Yet another way to teach students not to shoot unarmed civilians...
This poor shoot house instructor was posing as an unarmed happy go lucky "hey, what should I have for my morning coffee break, danish or cruller?" civilian guy. That is, until he got popped hard in the torso (those paint bullets hurt, Charlie has got the bruises to prove it) by a team of students for breathing in their training space. Now, usually retribution is more convoluted with the aforementioned punishment in the previous post, but this instructor chooses a more direct (and perhaps more effective?) punitive measure. Watch the instructor whip off the "hapless civilian" face and put on the "avenging angel of paint ball death" costume. Pretty funny...if you're not the guy getting the payback.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Charlie's home! With fun videos!
Charlie came home late late last night...Connor was so excited to see him he ended up having a 2 am party and had a hard time settling back to sleep. Charlie spent a few weeks down in Wyoming getting "Armyfied" -- learning how to clear rooms, shoot people, etc. Considering his enormous distaste for physical exertion and particularly dangerous exertion, he found some of the training enjoyable, like the shoot house. It's funny because there really is no conceivable reason he would ever be on a SWAT team type maneuver storming insurgent houses, but hey...you get to pretend you're a way bigger bad ass than you are in a no harm no foul situation. Well...almost. Charlie has got a couple impressive welts on his arm from the paint bullets. And the video below demonstrates the consequences of shooting unarmed civilians. No war crime tribunal, but pretty humiliating for this team that was made up of very senior enlisted people.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Connor pooped on the potty!
I think we have broken down one of the last barriers to potty training...Connor went poo on the potty!!!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Connor's long overdue potty post and other misc
We decided on Sunday to just draw the line and say no more diapers for Connor. Whew. It was rough going for two days -- really, it was beaches of Normandy tough without all the fun shooting to enliven the experience -- but we seem to finally be getting it and relaxing. We've had one pee accident free day so far, and today despite some struggles, he consented to pee before he was dancing in agony and leaking. He's only initiated potty time twice so far with no prompting from mom and dad, but we're hoping that improves too. Poo is another story but I've got some ideas that might help...we're going to go to the store tomorrow and get a few books and a present that he only gets when he puts the poo in the potty. I'm really very proud of his progress, considering I was actually researching just how big diapers go on Sunday...I had a feeling he was going to be packing Huggies for college.
It's hard sometimes mothering a "challenging" child. In his case, he's just too damn smart for his own good, and when you combine that with a streak of stubborn six miles wide, mommy has some rough days as a result. I'm doing my best to see his qualities in the best light and laugh about the *occasionally* mind numbingly annoying things that go along with it.
For instance, he's extremely persistent and never forgets a damn thing. That can suck when he asks for the same thing seven million times without cessation -- at this moment he's dancing around in a circle singing about "cookies, cookies, I...want...cookies...peez!" Rather than get annoyed, I try to remember that that same spirit of persistence is what will make him a real success in life -- too many people give up at the slightest obstacle. Not my kid...if mommy says no to ice cream, well then, he'll grab a broom, wedge it in the freezer handle and then whack the interior of the freezer til ice cream falls out of it eventually. He's a magician at creative solutions and sticking with something once he's committed.
We've always been a touch worried about Connor's speech, but he's really had a verbal explosion lately and it's as I suspected -- there were always some fairly complex thoughts, feelings and emotions going on in that noggin of his. Some of it's a little scary...
When we had cake for his pee accident free day, I gave him a candle on it. He looked up at me and said, "I like fire. Where are you, fire?" I got the lighter down and he said, "Oh there you are fire, come to my party!" So he's a pyro, but he invited the fire to the party!
His favorite tee for the longest time was a ice blue polar bear one. I asked him yesterday if he wanted to wear it. "NO!!!" I was surprised, so rather than chastise him for yelling at me, I just asked why not. He thought for a bit and said, "Poop." Huh? "Bears poop. It's icky, icky!" Allllrighty. He's right, but the concept of bear turds never bothered him before. Maybe the potty training is pushed a little too hard? LOL
Connor does everything his own way. Everyone talks about the Why phase...Connor's is a "why not" phase. Mommy says no, then "why not?" until she feels like drilling a hole in her head just to see if the sensation is different.
Finally, Connor's the only kid in the history of the world that ASKS for shots. We went to the shot clinic to get Timmy's rotavirus vaccine on Wednesday and he jaunted in with me. He saw the candy jars and asked for "tandy." I said no, that candy was only for kids who got shots (we had decided to make his next week so as not to interfere with potty time and let daddy take him). He thought about it and pulled down his pants while saying, "Shot peez!" I just stared at him in disbelief, he got his shot and a lollipop and he walked out with a ten foot tall swagger. Needles are just fine in Connor's world, but don't you dare try to cut his hair!!
Wish we luck as we try to conquer the uphill poop battle!
It's hard sometimes mothering a "challenging" child. In his case, he's just too damn smart for his own good, and when you combine that with a streak of stubborn six miles wide, mommy has some rough days as a result. I'm doing my best to see his qualities in the best light and laugh about the *occasionally* mind numbingly annoying things that go along with it.
For instance, he's extremely persistent and never forgets a damn thing. That can suck when he asks for the same thing seven million times without cessation -- at this moment he's dancing around in a circle singing about "cookies, cookies, I...want...cookies...peez!" Rather than get annoyed, I try to remember that that same spirit of persistence is what will make him a real success in life -- too many people give up at the slightest obstacle. Not my kid...if mommy says no to ice cream, well then, he'll grab a broom, wedge it in the freezer handle and then whack the interior of the freezer til ice cream falls out of it eventually. He's a magician at creative solutions and sticking with something once he's committed.
We've always been a touch worried about Connor's speech, but he's really had a verbal explosion lately and it's as I suspected -- there were always some fairly complex thoughts, feelings and emotions going on in that noggin of his. Some of it's a little scary...
When we had cake for his pee accident free day, I gave him a candle on it. He looked up at me and said, "I like fire. Where are you, fire?" I got the lighter down and he said, "Oh there you are fire, come to my party!" So he's a pyro, but he invited the fire to the party!
His favorite tee for the longest time was a ice blue polar bear one. I asked him yesterday if he wanted to wear it. "NO!!!" I was surprised, so rather than chastise him for yelling at me, I just asked why not. He thought for a bit and said, "Poop." Huh? "Bears poop. It's icky, icky!" Allllrighty. He's right, but the concept of bear turds never bothered him before. Maybe the potty training is pushed a little too hard? LOL
Connor does everything his own way. Everyone talks about the Why phase...Connor's is a "why not" phase. Mommy says no, then "why not?" until she feels like drilling a hole in her head just to see if the sensation is different.
Finally, Connor's the only kid in the history of the world that ASKS for shots. We went to the shot clinic to get Timmy's rotavirus vaccine on Wednesday and he jaunted in with me. He saw the candy jars and asked for "tandy." I said no, that candy was only for kids who got shots (we had decided to make his next week so as not to interfere with potty time and let daddy take him). He thought about it and pulled down his pants while saying, "Shot peez!" I just stared at him in disbelief, he got his shot and a lollipop and he walked out with a ten foot tall swagger. Needles are just fine in Connor's world, but don't you dare try to cut his hair!!
Wish we luck as we try to conquer the uphill poop battle!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Timmy's 2 month appt and other things
We packed up for our usual Everest-style expedition to go anywhere and took ourselves off to Timmy's 2 month well-baby appointment. I suspected he was growing apace, but the pediatrician (who we LOVE) confirmed it when she said, "Mommy must be making cream because you are a BIG boy!"
His new stats:
Weight: 14 lbs, 4 oz (gained 5 lbs, 1 oz over birth weight)
Height: 24 inches (gained 2 inches over birth length)
Head: 16.5 inches (gained 1.5 inches over birth circumference)
He also is hitting half of his four month developmental markers and all of his 2-3 month markers. He giggled at her when she tickled his groin during his exam and it surprised her...she said most children don't laugh like Santa Claus and the proverbial bowlful of jelly at this age and said he just must be a happy little man.
He was very sweet and calm while getting his rotavirus vaccine administered. We surprised the ped a bit in electing to get that one. With Connor we delayed all vaccines til 2.5. The intent was to get him vaccinated at 2, but we moved just then and immediately after he became extremely ill. Charlie and I decided after a horrid experience with rotavirus that we would choose to do only that one for Timmy until he too was two years old and then we'd get him going on his shots as we've done for Connor.
Stay tuned for a Connor potty post!
His new stats:
Weight: 14 lbs, 4 oz (gained 5 lbs, 1 oz over birth weight)
Height: 24 inches (gained 2 inches over birth length)
Head: 16.5 inches (gained 1.5 inches over birth circumference)
He also is hitting half of his four month developmental markers and all of his 2-3 month markers. He giggled at her when she tickled his groin during his exam and it surprised her...she said most children don't laugh like Santa Claus and the proverbial bowlful of jelly at this age and said he just must be a happy little man.
He was very sweet and calm while getting his rotavirus vaccine administered. We surprised the ped a bit in electing to get that one. With Connor we delayed all vaccines til 2.5. The intent was to get him vaccinated at 2, but we moved just then and immediately after he became extremely ill. Charlie and I decided after a horrid experience with rotavirus that we would choose to do only that one for Timmy until he too was two years old and then we'd get him going on his shots as we've done for Connor.
Stay tuned for a Connor potty post!
Friday, November 7, 2008
"Call Nanny!"
A week or so ago, for reasons I can't recall now, an exasperated Daddy told Connor that the only person who could boss Mommy was Nanny (mommy's mommy). I think he wanted chocolate milk, I said no, and he tried to appeal to daddy as a higher authority. That daddy explanation got him thinking...if Nanny is the boss of Mommy, that must mean that NANNY is the key to get what he wants!
He loves talking to Nanny anyway...every phone conversation with my mom goes something like this: "Hi mom...no, Connor, mommy's talking...no Connor...no, not 'just one second'...okay, fine, talk to Nanny!" Connor chatters about whatever he's interested in for the moment -- "cicle" for motorcycle, "bock" for box, etc. I have to wrestle him to the ground to get the phone back...after all, Nanny is a favoritest person for both of us.
NOW he brings me the phone unasked whenever I tell him no or give him a timeout and tells me, "Call Nanny! I tell!" For all the world like he's tattling on me! Didn't I outgrow this sort of thing twenty years ago? I refused to let him have a granola bar just now, and he fled for the phone and tried to dial Nanny himself when I refused. God forbid he does learn speed dial anytime soon, because my poor mom is going to get a tattling toddler calling her all the time. Got news for ya, kid...Nanny's going to back mommy up; it's the Mommy Clause of the family contract. We mothers have to stick together!
He loves talking to Nanny anyway...every phone conversation with my mom goes something like this: "Hi mom...no, Connor, mommy's talking...no Connor...no, not 'just one second'...okay, fine, talk to Nanny!" Connor chatters about whatever he's interested in for the moment -- "cicle" for motorcycle, "bock" for box, etc. I have to wrestle him to the ground to get the phone back...after all, Nanny is a favoritest person for both of us.
NOW he brings me the phone unasked whenever I tell him no or give him a timeout and tells me, "Call Nanny! I tell!" For all the world like he's tattling on me! Didn't I outgrow this sort of thing twenty years ago? I refused to let him have a granola bar just now, and he fled for the phone and tried to dial Nanny himself when I refused. God forbid he does learn speed dial anytime soon, because my poor mom is going to get a tattling toddler calling her all the time. Got news for ya, kid...Nanny's going to back mommy up; it's the Mommy Clause of the family contract. We mothers have to stick together!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Why you should never trust a quiet toddler
Mommy was nursing Timmy and *thought* Connor was painting at his table. He was quiet...too quiet. Usually art engenders lots of internal monologue for Connor. So as I got up to check on him, he came running helter skelter into the living room, with Chocolate smeared all over his face. Oh nooooooo! Mommy, full of trepidation, ventured into the kitchen to find this:
And here's the culprit unapologetically grinning over the crime. Sigh. Never ever trust a quiet kid!
And here's the culprit unapologetically grinning over the crime. Sigh. Never ever trust a quiet kid!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
