Thursday Thirteen: Mother's Day

I know probably a lot of people are doing this one today, but that's okay. I have come a long way this past year. Last year on Mother's Day, I sat around with the other women in my life crying about how horrible of a mom I was. And I REALLY was. I can't say that I am a great mom now. I know that I would NEVER win any mom of the year awards. I still lose my temper at times, and I am not very good about stopping and thinking about my reactions before they come. But I also know my feelings toward them and toward my parenting have become much more positive over this last year. For that I will be celebrating on Sunday.

I am also taking this chance to share the Mother's Day card that Noah brought home from school yesterday. I will cherish it forever.

Here are Thirteen Things I have learned about being a mom over the last year.

13. Every morning is a do over

12.Little boys are so forgiving

11. Reiterating a child's feelings ("I know you're _____ but ______") makes every argument less escalated and usually ends with said child fixing their behavior

10. It is VERY HARD to remember to do #11 when you are mad

9. My boys teach me as much as I teach them
8. Sometimes little boys are more correct about their school schedule than their mom.



7. If you have a concern regarding a child's need, it is okay to pursue it until it is resolved. Even if it means removing child from a non positive environment

6. It is okay to hand a child with a temper tantrum over to Daddy after a long day
5. It is NOT okay to THROW a temper tantrum AT Daddy after a stressful day

4. My heart melts every time I sit with my little boy while HE reads to ME.

3. My favorite gifts are the ones made with paper, markers, glue, and various craft items my children find around the house

2. I will stop anything for little boy hugs and kisses

1. I am so lucky to be a mom

I was talking to a very important mom in my life the other day. I was musing about whether I was being grumpy at the kids because I hadn't renewed my hormone prescription yet. She said something that made me laugh then, and it still does each time I think about it.

She said, "Kristi, you're not mad at the kids because of your hormones. You're mad at them because they're p*@#ing you off."

It made me feel better to remember that it isn't always the mom's fault. Sometimes those kids really are just being bad. Takes the pressure off a little, don't you think? That mom has always been the first to tell me when I am getting it right, and also when I'm getting it wrong. That is REAL parenting and I have been lucky to have her in my life.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there. Whether you are going into Mother's Day this year feeling good about your parenting, or not so good, remember that you are the only one who loves your kids as much as you do.

Have a great weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

Who says Easter baskets are for kids?

Weekend Top Five 4/13/09

What a wonderful Easter day we had yesterday! It's days like that, no matter how few and far between, that make all of the other days worth it. Beautiful weather, agreeable moods, a few new toys to play with outside, and of course, chocolate galore!

So of course, the Weekend Top Five is filled with holiday weekend activity.


5. Easter Service at church
My hand bells only had to play one song, which was with the choir and a brass quartet our church had hired. The performance went great, which everyone was relieved for, since the rehearsal had been pretty rough.

My most exciting thing was that we finally got a really nice family picture while we were all gussied up. We never did one last Christmas because of finances and the church directory one before that was awful, so this was the first good one we got in about two years. Aren't my three guys handsome??


4. Easter Baskets
I found out Sunday afternoon that both boys had apparently "inspected" the baskets before we got up, but they didn't actually touch them, so I let it go in the name of excitement.

I had made up baskets for them with a little bit of candy and several little gifts each.



















Aaron was also pretty excited to see what the "Easter Bunny" had brought Mommy in her basket too.















Noah got a HUGE Bakugan ball and new magnetic cards to play with his bakugans. He spent pretty much the rest of the day taking it everywhere and seeing which magnetic things would pop it open.














3. Easter Egg Hunt Outside
Since it was forcasted to be an absolutely beautiful Easter Sunday (which it was), we had decided to hide the plastic eggs filled with candy outside in the yard this year for the boys to hunt for. After hiding them outside the night before, I started worrying about whether they would still be there in the morning, or would passersby see them and help themselves.

What I hadn't counted on was the fact that our yard is filled with VERY HUNGRY squirrels who were so interested in eating the candy that they would actually EAT THE PLASTIC to get to the candy inside. We found three plastic eggs eaten through.









But the boys still had a great time hunting...


Noah needed a little gentle reminding to slow down enough to make sure Aaron got some eggs

















But Aaron held his own quite well and we needn't have worried.











When they came inside to dump the candy into their baskets, we learned the second thing to remember about hiding eggs with candy outside...DON'T USE REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER BUNNIES. They were the only candy that melted so badly that we needed to throw most of them away.














2. Fun Easter Afternoon Outside
With our families still out of town and since I made meals all week long for Spring Break, we decided to eat lunch out at a restaurant and then come home to hang out for the rest of the afternoon. After a nap for Aaron, and the egg hunt (above) we stayed outside the rest of the afternoon.

One of things I was MOST excited about was teaching Noah how to throw a football.

Aaron had gotten a football as one of his Easter presents and I was able to teach Noah how to use the laces to hold it and throw it. I have been waiting forever to be able to play catch with him, and he was so excited to be able to do it the right way.





While Noah and I were playing catch with the football, Steve and Aaron spent a LONG time with Aaron's other new Easter gift, a bubble rocket.

This is thing is so cool. Usually bubble toys last about ten minutes and then they're forgotten. Not this one! The boys played with it for hours off and on all day, and we went through two full bottles of bubble solution (but well worth it)



It was fun watching Steve come up with new and creative ways to catch the rocket after the boys launched it.












Yes, we did other things this weekend as well. We went to Deb's daughter's birthday party on Saturday, but the pictures are too fun to see so I am waiting until Friday to post the entire story.

5. Visit with my Mother and Grandmother
On Friday, my mother was in town (really, 45 minutes south of here) visiting my grandmother so we went down for our semi-annual visit with her. I will leave details out as to why twice a year is plenty.

Since usually the visits are somewhat awkward, I decided to invite them to come to the Kalamazoo Public Museum with the boys instead of hanging around my grandmother's apartment. It turned out to be a very good idea.

I really enjoyed spending some time walking around the museum with my 93 year old grandmother. I thought it was funny as we were entering the museum to look up and see the street name that we were on was the same as my grandma's name, Eleanor.

Of course, I had to take a picture.












It was so neat to watch her look at the exhibits. Usually, I spend my time chasing the kids and never really get to see anything.

This time, I pretty much left the kids to their own devices, and hung with my grandma through many of the exhibits. Here she is looking at the movable art exhibit.












The most fun was walking through the "old time Kalamazoo" area and hearing stories about so many of the things she saw, which she either has or had replicas of to this day. And then when we got back to her apartment, she had fun showing me her examples of the things we saw at the museum.


So even though we had to put up with my mother saying swear words around the kids and talking to them as if they were babies, it ended up being a neat couple of hours to spend with my grandma. She also had purchased some new books to share with boys, sending home several of them with us. Once a teacher, always a teacher!





Ahead this week: I HAVE to find a new OBGYN. I have been meaning to get a hold of my step-sister-in-law (say that five times fast) who practices north of here to see if she can recommend someone here in GR, but I haven't had a chance yet. It is starting to become more dire every day that I need to get going on this.

Also this week, open applications for Schools Of Choice are Monday morning to try to find a school for Aaron for next year, I am driving for a field trip for Noah on Wednesday, and I am finally back to being Friday room mother this week. Because of circumstances, it has been a long time since I have fulfilled my duty.

I hope you will come link up if you posted about your holiday weekend. The weekend top five has been less active lately and I would love for us to share linky love again. I cant wait to see how all of you shared this wonderful weekend with your families as well.

Have a a great week!

Thursday Thirteen: The Nativity Story In Our Home

When I was growing up, there was an old creche that my mom would get out every year. I can't remember (maybe Matt or Shannon do) but it seems to me that it was only one piece with all of the character stuck. It was never a very prominent part of our holiday decor.


I am trying to raise my kids a little differently.

It is so hard for young children to NOT focus on the present aspect of Christmas. Truly, it's hard for all of us to not lose our perspective.

Many years ago (I don't even know how many), my step mom started building our family Nativity with a wonderful Fontanini set. I believe she started with the holy family the first year, followed by the barn the next. Each year it is fun to imagine which pieces will be added. I always encourage the boys to help when we get it out each year so we can talk about the story as it comes out.

But I wondered if this activity was enough to really help them see how important that particular story is to this holiday.

The answer came when I got out our Christmas bins to start decorating a couple of weeks ago.

Here are some of the things I found:

1.
Here is the Fontanini set. This was in 2004 and the first year we let Noah interact with the pieces. It was my favorite all around picture for a LONG time.


I think this is the year that the fire truck got pulled up to the barn and put out a fire set by the dinosaurs, but I didn't keep the pictures. Gotta love Daddy's imagination.



2.
Aaron "making a parade" with all the characters.













3.
Here it is AFTER Noah set it up this year.

Notice Baby Jesus is gone. He won't be here until December 25th.

The Four Wise Men (somehow we ended up with a duplicate for the second time) haven't reached the stable yet.

Aaron says we need more animals.





4.
I often hear people tell me that I shouldn't
allow the kids to "play" with the Nativity. I personally believe that the more the kids interact with the story, the more real it will become for them.

But I still broke down last year and bought a "Toy" nativity set made by Little People. It is such a neat set and even plays music.

Noah set it up so that the "Wise Men need to look at the Baby Jesus"


5.
Has anyone heard the story of the Giant Monster Cat that over took Bethlehem?












6.
Here is Aaron playing with yet another set that my Grandma got for the boys last year. The thing I like about this one is that EACH piece is an ornament that hangs on the tree.














7.
The first time they opened it, they played with it for over an hour last year.












8.
And here the pieces are hanging on the tree this year.


















9.
Noah really wanted a Nativity of his own this year, so he was pretty exited when I found this kit in our Christmas stuff when I was getting it out.

We broke out the glue gun to put it together and I ended up burning my fingers TWICE, but look how happy he is to have his own. He pretty much carries it everywhere with him.












10.
This was a one piece ornament that I found when we got the stuff out. I am not quite sure where it came from, but it is the only one-piece nativity that we have.










11.
And of, course, a selection from the many nativity stories that come out each year. We had a pop up book of the Christmas story that we read every Christmas Eve in our home growing up. It was the only time we ever really talked about what Christmas really was.








12.
I think Christmas Eve church drills it into the kids head pretty well, so I found a different book which I think serves our purpose better. It deals more with how Jesus and the idea of Santa Claus fit together and I think it may be the best book of bringing the spiritual and the secular together.


I highly recommend it for those of you like me that struggle with the Jesus/Santa conflict.










13.
Of course, the story can be told both inside and out. I gave the boys the choice between our big red and green wreath flag or this one, and I was shocked that Noah decided that this should be the one to go up.















My sister runs a preschool/day care out of her home and mentioned the other day that four of her kids didn't know what a Nativity was. I don't know if it was because of different religions or because of lack of exposure. It is amazing to learn the vast differences in our homes in this country, and thank God that we have the freedom for that.

But as for me, I can comfort myself on Christmas morning when the kids are psychotically running toward their gifts, that they do know the Reason for the Season.

I hope you are all enjoying the anticipation of Christmas as much as we are.

Happy Thursday!

Weekend Top Five 12/1/08

I posted about our Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping experiences already. Go read them if you want to be jealous of the easiest Black friday experience ever.

The rest of the weekend was pretty much non event-ful so this is when it is fun to try to think of five things. here it goes


5. A Staple Free Head

Although it bled when the 4th one came out, and Aaron cried in pain when he didn't when they went in, it is a relief to everyone that the healing can finally progress, including washing the nasty hair.















4. Noah's First Library Card

While I put Aaron down for a nap on Saturday (he needed one desperately), Steve took Noah to the library. He came home SO proud with his VERY OWN library card.

3. Christmas Wrapping

I don't like waiting until Christmas Eve to wrap presents so I locked myself into the bedroom after bedtime Saturday night and wrapped all of the presents. It made me realize that things are a little uneven leaning toward Noah so I need to get Aaron caught up on stocking gifts. Aaron is always harder to shop for.

2. Children's Museum

Yes, again we headed over since Deb was there for Hannah's birthday. The kids had fun jumping into a new penguin exhibit they have there. We realized after Noah's third mental breakdown that we hadn't fed him before we left, and ended up leaving less than an hour later with him in tears. Not the best time at the museum.













1. Sick Boy and Playworld

Noah woke up Sunday morning complaining about "hurting all over" but seemed okay. So off we headed to church, since our quartet had to sing in both services. After church, Noah was still going in and out of perfectly normal and zombieville, so we decided that we would go home, rest for awhile, and then go to Playworld. We are thankful that our former babysitter works there and slides us through to play.

We got home from church and the whole house smelled like natural gas so I herded the very tired and not so healthy boys back to the car while Steve stayed home to call the gas company. At Playworld, Noah laid on my lap for the first 45 minutes while Aaron went off to play. He did go play for a short while later, when I got the okay from Steve to bring the boys back home. The culprit was related to the dryer problem we have had for awhile.


Told you it was the most boring weekend ever after the two fun filled days of Thanksgiving and Black Friday. We're under a Winter Storm Warningl. We're hoping for a snow day tomorrow, but I guess I'll just keep you posted. Noah continues to lie around on the couch, claiming his stomach hurts. I never know if he's sick or not, so I will also have to play that by ear in the morning too. Did you have a more exciting weekend than I? If you posted about it, please feel free to join Mr. Linky below.

Weekend Top Five 11/3/08

Another busy weekend, but much more relaxing than last week actually. Room cleaning became much less stressful than last week, partly because the toys are now spread among three rooms instead of two (Stay tuned for a Tackle It Tuesday to explain in the future). I am actually quite relieved to have Halloween over and get on with the REAL holidays. Two of our local radio stations have already switched to all Christmas music programming!

Here are the top five for this weekend:

5. NOAH DID IT!

A very excited 6 year old came home from school on Friday. Five perfect days at school for the first time. He keeps asking when he gets to school again so he can get his prize. I don't think it's the prize he wants, just the idea that he actually earned it.



How proud does he look?












4. Halloween

Yup, Friday night was the culminating event of the All Hallows Eve festivities. We fully intended to only go to the mall for a little trick or treating and then be done, which we did. They had a magician and juggler as well as stops outside of every store with people handing out candy.









We were done by 6:30 and still had the whole night ahead of us so we came home and our neighbor's party had just started and our neighbor kids were just starting to go out trick or treating so we joined them.
















3. Bowling (Oops, didn't happen, no lanes available when we got there)
3. Revised. Grand Rapids Children's Museum

When in doubt, Noah wants to go to the children's museum. I do believe that the $60 we paid for the children's museum membership this year has been paid back at least four or five times, between our visits to the museum and the dual memberships we got throughout this past summer. I think the novelty is starting to wear off though. Aaron chose to spend time "putting on a show" on the stage. Noah was more of a wanderer than a player today and at bedtime he said that it didn't seem to be as much fun as it used to be. It kind of made me a little sad.


2. Saturday Night Movie Night...Christmas Time Is Here (sort of)

As everyone who know us is already aware, we are Christmas freaks. We got married four days before Christmas, even though it about sent my in-laws to an early grave. Maybe in spite of the fact that this year we are having to reduce the gift load significantly, we are getting more into the spirit earlier than ever. We just had to get Halloween out of the way. There is one set of garland and lights that never came down last January and the boys have turned it on periodically all year long and "played Christmas", so of course the lights went on tonight when we turned off the lamps and snuggled into our blankets on the floor.

So we watched a classic from my childhood, Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas and a couple of shorts from Mickey Mouse's Twice Upon A Christmas.

BTW, if you watched Emmett Otter when you were little and got mad when they re -released it and took the scene where Ma Otter tells Hattie Muskrat to "fall off the dock", you can see it if you follow the link above. I know we were disappointed when we bought it and it was cut.

If you are starting the Christmas celebrating early like me, feel free to scroll down to the bottom of this site and follow the countdown. It is so neat, but it was too big to put on my sidebar.

1. Family Trip to the Library

The month of November has Sunday afternoon programs at our local library. This week was a mime.

Actually, a REALLY GOOD mime. Often, I sit through these programs thinking, okay, same ole, same ole, but this husband/wife team was very entertaining and kept BOTH boys' attentions for a full hour.















Of course, audience participation always helps. The boys got up on stage to act like monkeys during one of the story songs. Noah got into it big time. The mime said not to come up on stage unless you can "act silly". Not a problem for Noah the Ham.









I am assuming that none of you consider eating half (slight exaggeration)of the boys' Halloween candy as bullet worthy for the top five? I didn't think so :(

Well, next week is looking a little more strange since I will be gone all day Saturday for my students' Sonatina Festival. Who knows what Daddy will cook up to do with the boys?

As always, if you post about your weekend activities, please join into Mr. Linky below.