http://frith.osteen.info Mon, 31 Aug 2009 05:11:57 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en My son just turned six, and he is starting Kindergarten tomorrow. Now, he's been in preschool for the last 3 years, so this next step shouldn't feel like a big deal. But come on, it really IS a Big Deal. My little guy - now a 'big kid' officially - ... http://frith.osteen.info/2009/08/30/the-night-before-kindergarten/ Last night at dinner: Sean: Hey, Decker - I really like that Star Wars cookbook you gave me for my birthday. Should we try making something from it this weekend? Decker: Uh-huh - Wookiee Cookies! But we don't have a Chewbacca figurine, like in the picture. Sutter: Chewbacca is a monkey! Decker: Um, Sutter, ... http://frith.osteen.info/2009/04/17/what-is-chewbacca/ We had a day off yesterday, so the boys and I went over to the Lindsay Wildlife Museum for a while, and then followed it up with some time on the playground. Sutter is becoming more agile all the time, climbing as many big kid ladders as his mom will ... http://frith.osteen.info/2009/04/17/decker-the-hero/ Decker, now being 5 1/2, is beginning to master the art of the joke.  One of his favorite books is "Morris Goes to School", where the main character, Morris the Moose, goes to school and proves over and over again not to be as clever as a kindergartner. Example: The ... http://frith.osteen.info/2009/03/08/comedy-night-at-the-osteens/ - Hi guys! How was your day? - Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! - Hey, you guys set up the tent today! Great way to spend a rainy day. So, where’s Mommy? - She’s in the tent! - Wait – what? - Mommy’s in the tent! - Why is Mommy in the tent? - She’s in ... http://frith.osteen.info/2009/02/13/why-is-mommy-in-the-tent/ My son and I had our first real conversation about the concept of mortality tonight. He's 5, I know it's an age appropriate thing, but I still had been dreading this for a couple of years now. It came up as we were making dinner together, and it actually was ... http://frith.osteen.info/2008/11/10/i-think-id-rather-be-having-the-birds-and-bees-conversation/ So on Tuesday night, I'll admit it - they announced Barack Obama would be our next president, and I immediately jumped up and screamed quite joyfully. After the past eight years watching our country become so incredibly damaged both domestically and internationally, I had almost given up hope that we ... http://frith.osteen.info/2008/11/06/yay-election-08well-not-quite-if-you-live-in-ca/ So Decker's really into identifying the villains in every story lately. He's pretty good at it, overall. Typical conversations in the car go something like this: Decker: Hey Mom - you know who's the villain in Jungle Book? SHER KAHN! Me: That's right, dude. Decker: And who's the villain in Cars? CHICK HICKS! Me: ... http://frith.osteen.info/2008/09/05/name-that-villain/ when you can't find a comb (because your toddler son LOVES combs and brushes right now and hides them away like a little hair care squirrel), so you are forced to improvise and find yourself parting your hair with the pointy end of a plastic dinosaur's tail. this, this is when ... http://frith.osteen.info/2008/08/28/definition-of-a-life-gone-to-chaos/ Take 1 nearly 5 year old, full of energy and having recently undergone a growth spurt. (This will ensure that he is all bony knees and elbows, with absolutely no sense whatsoever of where they are in relation to his body and the space around him). Add one 21 month old, ... http://frith.osteen.info/2008/08/09/formula-for-a-beat-up-mommy/