Ringmaster

"I would like to buy a contradiction please".....oh wait.   I get those for free.   Negative me but seriously!   How to get the kids to stop contradicting each other and me at every given opportunity.   The conversation barely begins and then.....contradiction.  Ack.   How to teach them to say nice things to each other or to me.   Whining is a form of talking back to zee parents.   Stop whining.   Pondering how to call them on the carpet for this.   Fortunately they seem to pull themselves together for the most part in public.    We had a nice time at the zoo.   We sort of ended up at the zoo by accident since I misunderstood when a concert we wanted to go was.   I was two days early and decided that since we were out and presentable, we may as well take the plunge and visit the zoo.  

So my littlest roarer was caught by surprise when the lions started roaring and roaring....and roaring.   He appeared pretty unsure of himself but decided to roar back at them.   He roared and roared and roared.    I am pondering how I can 'roar' back at the kids in a sense by calling them on the carpet for their choices of avoidance, whining, sloth etc.   I am not as cute or remotely so as my little roarer.  I am the ringmaster of sorts but methods are different.   Everyone to your corners cubs!   Focus.   Jump through whatever hoops you need to get er' done!  

Outside the box

I am now into the stage of spring where I am doing my best to hang onto some school work happening around here.   Thinking outside the box means keeping the younger ones happy and interested while the older ones plug along with their grammar and math etc.   The final sprint to the end is in sight and perhaps it would be better to value what has gotten accomplished this year rather than despair of all the interruptions.   I am pulled in way too many directions right now and keeping my sanity is a challenge.   Please remember to have the 9 year old to read more on his own and not just with the mom so he makes progress.    Please remember to keep kids plowing ahead in their history reading.   Please......plant the garden right after you have the boys prepare the area for plowing.   Weed and plant the flower seeds to save money on annuals before it is too late.   Weed.   Did I mention weeding? 

My eyes drifted up and saw the piano and remembered I need to remember to get it tuned.   The tuned piano will make it live longer.   It means I have to remember the tuner is coming.   I might want someone to make sure no little critters found their way in it since the last time the tuner comes.   I hate that when that happens.   Critters love pianos and I live in a 150 year old house so critters are a part of life. 

Biking - I will be He Woman soon as I have decided to begin pulling the bike trailer so I actually get to go biking.   The kids get up too early so one or two of the youngest will be coming with me.   It will make the ride a bit more challenging and hopefully the kids will enjoy the ride. 

Computer is being yanked away so rambling is done for today.