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August 30, 2008
Sugar and spice and everything nice!
I got to take Lizzie for tea this afternoon, something I had been promising to do since she turned 5. I love that I have 3 girls and am hoping that there will be many afternoon teas in my future. Luckily Chattanooga has an authentic british tea room so its that much more special.
I did my best to engage her in conversation but she mostly gulped down tea and stared at the others around the room. LOL She was very sweet though and we had a great afternoon together.
She did so awesome. She's pouring the cream here. Usually when we go out for special occasions I tone down the uptight mothering and try to really let them have fun. So she poured her own cream and spooned in lots of sugar. :) We did work on manners though, because you can't be in a fancy tea room and chew with your mouth open. ;)
Yummy dessert called meringue nest. It was fresh fruit and cream with a meringue on top. I read her all the descriptions on the menu and this is what she chose. Even though I read the spice cake with melted toffee and ice cream description several times and with more voice inflection! LOL
What a lovely day, my hope and prayer is that she'll want to continue to go back (and be with me) and we'll be doing this 10 yrs from now.
Posted by JennR at 5:01 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
August 29, 2008
TGIF
I'm so over today! I sometimes look at our blog name and think, maybe I should change it- I'd like to change it to little blond girl factory- but that's a tad creepy. lol
Until Julia pees yet again on the floor (IN THE VENT) and I realize how that name still holds true in my life! I recently sent someone the link to my blog and thought, geez all they're going to think I talk about is my children's bodily functions and the sad thing is sometimes it seems like that's all I'm about. What goes in and what comes out! It's what I live for. Lol
I'm supposed to go running with a friend tonight, a last ditch effort to get ready for bootcamp, but I would love to trade those plans in for a pitcher of margaritas and chips and salsa to my hearts content.
Andy and I have been having discussions recently about how I'm struggling a bit with anger over him getting to go out of the house during the day and I feel a bit stuck at home lately, I long for adult conversation and interaction. So he IMs me today and talks about how they are listening to 80s music in his office and that its beer friday. Isn't he SO helpful?! lol I don't get to have beer friday at my "office", its frowned upon in my line of work.
I haven't had any play dates this week and I feel the affects, I need to get out there with other moms and have some community. I'm determined to make next week a better week.
And Julia will be wearing pullups the whole week, I'm going to call it my accident vacation! lol
Have a great holiday weekend everyone!
Posted by JennR at 2:06 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
August 28, 2008
There goes another one!
Yesterday was Julia's first day of preschool and it went great! Her teacher said it seemed like it was old hat for her and that she must be playing school with Lizzie lately.
I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a tad concerned. Julia tends to do things at her own pace and she has a long attention span for a three and a half yr old and I wondered if she would leave an activity unfinished to move on with her class. I could see her sitting at the table finishing her picture while everyone else moved to circle time! But that didn't happen, she did great. Thank you Lord! She also didn't go potty in her pullup which I'm so glad for. I'm hoping the influence of other kids using the potty is a good one for her. I continue to struggle to maintain my positive attitude during this potty training journey with her.
Here's a little video of her talking about the bible story they learned. I think its pretty funny. It's a minute and a half long, just so you can know what you are committing to. :)
Sleeping training update: It's going AWESOME!! Last night Caroline didn't wake up at all, she slept from 8:30pm- 5:20am when I woke her up to feed her because I couldn't sleep. That's only the second night of sleep training, man I hope this keeps up. When we dropped the 2 am feeding months ago it only took her two nights as well.
It would be such a blessing if she could keep this up!
Posted by JennR at 9:13 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
August 26, 2008
It figures.
After 10 months of no more than 5 hours of sleep at a time I finally decided its probably time to night wean Caroline. She goes down at 8:30 and I usually feed her at 11pm before I go to bed and then she wakes around 3 or 4, so I was going to try to drop the 11pm feeding enabling me to go to bed earlier if I need to. The plan was for Andy to pat her back to reassure her and get her over the habit of eating without being completely ignored, at least the first few nights. I was really anxious going to bed last night, I hate going through these things.
Well wouldn't you know, she went down last night at 8:45 and slept till 3:15- LOL! This is a first, in her 10 months of life I have never had one of those nights where you wake up and freak in the morning because the baby never woke you up! While I hate this process I am SO looking forward to 7-8 hrs of uninterrupted sleep!
So we'll see what tonight brings, I'd be very surprised if it happened again.
One reason for my motivation to night wean is because next week I am beginning scenic city bootcamp and I will need more sleep than I am getting.
Oh, did I mention the start time was 5:30AM?!?! Yes, I know I am insane. The most common response I get to this news is- "but you're not a morning person!". Yes, its true. I hate waking up and waking up before the sun is just WRONG! But I love a good challenge and am going to face every morning with a good friend so I am looking forward to the laughs and the hard work, even if part of the time I am half asleep! It's a 4 week long bootcamp which meets 5 days a week, at 5:30AM (just thought I'd put that in again)! So if you see me during the month of Sept it might be a good idea to check to make sure I have all my kids and haven't forgotten anyone. It's possible I will be losing my mind. LOL (or maybe signing up for bootcamp means I already lost it!)
I'll try to post about my bootcamp adventure including picts, so it should be very entertaining. :)
Posted by JennR at 8:03 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
August 20, 2008
How to improve a bad morning!
How do you improve a morning that began with a baby who was up from 4am till 6am for no apparent reason? With POOP!! No not my own, Julia went poopoo in the potty and it was seriously the pick me up I needed. This has not happened for MONTHS with my little potty training resistant daughter. She even was the one to initiate. After months and months of it in her panties or pull up EVERYDAY, I'm so glad to see she will put it where it belongs. Its been a long and weary journey, and although it may be back in the panties tomorrow, I just needed a little positive sign like this one to keep pressing on.
So now the whole family is going out for ice cream after daddy comes home from work.
YAY for POOP!!!
Oh, also G.O.B. was on sesame street as a magician and that helped the morning as well. So funny!
With one cup of coffee already consumed, this day is looking up!
Posted by JennR at 9:38 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
August 18, 2008
Finished sewing projects
I've been sewing a lot over the past week which has been so much fun. I love making gifts for people and equally love to receive homemade gifts. I took labeling Lizzie's rest towel to a new extreme. LOL I have a serious affection for felt, that stuff rocks!!!
This weekend there is a baby shower for my very sweet cousin Christy who is expecting her third, a little boy. We're heading off to Atlanta for the weekend to see the Goseys so I'll be missing the shower but I loved putting her gifts together. I made another hooded towel and I was really pleased with how it turned out. I didn't mean to sound arrogant with that comment, but its always nice when the end product matches what I've dreamed up!
I had to follow my own directions for the taggie, lol how quickly I forgot. And thanks JL- I stole your way of presenting the two cloth diapers with a pacifier leash, hope you don't mind!! :)
Directions for making the hooded towels are coming soon!!!
Posted by JennR at 6:20 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
my rude encounter
I had this encounter while waiting in line for the consignment sale which I've been thinking about quite a bit over the last 24 hrs. You can't throw several moms in line together without conversation breaking out about our kids and there was a mom in front of me who had 4 boys and was talking about how she would much rather have boys than girls since girls were so whiny and could yell in shrill voices. So I said that I had 3 girls just to be able to say that it wasn't all that bad. Somehow she and I got on the subject of school and she asked where Lizzie went to kindergarten and I told her and she said, "oh we tried that school for a couple years", in a sort of put off voice. I don't know why I did it but I asked if they moved away or if something happened all the while thinking in the back of my head, am I going to be ok if she tells me something bad. So she proceeds to tell me about how it didn't feel much like a community and they would get birthday invitations from all around the city but no where near where they lived and that she didn't want to have her kids spend the night with people she didn't really know. (I was thinking here- I don't WANT tons of invitations from classmates and we WON'T let our kids spend the night with families we don't know so what else you got lady!)
She continues to ramble on about how they didn't fit in and said that the school was mostly full of rich mountain families or poor St Elmo ones and that there was no middle class. (her words NOT mine. And here is where I wish I had said that we loved the St Elmo community and hoped to move there in the next year or so. But of course it was one of those situations where you think of things after the fact.)
And this woman had diarrhea of the mouth because she kept going, giving me an example of how they just didn't fit in- "the first day in my son's class I walked in and there was this other mom and she was pregnant with an I love mother earth shirt, she didn't shave her legs, was wearing birkenstocks and she was married to a black man and I thought we'll never have them over for dinner we have nothing in common with them."
I almost fell out of line and I was kicking myself for shaving that morning because it would have been great if I had the two weeks of growth that I had that morning! So was it that mom's size, the pregnancy, or how she groomed herself that bothered her or was she just flat out prejudice? She delivered all this information with such a bitter ugly attitude I'm going to air on the side of ignorance. I still can't believe that people see color, this is shocking to me. But I started to ask myself, did I see people the same 8 yrs ago before getting involved in our church or was I just as ignorant about differences? I wish I could say a resounding YES I saw them the same, but I don't know. If someone had told me I would have 3 daughters and 1 or all 3 would date someone of a different race would I have been fine with that like I am now? I'm so thankful we are in the community we are in and that we get to worship with a very diverse group of people because I think it has changed me. Ignorance is so unfortunate. Get to know people who aren't like you, you will be so blessed for it!!
To cap off our conversation she began to tell me how the school would soon start to call monthly to ask for more money and she actually said- "I'm not going to work to pay for my kid's tuition and then pay for some other kid whose mom is just staying home. She needs to go out to get a job to pay for her own kid!" This stung a little. Man I wish I had told her that I stayed at home and that we were scholarship recipients and how thankful we were for it since we felt like it was best for me to be at home because we didn't want someone else raising our kids!!!!! My body language at this point probably got a bit rigid as I mumbled something about money being tricky because she turned her back and we didn't talk anymore. I can't lie her words are haunting me a bit, the part about a mom needing to go out and get a job to pay for her own tuition. Is it taking advantage of the system to ask for scholarship when I am not working outside the home? I do a lot of freelance from home so I bring in some income but it wouldn't be considered a full time job. Am I taking the money that another family who has two working parents and still needs help could be using?
I think at this point its best to believe that I have a sovereign God and be confident that we sought His will prayerfully in regards to Lizzie's schooling and the finances involved.
I hate situations like this, JL had suggested I could have said "this conversation is making me uncomfortable" which would have made her feel uncomfortable and maybe she would have stopped and thought about her words and she needed to. But did I have the guts to make it uncomfortable and have someone maybe not like me? It's so silly but I don't know.
I think I might be avoiding school conversations with complete strangers in the near future, especially since we're so new to the experience.
And I'm going to give up shaving and get me some birkenstocks. ;)
Posted by JennR at 9:01 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
August 17, 2008
one of my faves
I was just sifting through my photos looking for images of previously made hooded towels so I can finally post my directions in making them and I came across this photo-
I feel like time is going so fast. It really does seem like just yesterday that Julia was so small. This was in a blog post at some point but I don't know which one. I'm glad I at least have this record of stories and pictures of the girls because I haven't done very well with photo albums. I love looking back at these sweet girls.
Posted by JennR at 9:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Consignment sale this week
The Kids Zone consignment sale is going on this week and if you need kids clothes you should go check it out!!
This is the only sale I go to twice a year and this time around I sold quite a few clothes hoping that I would make what I spent. :) I won't know that for two more weeks!
On Sat I volunteered for 3 hrs to help set up, this gives me a pass to be one of the first shoppers. I love hard work like that, maybe its the former Gap stock manager in me! I put in my ipod and sorted and placed clothing. In discussion with other volunteers this sale apparently has better prices than others around town.
The next sale is in February and I think I might have a pricing party for friends who are interested in getting into consigning. Those kinds of things are more fun to do together!
My usual rule is nothing over $4 unless its too pieces and for the most part I stuck to it! Here is what I got for $65:
For Lizzie- 4 pairs of pjs 2 of which were carter's fleece footed pjs, velvet dress, velvet red skirt, wind breaker, 2 sweaters (the one in front was practically new from Gymboree for $2), long sleeve shirt and corduroy pants, fleece pant and sweat shirt, velour sweat shirt and striped leggings, another long sleeve shirt
For Caroline- 2 fleece outfits, cords and sweater, and two church outfits
And poor Jules who didn't need anything, she got a ballerina jumper and pair of jeans and matching shirt.
The sale is all week long.
Posted by JennR at 8:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 13, 2008
She didn't think about me . . .;)
(picture with daddy before leaving for school, mommy was still in pjs so didn't make it into a shot!)
Our first day of kindergarten went off without a hitch! Lizzie had a great time today and climbed into the van after school all smiles. I twisted around to see her excitement and felt like I was going to tear up a little bit. I told her how proud I was and was gushing over her and said, "I missed you so much. Did you miss mommy?" to which she happily replied, "No, I didn't even really think about you at all!" LOL
She was so upbeat about it and so proud I couldn't help but to laugh and to tell the story over and over again.
It was strange today, to know she was experiencing all these new things and I wasn't there with her- even to just observe her response. I think that was the hardest part. I certainly thought about her, I had her class schedule pulled up on the computer and checked it often.
Things at home are very different without Lizzie. While I LOVE her many wonderful qualities, she is probably my most draining child. I didn't mean that as negative as it sounds. Lizzie is very social, likes to be busy and is not always good at doing that on her own so that has made our relationship this last year (since I had Caroline) a bit challenging. Me being too tired to be "all I can be" for her and her getting upset at me for not entertaining her. It was a tug-of-war between annoyance and guilt for me. Plus I think parenting a 5 yr old is more complex than younger ages, you are into character issues and for me its more mentally draining. Julia's discipline for now seems more cut and dry. (except for the potty stuff which is anything but dry- lol)
So while I am so sad to miss out on her everyday adventures things at home are a bit smoother with only two. (Am I allowed to write stuff like that? hope it didn't just sound like I was celebrating getting rid of one of my kids!)
Julia and I read A LOT today which was nice and relaxing. At lunch I asked her if she wanted to listen to music and she said "can I pick it out?" and I thought that was kind of funny since Lizzie wasn't here and now she gets to pick everything. Her big accomplishment for the day was eating an entire apple without it being sliced up. She was so proud!
I didn't get much done today and felt like I spent most the day waiting till we could go get Lizzie. I'm sure eventually I'll become more productive!
Maybe tomorrow. . .:)
Posted by JennR at 10:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 12, 2008
Kindergarten
Her lunch is packed, her supplies are dropped off, her new outfit is washed and she is very excited to begin kindergarten! Andy turned to me tonight and said, "sheesh, you have a kid in school, you're old!" I know, don't you just love him. :)
Lizzie and I went to her class today to drop her supplies off and see her teacher and walk the halls, a sort of get familiar before the official day. There's a little boy at her desk and he had his older siblings there who had both had our teacher and I flashed forward 5 yrs wondering if I would be telling another first time school mom that Caroline's older sisters had Mrs. Wieldraayer too! It was so strange to think in such a short time all the girls will be attending school. Wonder if I'll have a one yr old still toddling around then like she did? LOL Just kidding mom and Heather!!!
Lizzie has absolutely no reservations about kindergarten and I believe she will thrive. She loves to be busy and even more than that she loves a schedule.
My very sweet friends have asked how I am doing with it and for the most part I guess I'm ok. I didn't think I was going to be a crying mom and still don't think I'll get all broken up tomorrow but I do feel a sense of sadness. I have been struggling a little with beating myself up for not home schooling since I still feel a little like 5yrs old is too young to be gone a full day. But I am honest enough with myself to know that they can offer her so much more than I can at this point in my daily life. It's a huge milestone so I guess a little bit of apprehension is understandable. I'm feeling anxious about someone else being with her majority of the day since that has been my full time job for her entire life. So all this leaves me a bit drained and unsure at times, but knowing that she will love it helps immensely. I was sitting next to her on the couch last night and I said, "wow, I can't believe you're going to kindergarten." and she replied, "Yeah, but its good because I'll get to learn lots of new things, and sing new songs and make lots of friends!"
Oh, my sweet girl!
So tomorrow will begin our early mornings and she is waking me up to make pancakes, her special first day of school request! I'll try to post pictures of the morning and write again to tell about her first day of school.
Keep us in your prayers, its time for me to turn in and try this new going to bed early thing!
Posted by JennR at 9:00 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
August 5, 2008
Ready Set Bumbo- very funny baby video
My sister sent me this link and I believe this is the first of a series and they are hilarious!
They are well worth the watch and very clever.
Someone has quite a bit of time on their hands!!!
Just as a side note: I let the girls and Hannah and Chris watch the videos just now and there are now dolls being shoved down my stairs in a bumbo. LOL
Posted by JennR at 12:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 1, 2008
"It said whoops"
Here's our little potty update:
Lots of people have asked me how potty training went with my dad and family in town and mostly I just felt like it was kind of a non issue, not any worse and not any better. We have seen a slight improvement and today has been an especially good day as far as initiating goes. She has recently wanted to do her own wiping and I reluctantly give in thinking that it might make her feel more responsible for the whole process and more independent. (that does not include #2 though, which we have still yet to get in the potty)
So today I've been encouraging her to listen to her body and run to the potty when the poopoo needs to come out and she just waddled by me towards the bathroom with a load in her drawers and I said, "Julia, did you feel the poopoo needing to come out?" and she said, "the poopoo is saying whoops, mommy."
Whoops indeed! :)
Posted by JennR at 1:41 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Coming up for air
We did it! We survived with a house full of 9 people for 10 days and lived to tell about it! My dad, step mom, 15 yr old brother and 12 yr old sister came for a visit from WA state and just left this past Tues. When I told people how long they were staying at our house (with one bathroom) most people would exclaim- "TEN DAYS!". But I felt like my attitude would determine how it went and when I only see them every two years, 10 days was long but very doable. I am so excited to say that not only did we survive but the visit went GREAT! Thanks to the prayers and support of good friends, I feel very blessed that we could enjoy such a wonderful visit. All my meal planning and event planning paid off and if anyone needs to know how to entertain folks in Chattanooga for an extended period of time then I'm your girl! I also know where to find the good deals!
While they were here we went white water rafting, went to the aquarium, walked the river front, walked the bridges and rode the carousel, went bowling, we got treated to dinner at a japanese steak house, rode the riverboat, had movie nights, rode the incline and went to point park, went to the discovery museum, went swimming, the guys saw the batman movie and went to a lookouts game and lots of other fun things that my sluggish brain can't remember now. It was a busy time and the more days that pass the more tired I get, I must have been running on adrenaline.
So now we're trying to get back to life as usual and gear up for kindergarten! I'm excited to reconnect with friends I haven't seen in a few weeks and get some quality socializing in. :)
In the 10 days they were here, I never felt crowded in my house and in fact am super lonely now without people to visit with all day. I loved having people here and miss them terribly now.
And now, on to the good stuff- pictures!!!
With Papa Dave and Grandma Carleen at point park.
Outside Mellow Mushroom with Danielle.
Lawrence's bubble.
Caroline and Lawrence, he was the only one that got away with holding her.
Making my best attempt at not falling out of the boat! Lawrence is behind me, Amy is in the front right of the boat and Carleen is behind her. My dad was supposed to go but backed out so we took my good friend Amy and had a blast!
Posted by JennR at 10:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack