that's why.

i have finally come to the realization
that 'because i said so' is a perfectly legitimate
answer to the question 'why?' that
so easily flows from the lips of my little elf these days...
i never really said it before
maybe because he didn't question every request i made before...
maybe because i bought into the years of hearing that
it's not a good answer to give kids when their curious minds
just want to know how the world works...
maybe i made a silent promise to myself that i wouldn't ever say it...
just maybe...
who knows?
& who cares, really?

'because i said so' is a good answer
maybe not to some questions
like 'where is the rake?'
or 'why is that bunny doing that to the other bunny'
i mean really
that doesn't
even make sense...

but i know i thought that it was just a last resort answer
because you were so tired of the 'why why why?'
but now that i am wiser & older
older anyway
i know that it is a plea
a plea disguised
it is a plea to respect your parent
& just trust that i have a reason for the insane request
that you stop singing jingle bells at the top of your lungs
or to wear shoes when we walk over
the pile of broken glass that
we are collecting in the back yard...

because, of course
the most important word in the sentence is 'i'
as in me
as in your mother
as in the person who
one time
when you were about 8 months old
& puking your guts out every hour or so
held you, your little face on my shoulder
as you oh so delicately barfed right down the back of my shirt
& did not drop you
or even cringe
(well, maybe i cringed a little)
so as not to wake you up
& your dad was not here
so i sat with you on me
in my horrible terrible no good very stinky shirt
for about an hour
so that you could sleep.
yeah that me.

because it's not always the actual act that is the issue...
would i prefer that every piece of pasta in the house wasn't in the bathtub?
sure.
would my sheets look better if they didn't have marker on them?
yes.
would we have been able to resell the diaper champ if you hadn't written all over it with an orange sharpie?
YES.
but in the end
i really just want you to trust me, okay?
there's nothing i'm going to do to you that
a very talented therapist can't undo in about twenty years...

& so dear citizens
i leave you with this one thought:
'because i said so' rocks
(let's make t-shirts)

:)

& now here's a picture of the cute elf
because i feel guilty
(i'll have a post about that 'because phrase' soon...
it will be a two parter
that's for darn sure)
:)

two is the new one

so i guess i don't need to tell you what today is...
oh?
you don't know?
can't remember?
it's the one month anniversary of miss m's second birthday...
duh.
& since we were in bend
for spring break
& her birthday was on spring break
i thought a little post bday post (ha!)
was in order...

happy birthday miss m!
you are so
fashionable
(outfits are always okayed by you now)
polite
(always with the please & thank you!)
compassionate
(you always help kids who are hurt
even when you are the one hurting them:)
passionate
(i've never heard a 'NO!' quite like yours)
kind
(when anyone sneezes or coughs you say 'bless you!')
messy
(but always cute!)
smart
(numbers & abc's...you love to say them!)
girlie
(never leave the house without a purse full of treasures)
adorable
(singing all day long)
full of life
(we say 'merra is always really really happy
unless she's really really mad!')
maternal
('baby sleeping...baby needs diaper... baby crying
oh baby okay baby?' with your dolly)
sweet
(you L-O-V-E love Q! oh how you love Q)
astounding
(asking to go potty already?!?
on your own? what?!?)
fun fun fun
(you are always laughing & making jokes:
'cow says woof woof...ahahahahaha'
& you throw your head back laughing...
the next seinfeld i tell you!)

you are a gift, miss m
& we love you sooo much!
ps here's a picture of your actual birthday day
very fancy no?
pizza on the floor of a hotel room
(looks like your baby ate too much)
:)

MATH by Q

this

plus this

times this

minus this

equals this

Q math...
i told you he was very advanced...
:)

april 21
edited to add:
Happy Birthday, my dear Q,
cool guy, super hero & all around fun kid!
it's good to start off a new year with a new look:)
i love you so much & i am so glad you were born...
you are my favorite four year old!
can't wait to spend this next year with you...

:)

a new book
with a delicious cover
deserves
a sweet ribbon bookmark
pulled from the middle
of the jar

:)

nobody does it better...

in the last half hour i have...
laughed out loud
laughed to myself
thought 'oh my gosh...i can't believe he just said that'
teared up
grinned
shuddered
thought 'what an idiot!'
grimaced
chuckled
cheered
sighed
rolled my eyes
& thought 'has any tv couple ever been cuter than pam & jim?'

& that
my dear friends
is the genius
that is
the office

:)

now go watch it...
again...

ps i teared up twice actually
(spoiler alert!)
when kevin talked about breaking up
& that the parking space thing made him feel better
very cute...
& when jim said that
he bought the ring after they had been dating for a week...
i have to say the other part of the genius is
that pam & jim have no drama
they are just like a normal fun couple who like each other...
you love them
& you want to invite them over for a dinner party
as long as it's nothing like the dinner party at jan & michael's house
:)

'bye-bye miss chair model lady'
:)

lately

reading...

scooting...
(thanks, grandma rona!)
sewing...
smiling
:)

you're not a loser...you're just not a winner

well, except for three of you...
yep that's right
three!

the random drawing
& the winner of
the crazy fun prize pack
is janna!
go janna!
:)

& the caption prize is a tie...
yes i know
can you say cop out?
but i have such a hard time choosing
i just want everyone to like me...

so the one that made me laugh was
'stupid cake'
& the reason being that
i'm quite sure that is almost exactly what he was thinking...
he was having a B-A-D bad day
a sad, three year old hard day
& then miss m gets a cake?
stupid cake!
:)
nice job angie!
i did laugh, yes i did
:)

the third winner is because
after i read hers
i had to go look at the picture again
because even though that was his mad face
it really did look like he was thinking
'what smells like bunny farts?'
the boy's got the nose wrinkle down...
so
nice one kimberly!
email me your email & your address
& i will send you a little pack of fun:)
begulka(at)comcast(dot)net
(i love it when people write their emails like that
spam be gone!)

i know how to deliver the other ones, j & a
so look out for a box on your porch
:)

hey, thanks to everyone
who stopped by
it was so fun to read your comments
you're a great bunch of kids

:)

ps i did not make that cake
my standard line
if someone asks if i made anything edible is
'i made it...look cute on the plate...after i bought it from the store'
my talented sister in law, susan made it
& it was for easter
but we came in from the south
& we comandeered that cake
yes we did
we said
'we are the gulkas
the mighty mighty gulkas
every where we go
people wanna know
who we are
so we tell them...'
& then they all said
'you are dorks
we are gulkas too
stop singing
& we will put two candles on the bunny cake!'

thanks, susan!
you are a gem:)

pps i loved the kids comments!
that was really fun...
thanks, moms:)

i haven't forgotten...

i am just a bad planner!
we are doing a combined birthday party for Q & miss m today
so i will post the winners later tonight
promise!

:)

for entertainment only...not investment purposes

in honor of this, my 201st post
i'm having a contest!
thousands will enter
two will win
okay hundreds will enter
two will win
tens?
more than one?
come on people give me something...

anyway
two ways to win...
one:
leave a comment
that's it
leave a comment
i know!
i ask a lot when i give stuff away

two:
write a caption or title
to the picture above that will probably get me in trouble
when & if mr. Q ever reads this much of my blog
but
& i say this with all the love in my heart
it's totally worth it!
& come on
it's not like he's naked!
or watching 'big brother'
now THAT would be embarrassing...

anyway
you only have to enter once
the first drawing will be totally random
so if you leave a caption you could win the first one.
the second prize package
(yes i said package)
will be the best caption
as chosen by none other than me...
if i laugh out loud that's a plus
& if i snort you're pretty much a shoe-in...

okay
the prizes
the random drawing winner will receive
a box filled to the brim
(or at least half way)
with my favorite things:
raindrops on roses
& whiskers on kittens
doorbells
& sleigh bells
& warm woolen mittens
oh wait
those are
fraulein maria's favorite things...
i was wondering how i was going to get the whiskers off the cat
& what if i was sending the package far away?
wouldn't the raindrops dry up?
plus we need our doorbell...
thank goodness i'm not a fictional character!

okay!
MY favorite things:
*a bottle of water
(don't worry it gets better)
*a bag of baked kettle chips
(i promise!)
*a package of my favorite mint hot chocolate mix
(see?)
*a nutz over chocolate luna bar
(thus ends the edible portion of the prize)
*a great magazine
(this will be case specific...
if you don't have kids i won't send you wondertime.
if you can't name three starlets
who have been in rehab by their first names only
i won't send you US.
if you don't eat i won't send you cooking light.)
*a lovely selection of my favorite crafty supplies
sewy, painty, scrapbooky & otherwise
*a package of baby wipes
(hey! it's my prize
i can include whatever i want!
plus
baby wipes?
are you kidding me?
they are the best thing ever
& not just for baby's bottoms anymore)
*a few other things that i haven't decided on yet

the caption writer will win something great
i can't decide what yet
but it will be great
(yes, i know
lame.
but i have too many ideas!
plus i think it will depend on where the person lives...
mystery! suspense!
plus isn't just being nominated an honor?)

so there it is!
have fun!
& let me say, please
that i am so thankful for you guys!
it is so fun to read all of your comments
& get your feedback on important topics
like what to do with my bread crusts...
you have made me laugh & smile & tear up:)
& it has been so fun to click on your names & go read your blogs
some of which haven't been updated lately
(hint, hint)
& some of you have been here since the beginning
& that deserves a prize in itself
plus overlooking my non-capitalization
& wretched spelling
& constant use of smiley faces...
oh go ahead everybody!
get yourself a glass of water on me!

oh!
the contest ends on friday
maybe saturday
depending on what happens on friday...

now get cracking!

:)

a rannucula by any other name...

i have so much to tell you!
& that is why i chose right now
today
when i have approximately three minutes to post...
therefore
i will just mention two things for you to go check out
& then i will be back tomorrow
with information
fun
prizes
(yes you read that right)
joy
& honey bunches of oats

'til then
start your mouses...

this book
goodness gracious
it is wonderful

this artist & her blog
her art is what i want all over our house
oh i love it!
go! go!

see you tomorrow!
or sunday
well, someday this week
whenever you stop by is fine...
i'll be here

:)