Gear @ MindSay

#1. Goo, Gack, or Gobbledee - gook. Do you all know what I mean? My sister in law just got G a spiderman toy that comes with "web goo" to fling (yes, the kid is supposed to fling goo while playing with this toy) at a spinning bad guy. This stuff is nasty and when I was a kid they had a similar product called GAK. That stuff smelled TERRIBLE and was slimy and snotty as hell, but at least it stayed in one piece. This stuff is slimy, snotty and stringy. It gets everywhere, and when it dries it looks like a slug trail. Exactly like it, it's even kind of shiny like that. Yeah, the toy was on clearance and I know why. Kids love it though.

 

#2. Silly string. - not as bad as Goo, but still requires parental clean up when they are done playing with it. This stuff is way too tempting to shoot AT other children and pets and it runs out in about 30 seconds. Since a can can cost up to $6, there is definitely not enough bang for your buck. Again, kids love it.

 

#3. Guns. - I know that kids will pick up sticks that are bent at just the right angle and pretend they are guns or even just stick out there finger and thumb and make pew pew pew noises, but to actually BUY them guns? Especially guns that actually shoot balls, darts and pellets - I just can't stand it. Hate to say it, but kids looove guns.

 

#4. C/O silverlinings  'How about a drum set?   My sister offered to buy Meg a drum set becasue she loves drums ... I told her "over your dead body."'

 

#5. C/O rockhockermom 'LEGOS... very good for the imagination... very BBBAAAADDDD for the feet.'

 

#6. C/O katmandoo 'metal jacks from when we were little? Those things will go right through the toughest of foot soles!'

 

#7. C/O katmandoo 'Perler Beads? Awesome for a 9 year old girl, but not so good for cleaning up when you spill a bucket that holds 1000 of them!'

 

#8. TRANSFORMERS or any toy that transforms. The bigger they are the worse they are because it takes a rocket scientist to do it. I've seen adults work at these things like rubix cubes while the 3 year old bounces up and down in anticipation. The newer ones are even worse because peices literally fall off the thing while you are working on it and you have to follow a set of INSTRUCTIONS to turn the robot into the car/plan/helicopter or whatever.

 

Anyone want to add to this?

Well it is 10:01 pm in my household and I just got the kids put to bed; so I can turn around and wake them up at 7 am on a Saturday:D

 

Class went really well and we had a lot of fun.  Even though we are NOT officially Camo belts, Mr. Johnson told us to show up for it.  We are doing Bo Staff or as some of you know them Long Staffs.  This is one of Mr. Johnson's favorite weapons so he teaches us a lil more than normal!  Since there were enough lil ones to pair with each other, I got to pair with Mr. Johnson.  It was nice to actually spar and practice with someone who is just as tall if not taller then you!  Normally I end up on my knees or squating down cause I get stuck with the lil guys!:D

 

The kids and I went to Perkins and had a nice lesurly dinner while Randy and Arjan were driving home.  Spud was very happy to see Randy and from what Randy could deduce by his behavor we are going on day 3 of no seuzuries.  Yay!  After dinner the kids and I headed back to the Taekwondo Academy for post dated testing.  There was one Brown belt, two Blue belts, 3 Yellow belts (that would be us) and one White belt.  We also had 4 Tiny Tiger various colored belts testing.  We did very well.  And Mr. Jones and Mr. Johnson used us as an example and got right after the 3 higher ranked belts (brown and blues) on how they were too toned down and not being respectful.  We got to show off our double sticks (basically swords) moves but since it was post testing we didn't get to show any of our basic sparring skills.  Unlike normal testing where you get your belt that day after testing, we don't get our new camo belts till Monday evening's class.  Why?  Mr. Johnson likes to present the belts in front of as many students as possible for post dated testers.  Simply because we are the ones that have missed regular classes for one reason or another and have had to put more work in and he likes to rub it in a nice manner to the regular class. 

 

We also got our sparring gear tonight.  I strung the kids payments out over 4 months because it was before the Holidays.  I paid off mine in one shot tonight.  Mr. Johnson had all my sparring gear on hand brand new but my chest protector.  He has to order that.  But he was nice enough to order my gear bag when he did the kids' so I could have it when I paid for my sparring gear!  Tomorrow we are heading into IA about an hour and half in to watch a TKD Tournie before we partake in one.  The kids want to get up at 7 am so they can make their cousin Cody a poster to cheer him on.  He is 7 almost 8 and a black belt.  This will be his first black belt tournie.  They also plan on making Amanda, one of their rank classmates who is takign part tomorrow, a sign.  And we plan on making Mr. Johnson and Mr. Jones a sign also.  They are both partakign in teh black belt adult division.

 

Since Randy and Arjan will be up near where we will be at tomorrow we are meeting them for an early dinner after we watch Mr. Jones and Mr. Johnson in the tournie! 

 

Hope you all have a good day tomorrow!

I took these pictures mainly for atticsmouse to see how my son wears the sparring gear constantly!  But then Randy pointed out that we have documentation that the kids actually do their chores!

 

I am not sure why my daughter was wearing her hat but she was! 

 

And after what I just got done doing, I am adding yet another chore to the kids' list!  Cleaning the fridge out monthly!

Here are the first set of Thanksgiving Pictures!  And one picture thrown in for atticsmouse!

 

1.  DeLaney and Coltin messing with their new to them sparring gear!  Thank you Kym and Mike!  The kids are enjoying the gear!  So much they loaded down with it this afternoon and let all their cousin's hit at them and then loaded down their cousin's the same size with it and hit them!

 

2-3.  My kitchen table set for the older kids.  Using my Wedding china, I picked a really common pattern so if I found any similar pieces I could add to it!

 

4-5.  My dinning room table set for the adults.  Using mainly my Blue Willow China that was my great granny's and granny's.  Now that Blue Willow China is so expensive and antique, I thought I would let you all know that our grandparents and great grandparents mostly got their sets from their grocery stores!  I shit you NOT!  This set of mine is a combo from both my grandmother's and they were freebes for buying so much groceries each week!

 

6-8.  Up close picture of my Blue Willow China and my good silverware that I recieved from my Granny (my mom's mom) for my Wedding.  I tried to get a decent picture of the B engraved on the stem.  All 13 grandkids and 7 of the step grandkids recieved a set for their Weddings.  Even the kids who aren't old enough to be married and the ones that aren't married have sets!  Their parents recieved the sets when Granny moved into her apartment, then the nursing home before her death.

 

9-10.  This is the metal table with my Wedding China and my mom's good silverware.  I told her to NOT to bring Great Granny's because my sister would throw a mega fit if she did!  When my mom deciedes to pass her things on, I get the set on this table and my sister get's Great Granny's to go with my mom's good china, since I got granny and great granny's china!

 

11-12.  This is an up close picture of my Wedding China and my mom's silverware.

 

13-18.  These are various pictures of things sat out and cooking before everyone else brought their goodies and food for the fest!  The picture of the pie that looks like pumpkin is actually the sweat patatoe pie that I made for my dad! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lol

Yesterday was pretty fun. Yes, it was.

There's this kid at school that I really don't like. REALLY don't like. So, Britt, Sean and I spent our lunch period sneaking around the school avoiding him. It was great! What an adrenaline rush. And he's pissed off at us or something... Whatever. Here's hoping today doesn't suck.