Sharks and Alligators

I have the end of the semester blahs.  I am excited about being done in two short weeks.  But I am dreading all of the tasks I have to finish for school and work during two very short weeks. I made it though!!!!

Bedtime on Thursday nights was the hardest part of the semester by far.  We were all tired/grumpy and it was the second night of me being away from the kiddos.  After this semester, I will never have to take two night classes again (hurray!).  But our exhaustion on Thursdays led to some of the oddest conversations with big sis. Her bedtime question tonight was "Why do alligators walk but sharks do not?"  Huh?  I think it is a perfectly valid and curious question from our four year old.  But what about our bedtime routine or her day brought about that question????

Lately I have been trying really hard to let her "figure things out."  Left to my own devices I would just do everything for her or tell her all the answers.  But I know that won't help her in the long run.  So my response tonight was "What helps you to walk?"  I was very proud of her reasoning from that point of the conversation on - we discussed legs and feet and fins and other animals who walk and swim just like alligators.  Yes, I know I am a nerd and my current night classes probably prompt me to follow her question with another question.  But I know my parents responded to my questions during childhood much the same way - and it was one of the best ways to foster a curious mind!

Nickname

Little man has been able to say mommy and daddy for quite some time now.  He even has a pretty good handle on many other family member names.  But for the longest time we couldn't figure out what he was calling big sis.  Unfortunately big sis has a somewhat difficult name - especially when you are under 2 years old and don't say "s" very well.  We thought he was calling big sis something but couldn't figure out what.

Within the last month it FINALLY hit us that he calls big sis "guh-guh".  Which made me feel better that I never realized what he was saying because it sounds nothing like her name.  It drove big sis nuts when she first found out little man wasn't calling her by her proper name.  She is very proud of her name and if anyone asks she belts out her first, middle, and last name. 

We have all adjusted to the name little man has given big sis.  She seems to like guh-guh now too.  And even though she won't allow anyone else use a nickname (including guh-guh), little man can call her what he wishes.  Just something about little brothers . . .

Spring Sprinkler

It is way too early for this activity but little man discovered the water hose in the backyard and was soaking himself anyway.  So we thought "what the heck"; it was warm enough so we got the kiddos in some bathing suits and set up the sprinkler.  Best sprinkler ever I might add!  And it only cost $2.50 on clearance  . . . bargain.

Can we say FUN?!?!?

Upgrade

Disco added cupholders to his daddy daycare "boxcar" or as he calls it "the movie theater". Surround sound may be next . . . and if he buys a popcorn machine I know this is a permanent fixture in the house!

Daddy Daycare

Disco's plan for watching the kiddos while I work/study on Saturdays:

Step 1: Put the kiddos in a box
Step 2: Point the box at the TV
Step 3: Turn on a movie
Step 4: Find something to do for the next 120 minutes

When I called to check in, little man was yelling "outside" and bringing Disco his shoes. Thank goodness someone wanted to get outside on this beautiful spring day!

Reality Check

If you didn't guess from my last post, we are having a bit of a blah week. So today, I took off work for the zoo field trip for big sis' class. It was a beautiful day and all of the kiddos had a fabulous time!

It was just the pick me up I needed as well. We have great support from family and friends, many of whom are muddling through parenthood themselves. All of the experiences (past and present) that we share and their support is invaluable! Sometimes, though I wonder about my family's decisions leading to the cramming of so much into our lives right now. I worry that Disco and I are making the wrong choices (combining family, work, school, etc). And I forget about how we fit into the larger community - I end up viewing our chaotic life as an island.

What I found at the zoo today was a community of parents dealing with the same balance issues. Individuals who chose to take a day off to make a special trip with their kids. Moms and dads who work, attend school, teach, and travel all while raising their families. But none of us focused on the balance struggle today - it was all about the kiddos!

Many of those parents are strangers to us - we usually only have time to smile and nod in the hallway at school. But their children are big sis' buddies so whether or not we rely on them big sis does. And big sis knows all of the parents and bounced back and forth between parent/child groups today. She was happy to spend a bit of time with me too - but her movement throughout the group reminded me of our connectedness. To see our family members within the larger community and the support her school (teachers, administration, families, and kids) provides for our home. It made me smile. And comforted me during a long week.

Computer Update

Soooo . . . this week has been blah around the B-M household. Everyone seems to be just "business" as usual. But we are all getting tired of the allergies, hectic work/school schedule, and in general are ready for the craziness to quiet down.

I wish I had some pics to post because those always seem to brighten my day. Disco is working on his "new" computer. Our current one is totally overloaded with beautiful pictures of the kiddos. So we had to splurge and bid on a new one - which Disco won at a really good price. Not exactly what we had planned since we are on a "pay off the debt" budget. But hey, when does life ever go the way you planned it?

For now, things are good. The weather is beautiful. And we are playing hard when we are all together. What more could you ask for?

Love that girl!

At bedtime big sis wants a final "snuggle session." Basically it involves a re-cap of what is swimming around her brain by the end of the day while we cuddle in her bed. The questions and stories she has can be quite interesting! Usually I have to start bringing the conversation to an end so that she will drift off to sleep.

Lately, after we have quieted down, she will have one last conversation:

big sis: mommy
me: what
big sis: I love you
me: I love you too big girl

Last night we had the same interaction above and then:

big sis: mommy
me: what
big sis: I am your bestest friend in the whole wide world
me: absolutely
big sis: And you are my bestest friend in the whole wide world
me: absolutely
big sis: night night mommy
me: sweet dreams big girl

I love that girl!

Spring

I just can't say enough about how much I love this spring tradition! Listening to parents argue with their uncooperative kiddos who are more interested in running rather than pictures . . . good times. No, seriously, we had a great time goofing around in the daffodils this year. It was the first year I felt like we could force a few quick photos and then let the kids RUN where they wanted - both kiddos much more independent and happy to just hang out in a massive field of yellow. These are my favorite pictures - enjoy!

Shopping War Wounds

We braved a LARGE rummage sell at a local high school recently. Our kiddos did great with the huge crowds. I ended up with 30 shirts/shorts/pants for $4 - I thought I had bought fewer items until I actually counted all of them tonight. I paid a whopping 13 cents for each item. Score!

Unfortunately, big sis and little man were horsing around in the checkout line when little man kicked big sis in the nose:

Poor Big Sis

Big sis quickly recovered from the encounter (this was actually one of the few shots where she wasn't smiling at us - but I found this pitiful look was so precious and it summed up her initial reaction to the kick). I figure this is the first of many unintentional injuries with this pair of kiddos . . .

Big Tent

Behold - the tent that engulfed our living room this past weekend:

Fun with Flashlights

Lounging and Reading

Sassy!