John told his first joke that he made up that makes sense. Here it is:
John: What is 2+2?
Me: 4
John: No, tooters!
Me: [giggling because tooters are still funny when you are 37]
John: What is 1+1?
Me: 2
John: No, tooters!
Me: [giggling some more]
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Clean Up
We are trying something new in our house. Cleaning up for the kids is the equivalent to asking them to move a mountain. Not going to happen unless they are doing it to get screen time. It is extremely frustrating to repeatedly ask them to clean up and to watch the temper tantrums unfold. So Aaron and I came up with a new approach. It is new to our family. My parents did something similar when I was a kid.
At night Aaron and I go around and sweep up all of the things they left out. Then we lock it up. The kids have to do a chore to get the item out. When we explained this to the kids they were excited for a number of reasons. 1. We won't be nagging them to clean up anymore. And 2. they heard "mom and dad are going to clean up for us!"
So far after one day, we have about a third of the toys locked up in grandma's room. At this rate, in two more days, the kids won't have any toys left. I am giggling as I type this. There are some interesting side effect from this. The kids are now playing with tier 2 toys and enjoying them. These are toys that they don't normally play with but since the tier one toys are gone, they don't have much of a choice. Our house gets easier to clean because there are fewer and fewer toys to clean up. And lastly, I am pretty sure this will help us identify what toys can be sold off because if they aren't interested in doing a chore to get the toy back, then they don't need it.
As for my parent's take on this, we had to shoot baskets to get our cloths and toys back. For Aaron, this would have been a reward for not cleaning up. For me, it was torture. I would have rather done a chore to get my stuff back. This was all part of my parents attempt to get us out of the house and learn a sport. Unfortunately for my mom, I never learned to love basketball.
The real challenge today will be getting John dressed for church since I now have his church cloths. It looks like he might be going to church in corduroy pants in warm weather and wearing a polo shirt that bugs him. With any luck he will want to get his church cloths out for next Sunday.
At night Aaron and I go around and sweep up all of the things they left out. Then we lock it up. The kids have to do a chore to get the item out. When we explained this to the kids they were excited for a number of reasons. 1. We won't be nagging them to clean up anymore. And 2. they heard "mom and dad are going to clean up for us!"
So far after one day, we have about a third of the toys locked up in grandma's room. At this rate, in two more days, the kids won't have any toys left. I am giggling as I type this. There are some interesting side effect from this. The kids are now playing with tier 2 toys and enjoying them. These are toys that they don't normally play with but since the tier one toys are gone, they don't have much of a choice. Our house gets easier to clean because there are fewer and fewer toys to clean up. And lastly, I am pretty sure this will help us identify what toys can be sold off because if they aren't interested in doing a chore to get the toy back, then they don't need it.
As for my parent's take on this, we had to shoot baskets to get our cloths and toys back. For Aaron, this would have been a reward for not cleaning up. For me, it was torture. I would have rather done a chore to get my stuff back. This was all part of my parents attempt to get us out of the house and learn a sport. Unfortunately for my mom, I never learned to love basketball.
The real challenge today will be getting John dressed for church since I now have his church cloths. It looks like he might be going to church in corduroy pants in warm weather and wearing a polo shirt that bugs him. With any luck he will want to get his church cloths out for next Sunday.
New Friends
I took the kids to the park and a few of the neighbors were there that had kindergarteners as well. I was talking with one mom in an attempt to get to know her. Unfortunately I didn't get her name.
On the way home from the park Emma turned to me and said, "Mom, did you make a new friend?" She said it in the same way that Aaron asks Emma that same question. It was very clear that Emma was my mom at that moment. I giggled and told her "yes." Then Emma said, "What is her name?" (Also in a parenting voice.) I admit, I didn't know. Emma persisted. Finally, I came up with "Trent's mom." Mission accomplished!
On the way home from the park Emma turned to me and said, "Mom, did you make a new friend?" She said it in the same way that Aaron asks Emma that same question. It was very clear that Emma was my mom at that moment. I giggled and told her "yes." Then Emma said, "What is her name?" (Also in a parenting voice.) I admit, I didn't know. Emma persisted. Finally, I came up with "Trent's mom." Mission accomplished!
Pets
Emma: I like dogs!
Aaron: No you don't. You like bees!
Several of our friends have bees. They make honey. We are tempted to get bees. Several of our friends have dogs. They make poop. We are not tempted to get dogs.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Sick and More Sick
John has taken it in the shorts this year, actually starting in December of last year. He came down with bronchitis and an ear infection. Simultaneously he had a staff infection that we had taken care of in January. Then he needed to get some muluscum taken care of a couple of times because the first time didn't work. The muluscum were the instigator of the staph infection. He had another ear infection where the doctor also scratched the inside of his ear while attempting to clean out some wax and a possible penicillin allergy from the antibiotic from the ear infection. He also tripped an had to get a couple of stitches on his chin. We went in to get his stitches taken out and found out that he had come down with the flu B that afternoon.
John has been a trooper through it all, but just don't try to touch his head. He now accepts medicine droppers in his mouth. Emma believes that all prescriptions are for John.
While John had the flu, he woke up in the night screaming like he was being dismembered. Aaron and I ran up stairs to find out that he couldn't find his jammy shorts. When I offered him some other pants he cried because they didn't match his shirt. I tried to explain that nobody was going to see him and he still wanted to match. Really he needed a drink and had a fever. The next night I heard John wake up so I go up to catch him before he could scream. No luck. This time it was worse than the night before. Aaron jumped up on our bed, but tripped on our covers and landed on our laundry basket. We are now down a laundry basket. We asked John why he was screaming. He was coming to get us to tell us something and got to the stairs and it was dark so he got scared and screamed and ran back into his room. When we asked him what he was going to tell us he said, "I don't know, it left my head." When Aaron told me about the laundry basket, I couldn't stop laughing. In fact I was crying I was laughing so hard. Now, whenever I see the basket I giggle.
John has been a trooper through it all, but just don't try to touch his head. He now accepts medicine droppers in his mouth. Emma believes that all prescriptions are for John.
While John had the flu, he woke up in the night screaming like he was being dismembered. Aaron and I ran up stairs to find out that he couldn't find his jammy shorts. When I offered him some other pants he cried because they didn't match his shirt. I tried to explain that nobody was going to see him and he still wanted to match. Really he needed a drink and had a fever. The next night I heard John wake up so I go up to catch him before he could scream. No luck. This time it was worse than the night before. Aaron jumped up on our bed, but tripped on our covers and landed on our laundry basket. We are now down a laundry basket. We asked John why he was screaming. He was coming to get us to tell us something and got to the stairs and it was dark so he got scared and screamed and ran back into his room. When we asked him what he was going to tell us he said, "I don't know, it left my head." When Aaron told me about the laundry basket, I couldn't stop laughing. In fact I was crying I was laughing so hard. Now, whenever I see the basket I giggle.
Sunday, February 7, 2016
John's Birthday
We now have a 4 year old in our family! I woke John up on his birthday and said happy birthday to him but apparently he was still asleep and then I told him that he was 4. He countered with "no I am not!" I counted back like a true 37 year old with "yes you are." This went back and forth for a while and then he caught on and very excitedly asked, "is it my birthday?" That morning he pointed out all of the things he could do now because he was 4 years old and he couldn't do them when he was 3 years old because he is bigger now.
John got to go to preschool on his birthday and he brought fruit snacks for a treat for his friends. There are food allergies so no cupcakes for this class. Then I picked him up from preschool and took him to a PTO meeting - super awesome birthday present, I know. John was a good sport. When I told him what we were doing he said, "for my birthday I just want to go to school and to a PTO meeting." Cue twinge of guilt! However, I let him open his present from Grandma Marsha and Grandpa Keith. They sent him a book about trucks and several little construction trucks. I grabbed a bunch of dried beans and let him play on the floor with the beans and the trucks during my meeting. The funny part was that if you asked him what Grandma and Grandpa gave him, he would reply "beans." I corrected him several times but without much success.
After that, we got to play with Emma after school and thence took Emma to ballet. Aaron picked John up from ballet and took him home and played with him there until Emma and I got home. Then we had mac and cheese for dinner, carrots, and apples. I made chipotle mac and cheese for Aaron and I. Then for dessert, we had John's cake and ice cream. That is a story all by itself.
I haven't made cake for birthday's. I have made cupcakes but no cakes. John requested cake and ice cream and on his cake he requested a picture of a rocket. It morphed into a picture of a turtle with a rocket on its back. I had seen where you put frosting on wax paper over a picture and color the picture with frosting and then transfer it to the cake. Easy Peasy right? So we were looking at pictures of rockets online so he could choose one that he liked. He zeroed in on a picture of a turtle with a rocket on its back. I gave in.
The day before his birthday, I let John pick his cake and frosting out at the store, He chose a tie die cake with bright blue frosting and fish sprinkles. We made the cake that day. As it turns out, this is harder than it looks. We made the cake just fine. Getting it out of the pan was another story. It required a phone call to the cake support line (a.k.a. Grandma Lindy). Unfortunately the cake support line's ultimate answer was summed up with "it is hard to get a cake out of a pan." So the cake came out in chunks. I put them back together as best I could and then proceeded to frost the cake. When it came time to frost the sides, Emma told me to stop and asked what on earth I was doing?? I pointed out that you frost the sides of layer cakes. I showed her pictures on the box because it was then that I realized she had never seen a layered cake. I told her that people normally frost the sides of cakes. She replied, "So you are trying to be normal?" Yup, I am trying to be normal. After the cake was frosted, it fell apart. John said his prayers that night and said thank you for his cake and he was "ok that the cake was cracked."
On his birthday I attempted to do the turtle. When Aaron walked in the house I announced that he should come see my cake because there weren't words to describe it. Then John piped up and said, "It's messed up!" Truer words were never spoken.
John was a good sport about his cake being less than perfect. It tasted just like a store bought cake and frosting should taste and the added bonus was that the blue frosting turned your poop green. That was awesome for the next few days.
For his presents, John wanted a few lego sets. During the time leading up to his birthday, he would tell me all about the sets that he wanted (a wrecking ball and crane, a cement truck, and a pirate ship). He is really into legos these days. That is all that he wants to play with.
Aunt Mary was teasing John that she got him barbie princess lego set earlier in the day. I had a conversation with John about how no matter what he gets for his birthday, we need to say "thank you." So I made a video of John thanking Aunt Mary for his barbie lego set. I think he is so in love with legos that he wouldn't actually care what the lego set was about as long as it is legos.
Aunt Mary and Uncle Brian got him the wrecking ball set, not the barbie set he was thinking he was getting. When he figured it out, he said, "she didn't get me barbie legos!" Aaron and I got him the cement truck. Grandma Lindy and Grandpa Rich gave him money so he could pick out a present this summer since his birthday and Christmas are so close together he has a present flood and drought.
We have spent the past couple weeks putting together these legos. It stretches John's attention span to work on these but he loves them. I am amazed at the ingenuity of the lego designers. I am finding I love legos and wish I had them as a kid. I wouldn't mind putting together the Sidney Opera House set if I had infinite money to spend on things.
John is a funny kid who has a quick mind and wit. I don't know that I will ever understand how his brain works but thoroughly enjoy it. He loves reading, tools, digging in dirt, helping with projects, helping with cooking, he always is looking for someone to play with him, snacks, carbs, his balance bike, his friends, wrestling, learning about everything, and space.
John doesn't like cooked peppers, loud noises, rides that move, going places (he just wants to be home), and shrimp.
We enjoy having John in our family. He makes us laugh, and have fun, and play, and learn new things.
John got to go to preschool on his birthday and he brought fruit snacks for a treat for his friends. There are food allergies so no cupcakes for this class. Then I picked him up from preschool and took him to a PTO meeting - super awesome birthday present, I know. John was a good sport. When I told him what we were doing he said, "for my birthday I just want to go to school and to a PTO meeting." Cue twinge of guilt! However, I let him open his present from Grandma Marsha and Grandpa Keith. They sent him a book about trucks and several little construction trucks. I grabbed a bunch of dried beans and let him play on the floor with the beans and the trucks during my meeting. The funny part was that if you asked him what Grandma and Grandpa gave him, he would reply "beans." I corrected him several times but without much success.
After that, we got to play with Emma after school and thence took Emma to ballet. Aaron picked John up from ballet and took him home and played with him there until Emma and I got home. Then we had mac and cheese for dinner, carrots, and apples. I made chipotle mac and cheese for Aaron and I. Then for dessert, we had John's cake and ice cream. That is a story all by itself.
I haven't made cake for birthday's. I have made cupcakes but no cakes. John requested cake and ice cream and on his cake he requested a picture of a rocket. It morphed into a picture of a turtle with a rocket on its back. I had seen where you put frosting on wax paper over a picture and color the picture with frosting and then transfer it to the cake. Easy Peasy right? So we were looking at pictures of rockets online so he could choose one that he liked. He zeroed in on a picture of a turtle with a rocket on its back. I gave in.
The day before his birthday, I let John pick his cake and frosting out at the store, He chose a tie die cake with bright blue frosting and fish sprinkles. We made the cake that day. As it turns out, this is harder than it looks. We made the cake just fine. Getting it out of the pan was another story. It required a phone call to the cake support line (a.k.a. Grandma Lindy). Unfortunately the cake support line's ultimate answer was summed up with "it is hard to get a cake out of a pan." So the cake came out in chunks. I put them back together as best I could and then proceeded to frost the cake. When it came time to frost the sides, Emma told me to stop and asked what on earth I was doing?? I pointed out that you frost the sides of layer cakes. I showed her pictures on the box because it was then that I realized she had never seen a layered cake. I told her that people normally frost the sides of cakes. She replied, "So you are trying to be normal?" Yup, I am trying to be normal. After the cake was frosted, it fell apart. John said his prayers that night and said thank you for his cake and he was "ok that the cake was cracked."
On his birthday I attempted to do the turtle. When Aaron walked in the house I announced that he should come see my cake because there weren't words to describe it. Then John piped up and said, "It's messed up!" Truer words were never spoken.
John was a good sport about his cake being less than perfect. It tasted just like a store bought cake and frosting should taste and the added bonus was that the blue frosting turned your poop green. That was awesome for the next few days.
For his presents, John wanted a few lego sets. During the time leading up to his birthday, he would tell me all about the sets that he wanted (a wrecking ball and crane, a cement truck, and a pirate ship). He is really into legos these days. That is all that he wants to play with.
Aunt Mary was teasing John that she got him barbie princess lego set earlier in the day. I had a conversation with John about how no matter what he gets for his birthday, we need to say "thank you." So I made a video of John thanking Aunt Mary for his barbie lego set. I think he is so in love with legos that he wouldn't actually care what the lego set was about as long as it is legos.
Aunt Mary and Uncle Brian got him the wrecking ball set, not the barbie set he was thinking he was getting. When he figured it out, he said, "she didn't get me barbie legos!" Aaron and I got him the cement truck. Grandma Lindy and Grandpa Rich gave him money so he could pick out a present this summer since his birthday and Christmas are so close together he has a present flood and drought.
We have spent the past couple weeks putting together these legos. It stretches John's attention span to work on these but he loves them. I am amazed at the ingenuity of the lego designers. I am finding I love legos and wish I had them as a kid. I wouldn't mind putting together the Sidney Opera House set if I had infinite money to spend on things.
John is a funny kid who has a quick mind and wit. I don't know that I will ever understand how his brain works but thoroughly enjoy it. He loves reading, tools, digging in dirt, helping with projects, helping with cooking, he always is looking for someone to play with him, snacks, carbs, his balance bike, his friends, wrestling, learning about everything, and space.
John doesn't like cooked peppers, loud noises, rides that move, going places (he just wants to be home), and shrimp.
We enjoy having John in our family. He makes us laugh, and have fun, and play, and learn new things.
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Bedtime
We put John to bed and then he came downstairs.
John: Mom, I need to tell you something.
Me: What?
John: I have a hard time going to bed because I keep sneaking out.
Me: True. Go back to bed.
John: Mom, I need to tell you something.
Me: What?
John: I have a hard time going to bed because I keep sneaking out.
Me: True. Go back to bed.
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