My three-year-old son is an interesting creature. While his older sister was demanding to do things on her own at an early age, he prefers to have things done for him. When he asks you to help, what he really means is, "Please do it FOR me." I'm certain that, given the choice, he would allow me to spoon-feed him at three. He's perfectly content having people do things FOR him, rather than doing things on his own...the issues here are for another blog.
This morning, on the way to preschool, my three-year-old son was asking his five-year-old sister for help. She, sick of helping him all the time, replied quite dramatically:
"Aidan, I've been helping you for YEARS. I help you with the water. I help you with the lights. I help you with your seatbelt. I even play with you when I don't want to. Figure it out on your OWN."
My five-year-old daughter (5 pushing 30) is quite an interesting girl herself. When she was two, her favorite phrase was, "Weeeeeel, aaaaaaaaaactually..." The daycare workers at the gym always got a chuckle at her because they said she didn't speak like other kids her age.
Yesterday, we were well in the middle of our naptime negotations. She'd been up and down several times and she interrupted me working for the umpteenth time asking for a "mooch and a hug." I explained that I was working, but I'd give her a mooch and a hug AFTER her nap. She held her ground, crossed her arms and threatened,
"I'll just keep bugging you until you give me a mooch and a hug."
Where does she LEARN this stuff??? Oh, wait. From ME. So all those times I thought she wasn't listening, wasn't paying attention, could've cared less - turns out she WAS listening more than I could've ever imagned.
Well, lesson learned. Be mindful of my words and my actions, because my children are learning from me (Eeee gads).
Friday, January 28, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Magical Snow!
Well, folks, it's been snowing here...LOTS. We had another snow day yesterday (after 3 just last week). I can't believe all the snow we keep getting.
I was picking the kids up from preschool on Wednesday and there were just a few flurries starting to flutter around. I was in a hurry, impatiently rushing the kids to the car because we had to pick up some last-minute necessities - like bread and milk - before the nine inches of snow came that afternoon/night left me stranded without staples.
Sophia asked me, "Mom, do you know where the snow comes from?"
I was pondering explaining the varying types of precipitation, depending on the season and the weather but I remembered my Parents as Teachers Parent Educator always encouraged me to give the simplest answer. "The sky," I answered.
With a twinkle in her eye and a super big smile, she whispered loudly in my ear, "It's from the NORFTH Pole!" [By the way, this is NOT a typo. She adds an "f" to the word North.]
Wow. That just caught me by surprise. Here I am sick of the cold, the snow and all the snow days...and she's EXCITED because she thinks it's magically from the North Pole (where Santa and his elves live). I've been complaining to all the rest of my mommy friends about what a hassle winter is that I forgot to enjoy it.
I was picking the kids up from preschool on Wednesday and there were just a few flurries starting to flutter around. I was in a hurry, impatiently rushing the kids to the car because we had to pick up some last-minute necessities - like bread and milk - before the nine inches of snow came that afternoon/night left me stranded without staples.
Sophia asked me, "Mom, do you know where the snow comes from?"
I was pondering explaining the varying types of precipitation, depending on the season and the weather but I remembered my Parents as Teachers Parent Educator always encouraged me to give the simplest answer. "The sky," I answered.
With a twinkle in her eye and a super big smile, she whispered loudly in my ear, "It's from the NORFTH Pole!" [By the way, this is NOT a typo. She adds an "f" to the word North.]
Wow. That just caught me by surprise. Here I am sick of the cold, the snow and all the snow days...and she's EXCITED because she thinks it's magically from the North Pole (where Santa and his elves live). I've been complaining to all the rest of my mommy friends about what a hassle winter is that I forgot to enjoy it.
It's exhilarating to see the world through my kids' eyes. It's full of adventure, excitement and fun. Isn't this what living life - and I mean really experiencing life to its fullest - is about? Finding wonder and magic in the little things? I'll do my best to remember this...since it's Friday and the weather forecasts are calling for MORE snow tonight and Sunday.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
You want me to do MOMMY WORK?
Tonight, I started the beginning stages of a preschool project. It's an "All About Me" Poster that encourages kids to share more about themselves to their classmates. They creatively list their friends, their pets, their favorites (books, colors, foods) and what they want to be when they grow up.
My daughter's was due in October. (FYI: She wants to be a princess fairy when she grows up, so I expect this to change at least a few more times before she settles on something more concrete.) And now it's time to work on my son's All About Me Poster. When I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he replied, "A fireman. A car guy." For those of you who aren't fluent with that rather specific dialect of "three-year-old-boy," that means he wants to be the guy DRIVING the firetruck. This was crushing news to my husband who has ambitions to become a police officer.
We tried to explain to the kids what WE do...Obviously, dad's job is way more exciting. They understood it better than mine. When I asked them if they want to do what I do, my son said, "You want us to do MOMMY WORK?"
"Well, I do more than just mommy work," I tried to explain. "Do you know what I do?"
"You do laundry," my daughter said.
"And she cooks, too," piped in my son.
"And she makes lunch," added my daughter.
"And breakfast, too," he said.
I'm a grant writer, so I attempted to explain at their level. "Well, I do all that. Aaaaaaand, I write letters to help people find money to help more people. Isn't that cool? Would you like to do that when you grow up?"
"That's not cool!" replied my son.
I wondered how could I have been working from home all this time (and griping at my husband that it sometimes feel like he's the only who has a REAL job around here) and for them to not know what I do? I've strived to ensure the kids have the most present kind of mom who's around nearly all the time to make them lunch, be here when they awake from their naps...and just BE here, that possibly I've forgotten to tell them about WHAT I'm doing.
I know what you're thinking. I can't expect a 5 year-old and and a 3 year-old to understand an occupation, let alone a vocation. But I think it's never too young to start inspiring kids (at least mine) with an ambition and a drive to make a difference. This is one particular area where I think my parents excelled. It's important to find a career that rewards you financially, but that's just the beginning. I hope as they grow into adults, they'll be prepared to take on the world as individuals who strive for greatness and make a difference within their sphere of influence (however large or small that may become).
My daughter's was due in October. (FYI: She wants to be a princess fairy when she grows up, so I expect this to change at least a few more times before she settles on something more concrete.) And now it's time to work on my son's All About Me Poster. When I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he replied, "A fireman. A car guy." For those of you who aren't fluent with that rather specific dialect of "three-year-old-boy," that means he wants to be the guy DRIVING the firetruck. This was crushing news to my husband who has ambitions to become a police officer.
We tried to explain to the kids what WE do...Obviously, dad's job is way more exciting. They understood it better than mine. When I asked them if they want to do what I do, my son said, "You want us to do MOMMY WORK?"
"Well, I do more than just mommy work," I tried to explain. "Do you know what I do?"
"You do laundry," my daughter said.
"And she cooks, too," piped in my son.
"And she makes lunch," added my daughter.
"And breakfast, too," he said.
I'm a grant writer, so I attempted to explain at their level. "Well, I do all that. Aaaaaaand, I write letters to help people find money to help more people. Isn't that cool? Would you like to do that when you grow up?"
"That's not cool!" replied my son.
I wondered how could I have been working from home all this time (and griping at my husband that it sometimes feel like he's the only who has a REAL job around here) and for them to not know what I do? I've strived to ensure the kids have the most present kind of mom who's around nearly all the time to make them lunch, be here when they awake from their naps...and just BE here, that possibly I've forgotten to tell them about WHAT I'm doing.
I know what you're thinking. I can't expect a 5 year-old and and a 3 year-old to understand an occupation, let alone a vocation. But I think it's never too young to start inspiring kids (at least mine) with an ambition and a drive to make a difference. This is one particular area where I think my parents excelled. It's important to find a career that rewards you financially, but that's just the beginning. I hope as they grow into adults, they'll be prepared to take on the world as individuals who strive for greatness and make a difference within their sphere of influence (however large or small that may become).
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Who knew rest was so crucial?
 |
| Rest is the key to my sanity |
After wiping away the tears from my daughter's eyes, since she CAN'T go to school for the second day in a row, we seem to be hitting our stride. The kids are getting along better than expected - playing AND sharing well. I'm getting lots of small details done around here. The past two days have gone remarkably well.
I'm so pleased to announce that after going to bed after what seemed like way too early (10:00 p.m.) and getting a full night's sleep, I'm surprised how rested and refreshed I feel.
As the house gets more under control (and I get some much-needed space between myself and the craziness from the holidays), I'm starting to feel more calm and relaxed. Instead of having days that feel like an episode of "24" where the world is nearly about to reach an apocolyptic end, I'm starting to feel like I can focus on other projects: such as building a business and organizing my life.
For me, this means I'm cleaning out my email and reorganizing what comes in...something I rarely take the time to do but have needed to do for months. And for the kids, that means we're doing some MAJOR clean-up of their rooms, their clothes and their toys. I'm finding myself categorizing trucks vs. trains vs. cars vs. pirates vs. action figures OR princesses vs. fairies and dollhouse furniture vs. castle items.
So perhaps the key is refreshing sleep, a cup of hot coffee and playing in the snow. This is exactly what I needed to re-set.
Friday, January 7, 2011
LIKE VS. LOVE
I love overhearing the dialogue between my kids. It's always so interesting and insightful into the way their minds work and process information. Today's discussion was about like and love and went something like this:
AIDAN: Jesus loves us.
I hope that as they grow into adults, they know that I like AND love them. These aren't mutually exclusive feelings...especially after this rough week transitioning back into the routine of school.
I have to admit, I've done poorly at maintaining my New Year's resolution of going to bed at a decent time. Christmas break was comprised of late nights, sweet-tooth snacking and leisurely mornings. That abruptly ended THIS week, when I begrudgingly relented to the school schedule.
We've been late to preschool every day this week. And my productivity has been disappointing. However, the sliver of a silver lining is that the house has been cleaner. Kids are doing their part in picking up their toys and clutter. So, perhaps I'm making progress on the clutter front.
This week was a mixed bag: a few small progressive steps were made during my WAR ON TOYS & CLUTTER, but the underlying symptom of my chaos can only be attributed to me. Next week'll be better...hopefully.
AIDAN: Jesus loves us.
SOPHIA: And God does too.
AIDAN: What about Santa?
SOPHIA: He likes us.
AIDAN: What about our animals?
SOPHIA: I don’t know. I think they like us, too.
AIDAN: What about our toys?
SOPHIA: Mmm. They love us.
I hope that as they grow into adults, they know that I like AND love them. These aren't mutually exclusive feelings...especially after this rough week transitioning back into the routine of school.
I have to admit, I've done poorly at maintaining my New Year's resolution of going to bed at a decent time. Christmas break was comprised of late nights, sweet-tooth snacking and leisurely mornings. That abruptly ended THIS week, when I begrudgingly relented to the school schedule.
We've been late to preschool every day this week. And my productivity has been disappointing. However, the sliver of a silver lining is that the house has been cleaner. Kids are doing their part in picking up their toys and clutter. So, perhaps I'm making progress on the clutter front.
This week was a mixed bag: a few small progressive steps were made during my WAR ON TOYS & CLUTTER, but the underlying symptom of my chaos can only be attributed to me. Next week'll be better...hopefully.
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