You can't bite fashion legs

Oh, the joys of having children ... and having funny ones. I often feel ignorant when people talk about television shows and reality shows and all those things that you can learn through the media. But I don't watch TV ... I watch my children. Usually while I am doing the dishes and they are working off their after dinner energy rush. I love to watch the games they come up with or when they tickle each other and their giggles even make me laugh. A few nights ago, however, I graduated into a full time participant of the evening festivities. Lutza made me sit on the couch, she set the lights and told me to wait until she returned. Few minutes later this is what I see ... high-heels, hair down, lip-gloss and her purse ... LuLu is walking down the stairs and across the living room giving us a fashion show. There were many more outfits coming after this one ... each walk executed with charm and invested with all she got. Don't ask me where she got the whole idea or how does she know how to walk like she is on the runway ... but she was really good.

Of course I had to ask her to give me a kiss 'before she grows up and goes away to college' ... which led to spotting a really good bite on her leg ... just over the knee. So I took it!!! While she giggled she said: 'mommy, you can't bite fashion legs, you can't!!!' Oh, yes I can and I will bite those legs until she lets me!!

And just to wrap up the night, the children experimented with some goofy alien looks.

Spring Decor

Ahhh, spring is finally here and the few sunny days that we had already inspired me to shuffle some things around and to get down our Easter box from the top of the garage shelf.

About a month ago the children made birdhouses at their Home Depot craft hour that they custom painted on a later day. They were thrilled to see their work on the mantle along with some flowers, a butterfly and eggs.

These eggs are from years back. In Hungary we blow out eggs and color them ... then safely tuck them away in egg cartons. They have been pleasing my eyes year after year when Easter rolls around. I also made a hole bunch with some hangers that we traditionally decorate the Easter tree with.

It must be my childhood memory, but I have to have a live branch or two part of the spring decor. I got these on our latest nature walk with the children. The quest for the perfect branch has been going on for years ... but I think I found just the right one for our dining room window. Lutza is my assistant in decorating this tree every year.

This is my Hungarian corner .... just like I remembered. I love all the colors.

A one incher

Our 'relaxing' nature walk was cut short by an emergency - an inch long splinter from a wood bridge. I thought I have seen big tears before ...

My little Rapunzel

... our little Lutza as a long haired princess. Tangled is her absolutely most favorite movie right now ... the dancing, the singing, the humor, the romance .... she gets it all and takes it alllll in. This is her version of dressing up to be Rapunzel, she lets her hair down, kicks her shoes off and spins and twirls across rooms singing her favorite song. I have so much love for this little girl, I think my heart will explode. I treasure her for her imagination and innocence, I love that she is happy and free. I don't think I can ask for more as a mother! We will have all the time in the world for math and reading .... the 'right-now' this 'very moment' is what matters.

Pew!

Well, it has been quite a month so far. I don't even know where my memories of these past few weeks start ... maybe by getting in an accident with three children and crashing the van, followed by injuries to two more vehicles in the family, getting the the flu first ... topped off with the stomach flu. Oh, it has been quite a month.

When mommies go down, they go down big time. I don't recall being sick in recent history this bad, to the point that I did not even want to get out of bed but still had to because my little ones needed me and felt the same pains as I did. But we made it. Lutza and Vidor are such troopers and unfortunately know the drill when tummy troubles come. But little Goo-Goo just wanted to be hugged .... when I could not even stand my own clothes touching me. I did not make - or at that matter ate - a square meal for days and got the puzzled looks from my children that 'you did not feed us dinner' after I served them toasted bagels (that's the cooking part) with cream cheese and strawberries. And when I thought things can't get worse, the washing machine quit - QUIT! When I had piles and piles of sheets, blankets pillows and towels to wash ... why could not just the dishwasher quit?? So I officially declared that it was family emergency and my darling husband (who has been working and living out of town) drove home and took care of business .... and peace returned to our house. There is a reason why God gave two parents to each child and a man for a woman!!!

So this past week has been a blur but we still got a little green spirit going. Before we all got sick, we made green salt dough for evening activity. Whoever thought about the idea of giving children dough to play with ... I owe him/her big time. Without play-dough I would never have dinner made. Lutza made this happy green witch that we dried. We also made shamrock cutouts that we painted and glittered to use for further decorating. We embellished an outside door hanger with it and I used them at school to make St. Patrick's day pins by adding a pin to the backs with hot-glue-gun.

I also found random green card stock that we cut into shamrock shapes to string on the mantle.

Since Daddy has been out of town through the week, we made the traditional St. Patrick's day dinner a week prior. Being gentle on the recovering tummies, I stayed away from fancy desserts, instead we made healthy banana muffins and decorated them to be rainbow muffins. They were pretty good. Oh, I was brave enough to cook something yesterday and I could not stop with only the main dish. So I made tapioca pudding by using coconut milk, hint of cinnamon, raisins - sounds pretty good. Cracks me up even if I just think about the faces that my children made ... Vidor - bless his heart - says "Mommy, thank you so much for making this wooonderful dessert! Is it okay if I don't eat it?". So tapioca was not a big hit in our house ;0) and I did not even have to go as far as coloring it green.

Their present - a marble racer - was greatly appreciated. It has been keeping them busy for hours every day.

And this is our St. Patrick's day portrait without Goo-Goo. He refused to participate sadly. In spite of all the troubles and challenges of this past few weeks - as Jeff said - we are still blessed and fortunate that we have not been swept away by a tsunami or fear radioactive exposure. May God bring peace to all the people in trouble around the world.

Crafty Saturday

We love Home Depot. We sometimes go to Home Depot just to walk around and look at stuff ... finding things we can't live without ;). Jeff has a spot with his name on it (Contractors Only), and oh, we like to use it ... it's like rolling into an expensive hotel and walking right into the action.

This Saturday was the first time the children attended the Home Depot craft hour. They offer this one hour activity every Saturday at 8 am and the participants - smaller and bigger kids - get to bang around to their own enjoyment and create something cool. There is a group of 'regulars', children with numerous pins on their aprons, who have been attending for a long time. And there are the rookies, like us, who were also so warmly welcomed. The children all received an orange apron - just like the Home Depot employees - customized with their names.

I though this would be a great way to get the family going on lazy Saturday mornings and it was a complete success. Lutza was not hesitant, after putting on her apron and safety glasses, she got to choose her tools and nails, pick through the wood pile and 'warm up' by banging around and trying to build something. Vidor was not so sure if this whole affair was for him. He even pulled his neck into his coat and just watched, which was rather surprising since he lives for tools.

Lutza started to build a 'Birds Welcome' sign and did excellent with driving her nails in. I pounded the nails in just far enough that they would be standing stable and she did the rest. Tongue has to be just right!!!

Vidor finally took his coat and cap off and got busy ... he was so gentle and precise. I think the possibilities almost overwhelmed him. There were so many things he could do.

After about 20-25 minutes of 'warm-up', the Wood Doctor gathered the children together. I just called him the Doctor because he was wearing white work gear and glasses - a perfectly grumpy but funny character for the job. He reminded the children to the rules. The most important was to always wear eye-protection - unless any of the children wanted to borrow that extra eye-ball he was carrying around in his pocket.

Eventually the real builder, Daddy, joined in too and showed us some tricks.

Lutza said that it was okay that her house was a little crooked, the birds wouldn't mind it (I was her assistant and I am officially the Queen of finding knots and missed nails). She was very proud of her job!!!

It was a perfect way to start the day and have some family time together. Next week we are making race tracks. Do you think Vidor is excited?

Thanks Presidents

Lutza has Show-and-Tell every Thursday at school and they always follow a monthly theme, this time Italy. But as usual, I forgot to find something in time. As we were scrambling to get our shoes on, I spotted the last box full of pictures and frames that I failed to unpack in our new house yet. YES!!! (And NO too in the same time, because I just got reminded again to all the 'picture-stuff' I have been planning to do). But YES, because on the very top was sitting a framed picture of Mr. and Mrs Bush! There you have it, show-and-tell for this week. So in the car I tried to explain Lutza who is the president. It's a tough one! Try to choose your words and concepts in a way that an almost 5 year-old understands the importance of this position.

Momma: What is the name of our country?

Lutza: The United States of America!

Momma: Good deal! You know, the president is the leader of this country, like in the old days we had kings, today we have presidents who guide our country toward making wise decisions and to protect our people.

Lutza: Does he know the Queen of England?

Momma: Oh, yes! They meet sometimes to discuss important things.

Lutza: Do they have tea together?

Momma: Yup, you are getting it now ... over tea you can talk about important stuff. But he is a person who is also responsible to provide you with laws so you can have health-care (oh, deep stuff so... I had to make is sound more down-to-Earth), so you can go to the doctor, and you have schools and education, and we have soldiers who protect us.

Lutza: ... and he makes you eat healthy food and brush your teeth all the time ....

.... And our short drive is over. I think the only thing that I drilled in her that on the picture is President Bush who is our old president.

So at the end of school I talked to her teacher. Miss A. thought it was wildly funny what Lutza said at show-and-tell "Yupp, these are my daddy's friends on this picture!" - and that's it. THAT'S IT??? (Jeff always says 'my Buddy the W' when he talks about President Bush. S0 Lutza pays attention to that .... but my speed lecture on the importance of our president was probably never processed).

Being President's Day, we decided to celebrate by taking it easy and enjoyed our freedoms and privileges without limitations. Thanks to our great leaders for this great day!

On the above picture is Bendeguz, making a fashion statement (and enjoying his privilege of being able to wear anything regardless of race, gender, social-, economic-, or ethnic status). For snack he consumed one jelly tortilla roll, a bowl of rice with peas and chicken, 1 1/2 bananas and two oranges .... and out of the leftovers he made a nice 'soup' in his milk cup that he proudly stirred and showed off.

This is my lovely Lutza who found a new box of markers and loved every minute of her coloring.

Vidor (marker lines on his face) finally allowed me to wash and refurbish his cuddly bear. He willingly put 'Brumy' in the wash and kept him company so the bear is not scared and held his hand while I stitched up the hole after we put fresh stuffing in him.

Bendeguz is obsessed with seeing himself in my phone, so we made some silly pictures, too.

So Dear Presidents, thanks for all the great stuff you do for us, and thank you for letting us spend a fun day together.