I helped a little with the school auction that was held this past Friday. Putting together an auction is a lot of work. There were 2 ladies who led the charge with several other people to help out. We had a really nice time. I ended up helping at the event with closing tables and checking out so my husband was in charge of checking on our bids. We ended up coming home with a lot of nice items. We have a beach condo for a weekend, ski lessons, amusement park tickets and lots of other items. I won’t even go into how much money we spent but as my husband said it is for a good cause.
The last 3 nights Tee has woken up because of a bad dream. The dream seems to be the same every night. He keeps telling me that there is a “bus driver” in our house. To translate, “bus driver” means a bus. I have tried to explain that the bus driver drives the bus and the bus stop is where we wait for the kids to get off the bus. It is very confusing to him.
It is very hard to reason with a 3 year old. This morning at 4 am he started crying in bed calling for me. I walk in and he starts talking about a bus driver being in the hallway outside of his room. I picked him up, walked him out and showed him that in fact there was no bus in the house. It usually takes me laying with him for a few minutes for him to calm down and go back to sleep.
The late night wake ups are making me very tired. I hope that the dreams stop sometime soon.
This past Sunday, I taught 2nd grade (E and Jay’s class) Sunday school. Well, actually I didn’t really teach as I was just the helper. I have wanted to figure out what they do in Sunday school for some time now. The boys tend not to give me much information when asked about the lesson.
The program seems fine but I am struggling with the safety of the children. I feel that safety should be top priority within the program and the church.
Safety does not seem to be priority to some. Most of the kids were dropped off by a parent but the parent did not sign them in on the attendance book. Some kids walked in with no parent present. The kids are allowed to walk to the bathroom in the hallway by themselves. There was one girl who said she would have to leave class and meet her Mom upstairs because her Mom was working a table after service. This one girl then came back down and got another girl from class and said her Mom was upstairs waiting also.
This gives me a very uneasy feeling. I would feel horrible if one child got "misplaced" on my watch. I think even in 2nd grade the children should be checked in and checked out. I may be a little nutty but better nutty then sorry.
I am working on an email to the coordinator of Sunday school. Maybe she knows or maybe she doesn’t. I would be happy to help teach Sunday school but I feel like they need to tighten up the safety just a bit. I am curious as to her response.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Long awaited
I made the mistake of telling Tee that I signed him up for T-ball. He has asked so many times when he was going. I guess I wouldn't really call it asking because it goes more like, "you are not letting me go to baseball". Hard to explain to a 3 year old that it doesn't start until a specific date.
The day finally came last Friday. Me being the great Mom I am forget to bring his glove. It ended up being ok as they didn't need them but all of the other kids had their gloves.
They started out with a few exercises and stretching. The coaches mainly worked on throwing with the kids. They are also learning how to run the bases. They were running all over the place. At the end, the coaches would ground the ball to the child, then child was to get the ball and touch a base.
It is really hard not to want to dig in the dirt!
The day finally came last Friday. Me being the great Mom I am forget to bring his glove. It ended up being ok as they didn't need them but all of the other kids had their gloves.
They started out with a few exercises and stretching. The coaches mainly worked on throwing with the kids. They are also learning how to run the bases. They were running all over the place. At the end, the coaches would ground the ball to the child, then child was to get the ball and touch a base.
Tee tends to be a little spastic when he throws the ball.
Waiting for instruction on when to throw the ball at the coach.
Waiting for instruction on when to throw the ball at the coach.
It is really hard not to want to dig in the dirt!
Yes, really hard to not dig especially when you have to wait.
Tee was very disappointed when the lesson was over. He was ready for more. We have T-ball for the next 5 weeks on Friday.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
The errands, the house work etc
The last few weeks have been non-stop around our household. It has been a stream of appointments, errands, baseball, housework, yard work and much more. There is not really an end that I see right now just more of all of the above.
Our neighbors ended up ordering too much mulch this past weekend and let us buy it. Yes, getting mulch into all of our beds in on our list of to dos. I am waiting to see if it is really going to rain this weekend before I place my very large order. The mulch was sitting in my neighbor’s driveway and we knew he wanted moved as soon as possible. Tee and I worked on it Monday and got a lot of it moved. I moved more on Tuesday and my husband had a few wheel barrels full to finish it up. Mental note, we really need a new wheel barrel because ours has seen better days.
I am trying to get ready for a garage sale also. That is not coming along so well. Our storage area really needs a clean out.
It is raining today so there is a possibility of our baseball game getting canceled this evening. My husband is helping to coach the team this year. I think he got roped into it a little but is really enjoying helping out. The head coach is very good with the kids and very organized.
My fingers are crossed just a little for the game to be canceled. I could use the extra time today to finish all of my house chores. Speaking of house chores….off I go.
Our neighbors ended up ordering too much mulch this past weekend and let us buy it. Yes, getting mulch into all of our beds in on our list of to dos. I am waiting to see if it is really going to rain this weekend before I place my very large order. The mulch was sitting in my neighbor’s driveway and we knew he wanted moved as soon as possible. Tee and I worked on it Monday and got a lot of it moved. I moved more on Tuesday and my husband had a few wheel barrels full to finish it up. Mental note, we really need a new wheel barrel because ours has seen better days.
I am trying to get ready for a garage sale also. That is not coming along so well. Our storage area really needs a clean out.
It is raining today so there is a possibility of our baseball game getting canceled this evening. My husband is helping to coach the team this year. I think he got roped into it a little but is really enjoying helping out. The head coach is very good with the kids and very organized.
My fingers are crossed just a little for the game to be canceled. I could use the extra time today to finish all of my house chores. Speaking of house chores….off I go.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
The number for today - 12
Last year, my husband did not remember our anniversary. He will tell you different because he did remember on the day a while after we woke up. I planned for a sitter and made reservations for our dinner. To this day I have not let him forget last year.
This year he made a point to ask his administrative assistant to not let him forget about our special day. I think he regrets that because she has reminded him every single day for the last week.
Unfortunately, my niece is out of town so we can not go out to a nice quiet dinner. I am sure we will find another time to go out sans kids.
Last night, we dropped the twins off at a birthday party (no sleep over for them) and decided we would take Tee out to dinner. A pre-anniversary day dinner. We chose a place close to home. We both thought it was one of the worst dinners we have had in a very long time.
We started out with calamari, which was very chewy. In fact, so chewy that Tee almost choked on it. Seriously, we look at him and he is struggling. I stuck my finger in his mouth to pull food out and then he finally spit out the piece of calamari. I think my heart sank down to my knees. I had Tee drink some milk which ended up all over the floor. Our food finally came and neither one of us liked our meal all that much. Tee’s grill cheese sandwich was the best meal at our table. We have crossed this place off of our list.
We went to another place to pick up dessert and that certainly made up for the bad meal.
We had always talked about getting me a new ring for our tenth anniversary. I decided I no longer wanted two rings (engagement and band) but one larger ring. Our tenth anniversary happened to fall shortly after we moved from NC to MD. We had so much going on still trying to get settled that a ring was the last thing on our mind. The following year is when our bathroom was declared a mold zone and needed to be renovated.
Earlier this year we started looking at rings. I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted. We went to a jewelry place and started looking around. I looked at a lot of rings but found one that I absolutely fell in love with. So I got my present early and I absolutely love it. And what you might ask am I getting my wonderful husband…….golf clubs. He is at the store as I type picking them out.
Twelve years ago, I could have never imagined what my life might be like. I knew that I wanted to be married and have a family. I feel so fortunate that I have a wonderful husband with three (most of the time) great kids. I could not have asked for better. Happy Anniversary husband! I love you very much and look forward to the next ten (I will probably need more jewelry by then)!
This year he made a point to ask his administrative assistant to not let him forget about our special day. I think he regrets that because she has reminded him every single day for the last week.
Unfortunately, my niece is out of town so we can not go out to a nice quiet dinner. I am sure we will find another time to go out sans kids.
Last night, we dropped the twins off at a birthday party (no sleep over for them) and decided we would take Tee out to dinner. A pre-anniversary day dinner. We chose a place close to home. We both thought it was one of the worst dinners we have had in a very long time.
We started out with calamari, which was very chewy. In fact, so chewy that Tee almost choked on it. Seriously, we look at him and he is struggling. I stuck my finger in his mouth to pull food out and then he finally spit out the piece of calamari. I think my heart sank down to my knees. I had Tee drink some milk which ended up all over the floor. Our food finally came and neither one of us liked our meal all that much. Tee’s grill cheese sandwich was the best meal at our table. We have crossed this place off of our list.
We went to another place to pick up dessert and that certainly made up for the bad meal.
We had always talked about getting me a new ring for our tenth anniversary. I decided I no longer wanted two rings (engagement and band) but one larger ring. Our tenth anniversary happened to fall shortly after we moved from NC to MD. We had so much going on still trying to get settled that a ring was the last thing on our mind. The following year is when our bathroom was declared a mold zone and needed to be renovated.
Earlier this year we started looking at rings. I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted. We went to a jewelry place and started looking around. I looked at a lot of rings but found one that I absolutely fell in love with. So I got my present early and I absolutely love it. And what you might ask am I getting my wonderful husband…….golf clubs. He is at the store as I type picking them out.
Twelve years ago, I could have never imagined what my life might be like. I knew that I wanted to be married and have a family. I feel so fortunate that I have a wonderful husband with three (most of the time) great kids. I could not have asked for better. Happy Anniversary husband! I love you very much and look forward to the next ten (I will probably need more jewelry by then)!
Friday, April 16, 2010
I can't believe he uttered those words
Almost every morning I walk the boys up to the bus stop. The bus stop is a couple of houses up from mine. If it is raining (if raining too hard I will drive them to school) or too cold I opt to just say our goodbyes at the garage and watch them get on the bus. But the one thing that is always the same is that they get a kiss from me with a good day wish and an I love you. E always lets me kiss him but Jay will fight it a bit but the kiss always happens.
For some reason, Jay got into a mood this morning (could be lack of sleep but that is another story). He ended up having to take stickers off his shirt right before we were leaving for the bus stop. He was mad that I had him change his shirt because his outfit looked ridiculous. I guess the stickers were to make up for the shirt he did not like. I left with the other kids and he caught up to us.
As they are walking to get on the bus Jay ran from me but realized he had to get back in line. After I told him I loved him he said that he did not love me. I had to ask him to repeat what he said because I was sure he did not say what he just said. But in fact he did say it.
I really thought I had years before I would hear those words uttered from the mouth of one of my children. I have heard from friends that their children have said those exact words to them at some point. I secretly would grin and think thank goodness that doesn’t go on in my house. Well, I can say that no longer.
Wow, it hurt to hear those words. I know he is just 8 and he really doesn’t mean it but not the best way to start off your day.
Luckily, I was looking forward to my trip to Old Navy. I received an invitation to receive a reusable bag and a 20% off; however, the first 50 people would receive 50% off of their purchase. I got there early and we stood in line for about 15 minutes. I found out when I got to the register that they would only allow 50% off the items you could fit in the bag. So I had to spend some time getting my items organized. In the end I purchased 30 items for $126, which is an average of $4.20 per item. It always excites me to get a deal and a reusable bag.
It has been a busy week which is going to continue into our weekend. The forecast for the weekend is chillier temperatures. We go from hot to cold, I am sure my thermostat doesn’t know what to do. I can have the air on one day and the heat on the next. I would love to have the windows open but allergy season is upon us and I just can’t handle it. I hope to say goodbye to the heat until next season soon.
For some reason, Jay got into a mood this morning (could be lack of sleep but that is another story). He ended up having to take stickers off his shirt right before we were leaving for the bus stop. He was mad that I had him change his shirt because his outfit looked ridiculous. I guess the stickers were to make up for the shirt he did not like. I left with the other kids and he caught up to us.
As they are walking to get on the bus Jay ran from me but realized he had to get back in line. After I told him I loved him he said that he did not love me. I had to ask him to repeat what he said because I was sure he did not say what he just said. But in fact he did say it.
I really thought I had years before I would hear those words uttered from the mouth of one of my children. I have heard from friends that their children have said those exact words to them at some point. I secretly would grin and think thank goodness that doesn’t go on in my house. Well, I can say that no longer.
Wow, it hurt to hear those words. I know he is just 8 and he really doesn’t mean it but not the best way to start off your day.
Luckily, I was looking forward to my trip to Old Navy. I received an invitation to receive a reusable bag and a 20% off; however, the first 50 people would receive 50% off of their purchase. I got there early and we stood in line for about 15 minutes. I found out when I got to the register that they would only allow 50% off the items you could fit in the bag. So I had to spend some time getting my items organized. In the end I purchased 30 items for $126, which is an average of $4.20 per item. It always excites me to get a deal and a reusable bag.
It has been a busy week which is going to continue into our weekend. The forecast for the weekend is chillier temperatures. We go from hot to cold, I am sure my thermostat doesn’t know what to do. I can have the air on one day and the heat on the next. I would love to have the windows open but allergy season is upon us and I just can’t handle it. I hope to say goodbye to the heat until next season soon.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Where a kid can be a kid
We got invited to an impromptu birthday party on Wednesday at Chuck @ Cheese. It is a little bizarre as I was going through the pantry the other day I found a cup of CEC coins. I made the comment to my husband that Tee was 3 and had never experienced CEC. To celebrate the twins 2nd birthday we took them to CEC and had probably been there a handful of times after that.
Since Tee had never been there I was sure he had no idea of where we were going. I told him we were going to CEC and he was so excited. As I looked up the address on my computer, he saw the CEC mascot and said Mom that is CEC. Amazing how much gets sucked into their brain from TV and commercials.
Tee sitting with the mouse himself. He wasn't sure about sitting in the car.
A little game playing....and I still have coins left.
The birthday boy in red.
My friend has twin girls who are 3 1/2 and her son just turned 2. I met her from the local multiples club I joined. I posted a crib for sale (one I had purchased when we moved here for the apartment we lived in for a month) and she offered to buy it.
We kept in touch and after her son was born started getting the kids together to play. She is a lot of fun and the best part about it is that there is no drama with her. She is very easy to get along with and very nice. She is from the west coast and has been here for probably 3 years. They decided that the east coast is not what they thought it would be and want to move back. Her husband just got word of a job opening at a former employer (he is a nurse). So she is now getting ready for a move cross country. I am very sad she is moving. Tee will miss his friends also.
Since Tee had never been there I was sure he had no idea of where we were going. I told him we were going to CEC and he was so excited. As I looked up the address on my computer, he saw the CEC mascot and said Mom that is CEC. Amazing how much gets sucked into their brain from TV and commercials.
Tee sitting with the mouse himself. He wasn't sure about sitting in the car.
A little game playing....and I still have coins left.
The birthday boy in red.
My friend has twin girls who are 3 1/2 and her son just turned 2. I met her from the local multiples club I joined. I posted a crib for sale (one I had purchased when we moved here for the apartment we lived in for a month) and she offered to buy it.
We kept in touch and after her son was born started getting the kids together to play. She is a lot of fun and the best part about it is that there is no drama with her. She is very easy to get along with and very nice. She is from the west coast and has been here for probably 3 years. They decided that the east coast is not what they thought it would be and want to move back. Her husband just got word of a job opening at a former employer (he is a nurse). So she is now getting ready for a move cross country. I am very sad she is moving. Tee will miss his friends also.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Back to routine
We had a nice quiet spring break. We did not do much during the week. I lacked motivation to go anywhere. A lot of the neighbors and friends were out of town for the week.
The boys got ancy on Friday which led right into Saturday. On Friday, we went to the bookstore to use gift cards they had received. Then we went out to lunch. After a quick errand we were home. That is when it started.
E likes to bother Jay and Jay does not know when to walk away. E aggravated Jay that Jay ended up throwing his new book at E. And that is how we ended our Spring Break.
Our first baseball game was on Sunday. The boys' team lost but it was a really good game. The other team didn't score until a later inning. Both E and Jay pitched during the game. They both need a little help with hitting. It has been a struggle to go from machine pitch to kid pitch.
Tee is the recipient of A LOT of hand me downs from his brother. Sometimes when he wears something it reminds me of when E and Jay wore the same outfit.
The boys got ancy on Friday which led right into Saturday. On Friday, we went to the bookstore to use gift cards they had received. Then we went out to lunch. After a quick errand we were home. That is when it started.
E likes to bother Jay and Jay does not know when to walk away. E aggravated Jay that Jay ended up throwing his new book at E. And that is how we ended our Spring Break.
Our first baseball game was on Sunday. The boys' team lost but it was a really good game. The other team didn't score until a later inning. Both E and Jay pitched during the game. They both need a little help with hitting. It has been a struggle to go from machine pitch to kid pitch.
Finally a picture of Jay in his uniform.
Tee is the recipient of A LOT of hand me downs from his brother. Sometimes when he wears something it reminds me of when E and Jay wore the same outfit.
Tee wearing an outfit that grandma bought for E.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Half way
It is hard to believe that a few months ago we had a few feet of snow on the ground. It has been very hot the last few days. No, that is not a complaint coming out of my mouth. After the winter we have had, I have enjoyed the warmth of the sun. I think it will be a little cooler towards the end of the week.
My house is a wreck! The money I spent at the craft store this past weekend has paid off nicely. The boys have worked on many crafts but it has not helped me in getting my house picked up. I get distracted from what I am trying to do to help them on their crafts. And then there is Tee who wants to work on what his brothers on doing.
I have also had the boys working on a reading comprehension and math workbooks during break. They don't complain about having to do some work which is nice. I want them to keep focused during the break. We still have over 2 months of school left.
The boys have been wanting to make pizzas. I kept a recipe from my Southern Living magazine on how to make the dough. So I made the dough this morning. I managed to miss one little step but the dough turned out ok. Then I missed another step about cooking the dough prior to putting the sauce and toppings. Well, I will know for the next time. They really enjoyed making their own pizzas.
E's is on the left, Tee's is in the middle and Jay's on the right
We save a few pieces for Dad to eat later on. We will definitely make pizzas again. They tasted really good.
A friend down the street invited us to her back yard to play on an inflated water slide after lunch. We went down there for a little while. We are now all relaxing to gear up for baseball practice tonight. We have 3 practices this week with our first game on Sunday.
To finish off with a little cuteness. Tee will say "Mom I love you so much". I will say Tee I love you so much too. Then he will say "Mom that is so nice of me" while he shakes his head in agreement. Oh, the things he says are so cute! It makes his tantrums a little more bearable.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Easter 2010
We decided to attend church service on Saturday evening. There was no Sunday school for the boys on Sunday and we figured service would be packed.
The boys anxiously waiting to go check out their baskets.
Tee emptying all of his eggs.
The boys anxiously waiting to go check out their baskets.
Basket time!
Eggs were hidden all over the house. In fact, E found one today.
Eggs were hidden all over the house. In fact, E found one today.
Tee emptying all of his eggs.
We have so much candy. I am thinking it is time to do another clean out and let Daddy take it all to work.
We decided we would take a walk in the state park that sits at the front entrance of our neighborhood. We went in for a short walk but with my great sense of direction took a really long walk. Except for a few bike riders, it was very peaceful and quiet. The birds were chirping and we even heard a woodpecker.
We walked a long ways on a trail but decided that it was time to turn around. We checked out a trail map and figured out we were a very short way from a scenic overlook. We walked for about 1 1/2 hours. Tee actually walked the entire time except when we got back to our neighborhood.
It was a very nice way to spend our Easter Sunday!
Who knew it would only take a chart
E tends to have a problem remembering to do his chores. His chores include; making his bed in the morning, making sure his dirty clothes are in the hamper (not the floor), closing his drawers (I can't stand to have drawers open with clothes hanging out) and making sure his light is off. It had been a battle for some time now. I was getting tired of repeating myself everyday.
The best way to change behavior is to make a chart. So that is what I did. I made a chart complete with pictures of his daily chores. The chart also included a place to track his progress. He has done great with only a few days in which he forgot to do something. As with any chart a reward was promised.
E loves to read. He loves the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. The movie was just released and his reward was that we would take him to see that movie.
Since he has done so well we decided to take him on his movie reward early. My husband and I took the two older boys to see it on Saturday afternoon. Tickets only cost $30, which seems outrageous to me but that is a different post.
I have to say the movie was pretty funny for my husband and me. The boys enjoyed it also.
The best way to change behavior is to make a chart. So that is what I did. I made a chart complete with pictures of his daily chores. The chart also included a place to track his progress. He has done great with only a few days in which he forgot to do something. As with any chart a reward was promised.
E loves to read. He loves the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. The movie was just released and his reward was that we would take him to see that movie.
Since he has done so well we decided to take him on his movie reward early. My husband and I took the two older boys to see it on Saturday afternoon. Tickets only cost $30, which seems outrageous to me but that is a different post.
I have to say the movie was pretty funny for my husband and me. The boys enjoyed it also.
Day 1 Spring Break 2010
I arranged play dates for the boys on Friday, the first day of spring break. It was a busy morning. The boys mostly played in doors. They went out back but got scared by the bees. E has been stung by a bee a few times. After lunch, the boys decorated 2 sugar cookies to eat. And then I let the boys dye Easter eggs. Tee's friend came over after lunch just in time to do eggs also.
The boys working on their eggs.
I think they all had a nice time.
My husband was home on Friday and lucky for him I had a list of errands for him to run. He was also in charge of the egg coloring.
Tee got a Thomas bubble blower. This kept him entertained out on the deck one afternoon. I was actually able to get the house cleaned up while he was out on the deck.
The boys working on their eggs.
I think they all had a nice time.
My husband was home on Friday and lucky for him I had a list of errands for him to run. He was also in charge of the egg coloring.
Tee got a Thomas bubble blower. This kept him entertained out on the deck one afternoon. I was actually able to get the house cleaned up while he was out on the deck.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
It's our Friday
Today is the last day of school before the start of Spring Break. At least the weather is cooperating for now; it has stopped raining and is somewhat warm. We have no plans for the break. The husband will probably be working a lot next week so it will just be me and the kids. What to do? What to do?
The boys have now been invited to their 3rd birthday slumber party this year. Once again I will be explaining that my children don’t do overnights but would love to be able to attend for a few hours. It must be the thing to do in second grade.
I think I have won the best Mom in the world award today, actually this week. Tee’s preschool class had an Easter party today. The kids were having an egg hunt at 11:40 and parents were invited. I really tried to get there on time. I needed to run and shower. I got there at 11:47 and the hunt was done. Tee was sitting on the grass with one of his teachers opening his eggs. Yes, all other parents were there.
This past weekend, Tee would not get dressed. He was walking around the house naked. I asked him several times to get clothes on and he did not. I did resort to yelling at him, forcing him to wash his hands and get dressed. He then went to his room and kept crying. I finally asked him why he was crying and his response “because you yelled at me”. Oh boy!
I have taught Tee how to use the mouse on the computer. He plays on a website where he can learn his letters and sounds. He clicks on a letter which brings up the letter (both lower and upper case) and says the sound. To move to the next screen he clicks the green arrow. There are usually a few screens which have pictures/words that begin with the letter. I really didn’t think he would get it so fast but he did. Now he spends a little time on the computer (without me) and he has learned a lot of letters.
Well, in about 20 minutes, Sprink Break officially begins. I need to get back to that vacuum.
The boys have now been invited to their 3rd birthday slumber party this year. Once again I will be explaining that my children don’t do overnights but would love to be able to attend for a few hours. It must be the thing to do in second grade.
I think I have won the best Mom in the world award today, actually this week. Tee’s preschool class had an Easter party today. The kids were having an egg hunt at 11:40 and parents were invited. I really tried to get there on time. I needed to run and shower. I got there at 11:47 and the hunt was done. Tee was sitting on the grass with one of his teachers opening his eggs. Yes, all other parents were there.
This past weekend, Tee would not get dressed. He was walking around the house naked. I asked him several times to get clothes on and he did not. I did resort to yelling at him, forcing him to wash his hands and get dressed. He then went to his room and kept crying. I finally asked him why he was crying and his response “because you yelled at me”. Oh boy!
I have taught Tee how to use the mouse on the computer. He plays on a website where he can learn his letters and sounds. He clicks on a letter which brings up the letter (both lower and upper case) and says the sound. To move to the next screen he clicks the green arrow. There are usually a few screens which have pictures/words that begin with the letter. I really didn’t think he would get it so fast but he did. Now he spends a little time on the computer (without me) and he has learned a lot of letters.
Well, in about 20 minutes, Sprink Break officially begins. I need to get back to that vacuum.
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