Parenting Story

Parenting Story

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Skeleton out of the closet

I have been keeping a little secret!

We are expecting our third child in June 2012!

When we were pregnant with our first child, we also happened to be moving to my homeotwn and looking for houses. My mom and sister were going to open houses with us one Sunday and I told them, "We better find something soon because we will only have 9 months to get it ready." It was only a minute before it clicked and they both started screaming and crying!
When we were pregnant the second time, our oldest got in on revealing the secret. I happened to find a big sister shirt at a garage sale that was the perfect size. She wore it the next time we went to visit our parents, who were ecstatic at the news.
This past summer, while reading a blog, I came upon this idea for a skeleton t-shirt with a fetus to reveal a pregnancy and thought that it would fun. I bookmarked it and hoped that it would work in our time frame to reveal the pregnancy we were planning.
I was ecstatic when I found out in early October that I was indeed pregnant and immediately got to work on my own version of the shirt for upcoming Halloween festivities. Unfortunately, I do not own a silhouette machine, but I was not about to let that stop me. I found an image of a rib cage online and blew it up on my printer. I then cut out the image and traced it onto some scrap fabric. I did the same with an image of a fetus. I then cut out both images and placed them on a black shirt I rarely wore. After getting the placement just right, I pinned them in place and sewed them in place.
I wore the shirt when I went to visit my family just before Halloween. My mom thought that it was absolutely adorable. My brothers needed an explanation of the shirt! Everybody was so taken by suprise and so happy for us.

I have been feeling pretty good for the most part. I feel very nauseous around mealtimes and have no appetite for anything other than very bland foods. I have also been very tired, no doubt due to having two very active children to run after. The other day after work, dinner, cleaning up and bath time, I lay in bed with the kids to watch a movie. My husband walked in and exclaimed, "What, are you tired?" He is so suprised to see me like this because I am generally up later at night and out of bed earlier than him in the morning. It is funny because he is always telling me that I need to find a hobby so that I am too busy to decorate and paint the house. I remind him that the house is my hobby. I told him last night that keeping me pregnant would be one good way to keep me from doing any projects on the house because I have been too wiped to clean, let alone take on any crafty projects!

Bedtime Ritual

A few weeks ago we inadvertantly started a new bedtime ritual. After reading the kids a bedtime story, they both stand at the top of the stairs and scream, "Daddy!" As they run for a hiding spot, Randy starts stomping up the stairs like a giant, sometimes adding a little, "Fe, fi, fo fum!" Usually the kids run and hide under the covers in Aidan's room. Randy pretends to have trouble finding them and then tackles them in tickles.
Last night Aidan tried to quickly get under a table in the hallway and hide under the skirt. Unfortunately, as he was getting situated, Randy came up the steps and caught him before he was fully covered.
Tonight, Aidan ran for the cover of his blanket, right in the doorway to his room! Randy was a good sport and pretended to trip over the blanket pretending that he had no idea Aidan was inside the blanket hiding.
I absolutely love this little ritual and can't wait to see all of the hiding places that the kids think up!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Daddy's girl

As we left the Halloween parade the other night, Aidan said, "That was fun parade mommy!"

Reese replied, "Yeah, but it would be more fun if daddy would come."

Spanish lesson

The other day we drove to Dubuque to watch the annual Halloween parade with my family. As we exited town driving the way we usually go to go to my mom's, Reese spoke out, "This isn't the way to the parade, this is the way to grandma Potter's! Dubuque is just Spanish for grandma Potter's!"

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Best friends

I was running around grabbing up last minute things to take out on the boat when I told Reese to go ahead and get into the car.

She immediately responded, "Mommy, you are my best friend and friends wait for each other." Then she grabbed my hand and walked with me to finish grabbing up items for our outing.

Growing up too fast!

Reese: "Mommy, what is college?"

Me: "College,is a school you go to when you are older."

Reese: "I am going to go there pretty soon."

I simultaneously want to hold her to this promise, yet dread the day that she will go away and not be here with me everyday!

Can I get a few less Mondays?

The other day while riding home from pre-school, Reese began to sing me her "days of the week song": "Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Monday, Tuesday, Monday, Sunday, all the days of the week!"

Obviously, she does not quite have the order of the days down. From the way she sang it, it would seem that Monday is her favorite day!