The Latta Family

Periodically throughout the elementary years Andrew has come home with common elementary aged type jokes. Like, "Mom, you say, "Shhh," and I'll say "it." They're hilarious.  I mean, I totally can't stop laughing. Hah, ha ha, haaa. . . Sometimes they get more advanced. "Mom, say "Fork" with a British accent."   Now that one did entertain us for a bit, while I demonstrated my spot on British accent. Today he said, "Mom!  Hahaha, say "Sofa King."  Well, I'm no do-do, I thought about it first. Nothing.  I couldn't think of a thing.  But . . . it obviously had something, otherwise why would I say such a ridiculous thing. Finally, after minutes of waiting for me, he says, "So . . . fa king . . . " Huh.  I see where he's going with that, but who walks around saying, "So f*^#ing." I pondered on this the rest of the ride home.  I mean, it just doesn't make sense.  We stoppe...

Alexa got some "Ivy and Bean" books for Christmas.  If you haven't read them, and you have an early elementary aged girl . . . you should!  I was rolling. We finished the first book tonight.  In the story, Bean- a little sister that is a bit of a pest- decides to get revenge on her older sister Nancy (who, at the ripe old age of 11 years old, is a bit condescending and bossy).  So Bean, and her new friend across the street, decide they're going to cast a spell on Nancy and make it so she won't be able to stop dancing . . . EVER!  In order to do so, they need worms.  Obviously, things didn't go as planned.  However there was a scene that reminded me of something I may have done to my own sister at one time.   I am thinking I was around the age of 10 or 11, which meant my sister was around the age of 5 or 6.  I had been being a bit of a brat. I don't remember what I was doing.  Probably nothing. I was probably being angelic and my m...

We have just returned from our final Christmas celebration.  I won't lie, this has been the weirdest Christmas. I thought it was just me, but my mother and mother in law, both said the same thing.  Since three of us agree, it must be true for all of you. Was it the weather?  I mean, doggone the weather is WEIRD.  Tonight, in Arkansas there are tornados.  Here in North Carolina, I haven't worn a jacket, other than my rain jacket, in weeks.  I've spent the last 2 days in flip flops- comfortably.  We've had spring-like rain storms.  I have daffodils starting to bloom!  The weather is definitely NOT Christmassy.  (We've been told that it was supposed to be a cold, snowy winter. LIES!  Although, The Weather Channel is saying that January will be colder than average and . . . is uttering the "S" word.) Was it that I have been distracted by big changes happening for our family?  Possibly.  Doug and I suddenly decided to put...

I'm telling you what . . . I've got a weird situation happening. My kids are growing up. They play for extended periods of time without needing me.  I have been been dreaming of this happening for years.  In my dreams I would do "stuff."  I would do it all by myself.  I would go to the bathroom by myself.  I would . . . I don't know.  The dream was so far away, it was hard to truly imagine.  Now it's here. On Saturday, Alexa had a friend over.  Andrew was at a friend's house.  Doug was doing Doug things and I was at a total loss of what to do with myself! I sat on the couch. I fidgeted. I walked around the house aimlessly. I hit the goody containers- a lot. I Pinterested. I Facebooked. I instagrammed. I did that all again. I was bored and I had no idea what to do with myself. Finally I remembered I was behind on "Big Bang Theory" episodes. I got caught up. I hit the goody container again. It was the most bizarre feeling. ...

Poor old Andrew.  He has eczema.  Has had it since he was 3 years old.  He suddenly turned up with this crazy, itchy rash all over his forearms.  I used to cut the foot off of children's socks, and put the other part on his arms- and secure them there with electrical tape (it's super cheap!)  Every night before he'd go to bed, I SLATHER his arms with A&D to heal up the red, scabby spots, cover it with the socks and secure them with the electrical tape.  Weeks of that not working, I took him to the pediatrician, who had no thoughts, but recommended us to a dermatologist.  The first dermatologist, briefly looked at him and told me he had bed bugs.  I was furious.  Really?  Don't you think the rest of us would have them??  What kind of house does she think I run???  The next dermatologist said eczema. We did allergy testing to make sure it wasn't some type of allergy.  I don't remember doing food allergies.  I just r...

When Alexa was first born . . . she was quite the disruption to Andrew's pretty sweet life.  For the previous 5 years, he had been the sole focus of most of my attention.  Then suddenly, a loud, temperamental baby came storming into his home, and nothing was ever the same after that. For the first 3 years of Alexa's life, Andrew was mostly disinterested in her and her presence.  He never did anything super mean, but he never really did much good either.  He simply tolerated her existence, but possibly hoped she'd leave for some reason. Sometime around 3.5 years old, Alexa stopped crying so much.  She stopped being quite as temperamental.  She was developmentally at a stage where she desired interaction with another human, when she played, as opposed to the side by side playing she'd been doing.  However, Andrew hadn't quite let go of the resentment that she was not always the funnest playmate, so he didn't play too much with her, plus she was deep ...

Every now and then I have a straight up BRILLIANT parenting moment.  It came to me suddenly today.  It is frankly a pretty creative consequence that I am pretty sure is going to result in stopping a behavior, I'm about done with. Andrew has been pushing the envelope lately, on what Doug and I will tolerate with language. Nothing serious.  In fact- pretty harmless.  However, I know Andrew, and if I give him an inch . . . he'll take a mile.  Is he going to cuss and talk trashy with his pals?  Uhhh, probably.  I'm not stupid. He needs to learn there are appropriate places to use "naughty" words, and places not to.  And. . . inappropriate language ain't gonna happen with his parents, his grandparents, or . . . pretty much with any adult. He's been warned a LOT lately.  Those warnings, gentle reminders, rational explanations for why I don't want him using those words (aka: a younger, impressionable sister), sarcastic remarks are falling on sel...