Current Events

Now for a little update on the kids:

TK ~ is crazy into making "monster masks". They are so cute! She draws things all the time, but hands down monster masks are her fav. She scribbles these silly circles and draws some eyes and cuts out all different sizes. She makes them for her babies, me, AJ, dad and the dogs. When she holds them up to your face she just dies laughing, which is of course contagious!

She also told me the other day that although she had tried playing with other toys, she just really loved babies and would only like to play with babies. I never remember playing with dolls when I was a girl, but I think TK is definitely going to love her dolls!

AJ~ is Mr. Serious. I know this kid has a funny side and I am going to do everything possible to bring it out. As I told Mark I am resorting to the style of parenting I do best: bribery! I told AJ that for everything he can tell me made him laugh or smile or he thought was funny I will give him a point. In our house you can earn points by doing good things or listening the first time or not giving mom & dad a hard time about getting ready in the morning. Each point is worth 25 cents so they can save them for whatever they would like to buy when we go to the store. You can also loose points if you have bad behavior. I told him our goal today is to find 10 things that he smiled about.... we were up to 2 before we left for school! (It's the first day so I am very hopeful!)

One final story for now that pretty much sums up the kids: TK asked if she could pray for lunch the other day. I said sure and she started praying (she always prays with her eyes closed and AJ & I don't.) "Dear God, Thank you so much for giving me a brother. He always does everything I ask for him to do. And thank you for my mom and dad because they get me drinks when I ask, if I say please." I looked at AJ who was rolling his eyes.... I don't know what the rest of her prayer was, I was trying so hard not to laugh. In case you can't tell this girl will use whatever resources she has to get somebody else to do something for her, go get something for her babies or anything to prevent her from helping herself. I guess she is the baby of the family after all (:

Change

I have let this blog go!! Sometimes I have stories that I would like to post, but then I wonder if one day my kids will be upset that I share everything, but today this is about me!

I quit my job yesterday and start a new one tomorrow. I could not be more excited!! (just for the record I did give 2 weeks, but the company I had been working for ends employment immediately when someone resigns.) I know I made the right choice because when I told my kids TK said, "you mean you won't be on the computer all the time and we can talk?!?" I am going through a bit of withdrawals today as I spend this day in between jobs and the kids are at school. What do I do with all this time.... I am so used to being on call from before 8:00am to after 10:00 pm and being in the office 8+ hours a day. I can't believe my phone is NOT going crazy.... I have NO email to check and respond within a certain time frame. My new job is a 9 to 5!! I get to have dinner with my family!! It is truly the small things that make my excited! Just to give you an example of my previous schedule monday was 8 -4, tuesday 8-8, wednesday before 10 - 6 (which meant I normally left the office by 7:00/7:30, thursday before noon to at least 8, friday 8 -4 which meant I had to leave by 5 to get my kids! I figured I worked an average of 50+ hours week and my family/spiritual/health life was definitely suffering! I am so thankful God has allowed this change in my life! And speaking of God we have found a new church we will be attending that finally after 3 years Mark and I agree on.... we seemed to have taken a break from church and I am very excited to get back to that place spiritually!

2011 is going to be a great year and I am so happy!

911

A couple days ago AJ came to me VERY concerned about his silly bands. Someone had been STEALING them!!! He was so upset. I assured him no one had been in his room and since he never wears them it was more likely they were misplaced. At the moment the silly bands were all over his floor so I explained they could have gotten stuck to someone's sock, TK could have picked them up, etc. I thought that was the end.... The next day he let me know another was missing. I told him we would look when I got home from work. Today is Saturday. My FAVORITE day! The day to sleep in, relax, do nothing.... Every Friday I remind the kids Saturday we sleep in (my way of saying, "Please don't get up and wake me up!") AJ woke up this morning at 6:45.... this is the same kid that I can't drag out of bed at 7:30 on school days. I was so sick this morning and could not talk this morning and did not want to deal with ANYTHING! I thought he went back to bed. After a while I heard Mark tell him just to get some legos out and play. I was enjoying sleeping!! Then AJ walked in announcing, "I just called 911 so the police will come." Obviously Mark and I got out of bed. After questioning his reasoning he called because he was serious about someone stealing his silly bands. I am constantly surprised by this kid. Besides calling 911 he sent several texts to different people and called a couple of random numbers. I guess that will teach me to sleep in (:

Quick question

AJ's question of the week, asked while driving past a cemetary:

"Mom, what is under those rock signs?"

AJ also asked the same question to Mark the next day on the way home from the airport. He received different answers from the both of us, which resulted in no more questions from him. I wonder what he is thinking.......

It's been awhile, so these pics are from quite some time ago.....

Mark bought AJ a "gun" for Christmas. He loved it and I got over it.

My baby girl that is always dancing....

Happy Birhday!

After MUCH debate we had AJ's birthday party a few weeks ago at the local children's museum. It was perfect and tons of fun. Best of all for me, no clean up when it was done (:

Here's some cousins on the bike path:

Grandma with the balloons: the only thing AJ asked for was Batman balloons, plates, cups, "basically anything with Batman, mom"

AJ being Rosa Parks. They also had a Martin Luther King Jr display for picture taking. AJ insisted all day it was George Washington. Who can argue on a birthday?

I have told AJ his entire life that he couldn't have pop until he was five. I guess I thought five was "so far away" I would not ever deal with it. AJ remembered. "I am five, Mom! I can have pop!" My new guideline is no caffine pop until he is 10. Are there rules somewhere that I am missing. I don't think he really likes pop, it is just the novelty of it.

Notice in this picture: AJ trying to eat the entire piece of cake at one time.

Reflection

I failed to realize the amount of time that lapsed since my last post.... many more to come. I am hoping to post updates of what we have done the last year with the house.

This post is more to reflect on AJ. Sometimes you see so much of yourself in your child that it almost kills you that you are the way you are. AJ recently turned 5, but acts 15. You know, moody and argumentative, always knows he is right and I am wrong. Most days I don't have the energy to argue... he'll find out one day the truth, right?!? Lately he hates school.... he says he is so bored, nothing to do. (I hated school my whole life, not a single school I enjoyed.) He likes to stay to himself, much the opposite of my outgoing daughter, who consistently is seeking interaction with anyone! AJ would be happy to stay in his room reading books or playing the Wii. The real kick in the pants for me came at dinner tonight. I gave TK her dinner and asked AJ if he wanted the same thing. He teared up and said, "I don't want turkey. I don't like to eat animals and turkey is an animal." I promise I do not preach my vegetarianism to him, both notice what I eat, but with Mark a carnivore we always have endless options. I didn't have the heart to tell what was in the bologna sandwich in his lunch today. He never has liked any meat much, except bologna and hot dogs! That's my boy (: