I have had an ongoing battle with Spirit for a very long time. He hates to shower and brush his teeth. When he was 8 he showered nearly everyday and wanted to wear his dad's cologne, then he turned 9 and since then it's been a fight. Every.single.day.
Recently we've had discussions about why it is he dislikes showering and brushing his teeth... his response is that it takes too much time. So this morning I set the stop watch on my phone. From the time he shut the bathroom door until he exited the bathroom it took 5 minutes 23 seconds. His response to that "ya, see it took so long!".... He will just have to be mad at me when I tell him to bathe. I hate to fight with him over that issue but his hair was greasy this morning and his feet smelled like an old gym. Blech.
Mr. Man and I decided to have a family meeting this weekend. We will discuss a change in the chore responsibilities around the house and how there will be more expected of the kids with regard to helping around the house and also that part of the daily routine will include showering and brushing teeth and hair.
*sigh*
Showing posts with label Spirit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spirit. Show all posts
Friday, February 24, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Happy Valentine's Day
Since Mr. Man and I have our wedding anniversary 2 weeks before Valentine's Day we generally don't do any gifts for each other - BUT this year he surprised me. I woke up this morning and stumbled to the kitchen and saw 2 red glittery bags with pink tissue paper coming out the top. My watery eyes dried up and I rushed to the bags and one had my name and the other had Lady Bug's! When she got up we each opened our gifts. He gave me a book and a movie and the sweetest card ever! He made my day.
He didn't "make my day" because of the gift per say, but more because I have had a stressful last 5 days and have been fighting this bronchitis for over a month and am STILL not better. The gift will help but the fact that he showed how much he cares for me by taking time out of his hectic schedule to get something for me and write me a special card meant a lot to me! It meant he realizes how stressed I have been and how he cares about how that is affecting me.
I got each of the kids a small box of candy and a card. I also made heart-shaped cinnamon rolls for breakfast (which only looked like hearts until I smothered them in frosting, then they just looked like any other cinnamon roll.
On a side note, I did return to the doctor today only to be told I Still have bronchitis and that it may take more time. They gave me another antibiotic to fight off anything that may still be living in there, gave me a Lung Function Test and asked me to come back in 2 more weeks for a follow up. Yippee for me. I just want to stop coughing and stop having my head hurt. grrr.
He didn't "make my day" because of the gift per say, but more because I have had a stressful last 5 days and have been fighting this bronchitis for over a month and am STILL not better. The gift will help but the fact that he showed how much he cares for me by taking time out of his hectic schedule to get something for me and write me a special card meant a lot to me! It meant he realizes how stressed I have been and how he cares about how that is affecting me.
I got each of the kids a small box of candy and a card. I also made heart-shaped cinnamon rolls for breakfast (which only looked like hearts until I smothered them in frosting, then they just looked like any other cinnamon roll.
On a side note, I did return to the doctor today only to be told I Still have bronchitis and that it may take more time. They gave me another antibiotic to fight off anything that may still be living in there, gave me a Lung Function Test and asked me to come back in 2 more weeks for a follow up. Yippee for me. I just want to stop coughing and stop having my head hurt. grrr.
Monday, January 23, 2012
It's been awhile - let's see if I can figure this out!
I haven't posted here in a LOOOOOOONNNNNGGGGG time. Mostly for lack of anything worth posting about, but I'm here to try it out again! I am being encouraged by several friends and family to start this blog back up. We'll see how this turns out. If I hear you all snoring I know I am boring and need to stop posting here! ;-)
I won't try to do a "catch-you-up" blog post since it has been 5 months since I posted anything! So let's just start with the here and now!
Spirit will be in the District Spelling Bee in February. Both boys were in the school spelling bee a couple weeks ago. Spirit didn't practice as hard as Lefty because he was convinced he would be eliminated right away anyway. Lefty made it down to the last 6-7 kids and Spirit got 2nd place! (Not bad for a kid who thought he'd be eliminated right away!) So now he is pretty determined to study harder. Apparently for the district spelling bee he will be taking a written test and if he scores high enough (not sure what the "high enough" is) then he will go on to the oral part later in the day. We spell as often as we can: while I am cooking dinner, while he is getting dressed, while I am folding laundry...we are taking every opportunity to practice!
Lefty was in a "Math Challenge" in December which was similar to a spelling bee in that the kids were given oral math problems they had to solve. It was a tough thing for him but he faired pretty well! He says he won't do it again - he was a physical mess before the Math Challenge. He was so stressed he was sick to his stomach for weeks and could hardly sleep!
Lady Bug has joined Girl Scouts - just in time to sell cookies. She is enjoying the "girl" company. Being with brothers all day every day can get old! It has been good for her to hang out with girls and be able to talk about girly things! I have to admit though, I hope she doesn't want to stick this out very long because I do not make a good Girl Scout mom.
That is the quick update for now. More to come!
I won't try to do a "catch-you-up" blog post since it has been 5 months since I posted anything! So let's just start with the here and now!
Spirit will be in the District Spelling Bee in February. Both boys were in the school spelling bee a couple weeks ago. Spirit didn't practice as hard as Lefty because he was convinced he would be eliminated right away anyway. Lefty made it down to the last 6-7 kids and Spirit got 2nd place! (Not bad for a kid who thought he'd be eliminated right away!) So now he is pretty determined to study harder. Apparently for the district spelling bee he will be taking a written test and if he scores high enough (not sure what the "high enough" is) then he will go on to the oral part later in the day. We spell as often as we can: while I am cooking dinner, while he is getting dressed, while I am folding laundry...we are taking every opportunity to practice!
Lefty was in a "Math Challenge" in December which was similar to a spelling bee in that the kids were given oral math problems they had to solve. It was a tough thing for him but he faired pretty well! He says he won't do it again - he was a physical mess before the Math Challenge. He was so stressed he was sick to his stomach for weeks and could hardly sleep!
Lady Bug has joined Girl Scouts - just in time to sell cookies. She is enjoying the "girl" company. Being with brothers all day every day can get old! It has been good for her to hang out with girls and be able to talk about girly things! I have to admit though, I hope she doesn't want to stick this out very long because I do not make a good Girl Scout mom.
That is the quick update for now. More to come!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
WOW
This time of year seems like something is happening every day - we have graduations, birthdays, end of school year concerts and events. It is just non-stop!
Last weekend (Mother's Day to be exact) the family all did a 5k! The funds raised go to help homeless shelters! The boys ran with Mr. Man and Lady Bug and I walked it. We had so much fun. It is put on by the local baseball team so you start at the stadium and walk through downtown and end up back at the stadium! It is so much fun!
Since it was Mother's Day after the 5k we went to see a movie, then home to grill steaks for an early dinner/late lunch. Then I took a short nap and then we went to church. After church we had ice cream at Dairy Queen! Perfect Mother's Day!! I had a such a great day and was showered with cards and a new camera! (Lefty told his dad he wanted to buy me popcorn at the movie because he knows how much I like movie popcorn - isn't that sweet?)
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This coming Saturday the boys are running in a race and on Sunday Mr. Man is running a half marathon! Lady Bug and I will not be participating at all in either of these races but will be on the sidelines of both cheering everyone on!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Young Eagles Flight Lessons
On Saturday the boys got to go to a small local airport for a flight lesson. They had the best time E.V.E.R. This was hosted by EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association - the experimental part does not make a mom feel at ease!) The group is called Young Eagles and they are encouraging young kids to get involved in aviation.
The flights were for one child at a time, there were probably 8-10 pilots and their little Cessnas there. They would take one kid up for a 30 minute flight and they let the kids ask questions and once up in the air the kids were actually allowed to take the controls and steer (or whatever it is called when you are flying!) After the flight the pilot signed a certificate of completion and also signed the child's Flight Log Book!
Lefty was a tad bit nervous when he found out that Spirit would not be with him. As we walked towards the plane, the pilot actually invited Mr. Man to sit in the back seat for the flight (not all planes had a back seat). So Mr. Man took a camera up and was able to get some aerial shots from up there. At one point Lefty was climbing, climbing, climbing and the pilot said "So, do you know what it means to stall?" and Lefty said he didn't and the pilot says "Well, you are about to find out unless you bring us down a bit!"
Another story I heard was that they were heading straight for the mountains and the pilot calmly says "Do you see those big things in front of us? Well you might want to do something about that because they are much bigger than we are!"
I heard from Mr. Man that Lefty was not the smoothest pilot and was jerking them around quite a bit. The pilot looked back at Mr. Man and said "Are you ok back there?" and he said yes and the pilot said "good! Because if I was sitting back there I would be hurling!" We had a laugh about that after the flight!
All the pilots were amazing to work with and you could tell they were so excited to share their love of planes with all these eager kids that showed up bright and early on a chilly Saturday morning!
Spirit and his pilot went flying over some major landmarks in the area and really had a great time! Spirit was able to steer and turn the plane from side to side. He is anxious for when he can go again! Spirit didn't have a camera with him, nor did he have a parent with him and that is just the way he wanted it! He had a blast!
Now here are some pictures from Spirit's flight:
This was certainly a day we will never forget!
The flights were for one child at a time, there were probably 8-10 pilots and their little Cessnas there. They would take one kid up for a 30 minute flight and they let the kids ask questions and once up in the air the kids were actually allowed to take the controls and steer (or whatever it is called when you are flying!) After the flight the pilot signed a certificate of completion and also signed the child's Flight Log Book!
Lefty was a tad bit nervous when he found out that Spirit would not be with him. As we walked towards the plane, the pilot actually invited Mr. Man to sit in the back seat for the flight (not all planes had a back seat). So Mr. Man took a camera up and was able to get some aerial shots from up there. At one point Lefty was climbing, climbing, climbing and the pilot said "So, do you know what it means to stall?" and Lefty said he didn't and the pilot says "Well, you are about to find out unless you bring us down a bit!"
Another story I heard was that they were heading straight for the mountains and the pilot calmly says "Do you see those big things in front of us? Well you might want to do something about that because they are much bigger than we are!"
I heard from Mr. Man that Lefty was not the smoothest pilot and was jerking them around quite a bit. The pilot looked back at Mr. Man and said "Are you ok back there?" and he said yes and the pilot said "good! Because if I was sitting back there I would be hurling!" We had a laugh about that after the flight!
All the pilots were amazing to work with and you could tell they were so excited to share their love of planes with all these eager kids that showed up bright and early on a chilly Saturday morning!
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| Lefty and Mr. Man getting buckled in the plane before take off |
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| Mr. Man excited as could be to be taking a flight - he was more excited at this point than I think Lefty was! |
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| Lefty and Mr. Man heading to the runway for take off |
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Lefty getting ready to fly!  |
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| Arial view from Lefty's plane |
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| Lefty taking the controls! |
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| Lefty and his pilot, Jerry after the flight |
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| Another arial view |
Now here are some pictures from Spirit's flight:
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In the cockpit  |
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| Mr. Man shaking Spirit's pilot's hand after the flight. | <><><><>
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| The pilot, Bob, signing Spirit's Flight Log Book |
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Why is it so hard?
When you bring home that newborn baby does anyone ever realize how mush harder it will be when they start school? I mean really?
We had parent teacher conferences this week and Lady Bug's was first.... nothing of real concern other than her chatting too much (but even that is improving).
Next we had Lefty's... nothing of real concern here either. He is doing really well and was very serious the first part of the school year but the teacher says she has recently started seeing him "let loose" a little and not be so serious.
Then it was off to Spirit's conference... well, not sure where to start. We have noticed over the last few months that his confidence is going in the toilet which is reflective of his grades now. His grades have taken a serious dip since September and aren't showing any signs of improving at this point. How can a kid who is in the 4th grade but reads at a 9th grade level have self-confidence issues? How can a kid who is in an advanced math class have self confidence issues? Is it because he is too hard on himself? possibly. I just don't know where to go. The teachers tell me that he isn't giving it effort, if he doesn't "get it" immediately then he just shuts down. I complained to the teachers, being careful not to give Spirit any excuses, that he is only in 4th grade and having him leave the classroom throughout the day for different classes doesn't appear to be working. What they do is group each of the 4th graders, regardless of your homeroom class, into a group based on the skill level. So Spirit is in the group of 4th graders that are in advanced math, and also an advanced reading group, then of course he leaves homeroom for science, music, p.e., and art as well. BUT, the catchy thing here is that he will leave homeroom for the advanced math but return to his homeroom for the last 15 minutes and is expected to the homeroom math as well. Same goes for Reading/Literacy. Which means, he gets an assignment from the group AND homeroom. Not so much for literacy assignments, but I notice with the math that he misses the instruction time on it and has to figure it out on his own (which most times he can, others he struggles). The teachers recognize this an issue, not just for Spirit but other kids as well. BUT, is that the reason his self confidence and the lack of motivation in school and the dips in grades? He got a D in science. He loves science! I am at a loss and want to cry for him. On the way out of the school he looked at his dad with tears in his eyes and said "I will do better from now on. I promise."
Parenting is so hard! I wouldn't trade it for the world, but man oh man is it painfully hard at times!
We had parent teacher conferences this week and Lady Bug's was first.... nothing of real concern other than her chatting too much (but even that is improving).
Next we had Lefty's... nothing of real concern here either. He is doing really well and was very serious the first part of the school year but the teacher says she has recently started seeing him "let loose" a little and not be so serious.
Then it was off to Spirit's conference... well, not sure where to start. We have noticed over the last few months that his confidence is going in the toilet which is reflective of his grades now. His grades have taken a serious dip since September and aren't showing any signs of improving at this point. How can a kid who is in the 4th grade but reads at a 9th grade level have self-confidence issues? How can a kid who is in an advanced math class have self confidence issues? Is it because he is too hard on himself? possibly. I just don't know where to go. The teachers tell me that he isn't giving it effort, if he doesn't "get it" immediately then he just shuts down. I complained to the teachers, being careful not to give Spirit any excuses, that he is only in 4th grade and having him leave the classroom throughout the day for different classes doesn't appear to be working. What they do is group each of the 4th graders, regardless of your homeroom class, into a group based on the skill level. So Spirit is in the group of 4th graders that are in advanced math, and also an advanced reading group, then of course he leaves homeroom for science, music, p.e., and art as well. BUT, the catchy thing here is that he will leave homeroom for the advanced math but return to his homeroom for the last 15 minutes and is expected to the homeroom math as well. Same goes for Reading/Literacy. Which means, he gets an assignment from the group AND homeroom. Not so much for literacy assignments, but I notice with the math that he misses the instruction time on it and has to figure it out on his own (which most times he can, others he struggles). The teachers recognize this an issue, not just for Spirit but other kids as well. BUT, is that the reason his self confidence and the lack of motivation in school and the dips in grades? He got a D in science. He loves science! I am at a loss and want to cry for him. On the way out of the school he looked at his dad with tears in his eyes and said "I will do better from now on. I promise."
Parenting is so hard! I wouldn't trade it for the world, but man oh man is it painfully hard at times!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Happy Valentine's Day
Each kid got a card from me and Mr. Man. Plus, my mom had sent them each a little activity book and stickers so I had all that on the table waiting for them! They were so cute when they each got up - one by one - going into the kitchen and finding their surprises. No heart-shaped pancakes, but they didn't seem to mind!
I also packed a chocolate covered heart-shaped marshmallow in their lunch as a surprise!
The kids are, of course, having parties at school today. Spirit's class decided to do a morning party and asked the families to contribute a breakfast item so we sent in bagels. Lefty's class is having a party right before the end of school and the teacher purchased everything and asked each kid to contribute $1. Lady Bug's class is having a party after lunch with the cookies and cupcakes, etc. We sent in cookies for that (you know those really yummy thick sugar cookies with frosting! mmm mmm mmm)
For dinner we are doing all red foods (well not ALL red...) We are having parmesan chicken with a side of pasta and marinara sauce, a salad topped with tomatoes, Cran-Raspberry juice to drink and a pink frosted cookie!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Snowy days
We have been having several snow storms lately along with below freezing temps. This past Saturday we had a pretty heavy storm that dumped enough snow for the kids and Mr. Man to build a snowman. I think he turned out pretty cute! Our neighbors got in on the action and they ended up having a contest with each other. It was a lot of fun! We had another neighbor come out and judge - she wouldn't declare one winner, she said they were both SO cute!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Birthday celebrations
Spirit turns 10 today! He is quite excited about the double digits - Me? not-so-much. I am quite saddened by this day. My baby is growing up too quickly. I have enjoyed watching him blossom into the handsome young man that he is. He is so smart. He is so sweet. He is so loving. He is so good to his brother and sister and definitely good to his mom and dad. He loves his video games, but as soon as we need him to help us (with things like shoveling snow, raking leaves, taking out the trash, etc.) he jumps up to help without complaining. I love this about him. In fact, there are so many times that he will be out shoveling or raking without me even having to ask. All I have to say after dinner is "Would someone help me clear the table?" and he is almost always the first pitching in.
He will be skiing with his dad today (yes, we took him out of school!) and then this weekend we will be having a special dinner out with several friends and family.
A few years ago Mr. Man and I talked and had decided not to do a big birthday celebration each year, but instead choose milestones (5, 10, 13, 16, 18) to have big parties and the other birthdays will be kept simple. All the kids have been begging to take an airplane trip somewhere so Mr. Man decided this is Spirit's year. In June, in honor of his 10th birthday, Spirit and Mr. Man are taking a trip by airplane somewhere and will just be gone a long weekend. This should be great fun for them!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Phew...
I picked up the kids from school Friday and both boys immediately hand me notes from the teacher. I read Lefty's first and his says that he is getting an award on Tuesday (it doesn't say what the award is for) and Spirit's says he has been argumentative, refusing to do assignments and back talking.
This is where I say parenting stinks. How can be so excited for one and so irritated at the other. *sigh*
So, I say nothing about either note and shove them in my purse. When Mr. Man gets home from work I show him both notes. He had the same reaction I did.
Lefty is slightly concerned about his note and keeps asking what it was about. We finally tell him he is getting an award on Tuesday and we talk to him about how proud we are of him.
Just before bed on Friday we have a little talk with Spirit about the note and he says "I have no idea what she is talking about." Mr. Man and I, in unison, say "I do! You've been like that at home all week!" He hangs his head. Mr. Man says he isn't quite prepared to hand out a punishment (which we will later discover may have been the best idea!) and lets Spirit know that he better have a perfect attitude all day Saturday. Mr. Man had to work and I was having a baking day with some friends so Spirit was informed there better not be ANY issues Saturday. There wasn't. He was an angel. If I said I needed his help, there was no eye-rolling, no stomping, no attitude. If he asked for something and I said "no." he let it go at no. It was a very pleasant day.
Sunday was a busy day and we were gone all.day.long. But, again, the attitude was excellent with Spirit. But, we had to address the letter. So Sunday night we sat him down. Mr. Man asked him to just tell us exactly what was going on, being completely honest with us no matter what the answer. Spirit said off the bat "well, I was bad. I didn't think I was as bad as she said though. I was having a bad week and I think she was stressed out." **I need to insert here that the teacher, Ms. L, is a student teacher. This year there is the regular teacher, Mr. S, and TWO student teachers. Last week Mr. S was substituting in another class and the other student teacher was out sick so that left Ms. L alone so chances are she was a tad bit stressed.** So as we talked more with Spirit about why his week was bad and what we do going forward it was all a very good conversation. Letting it rest over the weekend was a good idea, he got to spend time reflecting on it and we got time to calm down a bit. We talked to him for probably 30-45 minutes and he really opened up about stuff that has been bothering him and we had no idea. We were able to help him work through some of it (or at least I think we were).
I made Spirit write Ms. L an apology letter and I wrote her a letter as well. I didn't tell Spirit what to write, but I read his letter before he left for school. He only wrote 3 lines, but it said "I am sorry for being bad last week. I will try hard to be good today. I'm sorry for being rude." I thought that was all pretty good and I was satisfied with it. I am anxious to see how today goes.
Other than all that we had a great weekend and my baking day was successful!
This is where I say parenting stinks. How can be so excited for one and so irritated at the other. *sigh*
So, I say nothing about either note and shove them in my purse. When Mr. Man gets home from work I show him both notes. He had the same reaction I did.
Lefty is slightly concerned about his note and keeps asking what it was about. We finally tell him he is getting an award on Tuesday and we talk to him about how proud we are of him.
Just before bed on Friday we have a little talk with Spirit about the note and he says "I have no idea what she is talking about." Mr. Man and I, in unison, say "I do! You've been like that at home all week!" He hangs his head. Mr. Man says he isn't quite prepared to hand out a punishment (which we will later discover may have been the best idea!) and lets Spirit know that he better have a perfect attitude all day Saturday. Mr. Man had to work and I was having a baking day with some friends so Spirit was informed there better not be ANY issues Saturday. There wasn't. He was an angel. If I said I needed his help, there was no eye-rolling, no stomping, no attitude. If he asked for something and I said "no." he let it go at no. It was a very pleasant day.
Sunday was a busy day and we were gone all.day.long. But, again, the attitude was excellent with Spirit. But, we had to address the letter. So Sunday night we sat him down. Mr. Man asked him to just tell us exactly what was going on, being completely honest with us no matter what the answer. Spirit said off the bat "well, I was bad. I didn't think I was as bad as she said though. I was having a bad week and I think she was stressed out." **I need to insert here that the teacher, Ms. L, is a student teacher. This year there is the regular teacher, Mr. S, and TWO student teachers. Last week Mr. S was substituting in another class and the other student teacher was out sick so that left Ms. L alone so chances are she was a tad bit stressed.** So as we talked more with Spirit about why his week was bad and what we do going forward it was all a very good conversation. Letting it rest over the weekend was a good idea, he got to spend time reflecting on it and we got time to calm down a bit. We talked to him for probably 30-45 minutes and he really opened up about stuff that has been bothering him and we had no idea. We were able to help him work through some of it (or at least I think we were).
I made Spirit write Ms. L an apology letter and I wrote her a letter as well. I didn't tell Spirit what to write, but I read his letter before he left for school. He only wrote 3 lines, but it said "I am sorry for being bad last week. I will try hard to be good today. I'm sorry for being rude." I thought that was all pretty good and I was satisfied with it. I am anxious to see how today goes.
Other than all that we had a great weekend and my baking day was successful!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Our long weekend - recapped
The kids were out of school last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I only worked a half day on Wednesday and my generous boss let me off Thursday (naturally) and Friday too! Mr. Man had to work all day Wednesday and Friday as well.
We hosted Thanksgiving at our house, having some of my in-laws over - with my family included we had 14 people! It was a nice time with lots of amazing food!
I ended up not feeling well Thursday night and chalked it up to having had to get up early that day to start cooking, but turns out I was getting a cold! Booooooooo. I slept a lot on Friday and was officially back in bed by 7:30 pm. I felt much better Saturday! We put up Christmas decorations on Saturday and got all the Thanksgiving stuff packed away. Why is that you always find one last piece AFTER you put everything back in storage. As we were hauling out Christmas stuff I found a Thanksgiving centerpiece that had gotten pushed aside somehow!
Sunday was a colder one and so the kids and I hunkered in the house while Mr. Man braved the cold to go to a football game.
My boys have asked if they can cook during the week. They asked if they could work together and cook dinner and dessert three times per week. I am afraid they will quickly lose interest at 3 days per week so I have encouraged them to start out with one day per week and then we can add days as they get more comfortable in the kitchen (don't you like the way I said that? What I really mean is I don't want to eat spaghetti or mac-n-cheese 3 times per week!) Friday, when I was sick, they cooked spaghetti (with supervision of course) and then Lefty created a dessert (that I will admit I was scared of, but it tasted great!). Then I heard them discussing this week's menu - chicken with crushed graham crackers (barf!) so we have encouraged them to do something different! They will be making tuna noodle casserole instead. Although I look forward to a night off from cooking, I do know it will come with lots of faith and lots of water to flush it down with!
We hosted Thanksgiving at our house, having some of my in-laws over - with my family included we had 14 people! It was a nice time with lots of amazing food!
I ended up not feeling well Thursday night and chalked it up to having had to get up early that day to start cooking, but turns out I was getting a cold! Booooooooo. I slept a lot on Friday and was officially back in bed by 7:30 pm. I felt much better Saturday! We put up Christmas decorations on Saturday and got all the Thanksgiving stuff packed away. Why is that you always find one last piece AFTER you put everything back in storage. As we were hauling out Christmas stuff I found a Thanksgiving centerpiece that had gotten pushed aside somehow!
Sunday was a colder one and so the kids and I hunkered in the house while Mr. Man braved the cold to go to a football game.
My boys have asked if they can cook during the week. They asked if they could work together and cook dinner and dessert three times per week. I am afraid they will quickly lose interest at 3 days per week so I have encouraged them to start out with one day per week and then we can add days as they get more comfortable in the kitchen (don't you like the way I said that? What I really mean is I don't want to eat spaghetti or mac-n-cheese 3 times per week!) Friday, when I was sick, they cooked spaghetti (with supervision of course) and then Lefty created a dessert (that I will admit I was scared of, but it tasted great!). Then I heard them discussing this week's menu - chicken with crushed graham crackers (barf!) so we have encouraged them to do something different! They will be making tuna noodle casserole instead. Although I look forward to a night off from cooking, I do know it will come with lots of faith and lots of water to flush it down with!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Conferences
We had parent teacher conferences for the kids last week.
First we went to Lady Bug's. She is doing well, she is one of two top readers in her class. The teacher tells us she has no problems with her and spends time just trying to keep her challenged.
Then we went to Lefty's. He loves to write and she had him read his "Small Moment in Time" story where they were to write about a small moment that meant a lot to them. Lefty wrote a page and a half about buying our new car. She commented on how he had remembered a lot of details - she joked the only detail he left out was what our interest rate was! Not really a "small moment" but he really did have a lot of details and it was well written. He is excelling in all areas. The school does a thing where they group kids by ability and each teacher takes a group. So Lefty is only in his "homeroom" class for a short bit each day. I think the grouping thing is good because then each kid is able to work at their level, whether that be high, low or average.
Then it was off to Spirit's. Spirit's teacher had him conduct the conference, calling it "Student-Led Conferences". I am not sure the purpose of this, but it seemed to work ok. So Spirit had a file of papers and gave us a report of things he is learning and showed us some of his favorite papers. Then we asked the teacher to join us so we could ask a few things. I have been concerned with Spirit because he is extra hard on himself. If he doesn't get a 100%, but gets a 99% then he gets depressed and down on himself. So the teacher talked with him about that and we are hoping to improve his self confidence somehow.
First we went to Lady Bug's. She is doing well, she is one of two top readers in her class. The teacher tells us she has no problems with her and spends time just trying to keep her challenged.
Then we went to Lefty's. He loves to write and she had him read his "Small Moment in Time" story where they were to write about a small moment that meant a lot to them. Lefty wrote a page and a half about buying our new car. She commented on how he had remembered a lot of details - she joked the only detail he left out was what our interest rate was! Not really a "small moment" but he really did have a lot of details and it was well written. He is excelling in all areas. The school does a thing where they group kids by ability and each teacher takes a group. So Lefty is only in his "homeroom" class for a short bit each day. I think the grouping thing is good because then each kid is able to work at their level, whether that be high, low or average.
Then it was off to Spirit's. Spirit's teacher had him conduct the conference, calling it "Student-Led Conferences". I am not sure the purpose of this, but it seemed to work ok. So Spirit had a file of papers and gave us a report of things he is learning and showed us some of his favorite papers. Then we asked the teacher to join us so we could ask a few things. I have been concerned with Spirit because he is extra hard on himself. If he doesn't get a 100%, but gets a 99% then he gets depressed and down on himself. So the teacher talked with him about that and we are hoping to improve his self confidence somehow.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Fall break recap
Al though the kids and Mr. Man had last week off from work and school, I did not. Every morning while they slowly rolled out of bed and casually ate breakfast, I was busy getting ready for work, eating breakfast and making my lunch.
They had a busy, eventful, but overall wonderful week! Thankfully I was able to take part in some of it too!
Monday - some cousins and grandma & grandpa came over to help make a million more pints of applesauce. We freeze it and so with what we made earlier in the year and this batch we will have enough to last us until next summer! I love homemade applesauce!
Tuesday - we went to the football stadium for some trick or treating. It was FREEZING cold and the kids were less than thrilled to stop and take pictures, but they did their best to smile through the shivers.
Wednesday - after I got off work we picked up the new dog.
Thursday - the kids went with Mr. Man car shopping and almost bought me a new car, but there was a slight problem with it so it had to go to the shop!
Friday - got called from the dealer car was done in shop so Mr. Man and kids went back to the dealership and bought a car! We now are selling our van (which hasn't been running well for several months) and I am the proud owner of a new-to-me car!
Saturday - went to an Air Force Academy vs Utah football game!
Sunday - trick or treating. Spirit went as a football player, Lefty was a cop and Lady Bug was a cowgirl. I didn't get a good picture of Spirit alone, but he was the same thing he was when we went to the football stadium.
They had a busy, eventful, but overall wonderful week! Thankfully I was able to take part in some of it too!
Monday - some cousins and grandma & grandpa came over to help make a million more pints of applesauce. We freeze it and so with what we made earlier in the year and this batch we will have enough to last us until next summer! I love homemade applesauce!
Tuesday - we went to the football stadium for some trick or treating. It was FREEZING cold and the kids were less than thrilled to stop and take pictures, but they did their best to smile through the shivers.
Wednesday - after I got off work we picked up the new dog.
Thursday - the kids went with Mr. Man car shopping and almost bought me a new car, but there was a slight problem with it so it had to go to the shop!
Friday - got called from the dealer car was done in shop so Mr. Man and kids went back to the dealership and bought a car! We now are selling our van (which hasn't been running well for several months) and I am the proud owner of a new-to-me car!
Saturday - went to an Air Force Academy vs Utah football game!
Sunday - trick or treating. Spirit went as a football player, Lefty was a cop and Lady Bug was a cowgirl. I didn't get a good picture of Spirit alone, but he was the same thing he was when we went to the football stadium.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Crazy Hair Day
The kids had crazy hair day at school. Both the boys have buzz hair cuts so it is hard to do anything crazy with it other than to color it! So that is what we did!
Lady Bug colored hers plus she wore a headband that has some green "hair". Spirit colored his black and then also wore a pom-pom in a hat and Lefty just colored his red.
Sorry the pictures are so small. I took them with a camera phone and if I make them any bigger they get fuzzy.
Lady Bug colored hers plus she wore a headband that has some green "hair". Spirit colored his black and then also wore a pom-pom in a hat and Lefty just colored his red.
Sorry the pictures are so small. I took them with a camera phone and if I make them any bigger they get fuzzy.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
a few updates
1. I have lost 20 pounds but now seem to have plateaued and can't get the number to go down. I am not giving up yet.When I started this journey my goal was to lose 25 by Thanksgiving. That gave 4 months to do that. Thanksgiving is still a ways off and I only have that 5 pounds left to reach that goal. The 2nd part of the challenge to myself was to start back up in January and try to get to another goal weight by summer.
2. Spirit was tested in school to see his reading level. We already knew he was above the district average in math and reading but they wanted to see exactly where his reading level is - 9th grade reading level! I am so proud of him. Both he and Lefty read books all weekend {it was a dreary, rainy weekend... perfect for snuggling under a blanket and reading}.
3. This Friday, October 15th, is National Pregnancy, Infant Loss Remembrance Day and Mr. Man and I are on a volunteer team to coordinate a candle light service. This is the first one hosted here in our hometown (there are several all over the world) so we aren't sure how it will turn out! If you know some one or have experienced a miscarriage or stillborn or infant loss please light a candle for one hour at 7:00 pm on October 15. They say if everyone does this there will be a constant wave of light around the world in honor of the babies taken from us too soon.
4. Lady Bug and I have battled every day for over a week about her wardrobe. I am ALL ABOUT letting kids pick out the clothes for themselves, whether they match or look good or not. BUT I draw the line when it is 47 degrees outside and she wants to wear shorts, a t-shirt and flip-flops. So she cries, I yell and eventually I win! Today, was a much more peaceful day. We discussed the clothes last night. I told her to lay out her outfit and I would come take a look. She had a pair of shorts laying there but just as I was walking in she told me "I think it will be too cold for shorts so I decided to get some pants." She chose some capris, but that is fine with me. We woke up to wind and rain and extremely chilly. She left wearing the capris, a t-shirt with a sweatshirt over top and socks and tennis shoes. Then she added a coat and gloves before we walked out the door. Phew. No tears from either one of us today! Victory!!
2. Spirit was tested in school to see his reading level. We already knew he was above the district average in math and reading but they wanted to see exactly where his reading level is - 9th grade reading level! I am so proud of him. Both he and Lefty read books all weekend {it was a dreary, rainy weekend... perfect for snuggling under a blanket and reading}.
3. This Friday, October 15th, is National Pregnancy, Infant Loss Remembrance Day and Mr. Man and I are on a volunteer team to coordinate a candle light service. This is the first one hosted here in our hometown (there are several all over the world) so we aren't sure how it will turn out! If you know some one or have experienced a miscarriage or stillborn or infant loss please light a candle for one hour at 7:00 pm on October 15. They say if everyone does this there will be a constant wave of light around the world in honor of the babies taken from us too soon.
4. Lady Bug and I have battled every day for over a week about her wardrobe. I am ALL ABOUT letting kids pick out the clothes for themselves, whether they match or look good or not. BUT I draw the line when it is 47 degrees outside and she wants to wear shorts, a t-shirt and flip-flops. So she cries, I yell and eventually I win! Today, was a much more peaceful day. We discussed the clothes last night. I told her to lay out her outfit and I would come take a look. She had a pair of shorts laying there but just as I was walking in she told me "I think it will be too cold for shorts so I decided to get some pants." She chose some capris, but that is fine with me. We woke up to wind and rain and extremely chilly. She left wearing the capris, a t-shirt with a sweatshirt over top and socks and tennis shoes. Then she added a coat and gloves before we walked out the door. Phew. No tears from either one of us today! Victory!!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Fall finally arrived!
Our weekend weather was finally fall-like. We have been running in the 90's through last Friday! Insane I tell you, insane! But this weekend was sunny and warm, not hot though! It was perfect!
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The kids raked some leaves this weekend - they were hoping to get enough to jump in, but that didn't happen!
~~~~~~~~~~
I made vegetable soup and served it with crusty bread. YUM!
~~~~~~~~~~
I decided to take a month-long challenge to make my home a haven. I know I need to work on ME and I am hoping this challenge will help bring peace to our home. There are a lot of things that brought me to this decision. The issues with Spirit lately got me thinking. I also got to thinking about a friend of mine who is having some issues with her two boys, and I wondered if it is the parenting or is it the child? I then read on my sister's blog about a boy who who pulled the fire alarm and felt so terrible after ward that he writes letters to the fire department apologizing. It got me thinking - did his parents do something differently in raising him? Maybe, maybe not. But either way, I know I need to work on who I am and how I react and think in order to be a better example for my kids. {note: I also am premenstrual this week which doesn't help a thing!}
~~~~~~~~~~
I was speaking with a friend of mine last night about some family relationships that are sour right now. She told me to just keep trying to reconcile and if it doesn't work out then I know I did all I could to make it right and then I let it go. Sometimes I feel like I try and try and this person just doesn't want to reconcile and continues to find things to be upset with me about. When do I say enough is enough? Maybe right now. Enough!
~~~~~~~~~~
Lady Bug and I cleaned her closet and dresser to get rid of summer and bring in the fall stuff! she was so thrilled! I had been given some clothes from a friend and there are some super cute things in there! Lady Bug tried everything on and couldn't wait to wear a "new" outfit today to school!
~~~~~~~~~~
I was asked by Lady Bug's teacher today how she is doing with her reading. After we talked a bit, she said that Lady Bug failed an assessment test - she said she is surprised because she knows Lady Bug is reading quite well. There are only 2 kids reading at a high level in the class and one is Lady Bug. So the teacher wanted to know how I feel she is doing. I told her she is reading cereal boxes and other books (besides the ones she brings home from school) so I know she can do it. She said she will talk with her today and maybe Lady Bug just wasn't focusing during the assessment and they will re-assess her.
~~~~~~~~~~
I was also asked by Lady Bug's teacher today if I would be willing to make calls to parents to encourage volunteering in the classroom. She said she has asked but hasn't gotten any responses so she thinks maybe if I call and tell parents how fun it is to be in the classroom they might agree to it! We'll see. Hee!
~~~~~~~~~~
One more thing about Fall - as I walked the kids to school, it was chilly! YAY! AND we had to turn our heater on for the first time this morning! I am loving it!
~~~~~~~~~~
The kids raked some leaves this weekend - they were hoping to get enough to jump in, but that didn't happen!
~~~~~~~~~~
I made vegetable soup and served it with crusty bread. YUM!
~~~~~~~~~~
I decided to take a month-long challenge to make my home a haven. I know I need to work on ME and I am hoping this challenge will help bring peace to our home. There are a lot of things that brought me to this decision. The issues with Spirit lately got me thinking. I also got to thinking about a friend of mine who is having some issues with her two boys, and I wondered if it is the parenting or is it the child? I then read on my sister's blog about a boy who who pulled the fire alarm and felt so terrible after ward that he writes letters to the fire department apologizing. It got me thinking - did his parents do something differently in raising him? Maybe, maybe not. But either way, I know I need to work on who I am and how I react and think in order to be a better example for my kids. {note: I also am premenstrual this week which doesn't help a thing!}
~~~~~~~~~~
I was speaking with a friend of mine last night about some family relationships that are sour right now. She told me to just keep trying to reconcile and if it doesn't work out then I know I did all I could to make it right and then I let it go. Sometimes I feel like I try and try and this person just doesn't want to reconcile and continues to find things to be upset with me about. When do I say enough is enough? Maybe right now. Enough!
~~~~~~~~~~
Lady Bug and I cleaned her closet and dresser to get rid of summer and bring in the fall stuff! she was so thrilled! I had been given some clothes from a friend and there are some super cute things in there! Lady Bug tried everything on and couldn't wait to wear a "new" outfit today to school!
~~~~~~~~~~
I was asked by Lady Bug's teacher today how she is doing with her reading. After we talked a bit, she said that Lady Bug failed an assessment test - she said she is surprised because she knows Lady Bug is reading quite well. There are only 2 kids reading at a high level in the class and one is Lady Bug. So the teacher wanted to know how I feel she is doing. I told her she is reading cereal boxes and other books (besides the ones she brings home from school) so I know she can do it. She said she will talk with her today and maybe Lady Bug just wasn't focusing during the assessment and they will re-assess her.
~~~~~~~~~~
I was also asked by Lady Bug's teacher today if I would be willing to make calls to parents to encourage volunteering in the classroom. She said she has asked but hasn't gotten any responses so she thinks maybe if I call and tell parents how fun it is to be in the classroom they might agree to it! We'll see. Hee!
~~~~~~~~~~
One more thing about Fall - as I walked the kids to school, it was chilly! YAY! AND we had to turn our heater on for the first time this morning! I am loving it!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
My little criminal
Spirit got sent to the principal's office yesterday. *sigh* He claims a kid kept punching him in the lunch line so he turned around and said "If you don't stop I will bring a knife tomorrow!" A little girl behind them in line went and told a teacher.
Now this isn't the first time we have had this issue. When Spirit was in 1st grade he accidentally brought his pocket knife that his uncle gave him for Christmas and a little girl saw it and told the teacher. Mr. Man had to go to the school to pick up the knife from the principal. The principal said to Mr. Man "I need you to tell me that he didn't mean to do this." Mr. Man said "I can't say that because I have NO idea why he brought it." So the principal said "Just tell me he didn't mean to." So Mr. Man said "ok. he didn't mean to." She then said "Thank you. If you don't tell me that, by law I have to put this incident on his criminal record."
So here we are again, this time I feel it is different. The first time I don't think he meant to take it to school. This time he got so angry (which is what I can't understand) and threatened such violence. I asked him if he thought he'd really bring one and he hesitatingly said "no."
There was a teacher who saw what happened and her story doesn't make Spirit's at all. She says the kids were pushing each other and rough housing when the kid behind him fell and shoved into Spirit. She says Spirit turned around and immediately said he would bring a knife.
Mr. Man and I tried and tried to understand him last night. Has this kid bothered him before? Are other kids picking on him? Why did he get so angry? He doesn't have any answers for any of it. I don't understand.
I think there needs to be a consequence for saying that and being sent to the principal's office, but at the same time I have no idea how to punish this. He can't say things like that and get that angry. The principal made him call his dad from her office so she told Mr. Man that she felt that was enough punishment right there. But, I am not so sure.
Some days parenting really bites.
Now this isn't the first time we have had this issue. When Spirit was in 1st grade he accidentally brought his pocket knife that his uncle gave him for Christmas and a little girl saw it and told the teacher. Mr. Man had to go to the school to pick up the knife from the principal. The principal said to Mr. Man "I need you to tell me that he didn't mean to do this." Mr. Man said "I can't say that because I have NO idea why he brought it." So the principal said "Just tell me he didn't mean to." So Mr. Man said "ok. he didn't mean to." She then said "Thank you. If you don't tell me that, by law I have to put this incident on his criminal record."
So here we are again, this time I feel it is different. The first time I don't think he meant to take it to school. This time he got so angry (which is what I can't understand) and threatened such violence. I asked him if he thought he'd really bring one and he hesitatingly said "no."
There was a teacher who saw what happened and her story doesn't make Spirit's at all. She says the kids were pushing each other and rough housing when the kid behind him fell and shoved into Spirit. She says Spirit turned around and immediately said he would bring a knife.
Mr. Man and I tried and tried to understand him last night. Has this kid bothered him before? Are other kids picking on him? Why did he get so angry? He doesn't have any answers for any of it. I don't understand.
I think there needs to be a consequence for saying that and being sent to the principal's office, but at the same time I have no idea how to punish this. He can't say things like that and get that angry. The principal made him call his dad from her office so she told Mr. Man that she felt that was enough punishment right there. But, I am not so sure.
Some days parenting really bites.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Odds - n - ends
I have mentioned before that I am trying to lose weight - I am happy to announce I am 9 pounds away from my original goal which means I have lost 15 pounds so far! I am SO excited!
I say "original goal" because I really thought this goal would take me a lot longer to reach and so after I hit my original goal I plan to evaluate how I am feeling and see if I want to lose more. Based on the Body Mass Index for me I could "technically" lose another 10-15 pounds beyond my "original goal weight". So we'll see how far I take this. I can't wait to get to my original goal first though! That will be a glorious day!
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Last night as I was making dinner the kids were all outside playing. Lady Bug came running in crying. I asked what had happened and she said that the boys were teaching her bad things. "Like what?" I asked and her response . . . . . . . . .
"They want me to say please!"
{Shutter at the horror of it all!}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spirit is having a little bit of a struggle in school this year. The work is harder, the expectations are more intense and he has greater responsibilities in class and keeping track of assignments (I am told this is to prep for middle school in 2 years). He will make it ok, but it is a bigger adjustment than we expected.
I say "original goal" because I really thought this goal would take me a lot longer to reach and so after I hit my original goal I plan to evaluate how I am feeling and see if I want to lose more. Based on the Body Mass Index for me I could "technically" lose another 10-15 pounds beyond my "original goal weight". So we'll see how far I take this. I can't wait to get to my original goal first though! That will be a glorious day!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last night as I was making dinner the kids were all outside playing. Lady Bug came running in crying. I asked what had happened and she said that the boys were teaching her bad things. "Like what?" I asked and her response . . . . . . . . .
"They want me to say please!"
{Shutter at the horror of it all!}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spirit is having a little bit of a struggle in school this year. The work is harder, the expectations are more intense and he has greater responsibilities in class and keeping track of assignments (I am told this is to prep for middle school in 2 years). He will make it ok, but it is a bigger adjustment than we expected.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Back To School
Well, summer is over (it went by just a tad bit too fast if you ask me!) and the kids head back to school today - well, the boys do and Lady Bug starts on Wednesday.
The school hours changed this year so instead of starting at 8:00 and going until 2:30, they will start at 8:45 and go until 3:15. The boys are excited that they get to sleep in a little this year and I am excited that they get out a little later. 2:30 seems to come so quickly after 8:00! :-)
Spirit is going into FOURTH grade....eek - where did all the time go? Didn't he just start kindergarten? Wow. Lefty is starting THIRD grade - I will say it again, time moves way too quickly! Then there is Lady Bug, who is excited and a tad scared all at the same time to be starting kindergarten!
We had back to school night on Friday and got to meet the teachers and see the classrooms. It was neat to have a little one-on-one with each teacher and see where the kids will sit, etc.
In 1st grade Lefty had a best bud, but they got separated in 2nd grade and we discovered that they are in the same class again this year so Lefty is very excited about that!
Here's hoping for another GREAT school year!
P.S. - I will probably be shedding a lot of tears on Wednesday as my baby starts kindergarten - I am trying not to think of that right now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Other News:
My boss has an interview today for ONE of the judge positions he applied for (he applied for 3 total). So I may or may not know more about my job in the next couple of weeks -- I will keep you posted.
The school hours changed this year so instead of starting at 8:00 and going until 2:30, they will start at 8:45 and go until 3:15. The boys are excited that they get to sleep in a little this year and I am excited that they get out a little later. 2:30 seems to come so quickly after 8:00! :-)
Spirit is going into FOURTH grade....eek - where did all the time go? Didn't he just start kindergarten? Wow. Lefty is starting THIRD grade - I will say it again, time moves way too quickly! Then there is Lady Bug, who is excited and a tad scared all at the same time to be starting kindergarten!
We had back to school night on Friday and got to meet the teachers and see the classrooms. It was neat to have a little one-on-one with each teacher and see where the kids will sit, etc.
In 1st grade Lefty had a best bud, but they got separated in 2nd grade and we discovered that they are in the same class again this year so Lefty is very excited about that!
Here's hoping for another GREAT school year!
P.S. - I will probably be shedding a lot of tears on Wednesday as my baby starts kindergarten - I am trying not to think of that right now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Other News:
My boss has an interview today for ONE of the judge positions he applied for (he applied for 3 total). So I may or may not know more about my job in the next couple of weeks -- I will keep you posted.
Monday, July 12, 2010
What's the haps?
I haven't had much to post about lately so today I thought maybe I would just give a short run down on each us:
Mr. Man - after having a week off from work and spending it at home with the kids, he has now worked 8 days straight. He will have a day off tomorrow, work on Wednesday and Thursday and then off again on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Spirit - is 9. He thinks he knows it all and he is sassy. But then he can also turn around and be the sweetest kid ever. The roller coaster is really annoying me. He has decided he ONLY wants to wear basketball shorts and t-shirts every day so over the weekend I made him help me sort through the 20 pairs of shorts he has and pick out the ones he wanted to keep. I also insisted he keep a few pairs of jeans shorts for the times I want him looking a little nicer. Even with all that and even though he fights a lot with his siblings, he told me last night that one of the neighbor boys was being mean to Lefty and he told the kid if he couldn't be nice then he should go home. I was pretty proud of him for protecting his brother like that!
Lefty - is 8. He is struggling with trying to be "cool" like the older boys in our neighborhood, but yet he still enjoys playing things that aren't "cool". I watch him try and try to fit in with the older boys and then he gives up and will find Lady Bug to play with. She enjoys playing school with him, he pretends to be the teacher and helps her with worksheets (so she can earn computer time). The other day Spirit was with a friend and so Lady Bug and Lefty and I were driving to run errands and she got upset by something. He looked at her with concern and asked what was wrong. I didn't hear her response to him, but he said "Well, don't worry about that. You're my best friend." That melted my heart! I am preparing for him to turn 9 next year and act like his brother is now (Lord help us all if he does!)
Lady Bug - is 5. She is preparing to go to Kindergarten in August. She is very excited about it all! This weekend we were out shopping and she asked me if she could get her "first day of school outfit". I encouraged her to wait just a little bit. She is growing like a weed right now and I don't want to get her an outfit that won't fit in August. She has been a little whiny and sensitive lately, if she doesn't get her way we all hear about it! Her preschool teachers had been working with the kids in reading preparations. Lady Bug and I were reading a few books last night and she can read some words, I was very impressed! She will be a good reader like her brothers!
Me - Been working and working. I was doing some contract work a few weeks ago which meant I was gone from the house a lot, but it was a short job and I earned some extra cash which was nice! I will be taking a week off in August just before school starts. We don't have any child care coverage for August so Mr. Man will take the first week off, a friend of mine will watch them the second week and then I will take that third week off. I plan to use the time to prepare the kids for school, we'll start adjusting the bedtime to a more reasonable hour and I am planning a Back-to-School party for that weekend. I told a couple neighbors that they could come too if they wanted to. I have a birthday coming up this weekend... WOO HOO (or not!)
Mr. Man - after having a week off from work and spending it at home with the kids, he has now worked 8 days straight. He will have a day off tomorrow, work on Wednesday and Thursday and then off again on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Spirit - is 9. He thinks he knows it all and he is sassy. But then he can also turn around and be the sweetest kid ever. The roller coaster is really annoying me. He has decided he ONLY wants to wear basketball shorts and t-shirts every day so over the weekend I made him help me sort through the 20 pairs of shorts he has and pick out the ones he wanted to keep. I also insisted he keep a few pairs of jeans shorts for the times I want him looking a little nicer. Even with all that and even though he fights a lot with his siblings, he told me last night that one of the neighbor boys was being mean to Lefty and he told the kid if he couldn't be nice then he should go home. I was pretty proud of him for protecting his brother like that!
Lefty - is 8. He is struggling with trying to be "cool" like the older boys in our neighborhood, but yet he still enjoys playing things that aren't "cool". I watch him try and try to fit in with the older boys and then he gives up and will find Lady Bug to play with. She enjoys playing school with him, he pretends to be the teacher and helps her with worksheets (so she can earn computer time). The other day Spirit was with a friend and so Lady Bug and Lefty and I were driving to run errands and she got upset by something. He looked at her with concern and asked what was wrong. I didn't hear her response to him, but he said "Well, don't worry about that. You're my best friend." That melted my heart! I am preparing for him to turn 9 next year and act like his brother is now (Lord help us all if he does!)
Lady Bug - is 5. She is preparing to go to Kindergarten in August. She is very excited about it all! This weekend we were out shopping and she asked me if she could get her "first day of school outfit". I encouraged her to wait just a little bit. She is growing like a weed right now and I don't want to get her an outfit that won't fit in August. She has been a little whiny and sensitive lately, if she doesn't get her way we all hear about it! Her preschool teachers had been working with the kids in reading preparations. Lady Bug and I were reading a few books last night and she can read some words, I was very impressed! She will be a good reader like her brothers!
Me - Been working and working. I was doing some contract work a few weeks ago which meant I was gone from the house a lot, but it was a short job and I earned some extra cash which was nice! I will be taking a week off in August just before school starts. We don't have any child care coverage for August so Mr. Man will take the first week off, a friend of mine will watch them the second week and then I will take that third week off. I plan to use the time to prepare the kids for school, we'll start adjusting the bedtime to a more reasonable hour and I am planning a Back-to-School party for that weekend. I told a couple neighbors that they could come too if they wanted to. I have a birthday coming up this weekend... WOO HOO (or not!)
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