ContestHound.com's Life With Kids Anthology

Beatle Mania ...

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:53:00 +0000

Our taste in music is quite varied and Bob and I have been very lucky to have three children that prefer to listen to "our" music than, say, The Wiggles or Barney. In fact, we only own two or three kids music CDs and probably haven't listened to them since Milo was a baby.

Bob is always educating the kids on important musical figures from today and yesterday and was more than a bit excited when he heard that Paul McCartney would be giving a free concert in Quebec City for the city's 400th anniversary. (It must be mentioned that he was also heart-broken when he finally realized that driving more than 10 hours to a free concert, for which you'd need to line up 48 hours in advance -- no matter how once-in-a-life-time the experience -- is not an option with 3 children in tow.) As he was excitedly bouncing around the apartment, he asked the kids if they knew who McCartney was and how significant his influence on music was.

Neva jumped in: "I do! I do! And I’ll prove it!" She ran to get our DVD copy of his 2003 performance in Moscow, Paul McCartney Live in Red Square.

"He was in a band called The Beatles. And two of them died. And now he’s in a band called Red Squares."

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Shave and a Haircut ...

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:56:00 +0000

As seems to be the norm since school let out 3 weeks ago, I was late getting the kids into bed and I went to check on Milo in the bathroom. The child I had sent to brush his teeth had decided, instead, to shave. He had his "Cars: The Movie" shaving cream all over his cheeks and nose. (This is when, instead of giving him grief about not doing as he was told, I ran to get the camera.) When he had a sufficient amount, he rinsed his hands, picked up his plastic "razor", climbed up on the bench so he could see in the mirror, and began.

He started between his eyebrows and shaved right down over his nose. Next the cheeks, shaving up, down and sideways -- whichever way he could successfully remove the foam. And since shaving his cheeks left foam on his eyelashes, he shaved his eyes. Both of them. Twice. Finally, the upper lip, down over his mouth, chin and throat to finish off.

Once he rinsed his face, splashing water all over the bathroom, he dried his face and put on "man cream", the fresh-smelling aftershave his Dad uses. "How do I smell, Mom?" he asked proudly, letting me nuzzle up against his still-baby-soft skin.

And, thus, we have reached yet another milestone in the life of Milo, the six-year-old. One I didn't realize would have as much an effect on me as I figured it would on Bob. I just hope, as the years go on and he's using real blades in his razor, he'll still ask me every once in a while, "How do I smell, Mom?"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Climbing the Walls ...

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:55:00 +0000

Our kids are climbers. They climb trees and playground equipment, of course, but they also seem to think the house is a jungle gym. They climb on the back of the couches, on the radiators, and, oddly enough, up the doors. (I still don't know how they discovered that one!) In particular, they like to climb on the chest freezer in the laundry room and jump to the door from there. The frustration has both Bob and me climbing the walls!

The other night, I looked out the kitchen window to see Neva and Willa on the back fire escape. They know they are not allowed up there, since it is simply unsafe for children. So I tapped on the window and in my sternest "Mommy" voice, called, "Get! Down!"

After a short silence, a stunned Milo said from the laundry room, "How did you know I was up here?"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Happy Birthday To Poo

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:33:00 +0000

Milo and I celebrated our birthdays last week -- Milo turned 6 and I ... well, I had a birthday last week. Although it was a risky situation, Bob took 4-year-old Willa with him when buying me a gift. In order to keep it secret, he suggested she "throw me off" by telling me they bought "sheep poo", since manure is a much-purchased item for our garden in the spring.

Both Milo and Willa thought this most funny and tried to come up with even more clever white lies to keep the secret going. While Milo continued along the "poo" theme, Willa showed her great sense of humour and comedic timing when she told me:

"We got you a bucket o' fish!"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Willa of the Valley

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Wed, 28 May 2008 14:15:00 +0000

Willa and Neva, my 4- and 8-year-old daughters, appeared with a beautiful bouquet of Lily of the Valley last night. But an argument over who picked what and how many belonged to whom sent Willa off down the sidewalk upset.

"I'm going to pick my own!" she huffed.

"Wait a minute!" I called after her. "Are you picking them at the neighbours house?"

She nodded yes, while Neva was suspiciously silent.

"You can't pick those, honey, they're not ours."

Still in a snit, with the attitude and tone to match, Willa retorted, "Nobody was lookin'!"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Michael Murphy

Guest Writer and Heck of a Nice Guy

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:55:00 +0000

The kids and I have been playing baseball outside after supper the last few evenings. Each has their own style of play and their own mini ritual before swinging the bat.

Neva, who is 8 1/2, taps the bat several times on the sidewalk before swinging wildly at the ball. If she hits the ball, the bat goes flying and she races around the make shift bases in the yard, passing anyone who might be ahead of her.

Almost-6-year-old Milo, likely copying his sister, crouches right down to the bang the bat, stands up to get ready, yells, "Wait!" while he wiggles his lose tooth, then assumes the proper batting stance. If he makes contact, he carefully places the bat on the ground before rounding the bases.

And then there's Willa. First she wrings her little 4-year-old hands around the bat to "strangle" it. (Neither Bob nor I can figure out where she got this expression, unless she heard somewhere about "choking" the bat.) Then she squints her eyes to keep them on the ball and swings. Before I've even thrown the ball! However, since she spins a full 360 degree circle, bat still poised, she usually hits the ball on the follow-through.

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Spring Cleaning?

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:19:00 +0000

As I sit at my desk at one end of our two-bedroom apartment, I can see straight through to the other end. And between me and the windows at the far end lies what seems to be every toy my children own. My office has Hot Wheels, dolls and bicycle helmets, the laundry room is currently home to Willa's collection of "stuff", and the dining room floor is a mess of markers, coloring books and the entire contents of another laundry basket of toys that we filled during our bi-weekly "panic tidy" just before the cleaning lady arrives. Don't even get me started on the kids' bedroom!

We are constantly after them about dropping and leaving things on the floor, not putting things away, taking care of their toys. We have bins for each child's different toys, larger hampers for collections of blocks and Lego to make it easier. And yet, it would seem "neat and tidy" are words foreign to them. Or are they?

As I picked my way through the debris, I discovered the coffee table in the living room. All three kids were playing with the little, bobble-headed pets they've collected. I found them lined up neatly around the perimeter of the table, organized by species and color.

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Spring is in the Air ...

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:09:00 +0000

Although the first day of spring was almost a month ago, we're finally getting our first spring days. And the kids are loving every second of it. The first day we topped 50°F, heavy snow boots and winter coats were quickly eschewed in favor of more seasonal wear. Willa, who was thrilled to finally to be able to wear the new shoes she received for her 4th birthday, was out in a flash. Neva and Milo, who seemed to have grown out of their outdoor shoes over the winter, dug out sandals. Sandals that were also quickly abandoned to run barefoot through the still winter-brown grass.

Before I let them in for supper, I brought out a bucket of warm water and old towels for them to wash their dirty feet. After Neva and Milo made the water almost black, Willa came up the steps and began taking off her shoes and socks to clean her feet.

"Wait!," I warned, "Your feet are already clean."

She ran down off the porch, around the yard and into the sandbox.

"Where are you going?" I called after her.

"I'm going to get my feet dirty!"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Spell Check

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:31:00 +0000

My 8-year-old's spelling has really needed quite a bit of attention this year. So when I was quizzing Neva on her dictation the other night and she spelled everything correctly, including the 6 bonus words, I was really impressed and happy for her.

Today I found that paper with her correctly spelled words. Clearly proud of her accomplishment, she had printed "exelinte!" underneath.

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Ladybug, Ladybuy, Fly Away Home ...

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:13:00 +0000

They spent a good portion of a cold, spring afternoon looking under rocks and behind lifeless plants. Their mission: to find hibernating ladybugs. Bob needed some for his seedlings that had attracted a few aphids and Milo was along for the adventure.

Bob spent the time explaining the different kinds of ladybugs, why they are good for plants and flowers, how they eat only the bugs and not the plants, and how he learned that the multicolored Asian ladybugs do indeed bite, although not very hard, but the South American varieties don't.

After a few hours, they had found only one South American ladybug but Bob was thrilled to have it and carefully set it under the grow lights with his transplants, checking every once in a while to make sure it was still there.

Milo was the first one awake the next morning and was playing in the dining room. Soon afterwards, our sleep was disturbed as Milo, having quietly sneaked into our room, whispered, "Daddy, I had to kill your ladybug. It was on the floor and I didn't want it to bite me."

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

I "Thought" So

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:22:00 +0000

"Mommy," came the daily inquiry, "can I go visit Big Dave?"

4-year-old Willa is smitten with our neighbour (and landlord) Dave. Thankfully, Dave is just as thrilled by her visits as she is! They have popcorn parties -- inside when the weather is poor and outside as soon as the spring sun warms the side porch -- and cuddle in his big chair to watch her favourite TV programs. This day, however, I knew was not a good day for Dave.

"I'm sorry, Willa, but you can't go today. Remember, Dave has a bad cold."

"Oh, ya. I bemember, 'cuz I had it in my head."

"You did?"

"Ya, Big Dave gived it to me."

"He gave you the cold?" I inquired, not recalling any sniffles or coughing of late in our house.

"No, the think. He told me he was sick and he put the think right in my head."

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Lost for Words ...

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:25:00 +0000

How do you respond when your 5-year-old says:

"Mommy, can I have some cents? 'Cause I don't have any cents."

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Baby Shopping?

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:16:00 +0000

My 4-year-old daughter Willa and her little friend were playing house. They had all the food and toy dishes set up and Julia found the baby stroller.

"We need a baby," she decided.

"Oh," said Willa, mournfully. "My baby died and I forgot to go to the store."

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Happy Valentine's Day ...

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:30:00 +0000

While people are always quick to point out the similarities of my three children, I find it more interesting to note their differences. Let's take the production of Valentine's Day cards, for instance.

The other night, I was elbow-deep in construction paper cut-outs of hearts. I cut while the kids pasted and decorated. All three seemed equally keen right out of the gate.

Neva set up on the piano bench and painstakingly applied stickers and stamps around the perimeters, making her choices based on each friend's personality and talents. It took several hours (including the next morning) to make the cards for just the girls in her class.

Milo began writing his name on his hearts, but tired quickly when he learned I had no "Transformer" stickers for the boys in his class. His pile of hearts is still sitting untouched on my desk, two days later. This afternoon, however, the purchase of pre-fab Spiderman valentine cards has renewed his enthusiasm. He's currently printing at Mach speed!

Willa, on the other hand, took all the construction paper out of the craft box, grabbed a glue stick and began gluing. And gluing and gluing and gluing! She was going through paper hearts faster than I could cut them. Each valentine she made -- and there were more than a dozen for all her friends at daycare -- was a full-sized sheet with hearts, scraps of paper and stickers. Each one entirely different from the next, they were more than cards: they were works of art!

If only the recipients understood the care (or not) that went into each card.

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Tele-Education ...

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:55:00 +0000

There is so much controversy these days surrounding the issue of children and television. They watch too much. It contributes to obesity. There is too much violence. It numbs the brain with fast-paced, over-stimulating drivel.

While those points may be true -- proven facts, even -- you cannot dismiss the benefits of some of the programming out there. One of the favorites with pre-schoolers today is Go, Diego! Go!, about an adventurous Latino boy (the cousin of another favorite, Dora the Explorer) who is an animal rescuer. Not only do they learn about animals from all over the world, they also pick up a little Spanish along the way.

I was surprised, however, at just how much my almost-4-year-old was remembering about the animals. Willa and I were playing with her Diego toys this afternoon and she asked me for the monkey. There were two: one yellow, one brown. So I handed her the monkey closest to me.

"No, not the spider monkey," she corrected me. "I want the baby howler monkey."

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Fashion Senseless ...

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:26:00 +0000

My 8-year-old daughter seems to have taken issue lately with my lack of style. Granted, I own only 2 pairs of pants and haven't shopped for myself (in earnest) in over 2 years. However, I'm not sure her sleeveless, navy sundress paired with pink striped knee socks would pass muster on the catwalk either!

The other morning was particularly cold so I pulled a sweater over my long-johns, tucking in the undershirt. Later in the day, the undershirt came untucked and it hung longer than my sweater. Neva took a look at my dishevelled attire and said:

"Finally! You're wearing something fashionable!"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

When Grown-Ups Grow Up ...

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:12:00 +0000

While I was tucking them in to bed, Milo and Willa were discussing the future: what they want to be when they grow up (a dad and a mom, respectively), who they want to marry (they have two friends from the babysitter's all picked out). Then the converstion turned to Bob and me when Willa asked, "What's Daddy gonna be when he grows up?"

Instantly, Milo answered, "Dead!"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Self-Discipline?

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:40:00 +0000

Willa came into the kitchen pulling a plastic toy behind her on string. Every once and while, she would give it a yank, flinging it out to the side and hitting something in its path.

"Please be careful with that, Willa, " I warned. "I don't want you to flick my feet or break something."

"It's my dog," she explained. "He keeps jumpin' up. He jumps up for food, for hugs, for playin' ... for everything."

"Hmmm, it sounds like he needs some discipline."

"Ya," she agreed. "And I don't have any!"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Word-of-the-Day ...

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 16:34:00 +0000

I received a Word-of-the-Day email from an online dictionary and Neva likes to read the words with me. Yesterday, the word was limpid. As I read the definitions to her, she listened intently.

"Absolutely serene and untroubled," I read.

"Uh, I'm not that," she said.

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Lost in Translation ...

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:48:00 +0000

"Mom," Neva asked one day, "if you speak français, how come I can't?"

While I used to be almost fluent -- French immersion classes through elementary and secondary school, plus a 3-month student exchange in France -- I haven't had occasion to use French much since University. I think I'd have to be immersed again to regain my knowledge.

"Well, just because I learned to speak French, doesn't mean you would be born knowing how to speak it. And Daddy and I don't speak French to each other so you couldn't pick it up."

"Can you teach me to speak français someday?" she asked.

"Oh boy," I muttered.

"What does that mean?!"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

An Offer You Can't Refuse ...

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:09:00 +0000

One of our first measures of discipline in our house is the loss of privileges, such as television, computer, play dates or telephone. As a rule, we also allow the kids to earn back that privilege with good behavior. While we know that negotiation is a skill they will test out in these circumstances, Bob and I never thought it would turn to bribery.

Neva was discussing with Bob how she could earn back television to watch her favorite show after school. She wasn't getting far with him so she went to her dwindling stash of Halloween treats and counted her prized candy bars.

"If you let me watch TV, I'll give you a Coffee Crisp," she said, dangling the proverbial carrot in front of her father's nose, knowing it was his favourite too.

Laughing, Bob declined the offer but added, "It almost worked though."

With only a moment's hesitation, Neva upped the ante: "Two Coffee Crisps?!"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Okay, You Do It ...

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:40:00 +0000

While trying to get kids ready for bed last night, my efforts were met with the usual resistance. Milo and Willa were deep in play and Neva was engrossed in a book. But she overheard me telling Bob that I was having no luck getting them to listen.

When I next saw them, Milo was listening intently to Neva tell him all about cartilage in our noses, knees and ears. (Where that came from, I have no idea, but he was enthralled.) "Do you understand, Milo?" she asked.

"Ya!" he answered, nodding with great interest.

"See," Neva said as she turned to me, "he listens to me!"

"Okay, then," I countered. "You get him ready for bed."

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Happy Birthday to Me!

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 19:01:00 +0000

Okay, I confess! I have a very bad habit of focussing on the negative side of things. I complain about the cold, miserable weather. The kids' poor behaviour. The straps on the car seats. The mess in the living room. I burnt the grilled cheese sandwiches. Again! I think if I were a cartoon character, the little red devil on my shoulder would be tying his rival to a railroad track.

But today, as I was waking up, my regular, "Is it morning already?!" attitude was abruptly halted by the vision of a blonde, cherub-faced little girl at my bedside. She thrust a folded piece of paper in my face.

"Happy Boteday, Mumma!" she smiled brightly.

My birthday is more than 6 months away, but I think for the sake of my sanity (and my family's!), I will celebrate it today anyway. Let's say a little angel told me to!

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Bad Influence ...

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 19:55:00 +0000

Since mid-September, I've been coming down to Bob and Kathleen's every other day to work. The afternoons at the Gunther house are relatively quiet and peaceful, filled with the tapping of keys, cups of green tea, and the pure, unrivalled wit of myself and the Gunthers. Quiet and peaceful, that is, until around 4, when the kids come thumping through the front door. But I don't mind the distraction. In fact, I quite enjoy the company of Neva and Milo (Willa usually doesn't come home until after I've left), and I sometimes joke with my girlfriend that Milo is a bad influence on me. Whenever I say something immature enough to provoke a reproving glance, I can only shrug at my girlfriend, and say, "It's Milo's fault." She doesn't believe me, but the joke will usually get me off the hook for whatever inanity I've committed. The negative outcome, though, is that my girlfriend now sees me as a "big kid," which hasn't done my self-esteem any favours.

The other day, Milo came home from school and asked his mom if he could share a small bag of chips with me, as he often does. She told him he could, but only if he had some fruit. And so, Milo arrived at my desk with a bag of chips and two apples: one for me, one for him. Now that, as I later told my girlfriend, is what I call a good friend. Always inclusive, thinking of others. At least, sometimes.

Yesterday, as 5 o'clock slowly rolled around, and I started to get ready to leave, Milo invited me to stay a bit longer to play with him. We hadn't yet had a chance to wear our "invisible glasses," or eat our single serving bag of chips, and since I really didn't have anything planned for the evening, I gladly accepted my young friend's invitation. I put my shoes away, and we sat at the computer and watched a couple Nascar clips. But within a few moments, I removed my invisible glasses and migrated into Bob's office, to get some advice on a website I've recently launched (SouthernMostReview.com).

It didn't take long for Milo to follow me in, and he spent the next five minutes trying to grab our attention. To, as any good friend would, be inclusive. He handed us some magnetic darts, and encouraged us to throw them at the dartboard. Though Bob and I both played along, Milo could tell, I think, that we weren't really paying attention to the game. That our hearts weren't in it. We were taking too long between turns, and expressing very little excitement over the outcomes of our throws. And so, by about the third half-hearted toss, Milo collected the darts and put them in my hands. I was about to throw again, but he ordered me not to.

"Why not?" I asked.

Milo didn't answer my question. Instead he said, "Mike, you ... you can go now."

"I can throw?"

"No. You can leave. You're not supposed to be here anyway."

I started to laugh. I couldn't help it. Milo often says some pretty funny things, but I could tell by the furrow in his brow that he wasn't kidding. So Bob intervened, tried to explain that he and I were involved in something, and needed a bit of time. But Milo wasn't having any of that.

"No," he said. "It's late. You were supposed to leave a long time ago. So you can go now, okay? You're not supposed to be here." And with that, Milo left the room.

Now, I may not be the shiniest toy in the toy box, but I know how to take a hint. I guess good friends don't just try to be inclusive. They also aren't afraid to let you know, by whatever means necessary, when you're no longer welcome. Needless to say, like being called a "big kid" by my girlfriend, being rejected by a friend 20 years my junior hasn't done my self-esteem any favours either.

Michael Murphy
Guest Writer and Heck of a Nice Guy, ContestHound.com

The Race for the Cup ... Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (ContestHound) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 21:29:00 +0000

Last week, I told you all about Milo's obsession with everything and anything NASCAR. (insert link to archives/blog here?) There are daily races throughout the house, posters in his bedroom, and incessant talk about cautions, pit stops and checkered flags. He even passed up a birthday party at a swimming pool a few weeks ago so he wouldn't miss the big race!

Although he cheers on many different cars, Milo has had one favourite driver from the start: Tony Stewart. Milo has a Tony Stewart poster, a Tony Stewart jigsaw puzzle, a Tony Stewart note pad and a special orange HotWheels car that is always Tony Stewart in his play races. His selection wasn't necessarily based on any knowledge of Tony's skill or long career, but because he drives the Home Depot care.

In last week's Sunday race, Tony Stewart was nearing the front of the pack as the race was coming to an end. This was the closest he'd been to winning in quite some time and at about 10 laps to go Milo was giddy with excitement, barely able to contain himself. I was in the kitchen when the race ended, but heard Milo suddenly start to cry. I ran to the to see if he was okay. He was sobbing in to Bob's arms.

"He's upset because Jimmie Johnson won the race," Bob told me.

"I wanted Tony Stewart to win!" he bawled.

Now, if that's not a loyal fan, I don't know what is!

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com