injury prevention

Too many boo boos. That is usually the description of Bug's body, but right now it describes Pook's knees. Poor kid. Seems like since Bug took off his training wheels Pook has been taking the spills.

Once a friend told me that he was worried at his first baby's well child visit because the child had several bruises. He was afraid the doctor would think they beat their child. By the time the second child was going to well child visits he realized that if there were no bruises the doctor would think they kept the child locked in a closet.

When my sister and I were preschool age, a couple that were friends with my parents decided to adopt. They were, as my mom puts it, "older". (I think in those days, that meant 'in their thirties'.) They asked several of the moms in the neighborhood for advice in preparing their home for a baby. Just that day a neighbor boy, my age, had slammed into a wall head first and needed several stitches. My mom's advice? Remove the walls.

Injury prevention: remove all walls, floors and ceilings, all toys, furniture and trees. Once in this empty but safe setting your child will be LESS prone to injury. No guarantees.

brainwashing of the best kind

I had no idea that we had brainwashed our children so well.

Last night a chicken-fast-food-branch had proceeds going towards the school. Since CD was going to be out, when Pook came home and asked me if we could go, I relented. Except for road trips, I don't think the kids have ever had fast food for a dinner. (Yes, I'm incredibly old fashioned, but there are several reasons for our cooking and the kids' health is really only one of them.) On the way home Bug asked me why there was a prize in his bag. Sarcastically, I said it was so the kids would beg the parents to go back all the time. Pook immediately jumped on this and gave me some examples of his friends doing just that. He even knew which places gave what!

Pook: But we wouldn't do that.
Bug: Cause we shouldn't be eating junk food. It isn't growing food.
Pook: And we'd be tired all the time if we ate junk.
Bug: If you eat junk food like french fries and stuff then you won't be healthy.
Pook: But potatoes are ok if you eat them other ways.
Bug: Yeah, but french fries are the worstest kind of potato. And chicken nuggets are the worstest kind of chicken.

what else could I need?

CD went to trivia with his buddies. The kids are in bed. This is the table in front of me: wine, the end of the hot fudge sauce (and the spatula used for finishing it!), nail polish and foot massage lotion. The phone isn't in the photo but it and the remote were also involved.

Not a bad way to spend an evening!

of birds and tires

Fall sports really get the great team names. Pook is a Lugnut this season in baseball and Bug will soon be starting soccer on Team Turkey. No need to be worried about Turkey's survival as Thanksgiving approaches since I was informed that it was "the country, not Thomas Jefferson's favorite bird". Thanks P.

The Turkeys Turkey was to begin yesterday but the hurricane rains are here from Florida and the fields are in a flood plain. Enough said. With Labor Day next Monday, it looks like Bug may have a game before having a practice. Hopefully they'll at least get to meet each other somehow. A good friend is coaching; we wouldn't have agreed to a fall sport for him otherwise.

The Lugnuts have begun their season. Practice every Saturday and a game every Sunday. Pook is in great form. An extra teaching season is just what he needed. I'm happy to see him enjoying his abilities so much. I was excited that the rainy game on Sunday had a final score of 1-3. Yes, they lost, but that was my kid who made the run!

Spring ball, in the league by us, is pretty serious stuff. This will help. Plus he needs to be in top shape when Bug hits the diamonds this spring. I'd like him to be the big brother who gets to give advice and help out the little brother. I want him to enjoy the admiration of his younger sibling. But he'll have to hurry. Bug is more physical and is working to close the gap on many motor skills.

why do I bother?