Bamboo Again?

Come On..Christian got Bamboo this week ..Really!

If you don't understand that statement, read my last blog and you well clearly understand. What are the chances of it? Don't get me wrong, I like Bamboo. He is growing on me. I think it is a fabulous idea but those first few hours are Torture..the fighting...

Here's the deal with how it works with Bamboo the baby stuffed panda. 1 child gets Bamboo on Thursday. You take him on adventures over the weekend, journal about them and return him on Tuesday. Then Thursday a new kid gets him. So, as I am running to pick up the boys (late as always) the teacher greets me with the biggest smile and just says, "Oh Jody, Christian got Bamboo.. I am so sorry"....KNOWING THE FIGHTING I HAD LAST WEEK. I literally got one day without Bamboo. Come on really, this has to be a joke.

She said they were sitting in the circle and getting ready to pick a name out of the bag. She said Christian verbalized out loud, "I know I will get him, I know I will get Bamboo, I miss Bamboo, I know I will get him" with the biggest smile. And he did. Ms. Lora (his teacher) laughed and congratulated Christian on his positive thinking. Congratulated me on teaching my children to be so positive ( hummm.. that is my goal, not sure how I am doing it because I verbalize everything, including my complaining...hence my blogging). I had a quick flashback on the car ride home from last week when Nicolas got Bamboo. The fighting.

But then I looked at Christian who was BEAMING with that charming smile and I was so happy for him. Then I looked at Nicolas who had the most evil, grumpy face I have seen on that kid and thought "Oh no, here we go". Especially, when he didn't want to say goodbye to his friends and very snotty said good bye to the teacher. Nicolas is my super lover boy so I knew it was going to be a tortuous car ride (see not so positive right)? So what did I do to try to make the situation better..what any mom would do: Bribe them with going out for Pizza! When that failed I knew we were in trouble. Nicolas had a tantrum about Bamboo at nap time for 50 minutes. I am talking the KING of all meltdowns. The type where you lay on the floor praying to god to please make it stop. The kind you beg God if he makes it stop you will do this, you will do that, you will be a better parent...yadda yadda yadda.

Now keep in mind, I also have to plan adventures, take photos, get them developed and of course scrapbook it all again. That damn scrapbook.

Bamboo will not be seeing much adventure this weekend because the boys went to get their flu shots found out Nicolas has the beginning of Croup. I knew he was cranky yesterday I should of realized that it couldn't have been just from our good friend Bamboo. I didn't even think a kid could get croup at their age. Both boys are a little cranky today and just want to chill since they have fevers. So, I am thinking this is how the photos will go this weekend:

1.) Bamboo with the boys fighting.
2.) Bamboo at the doctors.
3.) Bamboo watching T.V.
4.) Bamboo taking medicine.
4.) Bamboo sleeping a lot.
5.) Bamboo being thrown in the washer.

I am sure the next mom will love that one! Well, at least I got a few good pictures of Christian and Bamboo yesterday!! Gotta love Bamboo!

Bamboo

CHAGGA-CHAGGA-CHOO- GOTTA GET BAMBOO ( a song from Diego)

Hooray..Nicolas was chosen this past week at school to take home "Bamboo", the class mascot panda, home for 5 days. Nicolas had to bring Bamboo on all the adventures for the weekend and journal about it in "Bamboo's" book. Then the journal entries are read to the class. Now..this is a BIG thing to get Bamboo but I was not expecting it this week! My first thought: "Shit I am away all weekend on a girls trip to Houston". My second thought.."Shit the fighting over Bamboo between the boys". The teacher said Nicolas jumped up so excited and then Christian jumped up with a twinkle in his eye as he ran immediately to teacher and said "Nicolas has to share him right? Nicolas has to share right"? She explained 1 child gets Bamboo each weekend, for special one-on-one with Bamboo and this is Nicolas's weekend. Another example of a "Singleton" activity in a "Twin World"!

Oh lord! The whole way home I heard fighting non-stop about Bamboo and that Nicolas had to share. Those first 5 hours were TERRIBLE. Plus, when I looked at Bamboo's journal, it was a professional scrapbook with 3-4 tier framed photos from the previous creative moms. I called my sister and said " Well, we got Bamboo and guess what, we are going to have 2 photo's this weekend : 1.) Nicolas and Christian fighting over Bamboo and 2.) A photo of Bamboo on the refrigerator for the weekend (to stop the fighting). Plus, I intend to lower the standards on this scrapbook journal for all future BUSY moms. Yeah right, after a weekend away from the boys, I was driven into madness to create the best damn Bamboo pages ever!

The first day with Bamboo was rough, in fact I had a nickname for Bamboo - "BASTARD BAMBOO". Within that first hour at home, Bamboo almost lost an arm and leg when Christian took it and flung him across the room, poor Bamboo hitting the wall. But after explaining for 5 hours that this was Nicolas's special time with Bamboo and that Christian would get a turn the novelty wore off. It turned out to be a cool experience other than it took me 3 hours to do the damn scrapbook (which I secretly enjoyed), I am extremely creative so I needed this to SHINE! I laugh now at the vision of Ken coming upstairs, seeing me in a flurry of cutting, taping, gluing photos..it was piled up ALL OVER my desk! Now remember, you have to get the photos developed the last day so all the pages get created in the journal on the last day. At 10 o'clock pm, I called it quits. I actually told one of the mom's from the boys class today " Hey..if Jack gets pick can you lower the barr down so when Christian gets pick I don't have to go all fancy again"! But of course I will, it is my son and he only deserves the best as well! The director of their school commented to me it looked awesome when I picked up the kids (probably because I added a educational twist to most of the photos and she probably thought..."Poor Jody, she has to do this twice"). LOL! All-in-all this is a wonderful activity for the kids and it created cherished memories for Nicolas and Bamboo! Here are a few of Bamboo's great adventure at the "House of Hughes"!

First Day Home, Bamboo getting snuggled

Nicolas calling Daddy to tell him HE got Bamboo and Christian will not stop taking him.

Bamboo upstairs for a nap with Nicolas (how many germs do you think are on Bamboo)?

Had to feed hungry Bamboo- hey bears get hungry too!

Showing Bamboo the neighborhood (that is Bamboo's little bag)Bamboo on a Trolley RideBamboo at the aquarium where the most famous dolphin "Winter" is..I can say that because the story of Winter has been on the Today Show and news with the new movie about him.It wouldn't be complete without Bamboo seeing some sort of machinery!