No, really. We went to the zoo today. Well M & I did. A has been running a fever and has a cough & C hurt his foot. So yeah a zoo.
What started out as a lovely group of 4 kids and 2 moms quickly became 8 kids and 2 moms. 7 kindergartners & a preschooler. Oy! I'm beat. Overall the classes did very well, only losing one person. Nope, not a kid, a mom. We had a good time though. M got to see Mr. Nilson (the same kind of monkey that is in the Pippy movies) and asked if we could go to the pet store to get one. I also got to see how she interacts with her peers, not something I see regularly. She did very well, a bit bossy, but not too bad.
I was actually more surprised that A didn't have a hard time staying home as he was looking forward to going as well. Poor kiddo. Glad he didn't though, I think he would have had a hard time trying to keep up.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Ok, so apparently I can't even do a simple task
So I never got around to posting about the junk drawer thing. Oh well.
Had a good talking to with the kids the other night about actions & consequences. I think we're slowly getting through to them.
I returned home from work to a strangely quiet household. I get "the look" from C, you know the one... "The kids are in trouble." Sheesh
Me: Ok what'd they do?
C: They plugged up the sink and it overflowed onto the floor. So they're in trouble.
Me: Ok kids. Bed! Now! No movie tonight because you made a horrible mess (Not to mention past bed time anyway).
Kids run into room crying and I hear the following:
M: Bud-bud, Mommy and Daddy don't love us any more! boo hoo hoo. bud-bud we can't live in this house anymore. boo hoo hoo boo hoo..
Me: *sigh* walk into room. "Just because mommy and daddy are upset doesn't mean we don't love you. We still love you but you made a mistake and you have consequences for those mistakes."
M: What are consequences?
Isn't she just dramatic? "We can't live here anymore" sheesh :) think I should film her & send in my vote for best actress?
Had a good talking to with the kids the other night about actions & consequences. I think we're slowly getting through to them.
I returned home from work to a strangely quiet household. I get "the look" from C, you know the one... "The kids are in trouble." Sheesh
Me: Ok what'd they do?
C: They plugged up the sink and it overflowed onto the floor. So they're in trouble.
Me: Ok kids. Bed! Now! No movie tonight because you made a horrible mess (Not to mention past bed time anyway).
Kids run into room crying and I hear the following:
M: Bud-bud, Mommy and Daddy don't love us any more! boo hoo hoo. bud-bud we can't live in this house anymore. boo hoo hoo boo hoo..
Me: *sigh* walk into room. "Just because mommy and daddy are upset doesn't mean we don't love you. We still love you but you made a mistake and you have consequences for those mistakes."
M: What are consequences?
Isn't she just dramatic? "We can't live here anymore" sheesh :) think I should film her & send in my vote for best actress?
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Here's a task...
Yes, I borrowed this from another blog...
Go to your kitchen junk drawer (or to whereever your junk is kept), pull out the first 5 things you find & post what they are. I'll do this when I get home & update this entry.
Here's the hard part. If you haven't used the item in the last 6 months... throw it out!
Go to your kitchen junk drawer (or to whereever your junk is kept), pull out the first 5 things you find & post what they are. I'll do this when I get home & update this entry.
Here's the hard part. If you haven't used the item in the last 6 months... throw it out!
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Parenting
As this has been a topic brought up recently, I thought I'd throw my $.02 into the pot.
It's hard. No doubt about it. It's filled with second-guessing yourself, wondering if you did or are doing the right thing. Not to mention it can also be filled with people looking in from the outside telling you what you're doing wrong or that there's no reason your child should be doing x or y because a, b or c applies. You look back on your life and compare your childhood to the one you're giving your child(ren) and hope the one you provide is comparable or better. You read about vaccines, toilet-training, breast-feeding v. bottle-feeding, early readers, late readers, allergies, accidents, accomplishments, chore charts, behavior charts, reward systems, teaching good manners and compare your children to those. You know that each child is different and you shouldn't compare but you do. You tear your hair out telling your children for the bizillion-twenty-first time to please not stand on the back of the couch because they'll fall and hurt themselves. You lose your patience when they don't behave as you know they are capable. Sometimes you even find yourself yelling because speaking in a rational tone has gotten you nowhere.
Parenting is what works for you. I can't say what will work for you, most days I can't say what works for me. But I do know that my children make me proud and that they do TRY to do what is expected of them and behave in an acceptable manner. They say please and thank you. They're polite to store workers (A even said "excuse me sir" when we passed in front of someone at the store). My hope is when we come to roadblocks that we can sit down and talk about different strategies that will help out in the situation. Now, knowing my kids this may not work. That's one thing I've learned from having a special needs child, give them the block, show them how it's done, and gradually help them obtain their goal.
I know I'm not a perfect parent. I don't even claim I'm a good parent (wife/daughter/sister/person) most days. But I do know that I'm trying my best and hopefully my kids won't be too scarred from it.
I do have to watch M closely now as she asked a checkout clerk at the store if his face had gotten stung (acne). Thank goodness he didn't hear her. Yes, we've hit the "embarrassing things your children say to strangers" phase of parenting. Anyone else want to share?
It's hard. No doubt about it. It's filled with second-guessing yourself, wondering if you did or are doing the right thing. Not to mention it can also be filled with people looking in from the outside telling you what you're doing wrong or that there's no reason your child should be doing x or y because a, b or c applies. You look back on your life and compare your childhood to the one you're giving your child(ren) and hope the one you provide is comparable or better. You read about vaccines, toilet-training, breast-feeding v. bottle-feeding, early readers, late readers, allergies, accidents, accomplishments, chore charts, behavior charts, reward systems, teaching good manners and compare your children to those. You know that each child is different and you shouldn't compare but you do. You tear your hair out telling your children for the bizillion-twenty-first time to please not stand on the back of the couch because they'll fall and hurt themselves. You lose your patience when they don't behave as you know they are capable. Sometimes you even find yourself yelling because speaking in a rational tone has gotten you nowhere.
Parenting is what works for you. I can't say what will work for you, most days I can't say what works for me. But I do know that my children make me proud and that they do TRY to do what is expected of them and behave in an acceptable manner. They say please and thank you. They're polite to store workers (A even said "excuse me sir" when we passed in front of someone at the store). My hope is when we come to roadblocks that we can sit down and talk about different strategies that will help out in the situation. Now, knowing my kids this may not work. That's one thing I've learned from having a special needs child, give them the block, show them how it's done, and gradually help them obtain their goal.
I know I'm not a perfect parent. I don't even claim I'm a good parent (wife/daughter/sister/person) most days. But I do know that I'm trying my best and hopefully my kids won't be too scarred from it.
I do have to watch M closely now as she asked a checkout clerk at the store if his face had gotten stung (acne). Thank goodness he didn't hear her. Yes, we've hit the "embarrassing things your children say to strangers" phase of parenting. Anyone else want to share?
Monday, February 13, 2006
This time of year really stresses me out
No, it's not taxes. I get this really weird satisfaction of getting them done (finished & e-filed Feb. 1), I think I'm a bit touched in the head.
It's the job stress that gets me. I have around 60 deadlines between tonight and the end of the first week of may. Might be more that I'm forgetting or some that jump out of the shadows at me like a cat on too much catnip hitting a wet floor.
I've talked about it before. I've thought about it. I've weighed the consequences, figured the risks, and calculated the cost.
When the timing is right, I'm quitting my job. I'll be going back to school to get a master's degree in Architecture. Should have done that to begin with. I'm so much better with the technical side of the design world than the artistic side. What the heck was I thinking?? But it's not too late is it?
Now wait... why not now? Well, because I really don't want to spend 3 years of my life trying to cram work and school (especially after hearing the obnoxious hours the program takes) into my day. Not to mention that I just can't imagine literally not seeing my kids or husband for that length of time. Oh yeah, this is also after M told me she misses me this morning. *Sigh* I already miss out on so much.
Anyway, there it is. That's the plan. Big step in front of me.
It's the job stress that gets me. I have around 60 deadlines between tonight and the end of the first week of may. Might be more that I'm forgetting or some that jump out of the shadows at me like a cat on too much catnip hitting a wet floor.
I've talked about it before. I've thought about it. I've weighed the consequences, figured the risks, and calculated the cost.
When the timing is right, I'm quitting my job. I'll be going back to school to get a master's degree in Architecture. Should have done that to begin with. I'm so much better with the technical side of the design world than the artistic side. What the heck was I thinking?? But it's not too late is it?
Now wait... why not now? Well, because I really don't want to spend 3 years of my life trying to cram work and school (especially after hearing the obnoxious hours the program takes) into my day. Not to mention that I just can't imagine literally not seeing my kids or husband for that length of time. Oh yeah, this is also after M told me she misses me this morning. *Sigh* I already miss out on so much.
Anyway, there it is. That's the plan. Big step in front of me.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
things that make your heart smile
Monday night I came home from work and noticed that there were little paper hearts on the floor. Didn't think anything of it, just that M had made some and must have been decorating. Tuesday morning I wake up and the first thing I hear from M is that I have a surprise.
M: Mama, you have a heart trail. Here's your heart pocket. (Shows me a heart-shaped paper pocket I didn't see by the door)
Me: Oh sweetie, thank you! (I start to pick up the hearts as both M & A show me where they are.)
M: I made you a charm bracelet mama.
The hearts were in a trail from the front door to her cubbies in her bedroom. On top of the cubbies was one of her charm bracelets completely filled with charms. I almost cried.
I would never have imagined after how tough her first few years were that she would be such a wonderful and loving little girl. She really makes my heart smile when the rest of the world is stressing me out.
M: Mama, you have a heart trail. Here's your heart pocket. (Shows me a heart-shaped paper pocket I didn't see by the door)
Me: Oh sweetie, thank you! (I start to pick up the hearts as both M & A show me where they are.)
M: I made you a charm bracelet mama.
The hearts were in a trail from the front door to her cubbies in her bedroom. On top of the cubbies was one of her charm bracelets completely filled with charms. I almost cried.
I would never have imagined after how tough her first few years were that she would be such a wonderful and loving little girl. She really makes my heart smile when the rest of the world is stressing me out.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Well here are some closeups of the chuckleheads. The littlest one is a real handful as he won't stay still for a second, it's always move, move, move. Not to mention as soon as he sees your finger move to take the picture he's bolting over to look at it in the view screen. Remember the days when you actually had to wait until the roll was finished and then wait again for the processing to be complete? I think I'd actually still be taking pictures that way if I didn't have a tendency to hold onto the film rolls for years. Not to mention that it's easier & faster to get pictures to people.Getting ready for the day this morning. And of course we're going to be late... Oh well, nothing new really.
Friday, February 03, 2006
As much as we'd like to move north
the School District is *really* making it hard to want to leave.
I had M's IEP meeting today & it was GREAT!
I hear horror stories about parents who have to fight for every little service for their child(ren) and here I am getting everything I want for M and more laid out in front of me. They have alternative testing plans, speech therapy plans, instructional aide plans all ready to be put into place if/when she needs them. I wouldn't have thought to ask for 85% of this. Not to mention that I forgot about the meeting until I was half way to her habilitation this morning. Thank goodness I got dressed & didn't go in my jams which I normally do on Fridays.
So YAY for MPS!! Woo!!!
I had M's IEP meeting today & it was GREAT!
I hear horror stories about parents who have to fight for every little service for their child(ren) and here I am getting everything I want for M and more laid out in front of me. They have alternative testing plans, speech therapy plans, instructional aide plans all ready to be put into place if/when she needs them. I wouldn't have thought to ask for 85% of this. Not to mention that I forgot about the meeting until I was half way to her habilitation this morning. Thank goodness I got dressed & didn't go in my jams which I normally do on Fridays.
So YAY for MPS!! Woo!!!
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