"Can I have some one of that?"

"Can I have some one of that?" That's a common question around here these days. Anytime you have something to eat, here comes Meagan, asking for some. Sometimes she even does it during dinner, when she already has some of what she's asking for on her plate. In response, Nate has taught her to say, "Can I have some one of that? I am a mooch!"

First good snowstorm of the year

It started snowing yesterday afternoon, the most snow we've gotten this season. The girls were dying to go out in the snow, so Nate decided to take them out, even though it was getting dark. Meagan only played in the lawn for a few minutes, then spent most of her time smashing snowballs Nate gave her up on the porch. Bethany built a "snowball mountain". Sean had trouble sitting upright in his snowsuit, but enjoyed being outside.

"Now I am all done with nursery"

Today was Meagan's last day of nursery. A couple of weeks ago, when we took her to nursery, she rebelled and said she wanted to go to class like Bethany, so we told her that she only had a few more weeks, and then she'd go to primary. I guess she remembered, because the first thing she said to me when I picked her up after church today was, "Now I am all done with nursery." When we went out in the hall, she immediately turned and started walking down towards the primary room (the opposite way from the way we needed to go). She was ready to start primary right then.

On the way home from church, Meagan said, "Our white house is broken. That means we need a new house. We need a new house." I have no idea where that came from, and we laughed but didn't really pay any attention to it, but I guess she really meant it, because she started crying when we actually pulled up in our driveway. "I said our white house is broken!" We asked her to show us what was broken so we could fix it. She walked up to the garage door and pointe to one of the cracks between the panels of the door. Nate managed to convince her that it was just part of the door, and then she was okay to go in the house. Meagan has quite the imagination.

Christmas pictures

Here are a few pictures from our Christmas:


I put wrapping paper up across the front of the living room and over the door from the kitchen to the living room, so the kids couldn't get in until we were ready--I thought anyway. I left a small gap under the paper to the kitchen for the cats to get through, because they tore down the paper last year. Apparently, it was too big of a gap, because Bethany slid right under it. At least Sean had fun ripping down the paper on the other side.

We got the kids a basketball hoop. It was slightly too tall for Meagan to put the ball in without actually throwing it, so she insisted on using a stool to throw the ball in.

Nice smile Bethany. She thought it was really funny when she saw the picture.

I think this was Sean's favorite toy, apart from the wrapping paper and boxes. He loves the noise it makes and the little string hanging from it.

Bethany and Meagan in their Christmas dresses from Mom.

Christmas pictures

Here are a few pictures from our Christmas:


I put wrapping paper up across the front of the living room and over the door from the kitchen to the living room, so the kids couldn't get in until we were ready--I thought anyway. I left a small gap under the paper to the kitchen for the cats to get through, because they tore down the paper last year. Apparently, it was too big of a gap, because Bethany slid right under it. At least Sean had fun ripping down the paper on the other side.

We got the kids a basketball hoop. It was slightly too tall for Meagan to put the ball in without actually throwing it, so she insisted on using a stool to throw the ball in.

Nice smile Bethany. She thought it was really funny when she saw the picture.

I think this was Sean's favorite toy, apart from the wrapping paper and boxes. He loves the nose it makes and the little string hanging from it.

Bethany and Meagan in their Christmas dresses from Mom.

So What's for Dinner?

I asked Meagan what she wanted for dinner and she said, "Mustard and ketchup!"

Latest kiddisms

We've made a big deal about Meagan pooping in the toilet, to encourage her to keep doing it. So now, she has to show me every time she goes. The other day she called me in to show me she'd gone, and said, "Look! It's my big, cute poop!"


*****


We were getting ready to head to Brenda's house for the weekend, and I was telling Bethany everything I needed to get ready. I said, "I need to pack our clothes, and our shoes and our socks and our pajamas, and our blankets, and..." She interrupted me to say, "Let's just take everything." Then she thought for a second and said, "Well, not everything. That would make the van too full."


*****


On the way home from Brenda's we were listening to a book on tape, when a husband was mentioned. Meagan heard it and said, "I want a husband." I said, "You want a husband?" "Yes, I want a husband. You are looking for a husband for me. But I don't see any husbands."

*****

I asked Meagan what she wanted for dinner. She said, "Mustard and ketchup!"

*****

I woke up this morning to a wet, sloppy kiss on the cheek, and Bethany's grinning face inches from mine. It was really cute.

*****

I opened a box of Cracklin' Oat Bran at breakfast the other day. Bethany took one look at the brown, biscuit-like O's and asked, "Are those for Grams' dogs?"

Just checking in

I decided to take the kids for a walk today after Bethany got home from school. It was cold, but not too bad, and I thought the exercise would be good for Bethany. It helps her get her excess energy out, and then she's calmer and happier. Anyway, I got everyone bundled up and out we went. But then my vision of a quick walk with Meagan and Sean in the stroller and Bethany walking morphed into a caravan and An Exercise In Patience. Bethany wanted to ride her bike, which would've been okay, but then Meagan wanted her tricycle, too. It was stop and go, stop and go, with a lot of stops and short gos. Meagan can pedal, and she can steer, but seemingly not both at the same time. It got better, though, when I figured out that I could "nudge" her along with the stroller. At any rate, Bethany got her exercise.

Sean has been on the verge of standing by himself for quite a while. He's been pulling himself up on things, but not fully standing for a couple of weeks. Two days ago, he finally pulled himself up fully, and then today he pulled himself up over and over, and stood at the toy box for a long time. It won't be long before he's walking.

We had rice for dinner the other night, and I plopped a chunk on Sean's tray. He ate a bit, but had more fun squishing it in his hand. Most of it got on his shirt and head.

My preschooler got kicked off the bus?!?

I was having a nice phone conversation with Brenda today, and had just finished telling her how well Bethany was doing with riding the bus, when Nate called on the cell phone. I didn't quite get to the phone in time, but he called right back, which made me think it was important. It kinda was. He'd gotten a phone call saying Bethany was getting kicked off the bus, and that I needed to go get her. My first reaction was, "Say what? Who kicks a five-year-old off a bus?" Nevertheless, it was too true. I called the transportation office, found out where the bus was waiting for me, and went and got Bethany. It turned out that the driver had seen Bethany standing up at the end of the bus at one of the stops. When she asked Bethany to sit down, she wouldn't. So she got up to lead Bethany by the hand to sit down, and that's where Bethany exploded. The driver didn't want to touch her or do anything to her, so I got called instead. Yikes. Fortunately, Nate's mom is visiting with us, so I was able to leave Sean (who was sleeping) and Meagan home and leave quickly to get her. When I got to the bus, I found Bethany still standing at the back, with this funny expression on her face and her hands over her ears. I was kind of annoyed and started to get after her in the car, but then I saw that she was near tears, so I stopped. She kept saying things like, "I'm not going to play anymore" and "I'm not paying attention". It was very sad.

Of course we beat the bus to the school, where the preschool teachers were all lined up, plus the principal, waiting for the bus. Bethany's little tantrum knocked the schedule off for the whole preschool for the day by 15-20 minutes. After she left with her teacher, I went out and talked with the driver and the principal. The driver wanted to have Bethany sit in a seat in the front with a five-point harness--which Bethany would freak over having to use--but I wanted to see if this was a one-time thing or a trend. We agreed to see how she did the rest of the week, and go from there.

I think most of her problem was that she hasn't been getting enough sleep or exercise, so she's been more easily agitated. She threw several fits this morning and this evening before bed. I really want to get her outside, or somewhere where she can run. Maybe I'll make her jump for ten minutes on the trampoline before she can play on the computer. I'm also looking into more gymnastics or even soccer. A few weeks back, she went outside nearly every day for an hour with her grandma and her dogs, and during that time she was so well-behaved and happy. If it weren't so cold and muddy now, I'd have her do it now, too. I just hate trying to figure out what it is my children really need sometimes.

Tomorrow is my ninth wedding anniversary. Bethany is five. In spite of this, as I was talking with the principal today, I had an odd sense that I was just playing dress-up, that it couldn't be true that I was having a parent-principal mini-conference. Even now, hours later, it still doesn't seem real. I feel so inadequate much of the time, like I'm winging it. I hope that feeling will go away with more time, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it's here to stay.

Making Christmas cookies

Bathtime in the sink

We got new windows installed today in our living room, downstairs, bathroom and one window each in two of the bedrooms. The ones replaced were all cracked or had broken seals, and looked pretty bad. It was more expensive than we'd really wanted (who wants expense?), but I'm glad we did it. Hopefully it will help us in selling the house.

The bathtub got pretty dirty in the process, though. Sean made quite a mess of himself at dinner, so I decided to give him a quick bath in the kitchen sink. He had a blast and splashed water all over the place.

Sean's first haircut

Sean's hair was getting quite long, so I finally attempted a haircut. As you can see, I only know how to do one kind of boy's haircut--a military cut. It came out quite a bit shorter than I really wanted it to, but at least it will grow out again.

And it was all for naught

Today was Bethany's first day riding the bus. I've been worrying about it for weeks. I worried that she'd be scared going by herself, that she'd be overwhelmed when she got to the school and not know where to go, etc. etc. I tried to prepare her by telling her that she'd be riding the bus by herself, and that her teacher would meet her, and she'd get to meet new friends, etc. I didn't really believe that it would be enough, though, and I had visions of her crying the whole way and crying all day at school, and the school calling me because she wouldn't settle down. Okay, I was a basket case. I wanted to follow the bus, or at least show up at the school when the bus would arrive and make sure she was okay (Nate thought I was crazy). But when it finally came down to it, she happily ran across the lawn, climbed on, and drove away with a big smile. So what was I worried about?

Another day, another drama...

Yippee! Bethany finally started school today. It's only taken over seven months and lots of meetings and headaches, but finally she started. I'm not sure what she did or how she liked it, because she won't talk about it (no surprise there), but at least she's not crying and saying she doesn't want to go back.


I wasn't sure today if she was going to make it. Last night she started saying that her ear hurt. She's prone to ear infections, so I was groaning inside that we'd be back at the doctor and she wouldn't make it. We gave her some Tylenol, and that helped enough that she was able to go to sleep. She's more or less been on Tylenol since then, but at least she was able to go to school.

I took her to the doctor after school was over, which was NOT a pleasant experience. I don't know if she was still upset from the pink eye visit the other day, but she really didn't want the doctor looking in her ear. I ended up holding her on my lap while Nate held her legs and some assistant helped hold her head while the doctor checked her ears. She screamed so much she made Sean cry and then she started puking in my lap. A lot. It was pretty gross. She kept saying it wasn't fair. I wonder if she even knows what that means. Of course she was perfectly fine by the time we got home. It was rather depressing, though. I thought we'd gotten past the whole freaking out at the doctor phase. Sigh.

Lookout! Here comes Sean!

Sean just learned to sit up a few weeks ago. I think it was kind of an accident, really. He was next to the piano bench, and pulling upwards with his arms, and kind of fell into a sitting position. It was like a light clicked on or something, though, because he did it again a little later, and then over and over again after that. Now he's quite proficient in moving from a belly position to a sitting position.

Yesterday he pulled himself to standing for the first time. I was sitting on the floor stringing lights on the lower branches of the Christmas tree, and he all but crawled up me. Next thing I knew, he was standing next to me, hanging onto my shirt. Like the sitting thing, he did it again a bit later. Maybe he'll be walking soon.

In the meantime, he's still practicing new moves. There are boxes all over my living room from the Christmas decorations. Sean just pulled himself up on one of the boxes and was happily playing on top. I wonder what he'll come up with next.