Sunday, May 31, 2009

Sunday Sound Out

I need to take a minute to thank everyone who has sent me email the last couple months. I've gotten the most awesome notes from people who have read my book and taken the time to tell me how much they liked it. I want you to know that I read every single email I get and I appreciate them more than you know. I just haven't been able to keep up with all my mail and respond to all of them. But THANK YOU so very much!!!

Today, Austin had his confirmation. I think it's cool that confirmation Sunday fell on Pentecost.



I can't believe my baby is getting so old! He's far surpassed me in height (which isn't saying much, I know). I'm wearing high heels in this picture! And he'll be graduating 8th grade this month. I don't know how that happened. I swear I was just pregnant with him yesterday.

And now for your questions...

Uhhh got a ticket [to BlogHer] this weekend for free? How? And why didn't you tell me? I'm one of those procrastinators on the mile long list and it's in my own backyard!
I never said it was free! Oh no, I had to pay a premium for waiting so long to register. I just lucked out when they got to my number on the waiting list. Anyone going to BlogHer, look me up and say "hi"!

So does a Nintendo game survive being washed?
Surprisingly, yes, it did survive. It might have just been a fluke though. I don't recommend washing your DS game cartridges.

What I think is the most precious is that you could tell which kid it is [Brooklyn with the blue mask/wig/mummy getup] ....mine did stuff like this and I had to identify the kid on the old camera by the furniture and color of the walls....sigh
I'll let you in on a little secret. I didn't know it was Brooklyn until I saw this picture with Clay in the background...



And I always have to look at background clues to tell pictures of my kids (when they were little) apart. See what I mean...








Happy Birthday to your girls! How did you cut the lip gloss cake?
With a knife

How hard is the lipgloss cake?
Like you said - it's cake. Cake is generally pretty soft.

How did you get all that gunk [Desitin, Vaseline & bubble juice] off your floor?
Gasoline and a match

I've got three with a birthday all within two days of each other (two are twins) and I was debating if we do two celebrations or one. Making two separate cakes seems like a good idea to make the day special for both of them without getting birthday overload. DId you invite friends to this double celebration or was it just family?
This was just family and family friends. I usually double up for Savannah and Lexi and do one party for them because their birthdays are 7 days apart. It saves me time and effort and money, and this way, our guests don't have to block off 2 weekends and drive out for a party 2 weeks in a row. And so far, the girls have never minded sharing a party. I let them each pick out a theme and we decorate and use cups and napkins and such from both themes.

SSO question: Where do you get all your cake ideas? And do you just put them together out of your own brilliant mind? Or do you find directions somewhere? And just how would you go about making fondant foil?
I get a lot of my ideas from the Wilton books or from watching cake contests and Ace of Cakes on Food Network. I find some ideas online too. Austin suggested I make a big Hershey bar for Savannah. I liked his idea, but decided to do a kiss instead. The lipgloss idea just came to me because Lexi loves lip gloss!

Did they actually try their indoor slip-n-slide? Did it work? It's kind of ingenious really, for a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old. :)
Oh yeah they tried it! No, it didn't so much work. And "ingenious" was not quite the word I'd use.

So, um, what flavor was the Hershey kiss one?!
You'd think chocolate, right? For a girl who loves her chocolate, it's surprising that she doesn't like chocolate cake. Go figure. It was "funfetti".

What kind of punishment did you give Clay and Brooklyn for the mess they made with the bubbles, rash creme and vaseline? Do you bother anymore? I'm wondering because I don't know if they do things like this because they know they can get away with it or because they don't care if they get punished? I don't have six kids, but sweet Jesus, my boys would never think of doing some of the stuff you write about because they would be in so much trouble! Plus I'd make them clean it up and that's almost worse than the punishment!
I threw Brooklyn in the tub because she was covered head to toe with diaper cream. Then I put Clay to work helping me clean up the mess. Unfortunately, he just kinda smeared it around and made more work for me so I sent him to his room. After Brooklyn was bathed, she had time out too. The thing is - the kids didn't do this to be bad. I think sometimes kids get into stuff because they want to explore and experiment and learn and they don't always think things through. That's a learning process that takes time. (Some people never get it!) When they do stuff like this, it's irritating but I don't get too mad.

On the other hand, a couple days ago, Clay brought a ball in the house and was tossing it up in the air. I told him twice to take it outside, but before he went out, he managed to hit and shatter a picture frame on the wall. I was mad because it wouldn't have happened if he'd listened to me and taken the ball outside where it belonged. For punishment, I couldn't make him clean up the glass because that would be dangerous. Instead I took a few dollars out of the birthday money he'd been saving for a toy and told him he had to buy a new frame.

I think there's a difference in deliberately disobeying and kids just doing goofy kid stuff. I try to separate the two and respond accordingly. I like when there are natural consequences to their actions. I try to apply logical consequences when there aren't. Do I do it consistently and perfectly? Heck no. Do I sometimes say, "Are you bleeding? No? Then I don't want to hear about it! Work it out!"?Heck yes. Do I sometimes tell Joe I simply must run some errands and then make a speedy getaway so he can deal with it? Heck yes. I never claimed to be perfect.

If it weren't for Clayton you wouldn't have half of the material that you use to write about. Aren't you glad God gave you the wealth of material in the form of Clay?
Honestly? YES! The funny thing is - my friends remember when I used to tell "Jackson stories" all the time. Jackson grew out of that stage and I know Clay will too. Sooner than I can imagine, I'm sure.

Do you own a steam carpet cleaner??
I probably should, shouldn't I? It would sure come in handy.

And has your website always been "the official site of ..." or is this new? Are people trying to create fake Dawn sites?
"fake Dawn sites" LOL! Not that I know of and yeah, it has said "the official site of author Dawn Meehan" since my website was designed in October.

26 comments:

Iris said...

Oh my goodness! If I didn't know any better they could have been sixtuplets! But the first one is of Brooklyn right? Or is that the catch?

Lynn Kellan said...

Hi Dawn,
The pictures of your kids are AMAZING! WOW, they look so alike! My friend had a birthday party for her 2 boys, and she had baby pictures of the boys up on the piano. We all took turns guessing who was who, and very few of us got it right. I think your family could play the same game with funny results!

Steff said...

I love your responses about discipline! I think you are right on the spot! Kids are kids and there is a definite difference between deliberate disobedience and natural curiosity. Either some of these people don't have kids or they are fooling themselves. "Are you bleeding?" and " Work it out!" and two of my favorite responses. Keep up the great work, and thanks for keeping it real!

Ruth said...

I find it funny how people think they are so sly asking questions like do you think they just do it because they know they won't get in trouble. Jeez give me break!! I was surprised you answered that one! I think you're an awesome Mom and how you discipline your kids is really none of there business!!! LOL

Tammy said...

I'm still wondering how you cut the lipgloss cake. Did you have to set it on its side? Cut it in half from the top down and then set each half cut side down? Just trying to figure out how you would cut it so each piece has frosting.

Brian said...

LOL! At the "Gasoline and match" comment. You little Pyro! LOL! :)

MaBunny said...

wow, all your kids DID look alike when babies - and I'm done reading your book.
Since you get so many emails, I will take this small space to say that I LOVED IT!!! took me all of about three days or so to read it. I laughed alot during those days. I would even read parts of it out loud to my hubby and nIcole when I found somehting particularly funny.
You did a wonderful job!

Megan said...

I appreciate your consistent comments about kids being kids vs kids being disobedient. My boys would never do something like that, but I'm sure it is because they're afraid of making me mad, not because they know it would make a mess. I hope to become more like you when it came to your attitude.

Becky said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I love your answer to the questions about punishing your kids!

Kristen said...

Dawn, I new to the blogging world, but when I saw your blog I knew it was one I would like to keep up with. I am the second oldest of six kids. My mom's motto was "Because I'm the mommy, that's why!" And she also claims us as her 6 pack. Your blog makes me feel at home even though I have 2 children of my own now. I have enjoyed some of the stories about you children. Children always seem to make you laugh even in the moments you want to pull your hair out. My oldest is only 2 1/2, but I already have many funny stories about him to embarrass him in the future. Thanks for the laughs!

Sandy In Illinois said...

Dawn,
I just came home from the library in Hoffman Estates. While there I querried the book catelog for Because I Said So. A picture of your book came up and it said it was on order! What about that.

Jayne V. said...

Your book arrived from Amazon today! I can't wait to read it!!!

Anonymous said...

My girls came up with all kinds of things that weren't exactly naughty and disobedient, but not good things to do. (They too have outgrown it.) This was my standard phrase 'That was not a good plan and the next time you do it, it will be naughty.' The fortunate thing is that they didn't repeat. The unfortunate thing is that they were infinitely creative in coming up with new things to do. However, they weren't naughty!

Anonymous said...

I love your comments about discipline. As a mother of 6 you know better than most how each and every child is different. After my first two I probably could have easily said, "mine would never do that". Not after the third. I'm still in shock the things this child has done. He's 4 1/2 and I don't see him growing out of it anytime soon. None of the methods I use for the other two kids work on him. People throw advise left and right because they don't get how or why it wouldn't work and I "must" not be doing it right. So judgemental those folks. Something finally worked last night when he misbehaved (putting him to bed early when the sun was still out and his brothers were still playing with the kids on the street)...oh that made him mad...and it was hard to enforce but I got the payoff...finally this morning we had a perfect morning (my mornings can bring me to tears with him). All I had to say is he would go to bed early again and he was perfect. I thought it was a miracle. That wouldn't necessarily work on the other two. I have "perfect" friends with "perfect" kids and you know what...those kids live in a bubble and can't breathe. They are going to grow up and be uptight and controlling. I love your attitude and I myself am trying to learn to relax more. Kids are only kids once.

Unknown said...

Hi DawnFirst the compliments! YOU look absolutely amazing in the Confirmation Photo(young and vibrant..I am guessing that you successfully survived your FLU)
Now, you have to PROMISE me that you will include that hilarious HAIR photo in your NEXT book(the THIRD ONE) Do you remember "Cousin IT" from the Munsters (or Addams Family)?Simply put, It has been a while since I enjoyed such a deep chortle.
Please take care of yourself!
Mark

Anonymous said...

I rather agree with the kids not realizing that it's a bad idea right away bit. When I was two (and I remember doing this, thought process and all) I smeared myself from head to toe in Vaseline and proudly went to go show my mom. When I was about eight I decided to make the world's most powerful cleaning solution, with the main ingredient of garlic powder (if there's lemon and pine scented stuff, why not garlic?). I mixed it up and tested it on my baby sister's rubber ducky, which I thought smelled a bit mildewy. It didn't get rid of the mildew smell, but it did mask it decently well from a distance. When I went to ask my mom what she thought of the potential of such a cleaning fluid, I couldn't understand why she was so upset about the rubber ducky. That was the day she forbade any more experiments without a detailed description of what I wanted to do first.

I bought your book for myself, read it, and realized I had to give it to my mother, who is now rather comforted to know she was not alone in the world. She thought her kids were the only ones who ever ate weird things (my sister ate dog food every chance she could get, a cockroach, and once tried to guzzle Robitussin, among other things) and smeared things on themselves. Ü Thank you for making my mom so happy!

Anonymous said...

GREAT picture of you, Joe and Austin! I really love that color on you!

Your comments on discipline are exactly what makes you a great mom! My mom always told me to choose my battles. . .you've definately got that down to a science! Good for you!!

By the way, have I mentioned how much I love your book???? ;)

Donna in PA :)

Michelle said...

Well I'm glad I can crack you up, Dawn. And apparently I'm just not that observant. Often.

I'm impressed at your calmness on the punishment question. I might not have been that patient :)

Congrats to Austin -- Pentecost IS perfect! And you look so skinny in that picture!

I think you ought to look into the Shark. I'm sooooo close to buying it myself ;)

Mississippi Mommy said...

I can't believe how much your kids look alike! You put them by age in reverse order, right? Brooklyn at the top; Austin at the bottom? I HAVE to know!

Mummy McTavish said...

As a reformed 'sperimenter myself, thank you for your response to the discipline questions. I had forgotten the havoc my sister and I created in the bathroom... soap that gets cleaned up (to the satisfaction of a 6 and an 8 year old) dries and is no longer slippery until someone gets out of the bath with wet feet. We still didn't learn... we just used different stuff for our 'speriment next time in the hope of a different reaction (chemist dad and lab assistant mum probably regretted teaching their young kids about science so early but it was too late by then). I have no idea how much money we wasted in handcreams and fancy soaps and stuff... and our parents took it all in their stride and gave us "safe" opportunities to 'speriment. We turned into well balanced adults with a knowledge of right and wrong and the sense to keep on the right side! at least I think I'm well balanced... Thank your kids for reminding me that I wasnt the perfect kid I sometimes remember myself to have been. My kids thank them too (sometimes mummy forgets she was ever even a kid)!

Beck said...

I'm giggling about the people who couldn't figure out how to cut a lipgloss cake. Think it through, peoples!

Kristine said...

First, congrats to Austin! LOL with the gasoline & a match! I *highly* recommend getting a steam cleaner. Very useful with so many kids! And awesome explanation with discipline. I need to do better with keeping my cool. It just gets so frustrating when they learn a new way to make a mess!

Beth in Texas said...

That was an incredibly gracious answer about punishing your kids. I had a pastor and his wife who used to say that they thought they were great parents until God gave them their second child. Then they realized the first child was just an easy kid. :-)

Frau Mahlzahn said...

Hi Dawn,

well, you deserve all the praise for your book, because it's really a lot of fun to read and a perfect reminder that life with kids really is the best time of our life!

I keep telling all my friends about your book and how much fun I had reading it, and how -- uh -- universal your descriptions of your family life are. So someone asked me, if there is going to be a translation -- so is there? If you are thinking about it, please tell me where I can apply to translate your book (worked as a translator for a couple of years)!

So long,
Corinna

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

OK, lemme see if I got this right in order of the photos of the babies:

Brooklyn
Clay
Austin
Jackson
Savannah
and then
Lexi

Am I right? I am pretty sure the first two are right?!?!

Steph

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