I would love to write a continuance post about Disney, but that won't be happening right now. Why? Because of the other things going on.....mostly the swine flu!
On our flight home I noticed Noah's nose was runny, I figured it was bound to happen. We were on a flight with hundreds of other people in really close quarters, breathing the same air, spreading multiple germs for almost 2 hours. Not to mention every time his pacifier fell out of his mouth at Disney he or we would pick it up and give it back to him. Sanitary? No. Convenient? Yes. So yes, we obviously brought home germs.
By Monday he had a fever, and by Tuesday so did Meredith. This morning it was confirmed that we have swine flu. Well them, not me. I tested negative. However I feel as crummy as they do and have even taken two naps myself. So really I'm convinced I got something. Maybe they didn't stick that thing far enough up my nose....talk about uncomfortable.
Anyway we do have the swine flu. Thankfully the kids are resting quietly now, which would leave me time to upload the hundreds of pics I took at Disney or I could nap instead. For the third day in a row, the nap is going to win out. Sorry.
Well I will nap as soon as the dishwasher installer and his loud talking wife are finished. Did I mention that my dishwasher went out as soon as we got home? It worked twice and then was apparently fried in an electrical explosion or something. All I know is the electrician showed me some very burnt up wires and told me how lucky I had that green/ground wire or I wouldn't have a house anymore. Yes, thank God for green wires.
So as soon as I am feeling up to it, I promise to post some pics from Mouse world. I also promise a very exciting and interesting and possibly educational post about my top 10 tricks/tips/lessons about Disney world. Oh it will be so exciting....not really, but we can pretend.
Well that's all I got today. I'm working on my list, maybe I'll crank that out today to, or I'll just to continue to administer the oinkment for my kids swine flu.....isn't that cute....my friend whose husband works in the ER told me about that one....apparently that's how we treat the swine flu here is south mississippi.....thanks Laura!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
In which I truly lose my mind....Disney world part 1
Exhausted.....in one word.....exhausted.
The trip started out rocky and down right rough, but by Sunday things were much better. On Friday night at about 11:30pm, Josh and I made sure that everything was packed. We loaded the truck, we packed our carry ons, we set out our tickets.....tickets.....shit....did we do the online check in.....shit.....JOSH CAN YOU PRINT THE TICKETS?
At that point, I pulled out my laptop to find the email with the confirmation number of our flight, the email I never printed out or the confirmation number I never wrote down....do you see where this is going? Exactly. Apparently in my chaotic state of late, I deleted the email from Southwest, which was deleted from my delete box. So there was no email or trace of me ever purchasing anything from Southwest in cyberland.
So we picked up the phone at 12:00am and called Southwest to give them our name and find out exactly what time our flight was and check in. That is when the nice ticket lady said...."I'm sorry but you aren't booked on ANY flight on Southwest tomorrow." I wasn't on the phone, but if you know me you know what my reaction was or what I would have told the very nice ticket lady.
Instead I listened to the part of the conversation I could hear and got wind of the bad news....the very bad news....then fumed....WHAT THE FUCK! I BOUGHT THOSE TICKETS! After I insisted we were on that flight and that we had better be, I started to question myself.....did I book those tickets.....did I forget.....did I mean to do it when josh got home from work......I booked the trip on a weekend while he was on call at the hospital.....I did get the tickets right after I booked Disney right? right? right? BRAIN WORK!!!!
Yes, the doubt crept in and my husband after giving 3 credit card numbers and our last name several times, hung up the phone with the nice Southwest lady with no seats on any plane departing from New Orleans and headed to Orlando.....or really any flight at all.
It is now 12:30, my kids are in bed and are so excited about our big plane ride and trip to Disney that was supposed to happen in less than 12 hours. What the hell?
So we try to book more tickets on Southwest assuming I just forget, even though I know I didn't. But at this point what do you do? The Southwest lady checked and double checked and our family has no seats on any plane going anywhere. Panic starts to set in.
My more reasonable husband gets a little panicky too, he decides to check our credit cards....good one. But, the credit card company's website is down and we can't look up our records to see if we did purchase them. And to save paper our credit card company does it all online.....so why isn't your website working!!! I jump on my computer to purchase more tickets, but Southwest's website is showing all flights are booked to Orlando the following day. I am about to cry. I cannot disappoint the two tikes sleeping upstairs, we have been talking about this trip for months!
So Josh, being his calm, collective self, calls Southwest back. Tells the lady the situation and that we need to purchase more tickets now, he rationally explains that we need to get to Orlando tomorrow, and then politely asked her to please help us out, because the direct flight we were supposed to be on is sold out. I am thinking...give me the phone...I'll get us on that plane....lady you are so lucky it wasn't me to call. I know I booked that flight...dammit!
The nice Southwest lady takes a minute to check out the situation and dig a little deeper, as she says. What? Don't these people dig deep every time someone calls and says they did book a flight before you tell them they didn't???? So again we give her and spell our last name to dig deeper....several minutes go by.....I'm am totally freaking out...... and voila, she finds one.... except this flight was in October of last year.....yes genius, that was our Southwest flight from our Disney trip last year......just book us a new freaking flight!!!! So now I am yelling...."just book another damn ticket.....Josh,tell her to book us more tickets."
Am I happy the price has more than doubled than the price I had thought I already paid...NO! But we need to get to Disney world dammit and apparently I am really a chicken with my head cut off and need to start taking moments to breathe and write things down or print things out and put them in places they won't get lost! Either way.....book us another flight already!
So the lady keeps looking.....several more minutes go by....and I am just beating myself up....how could I forget to get tickets....who does that.....did I really do that.....I'm not that stupid....I know I booked those damn tickets....I know I paid exactly X amount of dollars for them. Josh I did book them, I know I did!
So I tell this to Josh and still being his calm, collective self, simply tells the lady..."Mam, that is our last year reservation and I need to be in Orlando tomorrow is there another flight you can put us on?" Me, I'm still yelling in the background....I have no idea how he puts up with me for the record.
And that is when she says...."Hold on sir....let me keep digging....I'm still not convinced you aren't booked on a flight out tomorrow. "WHAT?" What would give this woman any indication that we MIGHT be booked tomorrow. Either we are like I've been saying....or we aren't like your other lady told us.....what is to be determined....I didn't book the tickets under Mr. & Mrs. Smith.....I booked them under the names I gave you and spelled out for you multiple times.......is Southwest trying to give me heart failure.....come on!
The lady is looking....I am thinking alternating thoughts and at the same time.....HA I did book those tickets/please let her find our flight/ha I know I booked the flight/come on PLEASE find them!
At about quarter to 1am, she found them. On an earlier flight than what I swear I booked. Or let me say an earlier flight than I know I booked! Yes, my flight was leaving about noon. The flight she had us on was leaving a little after 8am. Did I mention we live 2 hours from the airport. The rest of the flights out were booked. So I took a deep breath, cursed myself for deleting the email and in general not being more responsible and thanked my lucky stars she found our reservation and that we didn't hurry and book a second more expensive reservation without getting to the bottom of it. And oh Southwest I am not letting you off that easy....I know I had that reservation....you need to be more accountable too dammit!
Okay Internets.....here is the pivotal learning part of the post....you probably already know this and do this....if not take note and write it down.....THOSE FREAKING CONFIRMATION NUMBERS THEY GIVE YOU ARE PRETTY DAMN IMPORTANT....WRITE THEM DOWN!!! DON'T JUST PRETEND TO!
So at 1am we are scrambling, instead of heading out for the airport at 730am liked we planned, we are now having to leave at 430am. It is 1am....I decide to shower that night and then sleep, but my heart is racing, my adrenaline is pumping and I can't sleep. I get into bed at 130am and I toss and turn and at 430am, Josh and I grab to sleeping tikes out of their beds and load them in the car. We hope they will sleep until we get there.....
They are both wide awake by the time we back out the driveway. They are on their way to the Magic Kingdom.....the excitement is bubbling out of them. There is no rest for the weary. For 2 hours we say....
"Yes guys we are on our way", "Yep we are headed to the big plane", "Yep we are going to DISNEY world!", "Nope we are not there yet!"
And eventually we board our flight and arrive in Orlando......Ahhhh! But there will be no napping or resting....we check in.....we load onto another bus.....and we head to the Magic Kingdom!
to be continued....
The trip started out rocky and down right rough, but by Sunday things were much better. On Friday night at about 11:30pm, Josh and I made sure that everything was packed. We loaded the truck, we packed our carry ons, we set out our tickets.....tickets.....shit....did we do the online check in.....shit.....JOSH CAN YOU PRINT THE TICKETS?
At that point, I pulled out my laptop to find the email with the confirmation number of our flight, the email I never printed out or the confirmation number I never wrote down....do you see where this is going? Exactly. Apparently in my chaotic state of late, I deleted the email from Southwest, which was deleted from my delete box. So there was no email or trace of me ever purchasing anything from Southwest in cyberland.
So we picked up the phone at 12:00am and called Southwest to give them our name and find out exactly what time our flight was and check in. That is when the nice ticket lady said...."I'm sorry but you aren't booked on ANY flight on Southwest tomorrow." I wasn't on the phone, but if you know me you know what my reaction was or what I would have told the very nice ticket lady.
Instead I listened to the part of the conversation I could hear and got wind of the bad news....the very bad news....then fumed....WHAT THE FUCK! I BOUGHT THOSE TICKETS! After I insisted we were on that flight and that we had better be, I started to question myself.....did I book those tickets.....did I forget.....did I mean to do it when josh got home from work......I booked the trip on a weekend while he was on call at the hospital.....I did get the tickets right after I booked Disney right? right? right? BRAIN WORK!!!!
Yes, the doubt crept in and my husband after giving 3 credit card numbers and our last name several times, hung up the phone with the nice Southwest lady with no seats on any plane departing from New Orleans and headed to Orlando.....or really any flight at all.
It is now 12:30, my kids are in bed and are so excited about our big plane ride and trip to Disney that was supposed to happen in less than 12 hours. What the hell?
So we try to book more tickets on Southwest assuming I just forget, even though I know I didn't. But at this point what do you do? The Southwest lady checked and double checked and our family has no seats on any plane going anywhere. Panic starts to set in.
My more reasonable husband gets a little panicky too, he decides to check our credit cards....good one. But, the credit card company's website is down and we can't look up our records to see if we did purchase them. And to save paper our credit card company does it all online.....so why isn't your website working!!! I jump on my computer to purchase more tickets, but Southwest's website is showing all flights are booked to Orlando the following day. I am about to cry. I cannot disappoint the two tikes sleeping upstairs, we have been talking about this trip for months!
So Josh, being his calm, collective self, calls Southwest back. Tells the lady the situation and that we need to purchase more tickets now, he rationally explains that we need to get to Orlando tomorrow, and then politely asked her to please help us out, because the direct flight we were supposed to be on is sold out. I am thinking...give me the phone...I'll get us on that plane....lady you are so lucky it wasn't me to call. I know I booked that flight...dammit!
The nice Southwest lady takes a minute to check out the situation and dig a little deeper, as she says. What? Don't these people dig deep every time someone calls and says they did book a flight before you tell them they didn't???? So again we give her and spell our last name to dig deeper....several minutes go by.....I'm am totally freaking out...... and voila, she finds one.... except this flight was in October of last year.....yes genius, that was our Southwest flight from our Disney trip last year......just book us a new freaking flight!!!! So now I am yelling...."just book another damn ticket.....Josh,tell her to book us more tickets."
Am I happy the price has more than doubled than the price I had thought I already paid...NO! But we need to get to Disney world dammit and apparently I am really a chicken with my head cut off and need to start taking moments to breathe and write things down or print things out and put them in places they won't get lost! Either way.....book us another flight already!
So the lady keeps looking.....several more minutes go by....and I am just beating myself up....how could I forget to get tickets....who does that.....did I really do that.....I'm not that stupid....I know I booked those damn tickets....I know I paid exactly X amount of dollars for them. Josh I did book them, I know I did!
So I tell this to Josh and still being his calm, collective self, simply tells the lady..."Mam, that is our last year reservation and I need to be in Orlando tomorrow is there another flight you can put us on?" Me, I'm still yelling in the background....I have no idea how he puts up with me for the record.
And that is when she says...."Hold on sir....let me keep digging....I'm still not convinced you aren't booked on a flight out tomorrow. "WHAT?" What would give this woman any indication that we MIGHT be booked tomorrow. Either we are like I've been saying....or we aren't like your other lady told us.....what is to be determined....I didn't book the tickets under Mr. & Mrs. Smith.....I booked them under the names I gave you and spelled out for you multiple times.......is Southwest trying to give me heart failure.....come on!
The lady is looking....I am thinking alternating thoughts and at the same time.....HA I did book those tickets/please let her find our flight/ha I know I booked the flight/come on PLEASE find them!
At about quarter to 1am, she found them. On an earlier flight than what I swear I booked. Or let me say an earlier flight than I know I booked! Yes, my flight was leaving about noon. The flight she had us on was leaving a little after 8am. Did I mention we live 2 hours from the airport. The rest of the flights out were booked. So I took a deep breath, cursed myself for deleting the email and in general not being more responsible and thanked my lucky stars she found our reservation and that we didn't hurry and book a second more expensive reservation without getting to the bottom of it. And oh Southwest I am not letting you off that easy....I know I had that reservation....you need to be more accountable too dammit!
Okay Internets.....here is the pivotal learning part of the post....you probably already know this and do this....if not take note and write it down.....THOSE FREAKING CONFIRMATION NUMBERS THEY GIVE YOU ARE PRETTY DAMN IMPORTANT....WRITE THEM DOWN!!! DON'T JUST PRETEND TO!
So at 1am we are scrambling, instead of heading out for the airport at 730am liked we planned, we are now having to leave at 430am. It is 1am....I decide to shower that night and then sleep, but my heart is racing, my adrenaline is pumping and I can't sleep. I get into bed at 130am and I toss and turn and at 430am, Josh and I grab to sleeping tikes out of their beds and load them in the car. We hope they will sleep until we get there.....
They are both wide awake by the time we back out the driveway. They are on their way to the Magic Kingdom.....the excitement is bubbling out of them. There is no rest for the weary. For 2 hours we say....
"Yes guys we are on our way", "Yep we are headed to the big plane", "Yep we are going to DISNEY world!", "Nope we are not there yet!"
And eventually we board our flight and arrive in Orlando......Ahhhh! But there will be no napping or resting....we check in.....we load onto another bus.....and we head to the Magic Kingdom!
to be continued....
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
What I like to dub the..."The I'm going to disney world and you're not!" snack day
Today was Meredith's first snack day of the year. It also happens to be 3 days before we leave for our 2nd trip to Disney World. I don't know who is more excited me or the tikes. This year on snack day the kids also get to bring a small toy for show and tell. The only show and tell brought that day is by the snack helper/line leader. And to 3 year olds that is a VERY big deal.
Meredith was one of the last kids in the class to bring snack this month. So we have been patiently waiting our turn to bring the snack and show and tell for what seems like an eternity. This gave us plenty of time to think about what we were bringing.
Last week Meredith decided what she was bringing to show and tell all on her own. She picked her small toy airplane and her small minnie and mickey doll. That way she could show the kids what she would be flying on to get to Disney World and the Mickey and Minnie to show them what she would be seeing there. She truly thought of this all on her own. Then I took it one step further and made rice krispie treats shaped like mickey mouse's head with chocolate dipped ears.
This morning Meredith decided to take it one step further and wear her Minnie Mouse dress and Minnie Mouse hat we got from Disney last year. So as you can see we had a themed snack day/line leader day. The theme I am sure seemed to be "I'm going to Disney World and you're not" especially to the other three year olds. It was not my intention for that. I was a little worried though, especially since her little friend in the class really wants to go to.
However those were just silly fears, because her teacher sent me a lovely letter home today saying how much the kids loved Meredith's snack and show and tell, and how fun the snack day was. I think it was a big hit!
Meredith got in the car with a smile beaming from ear to ear saying "all da kids LOVED my snack and dey thought dey was mickey mouse poppa-sickles, but really mom, dey were just krispie treats on a stick! Isn't dat funny mom! And mom EVERYBODY loved my hat! And dey thought I was Minnie Mouse!"
Apparently Meredith's approval rating just soared in her preschool 3 class!
Here she is ready for snack day!
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With her basket of snacks, and her show and tell.
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Close up for the show and tell.
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And because he is so handsome and wants to go to school with his sister so bad, here is my man with his show and tell too!
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First haircut
Yesterday Noah received his first hair cut. While I would have loved to have waited and let his curls grow, I have be honest, my boy doesn't have any curls. Unless it rains and is muggy, then we get a few....like 2. So yesterday I loaded my man up to see Ms. Lauren and cut away his wings. She was shocked he was almost 2 and this was his first haircut. What can I say we had a mohawk for a long time with little other hair.
Here is the before....see those wings over his ears.
Mom are you really going to let that lady near me with those scissors?
Now that I have a sucker, she can do anything she wants.
Ladies Man!
My handsome little boy and our favorite hair dresser!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Becuase you had a bad day...
You know that song? This one...
Because you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
You had a bad day
Well it's Meredith's favorite song. Seriously. If you come into my house any given day, you may just catch her naked except for her underwear, belting out this song at the top of her lungs. And not because she constantly has bad days, I mean how many 3 year olds have bad days? Especially ones that often munch on Happy Meals for lunch, goes to dancing school, play school, has multiple play dates and owns 3 pairs of red shoes. Exactly, not this three year old. No sir-ree, no reason for a bad day here.....at all.
Today though was a different animal....she had a great morning. Dropped her brother off at school, went to dancing, then we went to get a 99cent sonic mini oreo sundae, then to Hobby Lobby (her favorite store - no idea why, because it's not mine), then to lunch and then to Mimi's. Where she played all afternoon. She played with her dolls, rode on the golf cart, fed the ducks, and all kinds of fun stuff. She even got ice cream for a snack for the 2nd time that day. Which is unheard of normally. I am the healthy snack momma, I tell ya.
Anyway her day was busy and the plan was to have her daddy pick her up on his way home from work. But when your dad is constantly on call as her dad was tonight, sometimes those plans have to change. So I went to pick her up and head to get her snack for school tomorrow. Do you know what can cause a 3 year old's world to come crashing down? Changing plans on them. Plans they were looking forward to. When I walked into my mom's to pick up my daughter that I had dropped off 4 hours earlier, I was met with Satan's spawn instead. Okay not really, but it was so not my child. Not the one I left earlier. Not the one I went through 19 1/2 hours of labor with no epidural just to wind up with a damn c-section anyway. Yes, not that one in deed. Instead I got one with a surly attitude, on the verge of a complete breakdown and drowning in tears and other fluids draining from the senseless fit being thrown.
I did what any good mother would do. I threatened a punishment, I told her I was NOT happy with her choices and I told her I was disappointed in her behavior and then I left her there and headed to get her snack without her. The snack I specially ordered for her class to go with the "I'm going to Disney world and you're not" theme I have going on for snack day tomorrow.....but that is a post for another day. Anyway I left her. I was bewildered. I normally get tears and a fit when she has to leave Mimi's but normally she straightens up when I correct her. Today not so much.
About an hour or so later I met back up with thedevil's spawn said child. We looked eye to eye, she told me I was mean. I told her to go to time out and think about it. She cried, I banged my head on the counter. Five minutes later I sat her down to talk to her. She said she was sorry and hugged me. Then she threw another fit with screaming and crying and real BIG tears. I'm not even sure why. Can 3 year olds have PMS?
I sent her to her room. She stayed there screaming for a while. She finally emerged and we hugged and I told her I loved her and she sat on my lap and she cried about crying and then I told her enough....move on.....you had a freaking bad day. Sing that damn song you are always singing at the top of your lungs. She didn't want to because she was having too bad a day to sing.
So about 6:30 we had both chilled out. Josh went back in to the hospital and the tikes and I went up to start an early bed time routine. Once everyone was in bed, stories were read, songs sang and prayers said, I tucked Noah in and then went to tuck in my girl. She asked me if I loved her, I responded as I always do "to the moon and back." She asked me how far that was, I told her as I always tell her "as far as she could ever imagine." I kissed her and told her I was sorry, she said she was sorry too. I looked into her deep brown eyes and saw myself looking back at me.....God bless me when she is 16. I am going to need it.
Meredith remember always that I love you! I am sure there will be times when you don't like me and I don't like you, but I will ALWAYS love you. No matter what!
**By the way you love that song, because the chipmunks sing it. I love it because you sing it!
Because you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
You had a bad day
Well it's Meredith's favorite song. Seriously. If you come into my house any given day, you may just catch her naked except for her underwear, belting out this song at the top of her lungs. And not because she constantly has bad days, I mean how many 3 year olds have bad days? Especially ones that often munch on Happy Meals for lunch, goes to dancing school, play school, has multiple play dates and owns 3 pairs of red shoes. Exactly, not this three year old. No sir-ree, no reason for a bad day here.....at all.
Today though was a different animal....she had a great morning. Dropped her brother off at school, went to dancing, then we went to get a 99cent sonic mini oreo sundae, then to Hobby Lobby (her favorite store - no idea why, because it's not mine), then to lunch and then to Mimi's. Where she played all afternoon. She played with her dolls, rode on the golf cart, fed the ducks, and all kinds of fun stuff. She even got ice cream for a snack for the 2nd time that day. Which is unheard of normally. I am the healthy snack momma, I tell ya.
Anyway her day was busy and the plan was to have her daddy pick her up on his way home from work. But when your dad is constantly on call as her dad was tonight, sometimes those plans have to change. So I went to pick her up and head to get her snack for school tomorrow. Do you know what can cause a 3 year old's world to come crashing down? Changing plans on them. Plans they were looking forward to. When I walked into my mom's to pick up my daughter that I had dropped off 4 hours earlier, I was met with Satan's spawn instead. Okay not really, but it was so not my child. Not the one I left earlier. Not the one I went through 19 1/2 hours of labor with no epidural just to wind up with a damn c-section anyway. Yes, not that one in deed. Instead I got one with a surly attitude, on the verge of a complete breakdown and drowning in tears and other fluids draining from the senseless fit being thrown.
I did what any good mother would do. I threatened a punishment, I told her I was NOT happy with her choices and I told her I was disappointed in her behavior and then I left her there and headed to get her snack without her. The snack I specially ordered for her class to go with the "I'm going to Disney world and you're not" theme I have going on for snack day tomorrow.....but that is a post for another day. Anyway I left her. I was bewildered. I normally get tears and a fit when she has to leave Mimi's but normally she straightens up when I correct her. Today not so much.
About an hour or so later I met back up with the
I sent her to her room. She stayed there screaming for a while. She finally emerged and we hugged and I told her I loved her and she sat on my lap and she cried about crying and then I told her enough....move on.....you had a freaking bad day. Sing that damn song you are always singing at the top of your lungs. She didn't want to because she was having too bad a day to sing.
So about 6:30 we had both chilled out. Josh went back in to the hospital and the tikes and I went up to start an early bed time routine. Once everyone was in bed, stories were read, songs sang and prayers said, I tucked Noah in and then went to tuck in my girl. She asked me if I loved her, I responded as I always do "to the moon and back." She asked me how far that was, I told her as I always tell her "as far as she could ever imagine." I kissed her and told her I was sorry, she said she was sorry too. I looked into her deep brown eyes and saw myself looking back at me.....God bless me when she is 16. I am going to need it.
Meredith remember always that I love you! I am sure there will be times when you don't like me and I don't like you, but I will ALWAYS love you. No matter what!
**By the way you love that song, because the chipmunks sing it. I love it because you sing it!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The cheerleaders and the hunk!
This past weekend we took the kids to the USM game. It was Noah's first game, since his previous games were when he was in my belly! It was also Meredith's "first" game, since she didn't remember ever going before. It was also her first time to bring a friend somewhere, I have to say that is a pretty big girl move!
Here they are all dressed up in the USM garb, making funny faces! Look at the happiness in those smiles. To be young and innocent again!
The girls trying to get Noah to sit by them....he was too cool for that!
Gearing up to go! Eagles to the TOP!
Best friends!
Pre-game we tailgated with the masses at USM. We watched the bands, the cheerleaders and dance team and the kids were very interested in people watching.
The game was alot of fun. We didn't have the typical game experience though, we watched it in a catered suite that Josh's office owns. Talk about style. The kids loved that. They were right in the end zone with only glass between them and the field and several hundred feet of course, since we were on the third floor!
The girls played, cheered and had a ball. Noah watched the game intensely, clapped, cheered, flirted with the girls both big and small. Overall we all had a great time, it will be hard to go back to watching the games in the stands. At one point during the night, Noah tried to crowd surf in the stands. He had 5 adults up and out of their seats trying to catch him, someone did, I guess the boy knew what he was doing. He also tried to climb over the glass railing the entire night. Finally he took his shoes off and stacked them against the glass to get some height, he then climbed on his shoes and tried to boost himself over the edge....he came close.
At half time we headed out to get the three tikes home and in bed. It was a great game.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
The homework begins
On Friday, Meredith came home with homework. I know who gives homework over Labor Day weekend? Apparently the three year old teachers at Meredith's preschool, that's who. The homework was to complete the silhouette with some of Meredith's favorite things. Like her favorite colors, hobbies, food, animals, games, toys and so on.
Thankfully this little homework project was easy, because in true Mandi fashion I waited until Tuesday to complete the assignment due no later than Wednesday morning. I actually had to take my SD card to get pictures developed this morning. Nothing like last minute. I know as she gets older these projects will become a little harder and more involved so I will have to work on this procrastination thing.
And yes, I said I will have to work on the procrastination thing because we all know homework and projects is as much work for the parent as it is for the child. Just ask my mom and the endless science projects she had to do for us.
Here is my girl working on her silhouette....the other random worksheets are homework sheets she assigns herself daily. My girl lives for homework!
Checking out the final project.
So proud of her work.
The finished product!
Here is what it all means.
Things Meredith likes...
- dancing
- Brownie-her dog
- her family
- coloring
- pencils for homework
- spaghetti and meatballs
- cooking
- baking
- dressing up
- princesses
- her favorite animal - monkey
- going to work with her daddy at the hospital
- oatmeal
- cookies
-the color pink!
I know these will change one day, so I love that I will have it documented at the age of 3!
Monday, September 7, 2009
The ants coming marching 10 by 10....
After a very busy, but very fun weekend....Monday rolled around. Even though it is a holiday and I have an extra set of hands home to help with the Monday, it is still a Monday. Since Noah went to bed at 6:30pm last night due to skipping his nap, he was up bright and early at 7am. This was not his usual 8:30am, therefore I was forced to drag my tired ass out of bed an hour and half earlier than usual. It nearly killed me since I couldn't sleep last night. Josh had left to do rounds so he could get back home and spend the day with us, otherwise I would have made him get out of bed and get him.
So after I fetch a Noah man, we got in my bed to snuggle. Noah's idea of snuggling and my idea of snuggling are very different. Before long we heard Ta-ta coming down the steps and that was when I decided to get up and make oatmeal....much to Noah's delight.
As I opened the pantry door there they were. Hundreds, or thousands maybe. They were having a standoff and I was armed with my Method cleaner...what else should I have used around all the food? The war on the ants began. Thankfully the kids didn't pick up on my anxiety or start screaming with me. They took the ants in stride and looked at me like I had officially lost all of my marbles. If Josh would not had arrived on the scene and confirmed it, I may have thought I was seeing things, that's how lax the children's responses to the ants were. Yes, even my Meredith who cannot stand a tiny bug within a 25 foot radius of her, did NOT react to the ants.
So there went my Monday, by 8am, I had made 3 bowls of oatmeal (2 for my growing boy and 1 for Meredith), unloaded an entire pantry of food, threw out 4....yes 4 garbage bags full of ant infested foods or foods that were at least a year or two out of date. I had wiped down the entire pantry with bleach cleaner, used several of my finest choice words, text my husband about the dire ant/pantry situation and begged him to leave his patients in the ICU and come and help me....for the record he didn't. And cried...I did I cried over the ants. I even thought about putting the house up for sale, because at that point it seemed easier than getting rid of them. All of this by 8am.
Yes, it is a Monday. I don't even know what holiday it is today, because by golly I celebrated it yesterday and today was a typical Monday morning at work for me. Stay at home moms don't get holidays, vacation time or sick leave. I think I may put in a phone call to the union sometime today....oh wait I bet they have the day off. I guess I'll quit crying now and go back to battle the ants. I googled how to kill ants, but those websites weren't very optimistic and were making me realize just how many ants were hiding below the surface where I couldn't see. My Monday morning had been bad enough already without reading that....so I quit.
Anyone have any advice on how to get rid of them?
So after I fetch a Noah man, we got in my bed to snuggle. Noah's idea of snuggling and my idea of snuggling are very different. Before long we heard Ta-ta coming down the steps and that was when I decided to get up and make oatmeal....much to Noah's delight.
As I opened the pantry door there they were. Hundreds, or thousands maybe. They were having a standoff and I was armed with my Method cleaner...what else should I have used around all the food? The war on the ants began. Thankfully the kids didn't pick up on my anxiety or start screaming with me. They took the ants in stride and looked at me like I had officially lost all of my marbles. If Josh would not had arrived on the scene and confirmed it, I may have thought I was seeing things, that's how lax the children's responses to the ants were. Yes, even my Meredith who cannot stand a tiny bug within a 25 foot radius of her, did NOT react to the ants.
So there went my Monday, by 8am, I had made 3 bowls of oatmeal (2 for my growing boy and 1 for Meredith), unloaded an entire pantry of food, threw out 4....yes 4 garbage bags full of ant infested foods or foods that were at least a year or two out of date. I had wiped down the entire pantry with bleach cleaner, used several of my finest choice words, text my husband about the dire ant/pantry situation and begged him to leave his patients in the ICU and come and help me....for the record he didn't. And cried...I did I cried over the ants. I even thought about putting the house up for sale, because at that point it seemed easier than getting rid of them. All of this by 8am.
Yes, it is a Monday. I don't even know what holiday it is today, because by golly I celebrated it yesterday and today was a typical Monday morning at work for me. Stay at home moms don't get holidays, vacation time or sick leave. I think I may put in a phone call to the union sometime today....oh wait I bet they have the day off. I guess I'll quit crying now and go back to battle the ants. I googled how to kill ants, but those websites weren't very optimistic and were making me realize just how many ants were hiding below the surface where I couldn't see. My Monday morning had been bad enough already without reading that....so I quit.
Anyone have any advice on how to get rid of them?
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
What she says....the fairy
Blair this one is for you....
So a few weeks ago a friend of mine and fellow blogger posted a story about a special fairy. This fairy is the clean up fairy. After countless days of begging and pleading for Meredith and Noah to pick up their toys....and threats of throwing their toys away if they didn't pick them up, I took Blair's idea and went with it. I told Meredith about the fairy. I told her how she came at night and picked up any toys that were left out and gave them to boys and girls that didn't have any toys.
After my preschool explanation of this fairy and how she worked, my daughter began to cry. At first I thought it was because she was so sensitive to the fact that some boys and girls had absolutely no toys. I went into lots of detail about that and here she was sobbing about how some kids had no toys and she was going to share them. I was impressed.....about to pat myself on the back...who said parenting was hard? It wasn't but a few seconds later and then I realized that she was crying because she didn't want that fairy to come and give her toys to anyone. It wasn't that she wanted to share with others who had no toys, it was that she didn't want to share with anyone....toys or no toys! I know I will continue to work on that sharing thing, right after I get this clean up thing working.
Anyway I digress....back to the fairy. So I go into detail and explain and re-explain how it works. That night when the tikes are in bed, the play room, and their bedrooms are spotless. I helped, but they did the bulk of the work. Meredith worried about the fairy and Noah picking up due to his sister's persistent begging so that the fairy won't come. The next night same thing. In fact their have been times where we couldn't leave the house with the play room a mess in fear that the fairy would come by while we were out.
A few days go by, the picking up continues and I realize my child is genuinely afraid of this fairy. She is losing sleep over it, literally. She can't sleep at night in fear of the fairy coming in her room at night to get her toys. I am frustrated. I didn't paint this fairy out to be the bad guy. I didn't say she looked like a wicked witch and pulled toes. So I really didn't want to have to say she was pretend and go back to living in a pig pen, but let's face it....we all need sleep....and by sleep I mean in our own beds. So I did it, I broke down....I told her the damn fairy wasn't real. She was just pretend. She could sleep, there was no fairy coming. It was just me and I was just going to throw those toys away if they were left out.
My moment of truth did not change the mind of my 3 year old. To her that fairy she still exist and I am just saying that she is pretend so she will sleep. We still pick up at night. She still stays up at night in fear of her. I guess I need to make sure that the fairy brings a few surprises to let Meredith know she is a good fairy.
But today, the fairy thing backfired completely. Meredith, Noah and I were in the backyard playing outside, when they started moving the pea gravel that is in the sand boxes under the swing set and dumping it all over the yard. I quickly halted this and told them we needed to pick it up and put it back. PRONTO! They just stared.....
"Guys....NO, NO, NO, the rocks stay under the swing set!"
"but why?"
"Because....I do not want pea gravel all over the yard."
"but why?"
"Because....it will kill the grass"
"but why?"
"Because when we cut the grass it will get shot across the yard by the lawn mower."
"but why?"
"Because IT BELONGS in the boxes under your playhouse and that is where it needs to stay"
"but why?"
"because I freaking said so.....BECAUSE, BECAUSE, BECAUSE!"
"but..."
"No...stop right there...let's pick up....RIGHT NOW"
"No mom, let's just leave it. Da fairy will come when we are sleeping and just throw it away. Okay!"
I realize I was outsmarted by a 3 year old this afternoon. Lord help me when she is 16.
So a few weeks ago a friend of mine and fellow blogger posted a story about a special fairy. This fairy is the clean up fairy. After countless days of begging and pleading for Meredith and Noah to pick up their toys....and threats of throwing their toys away if they didn't pick them up, I took Blair's idea and went with it. I told Meredith about the fairy. I told her how she came at night and picked up any toys that were left out and gave them to boys and girls that didn't have any toys.
After my preschool explanation of this fairy and how she worked, my daughter began to cry. At first I thought it was because she was so sensitive to the fact that some boys and girls had absolutely no toys. I went into lots of detail about that and here she was sobbing about how some kids had no toys and she was going to share them. I was impressed.....about to pat myself on the back...who said parenting was hard? It wasn't but a few seconds later and then I realized that she was crying because she didn't want that fairy to come and give her toys to anyone. It wasn't that she wanted to share with others who had no toys, it was that she didn't want to share with anyone....toys or no toys! I know I will continue to work on that sharing thing, right after I get this clean up thing working.
Anyway I digress....back to the fairy. So I go into detail and explain and re-explain how it works. That night when the tikes are in bed, the play room, and their bedrooms are spotless. I helped, but they did the bulk of the work. Meredith worried about the fairy and Noah picking up due to his sister's persistent begging so that the fairy won't come. The next night same thing. In fact their have been times where we couldn't leave the house with the play room a mess in fear that the fairy would come by while we were out.
A few days go by, the picking up continues and I realize my child is genuinely afraid of this fairy. She is losing sleep over it, literally. She can't sleep at night in fear of the fairy coming in her room at night to get her toys. I am frustrated. I didn't paint this fairy out to be the bad guy. I didn't say she looked like a wicked witch and pulled toes. So I really didn't want to have to say she was pretend and go back to living in a pig pen, but let's face it....we all need sleep....and by sleep I mean in our own beds. So I did it, I broke down....I told her the damn fairy wasn't real. She was just pretend. She could sleep, there was no fairy coming. It was just me and I was just going to throw those toys away if they were left out.
My moment of truth did not change the mind of my 3 year old. To her that fairy she still exist and I am just saying that she is pretend so she will sleep. We still pick up at night. She still stays up at night in fear of her. I guess I need to make sure that the fairy brings a few surprises to let Meredith know she is a good fairy.
But today, the fairy thing backfired completely. Meredith, Noah and I were in the backyard playing outside, when they started moving the pea gravel that is in the sand boxes under the swing set and dumping it all over the yard. I quickly halted this and told them we needed to pick it up and put it back. PRONTO! They just stared.....
"Guys....NO, NO, NO, the rocks stay under the swing set!"
"but why?"
"Because....I do not want pea gravel all over the yard."
"but why?"
"Because....it will kill the grass"
"but why?"
"Because when we cut the grass it will get shot across the yard by the lawn mower."
"but why?"
"Because IT BELONGS in the boxes under your playhouse and that is where it needs to stay"
"but why?"
"because I freaking said so.....BECAUSE, BECAUSE, BECAUSE!"
"but..."
"No...stop right there...let's pick up....RIGHT NOW"
"No mom, let's just leave it. Da fairy will come when we are sleeping and just throw it away. Okay!"
I realize I was outsmarted by a 3 year old this afternoon. Lord help me when she is 16.
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