Category Archives: Scorch

Sep8

Shhhhhhh!

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Heather

There are many, many times I look at the Bean and wonder where she came from. That child may be the spitting image of me as a kid, but when it comes to her personality, we’re opposite in a lot of ways. That’s not at all a bad thing, but it is a mystifying thing as I try to figure out how to be the best mom I can to her. I mean, the little bugger doesn’t even like ice cream – a food I would live on, if allowed. Who doesn’t like ice cream, for crying out loud?!

Friday was the Bean’s second day of Kindergarten and I was dreading it. I knew the first day would go fine because of all the excitement- but the second day is when my kids tend to realize this is for real and, in years past, haven’t taken well to that realization. So I was prepared for tears and heel-dragging that morning, but the Bean surprised me and went to school with minimal protest. I held my breath as we walked into the classroom, waiting for the meltdown I was sure that was coming. Hmmm….so far so good. Then we went to sit her at her table and found out her seat had been moved after 1 day in the classroom.

I started laughing to myself because I knew exactly why my child was moved. Her seat on the first day of school was at the same long table as her best friend. The table was rectangular and the Bean and her friend each sat at the heads of the table, with three kids between them. When I saw that the first morning, I thought it was perfect placement. I figured the girls were close enough to draw support from each other, but not close enough to talk to each other all day long. I figured wrong. Evidently they spent the whole first day trying “whisper” to each other over the head’s of their classmates. So my kid got (rightly) moved for talking too much.

Finally, proof that my kid is my kid in spirit as well as body!

So far, Scorch thinks that 2nd grade is the Best. Thing. Ever if for no other reason than they have their own desks instead of sitting at a table. Who knew something like that would be so thrilling to 7 year olds? He’s already had two spelling tests- which he thinks is awesome too! There is absolutely no doubt who that kid’s mother is! Here’s hoping Week 2 goes just as great as Week 1!

Aug27

Players

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Heather

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The kids and I often play 20 Questions in the car. Usually it’s me thinking of something and them having to ask me questions to figure out what animal/object/sport/toy/whatever I’m thinking of. I don’t mind this at all – anything that keeps the kids from bickering over what to listen to in the car is a win in my book.

Today the Bean decided she wanted to come up with something we could guess. Normally when it’s her turn, she picks one of two things (cat or dolphin) so it’s not much of a challenge. But today, she stumped us.

> Does it have fur?
No

> Does it have 4 legs?
No

> Does it have any legs?
No

> Does it live in the ocean?
Yes

> Is it a dolphin?
No.

> (hmmmm) Does it swim?
Yes

> Is it a fish/shark/octopus/squid/sting ray/crab/lobster?
No

> Bean, I give up. We need a hint. (please remember, the child is 5, she doesn’t know that many marine animals)
Ok- it’s either an octopus or a kangaroo.

> An octopus! (never mind that we already guessed that)
Nope, a kangaroo!

Clearly, that child needs to go back to school ASAP because she has lost her mind.

~*~*~*

In other gaming news, Scorch has developed a Pokemon obsession over the past few weeks. Heaven help me, I will not be responsible for my actions if I have to play another Pokemon game EVER.

Aug21

Bug Boy

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Heather

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Actual conversation on our way home from camp today:

> Mom, let’s just say I ate an ant. Would it make me sick?

I pretended like I didn’t hear Scorch because frankly, I don’t want to know what prompted this child to ask me that question.

> Mom, I asked you something! Would eating ants make you sick?

I turned up the music louder, hoping to drown him out. I’ve got this parenting thing down pat.

> Mo-oom!

I turned the music down. Clearly he’s not letting this go.

> Scorch, why are you asking me this? Did you eat ants today?

> Just one.

> Just one?! What in the world would possess you to EAT an ANT?!?!

> I don’t know. The other kids were doing it so I thought I’d try. Will it make me sick?

(Now, please remember one of Scorch’s biggest anxiety points is getting sick. The Bean had a 12 hour stomach bug on Tuesday, so he’s a little skittish. I have to weigh my answer carefully. Do I scare the crap out of him and tell him out he could get sooo sick from eating them so he never eats another or do I trying to impress upon him that it’s not a great idea, but it’s not going to harm him?!)

> Scorch, I can honestly tell you that I don’t know as I’ve never eaten an ant. I’m pretty sure you’re going to be fine, but I’m also pretty sure that’s not the healthiest thing to do. Can we just agree that eating ants isn’t a good idea and not do it again?

> *siiiiiigh* Yeah, I guess. But it didn’t taste that bad- it was actually kinda good.

Some days, I have no words.

Aug20

Handy Manny

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Heather

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Thanks to some of Mother Nature’s fury, we’ve found ourselves with a big old tree stump in our yard. So the Hub did what any red-blooded, American father would do. He promised the kids he’d build a tree fort on top of this stump for them.

Telling the kids that was a huge rookie mistake because now they think they are getting a tree fort tomorrow. Or maybe by Friday. Saturday for sure at the latest, right?

Ummm…no. For various reason, it’ll be weeks until it happens, but my kids are completely undeterred by this. So, Scorch came up with his wish list for this fort:

> monkey bars
> rope ladder
> regular ladder
> 2 trap doors
> 1 hidden room
> a table
> 2 benches
> 5 windows
> a slide to be used to leave the fort
> 8 Nerf guns to be used to wage war on anyone who approaches

I can’t help but laugh because my husband is good at a lot of things, but he’s never built anything like this (or even a much simpler version). Are we building from scratch? Getting a kit? Hoping the kids forget he even suggested this? I have no idea what direction this is going to go, but I do promise it’ll produce a lot of stories!

Aug7

The Pill Pusher

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Heather

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Guess who has two thumbs and a husband with the flu AND mono?

This girl!

Yeah- it’s been a fun week here at the Heat Household. Monday morning both Scorch and I woke up with a cold. The doctor had told the Hubs when he was diagnosed with the flu last week that if anyone developed flu or cold symptoms, to call the doctor immediately. So I did what any (lazy, procrastinating) parent would do and waited 24 hours to see if the symptoms would go away or turn out to be allergies. Tuesday came around and I was 1000x worse, Scorch was the same and Beaner was saying her throat hurt. I called both my doctor and the kid’s pediatrician and both said they wanted all of us on Tamiflu immediately.

Hmm…ok. No blood test? Nothing? Nope- just straight to medication. I was a little leery of this, but honestly after seeing how sick the Hubs was/is, I felt it was better to be safe than sorry and risk ruining the rest of our summer.

So now guess who has two thumbs and insurance that has a $250 deductible per person for name brand prescription medication? Yup..this girl! And now guess which $100+ medication doesn’t have a generic counterpart? Yup… Tamiflu! And guess which medication, in liquid form, is said to be so disgusting that it’s made many friend’s kids puke upon taking it? Yup…Tamiflu again! So after some discussions with our pediatrician, I got the medication in pill form for both kids.

Now, my fights with the Bean over taking medication is legendary in my family. Or, maybe just in my own head- but either way, getting her to take meds in the past has been a nightmare. So now not only do I have to get her to take meds, I have to teach her how to swallow a pill. Scorch, bless his heart, already knows how, so last night he and I were talking up how easy it was to swallow pills, how it doesn’t taste like anything, how quick it was and on and on and on. When the magic hour arrived, Scorch showed Bean how to do it, narrating every single step. Then it was time for Bean to give it a shot. And she DID IT!

We all danced around the kitchen like freaking loons celebrating because you guys, my five year old can swallow pills!!!! Do you know how much easier and neater my life just became?!?! I have never once felt so successful as a parent! The only downside is the Bean wants to take pills all the time now- so trying to convince her she can only take her medication once a day has become my new full time job.

Aug1

I’ve Had Better

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Heather

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We just returned from our annual camping trip. I really wish I could tell you it was as relaxing as years past, but frankly, this was the worst trip we’ve had in as long as I can remember.

First, there was the weather. Hello rain and cold temperatures- you’re not welcome this week. We arrived on Saturday to the camp ground and within an hour, it started to rain. And it didn’t stop until 4 pm on Sunday. While we do have a pop-up camper, you still have to get out in the rain to walk to the bathrooms, get food, talk to others, etc. So we spent Sunday at a local (30 minutes away) mall seeing a movie and wandering around. Thankfully that night was gorgeous, so we were able to go back, have dinner and a much needed campfire. Monday was lovely, but cold so we drove an hour to this cute touristy town full of great bars and adorable shops. You know- just the things a 5 and 7 year old want to spend their days doing. Thankfully there was also a 2 hour boat ride to help pass the day along.

Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday were picture perfect beach days so we did get to soak up some sun and relax. But the weather was supposed to take another nasty turn Wednesday night, so we packed it in after a day at the beach and headed home 2 days early. That about broke my heart, but there is a very limited number of things to do when the weather is bad and we did ’em all.

The second strike against our trip was the Bean. Or more specifically the Bean and her mighty attitude. Her sass turned to down right rudeness and for the first 2 days of our trip I really wondered if I gave birth to the spawn of Satan. She was rude, she was demanding and she made me feel like the biggest parental failure on the earth. Thankfully after Day 2 (and countless time outs, loss of privileges and discussions), she came back around to her normal self.

And lastly, my husband. Last week before we left on vacation, he went to the doctors because he thought he had strep throat. That was negative, but he didn’t feel much better before we left. He was a *trooper* on vacation- taking turns getting up with the kids, taking them fishing, playing kickball/baseball/lacrosse- but he clearly didn’t feel good. We got home around 8:30 last night and he was back at the walk-in at 9:15. Turns out the poor guy has Influenza-B. In July. While we’re on vacation. Only him! Here’s hoping the meds kick in soon.

All that said, the trip was not a complete bust. The kids had a awesome time, despite the weather. We had a great time with the kids making fun memories on the boat ride and on our first fishing expeditions. We laughed until I cried around the camp fire at night telling stories and reconnecting with the family and old friends camping with us. The days at the beach that we did have were gorgeous- pure sun shine, clean water, gentle waves. We ate like kings and I had a blast watching my kids get more self-confident and self-assured navigating their way through camp site life. We started to teach Scorch how to ride his bike without his training wheels and I taught both kids how to play a mean hand of Uno. The bad never outweighs the good- I mean, we were on vacation and that can’t suck no matter how hard it tries- but I can’t wait for our do-over next year!

Jul23

Things I Wonder About

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Heather

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Today, thankfully, nothing has broken, been peed/puked/pooped upon and/or ruined. I’m calling that a success! The good thing about horrible days is that they set the bar so low that anything seems great in comparison.

I have a lot on my brain, but none of it substantial enough to make up a blog post (I know, right? When has that every stopped me?!) so today you get snippets:

> Is This My Life: A few weeks back, Scorch was taking part in two different sports during the same week. That meant that I washed that boy’s sport-specific socks and jock strap every. single. night. I kept telling myself as annoying as it was, it was just a week. But then in dawned on me- it may be a week now, but in a few years, that’ll basically be my life when Scorch starts playing school sports. *sob*

> Is This My Life, Part II: Scorch got an MP3 player this past week as a belated birthday gift from some awesome family friends. He loves it- we downloaded about 20 songs on it and 3 approved Harry Potter videos and he’s in heaven. The downside? He’s got those stinking headphones plugged into his ears all the time- so I’m talking to him or trying to get his attention and he cannot hear me. It’s maddening, so we’ve had to set limits on the thing. This is a fight we’ll be fighting from now until Scorch moves out. When did my 7 year old morph into a teenager?

> Puppy Love: We celebrated the Bean’s birthday this past weekend and one of her oldest friends brought her a bouquet of flowers he picked for her out of his garden. He showed up with his hair combed just so, holding those flowers out and in search of my little girl to give them to. You want to see a bunch of adults melt into big piles of goo? Just watch them watch true puppy love in action- it’s adorable.

> Nosy Neighbors: As I bellowed at my kids while standing in front of an open window, telling them to go to bed for the 1 millionth time tonight, I wondered if my neighbors can hear me. And I wonder if they judge me. I really hope not because they don’t see them 10 minute ramp up to me losing my cool or the 20 minute bedtime routine before that. One of our neighbors have kids of their own, so I’m sure they at least can sympathize (unless they, or their children, are saints) but the other couple is a childless older couple. I have no idea if they like kids, if they come from big families or if they get the craziness that is bedtime- but I sure hope their only impress of me isn’t as the crazy, screaming mom. Because that would stink.

> The Full Monty: To celebrate my birthday, the Hubs took me to see The Full Monty at a local theater. For the record, this isn’t something the Hubs would ever agree to had I not pulled The Birthday Trump Card on him. He’s not a fan of theater in general, but especially not of musicals about men learning to strip in particular. But the Birthday Wish wins, so we went. And we loved it. It was so well done, so funny and so enjoyable that I’m flat out disappointed it took us 12 years of living in our town to discover this gem of a theater. So here’s to getting older and expanding horizons!

Jun25

Awards, Summer Fun & Honey Boo Boo

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Heather

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School got out last Thursday and we had one busy, busy week leading up to it. Field Days for the Bean, a field trip for Scorch, and a ceremony where Scorch was awarded the Citizenship Award for his class for his manners, kindness and ability to follow the rules. I always knew my kid was awesome but it was so very nice for other people to recognize that. The kids don’t know they are getting an award so the look on Scorch’s face was priceless when his name was called. But what got me all teary-eyed during the ceremony was how excited the other kids got when someone was called up. High-fives, cheering and lots of clapping- it did my heart good!

Now summer is officially here and it’s awesome. The kids are going to the same camp they went to last year at their school and they were beside themselves yesterday when we arrived. The kids basically kicked me out the door and ran off without a backwards glance when I dropped them of- you can’t ask for much more than that. Both kids have come home each day smelling like sunshine and sweat with matching skinned knees, exhausted and happy. Camp starts an hour later then school did, so it feels like we have all the time in the world in the morning now, which sets us all off on the right foot. I do love this schedule!

~*~*~

For the past 6 months, Beaner’s been asking to put pink, purple, red, blue and green streaks in her hair. I’ve put her off, telling her it’s against the rules at school (which it may or may not be- but the excuse worked on her so I stuck with it) but now that summer is here, we went for it! However, when talking to our hairdresser about this eons ago, I clearly misunderstood her. She has these tubes (they look like mascara tubes) in her salon that come in all sorts of colors. For whatever reason, I thought she had told me that she could put that on the Bean’s hair and it would last 2 weeks or so. Perfect- it wouldn’t damage her hair and it would wash out rather quickly- I was sold. That is, until I realized that was I wrong and that the color in the tube only lasted until you washed your hair the first time. That’s not what we were looking for.

So that’s how the Bean ended up in foils, sitting under the dryer at the salon last Friday. Honestly, I was ready to die- I felt like Honey Boo Boo’s mom. I mean- who DYES their 4 year old’s hair?! But I had already committed to it with Beaner, so I was stuck. Thankfully, my hairdresser reassured me- telling me that the color wasn’t permanent (2-3 months max) and that it wouldn’t damage her hair in anyway. So I bit the bullet and we went for it.

It’s actually really subtle, and you really don’t notice her hair unless she’s standing in the sun. She’s absolutely thrilled and I’m hoping I can ride this wave of thankfulness for a while yet to come!

Jun17

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Heather

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Sometimes on Monday (or any other day, for that matter), all I’m good for is thought fragments. Today is one of those days:

> I sent Beaner to school today wearing: leggings, a skirt, a sleeveless Hawaiian print dress over her skirt (so you could only see like 1/2 of the skirt) and a cream colored crocheted sweater that went down to her knees (covering her dress and skirt), two braids in her hair AND a sparkly purple headband. And it wasn’t even wacky dress day- it was just how she chose to dress herself.

> For almost 7 months now, the Bean has been asking to color her hair. She 1) is four and 2) goes to a private school, so I said no. But I did agree that when school was over (this week), she could put a few color streaks in her hair (done via our hairdresser). Nothing obnoxious- it comes out in about 10 washes and it won’t damage her hair at all. Like many things, I swear I told the Hubs about this, but he says this week is the first he’s hearing about it and he’s throwing a fit. He and I have very different philosophies- I say hair can always grow back/be changed, he says says I’m setting the Bean up for a life time of delinquency. We’ll see who wins this one.

> This morning, as I’m looking down our stairs at my dog, she looked right back up at me and promptly peed on our landing, all over the Bean’s boots. After calling her a few bad names, I put her outside, cleaned up and went to the vet for a few vials to collect her urine in tomorrow morning. I need a dog with a UTI like I need a hole in the head.

> Scorch has decided to start keeping a diary/journal. If we needed more proof that he was my kid, there you go.

> He’s also started sneaking in extra time to read. I had to explain to him last night that if he was going to read after lights out, he at least had to stop laughing his butt off at Bad Kitty so loudly because that’s a dead giveaway.

> It’s officially driveway chalk season- which may be my favorite season of all.

Please note the realistic depiction of some of the Power Rangers in the top right, as well as her writing skills!

May30

The Silver Lining

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Heather

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So all my praying in my post from Monday did the trick that night, but come Tuesday no prayer in the world was keeping The Bug from spreading to Scorch and me. I got a call at 2:50 saying Scorch had gotten sick at school right at the end of the day. And that’s awful and part of me felt so badly for him, but the other part? Well that part was actually really, really happy. The root of 99% of Scorch’s anxiety is getting sick- I mean he can’t imagine much worse than that. Except for getting sick at school. That’s like the fear-flavored cherry on his anxiety sundae (just go with that metaphor). I’ve joked with his therapist for the past year that maybe he just needs to get sick at school and live through it to see that it’s not that bad. And that’s what happened on Tuesday. He went to the nurse’s office, got sick and went home. The world didn’t end. His head didn’t explode. And when he went back to school today no one made fun of him or ostracized him- it was just life as usual. I may have actually given his therapist a high five today and danced a little jig in her office this afternoon because I was so freaking proud of my kid!

And that? That just about makes up for the 12 hours I spent sleeping on the bathroom floor when The Bug finally took me down too.