Dinner Table Conversation

I posted a while back about a tradition that our family has called Happy, Sad, or Mad. While eating together at the dinner table, we each go around and say what made us happy, sad, and mad that day. It has proved to be a great routine that the girls look forward to.

We have since started adding a new aspect to the dinner conversation. We are beginning to ask the girls to go around the table and say something nice about each member of the family.

Let me tell you, we get some comical answers and some loooong drawn out pauses. I am wondering what this will look like when the girls are teenagers. :)

Family bonding time. I love it.

Who's the Boss?

It is frustrating when the girls listen to their dad more than me. There will be times when the girls try to boss ME around, talk harshly to me, and demand me to do things for them, until... dad walks in the room, then they stop! Argh!

The other day I had to raise my voice and let them know who is boss. I don't enjoy those moments.

Swear Words

With little ears around the house, I had to make up my own creative swear words.

This list is as follows:

*Crud

*Sugar jets

*Buster

*Buster Brown

Any of the above mentioned can be used by themselves or combined with any other word on the list at any given time...and usually followed by an exclamation mark.

Kid Toys (Another Confession)

With Christmas not too far away, I am starting to gather toy ideas for the girls. "Fun" for me is walking up and down the toy aisles--just looking.

Fun? Yes!

Is this a symptom of motherhood? Yup.

Not only do I look for toys that I think each child will enjoy, I also look for toys that I will enjoy playing alongside with the girls. I am not a huge fan of playing Barbies and My Little Ponies with the girls, but there are actually a few toys in the past that we have bought for the girls specifically because I enjoy playing them too. (another confession)

Two toys that we have gotten, probably more for ME than the girls:

1. Wooden train with lots of track

2. Marble run

I will never pass up an opportunity to create an intricate train track or make an awesome marble run for the girls.

Sleep Envy

It is never a good sign when I yawn during the opening credits of a movie. (There is some good foreshadowing for ya).

This is how most of my evenings go:

I finally get to relax on the couch with my sweet hubby after the three girls go to bed. I sit down, I make an audible sigh, and get cozy under a warm blanket as we start to watch some of our favorite tv shows and/or a movie.

Yawn. Yawn.

It isn't rare to see a person crawl into bed to go to sleep during a tv show or movie, and what do I do?!

I get ENVIOUS of that character "sleeping!"

"Ooo, that looks so warm and comfortable. Ooo, sleep."

**Oh, crud, it is only 8:00pm. Try to stay awake. Try to stay awake. Keep those eye lids open, oh no, they are getting heavy! Deny that I am tired. Turn my head slowly away so my husband doesn't think I am falling asleep already. Boom. Asleep.**

It seems that I repeat this process almost every night. :)

A Long Road (An Update on Ashlyn)

We are a little emotionally drained at our house.

We are grateful that Ashlyn was able to get an appointment with the specialist this week, considering the waiting list is 5 months long!

To make a long story short, after a long day of of appointments and blood tests, the specialist confirmed that Ashlyn is developmentally 6 months behind. At this point, the doctor is unsure of the reason for this delay so he is trying to get some answers through blood tests.

Ashlyn will start 4 sessions of therapy, two at the children's hospital, and two at our home.

We might have a long road ahead of us and probably many ups and downs along the way. Obviously, our hope is that the therapy will help close the gap in her delays.

We are still feeling a little uneasy and overwhelmed, but we are just trying to take things one day at a time for now.

Thanks for your continued prayers.

Refrigerator Artwork Policy

I have a small confession. I am not very sentimental when it comes to the girls' artwork and school papers. I like to SEE the front of my refrigerator! I also don't want to keep unlimited boxes of old school papers and spelling lists.

This dream of a plain white refrigerator never happens because it gets plastered with papers of all shapes, sizes, and colors on a daily basis. (AND Ashlyn can reach almost all the art on the fridge, she pulls it down, rips it, eats it, and attempts to sneak the magnets into her mouth).

Beautiful art? Yes.

Unique? Yes

Cluttered? Yes.

So, my "Refrigerator Artwork Policy:" I keep artwork on the fridge for one week then dispose of it. Yes, I actually throw it out. Pretty much everything. Trash.

Ok, ok, before you think I am REALLY unsentimental: I DO keep the drawings and artwork that I think records the girls at the stage they are in; like when the girls write their name for the first time, draw a face and a house for the first time, etc. I also keep school report cards.

I also have a clothes line in another room for the girls' artwork and they can choose to pin up the art of their choosing. This helps with some clutter and the girls enjoy choosing what they want to display and it personalizes the playroom.

Confession is over.

Heavy Heart

My heart is a little heavy today. Ashlyn went to the doctor for her 15-month well child check-up and the doctor feels that she is about 6 months behind developmentally. 6 months! Ashlyn has now been referred to a team of specialists to evaluate her delays.
I cannot help but wonder if I did something wrong. What did I NOT do, or what did I do? I guess this is just how a mother thinks sometimes.

My heart is aching.

Please join me in praying for Ashlyn as she is in the Hands of the Great Physician.

The Mom Song

What is "The Mom Song?"

Oh, you know, those random made up songs that you sing throughout the day that have no meaning, no rhythm, and are usually off key.

There is no specific tune to "The Mom Song," just whatever comes to mind at the moment...

**"I am washing the dishes, I hate doing the dishes, la la la..."
**"Oh you girls are so beautiful, and funny, and I love you..."
**"Please stop yelling, please stop crying, please stop stop stop..."

OR "The Mom Song" is a song where you make up words to an already well-known tune.

Sing to the tune of Old McDonald:
Little Ashlyn is crabby today, e i e i o.
And in this house, she won't stop crying, e i e i o.
With a wa wa here,
and a wa wa there,
here a wa,
there a wa,
everywhere a wa wa.

I am usually guilty of singing "The Mom Song" on a daily basis in the privacy of my own home. Have you sung "The Mom Song?"

Short and Sweet

My blog posts aren't too long and drawn out.
I usually don't have much time to blog due to three girls that remain nameless.
My guess is that you, my reader, don't have too much time to read long blog posts either... if you are anything like me.

Thanks for stopping by in the midst of your busy day!

Still Loving My ERGO

I am still in love with my ERGO carrier...but of course I love the cargo even more! :)

I Love My Family

Today was one of those picture perfect Fall days and we wanted to take advantage of the beautiful sunshine so we decided to take a hike up the mountain behind our house.

We stood in awe of the mountains in the distance as we felt like we could reach the blue sky. We observed nature, smelled the flowers, and looked for bear. We took a rest in the grass and watched the neighbor's horses gallop below. We breathed the fresh Fall air and savored the moment.
We savored the moment.

Cool Mom

I strive to be a Cool Mom, but I have a few strikes against me...

1. I drive a mini van.
2. I drive a mini van with the windows rolled down blasting a Barney CD.
3. I drive a mini van with the windows rolled down blasting a Barney CD and I am singing along.
4. All of the above can be a little embarrassing as I drive through the college campus in our town.

(Added note: When I realized the volume of the my voice and the genre of music while driving through the college campus with the students walking about, I turned down the tunes and stopped pumping my fists).

(Another added note: At least the kids were in the van, and I wasn't doing these activities solo, you can at least give me credit for that).

Do Not Eat

We have all seen them, you know, those little packets of mysterious substance that say "Do Not Eat" that are inside of random things like shoe boxes, medicine bottles, and bags of beef jerky.

I usually laugh when I see these little packets and think something sarcastic like, "Ok, I won't eat you," or "I'm not THAT hungry," or "I knew there would be something good to eat inside this old shoe box."

Yes, I can read and I will NOT eat the silica gel.

BUT my 15 month old CANNOT read! I guess this is where I intercede and tell her what the little white packet says. Nice try Ashlyn.

Lessons in Losing

Mariah had her first cheer leading competition this past weekend, and unfortunately, her team did not place in the top 4.

Going into the competition, Mariah truly thought that her team could win the event. I love and admire her confidence! (By all means, they DID practice very hard, and the team put hours and hours into learning cheers). I told Mariah that it would be great if her team could win but I also gently warned Mariah that it is "ok" if her team doesn't get first place.

After the team realized they did not place, the emotions were running very high. Big tears streamed down Mariah's glittery face. She wasn't satisfied with a shiny trophy, a big medal, and a red rose...she wanted the glory!

Here comes mom to the rescue with a shoulder to cry on and I pull out of my pocket "the lessons in losing." This is one of the parts of parenting that isn't so glorious as you want your child to succeed in everything they do. And then yada, yada, yada, the old cliche of "having fun is the important thing," and "you did great," and other "lessons" that don't seem to have instant gratification and go in one ear and out the other. I heard all these cliches when I was a kid, and now I have the "honor" of passing them on.

Mariah's emotions subsided after a while and then she was very proud of her accomplishments...as was I.

Whine whine whine

Some days when I am in the shower and the girls are whining for no particular reason, I just stand in the warm water and take a deep breath. *Sometimes,* the louder and the more they whine, the longer it takes me to get out of the shower.

(Of course this is only if the girls aren't injured, choking, or having another emergency that cannot wait).

Whine more= I take more time.

I know I might not win the best parent award.

Our Little Turtle

I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried, but Ashlyn is 15 months old now and she cannot roll from her back to her belly. I find this kind of strange. We have been working with her quite a bit, we will lay her on her back and guide her arms and legs, but to no avail. We will try rolling her to her left side and also to her right side, but it makes no difference. If Ashlyn is on her back, she will stay on her back until someone comes to her aid. She is our little turtle.

(Ambria took this picture of me and Ashlyn)

Bad Word

Mariah: Mom, sometimes I say a bad word.
Me: Yikes, ok.
Mariah: Can I say it now?
Me: No (Ambria was within hearing distance)
Mariah: It is the S word. Sh, sh, sh
Me: (heart beating a little faster)
Mariah: s-h-u-t u-p
Me: Oh. Ok. You are right, let's not say that word.

My heart rate returned to normal and I was relieved. I know it won't be too much longer before Mariah hears swear words, but for now, I am glad she thinks shut up is a bad word.

THAT Kind of Sick

The other day, Ashlyn woke up with a fever and was VERY fussy but she had no other symptoms. You know, the kind of sick where nothing will comfort the child: Tylenol doesn't work, all they want to do is be held, but you can't sit down, they aren't hungry, they won't sleep, they just plain don't-want-anything.

The kind of sick where:
*you want to cuddle and hold the child ALL day, but you have to get SOMETHING done
*you try everything to calm them, even walk outside and point at ants and leaves to distract them
*you HOPE they will take a good nap, BUT you aren't sure how long they will sleep so you hurry/scurry around the house as fast as you can in hopes of getting something accomplished
*you cringe a little when you hear the first whimper after a nap because you know the crying is about to start again
*you keep looking for other signs to figure out what is bothering the child: teeth popping through, snotty nose, drool, but the child gives you no other symptoms so you have no idea what is wrong
*you are prepared at any minute for puke-age...just in case :)
*you aren't sure if you should call the doctor, one minute the child seems ok the next they are screaming their head off

It was that kind of day around here.

Oh, and PS, I didn't call the doctor and Ashlyn was fine after a few days. It was a long few days, but thank goodness she is feeling better.

Tip/Advice/Reminder for the Day

Sometimes "good enough" is just perfect!

Parents Magazine

Yours truly has made it into the October 2011 issue of Parents magazine.

I am famous!!

No, not really.

I submitted a short story for the column entitled "It Happened to Me" which is about safety tips for other parents. After I submitted the story, an editor contacted me and we had some dialog over the phone and email because the editors felt my story could be helpful to other parents. The magazine also wanted a picture of Mariah (because the incident happened to her when she was little).

So, wa-la! My 15 minutes (more like 15 seconds) of fame is for a parenting mistake that I made. I am hoping that other parents learn from my mistake so "it doesn't happen to them" and their kiddos. It is just a short paragraph, but still kind of fun. Mariah loved seeing herself in the magazine and took it to school to show all her friends.

(Am I going to tell you what the story is about? Nope. Go read the article. Page 38. And then you can tell me how horrible of a parent I am.)

Another Milestone

Well, the second child has started preschool. I feel old. I have a second grader AND a preschooler!

As I said good-bye to Ambria on the first day of preschool, it made me wonder if I spent enough time with her before she started her school years. It made me wonder if I taught her anything that she will carry through life with her. I wonder if I was a good mom to Ambria for her first 4 1/2 years.

I will always wonder about these questions, but as I let go of her hand and walked out of her classroom, I saw her big smile and that reassured me that she will be ok.

What I do know is that SHE has taught me many lessons that I will never forget along the way.

We love you, Ambria! We are proud of you!

NO!

Ashlyn has been pretty busy, always on the go, and always into something that she shouldn't be into.

I feel like I have been using the word "No" a lot lately.

"NO, Ashlyn, you can't..."
*put Q-tips in your mouth
*eat magnets
*turn the tv on and off
*crawl all the way down the driveway into the road
*drink liquid soap
*drink salad dressing
*suck on the cooking spray
*play with the China tea set
*eat toilet paper
*drink toilet water
*suck on shoes
*eat cotton balls

We try to use the "art of distraction," rather than say "no" all the time but Ashlyn is figuring out our "art of distraction" and doesn't fall for it much anymore. Darn.

We have been busy chasing the little stinker lately.

Cherish

This is a rare moment, but I will take a sleepy head on my shoulder any day.

School Shmool

Mariah started second grade last week. She wasn't very thrilled. (And to tell you the truth, I was bummed that summer was over too). Mariah does well in school, excels academically and socially, but nonetheless, she expresses her dislike for it. Getting up in the morning, getting dressed for school, and doing homework are like pulling teeth each day. A battle. Ugh.

I have already heard Mariah say things like this:
*I don't like teachers because they make you do stuff
*I'm not going to school
*I'm not excited (this was on Day 2)
*School is boring
*Can I be an early dismissal? (this was on Day 3)

IT IS ONLY DAY 5!! 175 more days to go...I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.


Here is a picture of Mariah on the first day of school. It was a forced smile. (She actually was pretty excited for the first day, but she wasn't thrilled about taking pictures).