One Semester of Spanish Love Song

Thanks for sending this one through Dad. I loved it! Just pause the playlist first.

Being Three is Exhausting

It is hard to be three. It is hard to throw countless temper tantrums. It is hard to make demands that can't be met. (Thank you Yo Gabba Gabba for your wonderful song "You can't always get what you want. It won't help if you keep on asking." It might sink in eventually.) It is hard to scream and cry. All Molly wanted to eat was chips. But mean mommy made her eat a veggie burger first. After about 30 minutes of screaming she decided to eat the veggie burger. She finally gets her bowl of chips. She sits down to enjoy them but well, it's just so exhausting to be three. She's so very lucky that I love her so much.

Soccer Season Comes to An End

It feels so good to slow down for awhile. I think I would have enjoyed the season more if Clarissa was happier about being on the team. She loved the practices and so did I. It was good to get out of the house and actually play with her for awhile. But during the games she was unenthusiastic about playing. She was the first to sit out and was the first to switch out if she was in the game. We had a good time though. I enjoyed meeting the other parents and playing soccer with the kids. They were very cute.

Happy Birthday Molly

Well, I've been seeing it coming for about a month now. I've been bracing myself for it. And on the actual day it was full blown and out of control. It's that lovely three year attitude that I absolutely hate. I just take a lot of cleansing breaths. (Not enough though) And I remind myself that this slow and dreadful year will come to in end. Some of the fun we have is described as such:

• Clarissa is sitting nicely on the couch. Molly decides she wants that very same spot, gets in behind her and then yells at Clarissa for not being able to see the TV.
• Olivia was at a soccer game with us but didn't have a jacket. I took mine off to put on Olivia and Molly decides she wants the jacket too, even though she is well dressed.
• Adam or Clarissa have a toy and she decides she must have it too.
• Making a meal for her is impossible because she'll ask for one thing, you take it to her just so she'll throw a fit and say it isn't what she wants.
• Getting out of the door takes about 15 minutes because she has to sanitize her hands, then check the basket for keys, check to see if I have my glasses, try to take about 100 different toys with her, oh and don't forget a snack.
• Tantrums over the no eating or drinking in the car rule.

I've had a little discussion with Adam and Clarissa about how she will go out of her way to create tension for herself and for others. It will now be their job not to create any. Let her be the only one causing trouble and mom will stay sane. Otherwise, they will never get to see the outside of their bedrooms again!

But, on a more positive note, Molly had a really nice birthday. We met for lunch with some of her friends and played with them. Then I took her to Walmart where she picked out a pink cake that was decorated with a tiara and princess wand. All afternoon she fussed about not being able to eat the cake until Daddy come home from work. She decided she didn't want Adam, Clarissa, or Daddy at her birthday because of the whole cake issue. We took her to McDonald's for dinner and played at the indoor play place. We then went home for her to open gifts and finally eat some cake and ice cream. Well worth the wait I'm sure.

The next day was too funny. As soon as she woke up she wanted cake with a candle in it. In fact, I've given her a small piece of cake and lit a candle for her to blow out several times during this past week. I think that might be her favorite part. And so you see that there are still precious moments that make Molly so lovely. But just be warned. She's not necessarily my favorite anymore : )

The Warm South

I will admit that I enjoy living in the South during the autumn months. I love how it can be so warm and sunny for the kids to play outside. The summer is too scorching so we usually stay indoor so it's nice to be out again. And we have become close to our neighbor friend. He is a very sweet boy. I love how they have been able to go back and forth, playing so pleasantly together.

Our Cheerleader

It was fun to go to Clarissa's cheerleading class and watch her learn the dance routine they will most likely perform somewhere. It's our first year participating so I don't know how it runs. She is so adorable out there moving to the music. If you're familiar with the cheerleading movie "Bring It On", it's the same song they did their routine to, "Y'All Ready for This". I was expecting to see some spirit fingers but they aren't going to use any : ) What I am happy to see though is that she has good forms. Those legs will get higher as she gets stronger. Way to cheer, Clarissa!

Corn Maze

Clinton-Sease Corn Maze

We were going to meet up with a nearby cousin at a pumpkin patch/maze but those plans didn't quite work out. But I still wanted to do something so we drove down to Lexington to check out the corn maze there. The theme this year was Space Exploration so as we went through the maze we could look for activity stations that had trivia questions, paper etchings and a secret map viewer. It was fun. Definitely a team building activity. Todd commented that we should do something like this often until we can get it done right. We got lost, of course, there was fighting over who was going to hold the flag, notice the fine photo of Clarissa crying, and it was much, much warmer out than I thought it would be. So there was a whole complaint area for being too hot and thirsty. But I liked it and a bit bummed that we won't be here next year to enjoy it. And to top it all off, the crew teased us for exiting the maze through the entrance : )

Molly's Halloween Party

Once again the YMCA Wee Wonders Program finds a fun way to get the little ones ready and excited for the upcoming Halloween. There were costumes, cookies, and a cute little trick or treat lane around the multi-purpose room. They were adorable and they all had a great time.

It's all About the Candy

We had some great opportunities to collect as much candy as possible. I don't think we got as much chocolate I would have preferred but I suppose I shouldn't really have that much anyhow. The Trunk or Treat was a blast. Our activity committee leader did a fabulous job! Which thanks goes out to the committee members that helped make the magic happen. (Our trunk won some cupcakes for being spookiest.) We also had a good time walking around the neighborhood for trick or treat night. We had our friend next door join us. He made a great Michael Jackson don't you think? Although I will admit that trick or treat night for the kids today just isn't the same as it was for me growing up. At least not here. I guess the homes are just too spread out But we had a good time and got a lot more candy.

A week with Grandma

It was so wonderful to have Grandma come visit with us during all the Halloween excitement. She came the day of our Trunk or Treat, so fun. And then she brought some adorable pumpkins for us to paint for our FHE activity. We had a great time sharing our week with her. She came to the school with me to do some volunteer work. We went to Molly's Fall Festival at school. We ate out for dinner. She did my laundry! She got to watch Clarissa at cheerleading and soccer practice. And they even enjoyed a fun pizza movie night so that Todd and I go out and have a quiet dinner together. It was sad to see her leave. We had a great time! Thanks for coming Mom! We loved it!

Candy Stashes

Self Control is such a hard thing to learn. As an adult I don't always stop myself from eating just one more piece of chocolatey goodness. I have a feeling this is going to be a particularly difficult concept for Adam to learn. Not that Clarissa doesn't do her fair share of sneaking around. It's just that Adam's appetite is much bigger. Of course I'm worried because how well he learns to handle these smaller situations will eventually be the tools that will guide him through avoiding bigger temptations he will face as a teenager. Pray for him. But until then, it's just candy and we'll keep practicing how to control our behavior. The majority of the candy has been thrown in the trash. I did keep enough and have put it away in a bag. And just so they can practice some amount of control, I've put enough candy for them to have just one piece a day in a bowl that is always sitting out. It should also show him to be honest with others so that they'll be honest with him. Oh yeah, it's going to fail. I'll probably hear complaints until the candy runs out. But hey, success sometimes isn't seen until they are all grown up. (I just hate waiting that long.)


I found this in Adam's room when I went in to pack up toys. In between the bed and the wall!

I found this inside the recliner cushions. After I had just found the wrappers in Adam's room.

I found this a week later inside the couch cushions. We just had a FHE lesson on sneaking. We had arrangements for every one piece of candy they would sneak I would take 5 pieces of candy from their bags. I did catch them a few times during the week and I took the good stuff too. But I guess there are quite a few other times I just didn't know about...until now. Our lies will always catch up to us, won't they?

"Look at My New Smile!"

That's what Clarissa was asking everyone this evening. It's time for big changes in Clarissa's life. Oh yes, she is now on the path of missing teeth. She has been working on getting her first tooth out now for a good week and tonight was the lucky night. She is so excited to get to sleep, (a first). And after a long weekend, how exciting it will be to go back to school and show everyone her new smile. Too cute!!

Get Well Soon!

If you know Todd then you know that he LOVES the television. The children are only marginally more precious. So imagine the agony when his little one began to act sick. It is now on the other side of town being repaired. In the meantime we had to bring down the little TV from the bedroom. I just thought it looked so cute on the great big table. He, on the other hand, is straining to see the picture. He may need to go to the doctor next for chronic headaches.

We have a Pitcher, Not a Belly Itcher!

Hey Y'all! Tonight was such an exciting night for us at the baseball diamond. The coach decided at the last minute to give Adam a chance at the pitcher's mound and he was absolutely FANTASTIC!!! Of course he threw some a little high or off. And of course he walked a few players. The bases were loaded, from the players he walked. There were two outs already and wouldn't you know that he struck out the batter for the third and last out of the game. It was so wonderful to see his face light up every time the referee said out! Adam told us that when he did throw the pitch a little off the ref was back there giving him encouraging words. There were even a couple of times that he psyched out the runners so they wouldn't try to steal the base. He also did a phenomenal job at running up to home plate when the catcher missed the ball. This kept the runners from trying to come into home. So even though he walked them, he didn't once give them a chance to score a run. Equally amusing to watch was Todd pacing around on pins and needles verbally expressing his anxiety. His face was also beaming when it was done. And, he got the game ball for doing such a great job! Way to go Adam!! (The photos and video are from Todd's phone but I think they still show how awesome he was.)

Popsicles and Pacies

Every morning, without fail, since summer brought popsicles, that is all Molly will ask for. "What would you like for breakfast, Molly?" "MMMM...popsicle." For lunch, popsicle. For snack, popsicle. For dinner, popsicle. I buy the sugar free kind so I don't make a big deal out of it. It's just a juice. This morning as Clarissa was picking out a cereal Molly was standing beside her. So I asked if she wanted to have some cereal too. "No thank you, I have popsicle and pacie." For sure life is great when you have those two essentials.

Piano Lessons

PAUSE THE PLAYLIST ON THE LEFT

As a way to save time and money I decided another attempt at teaching the kids how to play the piano. It was impossible when Adam was younger but now that he's older he seems to do alright. Clarissa is just easier to work with. Molly is anxious to begin but I'm just not ready to go there yet.

Time for Homework

I came downstairs and found these images. Adam was even helping Clarissa when she got stuck on the directions for her homework. I was so delighted. After Molly did her "homework" she told me that it was time for her to practice her piano.

What Am I Thinking!!

Make a Smilebox postcard

Of course I've been the Mom now for 9 years. But now it seems more like a job needed for a superhero. One that I'm definitely not. My voice has been at unnatural volumes for most of this morning alone. My goal is to make it through our various activities while maintaining a loving home. (If you could only hear me snickering right now.) Anyhow, things sort of snowballed on me. I've been working on the fitness instruction since the beginning of the year and it is just now materializing. I now teach one step class every Friday morning. I've also been called in as a substitute a couple of times. I really like it. It also gives me discounts at the YMCA. It took the cost for me off the family membership fee. We also get a 20% discount off of Molly's preschool program. Molly is able to go into the childwatch room during the class so it's free babysitting! So how cool is that? The class is a bit late in the morning so she and I will go to the pool for awhile so it becomes fun time too. Then I was called into the Bishop's office and asked to be the Cub Master for our ward. I have one year of cub scouting experience so I'm a little nervous. Our first meeting went really well. I made it a pack meeting so the whole family came and had fun. This week I'm extremely nervous because we don't have leaders for the individual dens yet. So I may be planning classes for all three gruops. (There are people who are going to help me though if that's the case.) Then, I was planning to do a little something with Molly one day a week with our Joy School lessons when I was asked to participate with some of my friends here in town. So every Monday is Joy School day. It starts tomorrow : / But here's the funniest role of all: Soccer coach! I've never played soccer ever in my life. First all the parents received an email saying that our team didn't have a coach. I replied saying that I've never played and don't know how to play but I'm a parent that can be put to work when I'm there. That somehow translated into Head Coach. Next thing I know I'm reading emails that sounds like coaches talking back and forth. I ignore it until I receive an email from another parent that says he's the other asst. coach. So I call the director and ask if I was listed as the coach. And well, here I am coaching Clarissa's soccer team. (Youtube really is a marvelous thing. I learned how to dribble a soccer ball, how to throw it in, how to stop a ball and the director did give me a very successful game to play during practices. Thank you Youtube!)

Clarissa is a Seal

Clarissa started asking last spring that she wanted to play soccer. I don't really see her as a team sport player so I would say okay and didn't really think much about it. However, all summer long she reminded me that she wanted to play soccer. The YMCA does have a program that doesn't cost very much at all and I figured do it now in the fall before Spring Baseball starts up and sure, we'll give it try. She had a great time at the practice. It was in the evening and it was cool outside. The first game was a different situation. It was the middle of the day, hot and bright and she just doesn't like to get hot. She would keep messing with her shin guards so I had to sit her out. She wanted to go off and play in the nearby wooded area instead of play in the game. I did put her back in during the last 6 minutes and she actually does show some promise. She understands which direction to run. She doesn't use her hands. And she has good kicking technique. (Thank you youtube!) I don't know if this is something she'll want to continue but for now it is fun to watch her learn.

Fall Ball Begins

Adam starts a new season of baseball. We are fortunate to live in an area where you can play baseball all year round. He moved up a level in the league putting him back at the beginning again. This is why we signed him up to play now. Come Spring Season and the competition is tough, he'll need an edge up. He has expressed an interested in being a pitcher so Todd has been working with him. He won't pitch for awhile so until then he has been playing second base and centerfield. The coach said he wanted to put him there because he is one of the most alert players on the team. (But he may have just said that just to placate me.) The nice thing is that Adam enjoys the game so much that he doesn't seem to mind where he is. He just wants to play and be a part of a team. We're not quite sure where he became so interested in baseball but it has become a family experience as we all learn the rules and techniques to the game. (Yes, you guessed it, youtube again!)

First Day of School

 

It was time for another year of school. Adam began the fourth grade, sniff...sniff...sniff. I'm not allowed to take his picture in the hallway anymore but I was able to get one of him outside the school. He is very excited to be a part of his class. He loves his teachers. There are two that he travels back and forth from. He thinks his home room teacher, Ms. Peeples, is hilarious. He has the class job of librarian and takes it very seriously. (It's cleaning up the books in her classroom and making sure they are in the appropriate baskets.) I'm happy that out of the two learning blocks he is one in the advanced group. It will do well to keep him challenged. Clarissa began the first grade, sob...sob. She was nervous but handled herself really well. It wasn't until she had to walk down the hallway that she decided she didn't want to go. Just one more practice round and then she was fine. Mind you, this was the little girl that would come home on yellow, blue, and red last year, only enjoying one green day a week if she was lucky. This year she has come home on green EVERY SINGLE DAY! We are so grateful that we finally have a teacher that will NOT 1) punish her for forgetting something, 2) punish her for her personality, 3)punish her for needing guidance and direction in her life. This year we have been blessed, absolutely blessed with a wonderful, kind, loving, forgiving, merciful, understanding, tolerant, patient, and talented teacher. She has a behavior plan that should be modeled by all. I still feel completely disgusted that this kindergarten teacher is still teaching. Clarissa's behavior at home has improved so much. She is happier, more confident, and more excited to try new things. She enjoys reading with me and loves to sit and do her homework. This is an answer to our prayers. And then there is Molly. She was ready to get back to school too. I kept her in the same program as last year and I'm so glad I did. She went right back into the program. She remembered all of the songs, she remembered all of the procedures and was happy to help her new friends along. And the best part, her little friend from church is in the same class. She loves her time at the YMCA and I love how wonderful they are at taking good care of her. Overall, it has been a good start of a new school year!

Clarissa's Birthday Party

It is hard to believe that Clarissa is six years old already. I planned a big day of surprises for her. (Because she kept asking me all summer long to give her a surprise party.) So when she woke up we got ready for several surprises. #1- We picked up Cami for a playdate. #2- We ate lunch at another favorite of hers: Wendy's. #3-We went to the RiverBanks zoo. There we went to her favorite places: the aquarium and reptile house and the gardens. We tried to do the scavenger hunt but we were running out of time. There were more surprises. #4- The Smiths came over for cake and ice cream. She didn't know she was going to have a cake. It was a Hannah Montana theme, just like she asked for. It was a wonderful day and she really enjoyed being with her friends.

Clarissa's Birthday Dinner

It was the day before her birthday but we wanted to surprise her. We took her to her favorite restaurant: Red Robin. We made sure the staff came out singing Happy Birthday to her and they gave her a tasty ice cream treat. Afterward, we took the kids to the local pet store. Clarissa had asked for a small pet that she could hold and play with. We researched it over the summer and decided that the gerbil would be the best option. They are suppose to socialize better with people. But since we have a kitty living with us I didn't think it would be a wise idea to have gerbils running around. I brought out the baby play pen where they can sit and hold the gerbils without fear of it escaping their hands and running into Gaby's mouth. Clarissa's gerbil is the brown one and she named him Terrence after one of the fairies from Tinkerbell. Adam's gerbil is the gray one and is named Blaster from the G-Force movie. We would have bought a third for Molly but the store only had two. She doesn't seem to mind sharing. They are a lot of fun but I usually get annoyed with all the chewing. They've destroyed so many of their toys because they won't stop chewing. But cute to watch nonetheless.

13 July 2009

The Start of Vacation

It was the big day! The kids and I had been anxious to get to Ohio to see everyone. We didn't start the 8 hour drive as soon as I had planned but we were still able to get there mid-afternoon where Madeline was waiting for us. It didn't take long for her and Molly to connect. We were so happy to make it to our destination. Let the fun begin!!