Transitions

Whoa!  I have three kids in three schools in two different parts of the county and no one can take a bus.  Thus, Daddy chauffers in the morning and Mommy gets the afternoon shift.  How long is the commute?  Well, it goes something like this:  leave my office, walk to car (a block away), drive to get Bee, go in and gather her and her stuff, get in car, drive to get Lulu, wait for her to get to me (depending on her commitment, this could be a 15-minute wait), drive to get Bro, get in and get bro and his gear, drive home.  All in all, this takes an hour and 45 minutes.  Many days, Fairy Grandmother (who lives very close to me), will get Bro.  This saves me 45 minutes.  SWEET!

The evening consists of unpacking and cleaning lunch containers, cooking and cleaning up from dinner, and prepping for the following day. 

Look at the picture below.  Do you see the large mound of dishes?  I am not kidding you when I tell you that this pile mostly consists of:  containers from their lunches and a few items from preppring dinner. 

Folks - our dinner consisted of spinach dip, leftover pizza, carrots, and edamame.  So, what this really means is that... most of this pile is JUST the pile from their lunches.  On the nights that I cook a real dinner, this pile is twice as large.

Is anyone else shocked by this?  Thank goodness I only have lunches for two of the three kids.  I am partly tempted to just go with disposable storage (juice boxes and baggies) but I just cannot bring myself to create that much trash every single day.  Ugh!

See - I told you... look at this dinner. 

 



Funny story.  See those edamames up there?  Edamame is pronounced "eda-mommy" but Bee calls them "eda-mommas" instead of "mommy" and for some reason I think this is adorable.  When she is really showing off, she will call them "eda-daddas."  BWAAAAA!

Yes, I know you want to know how school is going.  Well, Bro loves his teacher and his new friends and learning, but he is having a hard time transitioning in the morning.

I had to send this note to the principal today:

Dear {{Principal}}: 

 

Thank you for taking my call this morning. My concern is that my new Kindergartener, {{Bro}}, is have a difficult time transitioning to school in the morning. He has a great time during school and he loves his teachers and the new friends he is meeting, but this morning transition is difficult for him.

{{Bro}} comes from a preschool environment and it has been his habit to watch Daddy drive away and wave to Daddy from his classroom window every morning. After Kindergarten orientation, last Spring, {{Bro's}} only concern was, "Will there be a place to wave good-bye?" This Fall, we were putting {{Bro}} on the bus and this was NOT working for him at all. Thus, we moved to driving him to school and letting him wave good-bye to Daddy. Finally, we were making some progress and he is tear-free 50% of the time. Nonetheless, this morning, he was rushed into the building and was not permitted to wave as Daddy drove away, and {{Bro}} had the biggest melt down yet. I respect that you are responsible for tons of kids... I do. I respect that you have to watch for not only the safety of Brody but also the safety of every kid in the school. I respect that each child is a precious gift and "kids + cars = bad combination." However, is there any way that {{Bro}} can be permitted to wave to Daddy as he pulls away before entering the building? I really feel that giving {{Bro}} an opportunity to wave good-bye would be extremely helpful. Any help you can provide, or suggestions you may have, is greatly appreciated.       

 

Sigh - yes, this transition has been hard.  I cannot begin to tell you how this breaks my heart.  We rewarded him  for keeping up with school evevn though it seems "scary" (his words) by taking him to the LEGO store this weekend.  He picked out some Star Wars LEGO sets.  Why the sudden fascination with Star Wars???

 

 

 

He said that Bee should be permitted to get something too (yes, HIS suggestion) so she picked out some bricks and three people, which she made herself. 



"I made this wall for my brother's Star Wars set Mom!" said the sweetest sister ever!

 
Bro is not the only kid in our home transitioning to a new school this year.  There is still more to come!

Stay tuned!

Artists

"Mom, I think I should be an artist when I grow up because I am really good at staying in the lines and also I know stuff."

The Day Before Easter

We are just finishing up a wonderful day.

Woke up.

Went to an Easter event at my church:  bouncy house, horse rides, story time, egg hunts every 15 minutes, and so on.  The kids had a blast!

Went to the local bakery to pick up a honey oat bunny bread for tomorrow.

Dyed "eggs."

Bought Bro some soccer shoes and shin guards.  His first practice and game is THIS week.  What?  

You might remember that we fostered a pet chicken last year and dyeing eggs with a chicken in the family was a bit awkward to say the least.

Nonetheless, I made good on my promise to find a more humane alternative to dyeing real eggs and purchased two dozen eggnots.

They look and feel like real eggs.

They last forever - so I could display them on my cabinet for the entire month of March without the fear that hey would spoil.

We finally got around to dying them at 5:00 the night before Easter.  Nothing like waiting 'til the last minute, ya know???

Bro immediately started with a two-toned egg.

Even though Bri was so gently with the eggs, she didn't need to be because these eggs are totally kid friendly!

The kids even used the stencils that Fairy Grandmother gave us.  It worked like a charm.

I might even go so far as to say that these eggs hold color better than real eggs.  The markers were great and I am looking forward to using some more techniques next year.

Here is the cabinet in our living room.  The baskets are waiting for the bunny to come fill them and the gift bags are gifts from Fairy Grandmother to the kiddos – Bri already opened her gift , a swimsuit.

And, as some of you know, we are trying to be more Christ-centered in our home.  Thus, the kids made these crosses at church and they are sitting by the tulips at the front door.

Much love to you all this holiday season!  I'll have pics of the baskets soon!

Testing 1-2-3

Supposedly I can blog from my phone.

This is a test.

If this works, you should be able to see a pic of the flower stand where I bought some tulips during my lunch break.  Also... it was a gorgeous afternoon today.

Dusty

Wow!  Things are kinda dusty around here... not very much activity lately.

Nonetheless, let's see if we remember how to do this blog thing shall we?

Oh yes - look... pictures!

So, after we fostered a chicken for Easter last year, I really wanted to try a chicken-friendly egg option this Easter.  I invested in some ceramic eggs.  Here they are in a little vase thingy in our living room.  I am very eager to dye them and keep them from year to year.

Our dog passed away on Super Bowl Sunday.  Dear Husband and little Bro were devastated for quite awhile and Mommy gave in and let the family get a cat.  His name is Tica (pronounced tee-kuh).  This is a family name that runs in my husbands family.  hahahaha!  That is, all of the male cats from his childhood had the name Tica.  Yes, it taken from the acronym for the organization - The International Cat Association.  Yes, we named our cat after a cat association.  Not MY idea. Cool?  

Tica and Bro are best buds.  Here is a pic of Bro playing his video game (yes, I am the bad parent who lets her preschooler play video games) with Tica tucked gently behind him.  Don't judge!

Finally, we have been going to church a lot lately and incorporating Christian messages into our home.  Be on the lookout for crafts that come home from Sunday School because we get really excited about everything we are learning about Jesus.

Last Sunday was Palm Sunday.  Here are the palm leaves that we made in Sunday School.  Bri made the square leaf and Bro made the light green leaf.  I made the other two.

We hung them in the kids' room.  I already need to update this picture because Bro made a sequin cross at Kids Club which we added to the mix.

So, it feels great to be back.  While I have enjoyed the time with my family and resting with Jesus over the past few months year, I hope to keep blogging and putting to words the events of our crazy lives!

Thanks for your patience!!!!!

Bed Fairy

When we came home from church on Sunday, we found that the bed fairy had visited us and replaced the crib with a big-girl bed. 

I wasn't expecting that.

{{sigh}}

Nonetheless, baby Bri had been climbing in and out of her crib for quite some time now and this was a good move for her.

{{milestones, ugh!}}

The transition went as well as could be expected. 

That is, she did not take her nap and, instead, played quietly for awhile on her bed.  She was also somewhat fussy when it was time to go to bed that night.  I was starting to wonder if she maybe had an ear infection or something because she just kept fussing. 

However, she finally fell asleep and slept soundly through the night and was so eager to show off her new bed when she woke up.

I just knew that my faithful readers would want pictures so I asked her if I could take a picture of her new bed.

You know she is very picky about getting her picture taken {{more on that later}}. 

She said "yes."

First she let me take a picture of the bed while she stood to the side.

Then, she said I could take a picture of the bed with her sitting on it.

Then, she totally surprised me when she sprawled out on the bed and said, "Take a picture Mommy.  Take a picture of Bee-elle.  See my feet?" 

Look at her... with her cheek propped up on her hand like that.  Wow!  She must be very excited about her new bed.

How much longer can I call her my baby?



We are still celebrating Get Caught Reading month.  Are you?

Today is a little Q and A post.

Ready?

Question:  What's better than one little girl looking at books (see yesterday's post)?

Answer:  Two little children looking at books.

Question:  What's better than two little children looking at books?

Answer:  One big brother reading to one little sister.

Again, this is right after tooth station.

Station details can be found on my May 3, 2012 post.

Question:  What's better than one big brother reading to one little sister?

Answer coming soon!  Stay tuned.

Get Caught

My sources tell me that May is Get Caught Reading Month.

While Lu and Bro were very eager readers and would sit for bedtime stories on a nightly basis, Bri has been harder to nudge along. 

I've wondered why she doesn't love books like the other two did.  I asked her teachers if they thought she has a learning issue.  I took her to the pediatric eye specialist because I was CONVINCED that she could not see the pictures. 

Everyone said that she is normal.

Why oh why doesn't she like books? 

THAT IS NOT NORMAL {{to me}}!!!!!

Nonetheless, we keep up with the daily book routine.

We also created a book station of books she specifically likes:  farm animals, Barney the dinosaur, and interactive lift-the-flap books. 

Additionally, we have a consistent bedtime routine we follow every night.  It includes story time.

The first part of the nightly routine is pajama station - put your jammies on.

Next is teeth and potty station - go potty and brush teeth.

If the kids behave in station one and two, they move on to station three, book station.
We read three books in book station.  Book station is either on my bed or Bro's bed.
Sometimes the kids are separated for book station, so they each get some one-on-one time.  Sometimes we do this as a group.

Finally, we have song station.  Song station is in the kids' room.  We turn out the light and sing bedtime songs before it's time to go to sleep.

If the kids misbehave, fuss, or whine for pajama station or tooth station, they move directly to song station which means that they sit in bed and wait for me to come in and turn out the lights. 

Typically, we move through the stations seamlessly.   We really don't have many bedtime issues at all.

Just the other night, Bro was out with Daddy, but right after Bri finished tooth station I walked into the kitchen and when I came back to the room I saw little Bri looking at her books.

I felt like I won the lotto {{okay - not quite the same feeling but you get the general idea}}.

How wonderful that May is Get Caught Reading month because I continue to catch these kids reading and it melts my heart.

Yes, I still have more pictures to share with you.

Did you catch anyone reading yet?

Get Caught Reading

May is Get Caught Reading Month.

Get Caught Reading Month is a small nationwide campaign to remind people of all ages how fun it is to read.

I have a few pictures of my kids reading that I am waiting dying waiting to share with you.

I actually "caught" them reading.  How cool?

Let me know if you catch anyone reading and share your picture/link with me in the comment section below. 

If I knew how to do a "blog party" with "Mr. Linky" I would.  But, I don't know how to do that sooo.... we'll just have to do this the ol' fashioned way (mkay?) and you'll have to leave a comment with a link to your picture/blog post.

I know that you are readers and you have readers in your life.  I hope I see a few comments between now and the end of May. 

Catch someone reading! 

Circus Birthday

Baby Bee Toddler Bri had a birthday.  Yay!

You may wonder why I get so excited about my kids' birthdays.  My excitement does not come to brag or to boast, but more from a place of concentrated celebration.

Concentrated celebration?

Yes - a celebration that is concentrated on one particular thing.

Still confused?

I grew up as an only child and all our daily lives centered around ME!  This means that I felt tons and tons of love from my family, but I admit that at times I was somewhat spoiled.

Thus, I equate "all about me" as "love."  I have outgrown this in my old age somewhat.

My biggest obstacle to overcome as a parent of three kids is how to make each of the kids feel special and unique.  I know this is crazy... and I love their sibling bond... and none of them complain that they don't feel special... but I just want them to know that they are each so very special and unique and they are all held in high regard in my life.  You understand this.  Right?

So, while I have to treat them all equally during the course of a regular year, a birthday is a time to look at one child and say "YOU are really special to me and today I want to celebrate YOU!"

Am I making any sense????  Does anyone else have this inner conflict (does each child feel special?)???  Anyone???




We were off to an early start with the festivities when Fairy Grandmother and Luvs2Boat brought over a water table.

It was not assembled when they got to the house because they thought that the kids would have a great time putting it together as well.  They were so right.

All hands were on deck and Brody really enjoyed that he could "help" put this present together for his sister.

Brody was the first to announce that Bri would definitely share "her" water table with him.  Hmmm... just like she shares "her" sandbox from last year, right? {{Note:  I think that Brody forgot that the sandbox belongs to Brielle.}}

Many hands make quick work and it wasn't long before the water table was up and running.  She definitely loves her water table. 

Bro knew that he was not allowed to get in it.  But, that didn't stop him from talking someone else into jumping in.  Really guys???

Moving on.

The next day, I was in full birthday mode while the kids were at school.

First, I made a monkey cake (using these instructions from smitten kitchen) for daycare... and ran it over before snack time.  {{Yes, I know I should have made it ahead of time but we were too busy playing in the water table... napping... ahem.}}

Since we were going to a small circus at our local fairgrounds, I made a circus cake for home.  This was especially meaningful for me, because it was a replica of a circus cake that my mom made me when I was little.  Cool, huh?

Here's the undecorated cake with the photos from my childhood birthday as a template.

 

Look!  Not too bad, right???

It's just like I remember.

I knew that it would be late when we got back from the circus, so I set the table before I left.

They didn't have any circus-theme balloons at the store, so I had to go with the next best thing... monkeys, of course.

In the days leading up to the circus, Bro was adamant that he was nervous about the circus because "tigers scare me" he said.

He had this concerned look on his face the entire time the tigers were performing.  {{I am sure that he and I both had the same concerns, except that I was able to fake a smile. Gulp.}}

Bri kept telling me not to take her picture.  I did eeek out this blurry cheese.  I tried to tell her that I was taking Daddy's picture, not hers, but she wasn't buying it.  "MOMMY - do NOT take my picture."   {{Fine then... be that way.}}

After the circus we raced home to have cake and open presents with the birthday girl.  She squealed when we rounded the corner to the kitchen and she saw her cake and monkey balloon. 

I wish we had more pictures of the evening.  However, we are dealing with a toddler here and after a whole day of festivities (yes, they even celebrated at school) she was not in any condition to pose for pictures. 

In attendance, but not pictured were, of course, my parents Fairy Grandmother and Luvs2Boat... even though they were late.  {{Hi Mom - I'm just kidding about the late part!}} 

And now for the grand finale...

As many of you know, my favorite picture of the year is blowing out the birthday cake candles.  It's a little blurry here, but I think you get the general idea...

Happy birthday to the spunkiest girl I know... Happy birthday to you!