Reba Ras Begas

Well, here I am a bad blogger once again. Every day while I am doing other things, I think of incredibly witty, coherent posts (and you'll just have to trust me on that one). Then, once kids are washed (sometimes), read stories, put to bed, lunches packed, folders signed (why do their homework folders seem like work for me?), snacks packed, water packed (the teachers so generously allow the kids to take water and snacks for the afternoon...one more thing to pack...more work for me), I sit on the couch and I can't think a single coherent thought. Every.single.night.

So this is the mishmash post, wherein I ramble on about bits and pieces of random events in order to just relieve myself of the guilt of not writing more often.

Liam and I went to the Mother/Son dance again this year. It was fun. I could watch that boy dance all day. He looks so uncomfortable, and yet I can tell he wants to cut loose. He prefers to dance in front of me, facing out towards the crowd. I honestly can't tell if he does not want me looking at him dancing, or does not want to look at ME dancing (more likely). I am also uncomfortable dancing. I do not want to cut loose. Still, it is always fun to go out with my Liam. We ended the evening getting a drink at Sonic (oh yes, and Jim asked me to stop by the drugstore and pick up a bottle of wine for us on the way home - how creepy is that - all dressed up on a date with an 8 yr old and I'm getting a bottle of wine to take home - it is NOT what it looks like Mr. Drugstore man! ), and sitting with the windows open chatting. Except instead of chatting Liam wanted to use my phone to look up the Top 10 Funny Baby videos on YouTube. Quoting Liam: "I tell you, that YouTube is hilarious!!" So we both sat and laughed at all the babies belly laughing on YouTube. I threatened to post Liam's baby video of his "poo face" where his face turns so red it looks as if it will pop off. Good times. And if you couldn't tell, we did finally get his hair cut, right before school pictures were taken. The mop was too unruly in the mornings, and Liam would not brush it. One more thing for me to do... So now no brushing required.

Owen and I have some fun on the days when he doesn't have preschool and the other 2 are in school. We like to visit museums. That is Owen's thing right now. If anyone asks what he is doing today he will tell them very seriously, "Actually, I'm going to a museum." We don't go nearly as often as one would think from all his museum talk, but he must be having fun. One of the pictures above is when we went on a hike at a nature museum and visited the butterfly house. He likes the butterflies...but at a certain point I think they also make his skin crawl and then he will ask to leave. The display of cocoons was not a favorite. They are a bit creepy.

Owen is doing pretty well with soccer. If I'm honest, it stresses me out a bit because I'm always over-thinking his behavior on the field. When he focuses on the soccer playing he is fantastic. Once he gets distracted he uses all the players as bumper cars. But when he focuses, I love to watch him!

Oh yes, and he is also the reason for the post title. Another Owen catch phrase these days: Reba Ras Begas! Also known as Viva Las Vegas. Usually shouted while wearing his bright red cowboy hat. We can chalk that one up to the Wii Just Dance video game, where we dance to songs and follow the movements of the "person" on screen. The Viva Las Vegas dancer wears a cowboy hat. The way Owen pronounces it sounds exactly like how I would imagine Scooby Doo would say it: REba Ras BEGas! Rooby Rooby Doo! I do love it when he sings.

Natalie lost a front tooth, and was so happy that it happened at school. She wanted the very fashionable plastic tooth necklace that they give you to put it in. To me, the hole looks huge and gaping, and it makes her talk differently as her tongue sticks in the hole. I'm not sure how it can be so disturbing and cute at the same time.

Natalie also gave me a gem the other day. She was furiously working on an art project at the kitchen table - her usual spot - and she asked me, "Mom, do you know why I'm an artist?" I expected her to say something like "because I make such beautiful pictures." Instead she told me, "Because I do some art every single day." Aaaahh, she is wise beyond her years. The end result is all subjective, but the process of doing it every single day is what makes her an artist. And she does do it Every.Single.Day. She is making "art" constantly. I had to chuckle to myself, and thought, "And that is exactly why I am NOT a writer." sigh...