Pass out

Here is what you dont want to hear when you are happily plugged into Itunes and (finally) starting to sweat on the treadmill...

Jack:  Hey Mom! (as he  yanks the headphones out of my ears)  Mom!  Can you help me show Ry how to pass out? She keeps trying but she is NOT good at passing out. And I'm TRYING to show her but she just keeps crying.

Me: ***** FREAKING OUT!!!!!!!*********
Run up the stairs. Thankfully she is not blue.

They were playing go fish. You know, the card game.
Apparently she doesn't know how to shuffle and deal. She kept handing him a handful of cards instaed of properly dealing (passing out) his hand.

Thanks to my kids for reinforcing my cardiovascular fitness. Small stroke.
I'm good.

Watch over us, Jesus

Tonight Riley and her daddy were talking about Jesus. Since Christmas she has had a obsession with a Christmas song "Baby in the Manger look my way" and was singing it this afternoon. Steve asked her who Jesus is.

Riley: He's from the "Baby-in-the-manger-look-my-way" song.

Dad:  Why is Jesus So important to us?

Riley: He just watches over us.

Dad:  Why does he do that?

Riley:  Because he loves us and doesn't want to step on us.

Martin Luther King Day

Today is Martin Luther King Day. Last night at dinner Jack was so excited when he heard he had the next day off school. He wanted to know why and I told him it was Martin Luther King Day.  I decided to ask him a few questions about MLK.

Me: So do you know why Martin Luther King, Jr. is so important?

Jack:  He was the most famous preacher EVER. Well, except for Jesus, I think. And he wanted free-ness for everyone.

Me: So what did he mean by free-ness?

Jack: Well, he had a dream and he wanted his dream to come true.

Me: what was his dream?

Jack: That the white people could sit in the same seats as the brown people and the black people and everybody.

Me: welllll...(hey...it's a good start)

It is very interesting to talk to him about race and color. I think kids have a great perspective about it. Growing up in a predominately white community, he thinks people with "different color" skin are beautiful and interesting BECAUSE they are different. His first crush was a little girl in his class who had "lots of really pretty clippy-things in her hair"  but he never did mention she was black.

We explained that  MLK wanted equality for everyone. He wanted everyone to be treated the same no matter what your skin looks like, where you live or what church you go to. We explained that African Americans were treated very differently and were made to sit in the back of the bus, sent to different schools, not paid the same wages as white people...etc and he had the strangest look on his face.

"But why?" he said. Then shrugged and shook his head. "Well that's REALLY not fair.."

 If only 1st graders were in charge.

"I have a dream that my children will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

"Hatred paralyzes life. Love releases it. Hatred confuses life. Love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life. Love illuminates it."

Martin Luther King, Jr

1929-1968

The Great Pony Heist

Help! Help! The ponies have been kidnapped!

Look at their big scared eyes! Help us! Save Us!

He IS a bit ominous, isn't he?

And would you look who is the boss in charge of the pony heist?

Guess who left his toys out?

Riley LOVES when Jack is at school! Ponies, remote controls and nobody telling you "that's MINE!"

          (and FYI- she was just "giving them rides" I made up the kidnap part. It was the big scared eyes :)

Snow Days

He Came...

He ran

He jumped

Whoo-hoo!

He conquered!

Who needs school when you get field trips like this?

Hello from the Cincinnati NKY International Airport!

One of the firemen that Steve works with is a FF at the Cincinnati/NKY International Airport and invited them to come and visit. Needless to say, Jack was in HEAVEN! What is better than Firetrucks?

Airplanes AND firetrucks!

Can you see the mini-fireman driving?

The trucks all have remote-control-joystick-water-sprayer-thingys. HAHAHA. My husband will be so embarassed by my ignorance....

ANYWAY-Jack thought that was sooooo cool. He told me that you could shoot water "straight"or "like a tornado."  

Jack in Command!

And what could be better than playing with firetrucks?

AIRPLANES!

The FD has an airplane that they do training with. They let Jack in and he was so excited!

Forget Fireman Jack. For the next few minutes he's Captain Jack, the pilot!  What a great day. The kind of day memories are made of.

Be home by bedtime!

Random Christmas-ness

Christmas at "The Greene" HUUUUUGE tree. Mom lying on the ground. People staring. NERDS!

Real Reindeer! Poor things have really heavy heads.

And here is Jack at "the Pub" riding the Manly Scooter. That is a sucker, by the way. My kids can't smoke until age 8 at least! KIDDING...I am a card-carrying member of the American Red Cross!

SANTA!!! The "real one" as Jack said. He was so sweet. He asked the kids what they wanted then told them that "I can't make any promises, but you know I'll do the best I can!"

Jack thanked him and said "I know Santa. It's OK! I know you are super busy" (mom's heart swells with pride...). But I REALLY want that DS..."(then deflates LOL)

Merry Christmas from the Pegramplace.Thanks for checking in!