Beep-Beep!

Kit and Doc started day camp this week. Yesterday was a field trip to a theme park, which is about 2 hours away. I read the camp's weekly newsletter carefully so they would have everything they needed for the trip. Two things were highlighted: 1. No backpacks allowed, but they could take lunch in an open bag. and 2. No electronics allowed on the bus. They would have activities for the bus ride.

Doc uses a backpack. Kit uses a tote bag. Okay, that's easy.  Kit can take his lunch in his own bag. Doc would need a tote-style bag. Doc was very agreeable to the alternative I chose for him. When I explained to Kit he could take his own tote bag for his lunch, something got lost in the translation:

Kit: I can't take that because I can't take a backpack

Me: But your bag isn't a backpack. It's a tote bag. You can use it.

Kit: You said yourself...it's written on the newsletter that we can't have backpacks so I won't be able to use my own bag. I need a different one.

Me: But your bag IS different from a backpack. You can take you own bag.

Kit: Why are you giving me a hard time? I know what kind of bag I can should use and that's not it.

Me: But I'm not giving you a hard time. I'm just trying to explain to you that....

I stopped. Either he was being deliberately thick, or I was way off the mark with my explanation. Kit went over to the cabinet and pulled out a plastic grocery bag.

Kit: If you're not going to give me a bag, I guess I'll just use one of these.

Doc came over to get his tote bag and I helped him put it over his shoulder.

Kit: Well if he can use that bag, why can't I use MY OWN bag?? It's the same style!

I felt like the coyote that just got slammed by the roadrunner and never saw it coming. Isn't that what I originally said? My brain froze. I took a sip of coffee then transferred Kit's lunch to HIS OWN tote bag and off they went.

I didn't see the kids last night before they went to bed, as it was their dad's day off.

Bright and early this morning, Kit walked up to me. No good morning Grammo, lovely day isn't it?

Kit: Boy were you wrong. We could take our backpacks and leave them on the bus. We just couldn't take them into the park. I don't know how you got that wrong. It said so in the newsletter. Didn't you read the newsletter? All we had were stupid tote bags. AND they didn't provide us with any entertainment on the bus, not even paper and pencil and it took forever to get there and...

Me: Even if that's true, Kit, you don't have a backpack, and all I was trying to do was explain...

I stopped. I could see the roadrunner in the distance. Time to cut my losses before sustaining another direct hit.

Me: Oh dear, did I read that wrong? It looks as though you survived anyway, Kit, even without your BACKPACK. Did you have a good time?

Kit: But I don't have a backpack...

Oops. He stopped.

There was a faint beep-beep in my ear and a rush of wind in my hair as the roadrunner zoomed past. I turned just in time to see his tail feathers in the distance.

The coyote lives to fight another day.

Tish

A free ride in a police car

Kit and Doc were suppose to be in their own bedrooms picking up. Kit of course couldn't mind his own business and stay on his own task. I could hear shouts from Doc, telling Kit to get out of his room. I yelled for Kit to come upstairs.

"I was just getting this stuff out of Doc's room," said Kit as he plopped a bunch of junk in my lap - a half-eaten hard candy in a tube, a container of powdered candy, and several sticks of gum.

"Doc stole this when we were at the store yesterday," Kit said, with a very smug, oh-boy-he's-in-trouble-now on his face. No, he wouldn't steal. Well yes, turns out when Grampy said all they could get was a bathing suit for day camp, Doc decided to literally take things into his own hands and stuff them into his pockets.

Now Doc has already tried something similar to this. At the grocery store when Grampy said 'no' to the extras, Doc started putting stuff in the cart, like a container of fresh spinach, which he didn't really want but was desperate to sneak SOMETHING past Grampy. That kind of backfired as Grampy made him eat the spinach, which he doesn't like. So I guess when that failed, he decided to change his tactics. And it would have worked had his brother not wanted to get him in trouble.

So John and I talked, deciding that the best way to teach Doc a lesson would be to go back to the store with the items and have the store manager talked to him about what can happen when somebody steals from the store. And off they went.

The woman at the service desk was totally taken back. She couldn't remember anyone ever bringing their kids back to the store to return stolen items. So she ushered them to the back of the store so that Doc could talk to the head of store security. As luck would have it, there was a police officer already at the security office to pick up somebody who was shoplifting. Reality was starting to set in for Doc. He had his conversation with security. John paid for the items and promptly threw them in the trash.

Doc came home, vowing he had learned his lesson and would never, ever do that again. He told me the police were there and he thought he would get arrested. I said, "You know, Doc, there is a sign in the room where you try clothes on that says 'Shoplifting will get you a free ride in a police car' so you really need to take this seriously."

"Really?" said Doc, "Where do they take you?"

Spoken like a true 7 year old. We have our work cut out for us.

Cheerio - and have a great Saturday!
Tish

Everything old is new again

One of my clients has 4 young boys and has shared her helpful hints on how she manages them all. One thing she raves about is the crock-pot for dealing with those hectic dinner times.The Crock-Pot! I haven't used mine in many years.

I have one of the originals which I got it in 1972. There were slow cookers before that. Apparently Irving Naxon, of Naxon Utilities in Chicago, developed the Naxon Beanery All-Purpose Cooker which was one of the original slow cookers. The Rival Company bought Naxon in 1970 and came out with the slower cooker under the Crock-pot name in 1971. The brand now belongs to Sunbeam, although there are many copies of the same cooker from many different appliance makers.

As I recall, my crock-pot use was limited to beef stew or chuck roasts, or the occasional whole chicken. Have times changed! My client makes mac n cheese in hers as well as meatloaf, quesadillas, lasagna, just to name a few of her family's favorites.

When my kids were small, using the Crock-pot gave me the feeling of being organized and efficient - two things I am struggling with now. So I have resurrected it from the depths of my cabinets and have been firing it up on a regular basis. The internet has tons of recipes dedicated to crock-pot cooking. I need only to point and click to expand my crock-pot menus. It does give me the feeling of being more in control at the end of the day when the house is mayhem with hungry dogs and kids, all wanting my attention at the same time. And the kids seem to be enjoying the meals.

Many thanks to my client with the young family who helped me rediscover something old and extremely helpful.

Yesterday, meatloaf...tomorrow...?

Cheerio, then - and happy cooking!
Tish

Myths about fitness after 50...

…or in my case, fitness after 60. Running around after 3 active boys at 60 is quite different than running around after them when you’re 30! As I was pondering about just how physically fit I really am and what I could/should be doing to be all that I can be, the AARP Magazine arrived in the mail. Behold! An article on Six Myths About Fitness After 50:

1. Stretching becomes more important after 50 - Fact: In an article in Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, research shows that stretching a muscle for a minute or more causes a decline in performance because when it’s released, it contracts and tightens, doing the opposite of what we want it to do.

2. Best way to burn fat is to work out longer - Fact: Exercising more doesn’t help you lose weight but the intensity of the workout will. The article gives the example of running 5 miles burns more calories and boosts your metabolism than walking 5 miles.

3. Cardio matters more than weight training after 50 - Fact: Weight training is just as important as cardio if not more as we age. We lose muscle mass as we age which causes loss of strength, which may not be noticeable at 50, but will start to affect our ability to exercise at all after 60.

4. Doing crunches will get rid of your belly fat - Fact: Spot training doesn’t work. When we exercise we burn up glucose and fat that’s supplied by the bloodstream, not the fat on our bodies. Best way to get rid of belly fat is to eat smart and exercise consistently.

5. You shouldn’t exercise when your sick - Fact: As far as exercise and illness goes, the neck is the dividing line. Symptoms above the neck such as cold symptoms, it’s ok to exercise as long as there’s no fever present. Below the neck chest congestion, stomach flu, etc, it’s better for us to take a couple of days off and rest.

6. You burn more fat when working out hungry - Fact: Looks as though the body burns the same amount of fat whether or not we’ve had anything to eat. But having a small snack can help fuel muscles.

I think I can handle all of the above with making some minor changes to diet and routine...whether I will have more energy for the kids remains to be seen...

Cheerio for now - have a great day everyone!
Tish

Eat Pray Hope

The last day of school was Monday <heavy sigh> and day camp doesn't start till next week. A very inconvenient addition to this scenario has been the last 2 days of rain and thunderstorms. Not many opportunities for outside activities. So I did what any rational desperate grandmother would do - got out the DVDs! Each grandson could pick a movie of their choice with no objections from the others. We made it through the afternoon on Monday with few mishaps and after dinner, the boys wanted to continue the movie marathon. Doc was tired and went to bed. Kit wanted to watch the movie Eat Pray Love, which he has seen before. It wasn't what Tio had in mind, but he settled in with no objections.

Well, it seems that Kit only wanted to choose something he knew his brother wouldn't like and left about 10 minutes after it started. Much to my surprise, Tio stayed to watch the film. As he watched, he made interesting comments - he was really paying attention. During the part in Italy, he said, 'Gram, let's learn Italian. Can we do that together?' Ummm, sure! He thought it would be nice to go to Rome at some point so we should plan a vacation there. When the movie went out to India, he made comments about the differences in the cities and why he liked Rome better. He made other comments through out the movie, ending with, 'You know Gram? I really like this movie.'

Really? Who is this person sitting next to me? After just watching what some might consider the ultimate chick flick, my 14 year old, video game obsessed, basketball jock, girl-magnate grandson said he like it.

And then yesterday, while I was making dinner, Tio asked me now that I'm not working what do I do during the day? After talking about some of my new duties as a stay-at-home grandma, he said, 'Gram, don't you wish you had time to do absolutely nothing?'

For a kid whose life is constant turmoil, a kid who has a harder time than the dogs do with self-control, a kid who is so egocentric you'd think he was the only person in the world, this Tio gives me hope! This Tio is thoughtful, hopeful and thinking outside his own little bubble.

Today, I'm going online to get him a travel book about Italy or Rome, or maybe one of Rick Steves' DVDs on traveling in Italy, and definitely looking up how to learn Italian. It's worth a try to keep this Tio's interest in some new things...yes indeed, folks - there's hope!!

The Moose and Me

There's been a moose wandering around the neighborhood for several days. It's an adolescent according to Fish and Game. Looks to me like a female but I haven't wanted to get that close to find out for sure. They said she was no doubt recently kicked out of her home because mom's getting ready to have another baby. They said she'd wander around for a while before she finds her way and fits into a new life. But poor thing looks lost and lonely. I can sympathize with her. I've been feeling much the same way.

In March, I left a job I'd had for a long time. I didn't get kicked out, but might as well have been. They eliminated  the job for which I have certification and reduced it to something any entry level employee could do with little or no training, and attached an entry level salary to match. I got the message - I'm 63 and made almost as much money as the highest paid employee. I was old enough to be everyone's mother or grandmother. The woman in the top position was my daughter's age. The organization was looking to make budget cuts. So it came as no surprise to me that my position was eliminated at the end of last year. I tried the new one for a couple of months, thinking that any job was better than no job. But I was wrong. 'Mother' didn't really want me anymore. It was time for me to go.

Like the moose,  I found myself in strange territory. I worked full time for many years. Now I'm semi-retired, trying to get some classes and clients of my own together. But the real change is taking over the every day workings of our extended family from John while he expands his own business. I have a tough time being Suzy Homemaker. I hadn't done grocery shopping in years, or all the laundry, or cooked - or really looked after the 3 boys who have been in our care for 3 1/2 years. That was all John's doing. I'd raised a family. Actually, I'd raised two families. I took care of two younger brothers until I went off to college before I had children of my own. So why would I want to do it again?

It's now June. I've spent a fair amount of time wandering around my new situation, wondering just how to fit in to this 'new' life. The needs of John and the boys have helped me put it in perspective. John's art is winning awards. Hopefully it will become popular so he can make a new career for himself in the jewelry field. He shouldn't have to try to do it and take care of the boys. And the boys - they really need a mom. I can't keep saying 'That's not me.' If not me, who else? They are my kids, just like my brothers and my own kids were mine. Maybe not what I thought I would be doing for a job when I retired, but it's good work - and necessary for the well-being of those boys. John has done a wonderful job. Let's see if I am up to the task.

Early this morning, the moose was walking by the bay window. She stopped and looked over at me. Her ears went up and forward as if to say 'what do I do now?' I knew the feeling all too well. But it looks as though I've found where I fit in. I hope it won't be too much longer before she feels the same way. 

The World According to Tish

Well, dear friends, here I am again unable to keep up the regular pace of Grampy's Acre. Always wanting to, never finding time, or energy when time allows. I have started an artist/metalsmith blog on a different site because it is part of a scholarship I received and I'm back to working full time while all the world of kids and dogs and whatnot whirls around. So it has left poor old Grampy's Little Acre behind.

The good news is, Grammo has decided she wants to take over this blog for a spell and put her special voice and stamp on the goings-on round here. So you'll be treated to the other half of the leadership team in this madhouse we call home. I know you'll love her perspective and what she has to say.

When I have time again, I'll drop by for an occasional post but for now...here's Tish!