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July 26, 2010

Sweet Dreams

I suppose in the spirit of brutal honesty I should run through my parenting philosophy… And what do I know, really? However, if I am going to admit my mistakes here I should at least start by saying: “I knew better. I did not take my own advice…and I knew better”

• I believe the housework and laundry can wait – My kids, building forts, making messy arts and crafts, going to the pool or park, getting ice cream, reading stories, just sitting on the floor watching the girls while they play and just about anything else we can think to do together comes first.
{And - If you judge me by the cleanliness of my house versus my devotion to my girls, you can hit-the bricks – Cause I don’t need or want someone like you in my life!}

• I do not believe in the family bed – No judgment on my part if you do. It works for some families. But of my close friends who either have a family bed by choice or by accident – They are all currently wondering how in the world to put an end to this sleeping arrangement – I would rather avoid the fight all together by never starting a habit that needs to be broken…
{Yes, I am aware that I am at this very moment writing about fighting a monster that I CREATED!}

• I do not believe in always saying “Yes” – I try live by the motto: "If we meet all our children's needs all the time, they will not develop coping strategies of their own." 
{Again, I am not judging you if you cannot say “No” to your child – What works for me, does not necessarily work for you, and does not need to. I do not claim to have all the answers or be doing this whole parenting this right by any stretch!}

• I believe kids fall down -- I believe kids should fall down -- And I believe if you never let anything happen to your kids, nothing will ever happen to your kids.
{But NO, I would not let my girls do anything overtly dangerous!}

• I believe adventures are more important than clean shoes or clothes – Okay what I am really saying is I believe in getting dirty!
{mud pies rule!}

• I believe in taking a moment to watch what happens before swooping in.

• I believe in letting my girls try to figure it out first – both while learning something new and in their interactions with other kids.

• I do not believe in “I Can’t Do It!”

• I believe in pushing {not physically} – and almost literally believe in the “sink or swim theory”.


All that said – I have had some major issues with my youngest and sleep. I will almost always participate in and win the most insignificant battle of wills just because I-am-the-Mom…. But I lost the battle over sleep long before it started.

I now find myself in the process of breaking my almost 21 month old daughter of her ‘awake during the night’ habit. A habit that I fully admit I enable, and maybe even {okay totally} created. I can and do take full responsibility for her wakeful nights and my spending the last near two years trying to remember what a full, uninterrupted night of sleep was like. Note I said “near two years” and not “three years”. I do as you all know have a 3 year old daughter. Gigi was 18 months old the day Lula was born. G had been sleeping 11 hours a night most nights for a year by the time Miss Lu arrived. Gigi was a dream when it came to sleep. She took amazing naps– she slept from 7pm to 6am pretty faithfully. If I got less than 8 hours of sleep it was my own fault. Then Lula was born…

I think the best place to start is at the beginning… When Gigi was 2 months old the builders vacated our home and we moved in. Prior to that Gigi slept in a crib in our room. She was a typical baby – slept all day and woke every two hours to eat. Our first night in our new house Hubby decided that since Gigi had her very own room, she should sleep in her very own room. Quite to my surprise I remember wanting to scream out “Noooooooo!” I could not believe that I was feeling this way – I always knew {before I actually had a baby} that my child would never sleep with us! If for some reason that baby needed to sleep in our room he or she would be evicted as soon as possible and never in our bed! For all of my moaning and groaning about sleepless nights, waking to feed Gigi, then spending the next 30 plus minutes pumping, only to fall back to sleep just in time to start the entire process all over again…. When it came time for my teeny-tiny little baby to move out, I could not fathom being so far away. "Far Away"... I think it is 13 steps from my door to hers.

I vividly remember saying to Hubby “What if she needs me in the middle of the night?” and as I can recall I did not think it was a ridiculous thing to ask either! That night, at all of 9 weeks old Gigi slept 10 straight hours. She didn’t “need” me once! I must have walked down the hall and looked in on her 3 or 4 times that night. I remember holding my breath in a panic and touching her just to be sure she was still breathing. {something I still so to this day – she is the quietest most peaceful sleeper I have ever seen in my life!} That was the beginning of getting my sleep back. There were ebbs and tides to her sleep pattern for the next two or three months.  She must have been about 6 months old when I finally decided that we needed to sleep 11 hours every night. So I started putting her to bed awake instead of rocking her to sleep first. I really missed rocking her - and listening to her cry while she tried to soothe herself back to sleep was difficult, but after a few weeks she was fine and I became that mother everyone hates!! The one who says… “Oh? Really? Because my baby sleeps 11 hours a night.” – Yup…That was me! Guess the joke is on me though - Payback is a mother! {or a wakeful baby at the very least!}

18 months to the day after Gigi was born: Enter Lula. {My, polar opposite of her big sis in almost every way baby} I had a "significant", post c-section, internal bleed with Lula, and spent the next several weeks akin to a narcoleptic. I would fall asleep mid-sentence while recovering in the hospital. I couldn’t stay awake long enough to nurse. So someone would prop me up with Lu in my arms and pillows stuffed all around so that when I passed out cold she could still nurse safely until she fell asleep. This anemic exhaustion continued for the next few weeks at home as well. I would wake up an hour or two after sitting in the rocking chair to nurse only to find we were both asleep and for God only knows how long…

Long after the 9 week mark passed Lula was still in her bassinet in our room. I am determined that my girls will share a room; an important life experience in my eyes {even though we have a 3 bedroom house} - So, until I could get Lu sleeping through the night like her sister, it was decided she would stay with us. That meant that every time she woke up we raced to her side for two reasons. One-She was right-there… next-to-us… and we didn’t want to listen to her crying. Two- the last thing we wanted was both kids awake and crying in the middle of the night. So, we found ourselves doing anything to appease Lula before she could wake her sister.

{come to find out Gigi could sleep through a stampede of trumpeting elephants – If we only knew that a year ago!}

Lu slept in our room until she was 9 months old. It finally got to a point where Hubby and I needed her to leave our room – But she still was up 3 and 4 times a night. So, I gave in and we moved her to the guest bedroom. We set up an extra crib in there and she would have to sleep across the hall from her sister until she could sleep through the night. We went on appeasing her and quieting her with a bottle for months. Shortly after she turned 1 we started putting her to bed with a bottle and giving her a bottle in the middle of the night and walking away. This actually worked for us! No one had to do much more than go downstairs, grab a bottle from the refrigerator, hand it to Lu and go back to bed. She would drink the 3 or 4 oz and go right back to sleep for a few hours and then we would give her another bottle.

I knew it was wrong.

I knew it was weak.

I knew it was lazy.

Mostly I knew that it would rot her teeth and it was perpetuating the sleepless nights.

But I am at home all day with the girls and more-often-than-not, I am home alone with them all night too. {hence the “part-time single mother” statement in my bio} It was easier to give her a bottle and go back to bed. At some point after Lu turned 1 I stopped telling people she was still up all night. I knew that if I told people she STILL did not sleep through the night, I would have to admit that it was my fault and that the mother who can walk away from her kids crying during the day cannot seem to do the same at night, when she is exhausted beyond words. The mother that believes in tough love, still gives her 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 month old a bottle to quiet her down and get her back to sleep quickly. It was just getting so bad!

I waivered back and forth between letting her have the bottle until she was 3 and I was sure she would understand me when I said: “No – Just lay down and go to sleep.” And dueling with her for a week or two, making her “cry it out” and win the war of the sleepless nights. I switched the bottle from milk to water and I started letting her cry longer before giving in and bringing her a bottle. By 19 months old things were starting to get worse. We went from up one time a night, or rather up at 4 or 5am, then sleeping until 7am after having a bottle, to up 3 and 4 times again. *Pause… reassess…*

I know that my child is now in charge.
I know that I have created a monster.
I know I took the lazy route and I was doing no one any favors, least of all Lula.
I know that I am not taking the advice that I give to friends who ask about Gigi and how she came to sleep through the night.
I Know! I Know! I Know!
*pulling my hair out*

Two weeks ago Lula and I said good-bye to the bottle. We gathered up the few we had left, threw them in the trash and said “Bye-Bye. No more bottles!” That night Lu moved permanently into the crib in the girls’ room and out of the guest room. She was given a sippy cup at bed time and told I would see her in the morning. She cried for an hour that night – Gigi was put in the guest bed and I turned off the baby monitor {should have done that months ago!} But I did not get out of bed.

The next night Gigi was moved back into her room and told that Mommy was not coming to get Lula if she cried. Lula had a sippy cup and would need to just go back to sleep. That night I left the bedroom doors open a crack because of G. After hearing Lu cry out a few times in the middle of the night I heard G say to her sister: “Louie! Go-Back-To-Bed!!”, and then - not another peep until morning.

The next few nights I barely heard Lu and Grace never came to get me and we were sleeping straight through until about 5am – at which time I would refill Lu’s cup and tell her to go back to sleep. Then Hubby came home and we had a few nights of screaming. I am sure it’s because Hubby was home and Lula figured he’d give in and rescue her. {Truthfully – I think he might have once or twice.}

The next step was putting the girls to sleep at the same time. Something we have not done because they chat and laugh and play and do not go to sleep – But again… If I keep fixing it for them, they will never learn to go to sleep together!

Two weeks later I can report – Lula is not sleeping through the night every night – the girls still have trouble laying down and going right to sleep after being put to bed together...... but we are 90% of the way there! We don’t hear Lu every night – The girls are quiet down faster and faster each evening… things are looking up.

I have no one to blame for this whole situation but myself. We could have been sleeping through the night long before now if I had simply dropped the hammer months ago and said “This is bedtime! I will see you both in the morning!”

Learn from my mistakes people – there will be plenty!

July 23, 2010

Thank You For Your Support!

A Mother's Musings was "Our Featured Blog" on TopMommyBlogs.com today! Many thanks to my loyal readers for getting me to this point! I appreciate all of your support {and all of your votes!} Keep spreading the word about A Mother's Musings, Mishaps and Milestones!

With immense gratitude,
Shelbi





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July 22, 2010

Just breathe

Okay - So my life is flying by at the speed of light! There are not enough hours in the day -
Days in the week -
And certainly there is no time for it all!
I want...
My kids want...
Forget about my poor Hubby - There is nothing left over for him when he gets back to town.
I have friends I don't want to neglect -
They have kids who are my kids friends...
So finding time to get together is a must!
I cannot seem to let go of swim lessons,
I "need" to fit Stroller Strides in at least three times a week for my own sanity
{Har-Har}-
I want to make story time work
{somehow} -
It's all too much, none of it fits perfectly.
I just want to scream and I don't know how to make it work - Oh, believe you me, I WILL make it work, but I have yet to find the perfect combination/balance.

So when I tell someone who asks "What have you been up to?"
that...
"I don't know?? We've been going flat out, non-stop for weeks but I can't seem to tell you what we've done."
I now know it's not just me! As thrilled as I was to read Carolyn Hax's response to this woman's question about SAHMs {Stay-At-Home-Moms}I found myself wanting to punch the woman she was responding to in the face. Seriously! If I knew who the woman was that wrote in with this outlandish and horrificly offensive question I would be prank-calling her house 24/7! I would love to walk up behind this woman, tap her on the shoulder and when she turns around, full on punch her in the mouth. -- I know violent - Sorry.
But I have to stand up for the rest of my SAHM sisters! No one understands -
Well ladies, our evil friends might not get it -
Random strangers on the street might not get it -
The dental hygienist might not get it -
Heck 9 times out of 10 our husbands might not get it but I do!
I get it and so does Carolyn Hax.
THANK YOU CAROLYN!

So if you've ever wondered what a stay-at-home-mom does all day long - Here is a true and brilliant portrail of the life of a stay-at-home-mother!
By Carolyn Hax


Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Carolyn:

Best friend has child. Her: exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, etc. Me (no kids): Wow. Sorry. What'd you do today? Her: Park, play group . . .

Okay. I've done Internet searches, I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners . . . I do all those things, too, and I don't do them EVERY DAY. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail? I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events) and I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy -- not a bad thing at all -- but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth? Is this a peeing contest ("My life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids and all us child-free folks get the same story and have the same questions.

Tacoma, Wash.

Relax and enjoy. You're funny.

Or you're lying about having friends with kids.

Or you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them.

I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand, while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are that your mom-friends are either lying or competing with you, is disingenuous indeed.

So, since it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. In list form. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, clean, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries, questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys, and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared-essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces the kind of checkout-line screaming that gets the checkout line shaking its head.

It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.

It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, constant relegation of your needs to the second tier.

It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family and friends, well-meaning and otherwise. It's resisting constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense.

It's doing all this while concurrently teaching virtually everything -- language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity. Empathy. Everything.

It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spent all day, every day, with this brand of joy, and then, when you got your first 10 minutes to yourself, wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend, a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you to mutual friends, or marvel how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand or keep your snit to yourself.

Write to Tell Me About It, Style, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071, ortellme@washpost.com.

July 17, 2010

Summer Science Project {Conclusion}

My parents sent us to summer school every year - At least while we were in Grade School. It was more a way of giving us something to do other than spend all day at the river or off in the wood unsupervised - Versus needing extra help with a subject - In fact it had everything to do with keeping us out of trouble when during the summer . Oh don't get me wrong - Muffy and I spent a fair amount of time skipping class and trying to catch frogs at the Bull Frog Pond outside the Tea House in Child's Park. But it was {3} classes - You could pick a maximum of {1} sport, so we always took tennis - and FIRST THING in the morning before it was too hot and muggy to be on the courts, let alone chasing after fuzzy green balls. Then {2} "academic" classes. It seemed I always took some variation of the same {3} classes. Creative Writing, Science and Theater. Usually Creative Writing and Science.

I remember vividly one summer morning Muffy and I stopped our bikes at the foot of a girlfriend's driveway. We were on our way to summer school and stopped to say hello to our friend and her mother on our way by. Our girlfriend's mother asked where we were off to so early in the morning. When she heard we were on our way to summer school, she asked "Why? Do your parents think your stupid or something?" I will never forget that conversation as long as I live. I couldn't believe someones mother would say something like that. No credit was given towards the upcoming academic year. I am not even sure there were "grades" it was more like going to camp for half a day.

The classes I liked the best, beside tennis were science. I got to dissect earth worms, watch butterflies hatch {our next science project!!} and sprout beans. Those three projects stand out the most in my mind. A few weeks ago, remembering how simple it was to "sprout" beans and from always having a garden how quickly beans grow. As in a visible change from day to day I though that might be a fun "science" project for the girls and me to take on this summer. I debated just sprouting beans because that would only take a few days and the girls might get a kick out of it, but in the end - Their favorite vegetable is green beans and I always had a garden with fresh summer vegetables to munch while growing up and living in the 'burbs - The dusty desert, sun baked, 'burbs was not conducive to a vegetable garden. Still... I wanted to see if we couldn't grow at least a handful of green beans so the girls "reward" at the end would be growing something they could eat!

So.. I bought a packet of beans and dug out a large empty plant pot from the garage and some potting soil.



The packet of beans was the most intriguing part of this first stage of our project. Grace kept shaking and shaking the packet. Listening to the sound and then pausing to think about it. Then shaking it back and forth some more. Finally she asked me what was in the envelope. So I cut it open and shook some of the "seeds"{beans} into my hand. I explained to her " These are the seeds we were going to plant in the dirt. We were going to put our "Garden" {pot} in the sun, plant the seeds in the dirt, water it a few times a day and watch them grow just like 'Jack and the Beanstalk' - Then in a little while we will have yummy Green Beans to eat growing right here in this pot! " --- Now to me an understandable question would be something about being able to climb the beanstalk.... Or if there would be a giant up in the sky at the top of the beanstalk.... Some question referencing "Jack and the Beanstalk". Not my Grace --- Instead she looks as the handful of seeds I am holding. Thinks about it for a moment, looks right at me and says...
"That's gonna' be a lot of cans!"
Jaw dropping... shame creeping in... I grew up around farm land. While Northampton was technically a "city" it was the furthest thing from. It was a small town where everyone had a decent piece of property and most people had a garden even if it was only flowers. There were road side farm stands all over the place in the summer and fresh summer vegetables made their way to your table from no further than 10 miles from home and that was a haul. I don't know that we ate canned vegetables ever when I was growing up - but my kids.... My kids eat canned green beans. My kids eat canned green beans so often that Grace thinks green beans grow in cans! -- My-child-thinks-beans-grow-in-cans! -- Oh the shame... Guess it's a good think we're doing this little project! Next year I might have to figure out how to dig a real garden in the backyard!


So proud of her little garden!

The garden sign would not last - First the HOT Arizona Sun would melt the glue and it would fall apart - Later Lily would use brute force strength to pull the "Grace and Lily's Garden" part off.

DAY 5 - The bean sprouts began poking through the soil. I have no idea why I do not have a photo of that. Day 5 was by far the coolest day of the entire project to day. Grace and Lily amazement that something was growing where just a few days earlier there was nothing but dirt and some beans they pushed down into the soil - If the project never went any further than that - Well that was a really, really cool moment!

The first leaves!


Starting to grow!

Getting bigger by the day!
{They would be even bigger if Lily hadn't pulled off half the leaves!!}


Almost time to put in stakes and tie the stalks!


Okay this is pretty fun for all of us now! Every morning the stalks are visibly bigger than the day before!


July is in full swing the temperatures are well above 100* now.  It has been crucial to water in the morning and again in the evening. Yes, a watering can is more efficient , but the girls have more fun "misting" the plants with their squirt bottles.
{Don't worry. Mom & Dad give the plants a good soaking with the hose when the girls aren't looking!}



They are growing like cray and looking good but still no flowers. It has been almost a month and the packet of seeds says 54 days to mature. We shall see - We are still having fun and that is all that really matters!

116* yesterday.
In the heat of the mid-day sun I decided they beans could use and extra drink.
I fried them. Or maybe "boiled" would be an more appropriate term. The water on the leaves coupled with triple digit temperatures boiled the leaves. within a few hours of their afternoon drink the leaves were curled and crucnhy {I know very scientific terms} This morning they are starting to fall off.


Conclusion:
Althought the packed of seeds says "Direct Sunlight" I do not think that meant direct desert sunlight. Our "Garden" probably could have used partial sunlight. The heat here is so oppressive.
After 30 days we wera able to grow a decent sized stalk. Not nearly as tall as one would see in a vegetable garden but growing at a decent rate.  It is sad but it was fun while it lasted. Truthfully I think the girls were the most impressed with the sprouting stage and who can blame them?

I am going to look into way to have improved our success. We may have to try again!

My Suggestion:

Try this at home!
Get a sprouting tray and just sprout beans.
Or even sprout the seeds in a pie tin like my step-mother did as a child.
The sprouting stage can be done indoors.
{an appealing alternative if you live in a desert climate}


Be on the lookout for our next attempt at growing Green Beans.
For now it's back to the drawing board!

July 12, 2010

Project Stroller Strides / Back on track


I know, I know - it’s been months since my last Stroller Strides post. When I last posted my progress {here}I was humming along making amazing strides {ha-ha}. I was on my way to a leaner, stronger, sexier me. Then… I hit a little speed bump.

In May the girls and I spent two weeks in Florida. Two weeks off was killer both to my momentum and stamina. Almost all of the progress I had made in the preceding six weeks was gone by the time I returned. I made it to three classes before having to take another two weeks off; due to a babysitting commitment and then Gigi’s VBS. By the time I returned three weeks ago recommitted, to myself and to positive change, I was fairly back to square one. The saving Grace is, this time I am fully aware of what I am capable of. I know how hard I can push myself and I know how good it feels to clear the cobwebs with sweat!

There is a hitch… G and Lu did not start Stroller Strides when they were tiny babies like most of the kiddos we workout with did - Gigi was 2 and Lula was 1. Now at 3 and 20 months, they are not the most patient kids for the hour. They fight …and need …and have their tantrums. So I briefly entertained the idea of leaving Stroller Strides and joining the local gym. If I did that I could drop the kids off at the child care center and workout in peace and quiet. There is something to very, very, very appealing about that. In the end I am sticking with Stroller Strides and probably not for the reason you might think. Sure it is an amazing workout. I have seen results far more quickly with Stroller Strides than with any other workout regimen I have ever had. However, in the end the reason that I am sticking with Stroller Strides is the women! The amazing; strong; beautiful; supportive-of-each-other women. Their energy – Their positive energy is why I am staying.

One of the best parts of my day is sweating with those fabulous women and showing my daughters what it is to be a strong, beautiful, healthy woman. Out of all of the lessons I have been teaching my girls this year - the importance of physical activity and taking the time to take care of, and pride in your body is one of the most important! Thank you Stroller Strides for changing my life, helping me teach this amazing life lesson to my girls and for pushing me. I am a better, wife, mother and me because of the time I spend with y'all!
----
Watching the girls run around both at home and after class with the other kids, pushing their strollers, imitating our workouts doesn’t hurt either! Quite possibly the most adorable and funny thing ever!

A Stroller Really Does Make You Sexy!

July 10, 2010

G's Evolution of {Man}

I am finding more and more my 3 year old has questions that just plain old throw me for a loop! It's not that they are outrageous questions - They are very normal, observant questions - The loop is... How do I answer? Brutal honesty? Half truths? Deflect? What should a 3 year old know? What should wait for a few years down the road? I find most often I err on the side of honesty. Not necessarily "brutal", but honest. I also find that honesty can lead to more "tough" questions or quite frequently embarrassing situations!

In learning body parts, something G learned 2 years ago and in more recently teaching Lu I have always called a spade a spade. Our Bodies Ourselves, right? Nothing to be ashamed of. {am I the only one who's mother gave her that book?} So while eyes are eyes, and knees are knees a vagina is not a "Who-ha" or any other 'code name' you can think of. {no offense if your family uses code words for penis and vagina - I don't judge, we just call them what they are}

So one day when my 3 year old said to me, "I have a vagina and Lula has a vagina and Mommy has a vagina and Daddy has a vagina!" I felt the need to correct her. "No honey, daddy's don't have a vagina, daddy's have a penis." Even though I could tell this was confusing to her, she is 3 so she accepted that 'statement of fact' from me and moved on. I didn't hear another word about it until a few days later when Hubby returned home from the road. The first thing out of her mouth when he walked in the door was "Daddy. You-have-a-penis." This traumatized my poor hubby until I explained why she said that.

This was a few months back - Since then there has been no further discussion about who has a penis and who has a vagina. However, recently G's little neighborhood buddy was potty trained and the few time's he's been here G has wanted to be in the potty with him - Other than trying to explain that we leave people alone when they go potty there were no questions or conversations about anatomical differences... Although I am sure she's noticed.

Then last night G was drawing pictures before supper. Over the last few weeks she has been getting better and better at drawing "people". When her drawings first evolved from scribbles to forms it started with a circular type shape that may or may not have four lines sticking out from somewhere, intended to represent arms and legs. Eyes were two dots or scribbles and the mouth may or may not exist. Her drawings have kept evolving and looking more and more like people. The eyes went from dots, to circles, to circles with dots. The "arms and legs" are most often in the right place. Last night she drew bodies on these heads for the first time! It was very exciting! After Hubby and I both praised her for a job well done and resumed preparing supper G announced "Look! Daddy has a peanut!" {The second time she has confused the two words} Sure enough G had added a little 'anatomical correctness' to her artwork.



I suppose that I should be thankful that this happened at home and not at school !
-
Truthfully Hubby and I laughed out loud!






Take a look at G's version of 'Evolution of Man'

{Homo Habilis}

Also known as "Handy Man" used primitive tools.







{Homo Erectus}
According to some studies used fire and lived in caves


{Homo Sapien}
His brain capacity averaged an impressive 1350 cc, surprisingly the same size as humans today




{Neanderthal Man}

Archeology findings shows that the injured and dead were cared for and buried by Neanderthals


{Cro-Magnon Man}
Cro-magnons used paints composed from manganese and iron oxides to paint the walls and ceilings of their caves


{Modern Man}
Well... Modern Man according to G has a 'peanut'.

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