Skip the Drama, Stay with Mama

Luci and I saw the Disney Rapunzel movie yesterday--it's called Tangled.  It is a good movie!  Lots of excitement and love and a good twist at the end.  This was my favorite song --Mother Knows Best.  It is so tempting to want to keep our kids close but they need to set out on their own at some point (something I need to remember as I worry about Bryan half-a-world away this week!)  To set the scene, Rapunzel  is about to turn 18 and wants to leave the tower for the very first time.  

 

Mother Gothel:
You want to go outside? Why, Rapunzel...!
Look at you, as fragile as a flower
Still a little sapling, just a sprout
You know why we stay up in this tower

Rapunzel:
I know but...

Mother Gothel:
That's right, to keep you safe and sound, dear
Guess I always knew this day was coming
Knew that soon you'd want to leave the nest
Soon, but not yet

Rapunzel:
But --

Mother Gothel:
Shh!
Trust me, pet
Mother knows best
Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there
Mother knows best
One way or another
Something will go wrong, I swear
Ruffians, thugs
Poison ivy, quicksand
Cannibals and snakes
The plague

Rapunzel:
No!

Mother Gothel:
Yes!

Rapunzel:
But --

Mother Gothel:
Also large bugs
Men with pointy teeth, and
Stop, no more, you'll just upset me
Mother's right here
Mother will protect you
Darling, here's what I suggest
Skip the drama
Stay with mama
Mother knows best
Go ahead, get trampled by a rhino
Go ahead, get mugged and left for dead
Me, I'm just your mother, what do I know?
I only bathed and changed and nursed you
Go ahead and leave me, I deserve it
Let me die alone here, be my guest
When it's too late
You'll see, just wait
Mother knows best
Mother knows best
Take it from your mumsy
On your own, you won't survive
Sloppy, underdressed
Immature, clumsy
Please, they'll eat you up alive
Gullible, naive
Positively grubby
Ditzy and a bit, well, hmm vague
Plus, I believe
Gettin' kinda chubby
I'm just saying 'cause I wuv you
Mother understands
Mother's here to help you
All I have is one request
Rapunzel?

Rapunzel:
Yes?

Mother Gothel:
Don't ever ask to leave this tower again.

Rapunzel:
Yes, Mother.

Mother Gothel:
I love you very much, dear.

Rapunzel:
I love you more.

Mother Gothel:
I love you most.
Don't forget it
You'll regret it
Mother knows best

 

 

When this was said, Luci got so excited--because it's what we say to each other around here.  Except we add the line, "Love you Most-est!"

Mother Gothel:
I love you very much, dear.

Rapunzel:
I love you more.

Mother Gothel:
I love you most.

 

Now, Time for Something a Little More Light-Hearted

John made it to the USA. With a story to tell on the way, that I will share later. But for now, here's a song that is decidedly more light-hearted than the last few. John gets home tomorrow night after signing out with the Corps of Engineers tomorrow morning.

This is Jingle Bells, the Punjabi version, from Nickelodeon TV in India. One of John's colleagues while in DjiBouti emailed it to us. Enjoy!

Mary, Did You Know?

This is the song with "Power Kisses."

How Many Kings?

Do you believe, is this who we've waited for?

How many kings stepped down from their thrones?

How many lords have abandoned their homes?

How many greats have become the least for me?

How many gods have poured out their hearts to romance a world that has torn all apart?

How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Only one did that for me.

All for me.

All for you.



This is one of the songs that was sung at the church Christmas party last night. I have never heard it before last night. It's my new favorite song.

Christmas Parties

We've been to several Christmas parties this month--Families with Children from China (the pictures from that are on my other computer, and I don't have access to them right now), JT's Tang Soo Do party (no photos of that), the boys' teen church party, our church party tonight, and the homeschool party last Friday. Whew! I was just thinking tonight that I sure don't get out much. I don't, but my children do. So that means I do get out quite a bit. Just as a chauffeur.

Here is our church party tonight. The kids (3 year olds through 6th grade) did a little program. Luci's down there on the front row. What? You can't see her?
Is this better? She spotted me and gave me a big grin. But first, she stuck her tongue out at her brothers who were down front taking pictures for me.
What Christmas party would be complete without the crazed mother, trying to get everyone in place on time?? John called halfway through the party, telling me he was just about to leave his compound to start his trip home. So nice to talk to him! Another reason to love cell phones. But it didn't calm me down any--the trip from compound to the airport is the most dangerous part of the trip. Which explains why I am up so late doing the blog...so I can keep checking the news online, like a ghoul, to see if there's any news out of his area. So far, so good. Maybe after Wednesday I won't feel compelled to check the news so often. I sure hope so.
Homeschool party--we went to a place called "Forest Jumps." Luci's in there somewhere.
They have these big climbing things to play on.
Kalyn came, too! It was so nice to visit with Kathy.
JT played some games during the party. . .and Bryan acted like a teenager.
On the way to our house in the country is this home. They have their yard covered with shiny things. It's lots of fun to look at, and this is only about half of what they have! The lights are timed with music, and you can turn your car radio to the right station and listen.

The song that was playing when we were there was "Mary, Did You Know?" One of the lines goes like this:

Mary, did you know
that when you kissed your little baby
You kissed the face of God?

I said, "Wow. Those are some powerful words."

Luci said, "Did she have Power Kisses?"

Another Hanky Alert

Bryan, JT and Luci are tired of being brave. They just want Daddy to get home.

Four more days!

President's Day by Diamond Rio

Stars and Stripes Forever--the MUPPETS version

I couldn't resist. The only thing wrong with this is that Fozzy Bear isn't in it.

Travel, with Kids

Day 1:
551 miles
Five states

That translates into 10 hours of rain and drizzle with two agreeable children and one who got a lecture on the side of the road on the loop around St Louis. Motorists there are still talking. We got a glimpse of blue skies at the end of the day, and were thrilled! We left our home with lots of rain and some good neighbors watching the house for safety (thanks, Butlers!) as well as making sure it doesn't wash down the hill. Every river and creek we passed over was scary-full. And, as always, when we passed New Madrid, I was glad to get through without feeling the earth shake.

Day 2:
497 miles
One more state

Sunlight all day long! We feel like moles coming up from their burrows. Made it through Kansas City without any problems--it is a frightening place to drive. I don't take the loop because it is that much longer and, quite frankly, I don't need longer with three kids in the car. I got to listen to Dennis Miller on the radio (instead of video games) as we drove through KC, so it was actually almost enjoyable going through those concrete canyons. This was the first time in several years that we haven't had tornadic weather with us as we go through Kansas. I-70 is long and boring, but gives you a good sunset. We stopped in a town with the same name as our neighbor (Colby) and Luci wonders where her town is. We made today's trip in nine hours.

Day 3:
577 miles
Two more states

15 State Troopers. That's what we saw in the first hour of driving today. We haven't seen any police or troopers on the road since we started, or since this morning. Hmmm. Wonder why they were so concentrated there? My father says they were probably looking for us, but had they stopped us I might have turned the kids over to them and gone on in peace. Truly, though, since that lecture in St. Louis, we've had peace in the van because the kids now have a common enemy--ME. When we got to Colorado and saw the "Welcome to Colorful Colorado!" sign, I asked Luci what colors she could see. She looked all around and said, "I see brown!" It's different out West, isn't it, Luci? It was the longest mileage-day of the trip, but only 9 hours because of the 75 mile speed limit. I love that speed limit! It can be scary, but the miles really zoom by. Oh--and I'm now realizing that when my Dad used to tell corny jokes and sing silly things in the car on trips long-ago, he was not only entertaining us but also probably trying to keep himself awake.

Day 4
approx 484 miles
Two more states

Many of my friends wonder why on earth don't I just fly out to see my folks. I don't like flying, that's why. Scared to death. That's the biggy. The other main reason is that it is cheaper (even was cheaper last year when gas was double what it is now). There is another reason--you get a good sense of the Grandness of the United States of America by driving. You get to see wonderful things, know the geography a lot better, and meet some good people. One song that goes through our heads as we drive West is the first stanza of "America the Beautiful" by Katherine Lee Bates.

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

Library Fun

We finished up a reading program at the library this week. The preschoolers had a Snowman reading program and added parts to their snowmen with each 4 books they had read to them. Here are some shots from this week.
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Kalyn and Luci at the party (Thursday). Luci next to her snowman (Wednesday).

Singing "A Tooty-Ta-Ta". The girls refused to give up their chair!

Luci really gets into this song!

So funny!

Think: "Old MacDonald"

Luci has had a lot of fun marrying her princess dolls to G I Joe. She has her own name for the action figure:
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G-I-G-I-Joe

.

The boys and I came up with a little song...so sing along with us!

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Uncle Sam had an army

G-I-G-I-Joe!

And in that army he had a troop

G-I-G-I-Joe!

With a HOO-AH here

And a HOO-AH there

Here a HOO

There an AH

Everywhere a HOO-AH

Uncle Sam had an army

G-I-G-I-Joe!

I Will Survive...Homeschooling!

The Homeschool Song, lifted with permission from Laurie's blog. This is much more fun to read if you sing it to the tune, I Will Survive! That has the added bonus of making your kids think you have officially "lost it" and they will give you a wide berth, which is nice since homeschool moms don't get much quiet time.

I Will Survive (the first year of homeschooling)
Originally written and produced by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris
Originally performed by Gloria Gaynor
Mercilessly altered with apologies by Natalie Criss
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First I was afraid
I was petrified.

Kept thinking I could never teach

'Cause I'm not certified.

But we spent so many nights
Reteaching homework that was wrong.
I grew strong,
so now I teach my kids at home!

We study math
and outer space.
I just kept on despite the fear
with a big smile across my face.
I bought a set of
Base Ten blocks.
I bought books with answer keys.
My parents think we're nuts,
but they don't even bother me

Come on,
let's go walk out the door.
We're on the road now,
'cause we're not home much anymore
My friends would laugh
and say we'd be unsocialized.
I heard one mumble
that I'd give up by July.

Oh no, not I!
I will survive!
As long as I know how to read
I know we'll be alright.
I've got all my life to learn.
I've got energy to burn.
and I'll survive.
I will survive.

It took all the strength I had
not to fall apart.
Decided to attend
a play date at the local park,
and I met oh so many moms
who offered eagerly to help.
They used to cry.
Now they hold their heads up high,

And so do we!
My kids are cool!
They're not those chained up little people
stuck inside at school.
So if you feel like dropping by
and just expect us to be free
you'd better call ahead first
'cause we're probably busy.

Sing a Song

What song was Number One on the day you were born? Find out here.

For me, it was "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" sung by Connie Francis. No comments on the "fool" part, okay?!

With Apologies to Neil Sedaka

I love, I love, I love my colander girl

Yeah, sweet colander girl

I love, I love, I love my colander girl

Each and every day of the year

Notice the red shoes? Good! That was Luci's intention.