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Too Young to Point and Click?

30 Jun

Computer Kid
Nia is really becoming a computer game junkie and I’m wondering if I should be worried.  She’s not playing shoot ’em up games or anything like that – it’s all educational stuff – but I still can’t help but think she’s a little too young to want to play on the computer every day.

The other part of me though thinks it’s good for her because she’s going to have to learn how to use one eventually so what’s the harm in starting at 4?  I’m actually impressed at how well she can work the mouse and use the keyboard to type her name.  She even knows how to fix her typing if she messes up. I sometimes catch myself staring at her in amazement as she drags and drops things on the screen by using the mouse.

It’s funny because I think about what I was doing at her age.  I didn’t even know what a computer was.  In fact, I really didn’t even touch a computer until my senior year in high school and then it was one of those huge beasts that didn’t even have a mouse.  Nia’s already smarter than me!  I wouldn’t want it any other way.  Now, if we can just teach her how to blog and pay the bills – well, maybe coloring pictures and learning how to spell are enough for now.

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Our Little Mermaid

21 Jun

Nia is finally getting over her fear of going under water!  Today, she went under all by herself at swim lessons!  She was so excited.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get the full underwater event on camera, but I thought you would like to see the action I did capture.

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Missing Phone

20 Jun

Remember that toy phone I wrote about in the last blog?  The one that came with the playhouse?  The one I said I didn’t know where it was?  Well, I found it – or more, it found me.

As I was taking out the garbage, it beeped at me.

Yep, I had to dig in the garbage (past the dirty diapers and old food) because I could not knowingly throw the phone away.  Don’t worry, I doused it with Lysol wipes.

If you’re wondering how it even ended up in the trash can, you probably can guess.  Nate slipped it in there the other day.  I thought I saw/heard him put something in the can – but I wasn’t about to go garbage diving.  That was until I realized it was his phone.

The things we do for our sweeties.

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Tiny Homeowners

19 Jun

This weekend we bought the kids a playhouse.  It was Andrew’s Father’s Day gift.  He said it’s what he wanted because he knew it would make his kids and his babies’ mama happy. (Don’t worry, I still got him his very own gift too!)
Welcome to Our House
While the house is making everyone happy – there’s already been quite a few domestic disturbances to report. Nate is a wild man in the thing.  He climbs through the windows and he constantly tries to stand on that flimsy yellow table.  He also fights Nia for the little phone that came with the house.  Notice in the picture below that it’s missing from the wall?  Who knows where it is and we’ve only had it since Saturday!
A Happy Home
They really have been having a blast in there and Andrew and I have a blast as their next door neighbors.  (As long as they keep their music down and their grass cut!)
Hello There Neighbor

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He Speaks!

18 Jun

Finally, the Boy is communicating by using something other than grunts and screams!  He’s been saying “uh-oh,” “daddy” and “doggy” for awhile now but nothing else.  It just seemed like he had no interest in speaking.  (I mean, why speak words when Caveman-talk was working just fine for him?)

Well, now Nate is working on being the next jabber-jaw of the family.  (Nia currently holds that title.)  He’s been saying “no, no, no, no, no” when I ask him to do something (and for right now it’s super cute).  He also says “baby” whenever he sees a baby doll or a baby doll toy.  I also think I recognized “hot” and “don’t.”  Hmm…bet you’re wondering what we say to him all the time huh?
 

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Nia’s Cute Comments

13 Jun

“You’re the best momma/daddy.”  (I swear we did not bribe her to say that!  The first time she said it to me I teared up.  Now, it’s just super cute and usually comes with an extra-special Nia hug.)

“They’re speaking Spanish, huh Momma?”  (Said after she heard a girl talking to her mom in Spanish at the grocery store.)

“No sir Nathan!” (She’s a great little helper when it comes to the crazy man.)

“Momma, why did you tattle on me?”  (Said after she heard me telling my mom about her potty accident.)

“Let’s get the Snow White doll for Nate.”  (The boy has a major crush on Miss White.  He always picks that doll out of all the others so Nia decided she wanted to get him his own doll.)
 

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I thought the house was clean…

22 May

then I saw Nia and Nate tossing their pricey toys aside so they could chase a dust bunny around the kitchen!

You wouldn’t believe how much that little ball of dirt entertained them.  They were giggling like crazy.

Unfortunately for them, their fun ended quickly.  As soon as I realized what they were doing, I grabbed the sweeper and stole their “toy”.

I will admit that there are some things I let them play with that they probably shouldn’t (car keys, hair brushes so he can bang up the house), but I draw the line at dust bunnies!
 

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Growing Up So Fast

19 May

Getting Braver Every Day

Nia started taking gymnastics lessons at the Y about 5 weeks ago and tonight she got to show her stuff with all the other little gymnasts during a “meet.”  It was so adorable and I’m so excited we got to experience it.  When she first started she was a chicken liver – now, she hardly hesitates to jump from one thing to the next.  She even walked across the balance beam all by herself for two steps!  It makes me sad to see her growing up so fast but then I’m also happy about it – she’s a lot of fun and it’s neat to see the little person she’s becoming.  Also, the more she learns about growing up, the more I learn about parenting (which is actually kind of scary).

In fact, this event gave me my first real taste of worrying about my child being left out of something.  At the end of the “meet” they passed out trophies to all the kids. Well, I had noticed that they left several of the gymnasts’ names out of the programs (Nia’s was one of them), so I was already bummed that they did that (I was suffering from the whole “how dare they forget my daughter?!?!” attitude).  Because of that, I automatically started stressing that she wouldn’t get a trophy.  They went in alphabetical order so that didn’t help the situation.  I just kept watching her stare at all the other kids whose last names fell between A and U – I wondered what she was thinking…”Wow, look at their shiny trophies…I hope I get a shiny trophy too…I wonder why I haven’t yet?”  Finally, her name was called – Andrew and I relaxed and she beamed.  She was so quick to jump up and run over to collect her shiny trophy that she didn’t even pose at the top of the mat like all the other kids did.  She just grabbed it, turned around and ran to sit down and inspect it.

Daddy & Gymnast

It just feels good to see her so happy.  She loves “bynastics” (as she calls it) and I love watching her have a blast.

 

 

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Maybe I should change my taste in music?

17 May

More and more, Nia is learning the lyrics to songs that I like to jam to during the day.  While they are not the explicit versions, there’s still something in me that says maybe I shouldn’t listen to such things when she’s in earshot.  But then I remember singing things I shouldn’t have when I was little (Prince’s “Darling Nikki” for one) and not knowing what the heck I was saying.  I’m just a little worried that she’s going to break out in one of these songs while we’re in a church-like crowd or while she’s in the child watch at the YMCA.  I can just imagine the faces of the sweet, old ladies when she starts to rock.  What’s worse about it all is that I still think it’s hilariously adorable (and I actually encourage her to sing it as the video will show)!

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One Lady, So Many Roles

13 May

She’s a Mother – so confident and in charge – able to raise her children through the hardest of times and able to discipline them just by shooting them a look – she’s proud to say her kids are well-mannered, well-behaved and well-kept (well, most of the time anyway) – she’s the one you don’t want to disappoint – endures much grief as her children go through the “you’re not being fair” or “I hate you” stage and still manages to love them with her whole heart

She’s a Momma – stops what she’s doing to respond to her child’s smallest request (“momma, could you put this dress on my Barbie?”) – acts goofy to get a giggle out of them and to hear them say “oh momma – you’re so silly” – lets you spit the food you just chewed and didn’t like into her bare hand – wipes your runny nose with anything she can find and sits up next to you on the couch after you threw up in your bed (that of course, after cleaning up the mess)

She’s a Mom – sacrificing her sleep on the nights you have friends stay over and sometimes joins in on the laughing and movie watching – she cooks up the tastiest food and making sure to whip up enough to feed anyone who shows up at the dinner table – she’s her kid’s biggest cheerleader, always talking about their accomplishments and never judging them for their failures or mistakes – she thinks you’re beautiful even with that perm and pimples

She’s a Mommy – always there to kiss a boo-boo and make it better – always there to cry with you when your heart is broken, suffering with you – shows you unconditional love and what it means to love someone more than you love yourself  (ready to give her life to keep yours safe) – the first one you want to talk to when you are feeling sad – she soothes her children with her embrace or just by humming them a song – makes you remember you will always be her baby

Lovin' Honey

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