As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I have been trying really hard to teach my children healthy eating habits.
I have a confession to make. I don't allow my kids to drink any soda. Yes, I said it. No soda. I am the mom at the birthday party where soda is being served who will walk to the water fountain to fill up their cups. I have no shame in it.
In addition, I am pretty picky about what they are allowed to drink.
They can always have milk. The Drama Queen drinks reduced fat organic milk. She prefers it with chocolate. The boys just drink 2% regular milk. The Little Dude would drink only milk all the time. Normally he drinks it with breakfast and dinner. I don't like to put milk in the lunchbox just in case it doesn't stay cold enough so he doesn't have it at lunch time.
If they are drinking juice at my home, it is 100% juice unless it is orange juice. I haven't been able to find that yet or they would. They are allowed one juice drink a day. They only time I make an exception to this rule is if we are someone else's home for a party or special occasion. I will let them have more than one juice box on those days. But we don't buy juice boxes at our house.
They can drink as much water as they want pretty much whenever they want. I will even squeeze a lemon or orange in it for them. But I do not allow flavored waters especially the juice box low cal ones. Those are flavored with splenda.
My other big rule is no artificial sweetners for kids. They can't drink crystal light or diet anything. I feel like they are too young to be drinking reduced calorie drinks.
They also don't drink anything with caffeine in it. Since my oldest is 6, there is just no need for that.
There are times when I have to break the rules but I mostly stick with it. And it works for us. I keep fearing how long it will last the older they get. But so far with their limited exposure to soda both of the older kids don't like it. The Little Dude...well that is a story for another day.
One place I run into trouble is when we are at restaurants. I have found myself allowing the kids to drink lemonade, powerade or fruit punch from the fountain when we are out to eat. What kinds of limitations do you put on your kids with what they drink? Are they big milk drinkers? Or would they prefer a coke?
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Potty Training Woes
Potty Training Woes
I was planning on writing this post a couple of weeks ago, but I just never got around to it. With three kids I have done my fair share of potty training. Not that I consider myself an expert my any means. I mostly got lucky. But I did a couple of things to help entice my kids along the way which I would like to share.
I think it has a lot to do with timing. Kids are ready at certain times to be trained. I don't think there is a specific right time for anyone in particular. You just need to see when you think they actively know they are about to go to the bathroom in their diaper. I have a friend who has successfully trained her kids almost since their birth. She always put her little girl on the potty even when she was a couple of months old. And it worked for her. Yes she still put her in diapers but she got her used to the potty early. I know someone else whose son was in pre-k last year (over 4 years old) who wasn't quite trained yet. One tip I have is to be relaxed about it. The truth is you don't see any kids in kindergarten who aren't potty trained. So you need to know that your son/daughter will get it...eventually.
For Rebecca, it was all luck and a little bit of her personality that helped this along. She had been afraid of the potty for so long. We had a small one that we used to sit in the family room. We would have her sit on it when she turned 2. We would read to her. We would bribe her. We would do anything, but she wasn't having it. She didn't like the potty and wouldn't go. Of course she was my first child so I wasn't exactly sure what to do. My head was telling me to leave her alone but I had about 50 people giving me their unsolicited advice about how to handle this. But in the end I let her alone. This is where I lucked out. When she was in pre-school her AWESOME teachers would bring each child to the potty every day. They had no idea Rebecca was afraid of it. Almost all the time (and this is still true), she is a pleaser by nature. She won't ever speak up/back to a teacher. So she went on the potty at school every day for a month, which was really only twice a week. Then one day, her teacher told me what a good job she was doing. Imagine my surprise since she NEVER went potty at home. On the way home from school, I asked her about it and pulled right into the Target parking lot. We picked out some new panties that I told her she could wear as soon as she was ready. The very next morning she asked to wear them. We never looked back. Sure she had a couple of accidents. But probably less than 5 over the next couple of months. By her 3rd birthday she was completely night time trained as well.
I used to joke around that when it came time to train Tyler I wouldn't know what to do because Rebecca was so easy. So I started off the same way. I just tried to make him comfortable on the potty. We would let him sit on it at bath time and in the morning. He would pee and poop on the potty with no trouble. He wasn't afraid. His preschool teachers actually did a potty dance in their class when someone was dry and needed to use the bathroom. And Tyler LOVED it. He would do awesome for them at school. So one day after he turned 3, I took him to buy his underwear. He picked it out and the next day wanted to wear it. But all day, he had accident after accident. If I took him to the potty, he was fine. If I didn't, it wasn't good. I started setting the timer on my watch when we were out or microwave when we were home. It went off every ten minutes so I could remind him to use the bathroom. When he was staying dry I increased the time by 5 minute increments. I am sorry to say it didn't work. So I bought candy. Every time he was dry in between potty breaks, I would give him a jelly bean. He got one for pee and two for poop. We put up a sticker chart in the bathroom. He would get a sticker when he was dry. Finally after one LONG and FRUSTRATING month at it, I decided to take a break. He wasn't ready. I couldn't handle it any longer. I was tired of it...the laundry, the cleaning...all of it.
So I set a goal. I would start back with the push when we came home from our beach vacation over the summer. It would give me about 6 weeks to have him trained before school started. When we got back, I started over. I even used a potty watch for him. It went very slowly. But at some point, he started having less and less accidents. I switched up the candy to skittles. And then, I figured out what really made my son tick. It was he needed a BIG time incentive. Right at that time KMart was having a huge toy sale. I let him buy whatever toy he wanted. When we got home I put that toy on top the kitchen counter right where he could see it. Then I told him he could have it once he went a whole week with no accidents. It took two weeks before we opened that racetrack. But it was worth every penny. He still is not nighttime trained but we are working on it.
Jason turned 3 this past summer. I think I began dreading potty training him before I even finished with Tyler. I was so nervous on how it would go. His birthday was in July and I vowed I would have him trained by then. I tried in April over spring break. It was a complete failure. So I decided to wait until school ended. We had a bunch of activities the first couple of weeks so I waited until Catholic Camp was over. The very next week, we went out and purchased his big boy underwear and a BIG bag of M&M's. It wasn't going super quickly for him but after a week, he was good with no number 1 accidents. But he kept pooping in his underwear. Ugh! So I pulled out the big guns. He had gotten a Thomas train set for Christmas which was sitting in the top of his bedroom closet. We told him once he was 100% no accidents, he could play with it. Well what do you know? He didn't have any more accidents since then (of course for the one he had at my poor SIL's house and that was a doozy). And last week he even became nighttime trained.
So I don't have any expert advice to offer here. But I suggest you approach it calmly. Try not to get mad at your child when they have an accident. And don't rush the process. You want them to be potty trained, you aren't trying to train yourself to remind them to go to the bathroom. It will happen. Just be patient.
Adapted from Apples to Peaches post I wrote in July 2011.
I was planning on writing this post a couple of weeks ago, but I just never got around to it. With three kids I have done my fair share of potty training. Not that I consider myself an expert my any means. I mostly got lucky. But I did a couple of things to help entice my kids along the way which I would like to share.
I think it has a lot to do with timing. Kids are ready at certain times to be trained. I don't think there is a specific right time for anyone in particular. You just need to see when you think they actively know they are about to go to the bathroom in their diaper. I have a friend who has successfully trained her kids almost since their birth. She always put her little girl on the potty even when she was a couple of months old. And it worked for her. Yes she still put her in diapers but she got her used to the potty early. I know someone else whose son was in pre-k last year (over 4 years old) who wasn't quite trained yet. One tip I have is to be relaxed about it. The truth is you don't see any kids in kindergarten who aren't potty trained. So you need to know that your son/daughter will get it...eventually.
For Rebecca, it was all luck and a little bit of her personality that helped this along. She had been afraid of the potty for so long. We had a small one that we used to sit in the family room. We would have her sit on it when she turned 2. We would read to her. We would bribe her. We would do anything, but she wasn't having it. She didn't like the potty and wouldn't go. Of course she was my first child so I wasn't exactly sure what to do. My head was telling me to leave her alone but I had about 50 people giving me their unsolicited advice about how to handle this. But in the end I let her alone. This is where I lucked out. When she was in pre-school her AWESOME teachers would bring each child to the potty every day. They had no idea Rebecca was afraid of it. Almost all the time (and this is still true), she is a pleaser by nature. She won't ever speak up/back to a teacher. So she went on the potty at school every day for a month, which was really only twice a week. Then one day, her teacher told me what a good job she was doing. Imagine my surprise since she NEVER went potty at home. On the way home from school, I asked her about it and pulled right into the Target parking lot. We picked out some new panties that I told her she could wear as soon as she was ready. The very next morning she asked to wear them. We never looked back. Sure she had a couple of accidents. But probably less than 5 over the next couple of months. By her 3rd birthday she was completely night time trained as well.
I used to joke around that when it came time to train Tyler I wouldn't know what to do because Rebecca was so easy. So I started off the same way. I just tried to make him comfortable on the potty. We would let him sit on it at bath time and in the morning. He would pee and poop on the potty with no trouble. He wasn't afraid. His preschool teachers actually did a potty dance in their class when someone was dry and needed to use the bathroom. And Tyler LOVED it. He would do awesome for them at school. So one day after he turned 3, I took him to buy his underwear. He picked it out and the next day wanted to wear it. But all day, he had accident after accident. If I took him to the potty, he was fine. If I didn't, it wasn't good. I started setting the timer on my watch when we were out or microwave when we were home. It went off every ten minutes so I could remind him to use the bathroom. When he was staying dry I increased the time by 5 minute increments. I am sorry to say it didn't work. So I bought candy. Every time he was dry in between potty breaks, I would give him a jelly bean. He got one for pee and two for poop. We put up a sticker chart in the bathroom. He would get a sticker when he was dry. Finally after one LONG and FRUSTRATING month at it, I decided to take a break. He wasn't ready. I couldn't handle it any longer. I was tired of it...the laundry, the cleaning...all of it.
So I set a goal. I would start back with the push when we came home from our beach vacation over the summer. It would give me about 6 weeks to have him trained before school started. When we got back, I started over. I even used a potty watch for him. It went very slowly. But at some point, he started having less and less accidents. I switched up the candy to skittles. And then, I figured out what really made my son tick. It was he needed a BIG time incentive. Right at that time KMart was having a huge toy sale. I let him buy whatever toy he wanted. When we got home I put that toy on top the kitchen counter right where he could see it. Then I told him he could have it once he went a whole week with no accidents. It took two weeks before we opened that racetrack. But it was worth every penny. He still is not nighttime trained but we are working on it.
Jason turned 3 this past summer. I think I began dreading potty training him before I even finished with Tyler. I was so nervous on how it would go. His birthday was in July and I vowed I would have him trained by then. I tried in April over spring break. It was a complete failure. So I decided to wait until school ended. We had a bunch of activities the first couple of weeks so I waited until Catholic Camp was over. The very next week, we went out and purchased his big boy underwear and a BIG bag of M&M's. It wasn't going super quickly for him but after a week, he was good with no number 1 accidents. But he kept pooping in his underwear. Ugh! So I pulled out the big guns. He had gotten a Thomas train set for Christmas which was sitting in the top of his bedroom closet. We told him once he was 100% no accidents, he could play with it. Well what do you know? He didn't have any more accidents since then (of course for the one he had at my poor SIL's house and that was a doozy). And last week he even became nighttime trained.
So I don't have any expert advice to offer here. But I suggest you approach it calmly. Try not to get mad at your child when they have an accident. And don't rush the process. You want them to be potty trained, you aren't trying to train yourself to remind them to go to the bathroom. It will happen. Just be patient.
Adapted from Apples to Peaches post I wrote in July 2011.
First soccer practice
Last night Tyler had his first soccer practice of the season. He has not played soccer since fall of 2011. He took a couple of seasons off to play baseball and football. I was a little worried about whether or not he would enjoy it after all that time. If last nights practice is any indication of the season, I don't have much to worry about. He LOVED it! Even though it was freezing (only 43 degrees), he didn't even seem to notice.
This spring, I have Tyler playing soccer and Rebecca continuing to practice Tang Soo Do. Rebecca has gotten very interested in wanting to compete in sparring so she has started to attend an extra class each week that focuses just on sparring. We tried to get Jason to play something but he wasn't interested in anything we offered him. He wants to swim on the swim team in the summer with the older kids though. And I am not sure he will be ready. March and April will be spent with Jason taking swim lessons to get him back into the pool. Last summer he still wasn't swimming completely on his own. I really want him to get there this year. Both Rebecca and Tyler were early(ier) swimmers. They were definitely doing it on their own at 4-years-old.
What sports/athletic activities are your kids doing this spring?
This spring, I have Tyler playing soccer and Rebecca continuing to practice Tang Soo Do. Rebecca has gotten very interested in wanting to compete in sparring so she has started to attend an extra class each week that focuses just on sparring. We tried to get Jason to play something but he wasn't interested in anything we offered him. He wants to swim on the swim team in the summer with the older kids though. And I am not sure he will be ready. March and April will be spent with Jason taking swim lessons to get him back into the pool. Last summer he still wasn't swimming completely on his own. I really want him to get there this year. Both Rebecca and Tyler were early(ier) swimmers. They were definitely doing it on their own at 4-years-old.
What sports/athletic activities are your kids doing this spring?
Pretzel S'mores
Tyler's Cub Scout Den was having a KIDS dessert contest as part of the Blue and Gold Dinner. So Tyler and I went web searching for something he could mostly make on his own for the contest . We can across this idea.
Despite the mess, these pretzel s'mores were so good...the perfect blend of sweet and salty. Tyler enjoyed making them so much he begged me to let him make more. So the next day after school, he made 100 pretzel s'mores for Valentine's Day. He made some for his teachers from this year and last year. He also made some for his whole class. His teacher may want to kill me for sending in a snack yesterday without asking. But he was just so excited and not a lot of things make him that excited. I just had to allow him to bring them in.
Recipe adapted from Love From The Oven.
It was really easy and we didn't make ours nearly as nice as those. But Tyler did it all himself; at 6 -years-old. So what can you really expect? It was quite messy for him to do. But I am fairly certain it would be mess free if an adult made them.
Despite the mess, these pretzel s'mores were so good...the perfect blend of sweet and salty. Tyler enjoyed making them so much he begged me to let him make more. So the next day after school, he made 100 pretzel s'mores for Valentine's Day. He made some for his teachers from this year and last year. He also made some for his whole class. His teacher may want to kill me for sending in a snack yesterday without asking. But he was just so excited and not a lot of things make him that excited. I just had to allow him to bring them in.
Don't be alarmed, it isn't dirt on his hands...just melted chocolate.
[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:3]
Recipe adapted from Love From The Oven.
Happy Valentine's Day
This year, Rebecca made her own Valentine's for her class. We went to a friends house to make 4 different card designs. It was a lot of fun. She was really excited to bring it all in to share. Her class also picked a secret Valentine that the each student had to bring breakfast in for. She could not wait to find out who her Valentine was this morning.
The boys both picked out Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Valentine's for their friends. They each were really excited to write our their cards. We actually had them done before they were due. And that is a miracle at our house! Tyler also made treats for his whole class. They were pretzel s'mores that I saw on pinterest. His aren't as fancy as the pinterest version but he was still excited. I am going to show how he did it tomorrow. Poor Jason has caught the bug going around his class. He has a fever so he won't be able to celebrate with his class. He cried when I told him but hopefully tomorrow he will forget that he is mad.
Personally, I am not a fan of going out on Valentine's Day. I'd much rather eat at home and avoid the crowds. So I am planning on steaming clams, making a easy salad, and shrimp with vodka sauce for dinner. Now if Jason is too sick, we may not get to the store to pick up the seafood. But hopefully we can get out for a ten minute run to the store. Otherwise I don't know what we will be having.
On another note, I haven't purchased anything for my husband yet...I really should probably get working on that. Like now.
Hope you have a great day at your house!
The boys both picked out Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Valentine's for their friends. They each were really excited to write our their cards. We actually had them done before they were due. And that is a miracle at our house! Tyler also made treats for his whole class. They were pretzel s'mores that I saw on pinterest. His aren't as fancy as the pinterest version but he was still excited. I am going to show how he did it tomorrow. Poor Jason has caught the bug going around his class. He has a fever so he won't be able to celebrate with his class. He cried when I told him but hopefully tomorrow he will forget that he is mad.
Personally, I am not a fan of going out on Valentine's Day. I'd much rather eat at home and avoid the crowds. So I am planning on steaming clams, making a easy salad, and shrimp with vodka sauce for dinner. Now if Jason is too sick, we may not get to the store to pick up the seafood. But hopefully we can get out for a ten minute run to the store. Otherwise I don't know what we will be having.
On another note, I haven't purchased anything for my husband yet...I really should probably get working on that. Like now.
Hope you have a great day at your house!
Keeping an 8-year-old girls Bedroom Clean...My Incentive Plan and Chore Chart
Since school started I have been more than a little overwhelmed. And while I technically have more time all alone in the house, we have so much more going on that I never seem to be able to get it all done. The worst part is that every day/week, I am cleaning up more and more after the kids.
Well a few weeks ago I had it. I was sick of spending half a day each week in the boy's room and Rebecca's room cleaning. I don’t mean dusting or washing the windows/mirrors type of cleaning. I am talking about the clearing out under the beds and dresser type of cleaning.
In Rebecca's room, the BIG clean also takes place in the closet where half of her clothes are strewn about. Her closet is also home to lots of her toys which typically are not nice and neat in their containers but instead all over the floor. Every week I threaten to get out a big trash bag to throw away all the junk. And I finally did it. Right after Christmas, Rebecca and I spent about 4 hours of my life cleaning her room. All of the little Barbie shoes went into the trash. The My Little Pony’s that haven’t been played with in a year – OUT. The Littlest Pet shop and all its stuff -- DONATED. The random puzzle pieces for all the 100 piece puzzles – GONE. All of her beads were organized into tackle boxes...three of them because she has so many. All of her American Girl doll stuff was organized and put into baskets. We went through it ALL. I had her straighten it into something that made sense to her.
When we were finished, I laid down my new law. She was to keep the room clean EVERY day. I told her I would inspect her room and judge her on a couple of categories daily. If she passed, I will give her a check mark. If it was not the way it should be, she will receive a “X”. Each day she has the opportunity to earn a penny for each completed task. At the end of the week, if she had a perfect week instead of earning $.07, I would give her $.10. The categories we made up (which are the ones she has the most trouble with) are:
1. Putting her dirty underwear in the hamper.
2. Making/straightening her bed and leaving no toys/clothes underneath it.
3. Putting ALL toys away before bed.
4. Putting away all craft supplies immediately after doing the craft.
5. Putting away her clean clothes after laundry is done. I do all the folding and hanging. She just has to put it all in the right spots.
I compiled all this into a chore chart that we keep on our computer.
She has a couple of other things to do each day around the house which ends up allowing her to earn up to $1.00 week. For example, she helps clear the table after dinner, unloads the dishwasher when it is clean, she packs/unpacks her school bag daily, and she puts away her shoes in the bucket. So far, it has worked. She has not earned the full amount yet but she is trying. And on Sunday when cleaning her room, I only had to dust, change her sheets, and vacuum. It was such a relief.
What do you do to make your kids clean up after themselves? Or what types of chores do they do around the house?
Well a few weeks ago I had it. I was sick of spending half a day each week in the boy's room and Rebecca's room cleaning. I don’t mean dusting or washing the windows/mirrors type of cleaning. I am talking about the clearing out under the beds and dresser type of cleaning.
In Rebecca's room, the BIG clean also takes place in the closet where half of her clothes are strewn about. Her closet is also home to lots of her toys which typically are not nice and neat in their containers but instead all over the floor. Every week I threaten to get out a big trash bag to throw away all the junk. And I finally did it. Right after Christmas, Rebecca and I spent about 4 hours of my life cleaning her room. All of the little Barbie shoes went into the trash. The My Little Pony’s that haven’t been played with in a year – OUT. The Littlest Pet shop and all its stuff -- DONATED. The random puzzle pieces for all the 100 piece puzzles – GONE. All of her beads were organized into tackle boxes...three of them because she has so many. All of her American Girl doll stuff was organized and put into baskets. We went through it ALL. I had her straighten it into something that made sense to her.
When we were finished, I laid down my new law. She was to keep the room clean EVERY day. I told her I would inspect her room and judge her on a couple of categories daily. If she passed, I will give her a check mark. If it was not the way it should be, she will receive a “X”. Each day she has the opportunity to earn a penny for each completed task. At the end of the week, if she had a perfect week instead of earning $.07, I would give her $.10. The categories we made up (which are the ones she has the most trouble with) are:
1. Putting her dirty underwear in the hamper.
2. Making/straightening her bed and leaving no toys/clothes underneath it.
3. Putting ALL toys away before bed.
4. Putting away all craft supplies immediately after doing the craft.
5. Putting away her clean clothes after laundry is done. I do all the folding and hanging. She just has to put it all in the right spots.
I compiled all this into a chore chart that we keep on our computer.
She has a couple of other things to do each day around the house which ends up allowing her to earn up to $1.00 week. For example, she helps clear the table after dinner, unloads the dishwasher when it is clean, she packs/unpacks her school bag daily, and she puts away her shoes in the bucket. So far, it has worked. She has not earned the full amount yet but she is trying. And on Sunday when cleaning her room, I only had to dust, change her sheets, and vacuum. It was such a relief.
What do you do to make your kids clean up after themselves? Or what types of chores do they do around the house?
Fun Book Series To Read With Your First Grader
Tyler starting bringing home Ready, Freddy! books from his weekly trip to the library with his class. The books are perfect for him. He can read almost all the words by himself which is helping with his reading confidence. The stories are amusing. They keep him entertained. We started with this one
and are now up to number 12.
Read them out with your favorite first grade boy.
Let me know what you think.
and are now up to number 12.
Read them out with your favorite first grade boy.
Let me know what you think.
Eat Your Age In Bites...A Dinnertime Rule At Our House
Last week I was eating lunch at the school and talking with one of the other moms. We were discussing rules at our house during dinnertime. I was explaining to her the philosophy I take at our house with trying to expose my kids to different things but using this rule. It reminded me of a post I had written almost two years ago. We still use this rule at my house during dinner.
Here is my old post:
Sometimes it seems like I am fighting an uphill battle to teach my children healthy ways. I want to make sure they have a good eating foundation so they can make the right choices as they grow.
I have never been a mom who has made any child a separate meal from the adults and unless they develop a food allergy, I will never be that mom. I also feed my children a variety of food. They have all been eating everything my husband and I do since they were able to.
Rebecca and Tyler both eat almost everything. Sure there are things they don't like. But the rule of thumb at our house is "you have to eat your age in bites if you don't like/want something". For example since Tyler is 5, if we are eating green beans and he doesn't want them, he has to eat 5 in order to be excused from dinner. My only exception to this rule occurs when we are out in public and frankly it just isn't always worth the battle.
My theory behind this is the longer I keep the trying something they may eventually start to enjoy it. And it has worked with lots of foods. Through this I have seen some great results. Tyler would never eat pasta and now he loves it! Rebecca didn't like green beans but now she will eat them all day long.
I have to enforce the rule at every dinner with Jason. And he is stubborn! He refuses to eat. He will wait until everyone else is finished before he even takes his first bite. He has gagged on food. And he will go straight to bed before dinner is finished. He is hesitant to try new things. If I served cereal at every meal, he'd be our golden child. Instead, I guess I am going to just have to keep at it with him.
What are some meal time rules you have at your house?
Here is my old post:
Sometimes it seems like I am fighting an uphill battle to teach my children healthy ways. I want to make sure they have a good eating foundation so they can make the right choices as they grow.
I have never been a mom who has made any child a separate meal from the adults and unless they develop a food allergy, I will never be that mom. I also feed my children a variety of food. They have all been eating everything my husband and I do since they were able to.
Rebecca and Tyler both eat almost everything. Sure there are things they don't like. But the rule of thumb at our house is "you have to eat your age in bites if you don't like/want something". For example since Tyler is 5, if we are eating green beans and he doesn't want them, he has to eat 5 in order to be excused from dinner. My only exception to this rule occurs when we are out in public and frankly it just isn't always worth the battle.
My theory behind this is the longer I keep the trying something they may eventually start to enjoy it. And it has worked with lots of foods. Through this I have seen some great results. Tyler would never eat pasta and now he loves it! Rebecca didn't like green beans but now she will eat them all day long.
I have to enforce the rule at every dinner with Jason. And he is stubborn! He refuses to eat. He will wait until everyone else is finished before he even takes his first bite. He has gagged on food. And he will go straight to bed before dinner is finished. He is hesitant to try new things. If I served cereal at every meal, he'd be our golden child. Instead, I guess I am going to just have to keep at it with him.
What are some meal time rules you have at your house?
What Is The Super Bowl?
At breakfast on Sunday morning the hubby asked the kids that question. The answers were quite comical.
Jason said it was a ball that saved people with its super powers. He was thinking super ball...
Tyler said it was a ball that made the team score a touchdown every time they had possession of it.
Rebecca knew the answer so she said it is a game to see who was going to be the champions for this year.
The boys definitely had us laughing.
Jason said it was a ball that saved people with its super powers. He was thinking super ball...
Tyler said it was a ball that made the team score a touchdown every time they had possession of it.
Rebecca knew the answer so she said it is a game to see who was going to be the champions for this year.
The boys definitely had us laughing.
Food Art
The kiddos ate some shapes into their food the other week. They were very proud of themselves.
May madness
We brought the month in with a bit of madness. Between softball games, baseball games, birthday parties, mother's day muffins and tea at the kids schools, end of the year parties, field days, family picnics and registering our little man for kindergarten I feel like I am losing my mind. But the kids are happy so I guess that is what matters.
Tyler will graduate from preschool on Wednesday. It is hard to believe that in August he will start kindergarten. I am still not 100% sure it is the right decision for him. I am worried that his lack of interest in school and learning is going to make for an interesting first year. I can only hope that he has a teacher with lots of patience. I also hope she has a good sense of humor because he can come up with some doozies.
Rebecca has almost finished her first year in kindergarten. It is amazing to me to look at all she can do. She loves to read and says science is her favorite subject. She clearly gets that last part from her daddy. She played softball this season. She loved it. She wants to play again next year. So far she isn't interested in trying any additional sports so I guess she will stick with just that.
And Jason... he will finish up his first year in preschool on Tuesday. In July he will turn 3 years old. That is the hardest thing for me to believe. He is Mr. Independent and has at least 3 tantrums a day. His screaming occurs so often I honestly don't think I hear it anymore. He thinks he is as old as his brother and tries to do everything Tyler does.
The hubby and I have been busy as well. He put down all new floors in the first floor of our house. It looks so good. I can't even describe how happy I am to be rid of the carpet. He also helped coach Rebecca's softball team. She loved having her daddy as the coach. He has also been playing tennis. As for me, I have been mostly busy trying to keep up with everyones activities. But I have managed to have lots of nice "me" time as well as nights out with the girls.
Tyler will graduate from preschool on Wednesday. It is hard to believe that in August he will start kindergarten. I am still not 100% sure it is the right decision for him. I am worried that his lack of interest in school and learning is going to make for an interesting first year. I can only hope that he has a teacher with lots of patience. I also hope she has a good sense of humor because he can come up with some doozies.
Rebecca has almost finished her first year in kindergarten. It is amazing to me to look at all she can do. She loves to read and says science is her favorite subject. She clearly gets that last part from her daddy. She played softball this season. She loved it. She wants to play again next year. So far she isn't interested in trying any additional sports so I guess she will stick with just that.
And Jason... he will finish up his first year in preschool on Tuesday. In July he will turn 3 years old. That is the hardest thing for me to believe. He is Mr. Independent and has at least 3 tantrums a day. His screaming occurs so often I honestly don't think I hear it anymore. He thinks he is as old as his brother and tries to do everything Tyler does.
The hubby and I have been busy as well. He put down all new floors in the first floor of our house. It looks so good. I can't even describe how happy I am to be rid of the carpet. He also helped coach Rebecca's softball team. She loved having her daddy as the coach. He has also been playing tennis. As for me, I have been mostly busy trying to keep up with everyones activities. But I have managed to have lots of nice "me" time as well as nights out with the girls.
Sale, Sale, Sale
So our big sale is over! It was great. Extremely tiring, but wonderful. I feel like I have lost about a week of my life. It was such a blur.
Now we are all back to normal or our version of normal anyway. The hubby and I celebrated V-day on Sunday. We went out for breakfast and for a walk at the park sans kids. Then we went to the bookstore to peruse and have a coffee. It was extremely nice and relaxing.
I woke up Monday morning to the little dude and little man being sick. Yesterday, I took all 3 kids to the doctor. All three kids had double ear infections and terrible colds. The little dude also is wheezing so breathing treatments for him. Yuck! The Little Dude may get renamed the Drama King soon. He "hurt" his foot yesterday. He refused to walk all day and crawled everywhere. I figured he would forget but today he is only walking on the side of his foot. But at least he is walking.
This weekend is the Little Man's last indoor soccer game of the season. And on Saturday evening he has his first baseball practice. The Angel has her first softball practice on Thursday night. The cycle of craziness is starting all over again....
Now we are all back to normal or our version of normal anyway. The hubby and I celebrated V-day on Sunday. We went out for breakfast and for a walk at the park sans kids. Then we went to the bookstore to peruse and have a coffee. It was extremely nice and relaxing.
I woke up Monday morning to the little dude and little man being sick. Yesterday, I took all 3 kids to the doctor. All three kids had double ear infections and terrible colds. The little dude also is wheezing so breathing treatments for him. Yuck! The Little Dude may get renamed the Drama King soon. He "hurt" his foot yesterday. He refused to walk all day and crawled everywhere. I figured he would forget but today he is only walking on the side of his foot. But at least he is walking.
This weekend is the Little Man's last indoor soccer game of the season. And on Saturday evening he has his first baseball practice. The Angel has her first softball practice on Thursday night. The cycle of craziness is starting all over again....
Snow Days 2011
Well for once the weather forecasters got it right here in Atlanta...
I think we ended up with close to 6" of snow. For the first time ever my kids have sledded. Two of them even seemed to really enjoy the snow. I got to sled once. The hubby got to a lot more. I will admit to being jealous.
The Little Dude, he enjoyed it as long as he didn't have to walk in it. He seemed scared to walk. It may be because on Day 1, he fell down a lot. In the picture below, he is crying. But when I held his hand, he was fine.
It is now Thursday. The kids have missed 4 days of school. Don't worry, they haven't even noticed. Although I was asked once on Wednesday when they could play with their friends. We had a happy hour playdate with some of our neighbors. Other than that, they are completely content to have their daddy home, drink hot chocolate all day and play.
I heard on the weather channel that the only place state in the country that doesn't have snow right on the ground right now is Florida. Even Hawaii has snow. I am contemplating a move to Florida...
They predicted snow Sunday night, followed by sleet, followed by freezing temperatures, not to be better until Saturday.
I think we ended up with close to 6" of snow. For the first time ever my kids have sledded. Two of them even seemed to really enjoy the snow. I got to sled once. The hubby got to a lot more. I will admit to being jealous.
The Little Dude, he enjoyed it as long as he didn't have to walk in it. He seemed scared to walk. It may be because on Day 1, he fell down a lot. In the picture below, he is crying. But when I held his hand, he was fine.
It is now Thursday. The kids have missed 4 days of school. Don't worry, they haven't even noticed. Although I was asked once on Wednesday when they could play with their friends. We had a happy hour playdate with some of our neighbors. Other than that, they are completely content to have their daddy home, drink hot chocolate all day and play.
I heard on the weather channel that the only place state in the country that doesn't have snow right on the ground right now is Florida. Even Hawaii has snow. I am contemplating a move to Florida...
Breakfast with Santa
Christmas programs
All three of the kids had Christmas programs at the three different schools. Even the Angel in Kindergarten had a Christmas party and her concert was earlier in the month. I am happy to report the school even had a Christmas up on display. So not all the fun has been taken out of school.
The Little Man was Joseph in his nativity play. After his program (the kids sang songs in the worship space), his class shared milk and cookies, and had a book exchange. This picture is from following the event with the Little Man and Little Dude.
The Angels party was the same day. They had lots of activities to do. We made reindeer and reindeer food (which we forgot to put out on Christmas Eve...oooops). We made necklaces. And the kids decorated cookies and had a snack.
The following day was the Little Dudes program and party. School was on a 2-hour delay that day because of ice and the Little Mans school was actually cancelled. His program was so cute. It is always interesting when the little ones perform. I don't think he actually sang any music but he didn't cry (like at Halloween) so I was happy with it. Afterwards we went to his class for a pizza party. They also had a book exchange.
It was a fun time at all three schools. I am happy that I was able to attend it all.
We are back
We got back from Disney on Thursday afternoon. We ran out to the Angel's concert. Friday was her and her friends pool party. Today the Little Man had soccer, we went out to lunch, stopped by a friends house, decorated the tree, and did some Christmas shopping. So sometime this week I will be blogging but not tonight. Tonight I am editing pictures in the hopes to get my Christmas cards soon (ha ha). Tomorrow I am taking the Angel to the American Girl store with a friend and her daughter and my mom. I am getting her a doll for her birthday. Yes, I have given in. I realized my kids really aren't as spoiled as I always fear they are. So for once, I am just going to get what she asks for without thinking about the how I shouldn't and the why not.
Oh Thanksgiving...you came too quickly this week!
Wow.As I am sitting on the couch typing this post, I am literary exhausted.
I have spent the last week with a sick, cranky 2 year old. One who will not leave my leg. He has been clinging to it when I am not holding him. The hubby took him to our wonderful md (and I mean that sincerely) last week. He had double ear infections. So they put him on a heavy dose antibiotic. Said antibiotic gave him such diarrhea that he developed the worst diaper rash I have ever seen in my 6 years as a mommy. Yesterday I took the almost 6 year old to the md (more on that in a minute) and mentioned the problem to my md. I didn't have the Little Dude with me and of course she wanted to see him. So back we went today. And I found out he had developed a staph infection from the rash. Ugh! So I had to fill another script for him. Now he is taking two antibiotics. I am sure this will be great for the tummy.
Yesterday I took the almost 6 year old drama queen for her physical. She is doing well. Nothing to report. She is still tiny. But still on her own little 8% curve. The md. said she much rather her be on this end than the other. And especially since she eats well. So I was happy for that. We also were able to get her asthma diagnosis reversed because she hasn't had an "attack" in over a year. She was diagnosed at 1 year old and I have been trying to get the label taken off her chart ever since. I do think she has breathing issues when she gets a cold, but I am not sure she needs the asthmatic label. So I was very happy about that. The doctor was also able to give her the flu mist instead of the shot because of it. But she was up for a immunization of some sort. Yes, I should no what they gave her. But I don't. I am not that kind of mom. I give my kids immunizations so that they don't get funky diseases. I respect the opinion of those who don't believe in them, but I am just not one of those people. So anyway back the Drama Queen...as we are sitting in the room she tells me "Mommy, if I get a shot today I am not going to cry". I was like "yeah okay, why?". And she told me that now that she is 6, she can't be a baby and only a baby would cry when getting their shots. So I was a little shocked at this new attitude. I mean she isn't one of the kids who I have to drag to the md., nor do we have to hold her down when she gets shots, or chase her around the room, but she definitely cries. But yesterday my trooper squeezed her eyes really tight to stop the tears and just smiled after the shot. I was in shock. And very proud of her!!!
On Monday, I started to feel my own throat getting sore. I started drinking tea and honey to ward off the sickness. I also had a milkshake to try and coat it. Which really just hurt my lactose intolerant stomach more than helped my throat. And yesterday as the day went on, my throat got worse and worse. By midnight when I could barely even swallow. I had taken 4 Motrin (800 mg) and felt like I was going to have to call in sick today. Ha ha, I know. I would have told the hubby but he was out at poker night with the guys and not even home yet for me to complain to. So instead I took some benadryl and prayed it would put me to sleep. Oh yeah and at like 11:30am, I tried to get seen by the md. because I was slightly worried it could be strep. The kiddos I babysit for had it last week and I had spent all day Monday with them. But of course I couldn't get an appt. until 5:30 on Wed. What a pain! But anyway, it must have been a nasal drip because the benadryl dried me up and my throat really isn't hurting anymore. But luckily, my kids wonderful md. took a look in my throat and ears and gave me a strep test when I was in the office. She said it seemed like I am coming down with a cold. Sometimes I wish God knew that there is no time for a cold in my plans until at least January. I mean, seriously?
So today, I took the Little Dude to the md. We were there forever. And then stopped at my friends house to pick up the kids. I had a glass of wine because she twisted my arm. After the kids cleaned up the toys, we headed on home to pack them up for a night at the grandparents.
The hubby and I went to Wal-Mart to pick up some beer and wine for tomorrow. Then we came home and started prepping the food. I made an gooey butter cake from Paula Deen. I'll upload a picture later and a recipe.
While the cake was baking, I finished up all our Disney plans. I printed out our touring plans and made an itinerary with all our meal reservations and what not. I was supposed to pack tonight but I think I will as soon as I get up in the morning.
Then I have to finish all the prepping, insert the leaf into my dining room table, set the table, pick up the kids, and clean up the kids rooms, especially their bathroom. I also need to plan out the Black Friday plan of attack. P (the bf) and I are going shopping together. I don't think either of us know what the heck we are buying so I need to figure that out soon.
Okay I think I need to go to bed now. Have a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow and remember to think about all you have to be thankful for!
I have spent the last week with a sick, cranky 2 year old. One who will not leave my leg. He has been clinging to it when I am not holding him. The hubby took him to our wonderful md (and I mean that sincerely) last week. He had double ear infections. So they put him on a heavy dose antibiotic. Said antibiotic gave him such diarrhea that he developed the worst diaper rash I have ever seen in my 6 years as a mommy. Yesterday I took the almost 6 year old to the md (more on that in a minute) and mentioned the problem to my md. I didn't have the Little Dude with me and of course she wanted to see him. So back we went today. And I found out he had developed a staph infection from the rash. Ugh! So I had to fill another script for him. Now he is taking two antibiotics. I am sure this will be great for the tummy.
Yesterday I took the almost 6 year old drama queen for her physical. She is doing well. Nothing to report. She is still tiny. But still on her own little 8% curve. The md. said she much rather her be on this end than the other. And especially since she eats well. So I was happy for that. We also were able to get her asthma diagnosis reversed because she hasn't had an "attack" in over a year. She was diagnosed at 1 year old and I have been trying to get the label taken off her chart ever since. I do think she has breathing issues when she gets a cold, but I am not sure she needs the asthmatic label. So I was very happy about that. The doctor was also able to give her the flu mist instead of the shot because of it. But she was up for a immunization of some sort. Yes, I should no what they gave her. But I don't. I am not that kind of mom. I give my kids immunizations so that they don't get funky diseases. I respect the opinion of those who don't believe in them, but I am just not one of those people. So anyway back the Drama Queen...as we are sitting in the room she tells me "Mommy, if I get a shot today I am not going to cry". I was like "yeah okay, why?". And she told me that now that she is 6, she can't be a baby and only a baby would cry when getting their shots. So I was a little shocked at this new attitude. I mean she isn't one of the kids who I have to drag to the md., nor do we have to hold her down when she gets shots, or chase her around the room, but she definitely cries. But yesterday my trooper squeezed her eyes really tight to stop the tears and just smiled after the shot. I was in shock. And very proud of her!!!
On Monday, I started to feel my own throat getting sore. I started drinking tea and honey to ward off the sickness. I also had a milkshake to try and coat it. Which really just hurt my lactose intolerant stomach more than helped my throat. And yesterday as the day went on, my throat got worse and worse. By midnight when I could barely even swallow. I had taken 4 Motrin (800 mg) and felt like I was going to have to call in sick today. Ha ha, I know. I would have told the hubby but he was out at poker night with the guys and not even home yet for me to complain to. So instead I took some benadryl and prayed it would put me to sleep. Oh yeah and at like 11:30am, I tried to get seen by the md. because I was slightly worried it could be strep. The kiddos I babysit for had it last week and I had spent all day Monday with them. But of course I couldn't get an appt. until 5:30 on Wed. What a pain! But anyway, it must have been a nasal drip because the benadryl dried me up and my throat really isn't hurting anymore. But luckily, my kids wonderful md. took a look in my throat and ears and gave me a strep test when I was in the office. She said it seemed like I am coming down with a cold. Sometimes I wish God knew that there is no time for a cold in my plans until at least January. I mean, seriously?
So today, I took the Little Dude to the md. We were there forever. And then stopped at my friends house to pick up the kids. I had a glass of wine because she twisted my arm. After the kids cleaned up the toys, we headed on home to pack them up for a night at the grandparents.
The hubby and I went to Wal-Mart to pick up some beer and wine for tomorrow. Then we came home and started prepping the food. I made an gooey butter cake from Paula Deen. I'll upload a picture later and a recipe.
While the cake was baking, I finished up all our Disney plans. I printed out our touring plans and made an itinerary with all our meal reservations and what not. I was supposed to pack tonight but I think I will as soon as I get up in the morning.
Then I have to finish all the prepping, insert the leaf into my dining room table, set the table, pick up the kids, and clean up the kids rooms, especially their bathroom. I also need to plan out the Black Friday plan of attack. P (the bf) and I are going shopping together. I don't think either of us know what the heck we are buying so I need to figure that out soon.
Okay I think I need to go to bed now. Have a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow and remember to think about all you have to be thankful for!
Am I smarter than a 2nd grader?
Although I passed the are you smarter than a 3rd grader test my SIL emailed me a couple of weeks back, I am not sure I am qualified for 2nd grade math (or reading for that matter).
Today I watched my niece and nephew after school. My niece and the Drama Queen each sat down to the their homework. After checking my niece's math homework (& yes I considered using a calculator), I was trying to explain how to solve the problem. It was something like 51 - 28, and I was shocked to discover that they no longer do math how we were taught. She looked at me like I was insane when I tried to about carrying things over and crossing out a number. She taught me their terminology nowadays to which I probably looked shocked. I even had to call my SIL to teach me so I could teach her.
I have to admit, I am a little nervous for when the Drama Queen gets to 2nd grade. I told the hubby at dinner that I might need a tutor so I could teach our kids. He laughed at me. But he didn't realize that I was only half joking....
Today I watched my niece and nephew after school. My niece and the Drama Queen each sat down to the their homework. After checking my niece's math homework (& yes I considered using a calculator), I was trying to explain how to solve the problem. It was something like 51 - 28, and I was shocked to discover that they no longer do math how we were taught. She looked at me like I was insane when I tried to about carrying things over and crossing out a number. She taught me their terminology nowadays to which I probably looked shocked. I even had to call my SIL to teach me so I could teach her.
I have to admit, I am a little nervous for when the Drama Queen gets to 2nd grade. I told the hubby at dinner that I might need a tutor so I could teach our kids. He laughed at me. But he didn't realize that I was only half joking....
Labor Day Weekend
We kicked off the weekend in style. The boys and I went on the lake Friday with the grandmas, Pop-pop, Aunt J and one of the cousins. We beached the boat, jumped out and swam. The boys played in the sand and "swam'. We ate lunch on the beach and then got about another hour in the water before we had to head home for buses. It was so nice and mostly relaxing.
I taught some friends how to make Gigi's meatballs and gravy on Friday night for dinner. We had 7 kids playing in the basement (and 1 dog), while we all took on jobs in a line to prepare the dinner. I made the meatballs, P diced up the herbs, and D opened the cans. D was tired...she ran 18 miles that day for marathon training. Once the sauce was simmering, we all sat down to enjoy a glass of wine. I had also brought over some fabulous cheese from Costco for us to snack on.
The hubbies trickled in as they got home from work. We heated up the kids dinner first, pasta with butter sauce and Parmesan cheese. Once they were back downstairs playing, the adults sat down to eat. Then we had some cookie cake and dessert for D's birthday. Nothing too fancy since we were really celebrating on Saturday night with a couples night out.
Saturday was spent watching Clemson play. Go Tigers!!! They won the game although it was like waiting for water boil, trying to get them to score.
After the game, we went out to 37 Main for D's birthday night. A Bon Jovi cover band, Slippery When Wet, was playing. There were 4 couples who went out to celebrate. We had dinner and lots of drinks. Luckily we had planned to take taxi's home but ended up with a DD. It was such a fun night. I had a great time.
Sunday was spent running errands before we picked up our babies from grandma and grandpa's house. And then we went to my nephew's 4th birthday party. It was a pool party which was a great time.
The kids begged us to have their cousins sleep over and since we had nothing planned for the next day, we did. Monday was spent with our family and a couple of friends, grilling out while the kids played in the kiddie pool. It was an early night since school was back in on Tuesday.
All in all a great weekend!
I taught some friends how to make Gigi's meatballs and gravy on Friday night for dinner. We had 7 kids playing in the basement (and 1 dog), while we all took on jobs in a line to prepare the dinner. I made the meatballs, P diced up the herbs, and D opened the cans. D was tired...she ran 18 miles that day for marathon training. Once the sauce was simmering, we all sat down to enjoy a glass of wine. I had also brought over some fabulous cheese from Costco for us to snack on.
The hubbies trickled in as they got home from work. We heated up the kids dinner first, pasta with butter sauce and Parmesan cheese. Once they were back downstairs playing, the adults sat down to eat. Then we had some cookie cake and dessert for D's birthday. Nothing too fancy since we were really celebrating on Saturday night with a couples night out.
Saturday was spent watching Clemson play. Go Tigers!!! They won the game although it was like waiting for water boil, trying to get them to score.
After the game, we went out to 37 Main for D's birthday night. A Bon Jovi cover band, Slippery When Wet, was playing. There were 4 couples who went out to celebrate. We had dinner and lots of drinks. Luckily we had planned to take taxi's home but ended up with a DD. It was such a fun night. I had a great time.
Sunday was spent running errands before we picked up our babies from grandma and grandpa's house. And then we went to my nephew's 4th birthday party. It was a pool party which was a great time.
The kids begged us to have their cousins sleep over and since we had nothing planned for the next day, we did. Monday was spent with our family and a couple of friends, grilling out while the kids played in the kiddie pool. It was an early night since school was back in on Tuesday.
All in all a great weekend!
Happy Anniversary
Today is the hubby and my anniversary. We were married 7 years ago.
Funny story, my husband and I went to the same high school but never knew each other. He is a year older than me. My husband went to Clemson. I met my husband the day after I graduated high school. We were introduced by another friend because I was going to Clemson as well. We started out as friends that summer. When we got to school we started dating casually for about a month or so. We weren't serious or "exclusive" until the following spring. Last week it was 14 years since we had our first date! How crazy is that. To say that I believe in fate or destiny is an understatement.
I am so blessed. I married my best friend. We are still as close (or closer) than ever. If it wasn't for the minivan and its occupants, I'd swear we just got back from our honeymoon. I hope this feeling of pure happiness lasts forever.
Funny story, my husband and I went to the same high school but never knew each other. He is a year older than me. My husband went to Clemson. I met my husband the day after I graduated high school. We were introduced by another friend because I was going to Clemson as well. We started out as friends that summer. When we got to school we started dating casually for about a month or so. We weren't serious or "exclusive" until the following spring. Last week it was 14 years since we had our first date! How crazy is that. To say that I believe in fate or destiny is an understatement.
I am so blessed. I married my best friend. We are still as close (or closer) than ever. If it wasn't for the minivan and its occupants, I'd swear we just got back from our honeymoon. I hope this feeling of pure happiness lasts forever.
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