Saturday, September 10, 2011

Today Was a Grumpy Day

The day started out where Isaak wouldn't stop crying. He wouldn't tell us what was wrong. He had a deep cough, so I assumed that he just didn't feel good. He didn't feel warm. Isaak's one of those kids who milks crying for as long as he can get attention for it. I try to block it out. I feel like sometimes he feeds off negative attention. Daddy on the other hand tries to reason with him. When he gets no where with Isaak, Isaak ends up in timeout to cool off. Then he gets more upset and cries even harder. Luckily this behavior is RARE!

Isaak was starting to break free from whatever was bothering him. I was about ready to make juice with the juicer. Isaak wanted to help. I told him that he could as long as he went potty and washed his hands. He wouldn't, so I started making juice. Isaak always considers dropping the fruit into the juicer, "his job." Since I took over his job, he lost it. He was now in a full blown tantrum. Things let up as we all sat down to eat.

At breakfast Daddy told me that TV is pretty much off limits this weekend. He doesn't want Mica and Isaak watching anything from 911. I understand. It's too deep for them to understand. When he told me that, it was a reminder of that day long ago and close at the same time. We had just moved from Atlanta, Georgia to Omaha, Nebraska just to be near family. We were living in my parent's basement until we could find work. Neither of us could have predicted the economy taking a dive! Daddy really wasn't a Daddy then, but started his job at the dental lab that very day. It was surreal for him. I was still looking for work. My day was glued to the TV. The stories that made me cry the most was anything to do with children not being able to find their mommies and daddies! I've always had a soft spot for kids! The next day I had a mint making party at my friends house. She was getting married that Saturday. I remember crying just because her day was supposed to be a happy day. A day planned out for her and her soon to be husband to enjoy. I felt bad for her. Some of her relatives couldn't make the wedding. Yes it was a happy time, it was also mixed with sadness. Silly that I was crying because I longed for her to be happy. I should have been laughing to make her happy. That is pretty much what I was doing during that time. My students are getting to the point where they barely remember that day. Most of them were around the age of 8 years old. TV was probably turned off, on their behalf. Just like we are leaving it off this weekend for Mica and Isaak to not see.

That grumpy mood carried on all day for Mica, Isaak and I. I broke up fights. Isaak wanted to play in Mica's room. He's not allowed to play in there while Mica is playing with little Lego sets.

I cleaned all our bedding and drapes. A lot of trips to the basement! One boy would always follow me downstairs. They wanted to take old toys upstairs to play with. Mica told me that he was really mad at me for trying to get rid of some blocks that he never played with.

Then I was annoyed about our mail. I've noticed a pattern, on Husker football playing day our mail is delivered super late. It annoys me! Just saying. I'd rather be watching fooseball then football. Daddy is out all evening at a friends house watching the game. 

That's how our day went. BLAH! We're all allowed to have a crappy day every now and then.

It wasn't all bad. Here are the highlights: Mica dressed up like Indiana Jones. I'll have photo's  shown on Wednesday. ;) He told me I couldn't call him, "Mica." I had to call him, "Indiana Jones." Isaak said this about a photo of Ronald McDonald, "Hey that's Burger King!" Can you tell that we don't go out to eat all the time? Mica used a really BIG word "Executively" at breakfast. He even used it right. Daddy and I were both laughing at that one! :) The way Mica starts talking to Grandma Spiehs on the phone is funny. He doesn't say, "Hi." He just starts talking. It's as if she's right there in the room. I suppose I should talk to him about phone etiquette; but then I wouldn't be laughing anymore.

Yesterday I laughed because a student turned in her idea on her next assignment. It had Elvis on each and every sketch. You might be thinking, "Elvis isn't funny!" You are right. He's not. He is when you have a story to go with one of his songs! In Kung Fu Panda, the Panda gets hit in his private parts. He says, "OH MY TENDERS!" Whenever Mica gets hurt, or hit in that general area he says, "OH MY TENDERS!" This is much better then a little boy saying something else. Elvis' song Love Me Tender came on a year or so ago and Mica said, "LOVE MY TENDERS?!? WHY WOULD I WANT TO LOVE MY TENDERS?!?!" Anyhow I thought about that story when looking at the girls artwork and could not stop laughing! I'll never think of the song the same way again! It will forever be funny to me. I of course had to tell my student the story, or she would of thought I was laughing at her sketches.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

The Little Engine That Could - Game

Our boy's love trains! We have a lot of Team GeoTrax and tons of Thomas the Tank Engine.

We haven't started collecting Chuggington or Lego train stuff because we have so much of the other sets. I very much dislike that the Chuggington sets do not fit into the Thomas sets! I understand about Team GeoTrax; it's really a whole different type of set. It's all about remote controls.

I'd be willing to collect the Lego one if it were not so expensive! Mica likes Legos! A few years ago I bought the wooden train from the Little Engine That Could. I love that it fits on the Thomas track. It won't go under the tunnels {just an FYI}. We also have the Lionel Polar Express wood Train Set {thanks to Grandma Spiehs}. All the Lionel and Brio products fit up with Thomas! :)

I love the story of The Little Engine That Could. We have a book and movie. I like the book the best. The boy's like both the movie and the book. The meaning is just perfect! It teaches others to pitch in and help out. It also sends the message of trying to do things you don't think you can do. With Mica learning to tie his shoes and Isaak learning to get dressed this is a meaning I want to instill in my kids. Mom's pretty sick of Isaak going potty and refusing to pull up his pants! He'll bounce around for an hour {if we let him} with his pants and underwear around his ankles! It doesn't bother him a bit! He sometimes says, "I can't pull my pants up!" Then other times when I try to pull his pants up, he says, "No! I do it!" He'll pull them back down just to pull them back up again! in his defiance he has to unbutton and unzip sometimes to get his pants up and down. Mica never has had to. Isaak has a butt and hips and Mica doesn't.


A Giveaway Mommy is giving this sweet game, or another game away! She said about the game, "The train zips down the mountain - but also teaches turn-taking skills, counting and understanding what a 'space' is on a game board."

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPTY5AdeAd8LmRrycUTKV0WZ9HcU5TxfUyw1wFMz5CKlZGbeDV68EZMb532Y610YInBZJEm0CUl1YwAf6KjLsDDlXWLtlt1XyuoVnjlrkIdrx-9KSV82rZZDBZ96oL7R9ipfzQF2C0-zs/s1600/t350_8046d52c45b41697aeae4025d0c7be7d.jpg

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Isaak Started Preschool

Isaak started preschool today! Last night he had a preschool party. It's just meant for the kids to play; while the adults have a meeting. Isaak loved that he had full access to a room that Mica went to school in the year before.

This summer Isaak's changed. In the spring he clung to my leg; would hide behind me. He said, "I not ready for school. I too little!" Now he chats a lot more! He now says, "When do I start school Mommy? I want to go to preschool." He was excited to have his backpack and treat bag.


I volunteered to bring treats. After the meeting last night I made mini loaves of banana bread for Isaak to take to school today. In the recipe I replaced the butter with applesauce. We ate some this morning and it was GOOD! I also chopped up carrot sticks for him to take too. The treat bag is for all week. Isaak will only be going there Mon and Wed, but the treats are for the Fri class as well.

The teacher's said that Isaak was pretty talkative today! I know they aren't supposed to talk in school, but right now I think it's a good thing. He's gotten over being shy.

Cousin Elijah was sick with a low grade fever. He wasn't able to start school with Isaak today. I'm sure he'll be joining Isaak next week.

Monday, September 5, 2011

He Did it!

Mica tied his first shoe tonight! He's been pretty stubborn about wanting to learn this. Daddy worked with him, and BAM he got it. Now it's practice, practice, practice.

Is it just me, or is the coordination stuff the hardest to teach kids up to this point in childhood? Buttons, getting themselves dressed, riding a bike and tying shoes were all hard!

Labor Day

I had a list of different ideas of things we could do on Labor Day. There was hiking, zoo, shopping, Kung Fu Panda at the dollar theater and a few other things. What did Daddy pick? Shopping, Kung Fu Panda and he wanted to go to Canfields (a local camping/outdoors shop). One thing for each of us to enjoy.

We went to 4 stores in the mall, to look at a Thomas train set display, to eat a Panera Bread Company for lunch, to Kung Fu Panda 2 and then finally to Canfields only to find that they were closed. It wasn't a surprise that they were closed; that's the thing Daddy wanted to do. :(

Shopping wasn't too bad with the boys. They were a little crazy at times, but great overall. I love that Gymboree has a TV! That makes shopping in there a breeze!

I've learned at Panera to only order one kids meal. Their kids meals are big enough for me. I've been bringing cut up veggies; since most restaurants lack in that food group.

Kung Fu Panda 2 was better then Cars 2 in my opinion. It just seemed to naturally fall into place, and didn't seemed to be a forced sequel. The lady in front of us handed over some popcorn. She said she got way too much, and she got refills. We took it in and thanked her. Isaak ate it like it was going out of style. Mica won't touch popcorn. In the movie, the bad character was a peacock, which totally cracked me up. Mica used to be obsessed with peacocks. Kind of odd for a little boy, but he loved them! He got mad when we didn't see peacocks lurking about at the zoo. He also argued when he visited the farm in preschool about the fact that they should have peacocks there. Aunt Terra gave him a few nudges as if to say, "SHUT UP MICA!" :) I even bought Mica a two handed Folkmanis Peacock Puppet he named "Viro."
Found here. No I did not pay that much for it! I paid $30 plus shipping.


Isaak fell fast asleep in the car. Unusual! Why can't he do that on trips? Maybe it's the hat that made him drift off into la la land. Of course when we got home he wouldn't nap at all.



Sunday, September 4, 2011

Happy 30th Birthday Aunt Terra!

We went to Aunt Terra's to celebrate her 30th birthday! I'm 5 years older then Terra and Aunt Angela's 2 years older then me. Now you know how old we are. 


I brought Terra a few baby samples ecomom sent me. Then I brought over massage cream and our mutual friend Jodie brought over a massage chair. We gave her special treatment right in her own living room. I had already given her a few gifts a few weeks ago.

I made a homemade carrot cake. Terra LOVES carrot cake. It took 4 EVER just because I hand grated all the carrots. Aunt Angela asked why I didn't just use a food processor? Answer: I didn't think about it. Silly me! I used it to chop up the pecans! Everyone loved the cake! :)  I kept the pecans separated for those that don't like nuts.
The boy's had fun!

Here's Mica with my cousin Stacy's son Alex.


Here's Isaak with Alex.



Here's baby Alex:


Emerson would cooperate with photo's today. Here he is yawing and with Grandma Spiehs and Alex screaming {It's so hard getting photo's of 2 babies! One is almost always blurry!}:


We had fun! Except for the fact that Isaak took one of the samples from ecomom and flung it up in the air scratching my eye! It hurts! I keep tearing out of it! I actually put a wad of tissue on my eye and put the boy's pirate patch over it. Isaak scratched my eye once before, but the first time was worse. Then I should have gotten it treated. This kind of stuff always happens on a weekend. I look like a ridiculous pirate!

Dinner

Last night we took over to Aunt Terra and Uncle Tyson's house dinner. We had a little bit of a cool down. I made split pea soup, blue berry muffins and brought over some grapes.

It's been awhile since We've been over there. We try to go on the weekends, but last weekend we were in KC for my cousin's wedding.

Mica played spy's with cousin Evan. They hid in these mattresses they were getting rid of:

Isaak and cousin Elijah no longer play separate. They play together. A few months makes a BIG difference! I don't have pictures of them this time around.

Emerson is a chunk. We found out some internal things that are wrong with him on Friday. He's both a trooper and a punk! He's supposed to be sucking on a paci to build up his neck muscles. He won't suck on the paci. He pretty much refuses. He only sucks on Terra's finger. Her poor finger hurts because he sucks on it so much. He was given 3 Husker outfits. Gee wiz can you tell we're from Nebraska? I think everyone here is obsessed {except for me. I'd rather be watching foosball.}

I told Terra she should get Emerson some football BabyLegs. Even I think these are cute and don't get into football!

Picture found here. Sports Touchdown BabyLegs can be purchased here.

"I'm Bored!"

We hear Mica utter the words, "I'm bored!" often when he's at home.

Before kindergarten started Mica was pretty good about keeping himself occupied. When he wasn't playing alone, we would play with him.

Now it's like he needs something to do every minute of the day. If there's any down time, he's bored and kind of rude about it. I remember our nephew Evan being like this last year after starting kindergarten. Aunt Terra has mentioned that he developed quite an attitude.

I'm not sure if it's school? Kids might think they are big shots all the sudden for being in school.

It could just be a stage.

Whatever it is, I hope it changes soon!

Today Daddy said, "Why don't you go pick up? While you are picking up you might think of something else to do." Mica hesitated. He stayed in his room for awhile. He built this train track all by himself:

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