What do You Get the Super-hero Who Has Everything?

The Player likes to iron.  The kids like Super-Heroes.  They recently came up with a new moniker for him..."Ironing Man."  Costumes vary in degree of wrinkledness depending upon whether he is in action or in an undercover disguise.  There was also some debate about what body part the steam would shoot from.  The kids are pre-teens after all. 

 

Here, on his ironing board, is my Valentine's Day gift to him.

 

 

The lid slides out!  Pretty cool, huh!?  And it's not just a mosaic, it's...

 

 

Yes, ENERGY!  Something every parental figure needs in spades.  This energy isn't in spades, it's in rocks and tiles and trinkets from thrift stores and Hobby Lobby.  

 

 

 

 

 

To Blog or Not to Blog?

My Blogger is messed up.  I'm not sure it will let me publish this. Testing testing one two...

 

Here are Samarra and Pi in a performance of Romeo and Juliet.  Each morning they perform a scene from Shakespeare in the living room.

Happy New Year, Baby!

There is a new baby in the family.  The kids' step-mom, Maria, had a beautiful baby girl on Sunday.  Shannon weighed in at 7 pounds 7 ounces, 20 inches long.  Big brother J-dude is a doting sibling.  Sisi isn't so sure about babies yet, and that's okay too. 

We've been blessed that Maria and "Oscar" have put us on the approved guest list.  I guess there's something weird about dropping by to hold your ex-husband's new baby, but it's weird in a "weird and wonderful" kind of way.  It's good the labels mean less than the warmth at this point.

We've come a long way, baby!

Christmas-time Fun

I finally finished the table I have been mosaicking.  I started work on it, took some tiles off, reworked it, let it sit, worked on it some more, worked on some other mosaic panels for the church mosaic project, and finally finished it.

I texted a photo to my friend Susan and quoted a price, and like magic....the table is sold!

This is great fun!

Also great fun today:  Christmas shopping at the mall.  I know!  I usually dislike shopping at the mall, I mean, there's no book store for gosh sakes.  But I found some things I had been looking for, and then I found some impulse gifts, and well, I had a very pleasant and short trip around the place. 

I can't tell you about the impulse gifts for the little people, but I'll be sure to include a photo on Christmas.  

Little Eye Spy

Goodness gracious, kids used to sneak around in the closets before Christmas trying to get a glimpse of what might eventually be under the tree for them.  Or pick up the boxes under the tree and give them a little shake, looking for clues.

Now kids get on their Mom's computers and cell phones looking for evidence.  Found in text messages between parentals and in History of Searches online. 

This mom has learned to delete the history and to erase her text messages.  I recommend mothers of other 12 year olds do the same.  It's a new Winter Survival Skill, up there with chop wood and haul water for our great grandmothers.

If you get desparate I suppose you could use your cell phone for fuel.  Is there an app for that?  I'll have to check.

Even now, as I try to type my blog behind a closed door, little eyes knock on the door, Can I Come In the little eyes squeak.  Yes, I say, then close the lid as if the screen will reveal all the secrets little eyes seek.

PERSONAL AD #1:  12 year old pair of eyeballs, seeks information that will lead to an XBOX purchase after all evidence to the contrary.  No reward offered.  Consequences include being banned from using mom's computer until December 26th.

Winter Wanderland

Slay bells ring, are you listenin'? 

My girl has a dark side as it turns out.  Weird humor involving a psychopathic killer llama cartoon on youtube.  CARL  has become a frightening word in our house.  As in "Carl, there's a dead body in the house."  Carl replies "Oh.  I did not know that."

I saw a funny cross-stitch for sale at a thrift store this week entitled "Dolly Mama Cross Stitch."  The cross-stitch patterns involved somewhat irreverent activities and adult beverages.  The Dolly Mama is the kind of lama or llama that would relate to the Carl videos, I suppose.

Lately I hear a lot of "mom, mom, watch this it's so funny."  I remember this stage of life when I could not, for the life of me, figure out why my parents had no sense of humor.  Or rather, not my sense of humor.  And now that I'm a parent of preteenagers, well, I can see the light.  In fact, I think I might need my sunglasses at all times when kids are present. 

Christmas Wishes

The girl wants a manual typewriter, and a DNA testing kit from 23andMe so she can find out her genetic heritage (but not the silly scary health stuff).  The boy wants an Xbox.  Guess who will NOT be getting what he wants.  Oh, wait, I ruined the surprise by using a gender-specific pronoun.  I hate it when that happens.

The kids' stepmom is having a baby.  She is due December 28th.  The girl wants it to be a girl.  The boy wants it to be a boy.  Unless there are surprise twins, someone won't get what they want in this case, either.  We just don't yet know who will be the lucky winner.

The Player doesn't know what he wants.  I don't know what I want either.  The Player is, however, glad I did not check out a mystery that I saw at the library titled "The Player to be Maimed Later."  I did look at it and chuckle, however. 

The Player and I are thinking of giving each other lottery tickets so if we get a winner, we could get a NEW car, or a TRIP TO HAWAII...does it sound like The Price is Right, yet? 

I think ultimately we don't want anything we don't already have.  And that is one fine place to be!