How to Get What you Want (a guide for tweens)

Want to plan a cool party for the premier of the  hot summer TV movie? Ask your mom while she is driving on the expressway, preferably during rush hour or right after she gets cut off or when she merging out of the HOV lane.

Want to invite more people than can fit in your house? Ask your mom while she is trying to help your very frustrated younger brother cut straight lines on a paper.

Want to make sure you can eat pizza (from a national chain), carmel corn and homemade pancakes for breakfast with all your friends? Ask your mom when she is scurrying to find clothes for your baby brother and running at least 20 minutes late for vacation bible school. Filling her thermos with coffee and handing it to her right before you ask is the perfect touch for this request.

Want to spoil your party guests with goodie bags and fun decorations? First make sure mom is busy (blogging is your best bet) and call your dad and ask when he is coming home to take you to Party City (don't worry--dad won't ask).

And for the really big requests like buying concert tickets for you and your friends to the hot concert of the summer? Ask both mom and dad when they busy putting together your new bike or fixing a major portion of the house.

Follow these simple steps and you too can have everything you ever wanted :)

Poor Ol' Charlie Brown

Dino has always been a fan of Peanuts, the Charlie Brown shows. I think he was originally drawn to the music. To this day, I can play 'Skating' or 'History Lesson' and he smiles. He knows exactly which show the song is from and when it was played.

Last Halloween, he decided to be Charlie Brown for school (he was Michael Buble for trick or treat). The other moms thought it was so cute he loved the show so much and raced home to buy their own DVDs to share with their little tikes. Good wholesome entertainment.

Well.....the other day it was raining. I decided to spend a few quality moments watching Dino's favorite show with him. Dino eagerly picked 'the snow one' (the Christmas special). I turned it on and started to feel sorry for Charlie from the opening credits. He received no cards and when he had the courage to confront a girl about not receiving a card, she totally dissed him. And then poor Charlie goes to see Lucy (you know the girl who yanks the football from him) and tells her he's depressed. Poor guy!

I'm sure you know the rest. He gets to be in charge of the play--the kids dance in a most unusual fashion, he decides to get a tree, the kids dance in a most unusual fashion, brings back a poor excuse of a tree and the kids laugh. The story of Christmas is revealed through Linus and Charlie gets his hopes back up, goes home and almost kills the tree and...you remember, right?

So it got me thinking back to the other Peanuts shows we have. Charlie goes trick-r-treating and gets only rocks (maybe this was why Dino insisted on being M Buble for this?), words like stupid and blockhead are thrown around (mainly to Charlie) like a common article adjective. I remember as a child not really caring for the show. I mean it was OK but who really found it funny?

I know who finds it funny. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Dino and Spanky laughing hysterically. Woodstock is caught in something--Snoopy is under the garage--absolute riot to my boys. I guess I'll let them watch it but the day they call me blockhead...

Ballet Recital -- 2008

And now--my official post of the Most Anal Recital of 2008.
We were able to take this:



and turn it into this:



and this:



some of this:



and even this:



The girls did wonderful and kept their cool as they managed to get in line up at the right time (seven dances ahead) for all four of the dances. It looked something like this backstage:




All in all, it was a wonderful day with lots of music, smiling and of course tutus :)

And the end of the day was best summed up by Dino who stood up after the curtain call and shouted 'Now it's the boys turn' 

I admit it--I am a 20th century gal

I never thought I would be one of those moms. You know the one kids can say slang words too and the mom is utterly clueless. But here I am in 2008 thinking The Hills are something that makes biking better for your butt and Twitter as something that 'saw that puddy cat'. I admit it.

I am trying to catch up. I text on my super fancy phone and look up different words to text to keep up with my husband who 'textes' with every client under 30. He had to learn text or he'd tell a client who messaged 'IDC U SOB' with 'gr8'  (lol). I am going to watch Camp Rock with my daughters and try to pay close attention to the jargon that seems to be so popular with the kiddos these days.

The technology however is getting to be a lost cause. Last week, the transmission on my SUV died (don't worry--we bought the extended warranty) and we got a loaner without keys--just a rectangular black thing you push into a slot and then you press a button. Apparently you turn off the car the same way. Oh and you have to tap the break and pray to Jesus each time or it does not start/turn off. I've had the car for a week now and I am still confused.

I really never planned to be the clueless woman....

Taking a break from ballet

We are in the midst of tech rehearsals, dress rehearsals and well plain ol' sit-around-and-wait-in-the-theater-for-your-dance rehearsals (guess which one takes the longest?). Yep, it is ballet week. The performance the girls have been practicing for since Christmas. The performance my family is flying down from Ohio to see. Yes, it's a big deal.

The one thing I really enjoy about this week is how it seems to overtake all my thoughts. My fears and doubts about Dino and his schooling next year are pushed out of my mind for at least a little while. Dino, it seems, is qualified for special ed. He has some gross motor issues and he is very shy. To be honest, he really only speaks to me and to his oldest sister. Everyone else in his life gets the three to four sentences if they are lucky. I know he needs the help but I also know I want him to start the pre-k program at the school with his sisters next year. 

I want him to go to both--three days at the special pre-school and two days at the private school. I want him to get the the extra attention he needs but I also want to keep him in an authentic classroom for social skills. The special ed teacher does not agree; she thinks Dino should be in her classroom daily. Dino's doctor is indifferent--he can see pluses to both. At this point, I am leaning toward both schools but I just don't know.

I want to do what is best for Dino. When I sat in the special ed meeting, I got the feeling they viewed Dino as a file of numerous tests and surveys and not just a little boy. They went at length to discuss his shortcomings but very little mention of what he could do. I mentioned at the meeting how Dino knew all his letters by sight and phonetically. The comment was met with disregard. I found this upsetting. 

The private pre-school on  the other hand has always felt different. From the start, the head mistress has asked how we as parents feel, how we work with Dino, how Dino feels about sitting and coloring. It just was completely different.

So here I sit, debating what direction I need to go. Full time special ed or an education with a great deal of special ed enrichment. I wish more than anything I could just talk to someone and just KNOW what to do. But there's really only one person that knows Dino well enough to truly know what to do and that's me. So I debate back and forth...but not today. Today I must retact that tutu.

Do I lose my girl card for this one?

The other day I had the rare chance of being invited to two different girls' night out on the same day. The first offered was from a great friend who shares common interest in healthy eating. She invited me to come here a man speak about nutrition  and it's effect on hormones. I accepted on the spot. I love to hear different ways I can improve my health (and my family's) by the food we eat--just ask anyone who has ever had a real life conversation with me :)

The other invite was from a group of girls in my book club who I adore. It was to meet up for drinks and dinner and then see (what else) the 'Sex and the City' movie everyone seems to flocking to in droves.

Now first off, I already accepted the invite from my first friend, so it didn't matter what my book club was doing. I have been told since I was young that you never cancel plans just because something better comes along. It's just rude. But the invite from my book club got me thinking. Would I go see the movie if I didn't have plans?

Well let me start by saying I adore the girls in my book club. They rock. I have been going to this book club since I had only two children and we have been through everything from entering the work force, new babies and breast cancer. I love these women. And I had not seen them for months. The past year, book club meetings have fallen apart thanks to life. I would have loved to hang out and close down the restaurant like we did 'in the old days' but the movie. A different story.

Ten years ago when SATC came out on HBO and I was up late at night nursing Miley, I looked forward to the show. It was original, funny and a glimpse into a kind of life that  was polar opposite of mine. I remember missing it when the season was over and eagerly awaiting for the second season. Finally the second season arrived and it was fun but missing a bit of the novelty of the first season. I was not on the edge of my seat for the third season. Once the third season came around, I remember looking at my husband and saying 'didn't Miranda once date the same type of quirky guy Carrie is dating now?'. Rather than looking forward to it, I was much more involved in that other HBO series, the Sopranos, and laughing harder during Chrissy's drug intervention (warning--this clip contains language and if you don't know the show, you might think it's a bit mean) than I had all season three at SATC.

By the time season four rolled I around, I watched a bit if nothing else was on and I was nursing a baby. In my mind, they turned from these spunky 30-something women looking for love and themselves in the big city to really desperate, no morals, self-absorbed, materialistic brats. They were no longer women I would have hung out with. Ever. 

So am I alone here? Is there anyone else in America that feels the way I do? Or do I lose the girl card for this one :0

PS-If it gives me any points, I did invite a girlfriend over to watch MY favorite chick flick movie of all time, Gone With the Wind; and Scarlett is not a bad dresser herself if you are into the whole Old South look ;) 

If I were a robot, I'd be short circuiting

Lots of stuff going on right now. I am still trying to get hair pieces and tutus in order for next week's performance, Spanky has been screaming pretty much non-stop, Miley is in the midst of math tutoring and Dino is having  A LOT of evaluations for next school year (I plan to talk about this more later, right now it's just a very emotional subject for me). So anyway little things are slipping from my attention.

I had been typing comments with a half chewed Luna bar in my hand. Spanky just walked by, put it in my hand and have not really noticed. Miley asked if I was a dish now. I looked at the bar and shrugged. She came over and took it out of my hand and threw it out mumbling how I shouldn't let the baby do that. I can honestly say I did not even notice.

Yesterday in the car, I fought to get Spanky in his car seat, scrunching up his legs to the seat. Sara asked when we would be able to switch his car seat to forward facing, his second birthday? He is 21 months old. I honestly forgot to flip him around.

The only thing Dino will wear is a long sleeved Crew Cuts blue shirt and Crew Cuts distressed blue jeans. The blue jeans now show (all) his underwear they are so distressed. And it's reaching a 100 degrees. He is wearing both items today. 

Sara had a play date for the same time as Dino's evaluation at the school. I had every intention of calling.....right in the middle of the evaluation, the room is filled with the sound of Bare Naked Ladies (my ring tone) and she calls to say she is standing in front of our house.

It might seriously be time for some brain surgery :0