I couldn't blog this yesterday because I was too upset. Here's the thing: I realize that hair grows back. I think that my kids' are cute no matter how their hair is cut (short, long, whatever). I don't normally let little things bother me. We have been through many bouts of stitches etc. (read Krazy Glue blog entry from May 2010). I am seasoned in the "getting over it" stuff. However, what I am not seasoned at, and what I was not ready for apparently, was the passing of time, the letting go of the idea that I have a baby, the growing up of my little 3 yr old.
"Who is in the bathroom?" I asked as I knocked on the door. "Nobody." came Charlie my 3 yr old's voice. I opened the door to find Charlie sitting on the floor with huge scissors chopping away at his long, fine, brown with blond streaked, beautiful, flowing, toddler, hair. I took the scissors. I walked into my bedroom. I didn't stop crying for 10 minutes. When I composed myself, I took him to Fantastic Sams where I sat him in the seat and then hid behind the book shelf in the waiting room where I could not watch as they stripped my three year old of all evidence of babyhood. When I had composed myself enough to join the hairdresser on the other side of the bookshelf, I saw a big boy. I did not see my Charlie!
I have been trying to recognize him since yesterday at 10am, but he still surprises me with his new look every time he walks into the room. He is enjoying spiking his hair up to match his big brothers. Oh, how the time does pass, even when we try our hardest to slow it down. It is a reminder that we are not in control. I guess that's the hardest part.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Summer fun
What a fabulous day with the kids. A spur of the moment invite from my brother and sis in law to join them on a hike turned into the perfect summer day. When I try to PLAN the perfect summer day for my family, I usually have all these high expectations of both myself and my children and the fun we will have, and I overdo the whole thing. But the joy experienced by my kids just jumping into the creek, hiking down the banks of the creek and generally just goofing around that came this weekend was a surprise gift.
Jack, my kiddo who is known as "the instigator" in the Villhard household, gets a bad rap for all the instigating he does around here. But there is a positive spin on him being an instigator. On this hike, Jack instigated the idea that we all hike along the bank of the creek. Jack instigated the challenging venture through the brush to get to the creek. Jack instigated not only hiking along the creek, but swimming in the creek. Jack instigated a splash contest that invited all the kids to jump form the high banks of the creek down into the deeper water. All of jack's instigating created the most fun day. All of Jack's instigating brought the shy ones out of their shells, the tough ones to their knees, and the nervous ones a bout of courage. Thank you to Jack - the world's most influential instigator : )
Scotty, my kiddo known as "the brain with legs" around the Villhard household, gets a bad rap now and then around our house for sharing detailed facts with us all constantly. But there is a positive spin on him being a know it all. On this hike, Scotty taught us a few things about nature that we all enjoyed learning. He knew that certain snakes would not be poisonous, and more. Thank you to Scotty for enhancing our nature experience!
Elaina, my kiddo known as "the nature girl" around the Villhard household, gets a bad rap around our house for never wearing shoes, bringing bugs in the house, and having no interest in video games with the boys. But there is a positive spin on her loving nature more than her pink bedroom. Elaina was all over this trip! She led her little girl cousin through muck and mud, over rocks, across logs, and through cold creek waters. Did Elaina shy from jumping off the banks of the creek? No WAY! Thank you to Elaina for sharing her nature love with the rest of us!
Ben, my kiddo known as "the quiet peacemaker" around the Villhard household, gets a bad rap now and then for being too scared to join in, or not tough enough to handle the big boy fun. There was no place for a scaredy cat on this little adventure. Ben bucked up and showed his courage. Good job Ben! Thank you to Ben for joining right in!
Charlie, my kiddo known as "the lunatic" around the Villhard household lately, gets a bad rap often for frankly acting insane! But there is a positive spin to all this insanity. Along with insanity comes a healthy dose of fun, bravery and energy. Charlie scoffed at the idea to walk the easier way with mom and aunt and baby. Charlie was in it for the long haul. And was snoozing in daddy's arms before we made it back to the car. Thank you to Charlie for sharing your energy with the rest of us for as long as you could!
Also I never want to forget:
-The look Jack's face when he first jumped into the chilly water from the high bank; Thank goodness I have a photo!
-Elaina's squeal when she realized the fun was to continue as we all went back to our house with our cousins and had a hotdog roast over a fire, s'mores, and a big sleepover!
Jack, my kiddo who is known as "the instigator" in the Villhard household, gets a bad rap for all the instigating he does around here. But there is a positive spin on him being an instigator. On this hike, Jack instigated the idea that we all hike along the bank of the creek. Jack instigated the challenging venture through the brush to get to the creek. Jack instigated not only hiking along the creek, but swimming in the creek. Jack instigated a splash contest that invited all the kids to jump form the high banks of the creek down into the deeper water. All of jack's instigating created the most fun day. All of Jack's instigating brought the shy ones out of their shells, the tough ones to their knees, and the nervous ones a bout of courage. Thank you to Jack - the world's most influential instigator : )
Scotty, my kiddo known as "the brain with legs" around the Villhard household, gets a bad rap now and then around our house for sharing detailed facts with us all constantly. But there is a positive spin on him being a know it all. On this hike, Scotty taught us a few things about nature that we all enjoyed learning. He knew that certain snakes would not be poisonous, and more. Thank you to Scotty for enhancing our nature experience!
Elaina, my kiddo known as "the nature girl" around the Villhard household, gets a bad rap around our house for never wearing shoes, bringing bugs in the house, and having no interest in video games with the boys. But there is a positive spin on her loving nature more than her pink bedroom. Elaina was all over this trip! She led her little girl cousin through muck and mud, over rocks, across logs, and through cold creek waters. Did Elaina shy from jumping off the banks of the creek? No WAY! Thank you to Elaina for sharing her nature love with the rest of us!
Ben, my kiddo known as "the quiet peacemaker" around the Villhard household, gets a bad rap now and then for being too scared to join in, or not tough enough to handle the big boy fun. There was no place for a scaredy cat on this little adventure. Ben bucked up and showed his courage. Good job Ben! Thank you to Ben for joining right in!
Charlie, my kiddo known as "the lunatic" around the Villhard household lately, gets a bad rap often for frankly acting insane! But there is a positive spin to all this insanity. Along with insanity comes a healthy dose of fun, bravery and energy. Charlie scoffed at the idea to walk the easier way with mom and aunt and baby. Charlie was in it for the long haul. And was snoozing in daddy's arms before we made it back to the car. Thank you to Charlie for sharing your energy with the rest of us for as long as you could!
Also I never want to forget:
-The look Jack's face when he first jumped into the chilly water from the high bank; Thank goodness I have a photo!
-Elaina's squeal when she realized the fun was to continue as we all went back to our house with our cousins and had a hotdog roast over a fire, s'mores, and a big sleepover!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Would You Rather...
If you have never player Would You Rather with your children, then frankly you are missing out on a phenomenon, an ingenious parental tactic to learn more about your children, to connect with your children, have fun with your children, and to become closer to your children.
I sit down to a one on one or sometimes a one on 2 dinner with my kiddos. Perhaps the kid has just finished a ballgame, or perhaps they were running errands with you and so you decided to grab a bite together. I always look forward and seek out these moments just to get a little extra one on one with my kids. It is fun. But usually as we decide what to order, settle in to drinking our drinks, and begin to try some small talk, the conversation is sort of lost and I sometimes have a hard time deciding what to say to stimulate a good parent/kid conversation. The game Would You Rather has not only filled this void, but has enhanced my relationship with my kids!
It begins like this; Jack looks at me and says, "Mom, would you rather jump out of an airplane in only your underwear and a parachute, or eat a huge pile of spiders?" I have to answer, then I usually see what his answer would be, and then I get to ask him a question. Somehow last night's turned into a game of Truth also. Last night I discovered these things about my son, Jack, during a bout of Would You Rather and a game of Truth:
Jack is nervous about asking a girl out on a date some day
Jack would rather jump out of a plane than give a speech in his underwear
Jack would rather skydive than cliff dive
Jack would rather be in a jungle infested with hungry bears than surf in shark infested waters
Jack would rather sing with a back up band where the drummer had no sense of timing whatsoever than sing a solo at his school in his boxers
Jack would rather be sodden with a very hairy stinky body than have boogers encrusted on his face for all time
Jack would rather sit next to a very smelly man on an airplane than sit next to a chimpanzee picking bugs from his head
Jack would rather get lemon juice in his eye than smash his finger in a door
Jack thinks of all of his siblings as his best friends
Jack thinks his mom is pretty
Be still my heart.
I sit down to a one on one or sometimes a one on 2 dinner with my kiddos. Perhaps the kid has just finished a ballgame, or perhaps they were running errands with you and so you decided to grab a bite together. I always look forward and seek out these moments just to get a little extra one on one with my kids. It is fun. But usually as we decide what to order, settle in to drinking our drinks, and begin to try some small talk, the conversation is sort of lost and I sometimes have a hard time deciding what to say to stimulate a good parent/kid conversation. The game Would You Rather has not only filled this void, but has enhanced my relationship with my kids!
It begins like this; Jack looks at me and says, "Mom, would you rather jump out of an airplane in only your underwear and a parachute, or eat a huge pile of spiders?" I have to answer, then I usually see what his answer would be, and then I get to ask him a question. Somehow last night's turned into a game of Truth also. Last night I discovered these things about my son, Jack, during a bout of Would You Rather and a game of Truth:
Jack is nervous about asking a girl out on a date some day
Jack would rather jump out of a plane than give a speech in his underwear
Jack would rather skydive than cliff dive
Jack would rather be in a jungle infested with hungry bears than surf in shark infested waters
Jack would rather sing with a back up band where the drummer had no sense of timing whatsoever than sing a solo at his school in his boxers
Jack would rather be sodden with a very hairy stinky body than have boogers encrusted on his face for all time
Jack would rather sit next to a very smelly man on an airplane than sit next to a chimpanzee picking bugs from his head
Jack would rather get lemon juice in his eye than smash his finger in a door
Jack thinks of all of his siblings as his best friends
Jack thinks his mom is pretty
Be still my heart.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Who Won?
It is so nice when your kids hit a point where they are actually becoming decent at the sport they are playing, so you don't have to sit on your hands and hold your mouth shut so that you don't correct them the entire time. Last night at Jack's baseball game he played short stop, catcher and a little 2nd base. He was proficient at each position, making us especially proud while playing catcher, as he catches most of the pitches and throws them very well back to the pitcher so that the pitcher is not running all over the diamond trying to get the ball back for the next pitch. I sat in the stands thinking, wow, Jack can really stay focused when he is interested in what he is trying to focus on. We creamed the other team about 25 to 1. I felt bad for them, they just kept walking our batters in. Finally the other team put in a very slow but accurate pitcher and our team began to take batting practice against them, and ran around the bases continually as they had base-hits, doubles and more. Finally the game ends. I see Jack walk up to my husband, the assistant coach, and he says, "Dad, who won?" ARGH!!!!!!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
PetCo
I was wondering how much the St Peter Festival was going to cost us. I knew it would be a lot. That's fine. Money for the school. What I did not factor in was the $100 for the fish tank and accessories that I had to purchase for our 4 carnival fish that we brought home from the festival. We went to PetCo where a woman made me feel like an absolutely terrible person for even considering keeping the carnival fish in the huge 5 gallon tank I was buying. A pond was apparently the only humane thing to do. No, actually she began her tirade when I mentioned the fish being from the carnival..she said, "We actually really frown on the whole carnival fish situation. Those carnival games are going downhill, and they won't be handing out fish much longer. Our store is very against it." Well that is just fabulous lady. Are you also against depressing all of my children right here in your store as they stare at you with smiles that just turned to complete sadness for the loss of their big plan to finally have some fish???!!! We weren't putting in a pond for these fish. And I wasn't going to depress my kids after all their excitement for these fish. So I spent the majority of my morning setting up a 5 gallon aquarium complete with blue rocks, a plant, a Sponge Bob and a Sponge Bob pineapple house. Assembled the filter, and dumped in the fish with a little prayer and promise to my kids that when they die, we can go to the store to get some new fish that will live longer. We believe in fish heaven. When they die, they will be in a slightly better spot than our Sponge Bob aquarium anyway.
Friday, June 3, 2011
A few questions
Do super-models let their kids climb on them?
-Charlie was climbing up onto my head while I was watching a sitcom. He was literally planting his knee on my boob and his foot on my shoulder and then kneeing me in the face with his other knee, and sitting on my head, and then kicking me in the face with his foot. He was cracking up as he climbed and having such a lovely time. As I was taking the abuse at the expense of my son's happiness I began to wonder...Do super-models let their kids climb on them? I mean, they would get all bruised up as I do, and as a photographer who has done many post photography touch-ups, I know I like it better when there are less blemishes to fix. So, it got me wondering. I am not sure I could give up wrestling with my kiddos for a modeling career. Fortunately, no one has approached me and forced me to make that excruciatingly difficult decision. ; )
Am I the only one that smells that?
-There was a smell randomly emanating from around the trash cans in the kitchen. It smelled chemical. We searched the area. We emptied, cleaned out, hosed down, bleached and scoured the cans. We put new scented bags in the cans. Still smelled it. Today while cleaning out Jack's locker in the mudroom, I found in his backpack a very old lunch. There was a moldy piece of unrecognizable fruit in it (size and previously the shape of an orange). There was the smell. The mudroom is no where near the trash cans...There must have been a moldy orange somewhere!!! So glad Jack's laziness about cleaning up after himself helped to solve this mystery.
How many kids does it take to clean up a back porch?
-I asked them a zillion times to clean it up. The back porch had dirty clothing, shoes, toys, bubble apparatus, leaves, branches, baseball bases, dishes and more all over it. The boys came inside saying that they were finished after having taken the shop vac, sponges, brooms and soap outside. I went to check on their work. I saw dirty clothing, shoes, toys, bubble apparatus, leaves, branches, baseball bases, dishes and more. When I mentioned that they HAD DONE NOTHING!!!! Their response was something like, "oh, I didn't know you wanted us to clean that part up." I do not actually understand them at all.
How much cash can we spend at our School Festival?
-Tonight we are headed to St. Peterfest. Food. Rides. Games. 5 kids. I will report on the damage to our wallet later. Suffice it to say, Our pastor loves us.
Why is there a folded shirt in the dirty laundry?
-Right in the middle of a rant about the kids not understanding how much I do for them, and a few threats about them leaving their room "looking like this ever again..." I am sorting laundry and I come across a folded long-sleeved shirt. 1.It is summer. 2.It was quite clean. 3.It was FOLDED. Want to see me go bizerk? Put folded laundry in the clothes hamper.
Did our yorkie really just eat a squirrel???
-As if the 5 kids, their lack of decency, neatness etc...weren't enough for me to clean up after...I walk outside to the sound of screaming from my children to find our family dog not just smelling, not licking...no, chomping down on some sort of rodent, either a squirrel or a chipmunk!!!! Gagging ensued from not just me, but my poor friend on the other end of the phone line with whom I had been chatting. When I started gagging on the line and explained why, she could barely contain her own insides I am sure! Call me evil, or call me a genius, but I made that dog stay outside for the next 36 hours at least, and then took him straight from the back yard to the groomer. If our dog was going to barf up chipmunk parts, it was NOT going to be on my rug.
Good times.
-Charlie was climbing up onto my head while I was watching a sitcom. He was literally planting his knee on my boob and his foot on my shoulder and then kneeing me in the face with his other knee, and sitting on my head, and then kicking me in the face with his foot. He was cracking up as he climbed and having such a lovely time. As I was taking the abuse at the expense of my son's happiness I began to wonder...Do super-models let their kids climb on them? I mean, they would get all bruised up as I do, and as a photographer who has done many post photography touch-ups, I know I like it better when there are less blemishes to fix. So, it got me wondering. I am not sure I could give up wrestling with my kiddos for a modeling career. Fortunately, no one has approached me and forced me to make that excruciatingly difficult decision. ; )
Am I the only one that smells that?
-There was a smell randomly emanating from around the trash cans in the kitchen. It smelled chemical. We searched the area. We emptied, cleaned out, hosed down, bleached and scoured the cans. We put new scented bags in the cans. Still smelled it. Today while cleaning out Jack's locker in the mudroom, I found in his backpack a very old lunch. There was a moldy piece of unrecognizable fruit in it (size and previously the shape of an orange). There was the smell. The mudroom is no where near the trash cans...There must have been a moldy orange somewhere!!! So glad Jack's laziness about cleaning up after himself helped to solve this mystery.
How many kids does it take to clean up a back porch?
-I asked them a zillion times to clean it up. The back porch had dirty clothing, shoes, toys, bubble apparatus, leaves, branches, baseball bases, dishes and more all over it. The boys came inside saying that they were finished after having taken the shop vac, sponges, brooms and soap outside. I went to check on their work. I saw dirty clothing, shoes, toys, bubble apparatus, leaves, branches, baseball bases, dishes and more. When I mentioned that they HAD DONE NOTHING!!!! Their response was something like, "oh, I didn't know you wanted us to clean that part up." I do not actually understand them at all.
How much cash can we spend at our School Festival?
-Tonight we are headed to St. Peterfest. Food. Rides. Games. 5 kids. I will report on the damage to our wallet later. Suffice it to say, Our pastor loves us.
Why is there a folded shirt in the dirty laundry?
-Right in the middle of a rant about the kids not understanding how much I do for them, and a few threats about them leaving their room "looking like this ever again..." I am sorting laundry and I come across a folded long-sleeved shirt. 1.It is summer. 2.It was quite clean. 3.It was FOLDED. Want to see me go bizerk? Put folded laundry in the clothes hamper.
Did our yorkie really just eat a squirrel???
-As if the 5 kids, their lack of decency, neatness etc...weren't enough for me to clean up after...I walk outside to the sound of screaming from my children to find our family dog not just smelling, not licking...no, chomping down on some sort of rodent, either a squirrel or a chipmunk!!!! Gagging ensued from not just me, but my poor friend on the other end of the phone line with whom I had been chatting. When I started gagging on the line and explained why, she could barely contain her own insides I am sure! Call me evil, or call me a genius, but I made that dog stay outside for the next 36 hours at least, and then took him straight from the back yard to the groomer. If our dog was going to barf up chipmunk parts, it was NOT going to be on my rug.
Good times.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
First Day of Summer
Up at 7am for swim team at 8am. Kids making their beds, and getting dressed. But then what?.......
Well, that was an interesting day...So Charlie threw a huge fit about leaving the pool from swimming, and continued to scream until he fell asleep, which totally ruined his bedtime last evening, which ruined my husband and I's anniversary "grab a bite together and a drink" plans. I need to get this whole summer thing under control. A plan is needed. As much as I would like to be a "fly by the seat of my pants" gal, I think I may need to amend that to a "plan very well, and pretend to be a fly by the seat of my pants" gal. I will need reinforcements to bribe Charlie from the swimming pool each day. I will need interesting movies in the car to keep him awake on the way home from the pool, so that he goes to bed earlier. I will need a list. A good list of things for the kids to do so that I do not have to hear the words "i am bored" since that throws me into a mad crazy fit. So, here goes:
Summer daily or bi-daily or whatever list:
Swim practice - every morning
Chores - make bed, straighten toys, put clothes away after swim practice
Religion- little daily devotion with mom
yoga - evenings before bed?
math - practice on my Ipad for jack and elaina, and work with their tutor.
Read - in the afternoons for 45 minutes
music practice - an hour a day while I make dinner and/or when they first get up
cooking - help mom make dinner
walk dog - hmmmmm....when we go get snowcones, and send elaina up and down our street after swim practice
draw - alternate with yoga before bed
Outings:
Zoo
Art Museum
History Museum
Baseball and bowling Hall of Fame
Powder Valley
Magic House
Free Summer Movie series at the Theater
Botanical Gardens
Science Center
City Museum
Soulard Farmers Market
Cardinals Baseball game
Sky Zone in Chesterfiield
Castlewood hiking and beach
Other things that MUST happen this summer:
-Jack must assemble his Lego spaceship he got in March for his birthday.
-Scotty must do his Potato chip Science experiment thing.
-Elaina must do the scrapbook craft pack that she got for her birthday last year!
-Ben must learn to swim.
-Charlie must go along for the ride and become super smart and cultured by just being there.
Also I do not want to forget:
- Yesterday Scotty said: " I am not very good with putting together peoples' faces and names. I remember one time in 2nd grade when I didn't recognize Nina (his best friend) because she usually wore her hair in a red ribbon, and that day it was our first communion and she had her hair down, and I looked all over for her, but I couldn't find her, and then I realized that she just had her hair down, and she was right there." He cracks me up.
-Charlie picked up a piece of paper today with a tiny bit of writing on it and he began to pretend to read it, "This says, Charlie is a big boy and has a birthday, and likes Jack..."
-Yesterday Charlie told me this: "I want to go with Daddy." and I said, "Daddy already left." and Charlie said, "That is ok, I am very fast. I can run after him and catch onto his bumper, and hit the button and open the back door and climb over the seats and sit right by daddy." We better keep the doors locked when Pete leaves for work in the mornings!
Well, that was an interesting day...So Charlie threw a huge fit about leaving the pool from swimming, and continued to scream until he fell asleep, which totally ruined his bedtime last evening, which ruined my husband and I's anniversary "grab a bite together and a drink" plans. I need to get this whole summer thing under control. A plan is needed. As much as I would like to be a "fly by the seat of my pants" gal, I think I may need to amend that to a "plan very well, and pretend to be a fly by the seat of my pants" gal. I will need reinforcements to bribe Charlie from the swimming pool each day. I will need interesting movies in the car to keep him awake on the way home from the pool, so that he goes to bed earlier. I will need a list. A good list of things for the kids to do so that I do not have to hear the words "i am bored" since that throws me into a mad crazy fit. So, here goes:
Summer daily or bi-daily or whatever list:
Swim practice - every morning
Chores - make bed, straighten toys, put clothes away after swim practice
Religion- little daily devotion with mom
yoga - evenings before bed?
math - practice on my Ipad for jack and elaina, and work with their tutor.
Read - in the afternoons for 45 minutes
music practice - an hour a day while I make dinner and/or when they first get up
cooking - help mom make dinner
walk dog - hmmmmm....when we go get snowcones, and send elaina up and down our street after swim practice
draw - alternate with yoga before bed
Outings:
Zoo
Art Museum
History Museum
Baseball and bowling Hall of Fame
Powder Valley
Magic House
Free Summer Movie series at the Theater
Botanical Gardens
Science Center
City Museum
Soulard Farmers Market
Cardinals Baseball game
Sky Zone in Chesterfiield
Castlewood hiking and beach
Other things that MUST happen this summer:
-Jack must assemble his Lego spaceship he got in March for his birthday.
-Scotty must do his Potato chip Science experiment thing.
-Elaina must do the scrapbook craft pack that she got for her birthday last year!
-Ben must learn to swim.
-Charlie must go along for the ride and become super smart and cultured by just being there.
Also I do not want to forget:
- Yesterday Scotty said: " I am not very good with putting together peoples' faces and names. I remember one time in 2nd grade when I didn't recognize Nina (his best friend) because she usually wore her hair in a red ribbon, and that day it was our first communion and she had her hair down, and I looked all over for her, but I couldn't find her, and then I realized that she just had her hair down, and she was right there." He cracks me up.
-Charlie picked up a piece of paper today with a tiny bit of writing on it and he began to pretend to read it, "This says, Charlie is a big boy and has a birthday, and likes Jack..."
-Yesterday Charlie told me this: "I want to go with Daddy." and I said, "Daddy already left." and Charlie said, "That is ok, I am very fast. I can run after him and catch onto his bumper, and hit the button and open the back door and climb over the seats and sit right by daddy." We better keep the doors locked when Pete leaves for work in the mornings!
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