Funny Fridays

My kids really crack me up at times. Yesterday was a big momentous event . . . "The Hundredth Day of School". For our elementary school, they take this event and make it big. Each kid gets a special pack that they bring home and find 100 something to put in, and they bring it into school, and they do 'things' with them. What exactly, I don't know, but I'm assuming it's math related. All that aside, it's a fairly 'big' thing for the primary classes. When Imp arrived home from school last night, he proudly exited the bus wearing a HUGE pom-pom laden crown; with a label in the middle of it "King of 100". He tells me it has 100 pompoms on it. I definitely don't doubt it. He proudly walked up the street wearing it, you know, as if EVERYONE wears pom-pom crowns. Then he played outside on the snowhill, still wearing his crown. Me? I was almost dying of laughter. Imp is a pretty 'serious' and 'mature' kid. Playing with toys and such isn't his style - he's more into tinkering with lego's or his snap circuits, and all things crafty don't interest him, so him actually MAKING the crown, let alone wearing it is a HUGE thing. I giggled and teehee'd as his crown-donning head bobbed up and down while outside. The funnier part is that the other 2 kids outside playing with him almost looked up to him with that regal piece of artwork on his head. When we sat for dinner, I had to ask him to remove his crown. He wasn't happy about it, but did it; however as soon as he was finished eating, he jumped up, popped the said crown back on his head and carried on. He reluctantly took it off for his shower, but only because I assured him it would wreck it if it got wet. When he was supposed to be in bed last night, I heard a noise on the landing upstairs. I looked up and didn't see anything initially, but suddenly a little multi-coloured crown bopped slowly across the hallway . . . as Imp shimmied his way into the bathroom to rescue the book that I took away from him an hour earlier (we battle with this kid at bedtime about STOPPING reading - he LOVES his books. Who would have thought I'd negotiate in book chapters with my child over bedtime and sleep). There he was sprawled on the floor in his jammies and his crown, book in hand. I was almost in hysterics - it was TOO funny. Fast forward to this morning. I groggily walk into the dining room to be greeted by none other than "King of 100 Imp" sitting at the table, wearing his crown while eating (drinking?) his royal smoothie. Banshee? She's sitting next him looking quite pissed at the fact that SHE doesn't have a crown. A few mins later I cruise past Imp's room. He's dancing around his room, buck naked, save for the (can you guess?!); yep, the multi-coloured pom-pom crown. My other half and I are DYING at this asking if he's the Emporer and if those are his new clothes. He didn't get it, so the joke was lost, but picture it, my little ginger-haired boy dancing in all his glory with nothing but a pom-pom crown. Trust me . . . it WAS funny. I DO have a picture of that, but unfortunately, that is where I draw the line on picture posting. I think I'll save that for his wedding . . . It took A LOT of convincing to make him leave that crown at home today, and honestly, I expect that we'll be riding on a certain float tonight, with the King of 100 proudly wearing his beloved crown.

Back peddling to last night again, Banshee had another nose bleed. Not sure if I mentioned about the nosebleeds, but they're bad. Like really, really, REALLY bad. Blood spews from her nose and down her throat, causing her to choke and spew blood out of her mouth as well. She also has some incredibly HUGE clots that come out as well. Quite scary to be honest, and as someone who has had issues with nosebleeds my whole life, it would take a lot for me to wig out at a nosebleed. THESE wig me out, but . . . they're common for her now (actually TOO common I think . . . I'm worried about 1) the cause of course, and 2) how much blood she's losing). Anyway, she had one at school yesterday, and had another shortly after she went to bed. My other half 'dealt' with the bleed itself, but when she'd gone to sleep, I went in to check on her. She had herself propped up on pillows; with a towel on top of them; with a pantyliner attached loosely across her nose. For real. A pantyliner. On her face. I nearly lost it . . . I backed out of the room trying to squash the laughter that was about to fall out of my face. As I'm screaming inside my head, "think sad thoughts . . . think sad thoughts", I race back into the room, remove the taped on pad and run out of the bedroom. By now the tears are flowing. It was too much; my kid had a pad attached to her face, and no matter how clever it was (because truly . . . it WAS a smart thing), there was no getting past how incredibly hilarious it was to see it taped with medical tape to her face (the medical tape, scissors and pantyliner box were still sitting on her bedside table). I wish I'd had the foresight to take a picture, but I don't know if I could have done it without waking her and REALLY pissing her off. This morning, when she woke, she announced that the 'nosebleed' fairy must have come by to take her bloody pad. Yeah, I didn't even bother to touch that conversation. Sometimes things are left better unsaid, you know?

As I sort of touched on earlier in this post, we are involved with a parade tonight. The school has created a float and my youngest children, and myself, are able to ride the float. This has been a HUGE thing for my children. Personally, I've never been on a float, or really any parade (aside from the Rememberance Day parade or the school parades to the Fall Fair, but those were different). Last night at the dinner table, the parade topic came up. They were almost bouncing off the walls with excitement and just couldn't wrap their heads around why *I* wouldn't be beside myself about it (they're not quite old enough to realize that 60 excited (and likely sugar-infused) children on the back transport truck is NOT a fun event for any adult). I didn't want to disappoint them with my "lack" of excitement, so I gave it a different twist; I explained that I'd never been on a float or in a 'big' parade (knowing exactly where I live, this statement has likely set you off in giggles . . . nothing is 'big' here. Well, except maybe my ass. And my mouth), and I was perhaps a bit nervous. The whole family was surprised that I'd led such a 'sheltered' life and had never been IN a parade (I think my other half is STILL reeling in from the fact that I've never been involved with the Santa Claus Parade in the town next to us). Don't they get that SOMEONE has to WATCH the parade?! HELLO?! I was the watcher of the parade. Anyway, my other half made a statement along the lines of that fact that I was almost 40 and I've never been in a parade, and Imp, bless his heart (he IS a sweet, sweet child, have I ever mentioned this?!) jumped to my defense and said "what are you talking about Dad . . . Mom is 29. My heart gleamed; Imp WINKED at me (because he 'gets' the age joke); my other half smirked, shook his head and continued with his dinner; Teen laughed right out loud; and Banshee? She lovingly clarified that I'm about to gain another 'notch' of experience on the 29 pole (isn't SHE loving too?!). Banshee then followed up with a comment that we need to make a trip to the store so we can buy candy to THROW from the float. She wasn't happy with me when I said that it was up the administrators to get candy to throw if that was their plan. My other half supported HER plea and said that he didn't see problem with us getting something for them to toss out. Of course HE doesn't have a problem with it, because it's not HIM on the float with them. *I* have a problem because I'll have 58 other kids wanting to throw candy as well, and honestly, picture it . . . 60 highstrung and excited kids sitting on a float THROWING candy at the crowds. Yeah . . . I'm not sure I want to be the cause of that. Somehow I deflected that conversation, and we moved on. Anyway, The kids are incredibly excited about it. Me? Not so much, but I admit, I'm happy to do things like this with them - because again, soon enough, they won't want to associate with their Mom in public.

As we head into this busy long weekend (yes folk, we have a 3 day weekend to celebrate FAMILY day here), I'm excited to see what fun things come our way, and what funny and quirky things my kids do. We have A LOT on the go and I know we're setting ourselves up for some great stuff. Although these kids can frustrate and upset me at times, the good and funny stuff FAR outweighs any of that. THIS is why I love being a parent . . . watching them develop and grow and show their true colours truly is remarkable (and fun!).