Sam has begun listening to my CDs when he goes to bed at night.
Last night, he told Daddy: "Mommy is the best singer ever!"
Daddy: "well, she used to be a music teacher."
Sammy: "why did she stop teaching?"
Daddy: "B/c when you came along, she decided to stay at home and be with you all the time."
Sammy: "wow! she must love me a lot!" ....Is it too much to hope that he will continue to think like this when he is a teenager?
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
my BIGGEST fan!
So Sam listens to music at bed at night. We always turn on his CD player and usually he falls asleep by the time the CD has run its course. He's listened to all kinds of music from Mozart to the instrumental version of hymns to Disney CDs. Well, last night he asked Daddy to put on Mommy's CD! I have few CDs but the one he picked was my senior recital from college. I sing in several languages and most of them are not the type of songs you'd listen to in the car. But Sam loved it! Tonight he listened for awhile and had to get up for a potty break. As Daddy was putting him back in bed, he said "Daddy, will you start Mommy over at 1 b/c it makes me want to go 'Bravo'!" I have to say that I love that he enjoys it so much though it makes me cringe to hear it b/c I critique myself. Ah well, at least I have a fan!
Also, when getting off the bus today Sam shouts as loud as he can "Mom, you look like the baby is coming tomorrow!" Wow, he doesn't realize that he just made me feel like a huge cow, esp. since I have two more months till delivery!
So, I guess the fat lady singing will be me!!!!
Also, when getting off the bus today Sam shouts as loud as he can "Mom, you look like the baby is coming tomorrow!" Wow, he doesn't realize that he just made me feel like a huge cow, esp. since I have two more months till delivery!
So, I guess the fat lady singing will be me!!!!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Sam's afternoon with Uncle Joe
Uncle Joe and Sam went for tux fittings (Sam is the ring bearer) and then went out to dinner. Uncle Joe told me that while they were getting fitted, Sam kept calling the salesgirl "woman!" Uncle Joe had to teach Sam to say "Miss".
On the way home, Uncle Joe said he would drop Sam off at home. Sam said "but Mom gave me money for dinner." Uncle Joe: "yes, but we got done early so I can just take you home." Sam: "yes, but if we go out to eat we'll have more time together." Uncle Joe: "what's more important-more time together or eating out?" Sam: "Both!"
At the restaurant, Uncle Joe asks Sam if he wants to sit at a table or at the counter. Of course Sam wants to sit at the counter. He's never done that before!
Sam told Uncle Joe that he wanted "green pop" (which is our term for "Sprite" or 7-Up)...Uncle Joe proceeds to order Sam Mountain Dew!!! and then let Sam get a refill....Mommy says to Uncle Joe (who has no children) "For future reference, NEVER give a 7yo Mountain Dew, esp. 2 glasses, esp. on a school night!"
Lastly, Uncle Joe taught Sam to tip the waitress, since he was spending Mommy's money!
Needless to say, Sam thinks tonight was the best night EVER!
On the way home, Uncle Joe said he would drop Sam off at home. Sam said "but Mom gave me money for dinner." Uncle Joe: "yes, but we got done early so I can just take you home." Sam: "yes, but if we go out to eat we'll have more time together." Uncle Joe: "what's more important-more time together or eating out?" Sam: "Both!"
At the restaurant, Uncle Joe asks Sam if he wants to sit at a table or at the counter. Of course Sam wants to sit at the counter. He's never done that before!
Sam told Uncle Joe that he wanted "green pop" (which is our term for "Sprite" or 7-Up)...Uncle Joe proceeds to order Sam Mountain Dew!!! and then let Sam get a refill....Mommy says to Uncle Joe (who has no children) "For future reference, NEVER give a 7yo Mountain Dew, esp. 2 glasses, esp. on a school night!"
Lastly, Uncle Joe taught Sam to tip the waitress, since he was spending Mommy's money!
Needless to say, Sam thinks tonight was the best night EVER!
Sunday, September 9, 2012
from the mouth of Sam
Sam: "Mom, I can't decide what is more important for marrying a girl--should she be pretty or smart?"
Mom: "Why can't she be both pretty AND smart?"
Sam: "well, yeah, I guess but she HAS to have a bulldozer...it will make getting around so much easier!"
(he's been on this kick that a girl with her own bulldozer can shovel the snow out of the way)
Mom: "Maybe you can marry a smart, pretty girl and just rent a bulldozer if she doesn't own one."
Sam: "okay Mom, but it really would make things easier if she has her own."
While talking to Aunt Tara,
Sam: "Aunt Tara, I want a drum set for Christmas!"
Aunt Tara: "really buddy, that sounds fun"
Sam: "yeah, I gonna be a drummer when I grow up AND a scientist. that way if I need to think about something, I can drum while I think. It will help me be a better scientist."
Aunt Tara: "it sounds like you've got this all thought out Sam!"
Mom: "Why can't she be both pretty AND smart?"
Sam: "well, yeah, I guess but she HAS to have a bulldozer...it will make getting around so much easier!"
(he's been on this kick that a girl with her own bulldozer can shovel the snow out of the way)
Mom: "Maybe you can marry a smart, pretty girl and just rent a bulldozer if she doesn't own one."
Sam: "okay Mom, but it really would make things easier if she has her own."
While talking to Aunt Tara,
Sam: "Aunt Tara, I want a drum set for Christmas!"
Aunt Tara: "really buddy, that sounds fun"
Sam: "yeah, I gonna be a drummer when I grow up AND a scientist. that way if I need to think about something, I can drum while I think. It will help me be a better scientist."
Aunt Tara: "it sounds like you've got this all thought out Sam!"
Saturday, September 8, 2012
One year older and wiser too! Happy Birthday to ME!
So this past Wednesday I turned a whopping 33 years old! I wish I could say that I feel different or something but honestly, I feel like when you reach a certain age it takes a lot to make you feel different....maybe only on "mile marker" birthdays such as 30, 40, etc. I will say that I had a pretty great birthday. Money has been a bit of an issue lately so I knew we wouldn't be doing anything monumental for my day but Kurtis did buy me a CD that I've been wanting and then came the best idea I've ever had!!! Mom and Dad took the kids all day long, including getting Sam and Izzy on and off the school bus and spending the whole day with Kalen. Kurtis took the day off of work and spent it with me. We didn't do anything spectacular and ate leftovers for lunch:) But we did go see "The Avengers" which I hadn't seen yet and we got snacks at the theater (which Kurtis HATES to do). Then we came home and I got to take a nap! It probably sounds really dull to most people but anyone who has been or is a stay at home mom knows that alone time is rare and "one on one time with the hubs" is rarer still! It was just so nice to have some time to be the priority! Especially since I know that with the baby coming in November, I won't get this again for a long while!
On another note, we are still struggling with Isabel in kindergarten and I've had a few days where I've really lost it. The school principal spoke with me on Friday and made mention of Izzy "not being potty trained" and therefore, not permitted at school. I really wanted to scream b/c she IS potty-trained just too scared of the daggone automatic flush. I've finally come to the conclusion in my own head that as long she can go the full two and a half hours at school without an accident or a temper tantrum, then I'm fine with it. And I mean even if she doesn't go at all the entire time she's at school so be it. I realize that this is not a solution to the problem and when it comes time for first grade, she's going to have to figure out a way to go potty b/c it's all day. However, I'm learning that Isabel is her own girl...she'll go in her own time....she will mature and outgrow this fear....if she wants to stand under the tree and not play with anyone at recess, it's okay. The Lord sent me a strong-willed little girl. I want her to have lots of friends, be pleasant and smart as a whip, and I want people to see her as I do. But that's not always gonna happen. But that doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with her. Nor is there anything wrong with me, as a mom or person. I can't always have the right perspective. I can't always see things this clearly. That's why when I do, I have to write it down like this. I wish I could spare Isabel and myself this struggle, esp. right now but for whatever reason, we'll trudge through this. I will just have to remember "Be not afraid, only believe" (Mark 5:36)
On another note, we are still struggling with Isabel in kindergarten and I've had a few days where I've really lost it. The school principal spoke with me on Friday and made mention of Izzy "not being potty trained" and therefore, not permitted at school. I really wanted to scream b/c she IS potty-trained just too scared of the daggone automatic flush. I've finally come to the conclusion in my own head that as long she can go the full two and a half hours at school without an accident or a temper tantrum, then I'm fine with it. And I mean even if she doesn't go at all the entire time she's at school so be it. I realize that this is not a solution to the problem and when it comes time for first grade, she's going to have to figure out a way to go potty b/c it's all day. However, I'm learning that Isabel is her own girl...she'll go in her own time....she will mature and outgrow this fear....if she wants to stand under the tree and not play with anyone at recess, it's okay. The Lord sent me a strong-willed little girl. I want her to have lots of friends, be pleasant and smart as a whip, and I want people to see her as I do. But that's not always gonna happen. But that doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with her. Nor is there anything wrong with me, as a mom or person. I can't always have the right perspective. I can't always see things this clearly. That's why when I do, I have to write it down like this. I wish I could spare Isabel and myself this struggle, esp. right now but for whatever reason, we'll trudge through this. I will just have to remember "Be not afraid, only believe" (Mark 5:36)
Sunday, September 2, 2012
this parenting thing is a tough business.....
This past week has been kinda tough particularly my role as a mom! Isabel has a week and a half of kindergarten down but it's been a rough go. The first three days she cried when it was time to get on the bus and we discovered that she is terrified of the automatic toilets at school. I spoke to her teacher and over the weekend we thought we found a solution--putting post-it notes over the sensor on the toilet so it wouldn't flush until she was ready. But as last week started, she still refused to go in the stall. The teacher or bathroom buddy had to take the post-it note into the stall before she would even approach it. Then she had an accident at school when she refused to wipe herself. After all that, the teacher sent an email one day saying that she refused to check a book out of the library and would only stand under a tree at recess by herself. When kids would ask her to play, she would say no. I spent most of that evening feeling like a failure as a mother. I was sure that I had damaged my child in some way and she would probably never recover.
With all of Izzy's drama, I found myself trying to encourage her and praise her every possible moment.....which of course, upset Sam b/c he wasn't receiving as much praise. So naturally, he started to grump and pout that he never does anything right and will never get praise for things. To say the least, it did not help my already dwindling optimism.
Add to that, Kalen getting "too aggressive" in nursery at church and being unable to sit during lessons! I was certain I should probably throw in the towel when it comes to raising good children! But the truth is that by the end of the week, Isabel was improving at school, Sam was getting praised for helping out and Kalen is 2 which does not make him a menace to society.
Last weekend I sat a ladies' activity at church and talked with some women that I consider pretty good friends. I had a little mommy meltdown and cried my eyes out. When asked why I was so hard on myself, I replied "because I just want to be good enough!" To which she replied "but you already are but you refuse to see it!" Later in the week, I received an email from a friend who discovered that her child had some speech delays and was being tested for a few things. She, like me, was blaming herself as a failed mom and felt helpless when it came to "fixing" her child. In a rare moment of insight, I told her "there is nothing 'wrong' with him and therefore you have no reason to 'blame' yourself". When I stepped back and thought about that, I came to the realization that it's the truth! For all of us! Our kids misbehave, they make mistakes, they have a hard time adjusting, maybe they have a disability or a delay of some sort. They fear the potty, they poop their pants, and sometimes they hit!!! But it doesn't make you (or me) a bad momma! It doesn't mean that my child will turn into a serial killer. It just means that he/she is experiencing a challenge and so is Mom (and sometimes Dad). We will all live through it and at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later, Izzy will use the potty without a post-it note! Kalen will one day sit still through a 15 minute lesson and Sam will know that Mom loves him even if he doesn't get a 100% on his spelling test! I will stop being a blubbery mess every time my kids make a mistake and I will be able to recognize that I am a good person and sometimes, most of the time, I am good enough! Is today a day I can recognize all this and have hope? Yes! Will tomorrow be another day like today? Maybe, hopefully! But if not, that's okay too.
I'm thankful for friends who love me and are patient with me....who recognize when I'm an idiot and when I'm a genius....friends who come to me with troubles so I can step outside myself and hopefully help them (and in the process help myself).
My birthday is in a few days and I'm not looking forward to it. Being an adult kinda kills the birthday buzz BUT I will relish another year with my husband and kids. I will look forward to growing older and maybe wiser. And hopefully by my next birthday, I will have figured out all the answers:)
With all of Izzy's drama, I found myself trying to encourage her and praise her every possible moment.....which of course, upset Sam b/c he wasn't receiving as much praise. So naturally, he started to grump and pout that he never does anything right and will never get praise for things. To say the least, it did not help my already dwindling optimism.
Add to that, Kalen getting "too aggressive" in nursery at church and being unable to sit during lessons! I was certain I should probably throw in the towel when it comes to raising good children! But the truth is that by the end of the week, Isabel was improving at school, Sam was getting praised for helping out and Kalen is 2 which does not make him a menace to society.
Last weekend I sat a ladies' activity at church and talked with some women that I consider pretty good friends. I had a little mommy meltdown and cried my eyes out. When asked why I was so hard on myself, I replied "because I just want to be good enough!" To which she replied "but you already are but you refuse to see it!" Later in the week, I received an email from a friend who discovered that her child had some speech delays and was being tested for a few things. She, like me, was blaming herself as a failed mom and felt helpless when it came to "fixing" her child. In a rare moment of insight, I told her "there is nothing 'wrong' with him and therefore you have no reason to 'blame' yourself". When I stepped back and thought about that, I came to the realization that it's the truth! For all of us! Our kids misbehave, they make mistakes, they have a hard time adjusting, maybe they have a disability or a delay of some sort. They fear the potty, they poop their pants, and sometimes they hit!!! But it doesn't make you (or me) a bad momma! It doesn't mean that my child will turn into a serial killer. It just means that he/she is experiencing a challenge and so is Mom (and sometimes Dad). We will all live through it and at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later, Izzy will use the potty without a post-it note! Kalen will one day sit still through a 15 minute lesson and Sam will know that Mom loves him even if he doesn't get a 100% on his spelling test! I will stop being a blubbery mess every time my kids make a mistake and I will be able to recognize that I am a good person and sometimes, most of the time, I am good enough! Is today a day I can recognize all this and have hope? Yes! Will tomorrow be another day like today? Maybe, hopefully! But if not, that's okay too.
I'm thankful for friends who love me and are patient with me....who recognize when I'm an idiot and when I'm a genius....friends who come to me with troubles so I can step outside myself and hopefully help them (and in the process help myself).
My birthday is in a few days and I'm not looking forward to it. Being an adult kinda kills the birthday buzz BUT I will relish another year with my husband and kids. I will look forward to growing older and maybe wiser. And hopefully by my next birthday, I will have figured out all the answers:)
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