Ditching the PSP

Tonight one of the offspring who is OBSESSED with video games (as so many young boys are) amazed me. The hub and I keep a very tight reign on the the amount of time that the boy has with his beloved electronic games. He has to read to earn gaming time - minute for minute, and only can play on the weekends.

BUT - on Thursday nights when I coach 'A's basketball team and the Hub is working late the boys have to come with me. So - I let 'N' play his PSP during practice from 8-9pm if he has earned it by reading.

'N' loves basketball - and his practice time is earlier so he is usually tired by 'A's practice and quietly plays his PSP during that hour. Tonight however - there was a free basket in the gym and I was shocked to see him excitedly ditch the PSP, grab a spare ball and have a great time shooting hoops with a couple friends.

This may seem like no big deal - but I LOVED watching my awesome kid not just voluntarily but excitedly emerge from his electronic world to do something else.

Now I just need 'Z' to ditch his blanket that I let him bring to the practice. On one hand I am horrified that I allow him to bring it. On the other hand - he theoretically should have been in bed and hour earlier and has very poor coping skills. Having him lay on my coat on the gym floor under his blanket seems a better alternative to trying to coach while having to lug around a tired/grouchy/sobbing 5 year old.

After all, I have to deal with a not-so-tired/grouchy/often sobbing 5 year old during all other daylight hours.

Conversations with 'Z'

Me: What do you want for breakfast?
Z: What's on the menu?
Me: Ummmmm - Mini Wheats?
Z: Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm............
Me: So, would you like some Mini Wheats?
Z: y-y-y, n-n-n-, y-y-y, n-n-n, y-y-y-YES! That was a tough decision!
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Z: I need to be rich when I grow up.
Me: Really? Why do you need to be rich?
Z: Cause I need a giant mud pit in my back yard.
Me: Do you need to be rich to have a mud pit?
Z: Yes. Cause where else can my elephant play? I also need an ocean in my backyard for my dolphin. And I need to take the mud pit in the house so my elephant can come in when there is snow but I can't take the ocean inside so I guess I will have to get a salty pool in the basement. I also want a whale when I am rich.
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Z: Can I have bubble gum for breakfast?
Me: Nope.
Z: Well, how about sugar free bubble gum? Or cookies?
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Me: Aren't you excited for Kindergarten next year?
Z: No. I am excited to go to college so I can get my own pet.
Me: I am excited for you to go to Kindergarten. You will do fun things there.
Z: Oh good! Like going to the pool?
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Z: I wish I had my drivers license.
Me: Why?
Z: Because then I could drive my own car and drive to Africa, Greenland, and the North Pole. I would get an Elephant in Africa. I would see if trees grown in Greenland. And I would meet Santa at the North Pole. Maybe Santa will give me a whale for next Christmas.
Me: Where will you put a whale if Santa gives you one?
Z: In a huge pool in the basement.
Me: We don't have a huge pool in the basement.
Z: I know! He will give it to me when I am rich.
Me: How will you get rich?
Z: I will do my best and work hard and get good grades in every school. Then my job will be to train animals, like whales, dolphins, and elephants.
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Z: My favorite food is going to be salad, carrots and turkey when I grow up.
Me: Do you like those things now?
Z: Ew! Yuck! I hate salad and carrots. Turkey is okay though.
Me: When are you going to start liking salad and carrots?
Z: When I am 15 I think.
Me: What is your favorite food now?
Z: Chick-Fil-A Food. And corn.
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Me: I like this Valentines Day card that Grandma sent you.
Z: I don't like it. Pirates should not be on a pink card.
Me: Well, it's a Valentines Card and pink is a Valentines Color.
Z: Well I hate the card, but I do like the five dollars in it.
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And while walking past Victoria's Secret in the Mall
Z: Ugh! Bras! I hate seeing girls in bras!
Me: I know! Close your eyes so you won't see them.
Z: Why can't I just see girls with no bras!?!
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Tick..Tock..Tick..Tock

I hate to waste time. This does not mean that I don't get distracted from what I should be doing. I routinely start different projects that are completely unnecessary. In fact, I happen to be the reigning queen of misappropriating my time with things that are non essential. During the creation phase of such projects I am incredibly unaware of the many things that I should be doing. Those 'things' (a.k.a. responsibilities) , suddenly come rushing back into my brain as soon as I hear the kids walk in the door from school and I realize that my so-called free time has ended, and my to-do list is still quite long.

And so - I have banned myself from the craft store. (And did I mention that my husband is less than thrilled at the number of crafty purchases that appear on our bank statement). No A.C. Moore, no Michaels, no Jo-Ann Super Store. These mercantile institutions are my vice. So - with the banishment of all craftiness I will undoubtably gain many hours with which to accomplish the need-to's.

Now I only need to figure out a way to gain more time by remembering where I park my car. I am not exaggerating when I say that I NEVER remember where it is parked when I have been away from it for more than 30 minutes. I shudder to think of the number of hours that I have wasted as I wander around parking lots, holding my keys in the air, pressing the lock button in hopes that I will near my vehicle and it will answer me with a bleep-bleep. When 'Z' is with me he helpfully calls out:

"Where are you Honda Pilot? Honda! Honda! Where are you?"

A glass-is-half-empty kind of gal might find this embarrassing. Luckily I am a glass-is-half-full sort so I realize that my idiocy, accompanied by child-like helpfulness has caused many a laugh in retail and grocery patrons alike. I am brightening the day of others, and perhaps providing them with a humorous anecdote to share with loved ones over dinner.

And if I were a half-empty type, I could find solace in the fact that my car will never again be lost in front of a craft store.

For years, I tried to make fantastic cakes for my kids birthdays. I would research different things and go all out to create some sort of crazy-fun cake for them. Some were good, some were less than good, but for each birthday I would spend a lot of time and energy making sure that my kids had a totally unique and cool cake for their birthday. A few year ago, we were in the bakery of a Super-Walmart and the kids happened to see the book of cakes that were available for special order. They were amazed and awe struck at all the wondrous cakes that a person could choose from. 'N' and 'A' expressed amazement over the cakes and someone said with surprise:

"So this is where these cakes come from! I thought these were only really special cakes that were hard to find. I thought Mom didn't know about them and so she just tried to make any old cake for us."

They proceeded to beg me to 'puh-lease' let them pick out a cake from the book for their birthday because they were the coolest cakes ever and they did not like the kind that I made as much as these extra special creations.

I was reminded of this event yesterday as we went down the Valentines aisle at the local Grocery store............

A: Oh my gosh! Guys look what I found! Real live Valentines!
N: You don't even have to make these!
A: I know, you just write a kids name and sign your name and you are done. These are the coolest Valentines ever!
N: I always wanted this kind!

The kids then proceeded to beg me to 'puh-lease' let them pick out a box of valentines because they were so much more cool that the kind they 'have' to make.

Yep. Each February I pain-stakingly select a fun-for-all crafty valentine that the kids and I can make together.

Apparently I am spending too much time 'making' when there is a perfectly acceptable, and likely favorable, pre-constructed alternative.

Homemade Birthday Cakes: out. Homemade Valentines: out.

I wonder what else in my life can be eliminated. I am sure that offspring would not complain if I quit making dinner and ordered pizza every night.

Slurp!

The date - Sunday, January 4th. The time - 2:40pm, Eastern Standard Time. The place - Sacrament Meeting. The situation - Z has just pulled a giant red and white swirly straw from where it had been secreted inside of his shirt.

Me: (in a whisper) Hey Z - Why did you bring that straw to church?
Z: (quite loudly) This straw? I brought it to slurp up the sacrament!

A few other noteworthy items that took place on Sunday:

1. This was our first meeting which took place from 2:30-5:30. I will refrain from prolific complaint.
2. As our ward is predominantly BYU prone, I felt the need to represent the UTES and their beyond fantastic victory over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. So - I called a friend and fellow U fan. Our husbands were both out of town so we, and all of our kids dressed in Red and White. As luck would have it, we were both on time and arrived simultaneously. We paraded in together, eyeballing all the Cougars as if to say 'you are welcome for the $17 million'. The Stake President (and collegiate compatriot) was sitting on the stand and gave us a victory nod.

Christmas Simplified

Every year the Hub and I tell each other that we are going to 'take it easy' and 'scale back'. Then, every year we go nuts buying things for our kids that we think will make them scream with joy on Christmas morning.

I will admit that I think spoiling my kids is fun. There is nothing fun however, about having spoiled kids. So this year we committed. The kids were told at the beginning of November that for the Fishler Family Christmas 2008 they would receive 4 gifts - one each in the following categories:

1. Something you want
2. Something you need
3. Something to wear
4. Something to read

The 'something you want' would come from Santa. All others were from me and the Hub. When asked: "What if Santa wants to give us more presents?" We replied: "We will write a letter to Santa telling him to give those gifts to other kids who don't have as much as we do".

We were thrilled as the kids not only embraced this plan, but carefully and methodically began to make decisions about what they wanted for Christmas.

When we saw Santa at the mall, the following conversation ensued:

Santa: What do you want for Christmas?
Z: Jedi Math for Leapster
Santa: That sounds like fun! What else would you like?
Z: Nothing else, all those presents are for other kids."

We are still flying high on the coat tails of our simplified Christmas. All three kids are continually busy playing with their few gifts and none of us feel that anything was missing.

Now that the holiday's are winding down I can honestly say that I feel that the Hub and I gave the kids more this year than any other because our celebration was sweeter, and more full of gratitude and joy.

Perks

Many companies offer employee bonuses and fringe benefits to show their thanks and support to those that keep a business afloat. This creates a satisfied employee base and assures staff turnover will be kept to a minimum. As a tax payer, I am glad that the Federal Government does not offer ANY such benefits. As the stay-at-home spouse of such an employee, I am awed when told by others about their 'extras'. The dicotomy between public and private sector is especially noticable during the holiday season. HOWEVER - last night we were able to cash in on a FANTASTIC perk that was eight years in coming.



It was an adventure for the whole family - and if you are on my Christmas (otherwise known as New Year's) Card list you will be getting a recap of the evening soon!