Some days, my kids really crack me up. And some days, they make me want to pull my hair out! A few nights ago, Ava woke up at 6:30am screaming bloody murder. That was one of those moments where you wake up, the heart is pounding, and you run into the room, expecting the worst. But, then you're greeted by a sobbing 6-year old, doing her best to avoid a...mosquito. To be fair, the mosquito had really attacked her, as she had 7 big welts on just one of her legs (must have been hanging outside the covers.) No worries, little girl, it's Mommy to the rescue. And then Mommy went back to bed.
Then, last night, she ran and jumped into her bed, but in the process, managed to catch her knee on the bookcase next to her bed. I've noticed that both Scott and I deal with things like that in the same manner...we minimize the issue, and try to make a joke out of it. Scott told her that if it kept hurting, he'd come into her room in the middle of the night, and take an axe to it, so she doesn't have to worry about it anymore. I told her she was lucky that Daddy was going to use an axe and not a chainsaw...at least with an axe, it would be a surprise, and she wouldn't hear him coming. To an outsider, I realize that sounds a bit...weird. But, in the end she was totally laughing and had forgotten about her knee. (NOTE: we would NEVER hurt our kids like that...)
She looked at me the other day and informed me that I didn't have eyes on the side of my head. This came a few days after I busted her for drinking chocolate milk every day at school (we have set days when she can have chocolate milk, and the rest need to be white milk.) We had a nice little chat about lying, and I told her I WILL ALWAYS KNOW when she's lying. Good thing she doesn't know about the eyes on the back of my head! She was only looking at the side, I guess.
We had a thunderstorm pass through yesterday evening, and at one point Ava told me that "Spanky was growling." I honestly thought she had lost it, as Spanky hasn't been with us for 1.5 years. She then informed me that the thunder was Spanky growling, and that he was with Grandpa Bruce and Great-Grandma Adeline. They were all eating Popsicles, except for Spanky who was eating all of the dog treats. And Great-Grandma had pulled Spanky's tail, which is why he growled. In the end, it was a really sweet conversation, and it's clear that no matter who we lose in this life, Ava will always remember them, and knows they're in a happy place now.
What I'm seeing is that we're teaching Ava that it's ok to laugh at herself, and try to lighten up heavy situations. We need her to realize that life doesn't always have to be serious, and there's always a more positive way to approach situations. I think we're doing okay so far!
G's a little young, so we don't know what his personality is going to be like, but I'm hoping that he maintains his easy-going nature. His little voice isn't so little anymore...he's taken it up a few decibel levels, and is working on very specific sounds. We're hearing "hi!" coming from him often, and this morning he said "Mama" so clearly that both Ava and Scott repeated it back to him, independently. And that made this mommy very happy.
I was feeding him yesterday, and he realized that his teeth serve a purpose. He bit down on the spoon, and wouldn't let it go. It became a game with him, and after each time we would do that, we'd laugh and laugh. It was the first time that he realized he could do something, to get a reaction like that. And he was pretty darn pleased with himself!
We do have a new rule in the house...if you feed the baby the first bottle, you have to do the first diaper change. Scott fed G his first bottle yesterday morning, so I could get some more sleep. I was woken up again around 8:30am, to G chattering away in his crib. I went in to get him up for the day, and couldn't believe what I saw. It looked like he had taken a stuffed animal and had ripped it apart...all over the inside of his crib. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the "stuffing" was wet. And THEN, I realized that his diaper had literally exploded. This wasn't a little leak, this was an all-out ka-BOOM! By the time I got the poor kid disengaged from all of the "pee pellets" and got the bedding changed, I came up with that new rule. And I promptly told it to Scott when he came home from working yesterday. Those diapers can only handle so much, and this one had maxed out. And there sat G, smiling and chatting away. Poor second kid!
.JPG)
I went to Paint Nite with a neighbor last week...it was a great setting for it. A little Italian restaurant, good wine, and great company - couldn't ask for more!
Feeling very blessed (and busy) this week...there's just not enough time to get everything done!
Then, last night, she ran and jumped into her bed, but in the process, managed to catch her knee on the bookcase next to her bed. I've noticed that both Scott and I deal with things like that in the same manner...we minimize the issue, and try to make a joke out of it. Scott told her that if it kept hurting, he'd come into her room in the middle of the night, and take an axe to it, so she doesn't have to worry about it anymore. I told her she was lucky that Daddy was going to use an axe and not a chainsaw...at least with an axe, it would be a surprise, and she wouldn't hear him coming. To an outsider, I realize that sounds a bit...weird. But, in the end she was totally laughing and had forgotten about her knee. (NOTE: we would NEVER hurt our kids like that...)
She looked at me the other day and informed me that I didn't have eyes on the side of my head. This came a few days after I busted her for drinking chocolate milk every day at school (we have set days when she can have chocolate milk, and the rest need to be white milk.) We had a nice little chat about lying, and I told her I WILL ALWAYS KNOW when she's lying. Good thing she doesn't know about the eyes on the back of my head! She was only looking at the side, I guess.
We had a thunderstorm pass through yesterday evening, and at one point Ava told me that "Spanky was growling." I honestly thought she had lost it, as Spanky hasn't been with us for 1.5 years. She then informed me that the thunder was Spanky growling, and that he was with Grandpa Bruce and Great-Grandma Adeline. They were all eating Popsicles, except for Spanky who was eating all of the dog treats. And Great-Grandma had pulled Spanky's tail, which is why he growled. In the end, it was a really sweet conversation, and it's clear that no matter who we lose in this life, Ava will always remember them, and knows they're in a happy place now.
What I'm seeing is that we're teaching Ava that it's ok to laugh at herself, and try to lighten up heavy situations. We need her to realize that life doesn't always have to be serious, and there's always a more positive way to approach situations. I think we're doing okay so far!
G's a little young, so we don't know what his personality is going to be like, but I'm hoping that he maintains his easy-going nature. His little voice isn't so little anymore...he's taken it up a few decibel levels, and is working on very specific sounds. We're hearing "hi!" coming from him often, and this morning he said "Mama" so clearly that both Ava and Scott repeated it back to him, independently. And that made this mommy very happy.
I was feeding him yesterday, and he realized that his teeth serve a purpose. He bit down on the spoon, and wouldn't let it go. It became a game with him, and after each time we would do that, we'd laugh and laugh. It was the first time that he realized he could do something, to get a reaction like that. And he was pretty darn pleased with himself!
We do have a new rule in the house...if you feed the baby the first bottle, you have to do the first diaper change. Scott fed G his first bottle yesterday morning, so I could get some more sleep. I was woken up again around 8:30am, to G chattering away in his crib. I went in to get him up for the day, and couldn't believe what I saw. It looked like he had taken a stuffed animal and had ripped it apart...all over the inside of his crib. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the "stuffing" was wet. And THEN, I realized that his diaper had literally exploded. This wasn't a little leak, this was an all-out ka-BOOM! By the time I got the poor kid disengaged from all of the "pee pellets" and got the bedding changed, I came up with that new rule. And I promptly told it to Scott when he came home from working yesterday. Those diapers can only handle so much, and this one had maxed out. And there sat G, smiling and chatting away. Poor second kid!
G and his mohawk, enjoying a bath...
I went to Paint Nite with a neighbor last week...it was a great setting for it. A little Italian restaurant, good wine, and great company - couldn't ask for more!
Feeling very blessed (and busy) this week...there's just not enough time to get everything done!
Comments