I know it is rather a cliche. And yet it rings true.
The kids and I met my cousin, her daughter, and my grandmother at the park today. It was nearly too hot to play so we didn't stay long before returning to Grammy's house for a lunch tea. She had spread out on a side table pictures of the 3 great grandchildren (her only 3 so far).
Tboy didn't recognize himself as a baby. And Tgirl... oh my. Her face always seemed slender to me, she wasn't a chubby baby. Yet looking back at pictures, I am struck by how chubby her cheeks seem and how very little she looked in comparison with her current 9 year old self. And the knowledge that in a few years pictures of her now will seem so young is almost too much for this mama to take.
We just had the conversation yesterday when shopping that she won't be wearing tank tops with spaghetti straps now or in the future as we decided that for our family, if it looks like a bra strap in the back and/or your bra strap would be showing (were you wearing one), the top isn't modest enough.
Once we returned home she asked to wear a tank top with spaghetti straps she received last year as a gift because she was hot. I allowed her to, telling her only in the house, she wouldn't be wearing it out at all. But she looked so old in it!
Where does the time go? It flies by so quickly leaving me to wonder if I am truly taking advantage of the time I have with my 2 while they are still young, while they still value their father and I and our opinions above all others.
I pray that in looking back on this time now that I won't be filled with regrets for what I did or didn't do, but rather that I will feel at peace knowing that with God's help I did all that I could and was the best mama for them.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
It has been a long time
It has been such a long time since I wrote, that I hardly know what to say... So much has happened... Just a couple of highlights...
We finally got Tboy potty trained (Yeah!!!)
Tboy had tubes put in both his ears. Surgery could not have gone better, and he can hear so much better now. We now turn volumes down for him instead of always up. :)
I had a crazy busy school year, but loved being in 5th grade again. Tough class, but a wonderful one.
The two elementary campuses at the school where I work are combining this next year due to construction at the campus I was at this last year. So I had to pack up again this June and move back to where I was from 06-08. That is the 3rd time I have moved classrooms at the end of the school year in the last 4 years.
Tgirl started piano lessons and has become a little book worm. That's my girl!
Tboy has fallen in love with baseball. He has his favorite team (the Giants) and favorite players and will watch baseball games on TV even when TDaddy isn't around. He likes to keep everyone who is near him informed of how the game is progressing. :) It is very cute. He is his Daddy's boy!
We finally got Tboy potty trained (Yeah!!!)
Tboy had tubes put in both his ears. Surgery could not have gone better, and he can hear so much better now. We now turn volumes down for him instead of always up. :)
I had a crazy busy school year, but loved being in 5th grade again. Tough class, but a wonderful one.
The two elementary campuses at the school where I work are combining this next year due to construction at the campus I was at this last year. So I had to pack up again this June and move back to where I was from 06-08. That is the 3rd time I have moved classrooms at the end of the school year in the last 4 years.
Tgirl started piano lessons and has become a little book worm. That's my girl!
Tboy has fallen in love with baseball. He has his favorite team (the Giants) and favorite players and will watch baseball games on TV even when TDaddy isn't around. He likes to keep everyone who is near him informed of how the game is progressing. :) It is very cute. He is his Daddy's boy!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Surprise Visitor
This morning I entered the classroom and was locking my purse away in a cabinet when I heard a rustling sound.
My first thought was, "oh no! a rodent of somekind!"
But it wasn't a rodent at all.
It was a bird.
The poor thing must somehow have gotten trapped in the classroom yesterday (I share my classroom with one of the Sunday School groups at the church where my school rents facilities) and was now in a cornor under a stack of chairs with no idea of how to get out, as repeatedly flying up and hitting it's head on the underside of the chairs wasn't working too well.
The custodian came armed with a broom to help guide the bird back outside.
And unfortunately, other than knowing that the custodian was successful (there is no longer a bird in my classroom), I have no idea any of the particulars of how he did it. I was called away to be a mommy and go bowling with Tgirl's class as a chaperone.
My first thought was, "oh no! a rodent of somekind!"
But it wasn't a rodent at all.
It was a bird.
The poor thing must somehow have gotten trapped in the classroom yesterday (I share my classroom with one of the Sunday School groups at the church where my school rents facilities) and was now in a cornor under a stack of chairs with no idea of how to get out, as repeatedly flying up and hitting it's head on the underside of the chairs wasn't working too well.
The custodian came armed with a broom to help guide the bird back outside.
And unfortunately, other than knowing that the custodian was successful (there is no longer a bird in my classroom), I have no idea any of the particulars of how he did it. I was called away to be a mommy and go bowling with Tgirl's class as a chaperone.
Great News!
I got a call the other day from the big boss telling me that I will be transferring to the other elementary campus to teach fifth grade, my favorite grade level. I am estatic!
I am a little sad to leave the campus where I currently teach, I love the staff and have a great time with them. Also, Tgirl isn't thrilled about leaving her best friend (she will be moving campuses with me). And the news does mean that now I am having to pack up all of my teaching supplies and separate my books and materials from that which belongs to the school and classroom. This is adding A LOT more time and effort to my end of the year packing up the classroom efforts.
But otherwise, I am very happy. I'm returning to the one grade level that I really enjoyed teaching (I have taught 5th, Kindergarten, 2nd and 3rd in my 11 year career). The kids and I will all be on one campus (Tboy's preschool is located on the campus I am transfering to) making pick ups and drop offs much more streamlined - and hopfully getting me to morning devotions on time since I won't be hoping back and forth across town dropping off kids.
And did I mention that I really like 5th grade? :)
I am a little sad to leave the campus where I currently teach, I love the staff and have a great time with them. Also, Tgirl isn't thrilled about leaving her best friend (she will be moving campuses with me). And the news does mean that now I am having to pack up all of my teaching supplies and separate my books and materials from that which belongs to the school and classroom. This is adding A LOT more time and effort to my end of the year packing up the classroom efforts.
But otherwise, I am very happy. I'm returning to the one grade level that I really enjoyed teaching (I have taught 5th, Kindergarten, 2nd and 3rd in my 11 year career). The kids and I will all be on one campus (Tboy's preschool is located on the campus I am transfering to) making pick ups and drop offs much more streamlined - and hopfully getting me to morning devotions on time since I won't be hoping back and forth across town dropping off kids.
And did I mention that I really like 5th grade? :)
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Our First Family Baseball Game
We went to an A's game, just the four of us. We took BART to the Coliseum. It was free hat day and we must missed the last of the hats at the first gate we tried to enter at. So we went to another gate, got hats, and put on our new hats immediately.
As soon as we found our seats in the bleachers, the kids were hungry. We brought in our own dinner of chicken nuggets, chips, and soda and by the time the game started, the kids were done eating and ready for the Oreos we had brought.
It was a little far away from the action at home plate, but the worst part of it was that the sun was going down directly in front of us and home plate was in shadow while the rest of the field was in sun which made it more difficult to see.
TDaddy passed the cookies off to me to try to get Tboy's attention off of trying to eat the whole package. Which meant, of course, that he had to come sit by me instead of by his dad where he started out. After wandering a bit back and forth in our row and flirting with the women in the group sitting behind us, he sat on my lap and we talked about what was going on on the field.
We lasted through the beginning of the fourth inning before Tgirl had had it and was ready to walk around a bit with TDaddy. Not wanting to be left out, Tboy and I joined them. As we made our way around the stadium we saw Stomper, the A's elephant mascot, and followed him for a bit before he turned around in response to Tboy's calling his name. As soon as Stomper got close, Tboy freaked out, crying and trying to get away from him. So Tgirl said hi and then decided that she wanted to go home.
The walk back to BART was very long with both kids wanting to ride on TDaddy's shoulders at the same time.
We decided that it will be a while before we go to another game as a family.
As soon as we found our seats in the bleachers, the kids were hungry. We brought in our own dinner of chicken nuggets, chips, and soda and by the time the game started, the kids were done eating and ready for the Oreos we had brought.
It was a little far away from the action at home plate, but the worst part of it was that the sun was going down directly in front of us and home plate was in shadow while the rest of the field was in sun which made it more difficult to see.
TDaddy passed the cookies off to me to try to get Tboy's attention off of trying to eat the whole package. Which meant, of course, that he had to come sit by me instead of by his dad where he started out. After wandering a bit back and forth in our row and flirting with the women in the group sitting behind us, he sat on my lap and we talked about what was going on on the field.
We lasted through the beginning of the fourth inning before Tgirl had had it and was ready to walk around a bit with TDaddy. Not wanting to be left out, Tboy and I joined them. As we made our way around the stadium we saw Stomper, the A's elephant mascot, and followed him for a bit before he turned around in response to Tboy's calling his name. As soon as Stomper got close, Tboy freaked out, crying and trying to get away from him. So Tgirl said hi and then decided that she wanted to go home.
The walk back to BART was very long with both kids wanting to ride on TDaddy's shoulders at the same time.
We decided that it will be a while before we go to another game as a family.
Potty Training part 2
Well, Tboy has made some progress toward being potty trained. He still is in Pull Ups. Sometimes he goes potty in the toilet. Sometimes. He would much prefer to stand to go potty. And he has yet to poop.
Oh well, he "won't go to off to college in diapers" (or Pull Ups as the case may be) as they say.
I am more worried about preschool this coming September at this point.
Oh well, he "won't go to off to college in diapers" (or Pull Ups as the case may be) as they say.
I am more worried about preschool this coming September at this point.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Potty Training part 1
Wow it has been a long time since I last wrote a post. I guess I have been rather busy, but when is that NOT true?
Let's see... big news since February...
We started potty training over Easter vacation. It was time to enroll TBoy in preschool for next year and there is no option for the 3 1/2 year old to NOT be potty trained. Panic! But, great idea, Easter Vacation was coming up and we had no big plans... so potty training was planned and TGirl was warned that we were not going to be out and about over vacation time, just staying home and potty training.
On Good Friday we stocked up, bought a new potty seat toilet adapter with handles on it to help him feel secure (the first potty seat TDaddy bought several months ago had a very cushy seat, but a tiny hole in it... and TBoy was totally unmotivated to use it). Then we bought Pull Ups with Lightning McQueen on them (that he had been asking for), stickers that he picked out for a sticker chart for when he tried, and chocolate kisses for rewards for when he produced. We got out the timer, set it to go off every 30 minutes, stocked the bathroom with books and got down to training business.
He loved it at first. It was fun to sit on the potty, have Mama read you multiple books and then pick out a Dora the Explorer sticker to put on the chart. But then, as the day wore on the timer kept going off every 30 minutes and the excitement waned. He started to wet his Pull Up right before the timer went off every time. So we started setting it for every 15 to 20 minutes.
First day... no luck.
Second day... no luck. And TBoy was starting to think this wasn't so much fun anymore.
Third day... Easter. He wore a Pull Up to Sunday School and Grandma's afterward, but we relaxed the training for the special day that it was.
Easter evening, Grandma and Grandpa from out of town announce that they would like to take the kids and I to the zoo. "I know you are potty training, but..."
Well... it isn't like you get to go to the zoo, plus go with Grandma and Grandpa, every day.... so....
Monday, we went to the zoo. No potty training.
Tuesday... we tried a new approach. I had 5 pairs of hand-me-down cotton training pants. Using my aunt's advice given to me Sunday, we put on the training pants with the Pull Up on top of it.
TBoy didn't like feeling wet... but by 1:00 I was doing laundry, washing 5 wet pairs of training pants and 2 pairs of sweat pants that the training pants got wet by somehow ignoring the fact that they were inside a Pull Up.
By Thursday, I had pretty much given up. TBoy now wanted nothing to do with the potty, and really, what am I going to do, spank him for refusing to sit on the potty?? I don't think so. I do believe that would just encourage a power struggle that can only end in constipation. Not a road I wanted to go down.
So.. TBoy remained in Pull Ups. Something I swore would not happen for any length of time. TGirl was in Pull Ups for over a year. Do you realize those things are 50 cents a piece when bought at the grocery store not on sale?!? And he goes through at least 5 a day!! And I simply don't have the time (or the gas money) to be running out to the nearest Target (which is not all that close, a minimum 15 minute drive with no traffic) for Pull Ups every few days!
Arrgghh! I wasn't going to make the mistake of forcing the potty training issue with him like I did with her!
And yet... It would appear that I have done it again.
With TGirl I felt pressure from Grandma ("This little girl is definitely ready to train!") from the time she was about 18 months. And though I wasn't convinced she was all that interested, I caved in.
I wasn't going to do that again! No sir! I was going to wait until TBoy was good and ready and interested himself!
Those darn preschool rules!!
Let's see... big news since February...
We started potty training over Easter vacation. It was time to enroll TBoy in preschool for next year and there is no option for the 3 1/2 year old to NOT be potty trained. Panic! But, great idea, Easter Vacation was coming up and we had no big plans... so potty training was planned and TGirl was warned that we were not going to be out and about over vacation time, just staying home and potty training.
On Good Friday we stocked up, bought a new potty seat toilet adapter with handles on it to help him feel secure (the first potty seat TDaddy bought several months ago had a very cushy seat, but a tiny hole in it... and TBoy was totally unmotivated to use it). Then we bought Pull Ups with Lightning McQueen on them (that he had been asking for), stickers that he picked out for a sticker chart for when he tried, and chocolate kisses for rewards for when he produced. We got out the timer, set it to go off every 30 minutes, stocked the bathroom with books and got down to training business.
He loved it at first. It was fun to sit on the potty, have Mama read you multiple books and then pick out a Dora the Explorer sticker to put on the chart. But then, as the day wore on the timer kept going off every 30 minutes and the excitement waned. He started to wet his Pull Up right before the timer went off every time. So we started setting it for every 15 to 20 minutes.
First day... no luck.
Second day... no luck. And TBoy was starting to think this wasn't so much fun anymore.
Third day... Easter. He wore a Pull Up to Sunday School and Grandma's afterward, but we relaxed the training for the special day that it was.
Easter evening, Grandma and Grandpa from out of town announce that they would like to take the kids and I to the zoo. "I know you are potty training, but..."
Well... it isn't like you get to go to the zoo, plus go with Grandma and Grandpa, every day.... so....
Monday, we went to the zoo. No potty training.
Tuesday... we tried a new approach. I had 5 pairs of hand-me-down cotton training pants. Using my aunt's advice given to me Sunday, we put on the training pants with the Pull Up on top of it.
TBoy didn't like feeling wet... but by 1:00 I was doing laundry, washing 5 wet pairs of training pants and 2 pairs of sweat pants that the training pants got wet by somehow ignoring the fact that they were inside a Pull Up.
By Thursday, I had pretty much given up. TBoy now wanted nothing to do with the potty, and really, what am I going to do, spank him for refusing to sit on the potty?? I don't think so. I do believe that would just encourage a power struggle that can only end in constipation. Not a road I wanted to go down.
So.. TBoy remained in Pull Ups. Something I swore would not happen for any length of time. TGirl was in Pull Ups for over a year. Do you realize those things are 50 cents a piece when bought at the grocery store not on sale?!? And he goes through at least 5 a day!! And I simply don't have the time (or the gas money) to be running out to the nearest Target (which is not all that close, a minimum 15 minute drive with no traffic) for Pull Ups every few days!
Arrgghh! I wasn't going to make the mistake of forcing the potty training issue with him like I did with her!
And yet... It would appear that I have done it again.
With TGirl I felt pressure from Grandma ("This little girl is definitely ready to train!") from the time she was about 18 months. And though I wasn't convinced she was all that interested, I caved in.
I wasn't going to do that again! No sir! I was going to wait until TBoy was good and ready and interested himself!
Those darn preschool rules!!
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