SimplySiemers

Bedtime Songs

2012-01-17T17:33:00.000-08:00

It is interesting how some things from your childhood stick with you and others fade into oblivion. Some are things you try to change for your future children, and some you hold on so dearly that they become a part of you and you can't help but pass them on.

Bedtime songs is one of those things that I remember fondly. I cannot carry a tune...born tone def. I remember one of the first dates I ever went on with Jason we went caroling in a horse drown wagon with his FHE group. He leaned over and said, "You don't need to scream." That was almost the end of our relationship. But since he forgave me the time I accidentally bit his leg in the school library while he was writing a paper on the computers (kind of a strange story) I chose overlooked his distaste for my singing voice (he did end up CHOOSING me over Sandy who he had been dating when I met him, who had an amazing singing voice and nice legs). So, I do not apologize - he knew what he was getting ahead of time. I gave him fair warning that I snore, can't sing, and sometimes loose my temper well in advance of marriage (but perhaps not in advance of him falling head over heals for all of my other outshining blessings and graces). But I digress.

So...There are some songs that are near and dear to my heart that my mom sang to us growing up. Little Boxes (this one deserves a specail post all of it's own), Train Whistle Blowing, Angel Lullaby, I see the Moon, Dream Dream Dream (a specail treat sung by my dad).

Little Boxes Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same

Train Whistle Blowing
Train whistle blowing, makes a sleepy noise,
Underneath their blankets go all the girls and boys.
Rocking, rolling, riding, out along the bay,
All bound for Morningtown, many miles away.

Outside it is raining, where our train should ride,
All the weary travelers are warm and snug inside.
Rocking, rolling, riding, out along the bay,
All bound for Morningtown, many miles away.

But all the little travelers are snug and warm inside.

Somewhere there is sunshine, somewhere there is day,
Somewhere there is Morningtown, many miles away.
Rocking, rolling, riding, out along the bay,
All bound for Morningtown, many miles away.

Renee drives the engine, Paige rings the bells,
Chasie holds the lantern lantern and Mommy calls all's well.
Rocking, rolling, riding, out along the bay,
All bound for Morningtown, many miles away.

Angel Lullaby: You came from a land where all is light
to a world half day and a world half night.
To guide you by day, you have my love,
To guard you by night, your friends above.
(Chorus)
So sleep, sleep, till the darkness ends,
guarded by your angel friends.
So sleep, sleep, till the darkness ends,
guarded by your angel friends.

There's one stands softly by your bed
and another sits close with a hand on your head.
There's one at the window watching for the dawn,
and one waits to wake you when the night is gone.

I SEE THE MOON

I see the moon the moon sees me

Down through the leaves of the oldoak tree

Please let the light that shines onme

Shine on the one I love

Over the mountain over the sea

That's where my heart is longing to be

Please let the light that shines onme

Shine on the one I love

I see the moon the moon sees me

Down through the leaves of the oldoak tree

Please let the light that shines onme

Shine on the one I love

Dream Dream Dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
When I want you in my arms
When I want you and all your charms
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream

When I feel blue in the night
And I need you to hold me tight
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam

I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine
Anytime night or day
Only trouble is, gee whiz
I'm dreamin' my life away

I need you so that I could die
I love you so and that is why
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam

I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine
Anytime night or day
Only trouble is, gee whiz
I'm dreamin' my life away

I need you so that I could die
I love you so and that is why
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream

FADE
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream

Number Nine

2012-01-17T16:40:00.000-08:00

Paige went to Grandma and Grandpa's for a special time sleepover two weekends ago. Grandpa taught her Halo Reach on the X-box and they played for hours together. They got to a place that they had to fight some aliens, and were on a team with two other guys. Grandpa told her to hang back with him and let the other guys go first, since she was still learning the controls. She said, "No, we are a team, we have to stick together and protect each other." He thought that was valiant and brave, even though it cost them their lives. He said it reminded him of Nine from the movie Number Nine where he sacrifices himself for the team. Nine is now part of Paige's secret name (which we have been earnestly working on it's completion.

North Africa

2012-01-17T15:38:00.000-08:00

Paige: "Can we go in the front yard to play?"
Mom: "No, I don't want to have to sit at the window and watch you. There is just as much snow in the back yard. I want you to be where you guys will be safe."
Paige: "But we are going to play that Chase is a dog that can turn into a person and Chasie is a cat that can turn into a person. And I am just a human who is their owner and they are my pets. We have to go to North Africa to visit their parents."
Mom: "I can see why that needs to happen in the front yard...I will watch you in a minute."
30 seconds later...
Paige: "Chasie went in the front yard and Chase went after him. Chasie hit big Chase and I can't get them back."
Mom: "I am on my way to North Africa. I will meet you there."

Snow Day Sun Day

2012-01-17T15:33:00.000-08:00

Showered and hair dried, dressed for church before panic horu (a never), having planned my lesson the night before (a seldom).
Went in to wake the girls and found them playing dolls. "Can we get them ready first?" "It is early enough. Sure-IF you get ready nicely when you are done."
Styling my hair in their bathroom (now half done). Phone rings. "Church is Canceled."
Look outside to see a skiff of snow. AWESOME! (is that wrong?)
Wake up Jason. "That's fun." He rolls back over. Back to bed.
Make blueberry (way too heavy on the blue berries) pancakes for Paige and Chase, an egg beagle for me and Renee.
Snow pants on for all (minus sleeping Jason) Tons of belly acking on the dressing and stuffing into puffy pants and boots. Lots of fun. Decide on a plan to go around front and throw snowballs at the master bedroom. Look in and see Jason in the living room. New plan-snowballs at the living room window. Teach kids the valuable lesson of building a snowman...the key is in the ROLLING of the snowball into a mighty mass. Learn a life lesson myself-when there is only a skiff it also adds dirt, grass and sticks to the mix makes for a super strong snowman...who looks like he has had some romps in the forest. Proceeded to roll all the parts of the snowman out front for all see (and to collect a little more snow on him (it really is amazing how even a thin layer of snow, when rolled into a ball really adds up to a lot of snowman). Massive heaving and hawing to get the mere balls to become a real boy. Beckon Jason to go fish the snowman list. Comes back with the essentials. He is complete with broccoli eyes, carrot nose, peanut M&M mouth, stick arms (broken off straight from the tree in the front yard), scarf, and castle bucket hat.
In for hot chocolate-ala-wow aka "coco with the works" fully equipt with marshmellows, whip cream, and peppermint stick. A new family favorite.
On to defrosting to Saturday's Worriers (we had to throw some religion in there).
Laid in bed for an hour talking with Jason about life while the kids played.
Major clean up (full family effort). Discussion insues. Mom has a plan for the "check out" method. Dad says, give them a chance. Tell them they can only play with one kid of toy at a time (totally NEW concept he's sure) and if they are caught with more than one kind out at a time, they get those toys packed up for week. Mom insists that she has tried to instill the one toy, two kinds max rule fruitlessly all week...and this is the 6th time (in 4 days) that this has happened (mostly due to Chase and Chasie dumping out all the containers to play "UPS guys" or to use the containers as beds for their babies. No problem with the PLAYING of the toys, as long as they are put away when they are done. It is the dumping out of unused toys, the hour long clean up per 1/2 hour of play time, and the wining that ensues because it is "too hard" and "I didn't PLAY with THAT toy, so I shouldn't have to clean it up." Mom gives in. The toys stay.
Dad makes Nachos for dinner; complete with velveda cheese, ground beef, salsa, olives, tomatoes, chips.
Dad gets his exercise by wrestling the kids, which started by "laying" on Renee "If i put my full weight on you I would CRUSH you." The makings of a true pig pile. On goes Paige and then Chase. Mom gets kicked off. Horse ride for the kids turns into bucking bronco.
Paige and Chase present us with presents wrapped in towels and tissue paper.
Two chapters from the last Chronicles of Narnia book. Up to bed.
Second major clean up. "How did this happen during dinner and wrestling?" Dad says, "Well, you didn't explain the new rules of loosing toys for the week. Without further discussion, Mom puts into effect the "Check Out" method by transferring all the containers of toys to the TOP shelf of the closet. Upon request she will happily get down any desired kind of toy -ONE at a time. When each toy is put away, she will gladly exchange it out for a new one.
Girls tucked in.
Mom lays with Chase.
Hilarious bedtime talk with Chase. Way too many funny things in domino effect to keep track of.

Chase: "Mom, put your arm up."
Mom goes to put her arm in the air, to put it behind Chase's head to snuggle him.
Chase puts his face in her armpit and kisses it. "I kiss your thing in there."
Mom: "Why did you do that?"
Chase: "It yucky in there. I want to kiss it."
....
Chase: "Mom, you got big arms."
Mom: "Thanks. Now go to sleep."
...
Chase: "Mom, you got crazy hair."
Mom: "You're a crazy boy."
Chase: "You a crazy chicken."
Mom: "Your a chicken nugget."
Chase: "You a bed bed.
Mom: "Go to sleep silly."
...
Some of the many precious moments that you just "had to be there" for.
TV date night with Jason.
Grateful prayers that we had a wonderful forced family day. Even more grateful that tomorrow is a day off of school for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Do Me a Fader

2012-01-17T15:24:00.000-08:00

Chase sitting on the potty.
Chase: "Mom, you a famer?"
Mom: "Say that again."
Chase: "A fader?"
Mom: "A favor?"
Chase: "You do me a fader?"
Mom: "Sure what do you need?
Chase: "I need you do me a fader!"
Mom: "Do you need me to pull off your pants?" (a daily debate between Jason and I if it is easier if he is doesn't have them around his angles to get on and off by himself.)
Chase: "No. I need a fader."
Mom: "I will, I just don't know what favor you need. Do you need me to wipe your bum or help you down?"
Chase: "No. Do me a fader and do it!"
Mom trying hard not to laugh at the confusion of it all.
Mom: "What do you want my favor to be?
Chase: "Not YOU a fader. ME a fader."
Mom: "Do you want your favor to help you pull up your pants?"
Chase: "Yes!"

I Love My Room

2012-01-17T15:12:00.000-08:00

We painted our very first two rooms over Christmas with the help of Vanessa, major work from Ben- who's dad is a painter and taught him well in the arts, assistance (especially with the toilet removal) from Grandpa and Grandma) and a splash from Renee, and Paige, and Chase (in a moment of insanity mixed with nostalgia and family unity), coupled with some cheer leading from Jason. The downstairs bathroom looks like a beach oasis with a nice tan-ish brown and Chase's room is finally more manly (an awesome bright blue changed from the pale pink it was originally). Almost every night Chase lays in his bed and says, "Mom, I luh my room." or "Mom, I luh you house."

De-ummy

2012-01-17T15:05:00.000-08:00

Special times for the day consisted of making sugar cookies with Renee and Monkey Bread with Paige. Chasie came up to the bunt pan filled with monkey dough, "I want one ah doughs."
Rachel: "You can have some after we cook them. Those are yucky."
Chasie: "I LUV a yucky ones! Please I have um yucky?"

Craving the magic of Daddy's Snow Day Hot Chocolate...I whipped up a batch for everyone.
Rachel: "Delishous!"
Big Chase: "Liiii-shous!"
Chasie: "This not disgusting. It's De-ummy!"

My Turn In There

2012-01-17T14:56:00.000-08:00

Chase and Chase are playing hide and seek. Big Chase hides in the blanket box. Chasie finds him.
Big Chase says, "Hey, How did you find me?"
Chasie: "You were in there."
Big Chase: "Now you hide in there. I won't look."
He then proceeds to put him into the EXACT same place he had just hid himself, closes the lid and begins to count.
Big Chase: "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, nine, seven, four, six, eleven, three." Here I come.
Big Chase to Rachel (not 5 seconds later): "Do you know where he is hiding?"
Trying not to bust out in laughing, "No, I haven't seen him."
Big Chase then turns once to glance towards the computer desk as if looking for him and then instantly goes to the box.
"I found you. Now it's my turn to hide in there."

I could not contain myself one more moment. I was done for!

They spent the next 1/2 hour helping the other person hide (occasionally rotating the location, but only if it had been duplicated by each person at least 4 times), counting to eleven-teen, instantly finding them upon opening their eyes...then the switch. If it happens to take more than an instant upon retrieval, Chasie will start making whooping noises to assist Big Chase in the "find."
Priceless, Classic, Hysterical.

Kill the Ugly People

2012-01-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

Renee's new obsession is the Princess Bride after Jason let her watch it for the first time the other day.
Renee: "Mom, how come in Princess Bride does the prince try to marry a girl so he can kill her, just to start a war?"
Mom: "They were just getting board with everything being peaceful and happy. They wanted it to be interesting and exciting."
Renee: "Why didn't he just marry an ugly girl then. Why did he have to choose a beautiful girl?"
Mom: "Do ugly people deserve to die more than beautiful people?"
Renee, realizing how bad that sounded got very embarrassed, "Mom! That's NOT what I mean!" She now wants to die (however beautiful she is) at the thought that I am posting this for the world to see.
Renee: "Mom! What are you doing?"
Mom: "Renee, that was too funny not to write down."
Renee: "Don't write that!"
Mom: "You will want to read it when you are an old woman. Looking back at it you will think it is funny too."
Renee: "Then why don't you write it in my DIARY so no one else can see it!?!"
Mom: "Because WE think it is funny right NOW!"

All Gone

2012-01-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

On our snow day Chase was drinking his peppermint stick, whip cream, marshmallow hot chocolate at the kitchen table. Mom came in chewing on her peppermint stick, having finished her hot chocolate already. Chase said, "Where mine go?" Dad stirred his cup for him and scooped out the tale end of his melted peppermint stick and handed it to him. With shock and dismay instantly streaming across his face, he said in exasperation, "Who ate mine all gone!" Cue the instant laughter from the entire family.

Kisses

2012-01-16T12:32:00.000-08:00

It is interesting to me how physical affection differ from person to person and even from year to year with the same person as they grow and change themselves.
My dad grew up in a house of 7 boys (no sisters) and a mother that was less than huggie lovie in her displays of affection. I remember as a kid walking next to him and trying to hold his hand..It was as if he didn't know what to do with it and would either hold me by the wrist while my hand dangled lifelessly like a dead fish or tickle the palm of my hand with the tips of his fingers to avoid the impending gripping hold. I remember telling him to kiss my mom and having him say, "I do." to which I would respond "In public." We never questioned his love for us or for her, he just showed it in words and deeds; lots of "I love you's," love notes, poems, flowers, special times together, a thoughtful gift, brushing our hair, reading us stories.
As we grew up the barrier of physical affection began to melt away and he got more and more affectionate; holding hands, cheek kisses and lots of hugs. It has been fun to see the benefits of our years of wearing him down; as he shows both his old was of affection along with his newer adapted ones to his grand-kids. They get the stories, special times, love notes, hugs and cheek kisses all the time.

On the other hand my mom has always been a lip kisser...not only in childhood but even as we became adults. I am not sure if her kisses have evolved over time or if they have always been this way, but in later years I began to notice they were not your average kiss. They were full out fish kisses-sucked in cheeked, tight lipped fish kisses.As I have gotten older and had children of my own, we have had the discussion of what the perfect balance of affection is, and how it is displayed. My stand-you can never have too much...take what you can get, ask nicely for more, then give twice as much back. I am a juicy lip kisser. No cheeks aloud and don't you dare shrivel your lips to me as if I were a sour grape. As a result, my kids have, from birth, given the bestkisses. Soft lipped, sweet loving lip kisses that melt your heart-simply addicting.

I barter with those kisses as if my life depended on it.
Chase: "I watch a show?"
Mom: "Can I have a kiss?"
Chase giving a sweet kiss.
Mom: "Can I have five kisses?"
Chase happily gives more kisses as I count between each one until he reaches five.
Mom: "Can I have TEN kisses?"
Chase goes into crazy man kissing mode as fast as he can hand them out, to the tune of about 12 kisses.
Chase: "I give you a lot a lot of kisses. This many (holding up 5 fingers). Now I watch a show?"
Mom: "Thank you, I LOVE your kisses!"

Every once in a while (usually at bedtime and coincidentally after being around Grandma too much) he will try to sick a grandma kiss on me, which is always promptly rejected as if he kissed me with poison lips, resulting in penance of a mandatory 5 juicy kisses to make up for it.

Chuther

2012-01-16T11:01:00.000-08:00

A daily conversation.

Chase: "I luh you mom."
Mom: "No, I love YOU Chase."
Chase: "No, I luh YOU."
Mom: "I love you MORE."Chase: "I luh YOU more."
Mom: "NO, I LOVE YOU MOST!"
Chase: "Both ah us luh chuther."

It has now evolved into...
Chase: "I luh you mom."
Mom: "No, I love you Chase."
Chase: "BOTH uh us luh CHUTHER!"

We Love Food

2012-01-16T10:03:00.000-08:00

Breakfast.
Mom: "Renee will you say the prayer. "
Chase: "Uhhghh!"
Mom: "What's wrong?"
Chase: "I want to say a prayer."
Mom: "I called on Renee already, you can say it next time."
Renee prays. Chase folds arms with a scowl.
Mom: "Thank you Renee."
Chase: "Uhhghh!"
Mom: "Do you want to say one too."
Chase: "Yes."
Renee: "Mom, I already blessed the food."Mom: "It's okay. He can say one too."
Renee: "But I want to eat, I am hungry."
Mom: "It's okay. He can say one if he wants. Go ahead Chase."
Chase: "I nee your help."
Mom: "No you don't. You can do it. Go ahead."
Chase: "Hev-en-nee Fadder. Jesus Chris. Amen."
Mom points to the bowl of cereal.
Chase: "We love food. Jesus Chris Amen."

If you Give a Kid an Ear Bud

2012-01-16T09:37:00.000-08:00

Upon leaving Renee's special time with Grandpa, he bestowed upon her some ear buds. And everyone knows...
If you give a kid some ear buds, she is sure to want an ipod to listen to music with.
If you give a kid your ipod, she will want to upload her own music onto it.
If she has her own music on it, she is sure to want to listen to it all day every day.
If she listens to it all day, her sister is going to be jealous and want an ipod of her very own.
If you give her the other ipod, she will want to put HER own music on it.
If she puts her own music on it SHE will want to listen to it all day.
If both of your children listen to music all day, the ipods will need some charging.
If they plug them in to charge, they will become agitated at waiting and unplug the ipods every 5 minutes to check to see if they are fully charged.
If they unplug it every 5 minutes it will NEVER charge and chiming of the unplugging noise 100,000 times will drive their mom crazy.
If she is driven crazy, she will give in to let them play the kitty game on line to distract them while they wait.
If you let them play the kitty game they will never want to stop.
If they never want to stop playing kitties, you will have to regulate their time online by rationing time on kitties with math games.
If they have to play twice as long on math as they do kitties, they will get burnt out and their brains will become mush at the amount of math they are thinking about and eventually not be able to do even the simplest problems without getting confused at the jumble of numbers before them.
If they become burnt out they will start to cry and their dad will feel sympathy on them and let them just play kitties without rationing any more math.
If they play kitties unlimited they will loose track of time and it will soon be bedtime.
If it is bedtime they will want to find a special place to put their ipods so they know right where to find them when they wake up in the morning.
If they didn't turn off the ipods at night, they will be dead in the morning and need charging again.
If they go to grab them to charge them, they are sure to notice only one is there.
If they notice only one is there there is sure to be a frantic search for the other one.
Once they have looked everywhere they are sure to ask mom what SHE did with it.
If she didn't touch it they are sure to call dad at work and see where HE put it.
If he says he didn't take it they are sure to realize the ipod is forever lost in oblivion and be heartbroken and distraught.
If they are distraught then their brother is sure to say, "I sorry I took your charge."
If he tells them he took the charge they are sure to ask him to tell him where it is.
If he tells them it is in the clothes drawer in his room, they will to want to go and get it.
If they want to go and get it, they will be thwarted by their mother who will inform them that the boy they babysit is still sleeping in the room and they can't go in.
If they are thwarted they will have to come up with a new plan to bide their time and will have to start to talking to each other. Once they start talking to each other it will feel exciting, since there has been silence in the house for two days with plugged in children.
They will start by talking about how happy they are that they now know the location of the lost ipod and give their brother hugs and kisses and lots of attention and praise at being honest and telling them where it was.
If he gets praise and attention, he is sure to be happier that the sadness at the lost ipod is over, but that it has not been recovered yet.
If it is not recovered but everyone is happy they are sure to play together and have fun.
If they are playing together and having fun, then when the boy wakes up and comes down he will want to join in the fun.
He will want to join in the fun they are sure to not even notice that the ipod is still in the drawer and keep playing nicely together.
Once they are all plaing nicely together then the mom is happy and has time to herself.
If she has time to herself, she might try to get on the computer that has been monopolized by kitty games.
If she gets on the computer she is sure to stay on too long, because she has been entertaining an "only child" son for two days since his sisters have been plugged into the computer and ipods.
And since she has been hanging out with her son, she has heard him sat the cutest things and wants to document how funny his is.
If she starts to write all the funny things he says, it will make her happy and she will want to write about how this great opportunity came about and she will write a ridiculously long post about what happens when you give a kid an ear bud.

Shooting Gun

2012-01-15T18:55:00.000-08:00

A regularly occurring conversation at our house.
Chase: "Mom, I can't wait for Crismus."
Me: "Why."
Chase: "Mom, You know what I want for Crismus."
Smiling and chucking inside.
Me: "What do you want for Christmas Chase?"
With much enthusiasm and expression....
Chase: "A shooting gun, with BOMBS!"
Me: "What are you going to do with a shooting gun with bombs?"
Chase: (quite happy with himself) "Shoot bad guys in we house, then them will get hurt."