Random Tid Bits

1. I read that the best thing you can do for whiny children is to ignore them. Kind of a tough love approach. Isaak's our baby, and tries to use his power of whine to get our positive and negative attention. For a long time I thought it was a sign that he needed more attention, positive attention, so I gave it to him. I was actually doing the opposite of what I'm supposed to do. Now I'm back peddling. I'm happy to report I'm doing my best to not ignore Isaak, but ignore the whine that comes from his mouth. I told him, "For now on if you talk that way, I'm not going to talk to you. You use your big kid voice to get attention." I just started, so I'll know if it works in awhile. *On a good note I was at a gathering and a kid sounded way worse than Isaak. My ears were piercing. It's a good thing Isaak isn't that bad!


2. I never understood the cycle on the washer that is labeled "Permanent Press". Heck the clothes all spin around. Don't the get wrinkled anyhow?


3. Santa left Mica a series of Encyclopedia Brown books. He didn't want to read them. He's stuck on the Magic Tree House series. He got a Scholastic Book Fair form to order books, and was mad at me because I wouldn't order him anything new. I just want him to read some of the books we've gotten him before I order more. I was expecting him to retaliate. Nope...he picked up the Encyclopedia Brown books, and read all of them. Now he likes them.





4. Speaking of Santa. Mica said at a store, "Mom I know you and Dad are Santa." I keep pretending I don't know what he's talking about. Should I be handling it this way? St. Nicholas is in the dictionary, encyclopedia, google and so forth. He's real, right?

Source

Whine, Whine, Whine

We stay very busy! We've had so many big projects that we've done this summer.

The remodel in the kitchen. We got the floor done; the woodwork is back up to. We still have the landing, we also bought enough to do the backslash above our counters. Then we may have enough to do the steps. I'm in no hurry for the steps.

Then it was scape, clean, prime and paint the outside of the house. It's all primed now. This week we're going to be painting it.

I got an old locker that a gym was discarding. I started sanding that down. Mica wants it Dukes of Hazard - General Lee orange.

Just for fun!

I started having Mica sand the locker with me. The problem is, is that he's not a worker with this type of thing. He expects things to get done automatically. I know he's just shy of being 8 years old. Many kids don't like to work. But this locker is for his room. I have memories of reworking on furniture with my Dad. I wanted him to just help. Let's just say that project lead to frustration.

Mica's been a whiner with other chore type things.

Whiny because he doesn't want Isaak playing in his room.

And down right annoying when it comes to food. He eats all the time. I feed him like he's an adult. It's not that he's hungry that annoys me. It's that he whines and puts out that bottom lip that I want to pull on; it bothers me so much.

Mica said right as I started making dinner, "Mom I'm HUNGRY!" I said, "Mica you just had a snack. I'm starting dinner right now." He pouted some more. I said, "Listen, you can just go outside to play if you are going to whine like that. I just can't listen to that; when I'm working on getting you food." Isaak chimes in and said, "That's a good one Mom!" 

Isaak loves to play outside. Mica, not so much.

Would You Like Some Cheese With That Wine?

Isaak has been incredibly fussy! Last evening he got mad because he wanted my help putting on his shoes; then he wanted to do it himself. I let him put his own shoes on; he gets mad because he can't get them on. Back and forth we go. I finally I just put them on; ignoring the wine. We leave Grandma and Grandpa's Spiehs' house. Isaak fell asleep in the car. This rarely happens. Daddy takes him inside, Isaak crashes on the couch. This to rarely happens.

When it was bedtime he got mad because of I don't know what. He was so worked up, I couldn't understand him. Daddy stepped in and calmed him down; I'm not even sure how.

This morning Isaak tried pulling on Daddy and hurt his own arm. He cried like he was in pain for awhile. Milking up all the attention from me as he could get. He always wants the parent that's not in the front line of his problem.

Then he fell in the driveway, busted his knee and cried some more.

Grandma and Grandpa Spiehs took the boy's over to Aunt Terra's house where they made homemade cheese. Isaak I ask you, "Would you like some cheese with that whine?"

Isaak's three and he's acting the part. Stubborn and sweet all mixed into one little boy. He wants to do things that he just hasn't masted yet. He wants to skip naps like his older brother, and can't function as well with less sleep. If I ask him what he wants for breakfast? He says, "What's Mica having Mommy?" I tell him, and he wants what Mica's having. Even though he really doesn't want what Mica's having at all. Yogurt goes left untouched. I won't serve him that for awhile! Food wasting isn't a habit I want to start!

Isaak secretly looks up to his older brother. Mica of course is blind to Isaak's admiration.