Parenting Story

Parenting Story

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Grammy Aunt Linda

While boating with Linda Sunday afternoon, Aidan kept saying that he was going to go to Grammy Aunt Linda's. I joked back that maybe Randy and I need to plan a date night so that he and Reese could go to Linda's for a visit.

Monday morning when he woke up, he immediately declared that he was going to go to Grammy Aunt Linda's. I explained to him that she was working and that mommy needed to take him to grammy's so that I could go to work.

When we got to grammy's later that morning he refused to get out of his carseat, "No I stay here, I not go to grammy's! I go to Linda's!"
I pulled him out of the car kicking and screaming and took him into the house. I tried to tell him that we couldn't go to Linda's because she was at work, but he was not having it. Finally, I took him into the toy room to distract him with toys. Thankfully it worked and he began playing trucks with another boy and temporarily forgot about Linda.

That is until we got home later that night. Though I was joking about asking Linda to watch the kids so that Randy and I could enjoy a night out, I think that we are going to have to do something so that Aidan can get some time with his favorite grammy aunt Linda, and it better be soon.

First Day....Almost

For weeks we have been counting down the days until Reese starts Pre-School. Reese has been counting down with increasing excitement while I have been wondering how this time has come so quickly!
This morning Reese woke up and she was so excited to get all dressed up and ready for school. We ate breakfast and then she picked out her first day dress. She got dressed and sat quietly while I fixed her hair. Finally, she was all ready and it was time for a few pictures. She started out striking this adorable pose:

Then I had her put on her backpack and stand by the front door:

She was still all smiles when I had little brother join in:

We took pictures of her freshly painted toes, her hair style and her backpack and we were all ready to go about 10 minutes early. The sky was turning black and you could already hear the rumble of thunder, so we headed out a few minutes early to avoid the rain. Unfortunately by the time we got to grammy's the rain had started. I dropped the kids off and Randy was going to pick Reese up 2 hours later to drop her off at Pre-School. He texted me to confirm what time to drop her off and I thought we were all set.
Then at about 9:30 I get a text message with this picture:

Notice that the smile is gone. Randy took her to Pre-School only to find out that we were 2 weeks early! Reese was so disappointed! They ended up getting more information while they were there, that included a supply list and dates. He kept asking her if she was ok, but he said that she looked like if she talked she would start crying. When they returned to grammy's Reese kept telling her that, "This just isn't going to work." and "Mommy was wrong!" I was sure that I was going to be in big trouble when I went to pick her up after work, but suprisingly that was not the case. She had just woken up when I got there and she ran up to give me a big hug. I said that I was sorry that she didn't get to start school and she told me, "It just didn't work out." She was such a trooper through all the disappointment! On a happy note, I feel that we are ready for the chaos of getting ready and out the door on time on Pre-School days. And if we aren't, we already have 1st day pics!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Hi ho! Hi ho! It's off to work I go

I had the following conversation with Aidan this morning:

Aidan: "Mommy, what are you doing?"

Me: "Getting ready for work."

Aidan: (throws his hands down at his side) "UHHHH!"

I like to think that it is because he would rather that we stay home together, but whatever the reason it was so cute!

Friday, August 12, 2011

Gone Fishing!

I have wanted to make this magnetic fishing game since I first saw it at Frugal Decor Mom way back in April. On a recent trip to JoAnn's I found three coordinating fabric remnants for less than $5 and knew that they would be perfect! A few days later, while at Walgreen's, I spied several sand buckets on clearance for $0.50 each. You bet your booty I snatched up every last one that they had!

Finding such great deals on the supplies that I needed was the push that I needed to get to work. I immediately looked up the original tutorial here, traced the fish shape off of my computer screen and got to work tracing and cutting. I whipped together about 25 fish and stuffed them. Then I got stuck. I did not have coordinating thread to close up the hole from turning and stuffing the fish. I tried white thread and it looked awful! Also, I needed washers for the magnet to stick to.

The kids were so excited to try out the game and I would not let them play with the fish because I could see fiberfill all over the house! I received the motivation that I needed to get them put together when the neighbor invited the kids and I over and showed them how to cast and reel a fishing pole. This may not seem like much of a motivator, but this activity kept the kids entertained for over an hour! I ran out and bought coordinating thread and begged some washers off Randy's grandpa- he has an abundance of them in his garage and was happy to donate to my project!
Once I had all of my supplies, I spent the kids naptimes stitching the fish closed and adding the washers to their noses. They are so cute!



I was able to make enough fish and acquire enough buckets that I plan to give one to each of my nephews as well!


My kids were so excited to finally be able to play with their fish! Unfortunately they prefer to run around in nothing but underwear while at home (which I am ok with because it saves on laundry!) so I was unable to take any pictures! I plan to give one to my nephew for his birthday this weekend, so hopefully I will get some pictures then!

I have really enjoyed using my sewing machine and have plans to make more fish once I find some more fabric. I would also like to make some like these with the math/counting manipulatives like Counting Coconuts did on her blog. What projects have you finished lately?

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Perspective

After spending the past 10 weeks at home with the kids, I was at a point where I was actually kind of looking forward to going back to work next week. The bickering between the two kids has become almost constant. When they are not fighting, I am tripping over them while I try to do something because they are practically in my pockets. To say the least, I was getting frustrated. Today I had to go to work for a full day of registration (10 hours)! When I dropped the kids off at their grammy's, Aidan refused to get out of his carseat. He sat there and said, "No mommy, I stay here!" I unbuckled him and carried him into the house where he was kind of distracted by his cousins, but still clung to me and required extra kisses before I left.
When I arrived to pick them up, Aidan was waiting at the door, waving to me. As soon as I came in the door, both kids practically knocked me down in a huge bear hug. Aidan was so excited to show me what he had been playing with and both kids were talking a mile a minute. They were so excited to see me and I was equally excited to see them. Today made me realize that though I do love being at home with the kids, it is definitely good for all of us to have some time apart, whether that is in going to work or on a date with my husband.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Fairy- The Best Week of Summer

This past week was the Mississippi Valley Fair, the greatest fair in the state in my opinion. We bought our fun cards which allowed us entrance into the fairgrounds and to each of the concerts during the entire week for just $40. The fun card is definitely worth it, as the acts that we were able to see would easily be $40 each in concert. Tuesday was the first day and we had a late start as Randy did not get home from work until later. We had about an hour before the concert started, so we wandered around the fairgrounds taking in all of the sights (rides, animals, music, etc). We found a grassy spot in the grandstand for the concert where we could hear the music, but the kids could run around and play. It was so hot, around 95 degrees, but the kids would not sit still!



The second night we were able to get to the fairgrounds early enough to go to the petting zoo and watch a few midway shows. Blake Shelton performed for an almost record crowd while the kids enjoyed playing with their glow sticks from aunt Steffy!



The third night we left the kids with aunt Steffy so that we could enjoy a date night. I was really looking forward to Darius Rucker's performance and he did not disappoint. Though I was thankful to be able to enjoy the concert without being interrupted with having to go to the bathroom or get snacks or toys, I definitely teared up when he started singing, "It won't be like this for long".


The next night we took it easy and the kids played in Aunt Linda's van. When the concert started (Steve Miller Band) the kids and I took a walk around the fairgrounds. We checked out the rides and sought shelter when it started to rain. Fortunately they had a display where you could watch baby chicks hatch. Soon after we decided to head home.


Saturday night we also hung out by the cars while the kids played. There were a lot of horses walking past from the barns to the judging area and the kids stopped whatever they were doing to just watch them walk past. It was so funny when they started to play Limbo under some parking tape. Aidan just kind of stuck his belly out and walked under the tape. So cute!


We were pretty tired from the week, so we sat and listened to the music of the Charlie Daniels Band while the kids played.
Sunday was the final day of the fair. We spent the early afternoon boating, so we got to the fairgrounds just before the concert. Miranda Lambert was on stage and I was really excited for Reese to see a female singer. Though she was excited to see a cowgirl, she was much more entertained playing with the cars in the dirt.

We were worn out from the weeks events at the fairy (nicknamed that by Aidan) and the kids were absolutely delirious, so we went home and went straight to bed. The kids woke up the next morning and asked if we could go to the fairy, so I would guess that they enjoyed it! I only hope that next year will be as much fun as this year was!

Competitive Spirit

Randy's aunt Linda has started a game with the kids where she playfully teases them that she beat them wherever we may see her. When we went to Indiana recently, they accompanied us on the trip. When we ran into each other in the lobby, Linda would point her finger at the kids and say, "I beat you here!" The kids would do the same to her and it would continue back and forth. This past week at the fair, whenever we arrived at the meeting point, Linda would start with the game and the kids playfully joined in.

Recently, Aidan got out his cell phone and I could only assume that he was calling Aunt Linda because he said, "I beat you here!"

The game has made lots of things a competition at home. Whichever kid finishes eating a meal first, proudly announces, "I beat you!" On the way up to naps in the afternoon and bed in the evening, the kids race each other up the stairs. Though I am not very fond of the race through meal time, but I am definitely not going to complain about their willingness to go to bed!

Dentist

Today I took both kids to the dentist for a cleaning. I spent the day before prepping them for the appointment which was easier than I expected since Reese was able to recount her last visit (almost 2 years ago) step by step as if it had happened yesterday. I asked her if she would go first and show Aidan how it was done and she was more than happy to oblige. They both walked around the house practicing opening their mouths wide and smiling to show off their teeth.
When we arrived at the office, they asked a few questions and then called both kids back at the same time. They asked Reese if she would be ok by herself so that mommy could sit with Aidan. She was very brave and hopped right up into the seat shooshing Aidan and I onto the next room. The hygienists gave each of the kids a pair of sunglasses to put on to protect their eyes from the bright lights and from overspray from their tools. We laid Aidan across our laps so that his head was in the dentists lap during the cleaning. He was very cooperative and opened his mouth wide before she even asked! He didn't squirm once during the cleaning and was very obedient. He was so good at showing off his smile that we had to ask him several times to close his mouth and bite down so she could check his alignment.
By the time Aidan was finished, Reese had already had her cleaning. We followed the dentist into Reese's room and helped to get a few x-rays of Reese's bad front tooth. Then they finished her exam and allowed both kids to pick out a toy and stickers.

The next day while brushing our teeth, Reese stopped and said, "Oh, wait, I forgot my sunglasses!" It was so funny! Now she thinks she needs to be a little diva and wear her glasses while brushing her teeth at home!

Sound effects

While Aidan was playing cars the other day, I sat down with him and grabbed a car. I started pushing it around and added some sound effects, "mrrrr, mrrr!"

Aidan: "Not mrrr, mrrr! That's not a truck!"

Me: "Oh, what is it then?"

Aidan: "Vroom, vroom!"