Ballerina Hannah

Hannah has started ballet classes.  Cutest thing ever.  I forgot my camera the first day.  But I captured some of the action today.

Weekend Warrior

I have never looked froward to a weekend like this since I worked.  I have to say last week was one of the  busiest weeks I have had in a long time.  So what do we do over the weekend? Paint Hannah's room and move Caroline in. 

Lots of girl power pink in here.  James declared he wasn't playing barbies with Hannah anymore in this room.

I still have to get around to painting the kitchen set white.  Dragging my heels on that project.

Yes the closet is purple and I love the color.  All organized and put together.  Let's see how long it lasts.

Hopefully there won't be any climbing in drawers to get down stuffed animals. 

An Interview with my children #3

Back to school next week.  Time for the interviews.  I once again did the kids separately so they wouldn't influence each other.  James is in blue and Hannah in Pink.  To see the first interview click here and to see the second interview click here. 

This is straight from their mouths.  Didn't change a word. 

1. What is your favorite color?
Blue and green
Pink, Purple, yellow & black  (um, what? when did yellow & black make it on the list?)

2. What is your favorite food?
chicken nuggets & hot dogs  (I was guessing aritchokes drenched in butter)
peanut butter and honey sandwich and peaches

3. What is your favorite movie?
Toy Story 3, Bolt, & the John Deere movie
Cinderella & Sleeping Beauty

4. What is your favorite TV show?
Phineas & Ferb
Dora

5. What are you favorite toys?
Legos & Cars
Barbies

6. Who is your favorite stuffed animal?
Mr. Lion, Rex & Max
Maggie

7. What do you want to be when you grow up?
Fireman & NASCAR driver
Nurse

8. What is your favorite thing to do outside?
Swing, play with water, swim, & fish
Play

9.  What is your favorite book?
SkippyJon Jones
Dora

10.  What do you like to wear the most?
My corvette shirt and my shirt with the fish on it.  (the shirt says "I am off the hook" with a large mouth bass)
Dresses, Jewelry & shoes

11.  What is your favorite song?
Good Night - Black Eyed Peas
Brown Eyed Girl

12. What else do you like?
Drawing, Cutting with scissors, playing with friends
Playing in my room and hugging momma

13. What is your favorite place?
Swimming at Mimi's & Max & Campbells
Jorgias & Max & Campbells

14. What is your favorite thing to do at school?
Play
Play

To me the funniest thing about these interview is how easily they are influenced by what they are doing at that moment or what they ate that day or even who they saw.  If I were answering for them I would have come up with a few different answers.

Peanut's Hair

A couple of weeks ago Peanut cut her hair again.  It was a nice chunk just behind her ear on the side that is visible.  So I decided I had enough of her hair lying funny and sticking out.  I gave her this hair cut.  Why would any mother with no hair cutting experience decide she should be the one to give a four year old a "chunky" bob?  I don't know.  But it needs to be fixed.  The one thing I can say is Peanut looks good with short hair.  I love her with a bob.  Her big brown eyes just pop out.  It works on her.  Lucky for me.  Not the best hair cut but a cute kid anyways.

Good Morning

Hi-larious

The kids were playing house today. James when he is playing anything, usually wanders out to check on me and what I am doing. Well he got caught up in the show I was watching. Hannah pushes her babies out in the stroller and tries to get his attention.

"Husband! I need your help."

No reply from James.

A little louder this time "Husband! I need your help!"

James still doesn't respond.

"Husband! I need your help!" And this time when he doesn't respond she rams her stroller into him.

He turns around, all surprised like, where did you come from and why did you do that?

MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO

Naps

Naps can be a double edged sword. The kids really need to take one some days and they wont. Then they are awful for the rest of the day. Then there are the days they actually sleep during nap time. Then they stay up that much later because they can't fall right asleep. Regardless if they sleep for nap time they still go on lock down almost every day. "Resting" time is my time to take a breath and relax for a moment. Usually I have to bounce kids back into their rooms. Usually they both have to poop during lock down time. Jerry and I wonder how they have trained their bodies for this.

Completely off subject but I have to throw this in. Caroline cut her first tooth last week. No more toothless grins.

Santa's shopping list

So little Hannah wants a Moxie Girl. And man o' man is she focused on a Moxie Girl. Too much TV. A Moxie girl is really just a younger Bratz doll. She has asked the mall Santa, the Santa at the preschool and it's in her Santa letter.

Santa already decided a BFC ink doll was a better choice.

But dang it we can't convince Hannah.

Jr's sister

I have my hands full with this one. She cracks me up all the time. Don't tell her what to do, she will do it herself.

The other day she was playing by herself because brother was out with dad. She came up with this outfit and declared she was Jr's sister. I was directed to have Caroline in the shot with her.

Six Month Fun

Caroline

James

Hannah

Oh, NO!

Hannah's favorite song is a Miley Cyrus song. Please help. How has this started? Why do we all have Party In the USA stuck in our heads? It's because "butterflies fly away."

All good little girls like butterflies and pink and purple. But should they be allowed to like Miley Cyrus?

She's a Mover

I knew I was in trouble with Caroline when she was in my belly. This baby moved ten times more than the other two ever did.

Jerry and I watch her moving and she does things the other two never did. She is becoming more athletic by the day. Rolling, grabbing her feet, pushing up on her belly, and scooting along the floor.

James and Hannah both waited to walk until they were past a year. Hannah never fully crawled she scootched along on her hiney. But they were always ahead for their vocabulary and talking skills. They will both talk you to death.

So two talkers and one mover. Watch me become one crazy lady next spring.

An Interview with my Children #2

Since we go back to school tomorrow, I am starting a new tradition. I am going to interview my children before they go back to school. It's one way to watch them grow up. James has his answers in Blue and Hannah is pink. This is our second interview and this time I questioned them separately so they couldn't be influenced by each others answers. Once again this is straight from their mouths. I didn't change a thing they said.

1. What is your favorite color?
Blue
Pink

2. What is your favorite food?
Pancakes
Chicken nuggets

3. What is your favorite movie?
Cars
Jasmine

4. What is your favorite TV Show?
Special Agent Oso
Kai-Lan

5. What is your favorite toy?
My cars
Zebra

6. What is your favorite stuffed animal?
Mr. Lion
Horse

7. What do you want to do when you grow up?
Race car driver
Put on lipstick

8. What is your favorite thing to do outside?
Play
Play with toys

9.What is your favorite book?
Curious George
Dora

10. What do you like to wear the most?
My Corvette T shirt
Blue dress

11. What is your favorite song?
Hero (Foo Fighters)
ABC's

12. What else do you like?
I love my sister
Throwing my stuffed animals

13. What is your favorite place?
Sonic
Costco

14. What is your favorite thing to do at school?
Play
Play

A tale of Two Children

I don't know if I can do this story justice with my story telling skills. But I will try.

I have been battling the toys lately. I have been trying really hard to make sure the two kids have cleaned up the living room and their rooms each night before bed. For some this may not be hard but for us it is. You see I don't like the fight. Most nights it is just easier to let their rooms be a mess. Well back in July, I did the mommy freak out, and loaded all their toys into garbage bags. The toys were in the garage for a couple of weeks then they earned them back. Needless to say this worked, on one child.

My son James, is a sweet boy. He is very sensitive and empathetic. He has a huge heart and is easily scared by threats.

My daughter Hannah, is a funny little creature we haven't yet figured out. Cute as a button but feisty as heck. We haven't found the key to disciplining her.

Can you guess which child the garbage bag system worked on?

Tonight it was clean up time and I told James "go clean up your room." And he did. I told Hannah "clean up your room, start by putting the stuffed animals on the widow ledge." She told me "I can't." Actually she whined "I Caaaaan't." So I proceeded to just close her in her room. I told her she couldn't come out until she had picked up the stuffed animals.

James finished cleaning up his room so I bargained with him. "You helped Hannah make a mess, you help clean it up, and I will let you have some lemonade." OK. He was off to help her. Minutes later he is out "I can't clean up her room when she is just playing with her toys."

No kidding.

Then dinner was ready so I brought them out to eat. Cleaning was put on hold for awhile. Jerry called from work and I was asking him "What are we going to do with this child?" As I was on the phone I told her to pick up her toys or they were going in the garbage. Hannah shrugged her little shoulders and said "do it." No joke. I actually had to hide from her because I started to laugh.

I set the timer for 10 minutes and what ever wasn't up was going in the garbage. James started shrieking and running around and crying. Hannah just stood there and looked at me. So I turned off the timer and grabbed the garbage bag. So you want to play, do you?

I went into her room and started putting things in the bag. At this time James is in hysterics. I am hugging him trying to explain they're her toys and she doesn't care, don't worry about it. Nope. I put a white teddy bear in the bag and he starts crying "that's my favorite!" OK, go put it in your room. Hannah starts crying.

OK! I finally got to her. Nope. She grabs the bear and sticks it back in the garbage bag. She then starts picking up her floor and putting the toys in the garbage bag. She isn't fazed in the least bit.

So I have her come with me to the garbage can. On the way out, the garage door gets her toe a little bit. I get to the can. Throw the toys in the can and she starts crying. FINALLY! I got through.

"So, Hannah, why are you crying?"

"My toe hurts."

Augghhh!

I come back into the house and try to peel her brother off of the ceiling.

What am I going to do with these two?

3 months

Smile it's been 3 months.

Caroline

Hannah


James

Happy Birthday Hannah

What now? your a girl...

New born and the hair is already a feature on its own.

One year.


Two years

Three years

Peanut turns 3 today. For the next 5 months I get to say I have a 3 year old and a 4 year old.

It is really hard to believe 3 years have gone by. We are having a water ski birthday for her. This is the joy of a summer birthday, swim parties.

This little girl makes us shake our head in wonder almost every day. She can be feisty, sweet, funny, rotten, adorable, loving and amazing all at once. She doesn't have much that phases her when we discipline. If she gets a boo boo she can't walk or bathe it for a couple of days. She sings constantly when she is playing. She loves her accessories. She has a great imagination. We love her.

I guess they are paying attention

"I am the fireman, I make the money. Hannah is the mom and she stays home to take care of Baby James"

As Hannah is wearing her baby and eating pretzels, just like her momma.

1 month old

Caroline is a month old today. That was a fast one. She is doing well. I won't have stats until next week.

She has gotten used to sitting on my lap at the computer and I am getting better at one handed typing.

Caroline 1 month
Hannah 1 month

Caroline

Hannah

I had to do it. Hopefully these two won't be compared their whole life. But now it's fun.

Things I didn't think I needed to know

Being a mom has added another level to my education. I still have to work on my memory skills on a daily basis. My science understanding is tested daily. Then there is the English language skills that I have to help grow into proper grammar.

It's "she" not "hers".

Who drives the number 17 car?

How exactly do you say Deinonychus?

That monster truck is Wild Hare.

This is just the boy stuff.

Don't forget you have to know all the princess names plus what each baby in the crib is named.

And where each kid's shoes, cup, hat, sunglasses and favorite toy was last seen.

All the while being a bit short on sleep. Who said this motherhood stuff was a brainless job?

Why I hate cleaning my kid's rooms

I do, I hate it. I usually let their rooms be disaster areas. I hate cleaning them.

I hate it because of several things. First it's a battle to get them to clean up with me. They usually start playing and dragging out as I am trying to put away. The other thing is it only lasts a few minutes then they have everything drug back out again.

Most of the issues I have are my own personality flaws. I like everything to be very organized. I don't like just getting the toys off the floor. I think the toys all need to be sorted into like items. Which is really too much to ask from a 4 year old and a 2 year old. The other thing is when I am on a mission, I get very focused. When my little helpers start to interfere with my focus I get impatient and usually a little angry.

The other part of this is, I am out of energy and it physically hurts to be crawling around on the floor with them picking up toys.

Also when cleaning I realize how much stuff my kids have that they don't actually play with. The sad part is I have been to houses where the kids have 10 times the toys my kids do. It feels wasteful to have all this junk. Sure new toys bring them great joy and excitement, but it wears off.

Another thing is the destructiveness of my children. I don't know why but my two like to take things apart. Maybe I have future engineers on my hands. It kills me to have to always be throwing away parts of broken toys.

I did however get the two rooms cleaned up today besides my kids best efforts. James told his dad on the phone that he cleaned his room all by himself. What a crack up.