after snack time) to torture Tobias with a serious hair cutting. Hyper ventilation nearly happened several times as the clippers got dangerously close to his ears, yeah, like the top of his head. And I’m positive the neighbors thought I was literally maiming and killing him he was screaming so loud. But once you start to cut, how do you leave it half done? . . . when it dawns on you the rational whisperings were correct and I should heeded them fully and hid the clippers in a locked safe. I couldn’t and got a bit annoyed myself and then yelled at him for being scared to death of the clippers.

Oh the angst and guilt that proceeded that whole ordeal!! I gave him a bath to rid him of all the itchy hair and dressed him for bed. I then held him for 30 minutes . . . both he and Sam . . . reading and talking and apologizing, etc.

And, also, if you were curious . . . no, the haircut does not turn out well when the recipient is maneuvering all over the bathroom counter trying to escape the very clippers that are to take his life.

I have vowed not to ever cut his hair again . . . that is what Barbers are paid 20$ a pop to do . . . and that is where he goes next time . . . unless his all-knowing daddy wants to take on the task. So very traumatizing!

Where T would rather be . . . vs getting a haircut by his crazy mother.

money

Ok, I set 50$ cash in my mail-holder thingy, with my drivers license and some other important stuff, like I always do. I had 2 $20 bills and a $10 bill. It was set aside for the remainder of the electric bill.

I was busy pulling the couch out and doing some pretty deep cleaning of the house this evening . . . the boys were playing behind me. I push the ginormous couch back into it’s place and Tobias walks up and tosses a wad of money on the couch and wonders off to play with his cars.

I unfold the wad and find 1 $20 bill and a $10. Yeah, where’s the other $20?! I don’t really have it to spare! Aack!! So, after freaking out, asking Toby several times if he knew where the other $20 went . . . which only gained me blank looks . . . looking under the couch 3 times and basically stomping around the living room looking for the lost gold . . . I gave up (doesn’t take much for the giving up bit). I started into my housework again and my mind wandered over possibilities of where it could have disappeared to . . . thats about the time I checked under the couch and the couch cushions, again.

‘Oh well’ . . .

I start vacuuming again.

“I should vacuum out the pantry under the sink, where the garbage can sits, so my ant problem doesn’t get worse (which is a whole post in itself, ugh!) . . . . garbage . . .”

Tobias loves to help me clean. He will pick anything garbage-like and toss it under the sink, near the trash can, but not quite. There’s a box under there, also, for recycling and most of the wrappers and receipts get placed in that box with his chubby little hand.

A light bulb goes off . . . he thought it was garbage and brought the other part to me . . . for some reason.

Yep, there it sits in the recycling bin!! My precious $20 bill.

I know it was only $20 but the relief that flooded my being, you’d think it was a hundred . . .

His mischievous grin! Tobias Tucker . . . 3/08

beebo

Due to a children’s book author by the name of Sandra Boynton and her small work “Belly Button Book”; all about the hippos and their belly buttons they lovingly call beebos; our coined word for belly button, since Tobias was born, has been the very word beebo.

Tobias, as you could well imagine believes this is the proper term for belly button, just like he’s convinced loe – loe describes all water (that he came up with all on his own).

He routinely lifts dad’s shirt to locate the small indenture, proudly exclaiming “beebo”.  He attempts this with Mother Tucker, but that is a no-no . . . no matter how cute he’s being.

But tonight he was confident in approximately where my belly button was located, so no need to lift my shirt.  He ran back and forth, in and out of the living room; pointing at my stomach area as I stood in the middle of the room after vacuuming; he proceeded to do run-by beebo pokings.

“Beebo!” he would shout as he ran by, jabbing randomly at my sweatshirt.

He must have found great amusement in this behavior because he did not relent his attacks until I seated myself.

This pic is of Tobias hanging out in the window just last weekend. I think he might need a haircut that one. 

Bath Time

Samuel and Tobias both love the bath time.  I’ve never had to drag either one in or bribe them in any way to tolerate the ritualistic cleaning procedure.

But Tobias takes the cake . . . or soap in this case.  If allowed he will remain in the tub well after the water has cooled and his fingers and toes are shriveled to raisins.  Samuel is done within 15 minutes of entering the water.

The other day Justin had taken a long shower, using up the majority of the hot water.  Yeah, that’s not uncommon in our house.  Anyhoo, he then dresses and comes out, offering to give Toby his evening bath. I walk in to check on them and Tobias is squatting on his haunches, butt hovering above the draining water.  I was informed there was no hot water and the water, was in fact, cold as ice; Toby refused to get out but sat, or hovered, in the bath for about 5 more minutes . . . as he started to chatter and shiver with cold we managed to convince him to abandon his bath.

Most of the time there is plenty of hot water to draw a full bath and then have it replenished at least twice in the course of Tobias’ bath time . . . of course this lengthy bath-time is always with dad . . . he’s much more fun than the mom; the floor soaked and the bathtub walls colored to toddler perfection with his bath crayons.  The most of fun though is when Byron joins them . . . note picture in blog post ‘pics pics and more pics’.  Not sure how clean one gets when sharing the water with a dog, but fun it is for Tobias.

Samuel

Samuel, aka: The Samster, Sam, Sammy (not my fav)

Once Samuel was done eating and we didn’t drop whatever we were doing and get him down asap . . . he wouldn’t throw food, like his elder bro . . . he would transport the food stuffs from his tray to the tippy top of his head and down the back of his neck. Many a time I would clean him up, pick the remnants off his shirt and pants, attempting to avoid an immediate sweep/mop or vacuum job (apprx the 10th or so for that day). Inevitably I would set him down on his feet and his lunch (breakfast/dinner) would fall out of the back of his shirt onto the floor. ugh. Recently he has been nicer and proceeds to chuck the food instead . . . yes we are working on curbing this habit as well.

Samuel is a momma’s boy! I sit on the couch (or any other sitting appliance) and his “cuddle radar” will alert him and he will locate me within a millisecond or so and land himself in my lap. He then sets his head in the bashful position (chin to chest) and lift only his eyes, looking me at me sideways. If I even appear to be looking at him he bursts into laughter. He has the bashful position down! So cute, he is!!!

pics pics and more pics

Ok, I love pictures . . . a lot! If you have read my blogs at all, you may have noticed the mediocre pictures of the family scattered throughout and at least one slideshow a week (give or take). I’m going attempt to keep this blog a little cleaner (ha ha ha) . . . yes, I laugh at myself on a regular basis . . . but I still want to share the beauty that is known as my family (personal opinion) as much as I can . . . and alos other things that peak my interest at any given point.

This is my favorite picture thus far in life. Poor dog has Toby’s constant attention and apparently is now also his bath-toy.

Happy Moving Day

I was with Google’s Blogger for the first 46 posts. I believe I have come to love another with the name of WordPress. My company, imagine creation, my blog for that is set up here so that is where I’m choosing to move my personal blog as well. So here we are.  If you would like to check out past blogs go to: www.familyoftuckers.blogspot.com

.. . . and if you are so inclined to check out imagine creation (unique and beautiful stationery by yours truly) check out: www.imaginecreation.wordpress.com

Ok, enough said about that. The move is done for the most part.

It’s also nearing midnight and I have to be alert on my game bright and early with two very energetic morning individuals . . . no coffee needed.   Of course coffee is bad for toddlers so, of course, I’ve never offered or will offer it to them any time soon.

More to come!

God bless!