tyler

The kids were quoting Jason from Home Movies in the episode where he talks about cheese making him constipated, and that sometimes he has to help himself go while making a hand gesture towards his bottom.

"Jason is gross," Tyler said.

"I would not want to shake hands with him," Tayler said.

"Well, you wouldn't have to because he isn't real," Tyler said.

Last night the tornado sirens woke me up. The thunder was really bad, and I woke up wondering, was that how Grandma knew there was a tornado coming?

When I was growing up and living with my mother at my grandparent's house, I was watching Scooby Doo one day and my Grandmother ran in, grabbed her purse, grabbed me, and rushed me to the basement. My grandfather was sent after my mother who was deaf at the time to wake her from her nap.

This was also when we had our German Shephard/Great Dane mix dog who was so huge she covered the front door when she decided she didn't like who was there (usually the mail man, who decided not to deliver our mail after a few frightening incidents with our dog at the door). Man, I loved that dog. I believe at that time we also had a small poodle that was a bit nervous.

The dogs, my grandparents, my mother, and I all huddled in the basement watching out the storm door where the wind was whipping through the trees that lined the back yard.

We stayed in the basement all night. I learned then the importance of storing blankets in a basement that's unfinished. Lying on the floor was uncomfortable, and the constant noise from the emergency radio we had was annoying.

Tyler's sleep study was uneventful. It was hard for her to fall asleep with all of those wires, but she made it and slept through the night.

The nap study was annoying, because it was like taking the nap study for me all over again. I had to stay in the room with the lights out, and that makes me feel like sleeping!

We're both pretty tired today, but, glad it's over.

I wonder what the results will be.

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Originally uploaded by Silfverduk

My camera takes underwater photos. I love this picture.

Within a few seconds we will have 10 excited kids in this house celebrating the twins' birthday.

It's been decided that if the girls want, we will host a party at our house. I am not keen on having ten kids in the house, but we can't find a suitable replacement for the bowling party.

Last night Scott and I purchased some CDs for the kids. We had already bought two MP3 players, and we wanted to get them some cds so we could show them how to rip them onto their computers and then put the music onto their players.

We got Tayler the Juno soundtrack and her all time favorite, Queen's Greatest Hits boxed set.

To be fair we had to find a boxed set for Tyler, and remembering that both kids like The Police, we found a suitable set for her. Then we picked out the new Jack Johnson cd for her as well.

I'm really excited to give the kids their gifts for their birthday. It's not as big as previous years, but the gifts are ones they really want, so I think they will be really pleased.

The kids thought it would be fun to open Tayler's window and wave down to me. I was annoyed because it was a cold day, and because I was in the middle of talking with the neighbor.

They shouted HI! and MOM! LOOK UP HERE!

I was busy staring at the broken downspout, hanging by a screw from the house, trying to figure out how I would fix it as Scott had suggested and listening to the neighbor tell me about a handyman who could take care of the problem.

The downspout detached itself from the house during a particularly windy evening this week. Scott and I were watching a movie. The kids had just gone to bed. We heard something hit the house, and the kids came running downstairs yelling that someone was trying to get in the house.

We sent them back up telling them it was fine, and thinking that the neighbors had picked an interesting time to start some handy work - because the sound didn't actually seem to be coming from our house, but from the neighbors.

The kids came down several more times. Scott went to bed, and curiosity finally got the best of me and I found the downspout broken.

As I was listening to the neighbor the next day, the kids yelling at me, I looked up at them and told them to shut the window.

Today I am sick and tired of Tyler's behavior. She wanted to have chicken noodle soup for breakfast when I had that in mind for lunch. She threw a fit and screamed and stomped when I told her no.

Then she wanted to have peanuts. At least she handled that a little better, making animal noises and retreating to her bedroom.

I know this is part of our life with a bipolar child, but some days it just feels like part of life with a spoiled child. The only difference is that I never give in to that behavior so she has no reason to think it will be effective. She does it because she hasn't learned to control it.

It's so tiring. It makes ME want to react sometimes. It makes ME feel like stomping and throwing myself on the floor and convulsing like I'm having a seizure screaming like an animal, because I feel so helpless to find ways for her to deal with what she's feeling appropriately.

Because simply telling her this is an inappropriate response, this is blowing things way out of proportion, use your words to express your feelings, for heaven's sake it's just breakfast... none of that works.

The girls' birthday is coming up, next week! They'll be 11! We're hoping to reserve some bowling lanes for their party they will have for their friends, but the place we want to go is pretty busy on the weekends so we are crossing our fingers.

I want to do something else for them but I don't know what.

So the kids have a knack for getting things for free. I've seen it in action only a handful of times, but that's enough to impress me. When I was growing up, I don't recall ever getting anything for free, as a gift, from a retailer.

Twice, at two different Panera locations, my daughters have received free goodies. The first was in Dublin, where I was meeting with a client. I didn't have any cash and didn't want to interrupt the meeting, so when the kids asked if they could have a sweet, I said no. The client gave the kids five dollars and they walked up to the counter, not believing their luck. A few moments later, they returned with the five dollars and a tray of cookies and sweets. They gave the five dollars back, and explained that the man at the counter had given them the food for free. I am assuming this was because it was close to closing time, but maybe it's just that my kids are charming and cute, to other adults.