SmokeLong Weekly—"What You See When You Think Of Home" by John Mark DeMoss—February 8, 2010

This short story is written by a man who was instrumental in making me the person I am today. When I was young him and his wife took me in and were a wonderfully positive influence in my life, they were a line to hold onto when I had drifted astray. I was very lucky to have had their family's kindness and who knows the kind of life I may have had with out them. He has recently taken up writing fiction and this story is Amazing!!

SmokeLong Weekly—"What You See When You Think Of Home" by John Mark DeMoss—February 8, 2010

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Caution Monkey At Work

This weekend a friend of mine and I took Monkey to Dinosaur World. It was amazing. It was laid back and low key. When we arrived around 9 am there was only 1 other car in the parking lot and I think it belonged to the people that worked there. We spent a few hours walking the trails that lead around the little park. All over they have representations of all kinds of dinosaurs and other ancient creatures.

Roo looked at every one. He got to have a little fossil dig and he found 3 shark teeth. He found real fossils too but he didn't want to keep them. We were there for a school assignment but we found it to be fantastic. If you live in this area and want a great place for the afternoon I suggest you check it out. You can take in a lunch and they have lots of picnic areas. The admission is really inexpensive also.

So on the way out I told him he could pick out a souvenir so he selected this dinosaur encased in tiny rocks that he then dug it out with his chisel and hammer and his brush. He then worked with daddy to construct the bones into a skeleton. See the below pictures

Some assembly required....

Celebration of Life

This is what Noodles school does for the children's birthday. You can't really tell but on the ground is an orange candle it represents the sun. The children put around it the four seasons and the 12 months of the year. Then the birthday child walks around the sun and for each year he makes someone reads a story about his life in that year beginning from birth. So I read about when he was just a baby all the way to all about Noodle in his 4th year. They sang a great song about enjoying their time with him and good wishes for the future. It was very touching and I only cried a little but I thought this was a great way to celebrate the kids' birthdays and still teach them the reality of a birthday.

Touch a Truck and a bit of Nature

So my city is wonderful and has several fairs thought the year. One of them this year was Clown day and Touch a Truck. During this day they invite all the city and county groups to bring out their equipment for the kids to look at and climb all over (the honking was ear splitting). We saw old police cars, garbage trucks, semi trucks, recycling trucks, street sweepers, buses and of course the fire truck. The care flight helicopter landed and took off from the park right in front of the kids. It was great. And as always we have a much better time when we have friends to enjoy the day with. In the picture above is Noodle, Pip, Popeye, Pearl and Jason.

They also invited several other vendors and below are some pictures of Noodle and his friends Pip and Popeye checking out the butterfly garden. The children learn all about the life cycle of the butterfly at school and just loved holding them and how beautiful they looked in person.

Funny Things a Kid Says

Today Noodle, his friends, their mom and I went for a little walk. The kids were running ahead the other mom asked them to slow down a bit. Noodle turns around and says "We can't we are going to eat your dirt."

One more tid bit to share to those of you I haven't told already, I am just never more amazed by my son then when he asks me this stuff. We were chatting as we often do in the car on the way to school. Noodle asks: "Mom if you don't take care of a baby will it die?" Concerned where this is going, I answered yes because a baby can't feed itself so it needs people to take care if it. "Well mom, then who took care of the first baby?"

And I thought I would share a few new pictures of him we just got in for his big 5 year old birthday!

Catch Up

I am so sorry it has been so long. It will take me a bit to catch up. We will start with the big events: Noodle's big 5th Birthday party! It was a wonderful day. The weather was perfect and the party went off with out a hitch. The kids loved Mrs. Kim and the Parents loved that I didn't have pizza.

He got wonderful gifts from all of his friends. The very best part was seeing all of the kids having fun and being successful. And of course the kido's loved playing on the playground together. Thank you to everyone that joined us.

Gold Belt

Here it is, mommy bragging time!! My wee monkey has worked hard for this day and he has moved from his white belt into the world of colored belts. Below is a piece of his big test today. His teacher Mrs. Kim Jackson is amazing with the kids and he just loves her!! She is also coming to his Tae Kwon Do birthday to teach his friends how wonderful this discipline is! I couldn't be more proud.

Check out his great moves:

Wordless Wednesday!

Young Children’s Love

This is monkey and one of his best friends Pip. He comes home to tell me that Pip hurt his feelings because they were going to share a promise but she was running away from him when he tried to tell her. They were supposed to play together during play time. They were supposed to play together today like they did yesterday but Pip was playing with two other boys instead, Monkey was hurt. I love that this is the worst thing that happens to my son in a day. Oh to be a child when "my friend didn't play with me" was our biggest worry. And don't worry as fast has he was "hurt" he is again fine and thinking his Pip and her brother Popeye are the best friends a kid could have. - For issues to be resolved so easily, dismissed so quickly. If only our adult lives could be a simple as a child's.

Tae Kwon Do

So Monkey has been in Tae Kwon Do for several months now and I am proud to anounce the last Thursday of this month he will be testing for his first belt. - Gold - As you can see below he is very focused and ready:

But in all serousness he has learned great things from his teacher Mrs. Jackson. She has taught him focus, determination and most of all the importence of a clean room. She sits with the kids to discuss martial arts saftey and all around behavior every week. I am so proud of him. I will post pictures of his belt ceramoney as soon as we get home.

Lunches

So Monkey's school decided that in loo of fixing some stuff that needed repair in the kitchen and wiping off the counters they would discontinue the family style lunches offered at the school. Perhaps it is the economy? Perhaps a bail out is in order?

So at first I hated the idea of having to pack the lunch every day. I however have given into the dark side and am enjoying the fun I am having with the lunch. It helps that I got him the best lunch box care of Pearl Potato. It is a lap top lunch system. (secretly I love it so much I am going to get a Bento Box for my own lunches....) Don't worry it is phthalate and lead free!! So below is the lunch for Thursday taken with my totally awesome new camera care of Mohawk Papa...







Yes we are having popcorn and cheddar bunnies, grapes, ham-turkey-cheese moon shaped sandwiches and carrots and ranch. The other mom says put in lots of colors and she is right doesn't it look great? Sadly we are so involved with our children we are even having themed days of the week such as Wacky Wednesdays when the kids get breakfast for lunch and the other momma even thought about Foreign Friday for a little added culture.. sounds like a plan to me. We are however taking suggestions for a theme for Thursday neither of us could come up with a good alliteration.

That Tough Choice

I think I had the greatest compliment I have ever had recently. As parents we all have to think about what would happen if we were gone and no longer able to care for our children. We all have to think who would we trust with our most precious gifts. I had to make that choice a long time ago with my wacky family to be sure if any thing happened to Mohawk daddy and I that Monkey would be raised like we would like and be able to see BOTH sides of the family without an issue. His daddy and I think we made the best choice. But for the first time ever someone thought that i was a good enough parent that they asked that of me. I can't even tell you how amazing it is. Someone thinks I am a good enough mom that they would trust me with their most precious gifts. Now here is hoping that nothing never happens because of course it is one of my dearest friends I couldn't bare to loose but I was feeling very touched and thought I would share.

A Month

I know it has been a month since I have posted. I am sorry life just ran away with me. It is the end of my semester for school so I am gearing up for final exams. But I had to share this little story with all of you. Mohawk Baby and I were riding in the car a few days ago. When I looked in the back seat he was just sitting there. I asked if he was going to start on his breakfast he said

"In a minute mom I am searching for my inner peace."

Fairly sure I hadn't heard what I thought I did I said excuse me? He said

" I am looking for my inner peace it is somewhere here (gesturing to his heart)
around my heart."

Trying not to laugh I told him when he found his inner peace he needed to eat to nourish his inner body. I just love that boy he says the funniest stuff.

Winter Vacations in Florida!

So monkey's god mother Na-Na came down to see us for a whole 10 days. It is never long enough for me I am so very selfish with my time with her. We didn't lack for activities though we went to the usual Florida tourist traps: Disney, Sea World, and Busch Gardens. We also spent some time doing the usual soccer practice and games and Tae Kwon Do. The last two days were the best though we spent our free time at the beach building sand castles. I though I would share a picture of one with you all!

Monkey loves any chance he has to spend with his Na-Na and we can't wait until she is back for his birthday in February.

4 year old voters

So I voted today, and I thought it would be good for Monkey to witness the civic responsibility. When I got to the voting place they had a children's voting ballot too. I was so excited. So after I voted and he stood not so patiently to watch me fill in the bubbles it was now his turn. Little children were only asked to vote for the president. Monkey took his little pencil and bubbled in on the sheet, next to his chosen candidates picture, behind the cardboard privacy barrier. Then he placed his little ballot in the slot with the other children's ballots.

His father asked him who he voted for and he said John McCain.

Daddy asked him why.

Monkey said "Because he kinda looks like a Grandpa." - And there is the logic of the four year old voter.

Car Ride Conversations

Don't let that innocent face fool you!

So I think talking with monkey is one of the most amazing experiences. My friend Mags is right kids don't know how to lie until someone teaches them and their honesty is refreshing.

So with all the eventfulness in our lives in the past few days, I seem to have lost a grip on my scheduling mastery. Usually on Monday evenings my gracious friend picks Monkey up and takes him with Popeye to soccer practice, because I inconveniently have class. Well I didn't even remember soccer so I didn't pack anything Monkey would need. I even went so far as to ask Grandma to pick him up from school. I felt like such a schmuck when another mom called me and told me her wee guy was missing soccer because he wasn't feeling up to it and I had to urgently hang up to call my dear friend and apologize for being a flake.

So I pick up monkey from grandma's and I tell him I am so so sorry for forgetting soccer.

This is what I was getting to...

This morning in the car Monkey says "So Mom, we missed soccer yesterday?"

I told him we did and I was sorry. Then he says "DAMMIT" I didn't even know what to do he has never cussed on purpose before. I just said excuse me and he apologized. Then I asked him why he said that (the honesty part) - "I just wanted to see what you would do." Kids I tell you!

Sadness

(This picture was pirated from my sister's camera - thanks Sis!)
I have not posted recently because I have been out of town. This picture of my niece and her scrampa was not taken long before he passed away last Monday. I know that my family will be popping on to check out my blog and I would love for you to leave Mohawk Baby your favorite memories of my dad, as this blog is really for him. When I feel a bit more strong and I can type about him and still see thru the tears I will post a few of my own as well. For those of you that made it, Sister and I would like to thank you so much for supporting us and being there for us. For those that couldn't make it we understand - and we missed each of you. Really thank you all for your condolences and all of the thoughts and prayers.

Wordless Wednesday

Out of the mouth of babes

Mohawk Daddy, monkey and I were in the living room the other day. As innocent as ever monkey looks at his dad and says "daddy are you an momma married?" Daddy tells him no we are not and that is why my last name is not the same as theirs. Monkey looks his dad right in the face and says "so when are you guys going to get around to that?" - Some reaction from a four year old.

Ninja Monkey

For Halloween Monkey wanted to be bat man for that we had a costume consisting of PJ's and a mask he got at a friends birthday, totally affordable - as it cost us nothing.

Then today we are milling around TJ Max and we find this gem. Monkey of course fell in love with is, so daddy says we should just try it on him to see if it fits, and as you can see it fit quite well. I think the best part is the fluffy muscles on the little noodle arms of my monkey!

Happy Halloween!