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Summer Camp – First Week

27 May

Happy Campers

The first week of summer camp held a lot of emotions for us. I was nervous about having Nate in a new place and in a place that I knew he wouldn’t be able to get that mood-changing nap that he still needs. The first day brought tears from Nate – and me. He cried because he learned he wouldn’t be in Nia’s group. I cried because he was so sad and I was worried about him. By the end of the day, as it usually is, smiles replaced his tears and he couldn’t wait to go back. Nia was fine through it all. She’s pretty adaptable which is awesome. Now, they are both enjoying all that camp has to offer.

Each day they have Bible time, sing camp songs, play sports and swim. Each week offers a different theme to teach them about new things. Their first week was “Western Week.” I love the crafts/art they brought home:

Cowgirl Vest and Bandana Crafts

Cactus Art

I love her captions on her "western" picture.

I think I may be as excited as they are to learn what theme is next and hear some new camp songs. “Hermie the Worm” is cute but I’m ready to have another one sung to me on repeat.

See ya next week!

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Board Gamers

21 May

Wanna play checkers? How ’bout Apples to Apples? Monopoly? Life? Any trivia game? No?

That’s ok, when I was little, I would play them by myself because I loved them so much and wanted to play all the time. Now though, it seems I have produced spawns who love them as much as I do. There wasn’t even any DNA altering to ensure we would create a board game lovers. They just want to play (a lot) and as long as I’m around them, they will never have to be the only player for a multi-player game.

Even if they beat me like Nia did – over and over again – during a recent Connect Four challenge. Good games, Bean. Until we meet again…

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Color Coded Moods

18 May

With one week left of school, Nate seems to be going out with more than a bang – it’s more like a behavior blow up.

Each day, he and his Pre-K classmates start with a blue day, which basically means great behavior. If they have behavior troubles, like not listening to the teachers or being mean to friends, their color turns to green, yellow or red, depending on how many issues they’ve had that day. (We tell Nate to think of blue like a home run, green as a base hit, yellow as a foul ball and red as a strike out.)

For the school year, Nate has actually earned more blue and green days than yellow and red days combined so these past few days have been tough on all of us. (Even Nia told me today that she was wearing blue so Nate will get a blue day.)

For the most part, he gets yellow or red due to listening issues like not being quiet when he’s supposed to or playing while he should be resting/learning. But one of his recent not listening days went further because it involved him losing a friend’s football on the school’s roof because he didn’t stop throwing it up there when the teacher asked him to.

His punishments for his actions include no video games, no baseball playing (we’ve actually removed all baseball gear/toys/cards from his room), he wrote an I’m sorry card to the football friend and will be using his piggy bank money to buy him a new ball, and today he was not allowed to wear pajamas to his class’ pj day. He is always so saddened at his punishments but today’s was especially hard. He saw all of his friends in their pajamas, even a few who had yellow or red days yesterday like he did, but he was not in his.

I feel so bad about it. I just don’t know what else to do since we’ve used all the other typical punishments (that usually turn his behavior immediately around because he wants to earn his privileges back). I’m worried we are being too strict but I’m also worried about his behavior when he gets to Kindergarten. Right now, his color coded days of Pre-K influence my moods so heavily. What in the world am I going to do when he’s called into the principal’s office? That will be a red (fire-red) day all around for sure.

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Hope to see blue (or even green!) today.

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Mama Said X You Out

16 May

You better watch. Being X’ed is just one of two funny technology encounters I had with my mom during her recent visit.

  • We were discussing how convenient it is that facebook allows you to hide people or activities that you don’t particularly enjoy. Instead of her verbalizing it in that way though, she said, “Oh yeah. I just X them out if they get annoying.” I told her I’m going to start using the phrase for all my annoyances now. Someone just cut in front of you in line, “X you, man!” Need a great threat to intimidate someone? “I’m so gonna X you out.”
  • Andrew has his phone’s notifications set to make the Angry Bird sound, “Whee!” My mom heard it and asked what it was. I told her that it’s the sound an Angry Bird makes. She gave me a puzzled look and responded, “Huh?! How do you know what sound an angry bird makes? They are way up there in the sky.” We laughed and laughed and then gave her an entertaining look at the silly sounding birds.

Thanks for the laughs, Lady! And for being such a good sport about it.

Glorious Growth

14 May

She’s had Sunday school after Sunday school, learning about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and our church. She’s earned Disciple Dollar after Disciple Dollar for all the school work she’s turned in and questions answered in class. She asks questions to us. Wants to learn more. Says her prayers. Follows along to the readings in church. Sings songs of praise – in church and when at home.

Nia was prepared and excited for today. Her First Holy Communion. She felt so special getting to receive the body and blood of Jesus. She told me the blessed wine shocked her a bit because she got a bigger sip than she meant to. But that, “She tried really hard not to make a face.” I think the Sacrament is already showing her about growing closer to God. Tonight, she added more to her nightly prayer, asking God to please keep her family safe. For a little girl who usually only says, “Now I lay me down to sleep…” this is a wonderful thing.

Our little Bean – growing up in mind, beauty, spirit and faith.

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Sitcom Mom

8 May

What came first? The sitcom mom or the mom who has sitcom mom moments? The moments when we think, did I just do/say/find that? Who am I? I am such a mom. Whoa. That’s surreal. I’m a mom.

Some “who am I?” scenarios that come to mind include:

  • Having in-depth discussions (arguments) about why you should go potty before and after bed – or really even just why you should go at all. Seriously, why does going potty have to be fight? After using all the logical reasoning about why they should take care of business, I usually just end up with the phrase I used to loathe as a child – “Because I said so!”
  • Looking for a piece of gum in my purse and discovering a rock, a baseball, a DS game and Capri Sun straw wrappers but no gum. I’m sure it will soon turn into missing money…
  • Worrying about whether the kids are eating enough nutritious food. I remember putting away McChicken sandwiches, a bag of Funyons and a package of Hostess Ho Hos like they were going to be stolen from me when I was growing up. Now, I will never willingly buy those products for my kids. (I have to draw the line at some junk food.)
  • Caring about whether the kids act properly. I used to be such a wild woman. Now, I find myself saying over and over, “Be proper. Must be polite. That’s not proper.”
  • I hate to admit it but I have said, “There are starving people in…” when they aren’t eating their food.
  • Correcting the kids behavior (in other words, yelling at them with idle threats of punishment) whether I’m on the toilet, in the shower or standing in the hall in my bra and underwear with my hair wrapped in a towel after hearing them fight at the breakfast table. (Major ridiculousness there.)
  • I’m a big fan of the “who can be quiet the longest” game. And rematches.
  • I actually check behind their ears and remind them to wash them. (Whaaat?! When I first noticed myself doing that, I stopped and looked in the mirror. I am a mom. Whoa.)

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Lessons from a Birthday Party

1 May

Nia’s 8th birthday party taught me a few things about party planning and celebrating:

  • When my daughter tells me she only wants to invite five of her school friends, plan for that instead of something bigger and guiding her into inviting more so that so-and-so’s feelings aren’t hurt. Which also translates to: save stress, energy and money.
  • Next time, I’m going to mail invites to people’s homes instead of hoping the invited kids will then give it to their parents. That way, at least I’ll know an adult is failing to RSVP instead of wondering if that adult even saw the invite.
  • A child doesn’t need a huge party, just their party. Nia had a great time with her two special BFFs, friends Jamie and Aaron and her brother. I think the adults helped some too. (See next lesson learned.)
  • Those burns the kids get from bouncies dang hurt. (My 10 minutes of jumping graced me with two – one on my forearm and one on my knee. I’m actually proud of them – I laughed the whole time they happened.) Andrew also notes that if we were to by our own jumpy, it would be the basketball one. (You likely know how he loves researching things. He and Nate had a blast in there.)
  • Kids have fun spinning in circles. In other words, why do we (parents) feel the need to go all out for parties? My friend, Allison, and I were talking about how it used to be (yes, back in my day) that going over each others’ houses to play with toys and have cake was party enough (and a ton of fun). Now, we rent jumpies, petting zoos, face painters, Santa and Mrs. Claus… It’s like constantly having to out-do or meet the special-level of the last party. Where do you draw the line? Now that I’ve gone there, when/how can I tame it down?
  • When it’s all said and done though, my beautiful Bean is “almost 9” as Nate pointed out during the party. Time flies when you’re a child in a hurry to have another birthday party. I’m glad we have a few months of a break.

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Not About Me

29 Apr

I’m thankful for Facebook tonight because it helped me wake up to my selfishness. Because of it, I was able to see some friends sharing in the royal wedding with their daughter, who’s a little older than Nia. They made a special British-inspired breakfast and wore crowns. They all looked so happy at 5ish in the morning and I loved how they were making it such a treasured memory for their daughter.

Nia, meanwhile, was still asleep because I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. I wasn’t all that excited for it and my take-it-or-leave-it attitude almost caused Nia to miss the chance to see history happen, learn about another country or at least oo and ah at Kate’s dress. I have memories of Diana and Prince Charles’ wedding. Seems a royal wedding of this caliber only happens once every few decades. She shouldn’t miss that.

I went in her room and asked her in a whisper if she wanted to see the wedding of a real-life prince and princess. She nodded yes and I scooped my princess out of her bed and carried her to our bed, where she squinted and blinked to adjust her sleepy eyes to the bright screen. She was happy.

I’m glad I woke up to the realization that my opinions (about things of this nature) should not influence Nia’s chance to make hers.

(Sheila and Jesse, thank you for helping me see, in a very indirect way, that it’s not always about me. You are way cool parents.)

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You Reach, I’ll Hold On

26 Apr

Little Birthday Bean,

The years now say you are 8 but your size says you are still a 6X. You want to wear the clothes made for girls your age but they are too big for you.

You have a big kid bike but often like to take a spin on the tricycles you still fit so comfortably on.

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Still fits!

You still enjoy reading books for younger children (and even reading them to younger kids) but can tear through a chapter book better than many adults.

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Bean and Her Books

You love playing outside and are probably now old enough to play at the front of the house by yourself but you stay in the backyard where it’s fenced and where you can swing for as long as your heart desires. You are even happier now that your daddy raised your swing up higher off the ground – making you feel like a bigger kid while you sing to yourself as your tiptoes of one foot touch the ground.

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Sweetness

You have such big dreams. You say you want to be “an actress who’s an art teacher and who can sing.” You recently asked if you could be all of that and a photographer too. I love that you have a passion for the creative and still have the brain for the scientific, bringing home 100’s on your schoolwork and continually scoring the highest possible on your report cards. For as little as you are, your brain is gigantic and amazes us every day with your smarts and your wit. You tell us jokes on a daily basis, often ones you make up yourself. (I’m especially impressed by this because I can’t ever remember jokes and bomb at telling them.) My favorite of yours is the Poo-Poo Train one…

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"I want to be a photographer."

The love you have for your little brother is also enormous. You take care of him when it’s just the two of you while you’re playing outside or at your after school program. Sure, you two nah-nah each other a lot but you also make each other laugh a lot. (Like in the picture below from the zoo where you both were making faces to the hand dryer nozzle to see your distorted, silly reflections.) You are such a caring big sister – often reading Nate a book or trying to help him tie his shoes. Nate is so lucky to have you.

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Silly Sibling Faces

This is such an interesting age. Because, like I keep repeating and holding on to, you are still so little and it’s hard for me to connect you to or get used to your interest in older kid things. Like Katy Perry’s CD (which features some songs not appropriate for young ears but you marked them on the CD case and sincerely told me you wouldn’t listen to them) or your first teen celebrity magazine. Your eyes were so wide when you saw it in the store last night and you were so happy when I told you could have it. You immediately started reading me snippets of scoop, seeming so excited to learn it. You couldn’t put it down.

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First Teen Celebrity Mag

You also couldn’t wait to tape the poster of the boy band, Big Time Rush, on your pink princess wall. This is probably the most descriptive way to show how you are reaching for those older years but still aren’t quite ready to let go of being little. I asked you about taking down Sleeping Beauty but you told me no. That you liked it there still. I do too, Bean. I do too.

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Boy Band vs. Princess

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Happy Birthday, Beautiful Bean

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3 Dresses, 1 Special Day

25 Apr

Her prayers and lessons are learned. She knows how to hold her hands. Her veil is ready. Her new shoes are broken in. Her confessions of being mean to her brother and lying to a friend have been prayed over. Now, which dress does she wear as she celebrates her First Holy Communion?

Nia’s special day happens in a few weeks and we are all ready, except for that formal component.

My mom washed and shipped mine to us but it is out-dated and way too big. Plus, Nia was not a fan. Can’t tell that by the picture below, can you?

She loves it!

We shopped online together and found two she really liked. Once they arrived, picking was tough. She kept asking which one I liked best. I wouldn’t tell her. I kept stressing to her that it’s her special day. She asked if she could take a picture in each of them but then decided against it. She stared at them. She thought. She chose. “The long, straight one is my favorite.” I told her that her veil would look beautiful with it and she hugged me, never knowing my true favorite. (The other one.)

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Nia loves the left one.

We were going to return the other dress but we’ve decided to donate it to our church just in case another little girl needs one. Based off Nia’s tough decision, we think it will make someone very happy.

Don’t worry. My dress from the mid-80’s will stay here with me.

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