Day 93

Emmett woke up on his birthday and was pretty excited about his breakfast of a waffle with nutella and sprinkles. He said to me, "thats what I'm talking about!". Then later that day, I was trying to teach him how old he was. He couldn't remember the right answer. So, after a few practices, he says "so, my 2 1/2 went away?".
He thinks so differently, that he still catches me off guard and usually results in a laugh.


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Day 92

Idiots.
Every night my dogs, husband, and I go through a horrible routine. I tell drew goodnight and ask him to let the dogs out. I go get in bed (finally). Then the dogs come back in and they are supposed to get in bed. Molly goes in brooklyn's bed and Brooklyn tries to get in molly's. No way am I sleeping next to the loudest dog in America. So I have to get out of bed an tell Molly to go get in her's. Molly is afraid to walk around the bed as sometimes she takes the turn too fast and ends up spinning her "wheels". So she waits for me to stand by the closet, gesture with my hands (as if giving her the right of way) and tell her "go!" at least two times before she makes the turn, scratching the wood floor heading toward her bed. Then Brooklyn still doesn't know where to go, so I have to tell her where to go before she goes to lay down. There really isn't anywhere else they go. Why the confusion? I mean, REALLY!
Idiots.


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Day 91

The kids putting on a show after watching a little bit of Dancing With the Stars...


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Day 90

So, maybe not every day...it's been a while again since I posted.

This is a pic of Ali on her last day of preschool! Yay! We made it through. She even was brave enough the last 3 days to allow me to drop her off in the carpool line. She has grown immensely in the last year, even.


Quite happy to be with her Nonnie!

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Day 89

Ali did not want to go to school today. For a while, she wouldn't give a reason. She had already figured out that, due to the rain, there would be mud on the playground. Last time there was mud on the playground, she got yelled at for being in it/near it. That was tough for her!!!!!! So she was preemptively nervous about that situation the day before school.
Today, she was upset about the fact that one kid in particular always gets in trouble at school. She can't handle it when other kids are in trouble. Poor little girl! Little adult in a 4 year old body is tough!

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Day 88

We went outside on our porch to watch the rain, and it turned into running through the puddle.



Emmett was sad the next morning when it was gone :(



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Day 87

Ali showing her new haircut, hairdo, and sparkles on her cheek. Cute little girl...


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Day 86

Ice cream with the fam :)



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Day 85

Pic from our day at my grandparent's farm this weekend. Emmett climbed up in his lap on his own and Ali can actually understand what he says. This is already further along in a relationship with him than I was at their age...






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Day 84

Easter egg hunt at the park with my MOPS group

Day 83

I can't imagine a more severe punishment for a people-pleaser parent, than to parent a child who is SO NOT a people-pleaser.


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Day 82

I love how slow our life is (sometimes I am way bored, though). I want this life for my kids, but it isn't fully the life I would have by myself. I love that they ran around in the front after dinner. It turns into Emmett choo-chooing and Ali running with her cape on. Then Emmett messed up the neighbor's yard clipping pile. So he needed to sweep it back up. They spent the next 20 minutes sweeping and having fun doing it. And Emmett practiced jumping over the pile. Over and over and over... I often feel alone. Not many kids are also out during the day. They are at daycare. They aren't outside at night b/c they're busy getting ready for the next day. We rarely are busy. Sometimes I wish we were, but really, I'm content :). I guess if I was busy, I wouldn't have time to feel alone...


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Day 81

Emmett playing with Molly. I can't believe how long he sat there with her and how long she sat still with torn-up paper towel pieces on her back before she shook them off.


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Day 80

Emmett found a toad today on our walk. He touched it and was quickly grossed out by it. I touched it with a leaf so we could observe it do something besides sit in fear. Em started touching with a leaf and got to watch it hop.



I tried to get a picture of emmett with the toad, but it hopped away. He had fun playing with it..


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Day 79

Can I just take a moment to celebrate? I remember when Ali was a toddler and she didn't eat a whole lot. She would scream when it was time for breakfast. Scream at lunch. Scream at dinner. One snowy morning that I knew I was going to be stuck inside with her all day, I decided to put nutella and sprinkles on a waffle and make it look like a donut. She excitedly ate it. Then she wanted chocolate waffles all the time. So I started making waffle sandwiches with a little almond butter (she can't stand peanut butter) so I could have something she would eat for lunch. One day, she ate 11 miniature waffle sandwiches. Fast forward to today... I have been out of waffles since Tuesday and no one is starving. Emmett doesn't really eat them, but he doesn't really eat anything else either. My mom found a train sandwich cutter and he was excited to try it. Today I made their lunches without toasting any waffles :). I made a nutella and almond butter train sandwich for em, and Ali chose turkey. They both had some apples, cheese and strawberries. I feel like I have come so far and am feeling thankful for all the progress :)


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Day 78

It's funny. My new routines/guidelines have brought back to me my kids that play together. Really, I mean Ali. She is learning the hard lesson: if you don't want to play alone, play what someone else wants to play. Valuable lesson...


Here she is dressed like a skunk... Ready to spray :)



Notice the high tech stripe I made???


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Day 77

My brother and sister-in-law had a baby last week. Isn't he a cutie?? I'm still dying to get my hands on him. Maybe this week...

Day 76

This last week has been full of new and uncomfortable situations for me. It's tough always being the new girl. And, I feel like I've been looking for my peeps ever since we moved to Colorado. I had a group, until I changed jobs. Then I had a baby and had to start over a little. Then I had another and it changed again. Then I moved to San francisco and I found out just how hard it is to find friends for yourself but also your kids. Then we moved again to Dallas. I didn't think it would be as hard here, but it is still hard. It is nice to see family who already know and like me AND my kids, but it sure would be nice to have more closer to me. I know it's coming, and I'm tired of waiting. And I'm tired of feeling like the odd man out in a group. I wish I was as secure in myself as my daughter is with herself. I can handle a little bit of feeling "on the outs", but it get overwhelming when your "reserves" have also been tapped. I really like who I am, but sometimes, I get confused :)



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Day 75

We were at the Arboretum this week and the kids were playing going up and down some stairs. At the top of the stairs, Emmett leaned over the wall and spit. I'm not quite sure that the spit actually landed on a lady's head sitting on a bench below him, but she felt something land on her head and saw him spitting. She got on him and made sure he felt bad for spitting. I could tell a few moments later that he felt really guilty. I was annoyed at the lady for laying into him, but I could tell that he needed to apologize so that he wouldn't feel guilty anymore. I took him down there. He told her that he was sorry and he didn't mean to spit on her. She was very nice and gracious and instantly, he felt better. He even asked her if she wanted to play with him. Later the woman gave him a package of skittles she happened to have because she was so grateful for the apology. I was so thankful to see the guilt on his face and be able to recognize it. I knew he didn't need to carry that around all day. He is a sweet boy that made a mistake, but the lady didn't see that until he humbly asked for forgiveness. Forgiveness and grace are very powerful. Thank you Jesus that you are both of these because in my flesh, I am not.

"Your past can be like sidewalk chalk if you will dance and pray for rain".... But you have to dance and pray for rain first. I hope my kids learn this.
Here they are hot and tired:


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Day 74

Today, we had tickets to ride a real Thomas. Here we are waiting..


Emmett riding on Annie.


Ali riding...



You know the boy loves trains when he plays on some random tracks he found.


He also followed this model train around the tracks it was on for a solid 20 minutes. He just kept walking in a circle around the display keeping up with the engine so he could watch every move.


All in all, a really fun day :)


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Day 73

Here is a pic of Ali at the arboretum when we went for the princess party. Poor thing. We get there and she is so excited about her outfit. I let her borrow my "wedding necklace", and she is so proud of how she looks and that she gets to wear it out. I ask her to sit in front of some lovely flowers under a gazebo so I could get a few pics before we go into the party. While sitting, a bird poops on her arm and all down her dress. I, of course, lie and say that it was dirt falling from the flowers above. She buys the story, but is sooooo not happy about the fact her dress is dirty. Isn't that how life is??? Why do we keep getting shit on when we really need a great day? I've decided the answer is: to keep us humble. Shit will do that...


I get her dress cleaned off and the day goes well. Although, she was reluctant to have her picture taken in front of flowers from then on...

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Day 72

Today was National Puppy Day. Not really sure what that means but it was on the Today Show. So we read puppy themed books and they (Ali) made a paper bag dog puppet.


I made an example one and used it to talk with them. It was such a crackup watching them talk to this paper bag puppet. They were fighting over who was going to sit with him. What a hoot. Here is ali's..



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Day 71

Today, we went for a nature walk. Ali picked a flower for me at recess at her preschool today right before dismissal. I'm not sure exactly why her teacher didn't let her take it to me. I gave her teacher the benefit of the doubt and defended her. But, Ali was so so sad that she had to leave the flower. After we got home, we went for a walk and collected flowers, leaves, acorns, sticks and more flowers.


What do you do with all those "treasures"? Glue them on paper :). This helped make her feel much better!



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Day 70

Today we went to the Arboretum for Mom and Tot Day. The kids choo-chooed and petted the animals in the petting zoo while I waited in the face painting line. They've never done that before..



Ali held her breath and closed her eyes.



Finished product..




Emmett's turn...



Big cheeks



He liked it :)











Craft time.



Lovely, lovely flowers!!!



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Day 69

Today we read the book Cars by Patricia Hubbell.



Then we went outside and used matchbox cars to paint with. We put paint on big plates, and they ran different kinds of cars through the paint. Then they drove them on the paper.



Notice the extra kid? The neighbor girl from two doors down. She happened to be outside and came over to paint with us. They are now inside playing together. Thank you Jesus! Making friends :)

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Day 68

The kiddos riding a train inside the mall. What fun :)


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Day 67

During our book time, we read a few books that each kid picked out and then I read the book we're going to do a project about. Each day, em picks The Little Engine That Could. I found some little wooden trains for them to paint afterwards.



And, then, we went to a movie theater to see The Little Engine That Could. Emmett has never been to a movie before so I thought this was the perfect introduction to movies. How scary can that story be???



Well, it was pretty scary. Ali even offered em her bug to put over his face. So sweet!! Glad we went...

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Day 66

Today's project was still about Planting A Rainbow. The kids colored on paper towels with markers, and then squirted it with a water "squirper". After they dry, it is a pretty picture showing the colors of the rainbow.



Finished product..



I gave the kids a rainbow lunch, too.
Ali has requested to never have a rainbow lunch again. Go figure...


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Day 65

At ali's request, this was the next book on the list.
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert



The last few pages in the book form a rainbow. I mimicked the rainbow and made each kid a book. The idea was to cut out things that were the same color as a page in the book and glue it in. Ali cut flower pictures from a seed catalog (and spent hours on the project). Emmett used car and train stickers that matched the colors and put them in the book. They did a great job :)



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