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Bye-bye Barbie Bike, Hello Tiptoe Tall Ride

18 Mar

Of course, the time was going to come. Signs were all around me every day (and continue to be).

The questions they ask. The things they know. The inches they grow, marked with higher and higher marks on the wall. The ability to wash their hands at the kitchen sink or brush their teeth at the bathroom sink without a stool. Child car seats with only seat belts and not five-point harnesses. Bigger bicycles.

For some sentimental reason, that last one recently did me in. As I watched them push and ride their first two-wheel bikes to trade them in for bigger ones at the store, I couldn’t hold back the tears.

Bye-bye, First Bikes

Nia’s first bike was a rad Barbie one that had a place for Barbie to ride her bike, too.

Bean's First Bike - 2008

Nate’s was Spiderman all the way.

Nate's First Bike - 2009

As we steered the two pieces of childhood memories to customer service, I started to doubt our decision. “We could keep them and the new ones.” I tried to reason with Andrew. “That way, smaller cousins and friends will have bikes to ride when they visit.” We don’t have the physical space for a shopping aisle of bikes in our garage. The decision stood.

Aside from being sad about saying goodbye to that time of growing up, I think I just didn’t like the thought of their childhood memories being recycled in a heap of scrap metal, instead of recycled and cherished by another child.

The kids didn’t think twice about it the exchange though. They parked their old rides and immediately turned their backs and bee-lined for the new spokes.

Their smiles helped me shake off the sadness. Especially when we got home and I watched as Nia worked with her daddy to build her bigger bike and then looked so not-little while she pedaled around the cul-de-sac.

Growing up is good. Sniff.

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Once Upon a Bathtime

8 Mar

I love how I found the array of characters hanging out in the tub after Nia’s bath.

“The superheroes are trying to help the girls not fall in the pool and get their dresses wet.”

What about Batman over there with Cinderella?

“They are dating.”

Not sure I would pair them together but maybe Nia sees something I don’t …

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Array of Characters

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I give it two weeks.

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Spidey and Ariel are my favorites.

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Today’s Health Lesson Brought to You by Subway

1 Mar
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Nia's Note from her Heart

Such treasures can be found in a child’s classwork. This week, Nia’s pile of graded math and spelling tests contained a note to her 30-year-old self. It was a pink heart, decorated with her hand-drawn hearts, and filled with thoughts that range from “aw” to “ha!” and then back to “aw” again.

Because I couldn’t capture all of her words in the picture above, here is what she wrote:

Dear 30-year-old Nia,

You need to take care of me! You can take care of me by getting enough sleep at night. You could also take care of me by eating at Subway (if you go to eat out) and pick out baked chips. You could exercise and go to races and smile for other people and cheer for them as they go by.

Love,

Nia’s Heart

I love so much about this. The Subway commercial is hilarious but her thought that cheering on people in races would be good for her heart is so beautiful. Eight-year-old Nia really knows what makes a sweet heart. I hope her 30-year-old self hangs on to it and keeps it safe.

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Valentine Victory!

13 Feb

Ever since the kids started exchanging valentines, I’ve been a buy-the-ready-to-go-box kind of mom. (Nothing wrong it!) The kids were happy. They got to pick out their favorite character or design and have a treat to share. I’m sure their buddies didn’t mind. They got the treat. I was happy. It was quick and easy for me and the kids were happy. But this year, I saw something I fell in love with and looked like even the uncraftiest of uncrafty people (me) could craft. Especially when I saw there was a template I could use!

"Caped Cute-sader" from familyfun.go.com

I was still a little nervous when Nia and I sat down to start creating but after a few traces and Nia’s smile through all of it, I knew they were coming out great!

Happy Crafter

Almost in costume

Faster than an owl trying to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop

Once I felt like I could conquer this cardstock and glue craft, I granted Nia’s wishes to make these heart flowers.

"Friendship Blossoms" from familyfun.go.com

Ours didn’t come out exactly like the website picture …

Drawing the heart was tough!

Well, Nia loved them so that’s all that matters to me. Hope your Valentine’s Day is “super” and full of “bud-dies!”

"See, mommy? It looks like a flower!"

Flowers for Friends

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Too Sick for School?

26 Jan

I know who it is as soon as I see the phone number pop up on my phone. I feel like I see it once a week.

The school nurse.

She is wonderful. Truly. I want to bring her gifts with heart-shaped cards and make her sweet treats to show my appreciation for her. I’ve never met her in person but I feel like my family is cared about by an incredibly patient and kind soul. I think it’s one of the many reasons the kids always want to see her for the smallest boo-boo and I don’t blame them. She gives them comfort, care, a bandage or ice and then she calls me, which means they get to talk on the phone – at school – to mommy.

Of course, they also go to her for legitimate reasons. When I get the call that they don’t feel well, Andrew or I will leave work and scoop them up for TLC. Today though, her number appeared and I ended up asking the nurse if she thought it would be ok if Nia stayed. She said yes because Nia didn’t have a fever. Despite her guidance, I felt like I needed the nurse because I felt terrible.

I know Nia wasn’t harming herself or others by being there. She was probably just uncomfortable. She had a cough and said she had a headache but was acting fine otherwise. When the nurse put Nia on the phone, I asked her if she could stick it out. She said yes but her voice was so sad.

I thought to myself, if I was still a stay-at-home mom, I would get her in a second. Pull her out of school and cuddle with her while watching her favorite laugh-track shows. Then I thought, that could be a bad thing because I would always run to rescue them. Even if I didn’t really need to. Even if they should (are well enough to) stick it out.

I am thankful for the nurse to advise me. I also use resources like this and this when I’m not so sure about whether they should be in school. Yes, there is also the motherly instinct, but I think I would use that one too instinctively, for sure.

By the way, if I trusted my instincts today, they would’ve been wrong. When I picked Nia up at the end of the day, she was feeling a-ok. And I’m so glad for that.

*One other resource:
I also thought this has some good info about different kinds of coughs.

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State of the Union: A Child’s View

25 Jan

Past her bedtime and above her school subject matter, Nia cuddled her teddy bear as she watched the State of the Union with us. The post below features her commentary. Please keep in mind she’s 8 years old, her daddy is passionate about government issues and her mommy should really not even be answering questions about it. Then again, maybe Nia will help me learn a thing or two.

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How old is the president? He looks in his 30’s. You guys look like you’re in your 20’s. He looks like maybe 32 or 35.

***

He’s not afraid to talk in front of all those people? Every seat is filled. Is everyone there from Congress?

***

There’s the First Lady! Does the woman next to the First Lady know the camera is on her?

***

That guy (in the audience) is crooked smiling. Why?

***

Without teachers, who would teach you? That’s what he’s saying.

***

That man had a “D” next to his name.

Me: Do you know what that stands for?

Dem – dem – demo…

Me: Do you know what the “R” stands for?

Revolutionary War?

(We then told her the correct names.)

***

Andrew: There’s Senator Rockefeller. He’s from West Virginia.

Is he your friend?

***

I think Obama is a good president.

Andrew: Why?

Because he smiles when he talks.

(Andrew discussed why that is nice and may show that he’s a good person but there’s more involved with being a good president.)

***

Why isn’t that man smiling?

Me: Maybe he doesn’t agree with what President Obama is saying.

Maybe he’s a Republican. Not a – what’s it called? – a dem – dem – democracy? Dem something.

Me: Democrat.

I was close! I said democracy!

***

For a speaker, he’s not speaking at all.

 Me: You mean the Speaker of the House? Well, it doesn’t really work that way and it’s not his turn.

***

Me: (just curious about her response) Should a person who makes one million dollars give 30% of it away?

No. They should give 50%. Half.

Andrew: Should they be forced to give it or do it because they want to?

Because they want to.

Andrew: Why?

Because it’s the right thing to do.

Andrew: What if they chose not to give? Should they be forced to give?

No. They just aren’t nice people though.

Andrew: A Libertarian is born!

What does that mean?! I don’t know what that means! (Laughing.)

***

They are all clapping.

Me: That’s because he quoted Abraham Lincoln and people like Lincoln.

Everyone should.

***

That guy had an “I” by his name. What’s that mean?

Me: Independent Party. Democrat and Republican are the big ones and then there’s the Independent and Libertarian Parties. Daddy, and even mommy, consider ourselves Libertarian.

Is that what me and Nate are?

Me: That will be up to you, baby. When you grow up, you will decide that.

Can you be more than one Party?

Me: It’s all in what you believe. If you agree with different things from each then yes. Or you may believe with one Party more but like a person from a different one because you think he/she will make a good leader.

Can you be all of them?

Me: It’s fine to change your mind.

***

Interrupted 85 times? By who?

Me: The applause.

Oh. (Chuckle.) They must love Obama, huh?

Me: Some do, yes.

***

He kissed all the girls. He’s just kissing random girls!

Me: What do you think about that?

It’s how some people give peace, like we do in church.

(This made me cry.)

***

Could kids be there now?

Me: Probably. Would you want to be there?

Yes, to meet Barack Obama.

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Thankful for Lady Gaga

24 Jan

She is nice to him and he bashfully describes her as pretty. She stole his heart on a day near Halloween when she walked in his class dressed up as a Kindergarten (G-rated) Lady Gaga.

Nate was so enamored with Little Gaga that he announced to the class during a Thanksgiving lesson that he is most thankful for her. (His teacher emailed me about the sweetness.)

Turns out, the feeling is mutual. Her mom tells me that she “just loves Nate” and that she recently put him as no. 89 in her “Favorite 100 Things” book because there are 89 different reasons she likes him. She also saves every drawing Nate gives her and has them hanging in her room. This one was the first:

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Nate will reassure us that they are not boyfriend and girlfriend. “I’m too young for that,” he maturely states and then turns his head down to the side to hide his grin.

I smile too, remembering a note to her that said, “I love you because you are nice to me.” So pure. So important. Such a beautiful reason to love someone. I hope he always thinks about that when it comes to his future “real” girlfriends. Loving the inside as much as the Lady Gaga.

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Her First Concert

24 Jan

She sings their songs behind her room’s closed door. She recognizes each voice when they have their solo time. She’s even used her boy dolls to pretend they are putting on a concert. (And those dolls can really do some gymnastic feats, especially when Nate is “performing” too.)

Both kids are big fans of the Nickelodeon music group, Big Time Rush. I even followed them on facebook so I would know if and when they were going to tour near us. After months of other seeing other cities schedule them, I finally heard they were going to be a part of an Atlanta radio station’s annual concert called Jingle Jam. Deciding that Nate was still too little for a school night show with other music groups he wouldn’t know, I only bought two tickets. (Nia asked to buy a special concert swag bracelet for her brother though. And of course, scored her first concert tee. Very cool.)

She was excited to be there but I thought she would be, well, a tad more excited. This is the point I determined she takes after her daddy when it comes to such things. My first concert (yes, New Kids on the Block) had me screaming and in tears. There were quite a few girls around us who were doing just that. My Nia though, she just smiled and occasionally, quietly, sang along. I am impressed with her sophistication and restraint. Or maybe she was just so in awe of it all. Or too young yet…

Whatever it was, she was happy – and I only screamed once to show her it was ok to scream. She looked at me like I was goofy and then laughed. What can I say? Their songs are pretty catchy.

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Even if it only works once …

21 Jan

Tonight, I talked an angry, little, tired man to sleep. Not because what I was saying was so snooze-worthy either, but because he was so relaxed and stilled by the tone of my voice and the words of love I was sharing with him. It was unbelievable and beautiful.

I thought if I would tell him all the things I love about him, he would calm his frustration over not getting to stay up a little later. Nothing like this has happened before with Nate so I was not counting on it. Especially since he had just thrown a beat-down on his pillow and tried to wedge himself against the wall and his bed to make it clear he wanted nothing to do with me. After walking away and giving him a moment, I spoke to him softly and rubbed his hair. Then, amazingly, I heard his quiet breath take on a sleep rhythm.

I told him he was such a cool kid. That he was smart, sweet and so incredibly full of heart. That I love how he tries so hard at everything he does. That he cares about others. That I see how nice he is to his sister, daddy, me, turtle and even Mr. Fishface. He’s funny. It’s so great how he likes to read and learn math. He’s really good at it. That I love him and I’m not trying to be a mean mommy by making him go to bed, I’m doing it so he can play and have a great day tomorrow. That watching him play sports is one of the best things I’ve ever gotten to do.

Little, sleepy, angry man. Thank you for letting me have a special parenting moment to cherish. And for not waking up as I attempted to tippy-toe out of your room.

Spud

27 Dec

We called you that because you looked like a potato in the ultrasound picture. An adorable, precious, squirmy, overwhelming potato.

I remember I cried when I found out I was going to have another baby. “How will I ever love another child as much as I love Nia?” I worried. You were a surprise. You were a blessing.

You were due on December 20th. I bought baby’s first Christmas clothes and ornaments. It would technically not be your first Christmas. You arrived on December 27th and not without a dramatic entrance. We finally would find out if Spud was a girl or a boy and – oh yeah – that emergency c-section. You were healthy after a struggle of an arrival and were a boy. We cried out of relief, excitement and love.

Today, six years later, you woke me up with a cuddle and a happy, “Today is my real birthday!”

Yes it is, Spud. And I’m so glad for it.

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