30 Days of Gratitude - Day 2

Whether it's the funny things they say, like the following exchange:

Clayton: I love you, Lucie!

Maecie: No! I wove yucie! You no wove yucie!

Clayton: No! I love Lucie the mostest!

Ignore the mess on the floor ... yes, my house always has toys and paper everywhere!

Or the way all three have to find a way on my lap during bedtime stories on our 1 person sized rocking chair ....

These little people bring a light to my life that I could not find anywhere else! I am so thankful for these cuties in my life! I love them a whole lotta bit!

Perspective

After reviewing my last two posts, it seems I'm becoming thoughtful in my "old age". (I just passed my half birthday and am now closer to 30 than 29! Eeek!!) Let's not turn over a new leaf now.

Sunday, my cute little family and I visited Latta Plantation. If you live in the Charlotte area and have not been there, please do so. NOW. There are so many things to do that you can go often and not get bored.

We picnicked close to the lake. Our kiddos are slight water freaks. Like every time we cross a bridge, you are sure to hear "Water!" from at least one, if not both of the speaking children. And so once we were finished eating (meaning we waited as long as we could hold Maecie off), we took a walk near the water. There are so many different trails with trees and rocks and interesting things to see and enjoy. I thought the kids might get a little bored without an actual playground, but they were so excited about nature, they didn't care.

And it was during this said walk that we met Sergeant and Mrs. Brown. Now, Clayton and Maecie are not shy children. I'm not sure where they get it from, because I will smile at people, but not really speak unless I know them. I'm not usually comfortable unless I'm in my own territory. However, this never stops these two from chatting away with whomever they pass.

Sergeant and Mrs. Brown were about in their mid to late 60's. They were seated, holding hands. And as we approached, they commented on our lovely family. Clayton pipes up informing them of his name and that he just started kindergarten. After a brief introduction, the Browns commented on how they had a child as well, but he was 32 years old now. But they have a grandchild. And grandchildren are just as precious. 

Between my middle of the night baby feedings, night time potty training, and combating a cold, I have been a little tired. A little cranky, if you will. And seeing this sweet couple, sitting on a park bench and enjoying one another's company with the quiet of nature came with a slight twinge of jealousy.

And then I thought, as the Browns commented on their child and grandchild, that they might have experienced the same slight twinge of jealousy. 

So today I'm enjoying ages 5, 2, and 6 months. Their entertaining stories, cute little dances, and army crawls!

I guess life is all about perspective.

Middle Child or Terrible Twos

My little Maecie Jane is 2 years old. She turned 2 about 10 days after Lucie was born. She has gorgeous long, blonde hair with a little curl in it. {to which I'm slightly envious of!} She loves to play with her dolls, her little sister and big brother, and sing songs. But when it comes to listening to directions, Maecie has a hard time. 

When I first brought down the exersaucer for Lucie from the attic, Maecie wanted to try it out. I explained that it was a toy for Lucie and she isn't supposed to sit in it. A little later, I caught her starting to climb in. But what was funny and caught me off guard was that she told me, "Mom, don't look!", and covered her eyes {so I couldn't see her} while continuing to climb in the exersaucer. 

What might be cute and funny the first few times, isn't frustrating the 10th and 12th time! 

Needless to say, Maecie has spent a lot of time in time out. And since she has seen her brother go to time out, she knows how it works. When her time is over {I do a minute for each year old the child is}, we talk about why she was in time out. I ask why she had to go to time out, and she always responds accurately. So surely she should know that being a good listener is what we are asking her to do. 

I even try to make sure {no one is perfect} that when she does follow directions, that we praise her for listening.

So why is it still occurring daily??

And it's not just me .... she has had a hard time following directions for her preschool babysitter {who watches both girls while I teach music}. 

The thought crossed my mind ... is she starting to show signs of "middle child syndrome"? Or is it just the "terrible twos"? Or do these two things even exist?

I generally believe that the "terrible twos" phase is more of kids asserting their independence and wanting to start doing things for themselves. And middle child syndrome is more that when the child, all of the sudden, isn't the center of attention, starts to feel left out. 

We have been trying to make sure Maecie gets some one on one attention from us and that we let her do the things she can do and still be safe. We are keeping track to see if we notice things improving.

What are your thoughts? Do you think there is such as thing as "terrible twos" or "middle child syndrome"? Or kids are just kids?

It's a Daddy Thing...

I started joining in on this photo-a-day fun. It's a great reminder to take a picture once a day. Pictures are so powerful; they can make a memory or conjure one. If my house were to catch on fire {after grabbing my kids} I would grab my pictures. They would be the things I missed the most.

So in this photo-a-day gig, you take a picture that has to do with the list created every month. I snap it and name it and post it to my instagram.  You can interpret your pictures however you prefer. And it's always interesting to see someone else's view point. 

The second day was titled "father". We were actually visiting my parents and I was planning to take a picture of my dad. However, my littlest fell asleep with daddy holding her and I could not miss this photo opportunity...

The picture started me thinking about the father/daughter relationship. My dad and I have a good relationship. I always felt protected AND if I only asked my daddy, I could get just about anything I wanted. Like when we went to Disney World and I wanted a Princess hat, all I had to do was ask my Dad and his answer was, "Anything you want, sweetheart!". {Of course, I was 17 years old at the time, so I might have looked a little silly, but he just wanted to be able to give me all of the things I wanted.}

Now that I have my own daughters, I see that father/daughter relationship from the very beginning. My hubby is so enamored with our girls. He holds them so preciously, wants to keep them so near and safe, and can't even stand to think that one day they will go on a date!

I constantly tease him that both of our daughters have him wrapped. He never denies it, but always tries to shrug it off! 

It's not just in our family ... I've seen examples of this Daddy/Daughter thing on TV as well. Recently, while watching So You Think You Can Dance {my fave summer show!}, I was able to catch a glimpse of someone else with that special bond. An 18 year old ballroom dancer talked about hiding her costumes from her Dad. He has a hard time with his little girl dancing for the world to see. My hubby had to agree {I make him watch with me!!}

Do you have a special daddy/daughter relationship? Or do you see one forming in your own family?

Cabin Fever Crafts

We stayed home and cleaned the house today. And even though it was clean enough for a friend to come over, I didn't feel like I accomplished anything but fussing at the kids and baking more fattening food. {On a side note, why is it every time you are trying to lose weight, all you want is sweets?! UGH!} And to top it all off, it RAINED.....

So what do you do when you have cabin fever??  You break out some boxes, of course!!

We took advantage of the 5 minutes between down pours and pulled out some empty boxes. Immediately, number 1 wanted to make a house. Initially, he wanted to just share one, but I knew that would not work well with number 2. She has a mind of her own and has to do things her way. {Where ever did she get such an independence streak?! .... I have NO idea...}

We broke out the crayons {the REAL, Crayola crayons ... not the waxy substitutes (for my friend's peace of mind)} and made them into cute little homes for my sweet kiddies! Here is what they came up with:

 The little princess(who dresses herself) designing her house

 Welcome to the "Unicorn House" ... because it's not enough to make a house, you have to name it too!

Hard at work, covering every inch with color!

He named his "A Boosgan House" ... whatever that means! Some kind of restaurant he said. He has quite the imagination!

We like to create and craft when we have cabin fever ... What do you do when you are all couped up?!

**For those wondering, these were taken before the water slide came down...don't worry, it has all been taken down now!**

Choosing Not to Battle

Ever heard anyone say 'choose your battles'? This is a saying I didn't utilize as much until children came into the picture. You know, like when your two-year-old cries and screams and kicks around the floor because it's time to go to church and she wants to wear her tennis shoes instead of her dress shoes. Or when your five-year-old turns on the waterworks because you won't let him watch the same television show for the fourth time in a row. These are the times to 'choose your battles'. 

>Is it more important to get to church or for your daughter to wear a certain pair of shoes? 

>Should you endure your son's waterworks and pitiful crying or let his brain go to mush? 

....For me, I chose to let my daughter wear her tennis shoes and to endure my son's crying (for the 2 minutes it lasted until I got him distracted making bread for dinner). 

I often choose my battles and decide what is worth the fight and what is not. For me, it's pretty simple. If it's for their safety, too much money, or for my sanity, I fight. If it's not going to hurt anyone or I'm too tired, I give in!

Exhibit G: My daughter's "pajamas" tonight....

In case you can't tell, that is a bathing suit and her cover up. When told to put on pajamas, this is what she brought out. I attempted twice to change her mind, but that was not happening. So I decided it wasn't going to hurt her, it would be okay this one time. Naturally, she responded with, "yep, that's better!". Such an independent little girl!

What battles have you chosen to fight or not to fight recently? 

Conquering Public Places

I confess ... three children is quite the zoo sometimes - especially when they are 5 years, 2 years, and 5 months old! Yet a friend commented, "you make 3 look so easy!". And our pediatrician has even asked, "How do you do it?" Here's the true story...

When number 3 was born, we didn't go many places. Not just because I had a new baby, but because there were three of them and one of me! I was out numbered, out handed {ya know, only having two hands} and pretty much just scared. I have refused invitations to birthday parties, knowing I would have to go alone.  I have grocery shopped at 10pm just so I wouldn't have to take the kids. I passed on fun summer outings for fear that one of the walking children might run from me and then I would have to chase after them, leaving a baby behind, or worse, running with a baby in tow. Oh the nightmares I have concocted!!

But after a couple of months of hiding, I decided I was not doing myself or my children any good. They do need to learn how to behave in public. I do need to get out of the house every once in a while to be my best self. So how do I make it happen??

>Start Small ... To start, we went to Target where they have the giant shopping carts. I strapped the big ones in the seats and placed the baby carrier in the cart. The whole way through we talked about what you can and cannot touch in the store. We also discussed why it's important to stay close to mommy at all times.

>Be Prepared ... I never leave home without snacks, pens and paper, maybe some stickers or other "happy makers". A small diversion could mean dodging a huge meltdown! If you are out to eat or have to wait in a waiting room, try some of these games. So fun!

>Plan, Plan, Plan ... don't leave home without a plan. Where are you going? How long will you be gone? Discuss this with your children so they also know the plan.

>Know Your Limits ... And when I say your limits, I mean yours and your children's. If you know they can handle the park, but you want to pick up a loaf of bread before heading home, consider your options. For me, I would get the bread before the park since my kiddos will play til they are exhausted. 

>Allow for Flexibility ... Even if you have planned and considered your children's capabilities, it might not always go as planned. So allow yourself some room to bend. If I plan to get bread first and the kids start to fuss as we pull into the parking lot, it might be better to go to the park first. Then try for bread later. {or tomorrow, which ever works!}

So when the doctor asks, "How do you do it?", I respond with, "One day at a time." ... Going with the flow and allowing your kids to be kids, while still trying to teach them.

 I might have a zoo at times. And that's okay with me! That's my confession, Mama!

First Day Jitters

My oldest is about to start school.... Kindergarten! This little boy of mine is so excited! When we went to check out the school he will attend back in April, he wanted to start the very next day. I explained to him that other students were  using the classroom right then and the teachers just weren't ready for him yet. I told him he would have to wait until August. He then told everyone we saw, {grandma's, uncles, friends, strangers at the grocery store} that the teachers didn't want him until August! 

Number 1 is such a lively fella ... he likes to run, jump, roar at his sisters, do super cool tricks, and "art" daily! I know that he will love school and come home with so much more knowledge than I could offer him. But I've got first day jitters.

>Kindergarten means we have a set schedule Monday thru Friday.

>Kindergarten means my best helper will be gone 7 hours out of the day, without me knowing his every move, and in someone else's care!

>Kindergarten means that as soon as he gets home, we have just enough time to do homework, eat dinner, maybe take a walk around the block, bath and bed!

>Kindergarten means we are all going to be tired!

And I keep wondering .... Have I prepared him well? Will he be on his best behavior? Is he going to adjust well? Will I adjust well? Is he going to make new friends the first day? Will his teacher be able to keep his attention... or worse, find him disruptive?

So many questions that I don't know the answer to and won't know until it happens. I can't "google" to find the answer and I can't follow him around everyday just to ease my mind.

This Mama Beare needs to know .... How did you do it? How did you adjust? OR do you think I'm crazy and just need to let go? You tell me....How did you get rid of first day jitters??