First Day....

Today was Einey's first day of school. Full day kindergarten. She has never been to any type of school program and was excited to start. She's has been patiently counting down the days for the last 2 weeks and calmly waiting for the last year. It is still hard for me to believe that she is old enough to be in school.

Those who know me will be surprised to hear that I did it with no tears! I calmly walked her to her classroom door, said goodbye and watched her take off into the classroom to find the seat with her name on it at one of the tables. Then I turned and walked down the hall to where my husband was waiting.

Last year, just the though of kindergarten would cause me to have an anxiety attack. "What school should I send her to - public or private?" "What will I do?" "I'm going to miss her." "Should I homeschool?". Those were just a few questions running through my mind. I was a wreak! And I wasn't worried about her at all. I knew she would have fun, I knew she would make new friends, I knew she would enjoy it. It was me that couldn't accept the fact that she was old enough. One of my friends told me "We are going to have to sedate you when it's time for Moe to start kindergarten".

To keep myself occupied, I met a friend at the track by the local playground and walked for awhile. Then we went to a playdate at another friends house. The six hours she is in school doesn't seem as long if there is something to keep me busy.

But the long anticipated day has finally arrived. And there was nary a tear shed.

Random Conversations Part #3

Today we were driving home from picking up our soccer gear (I don't know why our best conversations happen in the car, but they just do) and talking to Einey about her upcoming first day of school.

Einey: How long to I have to go to school?

Dad: Well that depends on what you want to be when you grow up.

Einey: I want to work with you when I get big.

Dad: Then you'll go to school for a long time.

Einey: Or I want to be a doctor. How long is that?

Dad: You'll be in school until you are 26.

Einey: No, I want to be 29. Where will my office be?

Dad: Where ever you want to open one, or get hired to work.

Einey: Okay

Meenie: I want to be an astronaut.

Dad: What about me? Can I be a train or a dumptruck:

Meenie: giggle

Einey: No daddy, but you can drive a train or a dumptruck.

Daddy: What about a sidewalk. Can I be a sidewalk?

Einey: No, you are not made of cement.

Dad: Can I be a girl?

Einey: No, your a boy.

Dad: Why?

Einey: I don't know.

Mom: What can daddy do that we cannot do?

Meenie: Pee standing up.

Mom: exactly, why can daddy pee standing up?

Einey: He's got that thing. I don't know what it is though.

Mom and Dad: Bust out laughing...

Mom: It starts with a P.

Einey: PENIS! Giggle, giggle....

And so another reason my kids are going to be kicked out of their Catholic school at a young age.

Betty Crocker and Vegetables....

Tonight we made cookies to have after dinner. Dinner was mashed potatoes, garlic and herb chicken and steamed spinach. My girls are normally good eaters and will normally eat whatever is in front of them. They are the type of kids who beg for broccoli and cauliflower when we go to the store. They love carrots, avocados and peppers. And spinach, they'll eat it.....but apparently only if it's raw.

Meenie: I don't want any green stuff.

Einey: Yuck, I don't like spinach anymore.

Moe: Spit, throw...

Me: Eat your spinach, it's good. Here's some dressing for it, it will taste better.

Meeine: Yuck it's green. I don't like green.

Einey: But I told you I don't like spinach.

Moe: Spit, throw...

Me: Look, see the cookie package? Right here, it says if you want cookies, you need to eat your green vegetables first. No veggies, no cookies. I didn't make the rules. Sorry kids.

Einey and Meenie: Grumble, Grumble, Bite, faces....

Moe: Spit, throw, yuck...

Of course once one of them learns how to read, it will not be that easy. They didn't eat it all, but they did take a few bites each in the end. And that's all I'm aiming for!

Mom 1, Kids 0

Pluto

Recently, scientists have redefined the definition of a planet. For Pluto, it means it is no longer a planet, but now a newly defined "dwarf planet".

So what does that mean? Do I have to remove Pluto from our solar system diorama hanging in the playroom? Do I need to make up new lyrics to be sung about 8 planets instead of nine?

And the mnemonic aid used by most school children to remember the order of the planets in relationship to the sun will no longer be able to be used.:

My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizza's

(Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto)

How about:

Many Very Exited Jugglers Stop Under Nests ?

Just doesn't flow as well.

And songs to remember the planets:

"There are nine planets in the solar system, Mercury is the hottest and closest to the sun....Mars is the red one...Jupiter has rings....And Pluto is the smallest and furthest from the sun. "

(unfortunately I cannot remember all the lyrics, although I can hear it in my head. I remember learning it all to long ago in kindergarten).

Those are all going to have to be changed.

Science always changing, redefining the world around you.

(Wo)Man's Best Friend.....

Sometimes (wo)man's best friend can also be your worst enemy. Like when she pulls wadded up tissues out of the trash and leaves them all over the floor. Or when she takes a mouth full of food and drops it in the middle of the playroom floor, right in the path of baby. Or when she insists on going out side in the middle of the night only to come back in without doing anything. Or when she takes off out the door when you are heading out, only to have you bring her with you. And when you get to the park and try to take a walk, she lays down at the farthest area away from your starting point and refuses to move. At all. And weights 80+ pounds. And did I mention you also had a wagon with two toddlers with you. And a pre-schooler on a bike? That type of worst enemy.

Well my best friend has had her string of bad moments lately. She has repeatedly soiled the floors. Been caught trying to steal food from the kids (granted they've been hand feeding her for the past 4 1/2 years). Been sneaking out of the house when the door is open.

She is a strange friend too. She's 5 1/2 years old and for some reason, still has not made the connection that she can do her duty at the same time. Nope, every morning it's go out. Do #1. Come back in. Close the door. Let me sit down. Walk back to the door to go out, doing a little dance. Goes out and does #2. Comes back in with the "look what I did, isn't it great" expression on her face. 5 1/2 years. We try and try to get her to do it all in on sweep.

And rain, forget it. She hates her paws getting wet. She refuses to go out when it rains. She'll either hold it a full day or have to be dragged out. And then you need to stand there in the rain, waiting for her to finish. Same for when the lawn gets to high. You need to force her to go. But she loves the snow. She can't get enough of it!

And what' the deal with this? If hubby is on the computer RIGHT next to the door, she'll come find me, who is usually dealing with a child, to let her out. Same thing if I am on the computer, she'll go find hubby. Why not ask who is next to the door.

And if the door is wide open and the gate on the deck open too. What does she do? Walks through the house to find the person farthest away or otherwise occupied to let her out.

But with all her faults she truly is a families best friend. She will stand watch over the children. She never barks, not even when someone new comes to the door. On occasion she'll bark, and we know that means something is bothering her. These occasions are when the raccoons are climbing onto the roof to invade the solar system again, there's a drunk meandering down the street or another animal in the yard. Once in a blue moon when a fire truck or police car goes by. That's it. She has never ever tried to nip or bite anyone. And most importantly, I can trust her with the kids. The girls will climb on her, try to sit on her, pull her fur, stick their hands in her gums and ears, poke her eyes and pull her tail. And she just sits there. Friends cannot believe how calm she is with the kids. And they've learned to be nice to her as well. The only abuse she suffers now is the sitting on and occasional tail surfing (which I think she enjoys). Who else with eat every crumb that falls to the floor saving the need to whip out the vacuum cleaner? Who will be there to keep you feet warm on those cold winter days?

(Wo)man's best friend. Irritating to live with, but can't live without.

Husband....

I got to thinking a lot about just who my husband was after reading a post on MetroDad.

So I am here to now tell you a little about my husband.

First and foremost, he is a funny, sensitive, caring individual. I have know him for so long, I can't even begin to imagine my life without him. He is as much a part of me as my daughters are. He usually knows what I am thinking before I tell him.

Of course, life isn't always roses and rainbows. After almost 7 years of marriage, he still doesn't know where some of the dishes belong (even if he takes them out), he always leaves the sponge in the bottom of the sink (to get buried by dishes - ughh, I hate that), leaves the paper towel roll empty and doesn't always put a clean trash bag in the garbage when he empties it. But those are small ripples on the ocean of life.

He is one of those dads that world revolves around their kids. He would rather be watching them play soccer than watching a game on TV. He would rather be taking them on adventures than messing around on the computer. He strives to teach them new things everyday. From turning over logs in the yard to teaching them new games. He has never balked at the thought of changing a diaper.

After working 40+ hours a week, he never complains if the house is not spotless, if the dishes aren't done or the laundry put away. He likes to help cook and will even do the dishes after.

One of his biggest hobbies is painting. You can see some of his work here. He has painted the Noah's Arc mural in our nursery and drew pictures for the playroom. He even drew the program for my daughter's dance school's recital last spring.

And the center of the ceiling.

So anyway, there's a little bit about the man I married.

Random Conversations Part #2

While driving in the car today, husband starts talking about fission.

Husband: Do you guys know what fission is?

Einey and Meenie: No Daddy, what?

Husband: Fission is splitting or breaking up into parts. At work, we have radioactive fission...

Meenie: But our radio is still broken.

Husband: Not that type of radio...We use Uranium...to make energy...atoms splitting...everything is made up of atoms...and that's where the electricity comes from.

5 Minutes later:

Einey: How big are my atoms daddy?

Husband: Your atoms are very small because they are made up of Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen and other trace elements. Our car would have bigger atoms as it is made from Iron and other heavy elements.

Of course, if I was paying more attention, I would have been able to fill in more of the conversation instead of leaving the gaps.

And that dear world, is why I am scared of just how smart these girls will be when they are older. They have always absorbed any bit of knowledge thrown their way.

Baby Battles....Sleep.....

My older two girls have always been good sleepers. They both were sleeping through the night by 2 months old. They rarely had night time waking (except for Meenie who went throughout a week long phase at 6 months where she would cry for 4 hours straight in the middle of the night). Einey always liked someone to hold her as she fell asleep - rocking her when she was young and then snuggling her as she got older. This lasted until she was almost two. With one child, you could do that. Meenie liked to sleep by herself, so while we were still snuggling Einey, Meenie was settling herself down for the night.

Then Moe came along. Moe didn't sleep through the night until 10 months old. And Moe doesn't like going to bed on her own. She went through a calm, complacent period where she would go to sleep when I put her in her bed. Friends would be amazed that come noon, she would ask for her nap, I'd bring her upstairs, change her diaper and by the time I made it back downstairs she would be asleep.

Now?

Moe kicks a screams and throws her limp body on the floor if you even mention the word sleep. At night time, she runs as fast as she can in the opposite direction, careful to stay as far as she can away from both you and the stairs. We go through the whole brush your teeth, read a story, get changed and then hugs, kisses, rubbing noses, head donking sphel and then complete meltdown. She cries and screams and yells "NO" and then "Mommy, Daddy" (Depending on which parent is not the mean one trying to part her from her playthings). "Stuck" and "Want Out" are her other favorite phrases associated with bedtime. She's even started to tell us "Sad" when we put her in her bed.

It feels like it's been going on like this forever, but it has only been the last week or so.

And I have a feeling more battles are going to pop up now as she approaches the terrible two's. She wants her independence, as long as no one else shows interest in Mommy, she isn't afraid to tell us what she wants or when she wants it. She will kick and fight to try to get her point across.

And so it begins...

Random Conversations Part #1

Conversation with a Four-And-A-Half Year Old:

Today we were going to eat lunch outside. It would have been one of the rare occasions where I got to sit and eat with my husband at our adults only bistro table. Of course, the kids would be right next to us at their own table, but it's nice to have the "feel" of a kid-free zone.

So here's a snip of conversation:

Me: "Does anyone want me to grab a pitcher of ice water?"

Einey: "Hee Hee Hee. That's silly mom. Why do you want to take a picture of water?"

And so it starts.... The need to explain that while a word sounds the same, and in this case (pitcher) where there are multiple spellings of it, it has different meanings. We had a nice chat about the differences of picture, pitcher (baseball) and pitcher (container).


*****************************************************************************
Conversation with a One (Almost Two) Year Old:

We had to stop and drop some paperwork off at the Doctor's Office this morning so my husband would get FMLA for Meenie's hospital stay instead of using his vacation time.

As he hops back in the van and starts to leave, we hear a little voice from the back saying "buck, buck". I turn around and see Moe pointing at her dad as I'm trying to figure out why she was talking about his butt. As I turn towards Dad, I notice he didn't have his seat belt on and that is what Moe was trying to tell us. She had this big smile on her face as he put his seat belt on as if she was very proud of herself for helping daddy out. Apparently one is not to early to be safety conscious and we must have trained her right.

The Colors of Summer

Another thing My Equal and I have enjoyed this summer is using our digital camera. I mean really using it. We have gotten down and dirty, flipping over logs, getting in the mud, wading in the water and even climbing small trees. We have had the digital camera for 5 years and used it just for "people pictures". And although I still dream of this camera, my old camera still works well.

Red:




Orange:




Yellow:




Green:





Blue:



Violet:



Pink:



White:



Black:



Assorted:





Eventually, I will learn the names of all the flowers in my garden, but for now, I am content with just admiring them!

One of these days, I hope to take pictures like the talented Lauren over at PMR:ILU

Lazy Days of Summer

This summer has been strangely relaxing. Gone are the days when I am endlessly rushing around. We have spent the majority of this summer tending to the gardens in the yard, visiting local playgrounds and swimming in the local lake. This is the first year where I can work in my gardens without having to keep an eagle eye on the girls. I guiltily find my self eagerly awaiting the start of school (something I dreaded only months ago) because I will finally have 2 FULL HOURS to myself while Einey enjoys full day kindergarten and the two younger girls nap. I have not had 10 minutes to myself, let alone 2 hours during the day in 4 1/2 years.

I actually was able to plant vegetables in my garden this year. I cleared the area by hand, caught Poison Ivy more times this summer than anyone should ever catch (6 times at last count) and have finally seen some results. While not all the plants took, we will have cucumbers, peas, tomatoes, squash and possibly pumpkins and eggplant by the time the summer is over. And I learned a few things along the way: start planting earlier than the end of June, do not reach under cucumber leaves with out checking for Poison Ivy, and woodchucks like to eat plants.

In the evenings, My Equal and I have been taking the girls to a local lake before dinner. We go in the evening and relax on the tranquil beach, help the older two practice what they learned during swimming lessons. It is quiet with the few other families there and cooler as the sun goes down. We stay for about 2 hours and then go home and have a relaxing dinner and then it's off to bed for the wee ones. It has been a great way to end the day!

Unexpected answer to your Dreams...

I always dreamed of the day when Meenie would be a calm, complacent child. I counted the days until her third birthday when she would out-grow the terrible twos. That day came and went.

Meenie was recently hospitalized for four and a half days with encephalitis (inflammation in the brain) and has been very tired over the last few days as her body slowly recovers. The dangerous part is behind us, the recovery in front. Each day shows steady improvement as she regains her motor skills. With the help of her Physical Therapist (who starts today) she should be well on the road to recovery.

Now, I long for the child who jumps on the couch, runs around the house and climbs anything she can find. I want to be able to yell at her for getting into stuff. When that day comes,I know I will be able to take a big breath and say this adventure is finally behind us.