Swim Lessons - Take 1

So, AJU5 is feeling 100% other than not having all of her energy back (i.e. she needs a nap for sure each day and often sleeps a little more at night, both of which I don't mind in the least). The fever went away Friday/Saturday, her nose isn't running any more, and she has been eating like normal (if not a little extra). So, we went to church yesterday and tried to tackle swim lessons today.

I have her signed up for the preschool class and AJU6 and I signed up for the parent/tot class. I thought they would have everyone in the big pool, but it turns out they have the preschoolers in the kiddie pool. The biggest issue with this is that she can't see us and I can't see her. Normally (when the pool is open for the public) they have the doors open so you can see the kiddie pool fromt he big pool. But, they have them closed during lessons for some unknown reason. I finally thought I had gotten her settled in her class (after they took role, went over the safety rules, got a little wet on teh side of the pool and then eventually got in the pool, but before too long one of the lifeguards brought her too me. So, I got to try to hold on to both kids int eh parent/tot class.

AJU6 is big into "Ready, Set, Go" and loved to jump into the pool (that is all he wanted to do actually). But, after one jump AJU5 was done with jumping in, probably because I let her go under some. But, she loved climbing in and out on the ladder, so it wasn't too bad. But, it is hard to work with them on floating and kicking when holding on to both at the same time...

Hopefully tomorrow will be better... I want to get AJU5 to stay with her class. We have another two week session in July, and I really want to be "normal" participants in lessons by then at least. If the rest of this week is spent getting her comfortable with her class, I am okay with that. I just have to corral AJU6, as he wants in the pool too (I had to grab him at least a handful of times as I tried to get our towels out and shoes on so we could go home as he toddled to the edge of the pool). He even tried to climb in a few times with AJU5's class in the little pool. If only he would follow instructions - I would just put them both in the preschool class! But he isn't verbally ready for that just yet (maybe next summer)...

So here is to praying tomorrow goes better. At least I now know the routine and everything so I can prepare AJU5 a little more. If only her baby doll was water safe - then maybe she would be okay (but then trying to participate with a toy might not be that easy)...

No Answers...

I ended up taking AJU5 to the doctor Tuesday. She had a low fever in the morning, but then it spiked to over 104 in the afternoon AND she threw up the Advil I was trying to give her. It turns out her tonsils are nasty, so they did a strep test. The rapid test was negative, and since the lab was already closed by the time we knew that (well, about to close - would be closed before we could get there), we waited on the over night version. It came back negative, so today I took her to get a mono test. There is a "rapid" mono spot test and then another test for the other antibody. The rapid test came back negative, but the CBC levels are indicative of mono or a mono-like virus. So, (hopefully using the blood they already have) now they are testing for the other antibody tonight/tomorrow. We should have an "answer" by tomorrow afternoon...

AJU5 is miserable though. She is okay for a few hours at the "height" of the Advil, but she still isn't herself. And she doesn't want to take the Advil, so it is a struggle. Baths are also a struggle, but she smells so bad after she sleeps because of all the sweat and her throat. Her face also swelled up Tuesday morning, and we have no clue why. Luckily she can still open her eyes, and it is mostly around her eyes and cheeks (and she doesn't notice it). Keeping her hydrated has been not too hard, but she isn't eating much. Luckily I can get at least one sippy cup of milk with carnation instant breakfast in her and a few bites of something each day (yesterday was a pickle spear and one or two bites of cereal, and today was about 1/3 of a hot dog).

Hopefully tomorrow will bring an answer and no fights over medicine...

Thwart by a Bug

Also - How to Second Guess Yourself and an Apology (again)

Today was supposed to be day 1 of swim lessons for the kids, but we aren't going. AJU5 is sick :( Yesterday she woke up with a fever and complaining about her throat. I gave her some benadryl and advil, and she napped. By the end of the nap and a little TV, her fever was gone and her throat didn't hurt. But, I guessed (and was right) it was just the medicine. Her fever came back as the Advil wore off, but we waited until she wasn't comfortable to give her more. The throat wasn't bothering her, and now her complaints were her nose (which was congested/runny the whole time) and her mouth. She slept and watched TV all afternoon, and with a second dose of Advil in full swing, she was a little more herself in the evening. Her fever didn't drop completely, but she wanted to play "person game" (Chutes and Ladders), and she was up and moving at least. She had been drinking all day and even snacking a little, so I wasn't too worried. She got some more benadryl and tylenol before bed, and we were praying by morning she would be fine.

Around 3am, she cried enough for me to get out of bed (i.e. it wasn't just a dream cry). It turns out either she coughed up a little crud or her nose ran enough on her pillow to bother her. Since it was dark, I thought it was worse than it was until I got to the bathroom and just saw a little snot in a few places on her pillow. Luckily there is a second pillow on her bed, and she went back to sleep. Well, for an hour at least. Then she joined up in bed, asking for some milk. She was half awake from then until 5 I think, and then she pretty much slept until 8. Periodically I would check her temperature this morning. First it was 100. something. I was happy - I could deal with that. About 45 minutes later I checked again and it was 105. I was worried. Luckily I checked about 2 minutes later and it was down to 101. I checked again about 30 minutes later, and I got temperatures between 102 and 103. So, I knew it was time for Advil again. After with more Advil and milk in her system, she asked to be carried downstairs to watch her favorite TV show (which today appears to be Curious George). She is sitting up about 1/3 of the time and zombie-like the rest of the time. Hopefully once the Advil is in full affect, she will have a little energy....

I definitely have been second guessing myself with her and this bug. First I was afraid it might be strep, but I quick look online revealed that wasn't likely due to the congestion. And since her throat isn't bothering her anymore, I have ruled that out. Now it is the bug (virus) vs. infection debate. Is it worth going to the doctor? If it is just a virus, they won't be able to say or do much to help. But, if it is an infection, we could get medicine. I know it isn't a sinus infection (still running clear), and there is no stomach issues. So, it is just a head "disease" of some sort. Right now I am thinking virus and praying it is over by morning...

And today I realized once again I have been terrible at commenting on blogs. I gave up and closed about 10-15 tabs in Firefox, all of blogs I had opened and meant to comment on. But, when I am on the third row of tabs (and I have a wide-screen monitor), it is just too overwhelming. So, I cleared the deck and hopefully I can try to stay on top of them now!

Slacking - Again!

I can't believe it has taken me this long to blog - AGAIN! I have had posts in my head, but I havne't sat down at the computer to type them for one reason or another.

Summer is in swing around here. We bought a plastic baby pool last week, and the kids like it. AJU6 is actually more of a fan of getting in than AJU5 it seems, but I guess part of it might be he doesn't care if his clothes get wet. AJU5 on the other hand requires her swimsuit to get in, and the thought of changing out of her dress isn't always desirable. I also signed "us" up for two sessions of swim lessons this summer. AJU5 will be in a preschool class, and AJU6 will be with me in a parent/tot class. I used to teach swim lessons, and I hated the parent/tot classes! But, I know he won't be happy watching her and taking them to the pool alone is a pain, so I decided to let him have some fun too (my husband isn't a big pool fan...).

We also planted a garden, as our backyard transformation is almost done. We have sunflowers, corn, beans, radishes, tomatoes, pumpkin, watermelon, strawberries, lettuce, peas, and bell peppers (I think). Most we started as seeds, and we are getting seedlings already so we are happy. Hopefully we will produce something this year!

Oh, and now I have been labeled a "cloth diaper expert." I am a page administrator for two Facebook pages about cloth diapers now. I get a little money to feed my addiction there, and it is easy work. I just have to answer questions as they are asked (and check in at least twice a day for said questions). The funny thing is 14 months ago I had very little clue about cloth diapers. I knew there were cute/colorful covers and you put things in them. Now I know most/all of the lingo and have tried out a good number of them (and want to try more but am not willing to spend the money YET).

Well, I think that is it. How is your summer going?

Life Is Precious

I just found out one of my aunts passed away this morning. About a month ago she became very sick. They quickly learned that her bone marrow was no longer creating new blood cells like it should, an effect of cancer treatment about 30 years ago for lymphoma. She was actually the only person alive still that had received the treatment. She had blood transfusions and started to be stable. Then they did chemotherapy to try and get the bone marrow to work and fight any cancer that may be coming back. After one round of treatment, she said she was done. The side effects were just too great. She would rather spend her last days healthy than sick. She was still willing to get blood transfusions, but she was done with everything else.

She didn't want anyone to visit. Her younger sister (there are three sisters and two brothers in my mom's family) forced her way in because she lives in the same area. But, she didn't want my mom or her brothers to come visit. I know this is probably really hard on my mom. I found out from Facebook, as my mom posted on my wall about the death...

Life had finally returned to something they wanted. They had a grandson they got to see regularly after "loosing" their other grandkids after their son had a head injury that completely changed him (resulted in a divorce and the kids' mom moving them across country and making visits and contact difficult). They were enjoying life. And then this happened.

It really makes you realize how savoring every day is important. We need to live life like today may be the last. That doesn't mean we do anything crazy thinking today IS our last day. But, we need to accept that today MAY be our last day. Or it may be the last day for someone we love.

Are you ready?

Dentist

So, I took the kids to the dentist today. They went back in October/November. AJU6 went because his front two teeth were short and discolored back in October, and it turned out to just bee some staining and genetics. I took AJU5 back a few weeks later since we liked the office we went to. She was not very cooperative, so I didn't know how today would go at all.

Turns out both kids did AWESOME! AJU5 only whined/cried once. She was completely cooperative during the cleaning, fluoride treatment, and even an x-ray. Then, shortly after all that she threw up... That is what caused the crying, which I can understand. But the dentist bribed her with a sucker (that she didn't get to eat until we were home), and she sat still for him to look at her teeth, etc too. Then it was AJU6's turn. The dentist decided to try him in the big chair instead of the lap board, and he was quite cooperative. The other dentist (it is a father/son team) walked through the area and joked about us drugging him. He even sat still for the dentist to polish a few of his teeth that had a tiny bit of staining.

Both kids do have alignment issues thanks to their love of pacifiers, but other than that their teeth are perfect. I am just relieved that there was no fighting at all today!

(Hopefully I will catch up on some posts I have planned to write sometime in the next month. I know, I am terrible at blogging these days!)

Egg Issues (and Apology)

First, let me apologize for being such a bad blogger lately. Not only have I not written, I haven't commented much either! I will sort of blame the kids. They are rarely giving me any time at the computer these days, as they both like to use the mouse and keyboard. So, I only get a few minutes here and there between 6:30am and 8:15pm most days. Oh, and they refuse to nap at the same time. AJU6 naps in the morning (he is down by 10 at the latest), and if AJU5 naps, it isn't until after 1 (normally after 2 or 3). So, yeah, no time to sit, read, AND type. I have been reading all of your posts, but I just never find a few moment to type without little fingers trying to "help" me with it...

So, on to today's adventures. We are going to dye eggs for the first time as a "family." First issue: forgetting to watch the eggs while cooking. Luckily only 2 eggs (out of 14) were cracked, but the water when I went to turn it off made it look like all of them were ruined. Luckily the second batch was perfect. Second fun: AJU5 found one of the cracked eggs on the counter. I let her look at it as I put AJU6 down for a nap. Then she met me upstairs without the egg. I forgot about it until I saw a Faceb00k post about eggs. I asked her where it was. Luckily she had put it back on the counter. But, she had investigated it for sure! She tried to eat it without pealing. I was trying to figure out why she was telling me about crunchy bits on the way to the kitchen... So I peeled it for her, and she was a lot happier! Hopefully the afternoon won't be so interesting!

Perfectionist

I think AJU5 is a perfectionist. And I think that is why she won't color. Instead, she "makes" me do it.

She found the love of some software I have on my computer. It is meant for die-cutting (for scrapbooking), but you can also print your creations. So, we have printed a few creations so far. And she says before we print she wants to color. But, we get the colors out, she might make a mark on the paper, and then she says she can't do it and I have to. Today she "had" to do some of it on her own since AJU6 wasn't napping. She got outside the lines twice and flipped out. She got the pencil, and tried to erase the crayon. It didn't work great, but it helped a little. Luckily I still had the picture on the computer, so I just printed her another one. It is still blank...

I hope she gets over this soon. She is the same way with writing letters. She has successfully written T, L, I, and A before, but lately she has refused. She makes a mark and says she can't do it. I hope to get her over this, but there doesn't seem to be a quick solution. I keep pushing her to do some - taking turns for some things - and it isn't making a big difference. But, she is only 3. So, there is time.

Luckily, she does have her colors and shapes down now and can count to at least 12. Our next goal is to know the numbers visually (what number is this game). But, she isn't interested really. Again, she is only 3, so we have some time...

On a Lighter Note - New Skills!

AJU5 and AJU6 both mastered new things this week outside, as we have taken some advantage of the warmer temperatures here.

First, AJU6 learned to climb to the top of the playground using the ladder. This means I don't have to lift him up anymore - something I do like. Unfortunately he thinks he can come down the ladder too, but his legs just aren't long enough yet. I am working on getting him to slide, but ours has a bump and a good drop at the end, so he doesn't like to slide alone (he has hit his head a few times when we have tried it).

And the biggest news - AJU5 can peddle her own tricycle! She figured out how to go backwards a week or two ago. Her trike has a removable handle, and she had been practicing. But, there is only so much pushing her around in circles a mommy can take (especially with AJU6 walking around). Today she asked me to take the handle off and she made is across the concrete on her own (the length of our house). I bet she could have gone farther, but she changes activities A LOT these days.

I plan on letting the kids play outside a lot this spring and summer, and hopefully they will be pretty independent out there soon. I know I will still have swing pushing duties, but it will be nice to just sit outside and watch them like I get to do a few minutes each day already.

Private Businesses (and Individuals) and Their Rights

It is becoming more and more common for private institutions - whether they be businesses, schools, or families - to be "raked over the coals" for religious beliefs. It is to the point that private institutions are losing many freedoms I don't think they should.

Personally, I think any private institution that makes its belives public knowledge (stated clearly and easily found) should be able to act on those views and beliefs as long as they don't cause harm to others and other "businesses" exist to meet the needs of those that disagree.

In 2008, a photographer was sued because she refused to photograph a same sex commitment ceremony. The only thing the same sex couple was "out" was the time to look at a webpage, write two emails, and read two emails. Yet, they won a court case and were awarded over $6000. Really - would they have wanted that photographer if she was not comfortable with the event? I don't think her photos would be the quality they would have wanted because she heart wouldn't be into her artistic work. And this wasn't in a small town where there are only a few photographers. So, they easily could have found someone else. But, according to the courts, the photographer discriminated and hence was wrong.

Recently there have been two companies that have taken heat over the same issue - one on each side. Chick-fil-a has lost customers because a franchise donated free food to a marriage conference that was openly against same sex marriage. As part of the controversy, the owners of Chick-fil-a made it clear that they do not support same sex marriage, and as a result many have been up in arms. Does Chick-fil-a refuse to serve homosexuals? No. Home Depot on the other hand has financially supported same-sex organizations and legislation. So, some people who hold to the other side choose not to shop there. Again - does Home Depot refuse to sell items to those who want marriage to be defined as a union between 1 man and 1 woman? No. I am glad (for now) this is just a case of people spending money where they want. I think this is how it should be. Although both companies haven't made it totally clear to the public their stances, the public is spreading the word and making their own decisions utilizing our free-market economy.

BYU was under a little heat recently for putting its star basketball play on probation for breaking the school's honor code. This college student had sex outside of marriage, and as a result suffered the consequences. No one at BYU is crying foul because the player knew the rules. But, those on the outside looking in are saying BYU's rules are wrong. They claim it isn't fair to expect students to not have sex. I disagree. First, there are many other schools this gentleman could have gone to. He would have gotten a free ride at MANY schools around the nation. But, he chose to go to BYU. He knew going in what was expected of him. He broke the rules and is accepting the punishment. And, it was either him or his girlfriend that told the school - it isn't like they have people going around watching them 24-7. It is an honor code, and they chose to be honorable and turn themselves in.

In the UK, many similar things are going on, and it is probably worse than the US. One human rights organization said that Christian foster parents "infect" foster children with moral values. This is the same organization that is helping a same sex couple file an appeal after being awarded "only" 6300 pounds (over $10,000) in a lawsuit because the judge took into account that the company owners were in fact acting on sincere religious convictions when refusing service instead of "just" discriminating against the couple.

I would even argue that restaurants should be able to allow smoking if they want to. Now, there must be signs posted EVERYWHERE letting potential customers know of the rules. But, if the customers and workers knew of the rules before entering the establishment, I don't have a problem with it. I see so many restaurant workers smoking outside restaurants that I don't think there would be a lack of workers. And if people wanted to be around the stench of smoke while they ate - then let them do so. Personally, I wouldn't go near the place...

What is your take? How far should the government regulate what private businesses do?

Keeping Me on My Toes on a Sunday

I definitely didn't have a restful Sunday yesterday. It wasn't a bad Sunday, but it was full of "fun."

It started with AJU6 joining us in bed around 2. He had been doing this for a few days because of allergies (it is very hard to suck on a paci when your nose is stuffed up). Luckily, AJU1 realized I was SO tired since I had dealt with him the past few nights that he took him. AJU6 likes to be touching you as he sleeps, and half of the time he wants his head on some part of your body. This makes it really hard to find a comfortable position and has resulted in much lost sleep. (Last night I gave up and gave him a small dose of Benadryl before bed so we could all get one good night of sleep, but I don't want to give him drugs every night. Ugh.)

We got up a little earlier than normal because with AJU6 in bed with us, AJU5 couldn't snuggle with me until he cried. Instead, he stood up and tried to walk to the end of the bed, got down, and then motioned us to go downstairs with his hands and grunts. Luckily it wasn't too early.

From there it is was Sunday morning as usual, although I did curl my hair for the first time on a Sunday in AGES. I started curling the ends about a week and a half ago when I went someplace other than walks/very quick trips to the store. It looks so much better with a little curl/body!

Sunday School went fine. AJU5 was a little quirky, but it wasn't a bad thing. She just didn't want to color. Luckily her friend (and the only other student in her class other than AJU6 this week) was willing to color her finger puppets for her so we could make them.

Church started out fine. AJU6 fell asleep in my arms during the songs. AJU5 was playing with the figures from Sunday School (paper cut-outs), and all was going well. Then it came the prayer between the message and the invitational. AJU5 had found the fruit leather in the diaper bag and wanted a piece. AJU6 of course started bouncing and begging for some too. So, I broke off small pieces for each one. They were content. Until AJU6 started choking. Before I knew it, he was throwing up... all over himself and me. I rushed us to the nursery to start washing it off. I ended up taking off both of our shirts. Luckily I had a tank top on and had AJU5 get my jacket for me. AJU6 just went topless. But, it was off of us and the smell was basically gone (oh the fun of milk puke).

After we got home, I got lunch on the table, and the boys snuggled up for some NASCAR watching as AJU5 and I ran to the mall. I realized how much I hate going to the mall on weekends when I saw the parking lot. But, I needed another pair of pants and AJU1 needed a tie for work. We hit up JcPenney, and luckily they had everything we needed. Unfortunately AJU5 had fallen asleep in the car on the way there. I carried her asleep all the way across the parking lot into the section where I found my pants. I laid her on the floor when I went to look at the pants, and she woke up. Within minutes she wanted her jacket off and to go look at dresses... I quickly found my pants and we headed downstairs to look for ties. Unfortunately my husband is not normal when it comes to ties. He refused to wear solids, stripes, plaids, and geometric patterns. That basically means no ties are left to pick from. I picked out four, some with some pattern, took a picture, and emailed him. I wasn't too happy with his choice, but it was done. While we waited for the picture to send, we went to the kids section and looked at dresses. Boy are they expensive - even at 40% off! With how much AJU5 wears them, I bet we would get our money's worth, but she has so many already. We picked out one I thought was cheaper than it actually was (due to bad sign-age), and went to look at things for AJU6. Of course she founda toy and debated over and over again between it and the dress. I found AJU6 a polo shirt for Easter, AJU1 emailed me back, and I convinced AJU5 to leave everything as I wasn't spending $18 on a small stuffed bunny or $30 on a dress yesterday. Maybe closer to Easter we will get a dress that expensive, but I know if I bought it now she would wear it every day she could, at least for a few weeks.

Luckily the rest of the day wasn't unpredictable. We watched the end of the race together. We went to evening service where AJU6 fought falling asleep on me many times. And then we came home, put AJU6 in bed, made popcorn, and watched a little TV before and after sending AJU5 to bed.

Hopefully next Sunday I can sleep in a little, won't be thrown up on, and won't have to go to the mall!

Expectations

Last week (or possibly two weeks ago), I got into a conversation on Facebook about expectations for young children. It actually started when I friend posted an article on time-outs and how they may not be affective. From there, it went to expectations.

One of my friend's friends (let's call her A) claimed that until the child is 4-6 years old, we shouldn't have expectations for obedience. She claimed we shouldn't expect a 3 year old to obey our commands, and as such there is little to no discipline needed. I disagreed. We definitely have expectations for AJU5, and I don't think we are expecting too much out of her. We do have to remember that she is 3 and give her a little time to stop what she is doing to obey, but at the same time we do expect her to obey.

A's claim started with her saying we shouldn't expect a child younger than the 4-6 range to put on shoes when asked. I thought this was crazy. AJU5 started to bey this command about a year ago. AJU6 is already getting his shoes when he realizes we are going someplace. Now, AJU6 might be doing it because he loves going outside, but it is a step in obedience. We didn't discipline AJU5 for not getting her shoes until the last 3-6 months though. Before that, we would get "manhandle" her if she didn't obey and put her shoes on for her. Now she has to do it herself, and she can. She can ask for help, but rarely does she need it. We also expect her to clean up her toys when asked. Other than that, it is just simple commands (come, sit, wait) that we expect her to obey.

From previous comments by A, it seems like she is very much into attachment parenting, etc. She just redirects her kids to distract them. I don't think I totally agree with this approach. We are the parents. We aren't to stifle our kids and make them robots, but at the same time we are to lead them and train them. We don't expect AJU5 to keep her toys clean all day long at 3. Instead, we expect her to pick them up once or twice a day. Some times, she has to put one "big" toy away to get a second, but other than that she can have her toys where she wants them.

The only other disciplines/trainings we do with her are to share (especially with AJU6) and to control her crying. If she takes something from AJU6, she has to give it back. If she has more than two items, and he wants one, she has to give him one. If she is crying and won't calm down, she is sent to her room to regroup (and normally this occurs because she is told no about something like another show).

What about you? What do you expect from you toddler/preschooler? Do you expect some basic obedience prior to kindergarten age?

A Case of the Icks

Our house has been sick this past week. It started last Sunday. AJU1 didn't feel good, and I wasn't 100%. His was a bug he caught on his trip the week before. I wasn't sure if mine was just exhaustion from the week or a bug. Monday I knew it was a bug when I threw up and was running a fever over 100. Luckily, my bug was basically gone the next day, and I was back to normal on Wednesday. But then Wednesday afternoon happened. AJU6 started to run a fever. It wasn't too high yet, but I was watching it. AJU1 was still sick with a head cold, but he was going to work (he claims he gets just as much rest there as at home with the kids). Thursday AJU6 was burning up - fever of 104 without medicine. Luckily Advil dropped it down to about 100, and he just "hung out" there for about 24 hours (with Advil every 6-7 hours). Once it got up to 104, but that was because he took a 3 hour nap starting about 45 minutes before I could give him another dose of Advil. He wasn't eating much, but he was drinking more than normal. So, I wasn't too worried. Yesterday he was doing better. His energy was back, and his fever was definitely on its last legs. But, then AJU5 started running a fever. First time I checked it it was 101.4. About 30 minutes later, it was up to about 101.8. So, she got Advil too. Other than the fever, the kids are just dealing with some congestion and the related cough after a night of sleeping, so I wonder if it is a different bug than AJU1 and I had - as he hasn't run a fever, and they haven't been nauseous. Luckily today AJU6 is fever free, and AJU5 was only at 101.2 this morning after going 14 hours without medicine (since she slept all night). So, maybe we are on the tail end of it...

The good news is I didn't have to deal with any ick. AJU6's diapers haven't been the nicest since he hasn't been eating as much, but luckily this isn't a stomach bug. A little runny nose snot I can deal with, but I am not a huge fan of puke or diarrhea - I HATE them.

The saddest part is AJU5 so wanted to go to church today. Her friend has been sick twice in the last four weeks and missed another Sunday because her mom was sick. She started asking on Monday for her friend to stop "sicking" so they could play at church. They did play Wednesday night and Thursday night, but I guess it just isn't the same as Sunday morning. She so wants to stop "sicking," but she isn't completely understanding that it takes time and rest. Hopefully after today both kids can be healthy for a while so they don't have to miss each other...

Kids and Sports

A friend posted this story below on Facebook (although I am paraphrasing everything in the post and comments):

Daughter is on a volleyball team for 8 and 9 year olds (roughly 3rd grade). During the third game of a match last weekend, the opposing team's coach stopped the game and made her players do push ups. That team had won the first two games, but they ended up losing the third game.

I was just shocked by the post. I didn't start playing team sports (other than swim team and tennis) until fourth grade. You could do soccer or softball in our area younger, but basketball didn't start until fourth grade, and volleyball wasn't an option until middle school (seventh grade). Sports were always about fun for me. Yes, I really liked to win, but it wasn't what was most important (trying your hardest and doing your best while enjoying the sport was). I wanted to coach when I was in college (and before of course), but the summer between my junior and senior year made me reconsider. I decided to go to grad school at that point and just see where things led me after having a bad taste for athletics in my "home" state twice in three years. And it was all because winning was becoming too important. Oh, and as a coach, you also had to make sure you players liked you too. If your players didn't like you OR you didn't win enough, you could easily lose your job. I didn't want that pressure. And I think I made the right decision. This friend is in that same state. And think that at the 3rd grade level winning is that important already in the minds of some...

Only 33 Days Later

So, I have been a terrible blogger. Many of you already know why*. But, it needs to change.

So, here is a funny story from this morning.

AJU6 was in the bath for his morning nap (he LOVES baths). He was tired since he woke up about every two hours for some reason last night. He kept putting his head down in the bathtub (on the lip so he didn't drown himself). I offered to get out, and he would just smile and play for a second. A few times I reached in to get him, and he did not like that. Eventually I gave up and got him out. He was SO tired. I quickly got a diaper and shirt on him and put him to bed. This little guy is so stubborn it is funny at times!

Failure!

So, I still haven't been commenting on blogs as much as I want. And I wasn't going to post until I got better. But, I decided to "clean the deck" again and hopefully be more successful. I think the biggest issue I am having is that I am opening the posts on my desktop, but I am only spending maybe 10 minutes on it a day. With the laptop in the family room, I am using it 99% of the time (and using my phone to check Facebook and email other times). I am actually only using the desktop to do work grading, and that is fairly minimal.

So, now I am going to open the posts on the laptop and comment on them there. I just have to get used to typing standing up... But, hey - I will burn more calories this way!

In munchkin news, AJU5 is wearing dresses almost exclusively. Other than the couple of times we have insisted on jammies for bed (and truly, it has been 1-3 times), she hasn't worn anything but a dress (with pants some times) since Christmas. some days she goes through a few of them. Other times we have to force her to change after 48 hours in the same dress. This is SO not what we expected!

AJU6 is very demanding these days. And it is all because we can understand what he wants. he can get us to follow his commands to get him food. He can beg for the TV to be turned on. I don't remember AJU5 being quite this ... what is the word... not vocal per se but communicative. He is slowly getting words, but pointing, grunting, and making other noises is working for him. And I don't know how much I like it. But, he is only waking about once a night now, and all he wants is his paci (if he lost it) and some snuggles. So, I can live with this I guess...

A New Year's Resolution

Sorry I have been so terrible at commenting on blogs. I actually have 19 posts open right now, meaning to comment on them. I think there might be a few open on the laptop too. I blame the kids for half of it. It is almost impossible to type with one of them on the lap (and two is impossible), but I can use the mouse. Hence, I read posts and open them. But, then I never get back to commenting. Sometimes I do. But it is too rare. So, I need to set aside time each day to comment. Hopefully I can start today or tomorrow. If I make it a "rule" that I can't leave posts open over night, then maybe I will either comment or close them. When I get to 19 like I have now, it just seems to daunting to even start. I would have to really reread the posts at this point to remember everything and then think of a comment and post. Ugh.

In other news, the kids are doing fine. There is a daily battle of toys around here. They both want the same ones, and I have having to teach AJU5 that she can't just steal the toys out of AJU6's hands. And there are the times AJU6 is upset because AJU5 has the toy he wants, but luckily he is normally okay with trading. Except for yesterday when he was very mad at me for giving AJU5 Larry (the Cucumber) after his nap. I had to grab it out of his bed, so I didn't think he wanted it. AJU5 saw it wasn't in his hand, so she asked and I gave it to her. And he cried and fussed for a good 10-20 minutes. Luckily eventually she went to church with Daddy and he got Larry back (and took him to bed with him).

Too many toys

I think I got too many new toys for Christmas this year. My husband spoiled me with as laptop, smart phone, and a kinect for the family. Then my mom (and dad) got me a Silhouette SD. And I haven't had time to play with them all.

The kids got lots of puzzles and Veggie Tales dvds. I feel spoiled compared to them, but they are happy and don't know better...

Typed on smart phone...

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Santa and Some Randomness

Yeah, so I have post ideas, and then I just never open the Dashboard to write them. I get sidetracked with the kids, and don't comment on blogs as well (but rest assured I still read every post in my Google Reader and open most of them thinking I will comment later). Here is one topic I have been thinking about:

I am glad we haven't done the Santa thing. Reading and seeing things on Facebook makes me really glad we don't want the pictures of the kids with the jolly man. The lines. The grumpy Santas. The kids scared of the big man. Yeah, I don't think it is worth it. Now, there are some good pics of kids with Santa too. But, they are not the majority!

So why haven't we done Santa? Well, there was no way AJU5 would have had a picture with Santa before her first Christmas as she got home from the hospital 4 days before and was still on oxygen. Plus, it wasn't even on my radar that year, as I was still recovering from all the insanity that was her birth.

Then there is the whole lying/hiding/being secretive thing. I just don't think it is worth it. I want the kids to actually thank the person who got them things - and you can't really thank Santa... Okay, you could write a thank you card, but it isn't the same. And I am not great at being secretive anyways, so it would be difficult for me.

And then there is the part where we don't go all out at Christmas anyways. With their birthdays so close to Christmas, we only get them a few things. They get enough toys from family that they don't need more and won't really appreciate it, especially at this age.

And then at this age,t hey don't get it anyways really. AJU5 has been watching Saint Nicholas - the Veggie Tales version - a lot lately. Maybe she has a little idea that there is a person called Santa now. But, before that show she was completely clueless. She saw a few Santa decorations, and she thought they were Noah (since she has a few Noah books and a Noah Little People set). It would be a battle to get her to completely understand Santa even at 3, so it is just easier.

Now I just have to remember not to ruin it for my nephews that still believe. Last year I almost blew it because I was telling my sister how the kids only got a few things from us, including the things in the stockings. Luckily the boys weren't listening closely...

Wordless Wednesday - Birthday Present (Yesterday)