Impressive Race

I had never heard of kids racing block cars they had to paint and carve out themselves. Motor Mouth was all excited about this car race! Check out some of the creative cars. I was very impressed at the level of creativity.

Family Medicine Friday

I talked to Dr R after her fat kid follow-up thing. She said that they base the follow-up on a child's BMI. By looking at him, Dr R said she would consider him a solid, muscular kid, not fat. They want to be able to rule out anything more serious, like a thyroid problem. Nice save, Dr R.

I think Mini Me is pretty comfortable with Dr R

I am blessed. I have 2 healthy children. 

School Is Over - Kind Of

Miss A and Motor Mouth

Motor Mouth went to the very last in-class session for this school year. I am very grateful to Miss A, the incredible teacher who was able to connect with my son and get to know him at his very core. Miss A was able to restore my son's love for school. That, combined with being taught at his pace and therefore, not having to wait for other kids to 'get it', made this school year a success.

In Tulsa, there was a K4 teacher at our private school we absolutely thought the world of, and had heard such good things about. We could hardly wait for Motor Mouth to be in her class. Sadly, it was the worst year I hope Motor Mouth ever has in school.

Which is why finding the best school for Motor Mouth has been such a journey for me. I knew that if he didn't fall in love with school this year, we could potentially lose him for years to come - and he's a smart kid!

I still don't know for sure what will be happening with Motor Mouth's education in the fall. I am confident each of the 3 options will enable his love of learning to grow and he will be in an environment where he can excel at his own pace.

Jon & Kate - Yup, I'm Going There

I watched the Jon & Kate Plus 8 season premiere Monday night to hear their sides. As I watched, I realized this is none of my business. Just because we watch their "version of reality" reality show, doesn't mean we deserve a response from them. They don't have to justify their actions to us. 

Just because someone invites me into their living room and lets me accompany them on their family vacations, birthdays and trips around town, doesn't mean I am entitled to know every thing going on with them.

Watching Jon and Kate bungle through the interview and show, I put myself in their shoes. How difficult would it be to have marriage problems and cameras on you, paparazzi following you, people you trusted running their mouths about you and then have the world labeling and condemning you? Would your marriage survive?

You know what makes a reality show good? Drama. I wonder if this will be the very best season for the Jon & Kate plus 8 franchise. Keep watching...It just might be.

Golden Boy

Aaron Thompson - Golden Boy

Meet Golden Boy Aaron Thompson. I met Aaron in 2000, when we both worked for the same church. I was church administrative staff, Aaron was one of the school coaches/PE teacher. He was so great with the kids. Parents loved him, the kids adored him. And soooo cute. Aaron was the golden boy. Everything he touched turned to gold. 

He had such a great head on his shoulders. If I had a son, I wanted him to grow up to be just like Aaron. Aaron was the kind of boy every mother wanted her daughter to bring home.

Until that Monday I filled in for the Pastor's Secretary. That was the day police detectives came to our church and school. That was the day I fielded calls from reporters and attorneys. That was the day I typed up a statement to the media, that had been prepared by our attorneys.

Ultimately, our friend, our golden boy, Aaron Thompson, who had grown up in our church since he was 5 years old, attended our private school, and never had a criminal record, pleaded guilty to molesting 8 boys and is currently serving a 25-year sentence. 

Aaron Thompson - Pedophile

To say we were all shocked is an understatement. We had no idea. We didn't see signs because there were none. He was so freaking good at manipulating everyone and everything. Truly, we were all duped. 200 staff. 700 students. Thousands of parents and church members. Duped. He must have thought us all so incredibly stupid. 

On the upside, I no longer trust everyone implicitly. I check things out in people's backgrounds. If my kids don't like someone, I'm more cautious of that person.

This week (May 2009), I talked to both kids about people touching them where their underwear is. I tried to convey, without freaking them out, that it was not okay for anyone to touch them there and that regardless of what anyone says, anyone who touches them there is naughty and they can always tell us.

Then Motor Mouth threw me for a curve. He asked what about if a kid touches them where their underwear is? Will the kid go to jail? Which made me wonder, had a child touched him? Oh boy, I should of read something about how to do this, before I jumped into it.

Here is some help for you:

How to Talk to Your Child

http://missourifamilies.org/features/parentingarticles/parenting79.htm

or,

http://web1.seattle.gov/police/sexoffender/TouchingSafety.aspx

How to Find a Sex Offender Near You

http://www.familywatchdog.us/

You can also check online for your local police department's sex offender registry.

I'm Not Winning Friends Here

There has been speculation as to the sexual orientation of Adam Lambert, American Idol Runner Up. Personally, I don't care if he is straight or gay. It doesn't alter his vocal abilities which is what I do care about. 

I am actually mad at a segment of the gay community. To me, it seems as if, in a rush to 'out' Adam with pictures of gay activity, they may well have hurt his chances at winning Idol. Adam Lambert was nobody a few months ago. Couldn't people have waited until after the final vote to plaster photos all over the web?

For a country so bent on freedom of speech, some people didn't let Adam exercise his freedom of speech or rather, his freedom to choose when he wanted to speak. Adam's sexual orientation is his business and his choice to share with the world, if he chooses to share it.  I do think Adam will come out and confirm he is gay or bi-sexual. (Please God, let him be bi to keep hope alive among the single ladies.) 

How much better for Gay Americans would it have been if Adam had won Idol and he could be listed as the first Gay American Idol Winner? We've had African American male and female winners. But, silly me, I forgot gay rights usually follow long after racial rights in this country.

American Idol - Finale

Well, unless you live under a rock, you should know by now that Kris Allen won American Idol.

Am I upset? Not really. Disappointed? A little. 

I'm disappointed America did not choose one of the more talented people: Danny Gokey, Allison Araheta. 

And I'm disappointed America did not recognize how well rounded and talented Adam Lambert is. I would have been much happier if Danny or Allison won. 

But gosh, look at Chris Daughtry. He came 4th during Season 5. Elliot Yamin was 3rd. Katherine McPhee was 2nd and, oh, what was that white-haired guy's name...Ummm...Soul Patrol Guy....Taylor Hicks. Right. Even Elliot Yamin is doing better these days than Taylor Hicks. 

Adam is very well spoken. He has killer singing ability. Adam did what American Idol asks people to do: Take a song and make it your own. Every week, consistently. Is Adam gay? What difference does it make? Does it matter that Ryan Secrest is short? Does it matter that Simon Cowell is British? 

Adam is a true artist and not winning Idol is probably the best thing that could happen to him. Less restrictions on what he can and can't do and he will probably get more money in his pocket much sooner. 

Disturbed by the Doctor

I took the kids to the doctor for their annual physical. It was all good. My kids are healthy. But the doctor said something that disturbed me. She said we need to watch Motor Mouth's weight. WTH!!

My son has abs. You can see his abs. He is not bone thin, but he is NOT fat!! He is in karate, swimming, and baseball. He wears the SLIM cut from GAP!! Motor Mouth is in the 75th percentile for his height.

Does this look like a fat kid?

Is this because I am fat? I never used to be. Was I skinny? No. For the first 30 years of my life, I was not fat. I was within my BMI range. Does she think my child is going to be a fat kid because I'm his mom??

I have been a mean mommy. I don't give my kids a bunch of junk at home. They get milk in the morning and 1 glass of apple juice at lunch. The rest of the day, it's water.

I go to people's homes and they have all kinds of fattening cookies and chips and sugary cereals, pop, juice. Just junk for their kids to eat. No offense if that is what you feed your kids. We don't feed our kids a bunch of junk food. Last month, I bought Pop Tarts, marshmallows, and Dum Dum's to keep in the house because I saw other parents doing that and I thought I was been too restrictive.

Motor Mouth BEGS for dessert EVERYday. I tell him everyday he can't have dessert. And that you don't have dessert at every meal. We have dessert maybe every 2-3 weeks!

Well, fine. I'm going to go back to being a mean mommy. 

My kid will.NOT.be.fat.

Adventures of the 3M's - 2009 Edition

We're baaaaa-aaack!!

Adventures of the 3 M's has officially returned

The other day, we met Thera-Beth for lunch.

It was a rainy day, so we donned our Rain Boots!!

On the way back, we HAD to walk IN the water

It was soooooooo much fun.

And so worth the load of laundry!!

Anyone notice Mini Me is walking it, 

Not in a stroller?

Must Love Dogs

We/I dogsat the other weekend. 

George is one of the loves of my life

George followed me everywhere.

George just wanted to be with me. 

He missed me when I left (cried)

He didn't talk non-stop (like Motor Mouth) or cry non-stop (like Mini Me). He just loved me in glorious silence

George knew to hide from the kids

In return, I had to take him to potty at 6:00 am 

and 10:00 pm (and a few times in between). 

I have to say, Chicago loves it's dogs.

This is a Dog Beach

As far as your eye can see, is sand and water in an enclosed area, just for dogs. Gotta love this city.

Where Is Mini Me? Part 3

We woke up the kids

Told the them to go potty and get dressed

This is where we found Mini Me

Boyhood Right of Passage

Motor Mouth took a really bad tumble at baseball. It's a right of passage - skinning both knees and being on a concussion watch. 

I didn't realize just how bad a tumble 

it was until I checked out his body.

Right Knee

Left Knee

They don't make Bandaids big enough

Right hip

And he didn't even cry!!

What is up with the Nicknames?

My bloggy friend, Lit and Laundry, asked what the story is behind 'Optimus Prime' my sister's nickname.  I've been a nickname kinda girl for as long as I can remember. It must have something to do with my father, Tall Tale Daddy. King of nicknames and a real joker.

Tall Tale Daddy & Green Eyed Granny

Tall Tale Daddy is always coming up with some crazy nickname. Like for my nephew who has a big head...'Headly'. Not nice. I know. But we don't call him that to his face anymore. My other nephew who was(is) a granny's boy...'Shadow' because he never left my mom's side. Oooo, then there was this lady my brother dated. She was way older so my dad referred to her as his Aunt. "Shaneus, your aunt is on the phone!"

My father calls me Simon Garfunkel, or more frequently, just Garfunkel. 

On my blog, I call him Tall Tale Daddy because you never really know when he is waxing eloquently. Like how he tells everyone of the time he swam out in the ocean and got stranded on a buoy because he was surrounded by sharks....

Yeah, right. The man can't swim!

Optimus Prime

My brother, Shaneus McTier, came up with the name 'Optimus Prime' for our older sister when Transformers had first come out. Optimus Prime has a strong sense of justice and righteousness which describes our sister. And I think back in the day, Optimus Prime was a fighter. My sister didn't start fights but she was good at finishing them!

She has a few other nicknames...

Khrushchev, after Nikita Khrushchev (former leader of the Soviet Union).

The Little One, because she is the littlest one in our family at 5'5" (and 3/4").

Also Nicolita, Napole, Napolita, and Little N. 

Seems like we never call her by her real name.

Shaneus McTier

I didn't know who came up with the name Shaneus McTeir, a play on his real name, so I called my dad. Turns out, the name is actually Shaneus McTaneus. I'm sticking with McTier as that is what I've used for too many years.

Dad also calls him Mr. Van Buren because he has 'presidential qualities'. Van Buren was the 8th US president.

Donuts

I call our oldest brother, Donuts, which is a play on his name and he used to be a cop. Haha!! Get it - cops love donuts. I came up with that one. Which is why I'm the only one that calls him that. Thing is, he is a health nut and has always had a great body. He doesn't eat donuts. Or drink coffee. It's a tongue in cheek nickname.

Nicknames were great in high school. It was really handy that we referred to the guys we liked by nicknames. That way, no one sitting around us knew who we were talking about. It worked well.

Hey, NAMK, remember Mr. USA and Mr. Gym??