Saturday, December 29, 2012
Hmmm...
"Mom, why do so many of Santa's presents say "Made in China" when he makes everything at North Pole?" Cate, age 6.5.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Poor Jesus
We went to church with Chris' family tonight. On our way back from the bathroom we passed a large statue of Jesus. It was a very realistic statue, meant to depict Jesus after the crucifixion and resurrection. He had nail holes in his hands, with blood seeping out.
Maggie looked at the statue and asked, "Is that Jesus?"
"Yes," I replied in a whisper.
Maggie shook her head, "He don't look so good."
Maggie looked at the statue and asked, "Is that Jesus?"
"Yes," I replied in a whisper.
Maggie shook her head, "He don't look so good."
Friday, December 21, 2012
Same Old, Same Old
I have a rather limited wardrobe these days.
Not much fits and I'm not willing to invest in many maternity pieces since this is my final pregnancy.
The lack of diversity in my attire has not escaped the notice of my children.
Today Maggie was in the bathroom with me while I was getting ready.
Maggie: Is that what you're wearing?
Me: Yeah. What do you think?
Maggie (shrugs): Same old, same old.
Not much fits and I'm not willing to invest in many maternity pieces since this is my final pregnancy.
The lack of diversity in my attire has not escaped the notice of my children.
Today Maggie was in the bathroom with me while I was getting ready.
Maggie: Is that what you're wearing?
Me: Yeah. What do you think?
Maggie (shrugs): Same old, same old.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Good Grammar
Last year Cate's favorite present from Santa was a pretend school kit. She and her friends have played with this kit for hours over the past year.
A few months ago her elementary school was discarding some old 3rd-4th grade English textbooks. I picked up a few copies for her to use in her pretend classroom.
Now that she can read on her own, she sometimes reads this English text for fun. There are a lot of stories, poems and other writings that she enjoys.
Last night we were driving to a friend's house and she brought the English textbook in the car with us.
"Ben," she said. "I'm going to teach you what a noun is."
"Okay," he replied. "What's a noun?"
"A noun," Cate said in her best schoolteacher voice. "Is a person, place, thing or an idea."
"An idea?" Ben asked.
Hmm. I thought to myself. How is she going to explain this? If she launches into some sort of detailed description of "democracy" or "empathy" I'm going to be really impressed with the first grade curriculum.
"Well," she replied. "Like spying on Mom and Dad. That's an idea."
A few months ago her elementary school was discarding some old 3rd-4th grade English textbooks. I picked up a few copies for her to use in her pretend classroom.
Now that she can read on her own, she sometimes reads this English text for fun. There are a lot of stories, poems and other writings that she enjoys.
Last night we were driving to a friend's house and she brought the English textbook in the car with us.
"Ben," she said. "I'm going to teach you what a noun is."
"Okay," he replied. "What's a noun?"
"A noun," Cate said in her best schoolteacher voice. "Is a person, place, thing or an idea."
"An idea?" Ben asked.
Hmm. I thought to myself. How is she going to explain this? If she launches into some sort of detailed description of "democracy" or "empathy" I'm going to be really impressed with the first grade curriculum.
"Well," she replied. "Like spying on Mom and Dad. That's an idea."
Setting a Good Example
We have this picture book called "Jeremy Draws a Monster." In this book the main character, a little boy named Jeremy, draws a monster who comes to life, moves into his room and starts making all kinds of outrageous demands of Jeremy.
He demands toast. He demands to watch TV.
Eventually Jeremy gets tired of the monsters' demands, draws him a bus ticket and sends him on his way.
Whenever my kids act particularly demanding, which I like to refer to as speaking to me in ALL-CAPS, I'm reminded of this book.
On Monday mornings my neighbor and I share a babysitter for a few hours. I've been selling it to Maggie as an opportunity to "babysit" for my neighbor's little girl, Stella.
This Monday, Maggie was having a particularly "monstrous" morning.
"I DO IT MYSELF."
"I ONLY WEAR WHITE TIGHTS TODAY!"
"I NO GO INSIDE BEN'S SCHOOL."
"BEN AND LIBBIE STOP TALKING!"
"WHY CAN'T I HAVE VITAMINS? IT NOT FAIR TO ME THAT YOU HAVE VITAMINS FOR YOUR BABY."
Exasperated, I said, "Maggie! I hope you don't talk like this in front of Stella."
Her reply, "I DON'T!"
"Maggie," I said. " You need to set a good example for Stella! She watches everything you do."
"Well," came Maggie's reply. "We not there yet."
He demands toast. He demands to watch TV.
Eventually Jeremy gets tired of the monsters' demands, draws him a bus ticket and sends him on his way.
Whenever my kids act particularly demanding, which I like to refer to as speaking to me in ALL-CAPS, I'm reminded of this book.
On Monday mornings my neighbor and I share a babysitter for a few hours. I've been selling it to Maggie as an opportunity to "babysit" for my neighbor's little girl, Stella.
This Monday, Maggie was having a particularly "monstrous" morning.
"I DO IT MYSELF."
"I ONLY WEAR WHITE TIGHTS TODAY!"
"I NO GO INSIDE BEN'S SCHOOL."
"BEN AND LIBBIE STOP TALKING!"
"WHY CAN'T I HAVE VITAMINS? IT NOT FAIR TO ME THAT YOU HAVE VITAMINS FOR YOUR BABY."
Exasperated, I said, "Maggie! I hope you don't talk like this in front of Stella."
Her reply, "I DON'T!"
"Maggie," I said. " You need to set a good example for Stella! She watches everything you do."
"Well," came Maggie's reply. "We not there yet."
Sunday, December 16, 2012
They Grow Up So Fast
It's hard to believe that two weeks ago Maggie walked downstairs and calmly announced to Chris, "I throw my binks away."
Chris said, "What?"
Maggie replied, "I throw my binks away. I big girl. I no need my binks."
And she did.
The binks went into the garbage and haven't been seen since.
Then, this morning, the big girl wore blue eyeshadow to church (!?!?), compliments of her older sister.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Baking Bonanza
Every year we make a Christmas countdown paper chain. Inside each link we try to write a holiday-themed way to celebrate the day. Most of these are quite simple---read holiday books at bedtime, make a Christmas craft.
Given Chris' travel schedule I have to be pretty thoughtful about the timing of many of these activities since there are some things I'm not very likely to tackle when flying solo. However, some things are easier to manage with one parent (e.g., drive around and look at Christmas lights).
I really want my kids to understand that Christmas is not just about receiving gifts but also giving to others, even if it's something simple like baking and delivering holiday cookies, a project that took up two links on our paper chain.
Although it may not sound like much, this was an ambitious plan for me.
Chris is the baker at our house. Generally speaking if I bake anything, it comes from a box. Chris is the one who will round up the kids to make chocolate chip cookies, brownies or even homemade cinnamon rolls.
So, clearly, I didn't really copmrehend what I was committing to when I envisioned baking four kinds of cookies and bars (three of which I'd never made before!) with my kids to deliver to our friends and neighbors.
We began mixing the sugar cookie dough on Wednesday after Cate and Ben got home from school. Something was bothering me about the recipe and I realized an hour later that I hadn't added enough butter. I couldn't decide if it would matter and the idea of mixing up a new batch of dough didn't appeal to me. At all.
By the time Thursday morning rolled around I was already dreading the entire process and was mentally calculating the number of hours that I would spend rolling, mixing, sifting, and stirring.
Luckily my dad brought my grandma to Iowa City on Thursday.
She saved me. (For that matter, she saved my neighbors too. Without her help they would likely have ended up with burned cookies and overcooked Chex mix).
From the minute she walked in the door, Grandma J and I got to work. She and Maggie rolled out sugar cookies. We made caramel apple bars, chocolate chip bars, and peppermint kiss cookies.
(And did I mention that my dishwasher is broken? We also washed lots of dishes).
Then the kids decorated the cookies and, as expected, mass chaos ensued. We consumed more cookie dough, candy and frosting than anyone should. The kids loved every minute of it.
Now I just have to convince my grandma to come back again next year...
Let It Snow!
It's a sad state of affairs when you have to resort to Insta-Snow to build a snowman in Iowa on December 15.
But for $12.99 all three of my kids were thoroughly entertained for an hour and a half on this rainy Saturday morning.
We tossed buttons into the mix, got out the cookie cutters and measuring cups, and even built a skate park for the Little People.
We tossed our Insta Snow into freezer bags and got it out again 8 hours later. It definitely had the texture and feel of real snow. Cate and Ben were now able to mold and shape it into snowballs and snowmen. Ben added water to create slush.
The "frozen" snow provided another solid hour of entertainment.
Was it a mess? Definitely.
Was it hard to clean up? Yes
Will we do it again? Of course.
After all, we still have half a container of Insta-Snow left and there's no sign of a real snowstorm anytime soon.
But for $12.99 all three of my kids were thoroughly entertained for an hour and a half on this rainy Saturday morning.
We tossed buttons into the mix, got out the cookie cutters and measuring cups, and even built a skate park for the Little People.
We tossed our Insta Snow into freezer bags and got it out again 8 hours later. It definitely had the texture and feel of real snow. Cate and Ben were now able to mold and shape it into snowballs and snowmen. Ben added water to create slush.
The "frozen" snow provided another solid hour of entertainment.
Was it a mess? Definitely.
Was it hard to clean up? Yes
Will we do it again? Of course.
After all, we still have half a container of Insta-Snow left and there's no sign of a real snowstorm anytime soon.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
First Swim Meet
It's hard to be the oldest child.
As the oldest child you do everything first. First to go to preschool. First to go to kindergarten.
And you often find yourself blazing the trail alone.
When Cate started kindergarten for example, she'd been inside the school approximately five times before the first day. When Ben starts kindergarten next fall, he will have been in the school hundreds of times and will have Cate by his side as he walks in on the first day.
And to further complicate matters, the first time Cate does anything is typically a "first" for Chris and I as well---first child to go to preschool, first child to go to kindergarten, etc..
This weekend was our first competitive swim meet. And it was a first for all of us.
Cate has been practicing with a competitive swim club since September. I initially enrolled her after hearing great things from our neighbors, whose kids were involved in the program.
I figured it was the perfect fit for Cate. She is a great little swimmer and absolutely loves to swim. She would practice strokes at the pool, just for fun.
So we signed her up and she started practicing, swiming 800-1000 meters twice a week.
The first week she hated it. She cried in the middle of the first practice. She wanted to quit.
Chris and I really struggled with the decision. Clearly I had completely underestimated how intense this swim program would be. I assumed like all activities for 6-year-olds that there would be an element of fun involved.
There really wasn't. The kids get in the pool and they swim. And swim.
I struggled because on one hand, I didn't want to take something that she loved and turn it into an activity that she dreaded. But, on the other hand, I didn't want her to quit just because it was hard.
So we talked to Cate and agreed that if she would stick it out for a month. If she did, then we would celebrate and she could decide whether or not to continue.
And after a month, she decided that she wanted to keep swimming.
We could see that she was getting faster and stronger. Her strokes became more precise. She was better able to keep up with the older kids in practice. Even she could see that she was improving.
This weekend Cate participated in her first swim meet. It was our first swim meet as well. We didn't force her to compete but definitely encouraged her to participate.
I don't think any of us quite knew what to expect. And the three of us were overwhelmed by the sheer number of people there, the noise and the novelty of the entire situation. There were almost 30 girls registered in her first event, and only four of them were 6.
Immediately upon walking into the pool area before her first event, Cate cried.
But she got in the pool and swam a 50-meter backstroke. Her time: 1:06:44.
I'm not sure if she has any desire to swim in another meet but I was proud of her for swimming in this, her very first, one.
As the oldest child you do everything first. First to go to preschool. First to go to kindergarten.
And you often find yourself blazing the trail alone.
When Cate started kindergarten for example, she'd been inside the school approximately five times before the first day. When Ben starts kindergarten next fall, he will have been in the school hundreds of times and will have Cate by his side as he walks in on the first day.
And to further complicate matters, the first time Cate does anything is typically a "first" for Chris and I as well---first child to go to preschool, first child to go to kindergarten, etc..
This weekend was our first competitive swim meet. And it was a first for all of us.
Cate has been practicing with a competitive swim club since September. I initially enrolled her after hearing great things from our neighbors, whose kids were involved in the program.
I figured it was the perfect fit for Cate. She is a great little swimmer and absolutely loves to swim. She would practice strokes at the pool, just for fun.
So we signed her up and she started practicing, swiming 800-1000 meters twice a week.
The first week she hated it. She cried in the middle of the first practice. She wanted to quit.
Chris and I really struggled with the decision. Clearly I had completely underestimated how intense this swim program would be. I assumed like all activities for 6-year-olds that there would be an element of fun involved.
There really wasn't. The kids get in the pool and they swim. And swim.
I struggled because on one hand, I didn't want to take something that she loved and turn it into an activity that she dreaded. But, on the other hand, I didn't want her to quit just because it was hard.
So we talked to Cate and agreed that if she would stick it out for a month. If she did, then we would celebrate and she could decide whether or not to continue.
And after a month, she decided that she wanted to keep swimming.
We could see that she was getting faster and stronger. Her strokes became more precise. She was better able to keep up with the older kids in practice. Even she could see that she was improving.
This weekend Cate participated in her first swim meet. It was our first swim meet as well. We didn't force her to compete but definitely encouraged her to participate.
I don't think any of us quite knew what to expect. And the three of us were overwhelmed by the sheer number of people there, the noise and the novelty of the entire situation. There were almost 30 girls registered in her first event, and only four of them were 6.
Immediately upon walking into the pool area before her first event, Cate cried.
I'm not sure if she has any desire to swim in another meet but I was proud of her for swimming in this, her very first, one.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Prank Caller
Last Saturday night I was sitting next to the fireplace, relaxing with a book when my cell phone rang.
I glanced at the display and saw that the call was coming from my house.
"Hello?" I cautiously said into the receiver.
"Hello, Erin?" said a suspiciously high-pitched voice.
"Um....who is this?" I asked, even though I had a sneaking suspicion who was on the other end of the call.
"Hi. This is your friend Sheila," said the caller.
"Sheila! What's going on?" I asked, deciding to play along.
"Oh nothing, I just wondered if you had finished your book for Book Club yet," my friend "Sheila" replied.
And so went the conversation for several more minutes.
Clearly, at the tender age of six, Cate is truly starting to perfect the art of the prank phone call.
Until last Saturday, I'd assumed that modern technology would render the prank phone call obsolete. It never occurred to me that my kids would attempt to make a prank phone calls before really understanding how technology like caller ID works.
That same evening I also received calls from my friends Amanda (wondering if Cate could have a sleepover with her daughter) and Annie (wondering if Cate and I enjoyed watching the local production of the Nutcracker we'd seen her at earlier in the day).
In a strange coincidence, Chris received a number of work calls that same evening. Sheila's husband, Brad, called and described how he'd suddenly taken ill over the weekend. And Terry, a work colleague, left Chris a suspiciously gruff message indiciating he had a job-related problem to discuss.
Clearly, Cate will thrive at slumber parties.
That is, as long as she remembers not to call from her home phone...
I glanced at the display and saw that the call was coming from my house.
"Hello?" I cautiously said into the receiver.
"Hello, Erin?" said a suspiciously high-pitched voice.
"Um....who is this?" I asked, even though I had a sneaking suspicion who was on the other end of the call.
"Hi. This is your friend Sheila," said the caller.
"Sheila! What's going on?" I asked, deciding to play along.
"Oh nothing, I just wondered if you had finished your book for Book Club yet," my friend "Sheila" replied.
And so went the conversation for several more minutes.
Clearly, at the tender age of six, Cate is truly starting to perfect the art of the prank phone call.
Until last Saturday, I'd assumed that modern technology would render the prank phone call obsolete. It never occurred to me that my kids would attempt to make a prank phone calls before really understanding how technology like caller ID works.
That same evening I also received calls from my friends Amanda (wondering if Cate could have a sleepover with her daughter) and Annie (wondering if Cate and I enjoyed watching the local production of the Nutcracker we'd seen her at earlier in the day).
In a strange coincidence, Chris received a number of work calls that same evening. Sheila's husband, Brad, called and described how he'd suddenly taken ill over the weekend. And Terry, a work colleague, left Chris a suspiciously gruff message indiciating he had a job-related problem to discuss.
Clearly, Cate will thrive at slumber parties.
That is, as long as she remembers not to call from her home phone...
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Torture.
Sometimes when particuarly exasperated by her brother and sister, Cate will loudly annouce, "I WISH I WAS AN ONLY CHILD."
To which Chris and I immediately reply, "No, you don't."
And we then proceed to list all of the ways in which having siblings has ultimately enriched her life. Then, when she remains unconvinced, we shrug and point out that she has another sibling on the way.
Although I greatly enjoy the company of my own siblings, it is certainly true that they can push my buttons faster than just about anyone on the planet. Probably because they've had years of practice.
I have fond memories of teasing my brother, Devin, mercilessly after we saw a female contestant (named Devin Devaquez) compete on Star Search. My brother Mike and I called him "Devin Devaquez" for months, much to his utter dismay.
As the weather has grown colder and we're spending more time indoors, I've had the opportunity to observe first-hand the particular forms of torture that my kids inflict on each other.
How do my children torture each other? Let me count the ways...
Ben and Cate have learned that one way to quickly reduce Maggie to tears is to call her "Paggie." For some reason this sends her screaming for the nearest parent. I've tried to convince her that the best response would be to call them "Pate" and "Pen" in return but so far she has not taken me up on this strategy.
Ben also likes to use his pointer finger as a gun and tell Maggie she's "fired." This also reduces Maggie to tears and causes her to tearfully claim, "Ben fired me! Ben fired me!"
Maggie, however, is the master of the secret pinch. Steal her toys or grab something out of her hands and you may find yourself on the receiving end of a stealthy pinch to your arm or back.
Cate prefers to torture Chris and I with her patented whine, "Moooom!" And lately she's been coupling the whine wiht an eye roll.
Like fingernails on a chalkboard, my friends. Fingernails on a chalkboard.
This, of course, brings to mind another reason why I'm glad Cate has siblings. Without siblings, she would only have her parents to torture.
To which Chris and I immediately reply, "No, you don't."
And we then proceed to list all of the ways in which having siblings has ultimately enriched her life. Then, when she remains unconvinced, we shrug and point out that she has another sibling on the way.
Although I greatly enjoy the company of my own siblings, it is certainly true that they can push my buttons faster than just about anyone on the planet. Probably because they've had years of practice.
I have fond memories of teasing my brother, Devin, mercilessly after we saw a female contestant (named Devin Devaquez) compete on Star Search. My brother Mike and I called him "Devin Devaquez" for months, much to his utter dismay.
As the weather has grown colder and we're spending more time indoors, I've had the opportunity to observe first-hand the particular forms of torture that my kids inflict on each other.
How do my children torture each other? Let me count the ways...
Ben and Cate have learned that one way to quickly reduce Maggie to tears is to call her "Paggie." For some reason this sends her screaming for the nearest parent. I've tried to convince her that the best response would be to call them "Pate" and "Pen" in return but so far she has not taken me up on this strategy.
Ben also likes to use his pointer finger as a gun and tell Maggie she's "fired." This also reduces Maggie to tears and causes her to tearfully claim, "Ben fired me! Ben fired me!"
Maggie, however, is the master of the secret pinch. Steal her toys or grab something out of her hands and you may find yourself on the receiving end of a stealthy pinch to your arm or back.
Cate prefers to torture Chris and I with her patented whine, "Moooom!" And lately she's been coupling the whine wiht an eye roll.
Like fingernails on a chalkboard, my friends. Fingernails on a chalkboard.
This, of course, brings to mind another reason why I'm glad Cate has siblings. Without siblings, she would only have her parents to torture.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Monday, December 3, 2012
Baby Names
Although Baby K's gender will be a surprise to us, there is no shortage of opinions when it comes to suitable baby names.
Here are some examples of the baby names that currently top the kids' lists:
Cate:
Mike
Carol
Marcia
Jan
Cindy
Greg
Peter
Bobby
Cate's current favorite show is "The Brady Bunch." When I asked if Alice (the housekeeper) or Sam (the butcher and Alice's boyfriend) would be acceptable options---I actually like both of those names---Cate wrinkled her nose and said no.
Ben:
Galoshes (for either boy or girl)
Lily (former preschool pal whom Ben was especially fond of)
Santa
Muddy Muddy Poopy (for either boy or girl)
Potty humor is pretty popular at our house.
Maggie:
Cecelia
Galoshes
Muddy Muddy Poopy
Clearly Maggie finds Ben's sense of humor hilarious.
I'm sure it will come as no surprise to you that we will not be allowing our children to name their baby brother or sister...
Here are some examples of the baby names that currently top the kids' lists:
Cate:
Mike
Carol
Marcia
Jan
Cindy
Greg
Peter
Bobby
Cate's current favorite show is "The Brady Bunch." When I asked if Alice (the housekeeper) or Sam (the butcher and Alice's boyfriend) would be acceptable options---I actually like both of those names---Cate wrinkled her nose and said no.
Ben:
Galoshes (for either boy or girl)
Lily (former preschool pal whom Ben was especially fond of)
Santa
Muddy Muddy Poopy (for either boy or girl)
Potty humor is pretty popular at our house.
Maggie:
Cecelia
Galoshes
Muddy Muddy Poopy
Clearly Maggie finds Ben's sense of humor hilarious.
I'm sure it will come as no surprise to you that we will not be allowing our children to name their baby brother or sister...
Sunday, December 2, 2012
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
Without really meaning to, we spent a good portion of this 65-degree day making Christmas ornaments for our tree, an Advent paper chain and gifts for all the grandparents.
I had to vacuum twice to clean up all the glitter, tissue paper, paper scraps, and sequins but I think it was worth it.
There was a little bit of controversy when Ben informed me that the popsicle stick snowflakes he was working on were not actually snowflakes at all but nunchucks. I commented that it was fine with me if he wanted to hang his nunchucks on the Christmas tree. He told me that he would have to keep his nunchucks off the tree in case he needed them for a weapon.
'Tis the season, I guess...
I had to vacuum twice to clean up all the glitter, tissue paper, paper scraps, and sequins but I think it was worth it.
There was a little bit of controversy when Ben informed me that the popsicle stick snowflakes he was working on were not actually snowflakes at all but nunchucks. I commented that it was fine with me if he wanted to hang his nunchucks on the Christmas tree. He told me that he would have to keep his nunchucks off the tree in case he needed them for a weapon.
'Tis the season, I guess...
Tissue paper Christmas trees
And, of course, a Christmas snowmobile
A (Belated) Five-Year-Old Interview
What is your favorite color? blue and green
What is your favorite food? Reese's Pieces
What is your favorite thing to play? Chase girls at school
What is your favorite TV show? Scooby Doo
What is your favorite book? Scooby Doo
What is your favorite song? "I Like to Move It, Move It"
What is your favorite place to visit? the aquarium to see the sharks
Who are your best friends? Adam, Winston, Emmett, Jack
What is your favorite thing to do with family? Go rock wall climbing
What do you love to learn about? Karate and baseball
What was the best part of your birthday? Frankenstein pinata
What do you think about before you fall asleep? Nothing. I just wait.
What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play baseball
What do you want to be when you grow up? Firefighter or a builder.
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