Life with boys...

....it is never boring.

This is Miles (blurry I know) with his potty seat on his head as a hat. Just so you know, he refuses to use it to actually go potty, so it is at least clean...

Nathan came home grumpy tonight because he was hungry. We have a word that sums up the explosion that happens inside a person and makes them behave badly when Hungry and Grumpy collide... we call it "Grungry." Grungriness is a very dangerous thing and has a way of possessing a person, causing them to tear through houses and feelings with no regard for place or time or general civility. The best way to combat Grungriness is to feed the beast as soon as possible. Preferably with protein. In emergency situations take a spoon of peanut butter and insert it in to the mouth of the possessed person. This will buy some time until a really meal can be prepared or bought.


Wylie had a free Karate lesson at Day Camp today. I can expect lots of high kicks and chops in my very near future. I can also expect that Miles will copy these kicks and chops, but will not understand the finer points of "pretending". This will annoy his brother and I will have to order everyone in the backyard in order to preserve my sanity.

For those keeping score at home - in addition to Piracy, Gunfights at Dawn, Movie Making and General Malay we will have the art of Kung Fu added to our day, and the Potty Hat to our wardrobe.

Sideways

This is my man, Nathaniel Wayne Greer.
Isn't he lovely?

Tagged

(Picture of Momma by Wylie, age 5)

I've been neck deep in a big project for work and have been kept from blogging... In lieu of anything deep and meaningful to write about, here are my answers as I have been tagged by none other than the fab Ms. Tracy Jackson.

1. FIRST NAME? Jerusalem

2. WHO WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ? Uh, the city. Duh.. No, the "New Jerusalem" in the Bible. My parents were Christian Hippies. What can you do?

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? 6/24/06

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Nope

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Egg Salad

6. KIDS? Yes... see previous post galore.

7.IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOURSELF? I hope so. If not, I am a real bitch... and someone should tell me!

8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Off and on. I buy new ones cause they are sooo pretty, but then I never write more than a few days worth.

9. Do YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? That is an understatement. I have also been told that it is sign of deep anger. I must be really, really pissed.

10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Nope.

11. WOULD YOU EVER BUNGEE JUMP? No way Jose.

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Life.

13.DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? I don't where shoes that tie, so I guess no.

14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yes.

15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? B&R Mint Chocolate Chip

16. SHOE SIZE? 8.5

17. RED OR PINK? Depends on the mood. Color is never simple to me...

18. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? That I sucked at being pregnant.

19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? the glory days at CCF, the way it was, the way it could've been...

20. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? If you want - don't 'should on yourself' on my account!

21. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW? Blue Jean Overalls (the uniform of my summers) and Red Toe Nail polish

22. LAST THING YOU ATE? 4 Crunch Dibbs Ice Cream Bites

23. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The air conditioner running

24. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Tiffany Blue

25. FAVORITE SMELL? Grapefruits, back of Nathan's neck, the boys after a bath, my grandmothers house

26. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Virgil, my furniture salesman at Dillards

27. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? They smile, and they listen.

28. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes!

29. FAVORITE DRINK? French Pink Lemonade Soda

30. FAVORITE SPORT? Croquet

31. HAIR COLOR? Brown//Blond Streaks, the occasionally Pink Stripe

32. EYE COLOR? Blue

33. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No

34. YOUR FAVORITE FOOD: Nathan's BBQ chicken, Whip Cream, my mom's Chicken Spaghetti

35. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Grey's Garden

36. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Pink tank

37. DO YOU HAVE A TATTOO? No - why would I hurt myself on purpose?

38. HUGS OR KISSES? Always!

39. FAVORITE DESSERT? The Truffle Ball from Graffittis.

40. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? No idea.

41. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Everyone?

42. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Rosie by Anne Lamott

43. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Nothing - I use a laptop

44. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Iron Chef America

45. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Nathan playing music, the boys voice mails on my phone, summertime nights, all my siblings in one room laughing

46. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Beatles baby.

47. THE FURTHEST YOU BEEN FROM HOME? I would say Alaska but that was home... Does that count?

48. WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? 1974, New Jersey

49. IF YOU WON A ROUND TRIP TICKET TO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD YOU GO? Europe with my sweetie.

Like Peas and Carrots

I am the type of person who loves to watch movies that I love, over and over. Actually, I don't really watch them more than twice... I just play them. I play them while I clean, while I sweep, vacuum (yes, I vacuum!) dust, fold laundry (a rare occurrence now thanks to The Laundry Lady!) and in general chase behind my children, attempting to straighten my shabby but chic - if I do say so myself - little house.
Because I am of an artsy sort of temperament - all senses alert at all times - I can't just watch any movie any day. Movies go with Seasons to me. Some these season/film combos have come to be joined because of the season that I actually watched the movie in i.e - Under the Tuscan Sun falls in the Indian Summer category because I went to see it on my birthday. Some of the combinations are a result of the season portrayed in the movie itself; Love Actually = Winter/Christmas. You've Got Mail can go Fall (bouquets of freshly sharpened pencils) or Spring (daises are the friendliest flower) depending on my mood.
This summer, at least so far, the movie that is on constant repeat in the DVD player is is Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. All the women glistening in the southern Louisiana heat, the lake cabin, summer dances, and sunflowers make this a summertime movie to me. I am in the middle of a lake-house project for work and my mind keeps going back to the Ya-Ya houses -the big southern homes, the time worn cabin,- the rich sunset drenched colors and how history danced all around the characters, playing tricks on their eyes and their memories.
So my question is - does anyone else associate certain movies with certain seasons? Or is this one of my stranger quirks... I anxiously await your comments!

The eternal internal world of children or Why I Pray, Reason # 3

Many have heard it said that the 2 best prayers are "Help me, help me, help me." and "Thank you, thank you, thank you." I couldn't agree more. In fact there is not much more I ever really need to pray. Everything else feels fussy, and full of hot air. This prayer is especially relevant to my role as a parent.

The moment parenting became truly scary for me was when Wylie was almost 3 years old. He had gotten in trouble for some small crime of childhood curiosity, and I had to punish him (probably by taking away a favorite toy,) which of course broke his heart and bruised his small ego. I remember sitting on the edge of his bed later that night, trying my best to explain to him why I did what I did, and that even though I was unhappy that he had disobeyed, I still loved him, and always would, no matter what. In his sweet little boy way, he smiled, and returned my hugs and kisses, patting my back in tenative reassurance. As I closed his door, my heart sank as I realized that as he lay awake in his bed, he was deciding whether or not he believed me. I wondered if he was thinking more about the fact that I had been unhappy, or about how much I loved him ( I would prefer the latter, not wanting to raise an anxious people-pleasing child.)
It was that moment when I realized that Wylie was developing the ability to internalize all my words and actions and form an opinion about them on his own. He was now his own person with his own thoughts, his own explanations & interpretations for the way the universe around him worked. He had his own personal world now - the world inside his head and his heart. And no matter how many questions I asked, or how well I observed him, I would never be able to know all that went on in that fast moving, independent brain and heart. My only job from now on was to do my best to guide and nurture, support and encourage, discipline and instruct, but it would be up to him to decide what he believed and what he didn't. He would decide if he believed that I loved him as I said. Over time he would decide his own beliefs about God, and politics. He would decide if he thought our little family was cool or dorky, he would decide if he wanted to try harder or give up, be angry or forgiving, be open or shut down... I could do my best, but in the end, his own inner dialogue was going to continue to develop and I was unable to control it. Influence it? Yes. Control it? No.
So now Miles is approaching 2 and I know the day is coming when his thoughts will begin to gel more completely. When the world will be larger than Elmo, Hot Dogs and us. When his behavior will be guided more than just his natural reactions and copycating Wylie. When he will begin this process of becoming Himself, with thoughts and feelings known only to him. And again it is scary, and I will be on double duty to try and keep myself alert, looking for clues into why they do what they do, what they are thinking, why they are afraid, or scared, or excited or nervous. Trying to walk the fine line between protecting them from too much too soon and letting them go & grow, as they should, into their own persons, separate from me.
Because in the end, or rather really from the beginning, our children are not really our own and the best words I can think of to get through this ever changing landscape of parenthood are Help Me and Thank You.

Ear Trauma

For most of the past week I have been sick with an outer ear infection. If you don't know what that is, thank your lucky stars. Mostly it is like having knives dug into your ear, while at the same time you feel as if you are underwater, or in an airplane, because your ears won't "pop". I haven't had full hearing in either of my ears for a week now and let me tell you that this stinks big time. I feel as if I am always in a daze (maybe that's the fever part,) and I can't hear what my kids are saying or what Nathan is saying. I have to say "huh?" a lot. Apparently I also turn the TV up way too loud. I wouldn't know.
Being in crowds is the worst. You can't make out any one voice or sound, it is all garbled. I went to a birthday party and to church this weekend, and at both I felt completely isolated. I pulled away from groups and tried to avoid conversations. I can't tell how loud my voice is so I always talk too softly. Because, ironically, even though I can't hear anyone else well, I can hear myself perfectly. This is the oddest way to walk through life. Like being in a bubble. I suddenly wish that we were all taught sign language from birth as a back-up plan for life. That way, no matter how far across a room we are from someone, or what our spoken language is, or whatever wired illnesses we encountered there would be a backup plan for communication.
Nathan (who has been a trooper through all of this) is going to be working or fishing with Ray Baser most of this week so I have to get better. I am going to the Dr. (again) tomorrow, and this time I might yell or jump on the table or something to get my point across. I have to get well. Enough is enough.

Miles in May

The month of May was a busy one for Miles.
While we are not entirely sure what this little man is going to turn out like yet, we know these things for sure:
1.There is nothing he loves more than Wylie, than aggravating Wylie.
2. He will let you know if he sees a car - on the street, on TV, in a book. He makes sure you see the "Caaar!"
3. He has promise as a Tattoo Artist.
4. He walks in no ones shadow.