I admit that Stacey has spoiled me and been responsible for the girls getting to and from Helen's house since the first day I came back to work. After all that was part of what made it so easy to come back. Now don't get me wrong, I have taken my turn (usually during hunting season) at dropping them off or picking them up, but it has just never been my primary responsibility. So now I am still adjusting to having to take the girls to and from preschool two days a week. Stacey will often come home so frustrated after getting the girls. I might have given him a hard time about not enjoying his daily time with the girls, but no more.
After I picked up the girls last night we headed home knowing that we needed to go to the grocery store to pick up a few things. The whole was home was filled with questions that I had no idea why I was supposed to know the answers to or why anyone would need to care? "Mom why is that blue car for sale?" "Mom where is Ms. June (aka the summer preschool teacher)?" "Mom why are fruitloops the colors they are?"
I have a great deal of patience, but at the end of what was a very long day (thanks to policy 2875--my Fort friends will get that), I really wanted to just enjoy a little music or conversation that did not involve 50 questions. After what seemed like 12 hours (in reality about 10 minutes) the girls began to sing along to the song and I was getting my quite time. Any good parent knows that when it gets quite problems are not far behind. Then bam it hit.....
"Uh mom didn't you say we needed to go to the store because like you went the wrong way totally Sam's Club is back that way...like duh mom." Laughing hysterically, I just simple responded "hunny we are going to Patricia's in Odessa not Sam's Club." Ella came back with "oh I thought you did not know what you were doing." And then the questions began again. At least I can hold on to the fact that three days a week I drive in silence, the only silence that I might have while awake :)
August 26, 2011
August 18, 2011
I know everything
The day we found out it was twins, I laughed and Stacey about passed out. We had no idea the adventure we were in for. We have lived through the not sleeping, double fits, double diapers, and yet we are still standing. We also have the joy of double hugs, double kisses, and double the snuggling!
We have come to accept that the girls don't like being apart. We deal with the late night talking when they should be going to bed, because we love the fact that they are so close. However, double the preschool drama I could live without.
I dropped off the girls for their first day of their new "ladybug preschool" and Grace informed me it was not their first day since they have been going there almost two months, but rather just the first day with actual all day preschool instead of play. " I thought you knew everything" she said. So when I picked them up I asked how their day was and what they did. Grace again tells me that I don't know everything or I would already know what they did. It is about this point that I want to reach around in the back seat and show her what I do know, but I am smarter then that (or so I thought). I glance over at their daily record sheet and proceed to tell her everything that she did. Ella is impressed and comes to my defense and says "see Grace mommy does know everything, dad is the one who doesn't" (I don't play favorites, but at this point she is my favorite child ever).
With a big smile on her face Grace, being just like her dad, asks me "if you know everything whose birthday did we celebrate today?" (smart a@@ was the first thing that came to mind).
Now I know that I don't know everything, but up until now I have been pretty good at answering all questions with an explanation that seems to satisfy. Since when did my 4 year old become so smart as to outsmart her mommy?
So to miss Grace, mommy does not know everything, but mommy knows a lot more then you so there :)!
We have come to accept that the girls don't like being apart. We deal with the late night talking when they should be going to bed, because we love the fact that they are so close. However, double the preschool drama I could live without.
I dropped off the girls for their first day of their new "ladybug preschool" and Grace informed me it was not their first day since they have been going there almost two months, but rather just the first day with actual all day preschool instead of play. " I thought you knew everything" she said. So when I picked them up I asked how their day was and what they did. Grace again tells me that I don't know everything or I would already know what they did. It is about this point that I want to reach around in the back seat and show her what I do know, but I am smarter then that (or so I thought). I glance over at their daily record sheet and proceed to tell her everything that she did. Ella is impressed and comes to my defense and says "see Grace mommy does know everything, dad is the one who doesn't" (I don't play favorites, but at this point she is my favorite child ever).
With a big smile on her face Grace, being just like her dad, asks me "if you know everything whose birthday did we celebrate today?" (smart a@@ was the first thing that came to mind).
Now I know that I don't know everything, but up until now I have been pretty good at answering all questions with an explanation that seems to satisfy. Since when did my 4 year old become so smart as to outsmart her mommy?
So to miss Grace, mommy does not know everything, but mommy knows a lot more then you so there :)!
August 10, 2011
Mom Wins!
So tonight Grace decided that from the time we asked her to come to the table to eat dinner she was going to challenge us. Tonight I decided that I needed a win.
So at 6:00 p.m. the precious little girl turned into someone I did not recognize. I should have known not to ask her to eat chicken, carrots, and bread (a meal she loved last week)...I mean really how dare I think that she should eat dinner before getting a snack. 30 minutes later when she realized that she was loosing this battle, she ate her dinner. Win number 1 for mom!
She was whining that she was not going to get her snack since I foolishly thought she should take a bath first. Stacey gave Ella a bath while Grace cried to me in the kitchen. After 10 minutes, Ella and Stacey went out to have some fun in the yard and Grace got put in the bath. She promptly told me that there was not enough water and she was not getting in (with her arms crossed and a stance that she though made her look powerful). After being undressed and placed in the tub she proceeded to tell me that she was not washing until she got more water. At this point her challenges were getting rather fun and I was very proud that I was keeping my cool. After washing her while she screamed and splashed I was happy to take her out of the tub and put on her pjs.
She demanded her snack as Ella bounced in the house with her poptart ready to watch a TV show. After being ignored she decided that it would be fun to pitch a fit and stomp her feet. I decided that at 7pm it was bedtime for little miss thing! Score when she came down 10 minutes later said she was sorry and asked nicely for her snack. I figured she had learned her lesson and gave her 1 ice Popsicle. When she was told that she was only getting 1 she began to pitch a fit and got the Popsicle taken away. The look on her face was worth all the struggle with that "oh I know you just did not take that away from me" when she got put back up to bed.
Let's just say that I won tonight in a great victory with a little girl going to bed early with no snack! It was comforting to call my mom and tell her the story and hear paybacks are hell.....just you wait mom someone will have to take care of you in your old age and paybacks might just be hell :).
All in all feeling like a pretty successful parent right now and looking forward to starting again tomorrow.
So at 6:00 p.m. the precious little girl turned into someone I did not recognize. I should have known not to ask her to eat chicken, carrots, and bread (a meal she loved last week)...I mean really how dare I think that she should eat dinner before getting a snack. 30 minutes later when she realized that she was loosing this battle, she ate her dinner. Win number 1 for mom!
She was whining that she was not going to get her snack since I foolishly thought she should take a bath first. Stacey gave Ella a bath while Grace cried to me in the kitchen. After 10 minutes, Ella and Stacey went out to have some fun in the yard and Grace got put in the bath. She promptly told me that there was not enough water and she was not getting in (with her arms crossed and a stance that she though made her look powerful). After being undressed and placed in the tub she proceeded to tell me that she was not washing until she got more water. At this point her challenges were getting rather fun and I was very proud that I was keeping my cool. After washing her while she screamed and splashed I was happy to take her out of the tub and put on her pjs.
She demanded her snack as Ella bounced in the house with her poptart ready to watch a TV show. After being ignored she decided that it would be fun to pitch a fit and stomp her feet. I decided that at 7pm it was bedtime for little miss thing! Score when she came down 10 minutes later said she was sorry and asked nicely for her snack. I figured she had learned her lesson and gave her 1 ice Popsicle. When she was told that she was only getting 1 she began to pitch a fit and got the Popsicle taken away. The look on her face was worth all the struggle with that "oh I know you just did not take that away from me" when she got put back up to bed.
Let's just say that I won tonight in a great victory with a little girl going to bed early with no snack! It was comforting to call my mom and tell her the story and hear paybacks are hell.....just you wait mom someone will have to take care of you in your old age and paybacks might just be hell :).
All in all feeling like a pretty successful parent right now and looking forward to starting again tomorrow.
August 8, 2011
Home Away from Home
We have been taking the girls to the lake camping since they were 3 months old. (For those who know me, I should clarify that by camping I mean we have had a travel trailer and now we have a fifth wheel camper). While there have been nights that Stacey and I looked at each other and thought why are we in this camper instead of our house which has so much more room, we have made the best memories as a family. It is the one place where we can get away from all technology (ok well stacey's cell phone works, but that is it) and just put our work behind us.
The girls know our "camping neighbors" by their vehicles and campers. They talk all about those who have boats around us and don't understand why we would stay home to get things done at the house when we could be swimming! Put the girls in a pool and they are a little timid, but they don't think twice about jumping into a lake.
This past weekend the girls decided to put their heads together and come up with a plan. You see nana and papa Jayhawk (ie Dan and Celeste) also come to the lake. The girls decided that since nana and papa did not get out on their boat like they said they would, that they should get to spend the night at the Jayhawk camper in the ghetto (ie the trailer park just outside the state park we camp in). Stacey and I cracked up at the thought of the girls plotting while they were swimming. Who was going to ask? Did we need to look pretty so they couldn't say no? Stacey and I just thought that nana and papa would think that we had put them up to the task. So the dinner time comes and nana and papa come over for the fish fry. Ella looked right at nana and said "can we spend the night at your camper?" Nana said to ask papa and Ella did what any good granddaughter would, "papa nana said we could spend the night at your camper."
So bags packed, they headed for a night of fun with nana and papa while Stacey and I sat back and opened an adult beverage to enjoy a night without kids. A win win for all in my opinion (nana and papa might disagree).
This past weekend the girls decided to put their heads together and come up with a plan. You see nana and papa Jayhawk (ie Dan and Celeste) also come to the lake. The girls decided that since nana and papa did not get out on their boat like they said they would, that they should get to spend the night at the Jayhawk camper in the ghetto (ie the trailer park just outside the state park we camp in). Stacey and I cracked up at the thought of the girls plotting while they were swimming. Who was going to ask? Did we need to look pretty so they couldn't say no? Stacey and I just thought that nana and papa would think that we had put them up to the task. So the dinner time comes and nana and papa come over for the fish fry. Ella looked right at nana and said "can we spend the night at your camper?" Nana said to ask papa and Ella did what any good granddaughter would, "papa nana said we could spend the night at your camper."
August 1, 2011
The Battle
I am a public relations director and as such I communicate for a living. I would have to say that I think I am good at my job, therefore I believe that I am an effective communicator. That being said I also believe that Grace was put on this earth to test my communication skills and show me my weaknesses as a communicator.
Grace, sweet Grace, is a night owl and all you have to do is mention the word bed and then the horns and pointy tail come out (disclaimer that she seems to save her horns and tail just for mom and dad and no one else that puts her to bed be it Nana, Papa, or a babysitter). So last night was no surprise when we finished watching Jake and Neverland Pirates and Ella (the good child for the night) ran into go potty and headed upstairs without even being asked. Grace on the other hand began to tell me all the reasons she was not capable of walking to the bathroom to go potty. "My legs are tired." "I miss my papa." "I don't have to potty." As a good communicator I heard what she was saying and said, "Grace I know you don't want to go potty, but do you think that you could try for me?" (thanks to working at a school district I also know a few BIST behavior tricks). "No I don't have to potty," she screamed.
After getting her into the bathroom and set on the potty I once again heard her say "I don't have to go potty." Now for those who say she may not really have to go let's rewind to last week when she said that 3 times and came back down after being in bed for 5 minutes because she had to go potty since her tinkle just woke up after being put in bed. Now that you know you will understand why she was made to sit there for 1 minute and try to make sure that her tinkle was not sleeping.
I explained in my calm voice that we were heading for bed and it was her turn to turn on the nightlights. She disagreed and proceeded to kick her feet on her bedroom floor because she thought the fan needed to be turned up higher. I calmly explained that the fan was fine and placed her in bed. As she screamed at Stacey and I we gave her a kiss and walked out. The ear piecing scream of MOMMY made me come back in the room. At this point my skills I use at work would still be in calm mode, but at home I was done for the night and I just needed this little "angle" to be quite! Since she was making herself cough I knew it was only a matter of time before she puked everywhere in her bed just to get her way so why not yell, "Grace you will stop crying and you will go to bed now."
Grace and her puking won and she got to stay up another half hour while she got another bath, clean pjs, clean sheets, and 5 minutes to find a replacement bear bear to keep her happy.
You may have one last night little missy, but mommy is older, wiser, and has been communicating longer so I will win this fight in the end (I figure if I keep telling myself that I won't feel like my education and training as failed me when I need it most :)
Grace, sweet Grace, is a night owl and all you have to do is mention the word bed and then the horns and pointy tail come out (disclaimer that she seems to save her horns and tail just for mom and dad and no one else that puts her to bed be it Nana, Papa, or a babysitter). So last night was no surprise when we finished watching Jake and Neverland Pirates and Ella (the good child for the night) ran into go potty and headed upstairs without even being asked. Grace on the other hand began to tell me all the reasons she was not capable of walking to the bathroom to go potty. "My legs are tired." "I miss my papa." "I don't have to potty." As a good communicator I heard what she was saying and said, "Grace I know you don't want to go potty, but do you think that you could try for me?" (thanks to working at a school district I also know a few BIST behavior tricks). "No I don't have to potty," she screamed.
After getting her into the bathroom and set on the potty I once again heard her say "I don't have to go potty." Now for those who say she may not really have to go let's rewind to last week when she said that 3 times and came back down after being in bed for 5 minutes because she had to go potty since her tinkle just woke up after being put in bed. Now that you know you will understand why she was made to sit there for 1 minute and try to make sure that her tinkle was not sleeping.
I explained in my calm voice that we were heading for bed and it was her turn to turn on the nightlights. She disagreed and proceeded to kick her feet on her bedroom floor because she thought the fan needed to be turned up higher. I calmly explained that the fan was fine and placed her in bed. As she screamed at Stacey and I we gave her a kiss and walked out. The ear piecing scream of MOMMY made me come back in the room. At this point my skills I use at work would still be in calm mode, but at home I was done for the night and I just needed this little "angle" to be quite! Since she was making herself cough I knew it was only a matter of time before she puked everywhere in her bed just to get her way so why not yell, "Grace you will stop crying and you will go to bed now."
Grace and her puking won and she got to stay up another half hour while she got another bath, clean pjs, clean sheets, and 5 minutes to find a replacement bear bear to keep her happy.
You may have one last night little missy, but mommy is older, wiser, and has been communicating longer so I will win this fight in the end (I figure if I keep telling myself that I won't feel like my education and training as failed me when I need it most :)
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