The music on this was driving me crazy, so I turned it off.
Showing posts with label parenting 101. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parenting 101. Show all posts
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Catching Up - Mother's Day
I know, I know, it's June. Father's Day is in less than 2 weeks. But I'm just getting around to posting about Mother's Day. Better late than never...right?
1st Grade Mother's Day Program
Dallin's class had a Mother's Day program. The kids made invitations for the big day. Dallin wrote the standard who, what, when, and where. Then for the "why" he wrote in his very best writing, "because you missed the last one!" (OUCH!) That would be the Christmas sing-in that I didn't go to. I didn't miss it intentionally...in fact I never knew about it. There was no note, no invitation, no mention of it from Dallin. But apparently I should have used my super-mom ESP (aka mother's intuition) and been there anyway. I have a feeling this is going to be one of those things he never lets me live down. LOL!
Anyway, back to the program...the whole grade sang some songs to the moms. They were all so cute! I know it won't be long until all these kids will be too embarrassed to sing "love songs" to their moms for Mother's Day. I'm enjoying it while it lasts. Next we went back to his class where the kids gave their moms a letter and a poem with their hand prints on it.
You probably can't read the letter, but I wanted to point out that he said I am "the best mom in North Amarica." That is clearly an important distinction since North America is waaaaaaay bigger than just plain old America - but still not as big as the whole world. (I'm sure I would have been "the best mom in the world" if only I wouldn't have missed that Christmas sing-in.) LOL! Man I love this kid! He cracks me up!
Mother's Day
Mother's Day is always such a perfect day. For that one magical day of the year my children cheerfully obey my every command, and of course they would never dream of arguing that day. My husband showers me with love and affection and thanks me profusely for being the mother of his adorable, well-behaved children.
OK, so NOT REALLY! But that's what Mother's Day is like in my mind. Of course in reality, things never go the way they do in my imagination. I know I have unrealistic expectations, really I do. So why do I set myself up for disappointment year after year? Because I'm crazy I tell ya! Certifiably crazy!
The highlight of Mother's Day this year was Gracie trying to "help" me by doing her hair all by herself. She emerged from the bathroom a few minutes before church with the "do" of the century. About a gallon or so of aloe vera gel was holding every root of every strand of hair firmly to her scalp while the dry ends flowed about freely. It's hard to describe, but trust me, it was a sight to behold!
Dallin gave me another card and letter that he made in school. Gracie gave me a potpourri bag and a card dipped in cinnamon with a little poem about sugar and spice. The best gifts though were the "coupons" they made in Primary.
Gracie's coupons were for:
1st Grade Mother's Day Program
Dallin's class had a Mother's Day program. The kids made invitations for the big day. Dallin wrote the standard who, what, when, and where. Then for the "why" he wrote in his very best writing, "because you missed the last one!" (OUCH!) That would be the Christmas sing-in that I didn't go to. I didn't miss it intentionally...in fact I never knew about it. There was no note, no invitation, no mention of it from Dallin. But apparently I should have used my super-mom ESP (aka mother's intuition) and been there anyway. I have a feeling this is going to be one of those things he never lets me live down. LOL!
Anyway, back to the program...the whole grade sang some songs to the moms. They were all so cute! I know it won't be long until all these kids will be too embarrassed to sing "love songs" to their moms for Mother's Day. I'm enjoying it while it lasts. Next we went back to his class where the kids gave their moms a letter and a poem with their hand prints on it.
You probably can't read the letter, but I wanted to point out that he said I am "the best mom in North Amarica." That is clearly an important distinction since North America is waaaaaaay bigger than just plain old America - but still not as big as the whole world. (I'm sure I would have been "the best mom in the world" if only I wouldn't have missed that Christmas sing-in.) LOL! Man I love this kid! He cracks me up!
Mother's Day
Mother's Day is always such a perfect day. For that one magical day of the year my children cheerfully obey my every command, and of course they would never dream of arguing that day. My husband showers me with love and affection and thanks me profusely for being the mother of his adorable, well-behaved children.
OK, so NOT REALLY! But that's what Mother's Day is like in my mind. Of course in reality, things never go the way they do in my imagination. I know I have unrealistic expectations, really I do. So why do I set myself up for disappointment year after year? Because I'm crazy I tell ya! Certifiably crazy!
The highlight of Mother's Day this year was Gracie trying to "help" me by doing her hair all by herself. She emerged from the bathroom a few minutes before church with the "do" of the century. About a gallon or so of aloe vera gel was holding every root of every strand of hair firmly to her scalp while the dry ends flowed about freely. It's hard to describe, but trust me, it was a sight to behold!
Dallin gave me another card and letter that he made in school. Gracie gave me a potpourri bag and a card dipped in cinnamon with a little poem about sugar and spice. The best gifts though were the "coupons" they made in Primary.
Gracie's coupons were for:
- an "I heart U"
- "help dishes"
- hugs
- 1 kiss
- vacuum
Dallin's coupons were good for:
- eating at "Dallin's Cafe"
- "remotling" the office
- sleeping in the whole day
- creative artwork
- not working for a whole day
I'm thinking I should redeem that sleeping in one sometime soon. I'm sure Adam would really appreciate it! LOL!
I guess Mother's Day isn't as bad as I always make it out to be.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Last Day
Life has been crazy around here the past few weeks. We've had all the typical end-of-the-year programs, graduations, recitals, field trips, etc. And on top of all that Relief Society has been completely insane the last couple of weeks. We've had one BIG funeral, 3 babies born, 2 other deaths, and a bunch of other stuff I won't bore you with. I don't have a compassionate service leader right now, so I've been running around like a crazy woman. In all the chaos, blogging and e-mails have kinda been put on the back burner. I guess I'll just jump in where we are now and maybe do a catch up post or two later next week.
Today was the last day of school. Yes, "summer" vacation is officially upon us. Somehow it doesn't feel like summer though. It was a chilly 41 degrees when I dropped Dallin off at school for his last day. Yesterday was his field day. I sent him to school in his winter coat...not exactly my idea of summer.
Yesterday was Gracie's last day of preschool. We've been sending our kids there for 3 years now. I was pretty excited when I wrote out the last big check earlier this month. It had me dreaming of all the ways I could spend that extra money every month. But then I started feeling a little sentimental when I picked her up for the last time yesterday. It's hard to believe that we are "done" with this stage of life. Next year both kids will be in elementary school. When they were babies, it seemed like this day would never come. It felt like I would spend eternity feeding, wiping, bouncing, rocking, and changing diapers of fussy (but adorable) babies - and all of this on little to no sleep.
OK, I think that's enough sentimental talk for one day.
So anyway, I wanted to have a fun afternoon with the kids today to celebrate the last day of school. We planned to go swimming and out for pizza with some friends. The kids started fighting, whining, and complaining the moment I picked Dallin up for school. We had total and complete meltdown when both pairs of swimming goggles turned up missing. One kid was in time out for the better part of the afternoon, and the other one was hysterical because they were missing out on the swimming.
When emotions had calmed and tempers were finally under control we set out to get some new goggles. Two stores later we bought 2 pairs and raced back to the car thinking that we could still make it to the pool. One pair of goggles didn't fit which led to more tears and tantrums. We traded the goggles for a new pair, but I was DONE! Instead of going to the pool, I drove straight home. (Call me crazy, but I really didn't think I should reward this kind of behavior.)
I have a feeling I'm in big trouble if the first couple of hours of summer vacation are any indication of what's in store the next couple of months.
Today was the last day of school. Yes, "summer" vacation is officially upon us. Somehow it doesn't feel like summer though. It was a chilly 41 degrees when I dropped Dallin off at school for his last day. Yesterday was his field day. I sent him to school in his winter coat...not exactly my idea of summer.
Yesterday was Gracie's last day of preschool. We've been sending our kids there for 3 years now. I was pretty excited when I wrote out the last big check earlier this month. It had me dreaming of all the ways I could spend that extra money every month. But then I started feeling a little sentimental when I picked her up for the last time yesterday. It's hard to believe that we are "done" with this stage of life. Next year both kids will be in elementary school. When they were babies, it seemed like this day would never come. It felt like I would spend eternity feeding, wiping, bouncing, rocking, and changing diapers of fussy (but adorable) babies - and all of this on little to no sleep.
OK, I think that's enough sentimental talk for one day.
So anyway, I wanted to have a fun afternoon with the kids today to celebrate the last day of school. We planned to go swimming and out for pizza with some friends. The kids started fighting, whining, and complaining the moment I picked Dallin up for school. We had total and complete meltdown when both pairs of swimming goggles turned up missing. One kid was in time out for the better part of the afternoon, and the other one was hysterical because they were missing out on the swimming.
When emotions had calmed and tempers were finally under control we set out to get some new goggles. Two stores later we bought 2 pairs and raced back to the car thinking that we could still make it to the pool. One pair of goggles didn't fit which led to more tears and tantrums. We traded the goggles for a new pair, but I was DONE! Instead of going to the pool, I drove straight home. (Call me crazy, but I really didn't think I should reward this kind of behavior.)
I have a feeling I'm in big trouble if the first couple of hours of summer vacation are any indication of what's in store the next couple of months.
Friday, May 02, 2008
And the Winner Is....
Picture #1!
Thanks everyone for e-mailing and posting feedback here on the pictures! I tallied up all the votes and #1 was the hands-down favorite. #4 and #5 tied for 2nd.
I guess I misunderstood the rules though. I thought the employee told me you could either submit photos electronically OR with an 8x10 print. I assumed that I could just send a pic in via e-mail. As I was filling out the entry form this morning, I noticed it said an 8x10 print AND an electronic copy. Yes, it was an AND, not an OR. I was also surprised to find out that submitting "electronically" didn't include e-mail. No, they wanted the photo burned to a CD. Nothing's ever as quick and simple as I think it's going to be.
I didn't have time to go to Costco today, which is where I usually print my pics, so I thought I would try out the one hour photo at the new Walgreens in town. Let's just say that wasn't the best move I've ever made! Either the colors and lighting on my laptop are WAAAAAAY off, or the photo processing was. The whole photo was really dark and Gracie's skin was bright orange. Dallin looked at the print after school and said with a bit of disgust, "Well, it looks like we're not winning this contest, are we mom?" I pretended to be hurt by that comment, but I was secretly laughing on the inside. I'm sure he's right!
Dark, orangey print or not, I still submitted the picture. I decided it would be good for Dallin to see me lose. LOL! He had a hard time when he wasn't a top winner in the Reflections Contest at school. He got an Honorable Mention, but he was still devastated that he didn't "win." I tried telling him that it didn't matter to me whether he won or not, I thought he was a winner just for trying. So this this photo contest seemed like the perfect opportunity to put my money where my mouth is and show him that I'm OK with not winning too.
The pictures are supposed to be judged by the visitors at the Thanksgiving Point Gardens for the next month or so. The winners will be notified by mail on July 1st. I'm not holding my breath. LOL!
But still...
Ticket to tulip festival - $10.00
CD - $1.00
8x10 photo - $2.50
Priority Mail Delivery - $4.60
Teaching your kid that winning isn't everything - "PRICELESS!"
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Did You Know?
We've had Gracie's friend Sophie staying with us while her parents are on a cruise. She's been enlightening us with all kinds of useful information while she's been here. Most of her little nuggets of wisdom begin with, "Did you know..." Here are a few of the little gems we've learned from her the past couple of days:
1. Did you know that my dad makes the BEST breadsticks? (Spoken after her first and only bite of the breadsticks I made for dinner.)
2. Did you know that your mom eats garbage Gracie? (Said after she watched me put black beans on a whole wheat tortilla. LOL!)
3. Did you know my Grandpa with 8 toes only has 8 toes because bugs got into his feet?....(long pause)....but I don't know what kind of bugs.
There have been others, but that's probably good for now.
I've actually learned a thing or two myself while Sophie has been staying with us. For example:
1. Did you know that two little girls can change clothes more than half a dozen times before lunchtime? Together they can also make a mess - not just twice as big, but about 9 times larger - than either one of them is capable of making on their own.
2. Did you know some kids are afraid to sleep in the basement? (Mine aren't, so this is new to me.)
3. Did you know that there might be spiders in the basement? And did you know that there are spiders outside? (Since there are most certainly spiders outside, you should never ever go outside to play!)
4. Did you know that little girls are drama queens?
5. Did you know that it is exhausting to tuck two preschoolers into bed approximately 47 times in one night?
6. Did you know that when exhaustion sets in, all your best parenting techniques go out the window? (I learned this one while spending a couple nights on the upstairs couch, while Adam slept in the basement. The two girls were sound asleep on our bed when I came to this realization.)
7. Did you know that finding such a good friend for your kid is pretty rare? These girls just adore each other! They're going on day 6 of being together around the clock and not only are they still friends, they're still acting like they can't get enough of each other.
We're all learning a lot this week!
1. Did you know that my dad makes the BEST breadsticks? (Spoken after her first and only bite of the breadsticks I made for dinner.)
2. Did you know that your mom eats garbage Gracie? (Said after she watched me put black beans on a whole wheat tortilla. LOL!)
3. Did you know my Grandpa with 8 toes only has 8 toes because bugs got into his feet?....(long pause)....but I don't know what kind of bugs.
There have been others, but that's probably good for now.
I've actually learned a thing or two myself while Sophie has been staying with us. For example:
1. Did you know that two little girls can change clothes more than half a dozen times before lunchtime? Together they can also make a mess - not just twice as big, but about 9 times larger - than either one of them is capable of making on their own.
2. Did you know some kids are afraid to sleep in the basement? (Mine aren't, so this is new to me.)
3. Did you know that there might be spiders in the basement? And did you know that there are spiders outside? (Since there are most certainly spiders outside, you should never ever go outside to play!)
4. Did you know that little girls are drama queens?
5. Did you know that it is exhausting to tuck two preschoolers into bed approximately 47 times in one night?
6. Did you know that when exhaustion sets in, all your best parenting techniques go out the window? (I learned this one while spending a couple nights on the upstairs couch, while Adam slept in the basement. The two girls were sound asleep on our bed when I came to this realization.)
7. Did you know that finding such a good friend for your kid is pretty rare? These girls just adore each other! They're going on day 6 of being together around the clock and not only are they still friends, they're still acting like they can't get enough of each other.
We're all learning a lot this week!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
She Cracks Me Up!
This is Rose.
This was Rose a couple of weeks ago.
Gracie had her in a wooden box. She frequently puts toys in purses, buckets, bowls, baskets, etc. so I really wasn't alarmed...until this conversation...
Gracie: "Mom, look at Rose."
Me: "Oh that's cute honey." (I was a little distracted at the moment.)
Gracie: "You better get cooking - LOTS of food!"
Me: "Why's that?"
Gracie: "Because Rose died, and we're having a funeral!"
Um. OK! (I seriously laughed so hard.) There's probably another child out there somewhere who loves playing "funeral" with his or her stuffed animals. That child's parent is probably a mortician or something. Ha Ha Ha!
Can you tell that she has been a front row spectator at Relief Society events for most of her life?
This was Rose a couple of weeks ago.
Gracie had her in a wooden box. She frequently puts toys in purses, buckets, bowls, baskets, etc. so I really wasn't alarmed...until this conversation...
Gracie: "Mom, look at Rose."
Me: "Oh that's cute honey." (I was a little distracted at the moment.)
Gracie: "You better get cooking - LOTS of food!"
Me: "Why's that?"
Gracie: "Because Rose died, and we're having a funeral!"
Um. OK! (I seriously laughed so hard.) There's probably another child out there somewhere who loves playing "funeral" with his or her stuffed animals. That child's parent is probably a mortician or something. Ha Ha Ha!
Can you tell that she has been a front row spectator at Relief Society events for most of her life?
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Rockin' and Rollin'
The kids went yesterday to record a couple of songs in a recording studio for their Grandma 'Gumry. She's a Kindergarten teacher and she's written songs for each of the letters and sounds in the alphabet. She called Sunday and asked the kids to come and sing the "nnnnn" song and the "ch-ch-ch-choo" song for her. They are both big American Idol fans, so they were so excited to go record some songs - like Carrie Underwood. LOL!
Then on Monday, Gracie got sick. She's been sniffling and coughing like crazy. I gave her some cough medicine before we left yesterday. Then on the way down the canyon she was getting cranky with Dallin. She told him she needed some "peace and quiet" for a minute. (And I thought I was the only one who ever felt that way. He He!) It turned out she was saying a prayer that her cough would go away and that she would be able to sing her best. Awwww.
The poor thing was trying so hard, but she just couldn't control that pesky hacking cough. She squeaked out one verse of the "nnnnn" song, but she sounded miserable. Hopefully the music man can work his magic and get a decent song out of what he had to work with. I took Gracie out of the room while Dallin and Grandma recorded the other song. Dallin came out of there on cloud nine. He said it "felt so good to do 2 songs in a row!" He also commented that he realized that he is actually a pretty good singer. Ha Ha. Gotta love it!
I left my camera in the car, but luckily grandma took a couple pics for us. (I didn't have time to scrap them yet, but Dani's pop rock tag album was perfect for now.)
We had a nice Conference weekend. The kids were relatively well-behaved and I actually heard a lot more of the talks than I normally get to. I loved so many, but if I had to pick my favorite, it would have to be Elder Ballard's talk on mothers. I can't wait to get that one in print!
Sickness and snow aside, we've been enjoying our Spring Break so far. It's been so nice to not have to run a million directions every day! We have plans to do some fun things the rest of the week. I guess I'd better get moving and making some more memories with the kids.
Friday, April 04, 2008
This Face
OK. Tell the truth. Does this look like the face of a bully to you?
I never thought so, but apparently I don't know - I'm just his mother.
This face was called in to the principal's office last week after a parent reported that her child had been bullied.
Really?
Yes. Really!
Dallin had mentioned in passing that someone at school (let's call him "Tom") didn't like him. He said that Tom and his friends kept trying to "attack" him -his word, not mine. He was so pleased with himself because when Tom's friends were about to "attack" him, he distracted them by showing them his super flexible thumb joint. (Way to use your noggin buddy!)
His point in telling me the story was to relay how advantageous it is to have a super flexible thumb joint. But that's not what I heard. Maybe it was the way he kept using the word "attack" that raised the red flag, but something in my gut didn't feel right. I didn't want to be one of those overprotective, meddling moms. I think it's important for kids to learn to work things out, so I let it drop for the time being. But I didn't forget about it. I would be sure to ask how things went with "Tom" after school the next day.
Are you with me so far?
Now let's fast forward to the next morning. I just happened to be volunteering at the school that day. I was out in the hall working with one of the kids when the principal walked by. He smiled and said "hi" and thanked me for being there to help. When he left the classroom, he took Dallin and 5 or 6 other kids with him. They all seemed very calm and laid back. There was no indication that this was anything out of the ordinary.
A while later Dallin came back to the classroom alone. He gave me his best please-don't-be-mad-at-me look and said, "The principal let me go since I wasn't even there when the trouble happened." Trouble? What trouble? Who said anything about trouble? I never even saw it coming.
As it turned out, the principal had received a call from "Tom's" mom accusing Dallin and his friends of being bullies. I was surprised by this development since that's not the story I heard the day before. Not even close. I know that there are 2 sides to this story, but I'm not fully convinced that I know either one of them.
That night before bed, Dallin and I had a nice looooooong talk; a talk I never imagined I'd be having with him. I know he's not perfect. I mean after all he is a boy, but still...he's my sweet, scrawny, non-aggressive, tenderhearted, little boy. (As I'm typing these qualities, it hit me that they are all rather intimidating. I'm sure first graders all over the world are shaking in their shoes right now. LOL!)
So anyway, while we were having "the talk", I asked Dallin what lessons he had learned from this experience? He said that he felt "sick inside his stomach and in his heart" when he thought he was going to be in trouble at the principal's office. Hopefully that sick feeling will be enough to keep him from going back anytime soon. I guess that's not such a bad lesson to learn.
And as for me, I've learned that I didn't read the fine print when I signed up for this motherhood thing. Clearly I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I'm sure I sprouted a few new grey hairs this past week. It didn't help that I've been so sick. It also didn't help that I had to speak in church last Sunday for our ward conference. The theme for the conference was "Teach Your Children" - and the principal was one of the stake visitors attending our ward. How's that for irony? Or shall I say humiliation? Ha! Ha! Now I'm just looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend watching General Conference. I've got my pen and notebook ready to go. With any luck there will be a couple good talks on parenting. Heaven knows I need all the help I can get.
I never thought so, but apparently I don't know - I'm just his mother.
This face was called in to the principal's office last week after a parent reported that her child had been bullied.
Really?
Yes. Really!
Dallin had mentioned in passing that someone at school (let's call him "Tom") didn't like him. He said that Tom and his friends kept trying to "attack" him -his word, not mine. He was so pleased with himself because when Tom's friends were about to "attack" him, he distracted them by showing them his super flexible thumb joint. (Way to use your noggin buddy!)
His point in telling me the story was to relay how advantageous it is to have a super flexible thumb joint. But that's not what I heard. Maybe it was the way he kept using the word "attack" that raised the red flag, but something in my gut didn't feel right. I didn't want to be one of those overprotective, meddling moms. I think it's important for kids to learn to work things out, so I let it drop for the time being. But I didn't forget about it. I would be sure to ask how things went with "Tom" after school the next day.
Are you with me so far?
Now let's fast forward to the next morning. I just happened to be volunteering at the school that day. I was out in the hall working with one of the kids when the principal walked by. He smiled and said "hi" and thanked me for being there to help. When he left the classroom, he took Dallin and 5 or 6 other kids with him. They all seemed very calm and laid back. There was no indication that this was anything out of the ordinary.
A while later Dallin came back to the classroom alone. He gave me his best please-don't-be-mad-at-me look and said, "The principal let me go since I wasn't even there when the trouble happened." Trouble? What trouble? Who said anything about trouble? I never even saw it coming.
As it turned out, the principal had received a call from "Tom's" mom accusing Dallin and his friends of being bullies. I was surprised by this development since that's not the story I heard the day before. Not even close. I know that there are 2 sides to this story, but I'm not fully convinced that I know either one of them.
That night before bed, Dallin and I had a nice looooooong talk; a talk I never imagined I'd be having with him. I know he's not perfect. I mean after all he is a boy, but still...he's my sweet, scrawny, non-aggressive, tenderhearted, little boy. (As I'm typing these qualities, it hit me that they are all rather intimidating. I'm sure first graders all over the world are shaking in their shoes right now. LOL!)
So anyway, while we were having "the talk", I asked Dallin what lessons he had learned from this experience? He said that he felt "sick inside his stomach and in his heart" when he thought he was going to be in trouble at the principal's office. Hopefully that sick feeling will be enough to keep him from going back anytime soon. I guess that's not such a bad lesson to learn.
And as for me, I've learned that I didn't read the fine print when I signed up for this motherhood thing. Clearly I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I'm sure I sprouted a few new grey hairs this past week. It didn't help that I've been so sick. It also didn't help that I had to speak in church last Sunday for our ward conference. The theme for the conference was "Teach Your Children" - and the principal was one of the stake visitors attending our ward. How's that for irony? Or shall I say humiliation? Ha! Ha! Now I'm just looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend watching General Conference. I've got my pen and notebook ready to go. With any luck there will be a couple good talks on parenting. Heaven knows I need all the help I can get.
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