THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BOYS and BOYS

Mr. 9 and Mr. 5.5.  Mostly they love each other and play, play, play together.  Yet they have so many differences.

Mr. 5.5 loves to dress like a Wall Street business person.  Mr. 9 wants to be a rapper (especially since he learned P. Diddy attended Montessori schools).

(his outfit for picture day)

Mr. 5.5 wants new ties for Christmas.  Mr P Diddy wants a thick gold chain and a cross.

Mr. 9 is enjoying a bit of alone time, listening to music.  Mr 5.5 loves creating things.  Dad lets him nail scrap wood, dig in the dirt, have a half bucket of water any season of the year.  Mom enjoys providing craft products and letting his imagination go. 

At school, Mr. 5.5 is learning to sew.  He came home VERY excited to mail some handiwork to his favorite Aunt (my sister Janet).  Even had his  "guide" (teacher) write Aunt Janet's name on the water color.

   

Mr. 9 is all about using technology.  He uses Alexa the most in our family.  He can even have her turn on the TV and find a movie!  She saves his favorite music so he can just ask "play my mellow playlist" or "Alexa!  Play my dance music playlist"  He loves to wander through the internet on his topic of the week .... from dung beetles to kids catching big fish to stencils for carving pumpkins (yes, he can print from an iPhone).

Mr. 5.5 is a finicky eater.  He won't even TRY things.  At home.  And while he used to LOVE cantaloupe, now he refuses.  School is amazing at offering the Kindergarten group two snacks a day ... now he likes celery, salami, honeydew and almond butter!  Mr. 9 has always loved ANY fruit or vegetable... not too high on meat.  Mr. 5.5 prefers flesh.

They both still love being military.  Dressing the part. Playing with action figures.  Carrying play guns and rifles.  Mr. 9 and a cohort at school did a project on tanks.  They learned that Leonardo Da Vinci invented the first tank in 1487 and they made a tank out of cardboard, egg cartons, foil and paint.

But they still have a soft spot for Gramma.  This is CALENDAR weekend for me, so I've been holed up in my office triple checking everything.

They shared a favorite lambie, made a flip book, a three dimensional shark, gave me some bird flash cards and put some steps on my fitbit.  They also came in 1,842,905 times to borrow my tape or my scissors or my stapler or my paper or my markers.

Smart Gramma quietly locked her door.  

SURPRISE!  Look Gramma, I can get in so you don't have to come to the door!

SHOULD I?

I love unique decorations for any season or holiday.

We have our gruesome spider web up ...

I'd like to try this one next year!!!

Or maybe something like this ...

Scary Baby

 Ew!  Disgusting AND delicious!

A laminated headshot in a jar of murky water ...

I've seen this with guacamole as well

Gotta end on a cute bottom note!

IKIGAI

Ikigai (生き甲斐) is a Japanese concept that means "a reason for being." The word "ikigai" is usually used to indicate the source of value in one's life or the things that make one's life worthwhile.

A sense of purpose is the foundation for all personal growth and by necessity it shifts as we age. Education and family and career are consuming in our early lives.  I was lucky enough to be a non-employed Mom and volunteered at my daughter’s schools (yes, even a bit in high school!).  Then we enjoyed our empty nest and global travel and learning to both be retired.

Responding to shifts in focus is part of normal aging although it seems in America, many seniors feel depressed and isolated. Humans need social interaction and brain stimulus. Our society needs to provide more positivity to aging.  When you have purpose, and people around to share your issues and ideas, that can bring more happiness.

The effects of this positive attitude, and evidence of the role elders play in Japan, is visible throughout the nation. When you walk around Japanese communities, you don't just see young people walking to school or work. You see just as many older people on the streets. Aging is embedded in everyday life.

Sure, we may walk slower, lose pigment in our hair, have cancers frozen off our faces. All of this is part of the circle of life.  I think my grandsons will benefit by having an oldster in their everyday life.  They ask questions and I answer them (bunions were a topic yesterday).  

This is a big reason why I volunteer with WLLO Village.  Kids and grandkids get busier and busier with their sense of purpose and sometimes forget to talk to their oldsters every day.  Mainly just listen!  Some oldsters go days without speaking to others.  They forget we would like to be invited out of our four walls, even just for coffee or a drive.

Let’s learn from our Japanese friends how they manage to live so much longer than other nations.

SQUIRREL PATROL

The HOA Board Chair called to arrange a meeting with me and Kate about the squirrel problem.  As is protocol, she brought another Board member.

We got a letter a few weeks ago from the Board about feeding the squirrels and apparently the two people who complained made their feelings known in several emails after that email.  They claimed we were still feeding squirrels (we were not) and allowing the squirrels to build nests (they were a few small piles Kate had raked together but never bought a proper bag so the landscape company could haul away).

I let Kate do the talking because she does the research about feeding the birds and refills all the feeders.  She makes her own suet with cayenne pepper which deters the squirrels.  She does put peanuts in an open feeder for the bigger birds ~ blue jays, crows, flickers, etc.  They often fly up into the nearest tree and drop the shells below.  The Board asked that we NOT put out any peanuts in shells.  Kate told them that without the shells, they get moldy very quickly in our Oregon rain, but agreed to do that until Spring.  

We even bought a screen hull collector for under the sunflower seed feeder to keep the ground looking good.  Twice we have caught squirrels in there and we could NOT figure out how they could get in!  Today I witnessed one jump onto the screen of our window then jump on the hull collector.  So now that it is winter, we can take the screens off.  The little buggers are very determined (the grey ones are not native to Oregon).

Kate made a driftwood and rope perch with four rungs for the little birds to rest on while they wait their turn at the feeders.  The complainers thought it was built for the squirrels and once the Board people saw it, they said it could stay.

(kinda like this but way tinier pieces of wood ... just strong enough for a chickadee)

The complainers also thought we had built a squirrel bath but it really was a bird bath (methinks they are just dwelling on the squirrels).  

Once the Board Chair went through each and every complaint and wrote down Kate's response, she apologized for even having to come over.  Most everyone compliments the native bird buffet.  She even brought one of the paper landscape bags which Kate filled up right after they left  (thus removing those nasty nests) and it was picked up by landscape company today.

I saw these photos on Facebook the other day. 

Squirrel Photographer

Whenever I see cute squirrel photos, I keep them.  Everyone used to send me cat photos and jokes when I lived in Maui with over 400,000 feral cats.  Now I guess it will be squirrels!

I was thinking of opening a little boutique outside under the pine trees ...

    

Maybe I'll wait til next winter ...

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW ...

My left cataract was removed last Tuesday and it is AMAZING to be able to see again.

I was less nervous than I thought I would be.  The nurses and workers were all very nice and gave me a valium or something, a warm blanket and I was never alone for more than 5 minutes.  The hardest part was having drops put in from right on top of my eye!  I always tilt my head and put drops onto the white of my eye.

My biggest concern was being able to SEE the operation through my left eye.  Nope!  It's just a big blur of dark and a bit of bright light.  There was also an intravenous sedative.  Once I felt pressure (they alerted me ahead of time) but no pain ever.  I could see out of the left eye immediately.  

I got to wear a clear plastic patch the first day and now only at night.  One drop of a  compounded medicine twice a day.  Kate took me to a follow up the next morning and they also removed the left lens from my specs.

The most amazing benefit is the amount of light I see!  And the colors!  I can compare both eyes looking at the same thing.  The bad eye looks like I am peering through a glass of water that is rusty brown.

No pain.  No bloodshot eye.  No shower/hair washing for 3 days.  And that's it!

Right eye scheduled for December 10 ... unless they get a cancellation earlier!

THE INCREDIBLE EGG

I love eggs!

I love them in any shape or form.  I love them for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Dessert if it is a homemade custard or pudding.

My first choice is poached.  While in Maui, before I had free electricity, I learned how to poach one in the microwave.  Simply one half cup of water in a coffee mug, add egg, put paper towel over the top and microwave for 60 seconds.  I would flip it over when finished in microwave while I buttered my toast.  PERFECT.  And now I love to spread my toast with avocado then plop the egg on top.

Mr. Ralph loved soft boiled eggs or coddled eggs.  I would make them for dinner twice a month or more.  For Christmas one year I got him a complete soft boiled egg kit ... little egg cups, an egg topper (cuts off the top), tiny spoons and a device we just put in the pot with the egg and VOILA it changed colors when your eggs were just the way you want them.

For lunch I make egg salad or simply slice a hard boiled egg, add a bit of mayo and some salt and pepper ... open faced on a slice of Killer Dave's many grain bread ... toasted.

Scrambled eggs are best done at home so they remain soft and creamy.

Deviled eggs are my go to for potlucks.  Inexpensive and there is never one left over. I line the egg carton with Saran Wrap, spray with Pam, and put the deviled egg halves back in.  Some I put on top of the divider, then stick in parsley or whatever greens I have on hand.  No dish to remember to bring home. (Always save an extra carton or two)

The Mayo Clinic website says:  "Most healthy people can eat up to seven eggs a week with no increase in their risk of heart disease. Some studies have shown that this level of egg consumption may actually prevent some types of strokes".

So go ahead and enjoy that quiche!  Or Toad in a Hole!  Chinese Tea Eggs! Scotch eggs!

Gotta go now.  I'm hungry.

BLOGGERS CONNECTED

I'm missing a blogger friend, Bella Rum, from "What's She Thinking".  

She had previously blogged several times about heart and lung issues which is what caused me to be concerned.  I haven't been following her for very long but I'm so glad I found her.  She had to change blogs due to some trolling issues so we exchanged email addresses so she could let me know how to find her blog. 

She hasn't posted since July and has not answered any of my emails.  She is married so I know she is being watched but I'm not sure he knows to how to put something on her blog to let us worry warts know.  And he is not answering her email.

I updated my document to my kids (Upon my Death) to cover extended illness and ask that they post to Facebook, my blog and set my email to send an automated response so people would know why I wasn't so chatty.  Also, my sister sent this VERY interesting article "Get Your Digital Accounts Ready in Case of Death" from the NY Times.

Get Your Digital Accounts Ready  

Well worth the read.

In addition, if my blog friends/commenters would like my phone number, send me an email.  And I will give you my kids' numbers as well.  Some of you are singles so it's especially important to let your public know!

Thank you!

GOOD FOR ALL

The boys have been in Montessori almost a month and WOW!  I cannot say enough good things about this school.

They get up with excitement and come home with fun tales.  Braeden makes a new friend every day.  Over the weekend a Mom called to invite him to go ice skating with her daughter, Genevieve.  He accepted even though he had never been on ice skates before.  She has a twin sister who also invited a friend and the four of them had a blast.  Genevieve has two Moms.  Casual way for the parents to get to know each other.

This coming Saturday is their Fall Festival with a fun run (for pledges for new outdoor play equipment).  Braeden had to ask each person himself ... and first of all, he wanted to FaceTime Aunt Janet.  His goal for pledges was $100 and I think he raised $190.  The process was a big confidence builder.  He normally speaks too quietly so he had to remember to overcome that.  He knows his Great Aunt is a sucker for him, so he started off on the right foot ... success!

As important as all of this new social confidence building is for the kids, the Parents are being drawn into the Montessori Family as well.  Both of them have anxiety (way up on the ladder of extreme) and never socialize outside of the family.  They have to invest 15 hours of time and energy each year so Saturday Kate is painting faces and Jesse is supervising the bouncy house.  They can sign up for their time online, with millions of choices ... from providing healthy snacks and flowers, to working in the garden to planning fundraisers.  They are fitting in very well.

Sunstone has an adult "mixer" of some sort every month!  And they provide child care at the school.  We get a weekly email newsletter and a three page, double sided photo recap of the week.  Such great communication.

The parents take turns getting them up, fed, dressed and healthy lunches packed.  When the boys get home, they empty the many containers from their lunch boxes, empty any leftovers and put the containers in a big bowl of soapy water.  Put their lunch boxes in the spot on the kitchen counter, hang up their backpacks and make their own snack.  With joy!  They rarely ask for screen time.  They usually play outside for a good while (sunny and COLD here).  Then come in to  make things out of cardboard boxes and play GI Joe's.  Yesterday they played grocery store.  Today they asked for the play dough box (haven't done that for MONTHS).

I just sit back and smile at my investment.

FUNNIER THAN A .....

I don't know why this struck my funny bone!  But it just did.  

Yes, we got another "letter" from the HOA about feeding the squirrels.  Kate responded with a well worded letter explaining why she was feeding them across the parking lot (keeps them from trying to get into the bird feeders) and ended by saying we would not feed them anywhere on the condo grounds.

(what we would love to do for Halloween ... if we can train them in time!)

One of the reasons mentioned in the letter was that some residents are afraid of squirrels because they could attack and they carry rabies.  One year they "commandeered" a patio and residents could not safely enter their own homes.  (There is only one person here who is afraid of squirrels but she is a squeaky wheel... and threatens lawsuits at the drop of a hat.)

Squirrels do NOT carry rabies and I have never heard of a squirrel attack (without provocation).  Any time I see a meme with squirrels, I now share them with my family!

By the time you read this, it will be October. 

This was taken at Costco last week.

When really we should just be starting this!

And as the time draws near, I keep trying to come up with a reason why I don't need to have this colonoscopy ...