Lessons in grammar and sentence structure...

So the lesson I learned as a parent today...don't try to write something intelligent sounding while talking to your 3 year old.  You then look as if you have the same amount of education in grammar and sentence structure as a 3 year old...just look at my post below...
That, and maybe try to be well rested when typing things for the world to see...I'm sorry to my friends Mindy and Chris S-B for my complete and utter destruction of the english language seen below!

Mess, mess, mess!

I have been called super mom more than once this week.  I'm unsure why people call me super mom, and I certainly don't feel like super mom, especially when my house tends to look as if the Tazmanian devil lived here too.  There is mess everywhere, and it seems that I no sooner get one mess cleaned up and move on to the next that the first mess is back again.  So, I have decided to let my neuroticism over a clean house go...people that come to visit are going to have to be aware that we LIVE in our house.  Kids make messes, that they don't clean up.  Incidents happen to sometimes prevent adults from cleaning up their messes.  I am not going to destroy my child's work of art (lego castle, Thomas railway set up, princess puzzle, etc.) just to keep the place perfectly neat for company...and I am certainly not going to give up all my cooking, baking and canning in order to make sure the books on the bookshelf look perfectly neat and tidy.  It has taken me a long time to get to this place where my house doesn't have to be perfect to have company...but I am going to embrace it now and go with it!  I'm not giving up on cleaning, just perfection... it is actually feels about 'freeing'... now just to tell David about this new bit of freedom! 

First Day...

Carter went to Montessori School for the first time today...I took him to school, he was smiling from ear to ear, almost shaking with the excitement!  He walked into the school introduced himself to a few of the other kids as he changed his shoes and put his things away.  Then we went in to the large gathering area for circle, where Carter was not shy about announcing his name to the whole group.  I was so proud of him and pleased to see that he was embracing this new experience. 
He then turned to me and said...'bye mommy- you can go now'.  That broke my heart...I left shortly and had a few tears in the van before pulling away...my little boy is growing up, but can't he just miss me a little??? 
I went to get him at lunch, he spotted me from across the playground and came running...yelling 'mommy, mommy'....then he waved and said good bye to all his new friends, hopped in the van and said...'I had fun at 'dinassori' (his word) school but I happy to see you mommy', bless his heart!  I love this kid!!! (and I love that he missed me a little)....is that selfish??? 

If the gate is closed...

Carter is a pretty inventive kid...we have a gate at the top of the stairs to prevent Maya from falling down them.  Today Carter managed to get upstairs with out anyone opening the gate.  We thought he had just mastered opening and closing it on his own...then we caught him...
Our living room is an open concept over our front entrance with a railing to make a partial wall between the stairs and the living area.  Carter has mastered flipping himself over said railing onto the couch that sits right on the other side of it.  NICE!!!


Other ingenious things Carter has done...we put a gate across his bedroom doorway so we could leave the bedroom door open at night, but he wouldn't wander the house.  The first morning he hooked the ladder from his bed to the gate and climbed right over.

We put the raisins (one of his favourite foods) on the top shelf of our ceiling height pantry...he opened the drawers on the bottom half and climed them and the shelves like stairs to reach them.

We latched the back door at the top to prevent him from sneaking outside...he climbed up on the oven and reached up to unlatch it.

I'd like to point out that I am not a neglectful parent...these incidents usually happen when I am in the bathroom or tending to Maya and I usually catch him mid act.  Any kid that is bright enough to figure these tricks out though, is certainly smart enough to know not to do it when mommy is watching.

He is a great kid and keeps me on my toes!  I LOVE it!!!!

The First Day of School

I am one of those people that enjoys having their kids at home...I like the relaxed schedule- the freedom to make up the day as we go along, sleep however late or whenever we want, the ability to make impromptu trips...so it is always a little sad for me when the first day of school arrives.  It is also a little reminder that the kids are growing up...a little faster than I had hoped. 

I do, however, look very forward to hearing about their first day when they get home from school tonight!

at 4:30 in the morning...

David and I often talk about the comments people make on others parenting...we also find that the people who think they are the best parents are those with NO children...
We were like that once...idealistic with our own ideas on how to become the perfect parent and 'raise our kids right'...we had a picture in our head about what kind of parents we were going to be...the thing is we are nothing like that picture of ourselves.  Quite honestly I never was, and the parent I am changes from day to day. 
In reality you may think you know what kind of parent you are going to be, but you don't really know until it is 4:30 in the morning and you haven't been to sleep yet, in fact you haven't slept well for days, and your child decides it is time to explore their creative selves through play (I remind you here that is 4:30 AM) that you truly discover what kind of parent you are or will be.
I had one of these moments last night.  I discovered that letting the baby cry and potentially wake up the 3 year old is less painful a thought than trying to stay awake and make sure the baby doesn't fall down the stairs.  I discovered that I don't believe that the baby really sets the schedule (ok, admittedly I already knew that one), I discovered that her learning isn't nearly as cute and exciting at 4:30 am than it is at 4:30 pm, but I also discovered that I have a lot more patience than I thought I did.  Not to mention that I have discovered that staying up until 4:30 am is no longer a thing I can do with ease...my 31 year old self is past the days of staying up all night!
So parents to be...enjoy the dream of your perfect parenting selves and then let it go, it isn't going to happen.  For all my parenting friends embrace the learning...you might just discover something amazing about yourself!

What 7 (almost 8) brings...

So far, David and I have led a pretty blissful parenting life...sure our kids get into things, make messes, wet their pants, throw up all over, try to pull things over on us (and the baby sitters) but generally we have pretty great kids!  Lauren, however, is at a stage where she feels she needs to assert herself.  I can totally relate to this, however, she is being inexcusably rude.  She is calling names, being physical and otherwise using language and tone that we don't approve of.  She is generally a wonderful kid who is bright, creative and funny...but as we enter this thing called the "tween years" there are a few challenges...hopefully with some patience and reminders we can coast through with minor damage.

But while I mention it- what the heck is this thing called 'tween'...???I was never a tween- at least I was never called one...

Lesson 2-

Always unload sharp and dangerous objects from the dishwasher first!  When little ones come to 'help' you they will always go after the brightest, shiniest and most dangerous things first! 

On an aside, it might be helpful to wash large knives by hand.


Tha back story, Maya is now walking and one of the things she loves to do is stand at the dishwasher and pull out all the silverware.  If I don't get it first she always grabs the peeler.  It is bright yellow, shiny and sharp...
Maya also loves to try and get in the dishwasher...