After spending hours plotting and planning how to get David to give up his pacifier, one night, as we were putting the kids to bed, we simply couldn't find the overused, fungus infected thing. We searched everywhere. It wasn't to be found.
We had a quick conference in our bedroom and decided to tell David the truth - that we couldn't find it and that he'd have to sleep without it. We expected screaming, crying, the works.
He went to sleep no problem.
Though he did wake up twice in the night and ask for it, he fell back to sleep both times after I tucked him back in.
He hasn't asked us for it since.
I will not miss those frantic 3 am searches under his bed, those army crawls in the car or minivan, trying to locate the blasted thing.
I will, however, miss my afternoon quiet times with Claire. Ever since giving up the soother, David has stopped taking afternoon naps. Occasionally now he'll fall asleep but it seems that my days of the boys napping in the afternoon while Claire and I sip tea and talk books is over.
Why did I want him to get rid of his pacifier again?!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Questions for Dad at dinner time
During dinner every night, the kids ask Jon two questions (and generally they fight about who gets to ask which question):
How was work?
How was the car ride?
I added the latter questions in an effort to quell the fighting between Claire and David over who got to ask Jon how his day went. But, as I should have guessed, adding a second question did not end the argueing. In fact, it only amplified it. Now they not only bicker over which question they get to ask but also about who gets to ask it first. AND, the irony is that they don't seem to paying attention to Jon's responses.
As a side note: I always love hearing Jon's answers because sometimes it's a struggle for him to put into words his 8 hour office job experience (particularly when he is working on a complicated airport project - hard to describe it in kidspeak) and his 1.5 hour car drive.
Yesterday after lunch David randomly asked me how work was (the twinkle in his eye when he asked it clearly communicated the fact that he knew he was being funny).
I told him that it was fine. Then I asked him the famous two questions. Here's how the exchange went:
Deb: David, how was work?
David: (pause) It was good.
Deb: How was the car ride?
David: (pause). Fine. I had a good book to listen to.
A good reminder to me that even when we don't think kids are listening, make no mistake, they are!
How was work?
How was the car ride?
I added the latter questions in an effort to quell the fighting between Claire and David over who got to ask Jon how his day went. But, as I should have guessed, adding a second question did not end the argueing. In fact, it only amplified it. Now they not only bicker over which question they get to ask but also about who gets to ask it first. AND, the irony is that they don't seem to paying attention to Jon's responses.
As a side note: I always love hearing Jon's answers because sometimes it's a struggle for him to put into words his 8 hour office job experience (particularly when he is working on a complicated airport project - hard to describe it in kidspeak) and his 1.5 hour car drive.
Yesterday after lunch David randomly asked me how work was (the twinkle in his eye when he asked it clearly communicated the fact that he knew he was being funny).
I told him that it was fine. Then I asked him the famous two questions. Here's how the exchange went:
Deb: David, how was work?
David: (pause) It was good.
Deb: How was the car ride?
David: (pause). Fine. I had a good book to listen to.
A good reminder to me that even when we don't think kids are listening, make no mistake, they are!
Semantics?
A few weeks ago I tried to convinced Jon that the reason we're so tired when we go to bed is that we live a full life. (I also suggested to him that some day, when we're older and having trouble falling asleep or sleeping in, we'll look back on this season of our lives and envy our abilities to fall asleep the minute our heads hit the pillows). I have to admit that I'm not sure he was convinced.
In a phone call with my dear friend Heidi, she commented to me that the difference between being "busy" and "living a full life" has got to be more than just semantics.
Right on.
And so, I work towards articulating that difference in words but also deeds.
In a phone call with my dear friend Heidi, she commented to me that the difference between being "busy" and "living a full life" has got to be more than just semantics.
Right on.
And so, I work towards articulating that difference in words but also deeds.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Prior knowledge
It's been raining for the past few days. The kids and I have done a lot of playing indoors. Yesterday I helped them build a fort in their bedroom. It was fun.
It was even more fun to overhear the kids playing as I sorted through their summer and winter clothes.
Claire acted out Little House on the Prairie (books we've read together), the story in the Bible when Herod decided to kill all the baby boys (she and David had to run away from the giant so that her babies wouldn't get killed..there seems to be some confusion between the David and Goliath story and the Herod story), music class (she goes to music class once a week and led me, as "Mary" through one of the activities she does there), and preschool show and tell (she asked me the kinds of questions that her teacher asks her when she does show and tell).
In the education field, we talk a lot about students' prior knowledge and the importance of tapping into what they know and experience. Claire's collage of stories and experiences, all acted out in a 1 hour of rainy day play, reminds me of how complex and multifaceted kids/students are, and, of what an impossible job that teachers, and parents, have.
It was even more fun to overhear the kids playing as I sorted through their summer and winter clothes.
Claire acted out Little House on the Prairie (books we've read together), the story in the Bible when Herod decided to kill all the baby boys (she and David had to run away from the giant so that her babies wouldn't get killed..there seems to be some confusion between the David and Goliath story and the Herod story), music class (she goes to music class once a week and led me, as "Mary" through one of the activities she does there), and preschool show and tell (she asked me the kinds of questions that her teacher asks her when she does show and tell).
In the education field, we talk a lot about students' prior knowledge and the importance of tapping into what they know and experience. Claire's collage of stories and experiences, all acted out in a 1 hour of rainy day play, reminds me of how complex and multifaceted kids/students are, and, of what an impossible job that teachers, and parents, have.
Multitasking
As a mom, I need to multitask...all the time.
Sometimes I think the cumulative effect of almost 5 years of doing this, has left me with a very short attention span (I think about this whenever I sit down to do my school work).
"A series of unfinished conversations" is how I like to describe some of my friendships with other moms of young kids. I just never seem to be able to finish a sentence when I talk with them as our kids play.
It's easy to frame this as a necessity, as something that I need to do, that moms have to do during this season of life. I've been wondering though if more of what I need to do is to live more fully in the present, in the moment, in the particular time, space, and task.
Sometimes I think the cumulative effect of almost 5 years of doing this, has left me with a very short attention span (I think about this whenever I sit down to do my school work).
"A series of unfinished conversations" is how I like to describe some of my friendships with other moms of young kids. I just never seem to be able to finish a sentence when I talk with them as our kids play.
It's easy to frame this as a necessity, as something that I need to do, that moms have to do during this season of life. I've been wondering though if more of what I need to do is to live more fully in the present, in the moment, in the particular time, space, and task.
Picture this
David James wore a new flannel button down shirt yesterday. It was very cute on him.
Then, when we were playing "fort" upstairs, he decided that he wanted to wear a dress just like Claire. He picked out a pink ballerina outfit (complete with a tutu). He took off his jeans and pulled the dress over top of his flannel shirt. The dress was tight on him. This left him looking like a muscle man wearing a short pink dress.
Claire decided that she was "Ma", that David was "Pa" , that I was "Mary" and that Jacob was "baby Carrie" (from Little House...).
Watching bare legged "Pa" leave the fort to hunt deer (per Claire's command) was laugh out loud material.
Then, when we were playing "fort" upstairs, he decided that he wanted to wear a dress just like Claire. He picked out a pink ballerina outfit (complete with a tutu). He took off his jeans and pulled the dress over top of his flannel shirt. The dress was tight on him. This left him looking like a muscle man wearing a short pink dress.
Claire decided that she was "Ma", that David was "Pa" , that I was "Mary" and that Jacob was "baby Carrie" (from Little House...).
Watching bare legged "Pa" leave the fort to hunt deer (per Claire's command) was laugh out loud material.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Family game night
Our Sunday night family game night tradition has been going strong.
David generally picks the game "Have you seen my cat?" (which is hard to do with only 3 people in the circle but for some reason he LOVES playing it)
Jacob loves it when we sit him in the middle of our circle and sing "Ring Around the Rosie" around him.
Claire has been experimenting with her own made up games. Yesterday it was one that she modified from her music class. She distributed 3 objects to each of us (Jon, David and me) while we closed our eyes. She then calls out "Who has _____?" and we have to show the object if we have it.
I've taken it as my duty to introduce new games and activities. Last week we did Sculpturades with play dough. Last night we did finger puppet shows for each other.
We laugh a lot when we do family game night.
It's good.
For all of us.
David generally picks the game "Have you seen my cat?" (which is hard to do with only 3 people in the circle but for some reason he LOVES playing it)
Jacob loves it when we sit him in the middle of our circle and sing "Ring Around the Rosie" around him.
Claire has been experimenting with her own made up games. Yesterday it was one that she modified from her music class. She distributed 3 objects to each of us (Jon, David and me) while we closed our eyes. She then calls out "Who has _____?" and we have to show the object if we have it.
I've taken it as my duty to introduce new games and activities. Last week we did Sculpturades with play dough. Last night we did finger puppet shows for each other.
We laugh a lot when we do family game night.
It's good.
For all of us.
My legs don't work
David's new line is: "My legs don't work". As he says it, he promptly falls on the ground and lays there, waiting for Jon or I to pick him up. We're not sure where it came from but he says this at least a dozen times each day.
Last night, as he was racing for the stairs, he noticed that Jon was carrying Claire on his back. Immediately he made his proclamation and proceeded to prostrated himself on the floor.
Claire, the oh so helpful big sister, yelled down the stairs, "Just crawl on your belly David".
Last night, as he was racing for the stairs, he noticed that Jon was carrying Claire on his back. Immediately he made his proclamation and proceeded to prostrated himself on the floor.
Claire, the oh so helpful big sister, yelled down the stairs, "Just crawl on your belly David".
The parable of the girl and her dolls/stuffed animals
We were reading the parable of the Good Shepherd a few nights ago after dinner.
Then, after I put the kids in bed am was kissing them good night, Claire practically burst into tears because her "Good night" bear was missing. Though there were at least 20 dolls and other stuffed animals carefully positioned around her, she waxed and waned quite poetically about how she couldn't fall asleep without him.
After a 15 minute search throughout the house, I located the bear and brought it up to her.
Just as in the parable, there was great rejoicing for the one that was lost and that was now found.
Then, after I put the kids in bed am was kissing them good night, Claire practically burst into tears because her "Good night" bear was missing. Though there were at least 20 dolls and other stuffed animals carefully positioned around her, she waxed and waned quite poetically about how she couldn't fall asleep without him.
After a 15 minute search throughout the house, I located the bear and brought it up to her.
Just as in the parable, there was great rejoicing for the one that was lost and that was now found.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Claire's big debut
Last night we had our block party. And, as the grand finale, we had our annual talent show (I'm still trying to convince Jon to read poetry with me!). The kids on the block all do something or the other. This year, Claire surprised us by wanting to participate in it. She wanted to show all the neighbors that she could ride a two wheeler.
When it was her turn to perform, all the audience members turned their chairs to watch. She hopped on the bike. Jon stood behind her to help her get started. And then she took off in fine fine form.
And then...she fell. I think she started wobbling on the dirt (our street is under construction) and then tried to overcorrect herself. But, she fell. Her very first fall off her bike (she's a rather cautious and careful biker so she doesn't take a lot of risks). And, she cried a lot.
But five minutes later, she was back to her happy self, chowing down on the candy she got from the pinata and quite proud of the new scrapes on her knees.
When it was her turn to perform, all the audience members turned their chairs to watch. She hopped on the bike. Jon stood behind her to help her get started. And then she took off in fine fine form.
And then...she fell. I think she started wobbling on the dirt (our street is under construction) and then tried to overcorrect herself. But, she fell. Her very first fall off her bike (she's a rather cautious and careful biker so she doesn't take a lot of risks). And, she cried a lot.
But five minutes later, she was back to her happy self, chowing down on the candy she got from the pinata and quite proud of the new scrapes on her knees.
I'm offended
I've tried really hard to make all my own baby food for Jacob. Frozen veggie cubes. Homemade baby cereal. The works.
Lately, none of it seems to appeal to him.
I wouldn't be so offended if he didn't have such a preference for dirt, sand, wood, and all things found on the ground. And if he didn't smile so large and beautiful with his mouth full of it.
Come on kid. My cooking has got to taste better than a mouthful of dirt.
Lately, none of it seems to appeal to him.
I wouldn't be so offended if he didn't have such a preference for dirt, sand, wood, and all things found on the ground. And if he didn't smile so large and beautiful with his mouth full of it.
Come on kid. My cooking has got to taste better than a mouthful of dirt.
Monday, October 6, 2008
I only have two hands MOM
As I was making supper yesterday, David was in the kitchen with me, wanting to help set the table.
He had two plastic cups in his hands and was going to bring them to the table.
I ask him to also take some forks and spoons.
He stood there with a cup in each hand, holding them out to me.
"I only have two hands MOM" he said as if I had just asked him the silliest thing in the world.
He had two plastic cups in his hands and was going to bring them to the table.
I ask him to also take some forks and spoons.
He stood there with a cup in each hand, holding them out to me.
"I only have two hands MOM" he said as if I had just asked him the silliest thing in the world.
It's an honor
Claire just learned how to ride a two-wheeler. Tonight.
David has mastered riding Claire's old bike with training wheels.
Jacob laughs out loud whenever we sing "Ho Ho Ho Hosanna" after supper.
Claire is reading words...everywhere.
It's an honor to be part of all these "firsts".
David has mastered riding Claire's old bike with training wheels.
Jacob laughs out loud whenever we sing "Ho Ho Ho Hosanna" after supper.
Claire is reading words...everywhere.
It's an honor to be part of all these "firsts".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)