Tae kwon do!

First day at tae kwon do class! How cute us he? He did fantastic; his master even asked him if he'd had private tae kwon do lessons because he was surprised at how well he did for his age. We couldn't have been prouder of him!

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I want a dog!

For the last few months I have been seriously contemplating getting a dog. I have lots of reasons in my head for why this would be a good thing and two reasons for why it would be a really bad idea. On the plus side, I would have a running partner, a reason to feel safer when it is just me and the kids at home at night, my son would LOVE it and be a good way to get out some of his energy (I mean my son's energy but I guess the dog, too..), and my daughter is a bit fearful of dogs and I think this would help her with that. She isn't scared of all dogs - mostly small ones that jump, ones with piercingly loud barks, and really hairy dogs. On the negative side, I would have one more living thing to take care of in the house and, let's face it, I can barely manage what I have now, and we would have to reduce the time we spend away from home or find a good dogsitter.

Also for the last few months, I have been kind of non-social. I'm not going to say lonely because I can't be lonely when I am never alone. But I have had less adult converation and social outlets. Not that having a dog would help that, this is not the reason I am sharing this information, but I have been talking with the kids more because we spend more hours together during the day than I do with my husband. That being said, I can sometimes forget that my daughter is only 6. She is very chatty and a good listener (she asks questions and will be very empathetic when I have a bad day). So I made a HORRIBLE mistake and told her the other day that I was thinking, just thinking, about getting a dog. First words out of her mouth were "not a small one!" then "not a hairy one!" and last "will the cat be okay with a dog?". I told her likely a medium one but we would have to do some work on finding the best kind to get. I said this was just the THINKING stage. But I think after I answered her questions she was done thinking. Now, apparently, I am the only one doing the thinking. She has decided she wants a dog. She tells me several times a day and has now even found a song to sing about how bad she wants a dog. She even convinced me that she made up the song! I believed her for 2 whole days until she confessed. I'm sure in the next day or two she will really make one up or some interpretive dance about how she can't live without a dog.

Typical conversations

Most days by 7pm I am wiped out. I attribute that to the mental work I have to go through as being a mom of two kids who never tire of asking questions and are always looking for ways to keep me on my toes. With him, its the struggle of how to not laugh when he says things that are funny but if I laugh at them I will pay for it with the boost to his ego. With her, its that I have to constantly stay on top of what I ask her to do because she is really distractable and goes off on tangents (the apple doesn't fall far apparently)
Let me give you examples:
(Pic is from her birthday at BAB workshop)
Me: Put your pajamas away
E: Okay
Me: (10 minutes later) did you put your pajamas away?
E: not yet
Me: what are you doing?
E: putting my necklace away
Me: (10 minutes later) did you put them away?
E: not yet
Me: why not?
E: I found a necklace I want to give to my friend and am writing her a note
Me: do that after you put your pajamas away
E: (10 minutes later) mom, how do you spell 'friend'?
Me: F-R-I...wait, have you put your pajamas away?
E: oops! I forgot!

I keep telling myself that, in the long run, I will be happy I had them help around the house. But I can see how parents end up doing everything and then raising kids who are lazy bums.

(pic from Baseball season)

Me: Say 'SSSSo' (he can't pronounce his 's' and I am trying to get him to practice)

J: Po

Me: (in an effort to use some psychology) say "po"
J: Toe

Then he laughs hysterically.

Still not sure how I am going to get him to practice his 'S'...