Dear ___________:
I'm writing this letter to let you know that I am not your client.
We are friends. I like hanging out and talking with you. In some cases, our children are friends. It's wonderful. You have a home based business. It's all fine and good. Really. I don't mind coming to your parties. I might even buy some products, provided I need them, but there's no guarantee. I might not purchase a thing. But whatever I do, please stop pestering me! I'm not your bank account, your retirement fund, your additional income that you need every month. Purchasing the products you're pushing will only happen if I want it to happen. There have been changes afoot in our household, and I am trying out a lot of things right now. Detergents, cleaners, face products - it's all up for negotiation. On top of it all, your products are not cheap. No one is selling products on sale, or even for a good price! Until I try these things on my own, I haven't determined whether or not they're worth the price you/your company are asking me to pay. The price seems inflated to me. Probably because you're selling through a multi-level marketing design. It's not your fault, but it is now something you need to learn to deal with maturely and gracefully, knowing full well that you're trying to make money off of me (even if you truly believe your product is great!). You're not there, yet. I can no longer be around you without feeling the hard sell of a businesswoman rushing into our space.
But you know what's really bothering me? I liked you. We were friends. Our kids wanted to be together, and we made play dates. It was fun. I thought there was potential. But I was wrong. After a couple of months you made it pretty clear that the 15 minute drive to my house, or anywhere in between, was too much for you. Then silence. No answers. I didn't hear from you for a while. Months and months. No play dates. Nothing. Oh, but I hear from you now! You're always calling me - inviting me to open houses, or trying to get me to buy new products. I'm not sure I like the new way I'm fitting back into your life. Something smells.
So, thanks for the re-introduction to a product I was already familiar with. I like what I've purchased. Maybe I'll purchase more. But please remember this - I am not your client. I'm just someone you once knew.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Kids and Bedtime
What is it about little kids and their inability to stay in bed in the evening? We think Caitlin is nearing the end of her napping phase of life. However, the phase is not over yet. How do we know? If she doesn't nap, she breaks down in the evenings, right around dinner time. So fun. If she does nap, she's in a much better mood in the early evenings, but then is awake for.ev.er up in her room after we put her down for bed. It's so frustrating!!!
I took the kids to the park today for a play date (not that anyone we know ever shows up on these scheduled play dates, but that's another story altogether). We were, of course, the only ones there, so I made a point to run around and play with the kids. Always a good thing, and prevented me from being shown up the incredibly fit grandparents running after their grand kids. After our lunch there, we made a quick trip to Costco, and then home. The kids were great. We had fun, no whining, shared frozen yogurt, and got all the errands done. Around 2:30 the kids had to go up to their rooms to rest. Brandon doesn't nap, but is required to stay in his room for the allotted time so that I can have a little time to myself. Caitlin wanted me to lay down with her, and I obliged. She was out in 5 minutes. Only one song played while I was in her room. She was up at 3:45. She helped me do a few things outside, rode her bike up and down the street, and generally ran around. Come bedtime, though, she's up and about. AAHHH!! What else do I need to do to wear her out?
There are the excuses... "Mommy, I need a drink."
The facts....." I need to use the bathroom."
The delays...."Mommy, I need to show you something....."
The threats ... "Caitlin, if you get out of bed one more time I will need to give you a spanking!"
and the questions..... " Mommy, will it be a hard spanking?"
Of course, sweetie. Soft spankings never did anyone any good, now, did they?
I almost can't wait for school to start, since we'll all have to be up before 7:00 am, and the kids will need to being bed by 8:00. In all reality, part of me would like the put this off. I *hate* getting up early. I'll be up at 6:00 am. And I hate that. Did I mention how much I hate getting up early in the morning? But, even within all that early morning hate, I'm hoping with the sheer exhaustion of getting up early, Caitlin will be asleep at night sooner rather than later.
I took the kids to the park today for a play date (not that anyone we know ever shows up on these scheduled play dates, but that's another story altogether). We were, of course, the only ones there, so I made a point to run around and play with the kids. Always a good thing, and prevented me from being shown up the incredibly fit grandparents running after their grand kids. After our lunch there, we made a quick trip to Costco, and then home. The kids were great. We had fun, no whining, shared frozen yogurt, and got all the errands done. Around 2:30 the kids had to go up to their rooms to rest. Brandon doesn't nap, but is required to stay in his room for the allotted time so that I can have a little time to myself. Caitlin wanted me to lay down with her, and I obliged. She was out in 5 minutes. Only one song played while I was in her room. She was up at 3:45. She helped me do a few things outside, rode her bike up and down the street, and generally ran around. Come bedtime, though, she's up and about. AAHHH!! What else do I need to do to wear her out?
There are the excuses... "Mommy, I need a drink."
The facts....." I need to use the bathroom."
The delays...."Mommy, I need to show you something....."
The threats ... "Caitlin, if you get out of bed one more time I will need to give you a spanking!"
and the questions..... " Mommy, will it be a hard spanking?"
Of course, sweetie. Soft spankings never did anyone any good, now, did they?
I almost can't wait for school to start, since we'll all have to be up before 7:00 am, and the kids will need to being bed by 8:00. In all reality, part of me would like the put this off. I *hate* getting up early. I'll be up at 6:00 am. And I hate that. Did I mention how much I hate getting up early in the morning? But, even within all that early morning hate, I'm hoping with the sheer exhaustion of getting up early, Caitlin will be asleep at night sooner rather than later.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Overheard on our Walk this Evening
Brandon: Something stinks around here.
Caitlin: Yeah. Probably bunny poop!
Where do they come up with this stuff?
Caitlin: Yeah. Probably bunny poop!
Where do they come up with this stuff?
Friday, July 10, 2009
Poor Caitlin
Poor Caitlin. All she wanted all day was to swim in the little blow-up pool in our back yard. We were busy in the morning, so I told her she could do it after naps, when it was a little warmer (which, of course, led to her not napping at all!!!). We filled up the pool around 3:30, and she played for a whole 10 minutes before our new neighbor J came over. He had his friend N with him from his old neighborhood. Now our pool has 3 overly active, screaming first grade boys in it, and Caitlin is watching "Go Deigo, Go" on the television. Brian should be home at any time, which will be the point at which I send the other kids home and am alone with my own family. I cannot wait.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Home Again, Home Again
What is it about having a family that makes unpacking from the latest adventure such a challenge? We didn't travel light this time. We didn't have to. Plus, a store near my parent's house is going out of business, and my mom had been a frequent guest in the children's clothing department. We were warned up front! I think I've gotten through most of the laundry, but the piles and suitcases that litter my floor are horrible! Tackling the unpacking for three (four this time, for some reason) became monumental this time due to the fact that I haven't gotten more than a few hours of sleep each night since we returned. I hate when my insomnia kicks in! I lay in bed for hours, not asleep but too tired to get up and do anything. By the time I have the time to unpack, I'm almost too tired to start! Top it off with the fact that we now have a new neighborhood kid who comes by *all the time*, and I'm just not getting anything done.
Last night I think I slept. I woke up 6 or 7 times, but I think I was sleeping in between. Maybe I'll get back to a somewhat normal sleep pattern soon. I haven't slept well for a couple of years now. My goal today is to get the suitcases emptied and back in the basement. With as tired as I feel, that may not happen until the weekend!
Last night I think I slept. I woke up 6 or 7 times, but I think I was sleeping in between. Maybe I'll get back to a somewhat normal sleep pattern soon. I haven't slept well for a couple of years now. My goal today is to get the suitcases emptied and back in the basement. With as tired as I feel, that may not happen until the weekend!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Quiet
It is really amazing how quiet it can be at home when Brian takes our spastic, loud, overly-energetic daughter out of the house so I can pack for our vacation. Her noise, coupled with her brothers knack at aggravating her, is enough to make even the most sane parent check into the mental ward.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
What Caitlin Found During Storytime
Wednesday is library day. Our "town" is little more than a housing development, so there's not a lot of infrastructure. The local elementary school opens up its library on Wednesdays for kids . There's a reading program in which children who read for a certain number of minutes/hours win prizes. If you're at the library at 5:00 pm, some local person reads a story. Brandon's really into this. He *loves* to listen to stories. For example, our church back in California had a bi-weekly story time at their coffee shop, and Brandon never understood why it was so short (it was an hour). Caitlin, however, is another story.
Caitlin likes reading, or having stories read to her. It's been a struggle to get her into books, but now she likes to sit with me and read. Brandon loved books from a very young age, and can sit for hours while you read. Caitlin has issues with sitting still for long periods of time. She grew weary of the book reading yesterday, about 20 minutes into it. I had stepped outside the library with another mom, and Caitlin decided to join us. A few minutes later she decided she needed to use the bathroom, which was down the hall. Two minutes later she ran out, skirt and underwear at her ankles, excited beyond belief. "Mommy, Mommy, come look!" she yelled with passion. I ran down to see what she'd found - and to cover her up! She ran (well, shuffled) into the bathroom to show me the great thing she'd found!!!!!
The urinal.
Caitlin was in the boy's bathroom. And she'd found the urinal.
And she wanted to sit in it. She almost showed me.
I made her use the stall. She was mad at me for a good hour.
*Sigh*
Caitlin likes reading, or having stories read to her. It's been a struggle to get her into books, but now she likes to sit with me and read. Brandon loved books from a very young age, and can sit for hours while you read. Caitlin has issues with sitting still for long periods of time. She grew weary of the book reading yesterday, about 20 minutes into it. I had stepped outside the library with another mom, and Caitlin decided to join us. A few minutes later she decided she needed to use the bathroom, which was down the hall. Two minutes later she ran out, skirt and underwear at her ankles, excited beyond belief. "Mommy, Mommy, come look!" she yelled with passion. I ran down to see what she'd found - and to cover her up! She ran (well, shuffled) into the bathroom to show me the great thing she'd found!!!!!
The urinal.
Caitlin was in the boy's bathroom. And she'd found the urinal.
And she wanted to sit in it. She almost showed me.
I made her use the stall. She was mad at me for a good hour.
*Sigh*
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Evening Antics
What a crazy evening we had yesterday! I'm sneaking in a few minutes to blog while the kids are still napping. Yes, Brandon fell asleep, too. I'll pay for this later, but right now I'm just trying to enjoy the moment.
We've actually had a crazy week, but that's another post. Caitlin and Brandon were having an awful time going to sleep last night. Brandon has been very good about not coming out of his bedroom, but I could still hear him. Caitlin, on the other hand, must be doing cheerleader moves in her room, since it sounds like a whole troop of girls is up there! Around 10 pm I heard a huge thud. Enough to make me hustle my rear off the couch and up the stairs! What could that noise be? Caitlin (of course it was Caitlin) had managed to topple her 4 and half foot dresser! Luckily she was not hurt. However, she was sufficiently scared. I vacillated between being the concerned and caring mom, holding her and rocking her and making sure she wasn't hurt, and the stern, pissed-off mom who'd already had enough 3 year-old antics earlier in the day to fill a book! Caitlin cried and cried, and refused at first to tell me how she pulled the dresser over. She's done this before by pulling out the drawers and scaling Mount Dresser, but only on her shorter, more stable dresser. This time she wanted to see what was in the top drawer of her taller dresser. I'd taken the furniture wall mounts off the dressers a few months ago when we had to rearrange the room for her new bed, as I thought she was done climbing dressers like a rock climber. I was wrong. Guess that earthquake kit needs to come out again! I thought I was done securing furniture to walls here in Colorado.
After Caitlin finally calmed down and got back into bed, I headed back downstairs to finish whatever I'd been working on. A few minutes later Brandon came down, saying he still couldn't sleep. Caitlin's crashing dresser had roused him from his semi-sleep state, and he couldn't get tired again. We've all been there. When I sent him back to his room, he burst into tears, saying that he could see the ghosts hiding in the corners waiting to get him as soon as he closed his eyes. Ghosts! Who is putting this into my boy's head? I asked him where he'd heard it, and he told me that our new neighbor boy (who is all of one week older than Brandon) told him about ghosts (he's also introduced Brandon to Jaws, all types of sharks, and SpongeBob, which doesn't thrill me). He's a nice kid, and I love, love, love the fact that a family with a child has moved on to our formerly childless street, but the stuff he is into is very different than what Brandon's been into. This boy has been influencing Brandon more than other friends he's made in school. It's a little crazy, and I don't like it. I realize I can't hand-pick my child's friends, but I'd like to. His dad (who is the stay-at-home parent in this case) doesn't keep a close eye on him, and he's frequently roaming the street. It's a safe street, but the kid's only 5! Back to Brandon - I had to go and lay down with him in order for him to go to sleep. It only took 5 minutes, but that's not our normal routine. Nor do I want to become our routine.
It was hard for me to drift off after all the evening activity. That, coupled with rising early for VBS this week has made all of us tired.With Brian gone for the week, the craziness of doing it all myself wears me out anyway! Only a week and two days left before we leave on our summer vacation. I'm looking forward to hanging with our friends and seeing family. I think I might be able to take a breather from this crazy home life.
We've actually had a crazy week, but that's another post. Caitlin and Brandon were having an awful time going to sleep last night. Brandon has been very good about not coming out of his bedroom, but I could still hear him. Caitlin, on the other hand, must be doing cheerleader moves in her room, since it sounds like a whole troop of girls is up there! Around 10 pm I heard a huge thud. Enough to make me hustle my rear off the couch and up the stairs! What could that noise be? Caitlin (of course it was Caitlin) had managed to topple her 4 and half foot dresser! Luckily she was not hurt. However, she was sufficiently scared. I vacillated between being the concerned and caring mom, holding her and rocking her and making sure she wasn't hurt, and the stern, pissed-off mom who'd already had enough 3 year-old antics earlier in the day to fill a book! Caitlin cried and cried, and refused at first to tell me how she pulled the dresser over. She's done this before by pulling out the drawers and scaling Mount Dresser, but only on her shorter, more stable dresser. This time she wanted to see what was in the top drawer of her taller dresser. I'd taken the furniture wall mounts off the dressers a few months ago when we had to rearrange the room for her new bed, as I thought she was done climbing dressers like a rock climber. I was wrong. Guess that earthquake kit needs to come out again! I thought I was done securing furniture to walls here in Colorado.
After Caitlin finally calmed down and got back into bed, I headed back downstairs to finish whatever I'd been working on. A few minutes later Brandon came down, saying he still couldn't sleep. Caitlin's crashing dresser had roused him from his semi-sleep state, and he couldn't get tired again. We've all been there. When I sent him back to his room, he burst into tears, saying that he could see the ghosts hiding in the corners waiting to get him as soon as he closed his eyes. Ghosts! Who is putting this into my boy's head? I asked him where he'd heard it, and he told me that our new neighbor boy (who is all of one week older than Brandon) told him about ghosts (he's also introduced Brandon to Jaws, all types of sharks, and SpongeBob, which doesn't thrill me). He's a nice kid, and I love, love, love the fact that a family with a child has moved on to our formerly childless street, but the stuff he is into is very different than what Brandon's been into. This boy has been influencing Brandon more than other friends he's made in school. It's a little crazy, and I don't like it. I realize I can't hand-pick my child's friends, but I'd like to. His dad (who is the stay-at-home parent in this case) doesn't keep a close eye on him, and he's frequently roaming the street. It's a safe street, but the kid's only 5! Back to Brandon - I had to go and lay down with him in order for him to go to sleep. It only took 5 minutes, but that's not our normal routine. Nor do I want to become our routine.
It was hard for me to drift off after all the evening activity. That, coupled with rising early for VBS this week has made all of us tired.With Brian gone for the week, the craziness of doing it all myself wears me out anyway! Only a week and two days left before we leave on our summer vacation. I'm looking forward to hanging with our friends and seeing family. I think I might be able to take a breather from this crazy home life.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Soap and Mirrors
It was my turn to pick the kids up from VBS today. J's dad and I have been taking turns. Our church is just over 12 miles away, one way, so the ride-sharing is much appreciated. Approximately 5 minutes after loading the kids up in the car and heading for home, Caitlin, she of small bladder control, busts out with "Mommy, I have to potty!" Really, Caitlin? You couldn't have told me this at church, where there are bathrooms?
Using my mommy radar, I keenly observed that we were driving by a Rite-Aid drugstore. Surely they have a bathroom there! Since the law frowns upon me leaving my kids in the car when I'm in the store, I unloaded Brandon, Caitlin, and J from the car and went into Rite-Aid. They have quite nice bathrooms at this one, I must say. No actual people shopping, but really nice bathrooms. Brandon has not wanted anything to do with the women's bathroom this year, so I've been letting him have a little freedom. He can use the men's bathroom and wait for me in the hall. After Caitlin was done, we washed hands and met the boys in the hall. Brandon then told me that J had hit the soap dispenser a lot, and so hard that there was soap on the mirrors. There was no one in the men's bathrooms, so I went in to check in out.
Soap. Everywhere.
Images of Brandon and J, in high school, riding in a convertible car entered my head. Brandon's driving slowly past rural houses while J is leaning out of the car hitting the mailboxes off their posts with a baseball bat. Lovely. Coming back to reality, I notice there is foam soap all over the walls, two mirrors, the sink and the floor. Foam soap! How hard to you have to hit the dispenser to get this stuff to fly? And why would you? Seriously, J? What is wrong with you? Hasn't anyone ever told you that this stuff is wrong?
After 10 minutes of mopping up soap and wiping down mirrors and cleaning up as best as one can when all you have is public bathroom paper towels , we finally left he store. I kept my head down and rushed out so that the security cameras wouldn't see my face. I was ashamed to have this kid under my watch. Why would he do that? My kids wouldn't, and they're pretty average kids. Is it because he's unsupervised? He hasn't lived next door for very long, and I can already see that he gets away with a lot. I just don't know. This is a bit crazy for me. I hope it doesn't get worse.
Using my mommy radar, I keenly observed that we were driving by a Rite-Aid drugstore. Surely they have a bathroom there! Since the law frowns upon me leaving my kids in the car when I'm in the store, I unloaded Brandon, Caitlin, and J from the car and went into Rite-Aid. They have quite nice bathrooms at this one, I must say. No actual people shopping, but really nice bathrooms. Brandon has not wanted anything to do with the women's bathroom this year, so I've been letting him have a little freedom. He can use the men's bathroom and wait for me in the hall. After Caitlin was done, we washed hands and met the boys in the hall. Brandon then told me that J had hit the soap dispenser a lot, and so hard that there was soap on the mirrors. There was no one in the men's bathrooms, so I went in to check in out.
Soap. Everywhere.
Images of Brandon and J, in high school, riding in a convertible car entered my head. Brandon's driving slowly past rural houses while J is leaning out of the car hitting the mailboxes off their posts with a baseball bat. Lovely. Coming back to reality, I notice there is foam soap all over the walls, two mirrors, the sink and the floor. Foam soap! How hard to you have to hit the dispenser to get this stuff to fly? And why would you? Seriously, J? What is wrong with you? Hasn't anyone ever told you that this stuff is wrong?
After 10 minutes of mopping up soap and wiping down mirrors and cleaning up as best as one can when all you have is public bathroom paper towels , we finally left he store. I kept my head down and rushed out so that the security cameras wouldn't see my face. I was ashamed to have this kid under my watch. Why would he do that? My kids wouldn't, and they're pretty average kids. Is it because he's unsupervised? He hasn't lived next door for very long, and I can already see that he gets away with a lot. I just don't know. This is a bit crazy for me. I hope it doesn't get worse.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Hailing
It was hailing outside. In June! Pea to marble sized hail fell for about 5 minutes. Brandon wasn't convinced that it didn't hurt, but we did manage to keep him from going outside. Amazingly, all the noise didn't wake Caitlin. She was probably pretty exhausted from the birthday party this morning. I did have to lay with her early on in her nap, as she is no longer a fan of napping through loud thunder and lightning storms (one of the storms the other day was right above our house, I think, and the thunder made the floors and windows shake).
I'm wondering if all the hail will melt today. The highs for the last two weeks have barely reached 70.
Boy with a mouth full of hail
I'm wondering if all the hail will melt today. The highs for the last two weeks have barely reached 70.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
News You Can Use
We've had a breakthrough in the P-4 household. While it may seem blase to some, the fact that Brandon requested a salami sandwich is big news in our house. Big. It was only a few short months ago (maybe six months ago) that Brandon actually ate a piece of salami at his Nana's house. From then, he's moved on to summer sausage and us buying salami for him at the store. I'm not even sure who this child is! He is eating so many things these days. I have to say, packing lunches has gotten a lot easier now that I can toss cheese, nuts, salami and crackers in to a lunchbox and go. It's also a boon for us, since so many places have banned peanuts and peanut butter from their facilities for those few kids with allergies. Now I have another alternative for Brandon's away from home lunches. Yay Brandon! Way to go with trying new things.
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Lighter Load
I'm done with MOPS! Doing finance for MOPS, that is. Yay!!! Today I officially handed the finance binder over to the new person. I'm very excited (can you tell? I'm almost giddy inside). I tried to make the procedures clear, but somehow it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. The whole process of explaining it all seemed scattered. I wanted the new person to have more information than what I got so she wouldn't feel as lost as I did for the first few months, but it didn't really happen the way I planned. We did agree to meet again in late September to go over the procedures as she actually does them. I think they'll make more sense then.
As for MOPS, I'm still undecided about next year. I might still attend the group at my church, just as something to do (I haven't been thrilled with the leadership decisions there). I will.not. be attending two, that's for sure. Caitlin's preschool is on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Time for me!! While I'm willing to give up a few hours of my new found free time every other week for MOPS, I'm not giving it all up. But more than that, I'm giving up the error of my ways - over committing in order to establish a community.
You'd think by my age I would have figured out my own stupid patterns, and how I tend to overdo things in order to accomplish a goal. It's not overdoing in a way that makes me an over achiever, in classic sense, or some sort of control freak (although I do exhibit that tendency, too), but it manifests itself in me obsessing about something until I wear myself out trying to bring that goal to fruition. Here, it was all about establishing myself in some sort of community or group of women. And I tried too hard. The support and friends I have were (obviously) left in California when we left. In order to attempt to have something here, I joined two MOPS groups, a Bible study, and a small group. All those groups, with their own schedules, activities and needs, piled on top of Brandon's kindergarten schedule, made life a little harder than it should have been. Times didn't work well, and I felt over scheduled and rushed. So this coming year I'm scaling back. Brandon will have to be at school by 7:55 every day, and Caitlin will need to be in Boulder by 8:30 twice a week for her new preschool. I'll start with that. Maybe I'll join a gym. Maybe I'll spend time alone. Should be interesting. I'll let you know.
As for MOPS, I'm still undecided about next year. I might still attend the group at my church, just as something to do (I haven't been thrilled with the leadership decisions there). I will.not. be attending two, that's for sure. Caitlin's preschool is on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Time for me!! While I'm willing to give up a few hours of my new found free time every other week for MOPS, I'm not giving it all up. But more than that, I'm giving up the error of my ways - over committing in order to establish a community.
You'd think by my age I would have figured out my own stupid patterns, and how I tend to overdo things in order to accomplish a goal. It's not overdoing in a way that makes me an over achiever, in classic sense, or some sort of control freak (although I do exhibit that tendency, too), but it manifests itself in me obsessing about something until I wear myself out trying to bring that goal to fruition. Here, it was all about establishing myself in some sort of community or group of women. And I tried too hard. The support and friends I have were (obviously) left in California when we left. In order to attempt to have something here, I joined two MOPS groups, a Bible study, and a small group. All those groups, with their own schedules, activities and needs, piled on top of Brandon's kindergarten schedule, made life a little harder than it should have been. Times didn't work well, and I felt over scheduled and rushed. So this coming year I'm scaling back. Brandon will have to be at school by 7:55 every day, and Caitlin will need to be in Boulder by 8:30 twice a week for her new preschool. I'll start with that. Maybe I'll join a gym. Maybe I'll spend time alone. Should be interesting. I'll let you know.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Sick
It's been an interesting week. Besides just being busy with end-of-the year school activities, I came down with a cold. I'm not sure why it's called the common cold, as it's anything but. I managed to get through Brandon's school activities. By the time the weekend came, the cold had gotten so bad that Brian took over as the parent. I spent the better part of the weekend on the couch. My head's been swimming, the laryngitis has come on in full force, I have a lovely (and I mean lovely) cold sore now, and the coughing has gotten worse. It hasn't helped matters that Brian is on yet another business trip (on top of being gone two days last week, and all entire previous week). I can't help but think I might recover a little faster if I wasn't trying to do this alone with two kids. On top of it all, I'm not sleeping well. I can't seem to fall asleep or stay asleep. My sleeping patterns changed drastically after moving here, and still go in waves.
The highlights of my week, so far, have been:
-Brandon graduated from kindergarten! Yay! I have a bona fide first grader. We are still working on his handwriting, but I'm satisfied with his progression. He had a wonderful teacher, was part of a great class, and thoroughly enjoyed himself this last year.
-I have instituted "rest time"/"room time" for both kids. Brandon agreed that he'll stay in his room and play quietly or read while Caitlin attempts to nap. Oddly enough, I'm now getting more time to myself during the day than I did during the school year. So far I've only used this time to rest and attempt recovery, but I'm looking forward to having time to complete a few tasks during the day.
-Caitlin has decided to nap and sleep on the floor. Since Monday, she hasn't slept in her bed. She puts a blanket on the floor, with her pillow, and sleeps on top of that blanket with her blankey. Why, I don't know. Our upstairs carpet is comfy, but not that comfy.
-A new family moved in on our street last week. They seem very friendly, and have a five year old boy. J is a whole week older than Brandon, and they get along great. They were in different kindergarten classes and didn't know each other until last week, but it's been fun. It's also nice to have someone nearby for the kids to play with. Makes me miss living by the S's in California.
The highlights of my week, so far, have been:
-Brandon graduated from kindergarten! Yay! I have a bona fide first grader. We are still working on his handwriting, but I'm satisfied with his progression. He had a wonderful teacher, was part of a great class, and thoroughly enjoyed himself this last year.
-I have instituted "rest time"/"room time" for both kids. Brandon agreed that he'll stay in his room and play quietly or read while Caitlin attempts to nap. Oddly enough, I'm now getting more time to myself during the day than I did during the school year. So far I've only used this time to rest and attempt recovery, but I'm looking forward to having time to complete a few tasks during the day.
-Caitlin has decided to nap and sleep on the floor. Since Monday, she hasn't slept in her bed. She puts a blanket on the floor, with her pillow, and sleeps on top of that blanket with her blankey. Why, I don't know. Our upstairs carpet is comfy, but not that comfy.
-A new family moved in on our street last week. They seem very friendly, and have a five year old boy. J is a whole week older than Brandon, and they get along great. They were in different kindergarten classes and didn't know each other until last week, but it's been fun. It's also nice to have someone nearby for the kids to play with. Makes me miss living by the S's in California.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
End of Kindergarten Wrap-Up
Two more days of school! I can't believe Brandon's kindergarten year is wrapping up. He's come so far with his reading, math, and cognitive thought in sciences. I'm so proud of him! The last week has been a little crazy with end-of-the-year stuff. On top of coming down with something, I can only do so much in his classroom due to having Caitlin with me. Still, I've been able to go see his kindergarten music class sing, hear his published book (which they had original ideas, rough drafts, and re-writes prior to us parents seeing them.), and to celebrate. Yesterday was the zoo, and tomorrow is a beach party (ironic, since we no longer live by the beach).I think we're both excited about the summer approaching. Excited about no more school. It hasn't been that warm lately, but we've emerged from the strange cocoon that is winter in Colorado. Even though this winter was mild (except for our freezing cold December, in which it was, at one time, 19 below zero), the winds howl through this state. I don't know how anyone would want to live in Wyoming, since the wind is worse there. The wind chill is close to zero most of the time, and we all seem to cocoon in our warm houses. It's quite a change from living in California. But I think that we are all looking forward to the ease of summer. The end of our year-long routines. The ability to gather our thoughts together, be a family, and prepare for the next year. Just this week a new family moved on to our street with a boy Brandon's age, so that is also something to look forward to.
So now I move forward to the end of the year. The end of my crazy, rushed year, with an almost first grader and a soon to be pre-schooler. I'm looking forward to it. Now if I could just get over this head cold!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
May Showers
It's been raining for days now. The temperatures hover somewhere in mid 50's. We've gotten both drizzle and bouts of heavy rain (half an inch or more in under an hour). Laundry is a mish-mash of both shorts and tank tops from our 90 degree temps early last week along with sweats and long sleeved shirts from the last few days. I'm loving the rain, and beautiful green-ness that it brings. Colorado is not nearly as green as people think it is, so I need to enjoy the few months we have. This is our third May in Colorado, and I think I'm finally getting the patterns! I'm also acclimating.
Our first May rainstorm was in the low 40's, and I pulled out a few sweaters for me and the kids. Last May, thunderstorms rolled through town on a regular basis. I remember being grateful for days at home, as I had just broken my little toe on my left foot, and had a sprained right foot. Wearing flip-flops in rainy, cold weather is not now, and has never been appealing to me. I wanted to wear socks, but wasn't looking for sweaters. This May, during the rain, I tackled my closet. The middle bar was sagging and the shelf was pulling loose in the corner. Turns out the support for the closet wasn't properly set up, but I didn't figure that one out until I'd gone through all my stuff and purged a few things - including sweaters I haven't worn all winter. This weather we're having just doesn't seem all that cold to me. Must be the dry air. Must be the fact that most of December wasn't above zero, and I got use to real cold. Must be because I'm figuring out Colorado, and how to live in these dry, often extreme conditions. Now if I can just get down how to live in the heat during the summer without withering like a flower in the sun, I'll be doing good!
Our first May rainstorm was in the low 40's, and I pulled out a few sweaters for me and the kids. Last May, thunderstorms rolled through town on a regular basis. I remember being grateful for days at home, as I had just broken my little toe on my left foot, and had a sprained right foot. Wearing flip-flops in rainy, cold weather is not now, and has never been appealing to me. I wanted to wear socks, but wasn't looking for sweaters. This May, during the rain, I tackled my closet. The middle bar was sagging and the shelf was pulling loose in the corner. Turns out the support for the closet wasn't properly set up, but I didn't figure that one out until I'd gone through all my stuff and purged a few things - including sweaters I haven't worn all winter. This weather we're having just doesn't seem all that cold to me. Must be the dry air. Must be the fact that most of December wasn't above zero, and I got use to real cold. Must be because I'm figuring out Colorado, and how to live in these dry, often extreme conditions. Now if I can just get down how to live in the heat during the summer without withering like a flower in the sun, I'll be doing good!
Monday, May 25, 2009
There Was A Little Girl Who Spotted a Fly.........
Last Wednesday I put the kids to bed. We brushed our teeth, washed our faces, and read our books. We said our prayers and turned out the lights. Mommy went downstairs, snuggled into the couch, and attempted to finish a program I'd been attempting to watch earlier. Then I heard it. Screaming!!!
I rushed upstairs to see what was the matter! Caitlin was standing at the top of the stairs in utter hysterics. Tears streaming down her little face. Sobbing, screaming, unable to speak (or take a deep breath, for that matter). I was concerned. What could it be? She pointed to the wall, sobbing, and said "Mommy, there's a fly!!"
A fly?
My girl is in utter hysterics because of a fly?
I looked up, but could see no fly. I didn't disbelieve her. The day had been warm and we'd had the windows and doors opened. No matter how good my kids are at closing the screen doors, bugs still manage to get in.
But a fly?
But no, this was no ordinary fly. In fact, it was not even a fly. It was a spiderweb. The shadow of a spiderweb on the wall. That's what Caitlin was pointing at. That's what she was sobbing at. A shadow. Of a spiderweb.
All the normal Mommy niceness went out the window. My sympathy levels have gone waaaayyy down as her irrational fears of things like flies has gone way up. She is afraid of every bug, tree branch, noise, or wind storm that comes her way, and I'm tired of it! Every day there is some form of crying because of some fearsome creature she can't stand. This makes every outing a nightmare, and park days are the worst. There is no more sympathy left.
I marched her straight back into her room, put her under the covers, and sat there for a while. After she calmed down we said prayers again and turned on her new CD. She managed to snuggle under her covers and fall asleep. Meanwhile, I headed downstairs and poured myself a glass of wine, and again attempted to watch whatever program I'd been trying to watch before all this. It had been a long day anyway, and I can't remember if I ever finished what I was watching, or just went to bed. I was already drained, and my hysterical child wasn't helping much.
In her defense, I did find a moth upstairs the next day. This could have been the culprit. Still, screams?
I rushed upstairs to see what was the matter! Caitlin was standing at the top of the stairs in utter hysterics. Tears streaming down her little face. Sobbing, screaming, unable to speak (or take a deep breath, for that matter). I was concerned. What could it be? She pointed to the wall, sobbing, and said "Mommy, there's a fly!!"
A fly?
My girl is in utter hysterics because of a fly?
I looked up, but could see no fly. I didn't disbelieve her. The day had been warm and we'd had the windows and doors opened. No matter how good my kids are at closing the screen doors, bugs still manage to get in.
But a fly?
But no, this was no ordinary fly. In fact, it was not even a fly. It was a spiderweb. The shadow of a spiderweb on the wall. That's what Caitlin was pointing at. That's what she was sobbing at. A shadow. Of a spiderweb.
All the normal Mommy niceness went out the window. My sympathy levels have gone waaaayyy down as her irrational fears of things like flies has gone way up. She is afraid of every bug, tree branch, noise, or wind storm that comes her way, and I'm tired of it! Every day there is some form of crying because of some fearsome creature she can't stand. This makes every outing a nightmare, and park days are the worst. There is no more sympathy left.
I marched her straight back into her room, put her under the covers, and sat there for a while. After she calmed down we said prayers again and turned on her new CD. She managed to snuggle under her covers and fall asleep. Meanwhile, I headed downstairs and poured myself a glass of wine, and again attempted to watch whatever program I'd been trying to watch before all this. It had been a long day anyway, and I can't remember if I ever finished what I was watching, or just went to bed. I was already drained, and my hysterical child wasn't helping much.
In her defense, I did find a moth upstairs the next day. This could have been the culprit. Still, screams?
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
*Sigh*
Caitlin got ahold of my MOPS finance check stamper, and now says "For Deposit Only" all up and down her ams. *Sigh* At least it's bath night!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Good Rules
Brandon just told me two good rules to live by:
1) Always cough into your arm
2) Never disturb bees or wasps
I think these are good rules to live by. I have a few more to add on to those as time goes by (such as "Don't hit your sister", or "Look for cars when you're riding your bike"), but these ones will do for now!
1) Always cough into your arm
2) Never disturb bees or wasps
I think these are good rules to live by. I have a few more to add on to those as time goes by (such as "Don't hit your sister", or "Look for cars when you're riding your bike"), but these ones will do for now!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Upcoming Summer
Brandon just told me the most wondrous news today - only 10 more days of school! To be honest, I'm looking forward to it. Completely and totally. I may have a change of heart in 11 school days, but right now it sounds like good news to me. I think I just need a break from the school year. Every parent must feel this way at one time or another (I can't be alone in this sentiment!). I need a break from the pressure of time. Of the rushed requirement of leaving every group that I've struggled to be a part of this year early in order to get Brandon to school on time. A break from the monotony of dropping Brandon off at school. Of picking him up at school 2 hours and 45 minutes later. Of standing outside at the school, which channels both the wind and the searing sun. Of letting my kids blow off steam at the kindergarten playground in the dirt and rocks. Of doing homework (not that the reading and writing is going away for the summer, but I might take a week off!). Of all the papers, informational and artistic, that flood my house and are drowning me!
I don't know what summer holds. Today was the last day of my weekly commitments. Aside from balancing the MOPS books and passing the finances on to the next person, I am done for the summer. I'm not sure what the kids and I are going to do. The last two summers were long and hot, with few breaks. However, two years into our Colorado adventure, the kids and I have finally made a few friends that we can hang out with sometimes. I need to research local centers to see if I can find anything for the kids to do. They could both use a gymnastics class! I didn't get on the ball earlier, so I'm probably too late to sign them up for anything. Such is the life of the mom who doesn't think of that sort of stuff! There weren't a lot, if any, extracurricular activities around where I grew up, so signing the kids up for fun stuff doesn't enter my mind most of the time. I've got to get better at this. Especially now that the kids have had a taste of friends and daily activities!
I'm sure by mid-August I'll be so ready for school to start that I'll be able to taste it! Just like I look forward to winter by about July, I am still ready for the cold, snow and wind to be done sometime around February. Next year I get a few hours a week to myself, and I can't wait. The year will be busier and the days will start earlier, but getting those few hours might make it all worth it!
I don't know what summer holds. Today was the last day of my weekly commitments. Aside from balancing the MOPS books and passing the finances on to the next person, I am done for the summer. I'm not sure what the kids and I are going to do. The last two summers were long and hot, with few breaks. However, two years into our Colorado adventure, the kids and I have finally made a few friends that we can hang out with sometimes. I need to research local centers to see if I can find anything for the kids to do. They could both use a gymnastics class! I didn't get on the ball earlier, so I'm probably too late to sign them up for anything. Such is the life of the mom who doesn't think of that sort of stuff! There weren't a lot, if any, extracurricular activities around where I grew up, so signing the kids up for fun stuff doesn't enter my mind most of the time. I've got to get better at this. Especially now that the kids have had a taste of friends and daily activities!
I'm sure by mid-August I'll be so ready for school to start that I'll be able to taste it! Just like I look forward to winter by about July, I am still ready for the cold, snow and wind to be done sometime around February. Next year I get a few hours a week to myself, and I can't wait. The year will be busier and the days will start earlier, but getting those few hours might make it all worth it!
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