Awsumb's 8th Birthday

The Montessori Classroom has a special birthday ceremony.
Each year the birthday child carries the earth
and walks around the sun as a biography of his life is read.
Today our little Awsumb is 8 years old
and he gets one year closer to taking on the world.

Awsumb Kenneth Hardy

Born October 19, 2001

In Redmond, Washington

Awsumb is named after his grandfather, Dennis Awsumb

His Awsumb grandparents are so excited for his arrival

that they drive overnight from Utah just to see him.

Awsumb goes on a road trip with Daddy and Mommy

through Oregon, California and Nevada

to see the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Utah.

Age 1

Awsumb is talking and walking… can shoot a basketball

and likes sit on the bottom step to look at books,

especially books about fire engines.

Age 2

Awsumb likes to sings songs like, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”.

He is very active and can hit baseballs, kick soccer balls,

and do somersaults, but mostly "Jump Around" (as he likes to say)

This year Awsumb flies to Florida to meet Mickey Mouse,

sails on the Puget Sound and rides a horse.

Age 3

Awsumb drives through the middle of a big tree in the Redwood forest.

He learns to plays soccer with Lil’ Kickers.

Awsumb memorizes books and loves to play board games.

Age 4

Awsumb has a crazy summer camping with his Dad in the rain,

catches two foul balls at the Mariners games. He rides his bike

in the 4th of July parade and digs for dinosaurs bones in Utah.

Age 5

Awsumb can swim across the pool unassisted.

He plays on the Fireballs t-ball team.

At home Awsumb spends all his time building Lego sets.

Awsumb can read!

Age 6

Awsumb explores the Dungeness Spit in Sequim,Washington

and finds frogs on a camping trip.

His father coaches his Blue Rockets baseball team.

Awsumb takes a trip to Utah goes fishing for the first time

and cooks his fish for a big family dinner.

He also visits the largest buffalo herd on Antelope Island, Utah

where he eats his first “buffalo burger”

Age 7

Awsumb moves up to the Micro League in Soccer.

His Sluggers baseball team wins the Jamboree.

Awsumb’s family drives through all 3 “drive-thru” trees

in the Redwood Forest and down the California Coast.

Awsumb learns about Shakespeare and enjoys plays in the park.

Awsumb visits Mt. Saint Helens and Mt. Rainier while doing volcano research

He joins the Little Sammies Swim Team and learns the butterfly stroke.

October 19, 2009

Awsumb is now 8 year old.

His family is excited to see him grow and learn

and take on more responsibilities.

Awsumb is special to his family because

he always has a big smile, a not-so-short story,

and a warm hug for everyone. (And a cape and a stuffy.)

Bacon, eggs, and cheese...

Awsumb's friends were so generous and he got some really great quality games and toys for his birthday. Today we tried out a new game he picked with spending money at Uncle's, our favorite game store.

RattleSnake comes with 12 high powered magnetic rattlesnake eggs. Simple roll the die and play them one at a time on the board on the color snake determined by the die. Be careful, these high powered magnets begin to react and begin moving the other eggs pretty easily. If they clash or crash together you must take them back into your hand. First player to get rid of all their rattlesnake eggs win!

A simple game with lots of excitement. There was much squealing and cheering! Priced just right, I will be adding this to my gift list!

Check back for a review of...

Chateau Roquefort

Played any new games recently?

Counting

It's well known that people who live with OCD love to collect things, line things up, organize things, etc. But what you might not realize is that pertains to everything around you, even things that are not yours.

For my husband there is no safe place in this house that is all his. Not one place that I don't come upon at least once in a while and just starting sorting, throwing out and lining up. I remember at one point he was carrying around TONS of files in his backpack, back and forth to work so that they were "safe" from one of my mad episodes! (until I found them LOL!) Even his office at Microsoft isn't totally safe. I can't stop by for more than 30 seconds with out throwing out all the Dr. Pepper cans that have gathered on his desk, throw out all the trade show crap that is piling up and wiping all the surfaces. I just can't help it.

For my child this means that he doesn't really even own his toys. First, I have always had all sorts of bizzare rules about which toys go in which room... and they have to be segregated. It's like they become contaminated if they enter the wrong room. I simply cannot have toys mix. Even toys of the same brand type (Legos, etc.) MUST be separated by themes, etc. When he was small I would actually COUNT all the little pieces that went with specific sets EACH night when I put him to bed.

Counting is very relaxing for me. But I can also become a slave to it. And for any behavior that I am able to overcome I will just adopt another, most likely one not of my own choosing. So, I count. I count the Little People, I count the blocks, I count cars, I count the socks.

Before you decide I am totally crazy, just remember this... Didn't you see Toy Story? Don't you feel bad for missing toys or missing pieces? What about that little squeaker that got lost behind the dresser!?! And even if the toy doesn't really have feelings, what about the child? That could have been the one special sentimental something... No missing toys in this house!

Somewhere along the line I had to stop counting certain things. But counting gives me a control that I just can't seem to find anywhere else. So about 6 months ago when Awsumb bought his first Nerf gun I taught him how to keep track of the darts. 2 guns, 6 darts each. Easy. Each time he finished playing we collected all 12 darts. Once in a while one would go missing and just like my "sock alerts" we put out a "dart alert" so everyone in the house could be on the look out for the missing dart. When found the darts were neatly placed in the 12 little slots on the guns. Awsumb wanted more darts and I didn't want him to get any more because I didn't want to keep track of the pack of 36!

Then there was the big neighborhood dart gun fight in the front yard one evening and I knew it was over.... right now, at this very moment there are 2 or 3 little darts, lonely and wet out in the front yard, hidden under a bush or a pile of leaves and they will never enjoy the love of a child again! So today at Awsumb's birthday party he was give the Cadillac of all dart guns. AND it came with 100 darts. The battle is over. The darts won. But we will have to search for the perfect size little bag, themed and all for them to live in until they too become lost in the cold, dark world...

Next to tackle the Lego Star Wars Minifigs, which thanks to the XBox Lego Star Wars game Awsumb had to mix 'n match all up... Get ready... there is a sorting day for those in the near future!

Pirate Month!

It's officially National Pirate Month at our house. Here are a few good pirate game reviews... (excuse the IPhone shots)

Piratissimo is a pretty simple child's game. The 'bits' might be the best part of the game. At $44 it'ss over priced and I admit I bought it for the bits! Small wooden pirate ships gather treasure as they sail around the board. Watch out for the 'tornadoes' (something might have been lost in the translation there!). This is easy enough for a child to set up by himself. Awsumb LOVES it!

Pirate's Cove is our new favorite. From Days of Wonder, the makers of Ticket to Ride. While set up first felt daunting, the system was easy to catch onto. Navigate your pirate ship to the islands on the board trying to build up your ships defenses (sails, cannons, crew, hull) to earn fame! If you land on the same island as another pirate you must battle it out. Watch out for the legendary pirates as they can be hard to beat! The pirate with the most fame wins. Again, this has cool bits, beautiful art work, etc.

Dread Pirate We were given a special edition of this game as a gift. The bits are some of the best we have ever seen, metall pirate ships, colored jewels, etc. Move around the grid on the map much like clue (great for kids to add die rolls and count spaces) then battle it out to collect the most treasure... All while fighting to hold the title of the Dread Pirate! Kenneth thinks this is a little long. With kids it's best to play the simple rules version. Awsumb plays this quite often with his friends and afterwards, they love to just play with the cool pieces!

Pirateer is an old one that is simple and quick to learn. Following the direction of the tradewinds, chase after the treasure and try to get it back to your base to win the game... Watch out for the rivals who are now all after you!

And if you need some good tunes to get you in the pirate spirit, check out... Captain Bogg and Salty. Awsumb and Kenneth saw them in concert and just love their little tunes!

One of the best things about playing pirate board games with little kids is that they always opt for a battle... So, don't forget to talk like a pirate!
AAAARGG!!

Played any good pirate games lately?

Calm Waters

Awsumb has always been such a good little boy. Ever since he was small he obeyed house rules and stayed out of trouble. He committed so few toddler crimes that I can name them… One day I caught Awsumb pulling all the tissues out of a Kleenex box. Another time he faintly colored on a wall with crayon. The worst was probably the day he got into Kenneth’s mission scriptures.

Kenneth had a leaf pressed between the pages that was special to him. Awsumb crumbled it all over the library floor. At the time he was deathly afraid of the vacuum, for his punishment he was forced to help me vacuum it up by holding onto the handle. I am sure he will be in counseling for that when he is 23.

Oh and I can’t leave out the time I left him sitting in his high chair alone while I took a phone call in the office. When I returned I found his entire dish of macaroni & cheese with peas on the floor. The final incident almost landed me in the nut house … I had been on the phone with my friend Peg and was so upset at the scene I found that she had to “talk me down” and even offered to come over and help me clean it up!

Of course since I am his mother I think Awsumb is still just about the most perfect little boy. He has since had a couple bigger instances, but besides talking too much in class while he is supposed to be doing schoolwork he is really a pretty great kid. Oh and then there is that sassy thing… sigh...

As he is approaching the age of accountability, we have been talking to him a lot about being responsible for his own actions and that he is the one that controls how his life is going. We have had many discussions as of late as to why we punish him or take something away for a time when he messes up. So tonight at dinner Awsumb made this observation and I thought it really showed that he is finally getting it. He said…

“Life is kind of like the sea. When we make good choices it’s like living in calm waters. But, when we mess up we create these huge waves, which make life hard for us. But then when we repent it’s calm waters again.”

Well Little Awsumb, here’s to a life of Calm Waters! Smooth Sailing little one!

(photos: above by Awsumb Hardy – Lake Union 2007
below Awsumb Sailing the Puget Sound age 2 on Peg and Dick's boat)

Fashionable Food

I find this blog fascinating!

Luxirare <--click to view Apparently the website it going through some changes. Here is what I want to know. Why is the model's face always blurred? Is she a space alien? Who is the photographer? Does she really dress like that? I guess not, after reading the intro... And the food, where does one come up with this stuff? Amazing. Did you see the avocado salad? !!! <--click to view!
What do you think?

An Awesome Book

I came across this book today and thought you might enjoy reading it to your kids. This book is available FREE online... click the link below and use the scroll across the bottom of the page.

An Awesome Book by Dallas Clayton

And tell me what you think...

Dream BIG!

The Problem With Shrek

Now that Awsumb is old enough to have a voice I am outnumbered in this house 2-1... and well, super heroes, cartoons and video games are just part of our little home. So, when the boys choose Shrek 3 for family movie night I wasn't surprised. I figured I would catch up online and see what's going on with friends who live far, far away.

But when the movie started I was reminded why I really don't like Shrek. The first movie was all about this big green ogre names Shrek, who somehow ends up escorting the Princess Fiona back to her Kingdom, "Far, Far Away." At first the Princess is high maintenance and the ogre is well, an ogre, what more is there to say! LOL! And like all romantic comedies of this type, in spite of it all the two fall for each other. But a Princess can’t be with an ogre… even one with 'many layers.' Until of course she finds out SHE’S and ogre too! Happily Ever After…

What I hate about this story is that it doesn’t show that two people from different cultures, classes, etc. can be together. Could Fiona still love Shrek, and make a happy marriage with him, if she wasn’t an ogre? Why can’t the ogre just turn into Prince Charming? Or it just implying that we are ALL ogres?

All I know is that I could never have married an ogre, and am thankful for my Prince Charming… who I would like to remind would still be a frog without me!

“MUUUAH” Kenneth!

Listen for the Kisses!

Don't you just hate the sound of your recorded voice? Nothings makes me more mad than having to listen to my own messages that I left at home or on Kenneth's cell phone. If he ever listens to them he never deletes them. Does my voice really sound like a 12 year old?

But I must admit I simply love talking to my child on the phone. These days he talks like a teenager and seems so grown up. But on the phone his voice sounds a good 3 or so years younger. It is so cute and sweet I want to bottle it up!

To top it off, lately he says this at the end of the call...

"Wait Mommy, don't forget to listen for the kisses!"

Then he blows me a kiss!

Any tips on preserving this sweet little boy?

My Kid Could Paint That

As one of the journalists talks about in this movie I am one that has never understood modern art. I admit that somehow I feel like it is laughing at me, telling me that I am not sophisticated enough to understand it. I think mostly it's just because it is usually messy.

I took a pottery class in college. The first day we were told that everything we made was art and that if we followed the techniques and came to class we would all do well. Depsite going in on Saturdays for extra workshops and acing the written exams about the history of pottery, I still barely got a passing grade. My bowl looked more like one of those ashtrays kids make in second grade art class. In fact, mine wasn't even as good!

So when I found this movie a few years ago I thought it was quite interesting. As the story unfolds we meet Marla, 4 year old little girl who's father just happened to give her a few paint brushes. The next thing her parents knew, tv entertainment news hours were showcasing Little Marla... Is it really art? Is it really Marla? This documentary is very interesting study about what happens when we possibly place more importance on things that might not have been quite honest in the first place.

That being said, Marla is darling. I hope her parents pull back and give her a normal childhood and that they remember to pay some attention to her little brother. Could my kid paint that? Probably not. We all know I would never let my kid make a mess like that. He would have to paint outside in his undershirt LOL! Because I am sure real paint doesn't wash out as well as Crayola!

I was cleaning the kitchen when I happened upon this the other day and was again sucked into watching the story of Marla and her family. Have you seen this documentary? What do you think? Did Marla really paint that? Was she coached? Does it even mean anything anyway?Watching the buyers in the art gallery try to explain the little girls art was pretty funny. LOL!

Check out My Kid Could Paint That and discuss...