Hi-Ya!!

Francesca started Tae Kwon Do 3 weeks ago after school, at school. The first class she ended up with a bloody nose - not due to injury or anything - so she sat out for most of it. Francesca gets bloody noses at the drop of a hat, we never know when she is going to look at us with a face full of blood. Last week there was no school because of Winter break. So...yesterday, it was back to Tae Kwon Do. And Hi-Ya!!! Well, I don't think they actually say Hi-Ya! But I know they do bow (readers of this blog know that bowing is something Gavin would NEVER do). Scott and I asked her to show off what she has learned so far. So she walks up to her daddy and proceeds to back-kick him in the shins and then chop him in the arm. Repeatedly. Poor Scott. I was just happy that she actually participated.

Scott also found out that Francesca has a boyfriend, a cell phone and a trip to Hawaii planned. Yes, her friend told Scott at after-school pick-up that Francesca has a boyfriend (couldn't name names though) and she calls him on her cell phone. Oh yes, and they are going swimming during their trip to Hawaii. We are so in trouble in about 10 years...We asked her who her boyfriend was but she just giggled and ran away. She did confirm, however, that it is NOT any of the Jonas Brothers - Mr. Jonas, Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas, as they are affectionately known around the LaDore household.

On to Gavin - he told me this morning in the car that I was not to walk him into his classroom this morning.

"Please drop me off and don't come in my class. I am going to walk in front of you. Don't walk next to me. I will drop my lunch and coat off. You sign me in, kiss me and leave!"

Yes sir Gavin! Oh I wanted to cry. My baby is already pushing me away. I did not laugh this morning on the way to work.

Mr. Clean

So Gavin has been doing dishes all day. I can't put a glass down without him grabbing it and trying to wash it. Half of the time I haven't even finished what is in the glass! The kids went outside this afternoon and built a snowman with Scott. After they came inside, I made them take showers/baths to warm up (and to save me and Scott some time this evening). Francesca hops in and out of the shower, complaining the whole time. Gavin decides to take a bath and in the process, washes the tub for me. I JUST LOVE THIS KID!!! And not only because he's mine!! I can't wait to see my water bill next month, with all of this washing that he has been doing...

Little Suzy Homemaker...

Actually, it's Little Gavin Homemaker. Yesterday he told me that he wanted to wash the dishes. WHAT??? I had just done the few dishes from lunch and thought the sink was empty. Apparently Francesca had a glass or two in the living room that she dumped at that moment in my empty, clean sink. So Gav said he wanted to wash them. OK buddy, step right up! Actually, drag that chair right up. So wash he did. I was so shocked I called Scott in to see what Gav was doing.

Fast forward to Sunday morning, as I sit here blogging. Gavin grabbed my empty water glass and washed it. Then, Scott calls me up from the basement but tells me to shhh and not say anything. There is Gavin, perched on a chair, scrubbing my sink!!! YES!!!! I told him that the bathroom needs to be cleaned, if he had nothing better to do...."OK, I'll do it!" Scott had to break it to him that Mommy was joking. I told him that he could come downstairs and play on the computer, but no, he was sitting in front of the sink, waiting for a dirty glass or dish to wash. What aliens have invaded my child's body and where have they taken the real Gavin??? I can hear Gav yelling at his dad that he does not want to get down, he wants to wash!!! Maybe he'd like to dust as well?? Boy this could turn out to be a real productive day if this keeps up!!

Snowy snowy snowy

So Scott came home and away we went, in search of a good hill to sled down. The kids were all bundled up in their snow pants and warm coats, mittens, hats. I stupidly went out in sweatpants, yeah, like that would keep me real warm. We drove to Crawford Park in search of a hill. Crawford Park is where I wrecked my sled careening off a giant hill in the 7th grade. We avoided that hill today, although there were a ton of kids there, waiting in A LINE to fly down it. We drove on to a less bumpy, but still hilly, part of the park and found a pristine, clean hill. The kids were so excited to get out in the snow and use their flying saucer-like sleds. Scott and I pushed them a few times, making a nice flat track in the snow for them. Then we decided that it needed to be flatter so that they would fly down the hill. So we hopped on the sleds and pushed each other a few times. The things we do for our kids...not that it wasn't fun of course!! After about an hour of snowy faces, snow angels and repeated shouts by Gavin of "I CAN'T WALK UP THIS HILL" we decided it was time to leave. Big Guy (Gavin) was not happy. But we promised that maybe we'd come back to our hill tomorrow for some more fun.

We left Crawford Park tired and damp (no, more like soaked), and hungry. So instead of getting a pizza to go, we went to P&D Pizza (a local favorite pizza place) and hunkered up to the bar. Scott and I hunkered, the kids more or less had to scale the tall bar stools. Scott had a beer, I had a soda, and the kids opted for milk (Gav) and hot chocolate (Francesca). After we were all content with our pizza (regular for them, Sicilian for us) we dried off, enjoyed our pizza and swapped snowy stories with the pizza guys. One pizza guy, Pete, even commented how Francesca reminded him of his 3 daughters when they were younger. She was whining at that exact moment; Pete told us it actually gets worse as they get older. Great. Thanks for ruining what's left of my day Pete...

It was a nice snowy day. I love that we live in the same town that we both grew up in. I remember going to Crawford Park with my Uncle Tommy to go sleigh-riding, and going to P&D with my dad, sitting up on the bar stools myself. I hope that Scott and I can continue to make great memories with our children. No matter how old you are, sledding always makes you feel like a kid!

They're baaaack.....

Francesca and Gavin have returned from their little vaca with Ma and Pa, the house is noisy again. But a good noisy. I came home last night to shouts of "Mommy's home!!!" and big hugs and kisses. They were both exhausted, so after a few DVR'd Power Ranger episodes, teeth brushing and stories, they were in bed. By some stroke of luck they both stayed in their own rooms, in their own beds.

So here I am on this snowy day, typing. Gavin is sitting next to me, asking what a blog is. So I told him it is a story, about him and his sister, that I type on the computer. He keeps hitting the numbers, which I keep erasing. He is telling me that my story needs numbers!

I just asked Gavin to tell me something funny. He showed me a new trick that his grandpa showed him. He holds his hand up, and folds down his index finger at the first knuckle and then says "Mommy, look! I bit my finger off!" and then runs away laughing. This is only funny to me because I remember the several times that Francesca, in her haste to eat french fries, actually did chomp down on her finger, mistaking it for a french fry.

So far I have made hard-boiled eggs, cinnamon muffins and got 2 wiggly kids dressed. I need to do some laundry today too. The roads were too bad to go to work. The kids are hoping that their daddy comes home early from work so that he can take them sledding. We will see. Stay warm readers!!

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BTW, my husband Scott (the money man) wants me to remind you to please visit our advertisers at the bottom of the page. He made me say that, and after 2 glasses of wine tonight I will do whatever he says!!!! (Special thanks to my friends Susan-Anne and Gary for the lovely wine...)

Tales from the Road

So I've spoken to my parents and the kids today. They had a great time in Mystic yesterday; they went swimming twice, had lunch at Chucky Cheese and dinner at the Ground Round. My mom reported that they spent 3 hours in Chucky Cheese and after all that time, all they had to show for their time spent there was some tattoos for Francesca and Tootsie Rolls for Gavin. Tootsie Rolls are now Gav's new favorite dessert. Great, the dentist will be our new best friend from now on...Francesca had a great observation upon walking into the hotel yesterday and seeing the shiny clean tile floor "WOW, these people must be rich! Look at their floor!" She wouldn't know what a shiny clean floor was, I don't know if she's ever seen one in our house.

Today my travelers went to the Mystic Aquarium and then Ma and Pa got them in the car and took them for a ride. The kids fell asleep, and when they woke up they were in Rhode Island. Newport, Rhode Island. Which is only about 30 minutes from Mystic. Boy they are lucky. The last time I was in Newport I was not yet someone's mother, which means it had to be at least 5+ years ago. Knowing my parents, my kids are not bar-hopping down Thames Street or hob-nobbing in the exclusive Viking Hotel, but nibbling on chicken fingers and corn dogs at another Ground Round or maybe Applebee's. Geez, my poor dad probably has not been able to have a scotch with dinner in 2 nights. He must be freaking out, albeit silently.

Tomorrow I will come home and find my Checka and Big Guy home on Wesley Avenue. I miss them, although tonight I came home to a lovely dinner, an open bottle of wine and a roaring fire. That was lovely, and probably will not happen again for at least another 6 months or so. Oh well..