A conversation about cleaning

Blake: Mom, we've got our pajamas on now and we're going to bed. (5-10 minutes after they were sent upstairs ... a record?) Good night, mom!

Me: Good night!

Blake: Mom, I wanna tell you something.

Me: Ok, what.

Blake:It's so much nicer up here when the upstairs is all picked up and there isn't stuff all over.

Me: Um, hum! (You think?!)

The kids were sent upstairs right after we got home to finish cleaning up their mess. Blake and Julia don't work so well together though, so I sent Julia to pick up in Chase's room instead, and left Blake upstairs to work on the bigger mess. (They were upstairs a good chunk of the day while I was at work, but they were up there together and so all they did was make each other scream and play a little bit.) I set the timer, and each time the timer went off I went and assessed the work. If it was obvious they had been working hard, they were fine and got more time to keep going (10-15 minute time slots). If they weren't, they lost a toy -- as in its gone for good.

Blake lost an ambulance toy (that is basically broken anyway), and Julia lost a Barbie dress and her Disney Princess tea set (pieces missing and broken). Then, I gave Blake a break upstairs and "let" him collect and crush cans instead, and had Julia work upstairs on what was left. She was all set to freak out over how much work she had to do when she realized Blake had done most of it and calmed right down. Man, she gets overwhelmed easily. But, I can relate to that.

I used the time while they were cleaning up to work on the kitchen ... so it was time well spent for me too.

Well, it's 10:20 and I'm exhausted so off to bed I go. Just thought I'd share that little conversation between Blake and me from the top of the stairs. :)

Happy 5th Birthday, Julia!

All we did today was celebrate by singing Happy Birthday and blowing out the candles on 5 cupcakes. No birthday party, and I didn't have a gift for her yet. She did get a gift from Tyler's parents. She loves it ... it's princess figurines and comes with little plastic dress-up clothes. Lexi will love them.

My in-laws head to Tyler's sister's graduation from Boot Camp today ... in South Carolina, and my parents are in Alaska this week. So, definitely no parties this week. We haven't had a party for Julia ... ever. We've always been moving or just about to move around her birthday, pretty much. Would like to have a party, but as usual ... not sure we can afford to! *sigh*

Anyway, happy 5th Birthday, Julia! She told everyone she saw today that it was her birthday so no one was off the hook! LOL!

Love you sweet girl,
Mom

Meet Lexi ... and other news

On July 2nd, we brought home Lexi ... a (believed to be) Pomeranian-Cocker Spaniel mix puppy that is 9 months old. The family she was living with was not able to take care of her the way they felt she needed, so they found her a new home with us!

She was called "Puppy" for 9 months, so we chose a 2 syllable name for her that we all liked. (Tyler changed his mind after a day or two, but by then we were all used to the name and couldn't think of anything else.) I think she is starting to respond to her name and know it is her we are talking about ... so that is exciting!

She loves Tyler and follows him everywhere ... and she likes the kids too. The kids all like her pretty much. They all (though Chase the least until tonight) tend to freak out a little bit when she gets jumpy (she sure likes to jump!), but they are getting used to her being around. When he's out of the way, Chase thinks it is hilarious to watch her run around and he giggles. It's pretty cute!

It's definitely an adjustment having a puppy in the house. She has peed on the floor at least 4 times. She likes to pick up socks or other clothes on the floor. She likes to chew on the kids' Little People and other small toys. She bit the head off of a small plastic dinosaur from a kit Chase got for Christmas ... but that was no big loss as I rather dislike those small plastic figurines anyway. She had us up very early after her first night here, and I don't get to sleep in after my alarm anymore because as soon as she hears it she starts to whine because she wants out of her crate. We have a runner cable that Tyler installed outside, so Lexi has a safe way of being let outside without direct supervision (plus the yard is fenced and gated if the kids haven't forgotten to close one or both gate(s).)

She's not exceptionally fond of being put in her crate yet ... hoping that will ease as time passes. But, other than that, she seems pretty happy here!

Well, I AM going to be in bed before 11 pm tonight, so off I go. I just wanted you to meet Lexi!

Oh yeah... and we're buying a house! (If you know me, you know which one, lol.) Closing will be sometime later this month. Hopefully NOT the last day of the month ... they are going to start thinking I plan this stuff to happen this way if this keeps up! The last day of each month is a busy day in my department. So, that is our other news. I am excited to make it official and will be so relieved when my parents can move on without the added stress/worry of owning this home!

Thanks for reading!
Melinda

Busy Month!

I was just looking at my calendar on the refrigerator last night and realized how full it was. We aren't really used to having such a full calendar. I suppose life will just get busier and busier as the kids get older.

In the past week we had two t-ball games. We also went to the Shrine Circus, a musical production of Willy Wonka, and the kids went camping (and WE had a date!!). Wow! No wonder I'm exhausted.

This upcoming week will be a little bit less full. On Tuesday I am taking the day off to go on a field trip with Julia for the end of Head Start. Then we have two t-ball practices that night (so yeah, Tuesday is going to be exhausting). On Wednesday, Julia has a t-ball game, and then that is it for the week! Of course, the 4th of July is on Saturday, so there is a get-together on Saturday, but the week itself is relatively calm.

I am hoping we will hear back on the appraisal early in the week. My parents are leaving for a trip just before my birthday, so I would like to know where everything is going to go with the house before they head out.

Speaking of birthdays, no plans as of yet. I suppose I should continue to think on that! (Julia's is the day after mine.)

Well, I just finished a scrapbook page from the circus so off to my gallery I go to add it!

Thanks for checking in,
Melinda

Am I talking to myself?

Sometimes it really feels that way. I know that my husband and I both feel like we have to say something about 5 times before our children will really listen to us. They might hear us the first time, but they don't always listen.

Right now, we are really struggling with Julia. Julia hasn't been listening much at all (and she's also been flipping on the whine a lot too). It is extremely frustrating.

Recently Julia disappeared out of the house and went three houses down to a friend's house. At 8:10 pm when Blake came in from working outside with Tyler, I asked him if Julia was coming in too. Blake said Julia wasn't out there, and that the last he'd seen her, she was at his friend's house. While I checked all over the house, Tyler went for a walk. Sure enough, Blake's friend's house is exactly where she was. Julia was immediately sent to bed. She has been told repeatedly to stay in the yard and to stay on the sidewalk, and we both feel she understands the rule but is disregarding it anyway.

Then yesterday while Tyler and Blake went to get rid of some yard clippings, Julia was playing outside while I was trying to get Chase down for a nap. Julia came inside while I was doing this, and I told her she could stay inside and watch TV (so that I'd know where she was). Very shortly after the doorbell rang. It was the neighbor coming to tell me about a problem they've been having with her. She has been going into their house without waiting for anyone to answer the door. He said they've talked to her about it 10-20 times already, and they weren't going to tell us about it, but today she'd walked in while they were napping and it was just enough.

The whine factor is another recently flaired issue. I have a new method with this, though, and it has so far been working. I point out to Julia that I don't like the way she is talking. (Recently I gave her a job of washing the dining room walls when she was particularly whiny/having a fit. I told her I'd find her a job to do each time she gets whiny.) She changes her words/tone immediately. Whether it sticks is the issue, and I will find her a job to do each time she can't find a better way to solve her problems.

What do you do when your five year old is totally disregarding long-established rules?? Time-out is not working, and grounding feels so pointless. She doesn't remember why she's stuck at home ... just that she is, and mommy is being mean. So what do I do "in the present" to stop this?! Any ideas?

2,5,8 and sometimes 3 and 6

What are those numbers? Those are the numbers that CHASE can recognize! Yes, Chase! I was pleasantly surprised when we were looking at the "My First UNO" cards and Chase pointed to the 2 card and said, "Two!" I thought maybe it was a fluke, so we went through some more cards, and ran into "Five!" Later I picked up my telephone and pointed to the numbers on the key pad to see what he knew, and he also picked up 8. Just amazing!

Flipping the card over, Chase recognizes the letter O.

I think it's ok for me to brag about this! I have no idea where he learned this (Noggin?), but I am so proud of him!

~Melinda

I Can Fly, Mommy!

I was inspired to create this page... posted it last night in my gallery at Gotta Pixel. Didn't it turn out pretty?

Kits used: Lovey Buggies elements and papers by Kristin Aagard, and clouds from More than You Know by She's Full of Scrap -- all at Gotta Pixel.

And today I've created:


with Kisses from Heaven by Armina Designs - Gotta Pixel