The Litabug Phlog » Thursday Thoughts http://www.litabug.com Daily bits of life through my lens. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:46:38 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1-alpha Chatterboxes http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/07/15/chatterboxes/ http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/07/15/chatterboxes/#comments Fri, 16 Jul 2010 02:01:03 +0000 Melita Matzko http://www.litabug.com/?p=2162 Some more conversations with our little chatterboxes.

Me: Maggie, would you like to play with play doh?
Maggie: Yeah! Dat be awesome!

Sam: Why is play doh spicy?
Me: Spicy? What?! Sam, you’re not supposed to eat it.

Maggie: (coughing, whining) I eat play doh!
Me: Mags, I told you not to do that.
Maggie: (pointing to her tummy) Get it out!!!

Me: Ben, do you need something else to eat?
Ben: Dwat!
Sam: He said “dwat.” That means “no.”

Maggie: Wead a book!
Me: Which one should we read?
Maggie: Missuw n’ Missuw Mawwawd?
[It took a few repetitions before I realized she was saying "Mr. and Mrs. Mallard.]
Me: You mean Make Way for Ducklings?
Maggie: YEAH!!!!

Austin: Good night, Sam. Sweet dreams.
Sam: What does “sweet dreams” mean?
Me: It’s like saying “I hope you have dreams about happy, sweet things.”
Sam: Like… chocolate? and cake?
Me: Yeah, sure!
Sam:…and strawberries? and chocolate? and ice cream? and chocolate ice cream?
Me: You really like chocolate, don’t you?

]]> http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/07/15/chatterboxes/feed/ 2 Fourth http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/07/08/fourth/ http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/07/08/fourth/#comments Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:30:02 +0000 Melita Matzko http://www.litabug.com/?p=2148 Maggie and Sam watching the crowds:

The sisters:

Ben and Aunt Becca looking patriotic together:

Relaxing while everyone else keeps track of our kids:

The fireworks:

]]> http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/07/08/fourth/feed/ 3 Knick Knack http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/06/17/knick-knack/ http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/06/17/knick-knack/#comments Thu, 17 Jun 2010 22:01:21 +0000 Melita Matzko http://www.litabug.com/?p=2116 I don’t have any pictures for you this week, since I left my camera at my parents’ house (yes, again). Aside from the usual, here’s what I’ve been doing:
- avoiding going outside in the heat
- avoiding cooking things that will make the house hotter
- wondering why Ben now communicates every emotion (happiness, sadness, anger, boredom) at a brain-rattling volume
- playing board games with Sam and Maggie (such a big kid thing to do!)
- trying to track down a missing game piece before Ben finds it and eats it
- sneak-reading one of Austin’s library books (iWoz) when he leaves it unattended
- indulging Sam’s repeated requests to sing “This Old Man”
- trying to figure out what to do with Maggie’s bangs while they grow out
- investigating the source of the lightning bugs that keep appearing in our basement bathroom
- reveling in the occasional thunderstorm

]]> http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/06/17/knick-knack/feed/ 0 Stream of Consciousness http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/06/10/stream-of-consciousness/ http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/06/10/stream-of-consciousness/#comments Thu, 10 Jun 2010 21:26:25 +0000 Melita Matzko http://www.litabug.com/?p=2105
The animal crackers have nothing to do with anything. But I’ll take this opportunity to say: their hint of nutmeg totally makes up for their lack of resemblance to actual animals.

We’ve had a busy couple of weeks. There was a stomach virus, with the accompanying midnight laundry loads and excessive use of lysol on my part.

The dishwasher quit. And I’m not talking about a quiet goodbye, either. There were sparks, smoke, flying bits of ground metal burning tiny holes in the linoleum. It was dramatic. The landlord had it replaced with a new one that has an intact coating on the metal racks. No more rust stains on our dishes. Hooray!

Sam turned 4. He is very proud to share this information with anyone who’ll listen. :) I came this close to pulling out the video Austin took of Sam’s C-section – a video I’ve watched only once, when Sam was still a newborn. I’m not ready to hear my own voice in the background. “Is he crying? Why can’t I hear him crying?” And then that first cry. I’ll have to watch it on a day when no one needs anything from me… on a day I can afford to be reduced to a useless mass of sobs and sentiment.

Maggie had her second laser treatment and it went beautifully, as before. (Thank you, nurse, for that icee. It made her such a happy girl). She’s half purple again, and a little swollen, but completely unconcerned by it. I remembered this time to put her hair in braids before bed, so it wouldn’t stick to her cheek and get gummed up with ointment. We’re developing a routine.

Today is a normal day. No stomach bugs. No birthdays. No hospitals.

The kids are putting toy animals inside their shirts and pretending they’re “married,” by which I think they mean “pregnant.” They are crazy fascinated with babies – probably because of all the expectant mothers at church. :)

There is no bottom to the pile of dirty laundry. I know this. But I wash load after load anyway, imagining an end to be just around the corner. I love the way the house smells during a bleach load.

Stauffer’s animal crackers. Get some. Try dipping them in coffee.

]]> http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/06/10/stream-of-consciousness/feed/ 1 Either/Or http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/06/03/eitheror/ http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/06/03/eitheror/#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:54:29 +0000 Melita Matzko http://www.litabug.com/?p=2094 Me: Ok guys. I can tell you’re a little cranky right now. Would you like to play separately, in your own rooms?

Maggie: I want to stay out here! Watch for Nonnie!

Me: It’s too early. Nonnie’s not coming until later. I’ll let you watch for her car when she’s on her way. But for right now, what do you want? Do you want to play together or alone in your own rooms?

Maggie: I want eat!

Me: You just ate. These are your choices. Do you want to play with Sammy or do you want some time alone?

Maggie: Um… No.

Me: It’s either/or. Mags. Pick one or the other.

[blank stare]

Me: Sam? What what do you want?

Sam: Nothing!

Me: Ok. What DON’T you want?

Sam: I DON’T want to play by myself.

Me: So does that mean you DO want to play with Maggie?

Sam (smiling as it dawns on him): Yeah!

]]> http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/06/03/eitheror/feed/ 1 This. That. http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/05/27/this-that/ http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/05/27/this-that/#comments Thu, 27 May 2010 12:30:04 +0000 Melita Matzko http://www.litabug.com/?p=2079

Fun:
- My sisters
- Going with my parents, sisters, and brother-in-law to see the Troubadour Tour last Saturday (my ticket was a birthday present) :)
- Carole King’s hair, voice, and all around coolness at age 68 (!)
- Seeing most of downtown dried out and back in business after the flood
- San Antonio Taco Company
- Beignets and espresso
- Kids who make me laugh every day

Not fun:
- Sam’s suddenly stuffy nose today
- Ben’s top teeth coming in… 4 at once
- Back pain
- Pain other places because I’ve been compensating for my back
- Whining, cranky, over-tired children who refuse to do what will help them feel better: nap!
- Feeling distracted and irritable because of (did I mention this already?) back pain :(

]]> http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/05/27/this-that/feed/ 1 Resplendent http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/05/20/resplendent/ http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/05/20/resplendent/#comments Fri, 21 May 2010 03:06:06 +0000 Melita Matzko http://www.litabug.com/?p=2070 Tonight the rain slowed, the sun sank, and then there was this.

]]> http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/05/20/resplendent/feed/ 0 Enchanted http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/05/13/enchanted/ http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/05/13/enchanted/#comments Thu, 13 May 2010 12:30:03 +0000 Melita Matzko http://www.litabug.com/?p=2051 I love arranging them, smelling them, staring at them, photographing them so I can stare at them again later. That there are such beautiful things as flowers in the world blows my mind.

]]> http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/05/13/enchanted/feed/ 2 Build an Ark http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/05/06/build-an-ark/ http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/05/06/build-an-ark/#comments Thu, 06 May 2010 12:30:07 +0000 Melita Matzko http://www.litabug.com/?p=2034
The day before the flood rains started, we spent the day at the zoo with friends. Even with the school crowds there, we had a fun time.

Sam loved watching the elephant use his trunk to pull branches from a shrub and eat them right in front of us. We were close enough to hear the crunching.

The cows in the farm area were a highlight for Maggie (not sure why, since she sees them along the road all the time). :) We also got a laugh at this meerkat, who seemed to enjoy the attention.

]]> http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/05/06/build-an-ark/feed/ 2 Skink http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/04/29/skink/ http://www.litabug.com/blog/2010/04/29/skink/#comments Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:30:24 +0000 Melita Matzko http://www.litabug.com/?p=2012 She’s back again -and huge! Any name ideas?

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