The Toothless Troll

An adored book from our childhood is one from the Mole and Troll series. In our favorite book it discussed the many methods that Mole and Troll used to take out a loose tooth. My sister Sarah so graciously read this story to James a couple of weeks ago when we were over there. James has asked for her to read it every time since.

We've been waiting for his stubborn tooth to fall out for over a month! This was his first loose tooth so we've been enjoying discussing using one of the methods that Mole and Troll used such as tying it to a door knob and slamming the door. Grandpa has offered to use a hammer as well.

Considering he didn't get his first baby tooth until he was 12 months old- I'd say it was right on time. The longer they keep them the better is what the professionals say!

His adult tooth has been coming in with a vengeance and pushing up behind the baby one all crooked and far back. So- the other day Daddy decided to take matters into his own hands. This tooth was coming out one way or the other if it took all night.

Lil' James was fine with this option because he couldn't wait for Mommy or Daddy tooth fairy to sneak into his room and give him his special gift. So, Daddy and Little James locked themselves in the kids bathroom for over a half an hour! James put ora-jel on Lil' James' gums and rubbed it for a while. With much nimble a finger and patience, the ingenious husband of mine wrapped floss around the tooth and jiggled it and wriggled it and finally pulled that sucker out! There was a good bit of blood indicating to me that it wasn't quite ready- but oh well...or should I say fair well?

Lil' James proudly approached me with a rather proud grin across his one less toothed face and told me that they "Did it...but can you have Daddy sneak into my room?!" I guess since I didn't have a hand in the matter that my sneaky expertise wasn't needed. He was sort of disappointed that he didn't talk funny. He also tried whistling and that too was the same old same old.

The movie Milo and Otis was the prized reward for accomplishing this rite of passage. James being an animal lover extremist was quite thrilled.

As I wrote this he came in and asked me what I was doing. I told him that I was writing about him losing his tooth. "Oh...well can you write that I took it like a man?" he asked.

With pleasure my dear boy.

Boy vs. Wild

We don't watch TV much at all in this house. James and I have maybe 3 shows that we may make the effort to watch during their season. The kids never ask to "watch TV" because they really only know of videos that we carefully select for their viewing. There are some great shows on PBS including Nature shows which catch our fancy every other week or so and some mornings they get up early and will ask if Clifford or Curious George is on. They are accustomed to sitting down and reading or playing outside or playing cards together rather than wasting time with the tube. People are shocked when I tell them that we only pay $7.95/month for our 20 odd channels- 3 of which are Shopping Networks, 2 Spanish (can be fun to dub in your own dialog as to what you think is happening), 2 PBS, 2 Catholic, 1 Croatian, 1 African American, and a few weird odds and ends of local info channels with nothing but postings. So really we've got the basic ABC, NBC, and FOX. I simply and ignorantly refer to them as 3, 5, and 8.

About a year ago James and I started utilizing Netflix. We recently discovered that you can get DVD's of shows from the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TLC, and all those other channels with which I would have a serious problem controlling myself by not turning them off and leaving them on all day for my own gluttony! So really, the not doing TV is for my benefit as much as the kids. :)

Well, our family has acquired a "Boob Tube" obsession. We have been watching the Discovery Channel's "Man vs. Wild" series. We're in Season 2. Surprisingly, it has been working out great with the kid's school and correlating well with their geography, Peoples of the World studies, and history. After we find out where Bear Grylls is headed, we look it up on their markable map and discuss it in relation to our studies. A month ago, the kids would cringe at all the lovely creepy crawlies that he'd dig up from under a rock or rip off of a carcase and say "Ewww...gross! I would never do that!" Then, last night when we were watching Bear (we're on a first name basis with him as well as planning on naming our next child "Bear") in the Panama Canal, he ate a snake, an iguana, a worm and had termites for dessert. Not an "Ewwwwweeee, gross, or disgusting" dared to leave their lips. It was merely a, "Well, if that's what you've got to do to live..." response from Teagan. It's amazing how desensitized kids become in such a short time!- Another reason we don't do TV! Yet this wasn't a bad case of desensitization. It has been a great case of imagination revitalization!

My eldest son, James Arthur Ross III, has deemed himself the "Boy vs. Wild." His name makes him sound like he should be a Duke of something somewhere rather than a boy of nature. I'll settle for Wild Boy of the Woods of Burlington". Yet, since our encounters and travels with Bear Grylls, James has taken it upon himself to build a fort in the back yard made of sticks, wood, vine and twine equipped with a rock surrounded fire pit and mat. He went into the woods and pulled out fallen trees and asked me if he could cut off the dried-out and old lily stems. "These would make a great bed so that I'm off the ground and away from the life in the undergrowth, Mom. Oooo, and I could use some of it for tinder and tie the sticks together too!"

He was using other sticks and the side of his spade to chop up some twigs, trees and branches. With some frustration growing from stubborn sticks- he confidently informed me that, "This isn't the best way to do this Mom. I think you might have to teach me how to use a knife like Bear." I chuckled while at the same time thinking, "You are a very responsible and self-discplined boy that I have a mind to let you...but I don't want people arresting me for stupid mothering." Next thing I know, he'll be asking me to but him a flint necklace so he can start fires. I already told my husband that I want one for Christmas.

He has built dozens of spears and hunting tools and all around has become one with our "wild," big backyard. I'm so proud of him and his constructive imagination. Yesterday, he came running in from the garage, where he had been diligently working on something for over a half hour. In passing, he hollers to me that he needed red construction paper, and scissors. He ran to get his craft box and aforementioned essential tools of the trade and went to work. I was quietly observing him and smiling while I was working with Teagan. I heard him say to himself, "Okay, I need to cut a bunch of triangles of different sizes." A few minutes later he was "Done...perfect." "Okay, MOM! Now I need some tape since I ran out of twine."

Thoroughly intrigued, I asked him what he was doing. He excitedly told me that "I'm making the spears for the bow and arrow I just built. I'm gonna go hunting for dinner later. I can't wait to show Daddy- now COME AND SEE!" He grabbed the tape and off he went to finish his Big Boy bow.

We've become very impatient waiting for Daddy to get home in the evenings because I've been told by the kids that "It's just not the same watching it without him."

By this afternoon, JAR III, or "3 sticks" as his Indian heritage demands, had made a large bow and set of arrows and a smaller one for his Dad as a birthday present. Perhaps he thinks his Dad isn't boy enough to handle the big boy bow.

I think that the pride his Dad feels is present enough.

Events Full

This Labor Day weekend- we had a family split of International proportion. I shall do my best to report these events as they have been relayed to me orally or over bad cellular reception.




East Coast Report: James went to Norfolk, VA to help put the roof on Esther Giordano's in-law suite at Mark Giordano's house. He left Thursday morning and came back Monday night. My only requests were that he drive down safely and he comes home with his Indian tan in tow! I think it was a reasonable request for a girl! I called him on Friday and asked at what point he had taken his shirt off and how his tan was coming. :) My cousin and Uncle also went to help. They got about half of it completed before the torrential downpour arrived on Monday and they headed home. Not only did he come back with a bit more of a tan- he brought three whole days of facial scruff too! Of course, he will invoke his modesty and shave it all off before he goes to see anyone this week. He did have to renew his license on Tuesday and he kept it for the ID picture...so I have it documented!!! Ahhh....such thoughtfulness and adoration:) He took off Tuesday to stay at home and work on his talk for Sunday and play with the family.




Midwest Report: Teagan went with Grandma, Aunt Lydia, and cousin Sadie to Rockford, IL to stay at the Johnson's and have special Sherry, Grammy and Sadie time. On the way they stopped at our usual Cracker Barrel site and bought her brothers a special toy from her "oh so special" trip. They arrived Friday night around 11pm our time and woke up, on average, at 5am every day. Sadie and Tea had especially fun girl cousin time, goofing around and annoying Lydia during the car ride, eating Swedish pancakes, painting toe nails, playing with a new found treasure of toys at Grandma Sherry's house, playing with dear friends from Bible School, watching girly girl movies, reading with Grandma Sherry for hours on end, going to the Apple Orchard, oh and the endless whining. She finally got some sleep in the car- as uncomfortable as it may appear.




International Report: Meanwhile, my Dad was in Jamaica for the 30-something time experiencing serious intestinal distress at multiple airports, Jamaican shacks, and other run-down and nasty venues that weren't equipped with, shall we say- sanitary and suitable facilities. No more detail is allowed at this time as this is a rated G blog. Moving on...



Local Report: Lil' James, Ireson and I decided to go to Sarah's house over in Wickliffe for the duration. Before the weekend was through we were able to have some quality time with Deanna, Cindy, Devone and kids, and Aunt Sue came over on Sunday evening after Sarah, Devo, and I went to the movies! All I have to say about that is "Go Joe! ...and red-heads rock!"


James spent much of his time climbing Sarah's tree, taking the dogs out, catching bugs to feed the Venus Fly Trap, watering flowers and making a mud slide down her back slope, checking out the new neighborhood Dollar store, finding caterpillars, watching giant spiders spin webs and eat their prey, and watching Animal Planet- the highlight of the weekend! We made 2 batches of Rice Krispie treats, ate cookies and had 2 or maybe it was 3 Marguerita nights! I think I gained 2 pounds. I think being so sugar/preservative/processed deprived in normal life led us to be ravenous junk food beasts for our special weekend. After all, we were on vacation too!

Now back to reality....bleh.