Now that I have my own children, I am truly grateful for my parents' ability to raise highly independent people. My siblings and I are all great problem solvers, go-getters, and have the ability to make confident decisions. In an attempt to follow in their footsteps, I made a decision to give my daughter a dollar on the days I drop her off at dance class. I used to send a snack with her since she has two classes in a row, but I decided some early financial lessons would be good.
The first day I gave her two dollars. I told her she could use one dollar in the juice machine and the other in the snack machine. After class she was excited to tell me about her healthy choices! She also moved to give me her change. I told her she could keep the change. I got an excited thank-you-mommy, and we went home.
The next week I only gave her one dollar. It was cute to watch her try and figure out why she was only given one.
"I don't get two dollars? I can't get a snack with my drink?"
"You can choose to get a drink out of the machine, but the dance studio does have a water fountain. If you drink water you can save your money and get a snack. You get to decide."
"If I get a drink I won't have any change, but sometimes I am thirsty for something better than water."
"You decide. It's okay to pick the drink if you want it. It is one of those decisions that is just a choice."
She wasn't thrilled with the idea of a choice, but she said thank you and off she went. I was excited to find she was choosing to buy snacks. I was even MORE proud the day she came back to the car after class with both a juice and a granola bar.
"Both? How did you manage to get both?"
"When I get pop tarts I only get 15 cents in change. When I get granola bars I get 40 cents change. I have been saving my change and today I had enough for both a drink AND a snack. Granola bars are healthier anyway."
My 8 year old is a genius!
But the best day ever? Hip hop class. Normally I don't send snack money on Hip hop day. Ryan makes breakfast on Saturdays so their tummies are usually plenty full. However one day we were rushed through breakfast to get out the door. I sent one dollar with each kid and went to run an errand. As I pulled away I could hear my daughter teaching her brother - " . . . but if you choose to drink water from the fountain . . . "
When the kids got back in the car I got a full report - my daughter picked her granola bar; my son picked what he thought were peanut butter crackers. What he ended up with - cheese on cheese crackers. He loathes cheese on cheese. I can only imagine the melt down that could have happened.
"I told him not to be upset. I gave him my change and told him to use his change and he would have enough to pick something else."
"Yeah mom, she gave me her change and so I got a chocolate bar."
"And since I gave him my change, he shared his candy with me mom!"
"Don't worry, I didn't waste the crackers. I kept them. Do you want me to give them to the babies?"
THEY DO LOVE EACH OTHER! THEY EVEN LOVE THEIR LITTLE SIBLINGS!
It was such a great mommy moment. I should call and tell my mom . . .
-Sara
Showing posts with label firsts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label firsts. Show all posts
Monday, October 20, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
A Pirate Says ARRRRRRRRGH!
My poor baby! Not only is he blind - farsighted with a prescription of +3 and +4 - now he needs to wear a patch over his right eye for two weeks. It seems if you are extremely farsighted and refuse to wear your glasses because you have hit the terrible twos, AND you hide them in the recliner where they break and you go without glasses for two weeks waiting for them to be repaired, you develop a lazy eye.
It seems his brain shut off his weak eye in order to see better out of the dominate eye. The solution - patch the good eye. Sounds simple enough, unless you are the pregnant mother of said child. I was traumatized!
My kids are usually fighters in the doctor offices. If someone is messing with them in some fashion in which they don't approve, they cry, scream, kick, wiggle, and my oldest even bit one of her nurses attempting to administer a vaccination. Now that a few of them are older and can ask questions before freaking out, I am not so embarrassed by the younger ones. I even slightly admire their strong wills.
When the patch hit my son's eye, however, he didn't fit or fuss or fight. He was confused. After two or three minutes of silence he began to whimper. He was blind. His brain had no idea what was happening. It was the worst mommy moment ever. I was helpless. I couldn't fix it for him.
The next step was zombie mode. It was almost like his brain was rebooting, trying to figure out how to turn on the lazy eye. When we finally got home he began to wander around. He helped me pick up the giant checkers and put them away. Whew, I knew he was okay.
The only fun part of the event - seeing first hand how completely different two parents handle the same situation. Being the parent with eyeglasses, Ryan went with me to the appointment.
I am in the office near tears.
Ryan is joking with the doctor and asking important questions.
Ryan pulls him out of the car and expects him to walk by himself.
I yell, "HE'S BLIND!! PICK MY BABY UP!!!"
I gently coax him into picking up big, bright objects off the floor.
Ryan starts throwing WEEBLES at him to catch!
I understand why there is a balance of two parents, but man alive those guys are weird.
-Sara
It seems his brain shut off his weak eye in order to see better out of the dominate eye. The solution - patch the good eye. Sounds simple enough, unless you are the pregnant mother of said child. I was traumatized!
My kids are usually fighters in the doctor offices. If someone is messing with them in some fashion in which they don't approve, they cry, scream, kick, wiggle, and my oldest even bit one of her nurses attempting to administer a vaccination. Now that a few of them are older and can ask questions before freaking out, I am not so embarrassed by the younger ones. I even slightly admire their strong wills.
When the patch hit my son's eye, however, he didn't fit or fuss or fight. He was confused. After two or three minutes of silence he began to whimper. He was blind. His brain had no idea what was happening. It was the worst mommy moment ever. I was helpless. I couldn't fix it for him.
The next step was zombie mode. It was almost like his brain was rebooting, trying to figure out how to turn on the lazy eye. When we finally got home he began to wander around. He helped me pick up the giant checkers and put them away. Whew, I knew he was okay.
The only fun part of the event - seeing first hand how completely different two parents handle the same situation. Being the parent with eyeglasses, Ryan went with me to the appointment.
I am in the office near tears.
Ryan is joking with the doctor and asking important questions.
Ryan pulls him out of the car and expects him to walk by himself.
I yell, "HE'S BLIND!! PICK MY BABY UP!!!"
I gently coax him into picking up big, bright objects off the floor.
Ryan starts throwing WEEBLES at him to catch!
I understand why there is a balance of two parents, but man alive those guys are weird.
-Sara
Thursday, April 3, 2008
PMS or Overreaction?
Blog has been neglected long enough. Life tends to get busy this time of year, but sheesh!
We have had a death in the extended family, a broken finger, the jeep died, the van finally came back after a month in the shop and has to go right back in for more work, not to mention our attempts at spring cleaning. We got a dumpster and everything!
Life has been crazy and it is time to vent it out.
Ryan and I had our first public fight. It has been four years; I guess we were due.
We were at the funeral for his step-grandma who lost her battle with cancer. It was a very hard on Ryan's family, but since she was someone my kids had only met a handful of times, I didn't pull the older two out of school for the funeral. In hindsight, it was probably not the best decision, but one we made as a couple.
At the luncheon after the funeral, Ryan came up to me and told me I was wanted for a family picture. He made the comment, "Now that we are officially married you are expected to be in it." He was kidding, but immediately I went into mama bear mode and told him I was going to sit this one out.
He calmly explained it was his great-aunt who wanted the pictures and it would be no big deal, but I just smiled and said, "Since half my family isn't here, I will not be in the picture. I don't mind if you and the babies join."
I am ultra sensitive to my blended family. There is a divide in kids, but I want to acknowledge it as little as possible. An extended family picture that is possibly going to end up on the mantle at Grandma's house is not something I want my older kids to see and wonder why they aren't in the extended-family photo.
He tried to make it better and say it wasn't a real family picture. The woman simply wanted photos of the family members at the luncheon. I snapped back, "That is easily fixed. I can leave."
Ryan got a big snippy with me and said, "It is no big deal, just get in the picture."
Here is where I started to get back in his face. You can't have it both ways. Either it really is no big deal - in which case no one will mind if I sit out - OR it IS a big deal - in which case I am definitely not getting in the picture without my other two kids. I asked him, "Which is it?"
He started to walk off . . . INFURIATING . . . I yelled after him and made him talk to me. In the end, he promised the only one with a copy would be a woman in another state and "please just get in the photo, play nice this once."
I was really upset for a few days. It wasn't about the photo anymore. He wasn't sticking up for me. Most of the time he is WONDERFUL at having my back on my idiosyncrasies, but this time I felt thrown under the bus. When I was calm enough to hear his side, I began to understand. He was already on the $h1t list with his mother for other silly issues. He had said we would be in the photo before he asked me and didn't want to make a scene after agreeing. Ryan promises it won't happen again.
I need some opinions. Was this a serious case of PMS or was I justified in flipping out?
-SaraMae
We have had a death in the extended family, a broken finger, the jeep died, the van finally came back after a month in the shop and has to go right back in for more work, not to mention our attempts at spring cleaning. We got a dumpster and everything!
Life has been crazy and it is time to vent it out.
Ryan and I had our first public fight. It has been four years; I guess we were due.
We were at the funeral for his step-grandma who lost her battle with cancer. It was a very hard on Ryan's family, but since she was someone my kids had only met a handful of times, I didn't pull the older two out of school for the funeral. In hindsight, it was probably not the best decision, but one we made as a couple.
At the luncheon after the funeral, Ryan came up to me and told me I was wanted for a family picture. He made the comment, "Now that we are officially married you are expected to be in it." He was kidding, but immediately I went into mama bear mode and told him I was going to sit this one out.
He calmly explained it was his great-aunt who wanted the pictures and it would be no big deal, but I just smiled and said, "Since half my family isn't here, I will not be in the picture. I don't mind if you and the babies join."
I am ultra sensitive to my blended family. There is a divide in kids, but I want to acknowledge it as little as possible. An extended family picture that is possibly going to end up on the mantle at Grandma's house is not something I want my older kids to see and wonder why they aren't in the extended-family photo.
He tried to make it better and say it wasn't a real family picture. The woman simply wanted photos of the family members at the luncheon. I snapped back, "That is easily fixed. I can leave."
Ryan got a big snippy with me and said, "It is no big deal, just get in the picture."
Here is where I started to get back in his face. You can't have it both ways. Either it really is no big deal - in which case no one will mind if I sit out - OR it IS a big deal - in which case I am definitely not getting in the picture without my other two kids. I asked him, "Which is it?"
He started to walk off . . . INFURIATING . . . I yelled after him and made him talk to me. In the end, he promised the only one with a copy would be a woman in another state and "please just get in the photo, play nice this once."
I was really upset for a few days. It wasn't about the photo anymore. He wasn't sticking up for me. Most of the time he is WONDERFUL at having my back on my idiosyncrasies, but this time I felt thrown under the bus. When I was calm enough to hear his side, I began to understand. He was already on the $h1t list with his mother for other silly issues. He had said we would be in the photo before he asked me and didn't want to make a scene after agreeing. Ryan promises it won't happen again.
I need some opinions. Was this a serious case of PMS or was I justified in flipping out?
-SaraMae
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Spoiled by Technology
I was leaving job training and clicked my unlock button for the car on my key ring. Nothing happened.
I clicked it again. The lock didn't pop up. Weird, maybe the battery in the remote is dead.
Now I start to panic . . . my car won't unlock . . . HOW AM I GOING TO GET IN MY CAR!!!!
After about three seconds I felt like a complete moron. I have a KEY on the key ring! For Pete's sake. As I jammed the key into my car, I realized it was a motion I haven't done in over eight years! No wonder I nearly freaked out. Thank the Lord above I didn't rush to someone for help. That could have been completely mortifying.
I jumped in my car and went to start it.
Click, click, click. Great, battery was dead. The locks should have been the first clue.
But . . . TA DA!!!! . . . technology to the rescue! Ryan bought me a portable car jumping kit. Okay, okay, maybe most people don't need one of these contraptions, but I do. Maybe I have a wee slight problem turning my lights off. Sure, they turn themselves off after a few minutes, but it adds up if you have kids in and out of the car looking for the crap they left in it. Then there is the teeny tiny problem with having a door cracked and the inside lights stay lit. Hey, if you had two babies in your arms in zero degree weather and you have to get behind the door and kick it on the far edge just right to get it to shut (most of the time it's impressive, you should see me do it on a thin layer of ice), you might have this problem too!
But back to my amazing contraption - I never knew these jumper thingers exsisted, but I am SO glad I had it. Totally worked. About the size of a kid's lunch box it fits under my seat (ooo, speaking of lunch boxes, I had the most ultra-knarly smurf one in second grade). It being extremely light, I just whipped it out, hooked it up, turned it on, and 60 seconds later my engine roared! Ahhh, I love being independent.
What have we learned?
1. My next van needs automatic doors
2. I love technology, even if it spoils me rotten
-Sara
I clicked it again. The lock didn't pop up. Weird, maybe the battery in the remote is dead.
Now I start to panic . . . my car won't unlock . . . HOW AM I GOING TO GET IN MY CAR!!!!
After about three seconds I felt like a complete moron. I have a KEY on the key ring! For Pete's sake. As I jammed the key into my car, I realized it was a motion I haven't done in over eight years! No wonder I nearly freaked out. Thank the Lord above I didn't rush to someone for help. That could have been completely mortifying.
I jumped in my car and went to start it.
Click, click, click. Great, battery was dead. The locks should have been the first clue.
But . . . TA DA!!!! . . . technology to the rescue! Ryan bought me a portable car jumping kit. Okay, okay, maybe most people don't need one of these contraptions, but I do. Maybe I have a wee slight problem turning my lights off. Sure, they turn themselves off after a few minutes, but it adds up if you have kids in and out of the car looking for the crap they left in it. Then there is the teeny tiny problem with having a door cracked and the inside lights stay lit. Hey, if you had two babies in your arms in zero degree weather and you have to get behind the door and kick it on the far edge just right to get it to shut (most of the time it's impressive, you should see me do it on a thin layer of ice), you might have this problem too!
But back to my amazing contraption - I never knew these jumper thingers exsisted, but I am SO glad I had it. Totally worked. About the size of a kid's lunch box it fits under my seat (ooo, speaking of lunch boxes, I had the most ultra-knarly smurf one in second grade). It being extremely light, I just whipped it out, hooked it up, turned it on, and 60 seconds later my engine roared! Ahhh, I love being independent.
What have we learned?
1. My next van needs automatic doors
2. I love technology, even if it spoils me rotten
-Sara
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Not Enough Time
I was going to write a blog about the severe crush I have on my ex-karate instructor, but I have to clean the family room before I hit training. This job is seriously cutting into my blog time!
Maybe I should just do a quick milestone blog.
My 7 year old - wait, she turned 8 last week - just hit the multiplication tables at school.
My 6 year old is reading chapter books.
My 2 1/2 year old is starting to memorize board books.
My 18 month old is talking like crazy! We are up to - mama, dada, papa, uh-oh, spongebob (bumbah), up, help me (hep me), nuh-uh, oh no, sippy (ippy), butt, eyes, and block (bock)
I have never had an early talker. If you don't consider this early, please don't tell me. Let me live in my ignorance. My other kids didn't talk until after the age of two!
OH!!!! And I have lost 7 lbs! Not as much as I hoped, but I am excited because I went off the diet while Ryan was in Germany and fully expected to gain some weight. When I went back to the routine, I found I had lost 1 pound without trying! Woohoo! I guess I really am shifting the lifestyle. Very excited.
-Sara
Maybe I should just do a quick milestone blog.
My 7 year old - wait, she turned 8 last week - just hit the multiplication tables at school.
My 6 year old is reading chapter books.
My 2 1/2 year old is starting to memorize board books.
My 18 month old is talking like crazy! We are up to - mama, dada, papa, uh-oh, spongebob (bumbah), up, help me (hep me), nuh-uh, oh no, sippy (ippy), butt, eyes, and block (bock)
I have never had an early talker. If you don't consider this early, please don't tell me. Let me live in my ignorance. My other kids didn't talk until after the age of two!
OH!!!! And I have lost 7 lbs! Not as much as I hoped, but I am excited because I went off the diet while Ryan was in Germany and fully expected to gain some weight. When I went back to the routine, I found I had lost 1 pound without trying! Woohoo! I guess I really am shifting the lifestyle. Very excited.
-Sara
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Stop the Ride, I wanna Get OFF!
Do you ever have one of those days? The kind of day that leaves you feeling like you have ridden the rollercoaster one too many times and then got on the tilt-a-whirl? And now you are stuck knowing you would feel much better if you just puked up the corn dog and funnel cake, but ew, you don't want to end your experience with dry heaves?
I had one of those today. It is why I am sitting here blogging at 2:30 AM when I should be in the middle of a great dream.
The day started out wonderful. The rollercoaster was treating me well. I got the big kids to school okay. The four babies were angels. I did dishes, laundry, swept, and vacuumed. Next I get the crew all down for naps by the time my sister came to watch them.
Training went well. I am amazing :) I was on cloud nine by the time I headed to school to grab the big kids. Then the tide turned.
Grabbed the big kids, raced home, rushed my son into his wrestling clothes, jumped back in the car, got him to practice with two minutes to spare, went to the bank, got there five minutes after they closed, stopped at MomBFF for cash, grabbed dinner on the run, picked up my boy, came home, fed the babies, tended to so many kid problems my food got cold, took a phone call from my mother asking about lunch with my daughter tomorrow, realized I didn't pick up cupcakes for her birthday, read a book to one kid while trying to change a diaper, enforce a time out, and inspect brushed teeth, THEN after I get three kids in bed, my sister needs help getting insurance quotes, oh now SingleBFF needs help figuring out her maximum GPA capabilities this semester, I find a moment to eat between IMs and after struggling for a half hour to get the fourth child in bed, I get a moment to breath. (I have no idea how you working mothers do it, seriously)
Of course what do I decide to do to wind down? I made the mistake of watching some emotional TV programming. Tears. Tried to go to bed but couldn't sleep. Looked at the clock and decided to grab the laptop. It is 9:30 AM in Germany. Good thing Ryan loves me enough to talk me down.
I have decided the lesson for today is - Don't make a huge life change while your husband is out of the country. If you do, at least turn off the phone, send the kids to bed early, don't answer IMs, and stick to sitcoms.
-Sara
I had one of those today. It is why I am sitting here blogging at 2:30 AM when I should be in the middle of a great dream.
The day started out wonderful. The rollercoaster was treating me well. I got the big kids to school okay. The four babies were angels. I did dishes, laundry, swept, and vacuumed. Next I get the crew all down for naps by the time my sister came to watch them.
Training went well. I am amazing :) I was on cloud nine by the time I headed to school to grab the big kids. Then the tide turned.
Grabbed the big kids, raced home, rushed my son into his wrestling clothes, jumped back in the car, got him to practice with two minutes to spare, went to the bank, got there five minutes after they closed, stopped at MomBFF for cash, grabbed dinner on the run, picked up my boy, came home, fed the babies, tended to so many kid problems my food got cold, took a phone call from my mother asking about lunch with my daughter tomorrow, realized I didn't pick up cupcakes for her birthday, read a book to one kid while trying to change a diaper, enforce a time out, and inspect brushed teeth, THEN after I get three kids in bed, my sister needs help getting insurance quotes, oh now SingleBFF needs help figuring out her maximum GPA capabilities this semester, I find a moment to eat between IMs and after struggling for a half hour to get the fourth child in bed, I get a moment to breath. (I have no idea how you working mothers do it, seriously)
Of course what do I decide to do to wind down? I made the mistake of watching some emotional TV programming. Tears. Tried to go to bed but couldn't sleep. Looked at the clock and decided to grab the laptop. It is 9:30 AM in Germany. Good thing Ryan loves me enough to talk me down.
I have decided the lesson for today is - Don't make a huge life change while your husband is out of the country. If you do, at least turn off the phone, send the kids to bed early, don't answer IMs, and stick to sitcoms.
-Sara
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Surpise, It Works
My furnace went out yesterday. 28 degrees was the high and my furnace goes out. Great.
In the morning I noticed it was slightly colder in the house, but I figured Ryan turned it down. At noon I put the baby down for a nap, and when he woke up an hour earlier than usual, I started to suspect something was up. The poor baby was freezing. I picked him up and went to check the thermostat.
Even though it was set at 68, it was showing the house at 65. I am guessing the boys room was down into the 50s. We immediately called a heater repair person, but we would have to wait until 5:30.
After I picked up the big kids from school, it was getting frigid. I forced two layers on all seven kids and asked Ryan to attempt a fire in the family room fireplace. We have been in this house for nearly two years and have yet to light anything in either fireplace. Our excuse? Bats.
Our first spring we heard the strangest screeches coming from the fireplace. We thought for sure we would have to call someone out to remove a nest before we tried it out. We decided to risk it and lit a few logs since we didn't hear anything last spring. Ta Da! It worked. I love a good fire. Too bad we didn't have marshmallows.
I guess it was a blessing in disguise. Fixed the furnace for under $200 and found out our fireplace works just fine!
- Sara
In the morning I noticed it was slightly colder in the house, but I figured Ryan turned it down. At noon I put the baby down for a nap, and when he woke up an hour earlier than usual, I started to suspect something was up. The poor baby was freezing. I picked him up and went to check the thermostat.
Even though it was set at 68, it was showing the house at 65. I am guessing the boys room was down into the 50s. We immediately called a heater repair person, but we would have to wait until 5:30.
After I picked up the big kids from school, it was getting frigid. I forced two layers on all seven kids and asked Ryan to attempt a fire in the family room fireplace. We have been in this house for nearly two years and have yet to light anything in either fireplace. Our excuse? Bats.
Our first spring we heard the strangest screeches coming from the fireplace. We thought for sure we would have to call someone out to remove a nest before we tried it out. We decided to risk it and lit a few logs since we didn't hear anything last spring. Ta Da! It worked. I love a good fire. Too bad we didn't have marshmallows.
I guess it was a blessing in disguise. Fixed the furnace for under $200 and found out our fireplace works just fine!
- Sara
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
TSO Tradition
Ryan and I have a Christmas tradition. For the past three years he has taken me to the TSO concert when it comes to town. The first year was hard. My baby daughter was only four months old and I didn't want to leave her. The only reason I went is because Ryan seemed so excited to go AND since I had left her a few weeks earlier to go to the Paul McCartney concert, I couldn't really pull out the "I can't leave the baby" card. (Hey, he's a BEATLE!!!! It's different) We went and it was amazing. Had I known lasers and shooting fire were involved, I wouldn't have whined so much.
When we went for the second time last year, my baby boy was even younger, but I knew how fun the show was going to be, so I went without one complaint. There were even MORE lasers and lights. Super fun.
This year I was looking forward to the Christmas concert, but I had already seen it twice, and thought it might be fun to take the older two kids. Ryan wasn't sure if they would sit through a three hour show on a school night, but he bought the tickets. It was my turn to be the overly excited one for the concert. It nearly broke my heart when my oldest was being a brat. She didn't WAAAAANT to go. She would be BOOOOOOORED. My defenses went up. "Fine," I told her. "If you don't like it and you are bored, next year your sister can go instead." This seemed to be a fair deal to her and she got in the car.
I am pretty sure the sight of the auditorium is the moment my kids began to realize this trip might be fun. They had only gone to events at the older and smaller auditorium in town. This one is much bigger. As we were headed to our seats, we ran into my ex-in-laws - small world!
Now the kids were extremely excited. They got popcorn and our seats, although a tad high up and further toward the back, were front row in our section. The kids wouldn't have to miss any moment behind some tall person's head.
The lights dimmed and the first song began. The instant the lasers hit, my kids let out a scream of amazement. It was the best!
Three hours was a bit long. Ryan even bought them some cotton candy midway to perk them up a bit. I told him it was horrible, but he wanted to make sure they got to see the finale. At one point, as my son began to drift out during a slower song, I put him in my lap. I began to tear up. It was the first time in a LONG time I got to snuggle with him. Before the second set of rugrats came along, he was my cuddle baby. I missed it. I took a moment to enjoy the moment and file the memory and hoped it wouldn't be the last time he crawled into my lap. Of course two songs later my daughter asked for a turn. Man, she is nearly as big as I am at this point, but I made it work.
All in all it was a great night. During the finale I asked my daughter, "Are you bored?" She looked at me with wide eyes and shook her head no.
I can't wait for next year.
- Sara
When we went for the second time last year, my baby boy was even younger, but I knew how fun the show was going to be, so I went without one complaint. There were even MORE lasers and lights. Super fun.
This year I was looking forward to the Christmas concert, but I had already seen it twice, and thought it might be fun to take the older two kids. Ryan wasn't sure if they would sit through a three hour show on a school night, but he bought the tickets. It was my turn to be the overly excited one for the concert. It nearly broke my heart when my oldest was being a brat. She didn't WAAAAANT to go. She would be BOOOOOOORED. My defenses went up. "Fine," I told her. "If you don't like it and you are bored, next year your sister can go instead." This seemed to be a fair deal to her and she got in the car.
I am pretty sure the sight of the auditorium is the moment my kids began to realize this trip might be fun. They had only gone to events at the older and smaller auditorium in town. This one is much bigger. As we were headed to our seats, we ran into my ex-in-laws - small world!
Now the kids were extremely excited. They got popcorn and our seats, although a tad high up and further toward the back, were front row in our section. The kids wouldn't have to miss any moment behind some tall person's head.
The lights dimmed and the first song began. The instant the lasers hit, my kids let out a scream of amazement. It was the best!
Three hours was a bit long. Ryan even bought them some cotton candy midway to perk them up a bit. I told him it was horrible, but he wanted to make sure they got to see the finale. At one point, as my son began to drift out during a slower song, I put him in my lap. I began to tear up. It was the first time in a LONG time I got to snuggle with him. Before the second set of rugrats came along, he was my cuddle baby. I missed it. I took a moment to enjoy the moment and file the memory and hoped it wouldn't be the last time he crawled into my lap. Of course two songs later my daughter asked for a turn. Man, she is nearly as big as I am at this point, but I made it work.
All in all it was a great night. During the finale I asked my daughter, "Are you bored?" She looked at me with wide eyes and shook her head no.
I can't wait for next year.
- Sara
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Ew, Ew, Poo-Poo
WARNING - This isn't for the weak stomached individuals. That being said, I HAVE to talk about diaper contents. You would think after having four babies I would have seen it all, but no. I have recently been shocked, once again by diaper contents. After being grossed out I realized, what a great opportunity! I should document them! Not only can I mortify my children when they bring home prom dates, I can also save some new parents a heart attack or two.
I have been freeked out by the best of them:
brand new baby first poo - takes at least ten wipes to clean off that black tar mess
breastfed baby poo - yellow/orange seedy looking gook that, in my opinion, smells like funky buttered popcorn, ew
formula fed poo - not as weird to look at as the breastfed poo, but way stenchier
raisins that end up looking like grapes poo - yeah, that was freaky, and completely disgusting
jello that stays intact poo - don't let your baby get ahold of red jello, but if they do, let dad change it. Ryan flipped out that his baby girl was menstrating. I laughed a very long time about that one (but only after we figured out the culprit)
lime green crayon bits poo - once again daddy changed this one, and even though I figured this one out in seconds, it was still gross all the same.
gritty due to pears poo - I would have swore she ate sand since it took almost as many wipes as a newborn poo!
saved up for seven days poo - ugh, I don't want to ever go through that again. Poor baby
and my favorite bright green due to fruit loops poo - nuff said.
Yes I have seen it all!
Or so i think, anyone else have poo experiences we should share with the new moms? I think I heard Marie mention an asparagus episode on a previous podcast . . . Marie? :)
- Sara
I have been freeked out by the best of them:
brand new baby first poo - takes at least ten wipes to clean off that black tar mess
breastfed baby poo - yellow/orange seedy looking gook that, in my opinion, smells like funky buttered popcorn, ew
formula fed poo - not as weird to look at as the breastfed poo, but way stenchier
raisins that end up looking like grapes poo - yeah, that was freaky, and completely disgusting
jello that stays intact poo - don't let your baby get ahold of red jello, but if they do, let dad change it. Ryan flipped out that his baby girl was menstrating. I laughed a very long time about that one (but only after we figured out the culprit)
lime green crayon bits poo - once again daddy changed this one, and even though I figured this one out in seconds, it was still gross all the same.
gritty due to pears poo - I would have swore she ate sand since it took almost as many wipes as a newborn poo!
saved up for seven days poo - ugh, I don't want to ever go through that again. Poor baby
and my favorite bright green due to fruit loops poo - nuff said.
Yes I have seen it all!
Or so i think, anyone else have poo experiences we should share with the new moms? I think I heard Marie mention an asparagus episode on a previous podcast . . . Marie? :)
- Sara
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Bittersweet Baby Talk
My fourth child finally said mamma. I didn't even get to enjoy it. The little buggar knows it too.
We were on our way home from a weekend trip to Chicago. The drive home was going great with 75% of my children sleeping, but the 14 month old wasn't happy. He was whimpering. I tried giving him a sippy, tried the glow worm toy, even gave him a potato chip. They were all thrown to the ground. He wanted held. I couldn't change his mind. That's when he played his trump card.
"Mmmmmmahhhhhmmmmmaahhhh!!!"
I immediately asked Ryan, "did he just say mamma?" Of course he was no help. He was using his male tuning out system. All I got was a, "huh?" But then clear as day, through a few more sobs, I heard it again.
"Mammmmmmma!"
Great. First time he calls for me I can't get him. Dang seatbelt laws! I asked the baby the next day if he remembered saying mamma. Buggar just smiled at me. I think he enjoys pushing my buttons, and why wouldn't he. The other three love it just as much.
Oh well, at least he said mamma. I have to remember it will be no time before I will be wishing he couldn't say it! :)
- Sara
We were on our way home from a weekend trip to Chicago. The drive home was going great with 75% of my children sleeping, but the 14 month old wasn't happy. He was whimpering. I tried giving him a sippy, tried the glow worm toy, even gave him a potato chip. They were all thrown to the ground. He wanted held. I couldn't change his mind. That's when he played his trump card.
"Mmmmmmahhhhhmmmmmaahhhh!!!"
I immediately asked Ryan, "did he just say mamma?" Of course he was no help. He was using his male tuning out system. All I got was a, "huh?" But then clear as day, through a few more sobs, I heard it again.
"Mammmmmmma!"
Great. First time he calls for me I can't get him. Dang seatbelt laws! I asked the baby the next day if he remembered saying mamma. Buggar just smiled at me. I think he enjoys pushing my buttons, and why wouldn't he. The other three love it just as much.
Oh well, at least he said mamma. I have to remember it will be no time before I will be wishing he couldn't say it! :)
- Sara
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