Braedon's first purchase--legos

Its been a long time coming. The kids see some coins on the ground and run to collect them. One would think they would put it into their piggy banks, but not mine. They put straight into their wallet.

Braedon has been hoarding his money for a while. He has been claiming that he would buy something with his money, but never has. I also think he forgets about bringing his wallet. It wasn't until Sebastian brought up the idea of bringing his wallet.

Before we set out to Target to stock up on household items, I had them count their money. Braedon helped a little and S didn't care (he just wanted "stuff"). I thought oh boy this is going to be a great learning lesson for both of them.

As we walked in, they both started begging me to take them to the toy section. After gathering up a few items, we headed upstairs. They looked around a bit and then asked me what could they get. Braedon had $15and more than S because he had "tooth-fairy" money. Yup losing 5 teeth pays off. Poor S only had $3. Again, another lesson that saving your money can get you better toys.

It took a while to get S his toys which he finally agreed to 3 hotwheels police cars. B finally settled on a Dino small lego set. I had to run out of there before each of them asked for the millionth time if what could they get for their money. I tried to explain to them but they just weren't hearing me or didn't care to hear me.

We went to the grocery store where I proceeded to lock the keys in the car and subsequently standing around for while waiting for assistance. Taking 3 wound up kids to Target, grocery store, and locking the keys in the car exhausted me.

When we arrived home, all I wanted to do was to put away the groceries and do nothing. Of course here comes B asking me to put his lego vehicle together. I politely asked him to see if he could start and if he had any problems to ask for assistance.

I never expected him to put it together by himself! He was so proud of himself and it gave him the sense of power.

Later that evening, S of course demolished B's car. B was upset and asked Dad to rebuild it. Dad forgot and the next morning Braedon rebuilt all by himself.

I can't wait until he gets more legos and see his ability to read directions to build something amazing.

Hello Kitty

Dear Jillian,

I never really knew Hello Kitty growing up. I saw her picture on many different things, but I was never really into her.

I am unsure of how you were introduced. I know it starts with your love for kitties in general. Your Dad helped further your interest when he bought you "baby kitty". I'm sure it also helps that you pretend your are a kitty and want to be petted.

So we've nurtured your love for Hello Kitty by purchasing a few items. Word had spread that you loved Hello Kitty and more items were purchased as gifts for holidays and birthday.

Your obsession has now taken over your clothing choices. You will not wear any dress unless it has Hello Kitty. Hence, I purchased 2 special dresses for you which you refer to as your "pretty dresses" or "princess dresses". Here is where you act like a girly girl until you want to run around outside in the mud.

We have also purchased special Hello Kitty shoes for you because your Aunt started this trend when she bought you a pair for your birthday. You love them and will wear them all of the time....even to bed.

Now you won't wear anything unless it has Hello Kitty. All of your shirts must be HK. I tried to put some jeans on you the other day and you wouldn't wear them. I am wondering if I put HK on them if you would change your mind?

I have purchased some iron-ons and patches to adhere to some clothes I purchased for you. Again, I am hoping that they will make you change your mind wearing them.

Loving Hello Kitty is the most precious thing and we enjoy seeing your personality shine. You light up when you see HK and do a great impression of a cat.

Today you said to me, "You can be the mommy kitty and I can be your baby" and then snuggled up with me. It was super cute and melted my heart. You won't be this way forever and I wanted to document this while I had the chance.

Love,
Your mommy kitty

Braedon's Broken Arm

Dear Braedon,

One day the topic of "Have you ever had a broken bone" will come up via talking with your friends or girlfriend. I prided myself on not having any broken bones and also can thank my parents for passing down good genes.

Your father, however can not claim this and nor can you now. Your father broke his leg when he was around 1-2 years of age. It was not of his own doing, he crawled under a moving rocking chair and well his uncle smashed his leg. This is not the only time he has broken something. While during his senior year at Indiana University, your father was playing a heated game of basketball. He jumped up to block a shot and his opponent smashed his hand into the backboard. Your father then had to drive himself to the Emergency Room in his BMW which was a stick shift. You guessed it, he had to drive with his busted right hand.

I am one of those helicopter moms people write about all of the time. I hoovered over you and your siblings to make sure you weren't hurt. I would run around the playground watching you like a hawk to ensure your safety.

You were a very cautious little boy and still are. You wouldn't climb anything unless you were sure you could do it safely. Even today you will not do anything that you think might harm you.

Technically you didn't break anything, but you did fracture your elbow. To be more precise your Lateral Epicondyle. It happened just as we were gathering you and your siblings for bed time. We have a routine where we all meet up in the bathroom. I was in the other room getting things prepared for you and I heard your father ask if you if you were alright.

There was a pillow with a star on it we had lying on the couch most of the time. It happened to be lying on the floor. Somehow you stepped back and fell over it. You put your left hand down to break your fall. In doing so, your humerous either hit your radius or ulna or it hit the ground making a fracture.

Instantly you did not look right or feel well. We were unsure of what happened to you but you insisted that you just wanted to go to sleep. We checked on you throughout the night but you didn't wake. The next morning, I could see that you still weren't doing well. You wanted to lay down in bed with your Father and you were "babying" your arm. It was swollen with a very mild discoloration.

It happened to be a Sunday and I knew the only place we had to take you was the hospital. We double checked with your doctor and the confirmed that if you needed a cast the ER was the place. I was very nervous because you hadn't had the need to see a doctor for anything.

You of course were very brave. They gave you some Tylenol when you arrived and that was the only medication you received during this entire process. They took you in for X-rays and you didn't cry although it hurt. When the pediatric surgeon came in to put your cast you were brave. It was only when they split your cast so that it could expand as your arm swelled, did you then cry. It was a very loud and scary machine. I looked like a saw and it looked as though it was going to cut you. Only until after the doctor saw that you were terrified, did he explain to you that it wouldn't hurt you.

We had been there for about 7 hours and you were tired. I was tired. We thought we could get out of there with just the cast but then the doctor returned informing us you might have to have surgery.

There was a long battle between your doctors and parents regarding what was best for your arm. They wanted surgery and we wanted you to have time to let your body heal naturally. Ultimately we won. You did end up having 4 different occasions of X-rays, which I felt was too many, but we wanted to comply with the doctor. We wanted to make sure you were healing properly.

After 6 weeks, your cast came off and you babied your arm for a bit. That is natural thinking you might hurt it again. Time has passed and you have full range of motion with your elbow. You haven't really given it any thought.

I couldn't believe that you had to have a cast and that my baby was hurt. I am grateful everything worked out and you are well on your way to 7.

Love,
Your mommy

What to do on a rainy day....

When I was a little girl, we lived in Frankfort Square, IL on Acorn Drive. I loved it when it rained during the summer time. It was warm but, the rain made it the prefect temperature.

There was a sidewalk across the street from our house that had a dip in between two slabs. It made the perfect place for water to pool. It made the best puddle ever.

If it wasn’t thundering or lightening, I would beg my mom to let me play outside. I remember the clear-bubble umbrella she bought me. I didn’t need wellies either; I would just go out with my bare feet. I would jump up and down in the puddles. I would make the biggest splashes. I was wet, muddy, and had a huge smile on my face.

The sidewalk that made the perfect puddle would be all murky filled with water and dirt but I loved every minute of it.

I wanted my kids to have the same experiences I had with rain, puddles, and umbrellas.  I made it a point to get them all the rain gear they needed to make their own joy (of course when they aren't playing in the backyard without their clothes--my nudists). So no matter what the weather was outside (hot or cold), I would let them play in the rain. Of course as long as it isn’t thundering or lightening. 

 

I wish we had a place that they could have a huge puddle like I had but, it is the little things that count. :)

Jillian turns 3

To my dearest Jillian,

I can’t believe it has been 3 years. I remember when you were born and recall the actions of that day. You were so tiny and precious—we knew we had something wonderful.

We celebrated your 3^rd birthday at a Children’s Museum in Frankfort on May 12^th. It was a Hello Kitty themed party because you LOVE Hello Kitty. In fact, you won’t wear anything if it doesn’t have a kitty on it. Mainly all of your shirts have Hello Kitty on it somewhere. Of course, I made you a Hello Kitty cake. All of your cousins came and some of your friends from coop.

You received: Hello Kitty purse, Hello kitty shirts/shoes, Hello Kitty little figures, book, crayons, gift card, kitty sleeping bag, a baby that talks (I’m not sure if you are into it or not), Little Princess-by Tony Ross DVD, Hello Kitty towel, and Hello Kitty bathing suit.

Likes/dislikes/favorites:

Color: you love pink. I think it is incredible because you aren’t always a girly girl.

Food: You are one tough/picky eater. You don’t really like anything unless its bad for you. You like crackers, hotdogs, Keifer bug yogurt which you call your Baba, maple yogurt which I freeze for you and you think it is ice cream. It looks like ice cream because I put it in a ice cream cone looking container you can freeze.  Sometimes you like green beans. You love bread—especially Italian bread. You like peanut butter but sometimes I give you almond butter (of course all natural and organic). You like French fries, popcorn, baked snap peas, pretzels, and veggie sticks. I have tried to get you to eat chicken, fish and other things that are good but you always say—Yucky and blow a raspberry at me. I’m hoping one day you will change your eating habits.

You like to watch: Peppa Pig, Little Princess by Tony Ross, Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom, Wubbzy, Charlie Brown/snoppy, Richard Scarry’s Busytown, and some things that your brother’s like to watch.

Clothes: you are not a girly girl but you do like sparkly or shiny things—we call them bling (they are really rhinestones). You don’t like to wear clothes at home because you are just like your brothers. Sometimes you wear a shirt. I think mainly its easier so we can potty train you. You will only wear a dress if it has Hello Kitty on it. Mommy bought you a non-hello kitty wardrobe for summer and you won’t wear it. I am not seeking ways to put Hello Kitty on your clothes so you will wear them.

Playing: you love to play with magna tiles, you love the sand box and swings. Mainly you just love to help me as much as a 3 year old can.

Humor: you are a very funny child. You make us laugh all the time. Sometimes you are very silly but sometimes your Daddy encourages your silliness. You do things to aggravate your brothers but you do it for attention. You have a fake cry that sometimes is funny but sometimes can be a bit over the top.

Learning: of course you know now that you are homeschooled. You love to learn with your brothers and pick up things quickly. You will definitely surpass them when it comes to reading/writing. You love drawing with pens/pencils/crayons. You love to paint….I think you could paint every day. You are very creative and I love nurturing your creativity. Your vocabulary is incredible and you repeat everything that we say and then you use it yourself. So I make sure that I speak clearly and repeat things to you.

Personality: you can be very stubborn. If you don’t want to do something you cross your arms and say no. When we are walking and you don’t want to walk anymore—you just stop and won’t move. You cry very easily and are easily upset. But on the other hand you sometimes are tough as nails as long as something hasn’t bothered you.You love to act like a kitty making kitty noises and love jumping on people. You think that is funny. 

You are sleeping through the night with your brothers. You have certainly grown up quickly. You are mostly potty trained but we are working on underwear during the day. At night we put you in a diaper because you don’t get up to tell us you need to go potty. I know you’ll grow out of this stage.

Everyone thinks you are so cute and you know it. You go up to people and use your “girlish” ways to get their attention.  You do this with boys and girls.

While I am writing this you are walking around naked with your new Hello Kitty shoes your Aunt Chrissy bought you for your birthday and your Hello Kitty balloon I got for your birthday. You asked for your “BABA” but you aren’t really interested in drinking it and returned it to me. You are too cute.

We are so lucky to have you in our lives and are grateful for every day that we get to spend with you.  We love you so much and can’t wait to see what the next year brings.

Happy 3^rd birthday.Love your Mom and Dad.

A nice way to end the perfect day…

It is Thursday and that means it Coop Day. A day where we pretend we “go to school”. We load up in the car around 8:15 am (if I’m lucky). We have to drive from Chicago to Oak Park and be there by 9:30am. You see our coop is a parent run enrichment program. Basically the kids play all day and do some learning. As they get older that changes a bit but for right now it is exactly what we need. It is a day to get out of the house and play with other kids. The downfall is that it is a day where you are always taking care of kids. There really isn’t much of a break until the very last part of the day.

Today was a bit different because we were preparing for our open house. The older kids like to show off their talents and decided to do a “show” for the parents. Although the younger kids weren’t involved too much, they fed off the energy of the older kids. It was very exhilarating but tiring. Trying to make sure that all kids are happy and their needs are met (this does not include my own).

So why do we do it if it becomes tiring? If you could just experience this energy and harness it, can you imagine its healing power?

Now on top of going to coop until about 2:30pm, we needed to pick up our car from the shop. The shop is located in countryside which was close to coop but then another 40 minutes or so from our house.

Jillian was already asleep before we even left the street to go to the shop. She woke up just as we arrived. It was around pm when we left the shop to head home. Sebastian then fell asleep in the car on the way home. Usually we don’t like it when the kids fall asleep during the day. This means that they won’t want to go to bed at a decent time.

They were tired when we got home but they usually get their second wind. All of their toys and videos have been waiting for them all day. They just can’t resist playing some more. This is called the waiting period until their Daddy comes home. Then a renewed energy emerges and Daddy then creates excitement. We both knew they weren’t going to bed at their normal time so we tried to do things to entertain them. By 9pm, I was exhausted. I was sitting in bed reading with Braedon sitting next to me. We were talking and playing angry birds together. Every once in a while Jillian would pop in wanting attention but would ultimately return to her Dad.

I then shut my book and tried to relax a bit. Then Dad realized that I was trying to go to sleep and then said it was time for the kids to go to bed as well. He gathered them for their night-time routine and then they all decided to snuggle up with me in my bed. I got up to do my routine and then helped get them settled in my bed. Dad turned out the lights and we said our last good nights and I love yous.

Then Sebastian said, “I don’t want this day to end.” I was thinking the same thing.

Sticky tactile fun

Once again, I am trying to get the kids on a creative exploration. I saw this idea on the crafty crow. A little contact paper along with some geometric shapes makes for a lovely wall mosaic.

I was trying to get an idea where all three of the kids would enjoy playing with the same materials. It also helps that there is little clean up and no messes.

Jillian's work is on the far right, Sebastian's is in the middle, and Braedon's is on the left.

Jillian just placed pieces randomly but then began to set them on their edge for a 3D effect. Sebastian made Wheeljack, one of his favorite transformer characters. Braedon's was more elaborate and came with a story as well.

Braedon's piece is a bad man who has stolen all of the jewels and the police could not catch him because their guns were ineffective. That or he said the man was infected...I'm not sure. Then he said he robbed people's houses and stole all of their animals because he loved them. Then the man was never seen again because he burned up in the sun.

This project lasted a good 10-20 minutes which is a record thus far. I'm not sure how long it will remain on the wall, but I would like to try other materials.

At least I got their creative energy flowing.