Wordful Wednesday

Sunday afternoon, Noah discovered that at some point Saturday night, or Sunday morning, his fish had died. He was devastated and spent a good hour trying to convince me it was all his fault. And I spent that same amount of time telling him that fish die- and that this one had a good run- a lot of them only live a few months. This was his first pet to die and he is still taking it hard. Just this morning, he came in the kitchen sniffling and said that he went to feed Phineas and remembered he wasn't there.

Noah didn't like the idea of flushing him. He wanted a proper burial. So, we all went outside in the freezing wind on Sunday, I dug a hole and placed the fish inside, covered him up and placed a brick on top. (to keep the wildlife from digging him up- but I told Noah to make it look like a real grave) DJ grabbed two wood scraps and made a cross.

RIP Phineas- faithful fish, loved by Noah.

2010-2012

**I am linking up today with Dumb Mom at parenting BY dummies- Wordful Wednesday

How to Raise a Codger

If I were to just transcribe some of the conversations in this house without crediting the speaker, you might think I was living with an elderly relative.

I'm not.

I'm living with a Noah-who just happens to be eight-with the soul of an eighty-year-old man.

Unless you have experienced this, it is hard to understand. I have often heard people describe others as an "old soul". And I got it. But I didn't truly understand it until Noah was born. Even as a newborn infant, he was cranky. He cried most of the time. And when he wasn't crying, he was looking through me. THROUGH ME. It was unnerving- having a newborn stare right through me almost as if he was annoyed at my incompetence at keeping him happy. I almost got the impression he knew more than I did.

(He is four days old in this picture)

(here, he is not yet three, and yelling at me for taking his picture)

And now, today, he is a funny, funny little old man trapped in a child's body.

Yesterday, he scolded me when I woke him. He was tired and he told me I should not let him go to bed so late (his bedtime is 8- but it was 8:30 before he went to bed the night before). He informed me that he would be going to go to bed at 7 that night. HE MOVED HIS OWN BEDTIME!

We had a very unusual day here in New Jersey yesterday. It was sixty-five degrees! That is incredible for February. This time last year, we were buried in snow and I was cranky because I had to deal with it by myself since my husband was deployed all winter. Today was a day to be enjoyed. It was a day to be outdoors.

When Noah arrived on the bus yesterday afternoon, he lamented that he wished he could play outside, but he had a lot of homework. I told him to go play and enjoy the day and we would tackle his homework that evening. He worried about it for a few, finally ran off to jump on the trampoline and then fifteen minutes later, he decided he was going in to do his homework. His schoolwork, after all, was more important than playing. I reminded him that he is a kid and that ultimately he is supposed to PLAY. And that, yes, his school work is important and that we would get it done, but that there was no harm in taking advantage of this beautiful day, because it may not come again for several more months.

I had to force him to stay outside. Fast forward two hours and he was at the kitchen table working on his math when his father got home. He immediately tattled on me. He told his father how I told him that play was more important than school work and now he has to do all this homework and he just wished he had gotten it out of the way earlier. His dad backed up what I said and Noah sighed. Apparently he was not going to get any sympathy from his parents. Within the next few minutes, he was in tears- stressed because he was having trouble with his homework, sad that he hadn't finished, tired and still throwing the criticism my way as to my poor parenting skills.

Ultimately, he finished his homework within a half an hour, he ate his dinner, showered and put himself to bed at 7:30. (At least he didn't wake up at 4:30 this morning and ask for Grape Nuts)

I will let you know when he starts requesting we hit the early bird specials.

(Noah- this past December at his piano recital)

I am linking up with Jennifer's "Share Your Awesome" at Momma Made it Look Easy

Ask Noah- Political Edition

Noah, who do you think will win the Republican Primary?

The what?

Who will be the Republican candidate that will go up against Obama in November?

Who's running?

Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry.

They all sound like crazy people.

Okay, Ron Paul and Rick Perry are from Texas, Rick Santorum is from Pennsylvania, Newt Gingrich is from Pennsylvania, but served as a congressman for Georgia and Mitt Romney is from Massachusetts.

How is this information supposed to help me?

I don't KNOW!! I thought maybe telling you where they are from would help with your decision!

I don't know HOW!

Fine! How about pictures?

**I show him their pictures**

Who looks more presidential?

Obama.

Well, he IS the president. I am asking you who should run against Obama on the Republican side.

*skeptical, one-eyebrow-raised, stare*

OF THE REPUBLICANS, who do you think is or looks more presidential?

FINE! If I have to choose, then Mitt Romney.

Why do you think Mitt Romney?

Because you made me choose. And because he is from the northeast- and we are in the northeast too.

What do you think the President should do differently with our country?

Change the economy.

What is wrong with the economy?

I guess it is running out of money.

And how do you think they can fix that?

They need to make more jobs.

How do you make more jobs?

You just add more!

How will that help?

Because people will have more money.

What about foreign policy?

What is foreign policy?

How do we make other countries like us again?

By giving up wars?

Okay- let's switch gears- are you glad the basketball strike is over?

I didn't know there was one. (Yeah- most of us didn't care)

Alright, that was pointless, back to politics-

If someone ran for president of your school or the school district, what issues would you like them to address?

I would like french fries for lunch.

Oh, and I want Zoe in my school with me, because she is so cute (even though she is also a devil).

AND I want a recess that lasts 1/4 of the day!

I think we just got Noah's platform if he were running for president of his elementary school.....

Special One Question Edition of Ask Noah

Conversation just now in our living room after a promotional commercial for a television show:

NOAH: WHAT DID THEY SAY???

(which leads us to...)

Q: What do you think about the Duggars having another baby? That will make twenty kids!

I think that is just CRAZY! That is TOO. MANY. KIDS. I mean, if *I* had that many kids, I would have to start throwing them into shelters.

Noah- they are children, not kittens!

Yeah? Well someone needs to tell HER that!

Ummm.. yeah. We might need to work on basic morality with him. I hope he doesn't just throw DJ and I into a shelter when we are old and need care.

Ask Noah- Second Edition

Q: For almost as long as there have been humans there has been war and conflict. Do you think war will ever go away?

Yes, but we have to fight against war and everyone must have freedom. But I can't really predict the future. We have to work together will everyone and make the bad people that start wars better people. Then we can all get along.

Q: What do you think about McDonald's bringing back the McRib?

Yeah- I don't know how to answer that. I don't like that.

Q: What's better, cats or dogs?

That is a matter of opinion. Maybe somebody in Asia or Europe likes cats, but I like dogs.

Q: Why does your elementary school rock?

First we have a lot of fundraisers and we get money from the military. I like the way people treat others at my school. But, I really don't know if my school is the best, because I haven't ever been to another elementary school... so how would I compare?

Q:How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?

Well, it's almost impossible to tell that. Because, if a baby eats it, it will probably take forty or something. But, if a kid eats it, it would be less. If a grown up eats it, it would probably be ten licks and you are in the center.

Q: Are you wishing for a snowy winter? Why or why not?

YEAH! It means no school!

Yes, but it means you have to add days to the end of the year.

I don't care- it is worth it to play in the snow, build snow forts and have fun!

So, are you going to help me shovel it all this year?

I will help a little, but you know I can't shovel very much. My arms are not very strong. They aren't strong enough to push through snow.

**Methinks I won't be able to count on Noah for help shoveling snow**

First Edition of "Ask Noah"

I had this idea, since my eight-year-old thinks he knows more than most adults (and he might in some cases) to ask him about world issues from time to time. I was going to call it "Ask the Eight-Year-Old" but I would have to change the title of the series every time he has a birthday. Hence, "Ask Noah" was born. I will also try an "Ask Zoe" but I am not sure how that will got since she can barely sit in one place long enough to go potty (She's four). Additionally, if you have any question you would like me to present to either of them, please send them to me and, as long as they are appropriate, I will pass them along. Buckle in, here we go...

1. The Texas Rangers were one strike away from winning the World Series in game 6, but choked and let the Cardinals win that game and ultimately the whole series. What do you think they could have done better?

Umm.. they could have WON!

2.Do y'all ever talk about current events at school? If so, what is something you have recently discussed?

Yes, we get Time Magazine for Kids. This week, we discussed the top 5 places to spend Halloween, diseases in bats and floods in Thailand.

What do you think about the floods in Thailand?

I think we need to build them more flood walls and see if that will help. They will have to give the people that have lost their homes shelter and help them build new homes. I feel very sad for the families- maybe there is an eight-year-old boy over like me whose family has lost their home.

3.**While looking at the copy of this week's "Time for Kids" he has fished out of his backpack: What do you think about this article suggesting schools should require students to pack eco-friendly lunches with less disposable waste?

I think yes and no. Yes because it will get rid of all the waste and we could keep our land beautiful and nice. No, because parents shouldn't have to spend money on reusable plastic containers if they can't afford them. Those things are sort of expensive.

You already have a reusable lunchbox and sandwich container, would you like to convert to completely eco-friendly and take a reusable water bottle and keep everything baggie-free?

Well, yes. But, sometimes I really want some chocolate milk or a juice box. So.. maybe.. no?

4. Recently, a woman got on a bus in Brooklyn run by an Orthodox Jewish bus company. Because of the beliefs of the Orthodox Jews, the bus is segregated and the women must sit in the back. They open the bus up to the public though and a woman that was not a believer got on the bus and was told she needed to move to the back. When she refused, the driver refused to drive until she moved to the back. What do you think about that?

Wow- I did not know that. That is like Rosa Parks all over again. We have different beliefs than others, but if they are going to let people with different beliefs on their bus, they need to let them sit where they want. If I got on a bus and was told I couldn't sit where I wanted, I would punch the driver.

And now, just because I felt I had to include her- a question for Zoe:

Zoe, what happened to Baby Lisa?

Did she used to be in my room? Is that the little girl with the red on? I think she's in my closet. I need to find her.