Since I missed my Monday Brags this week, I decided to link up with one of my blogger friends, Emmy Mom for her Proud Mommy Moments.
This week, Petey started swim lessons again. Do you remember last year? The first week, she cried every lesson and hated getting in the water with her teachers.
So we've been talking about it the past couple of months and she has been beyond excited. But I still wasn't sure how she would do once we got there.
On a side note, in the pool at my parents' house, she can almost swim by herself. Well technically, she can swim by herself but she doesn't remember to breathe when she comes up so we still have work to do. :)
Anyway, Tuesday was the first swim lesson of the summer (she's doing lessons all summer long).
Of course, I had to sneak in a picture of what her brother does while she swims. He colors, or reads, or cheers for her while she swims.
This was the very first day of lessons. As you can see, a little nervousness ensued and Petey wasn't quite ready to get in the water.
But those nerves turned into giggles when she got comfortable with her teachers and soon, she was peeking her head up to grin at me.
It did make me laugh when one of her instructors (who clearly was doing this for the first time) said, "Ok, do you want to get in the water and do back floats with me?" And Petey calmly replied, "No, thanks." and he just walked away, not knowing what to do. ha! I'm sure he'll learn from the other instructor who then went over and said, "Ok, time to do your back floats!" and just put Petey in the water. Our girl didn't even complain. I think she just figured if they were giving her a choice, she was deciding not to float on her back. :)
This last picture is from yesterday. She did SO well! Not only did she willingly lay on her back and practice kicking across the water but she kept telling the instructors, "I can swim by myself! Let go and let me swim to the side." and they did, and she did swim to the side by herself, and they were impressed.
I'm so proud to have such a big, brave girl! I was regretting my decision to sign her up for swim lessons every darn week of the summer because it's hot and some days, I know I just won't want to leave my air conditioned home but after seeing how much she loves her lessons and how much she's learning, it is worth it. :)
And that's how Suze brags about her super awesome children.
Often times, this is what I say when I'm finished yelling. They do crazy things that catch me off guard and I resort to yelling more often than not, especially if their craziness results in a mess or inflicting pain on someone else.
But I hate yelling. I hate the way I feel when I yell and I hate the look on my kids faces.
I've made "no yell" charts for myself before and tried other things but I've just gotten so used to yelling!
So when I came across this article entitled "12 Ways to Yell Less and Have More Fun Parenting", I knew we needed to make some big changes and I had hope that change is possible! Luckily, my kids are still pretty young and hopefully they can remember me as a peacemaker and not a yeller.
(Seriously, I have no idea why the above paragraph is shaded...I must've done something but I didn't mean to!)
I love the ideas in the article of ways to help us moms yell less and love more. I'm sure each of us can relate to one of the steps she says to follow. For me, I definitely struggle with planning ahead. I have these wonderful dreams of always having snacks and activities packed for when my children are out and about (Most recently, it's been remembering to pack snacks/activities for Spidey while he has to sit in a stroller and watch his sister have fun at her swim lessons.) but I just never seem to make it happen!
I remember my sister once telling me that I always had the mom bag, filled with fun things for kids and snacks in case anyone is hungry. And it's sort of true. There was a time in my life, a time when we were better off than we are right now, when I always stocked up on prepackaged snacks so I could grab them when we needed to run somewhere in a hurry. But that can't really be an excuse. If anything, all that means is that we are healthier eaters because we have less money. :) If I am going to take the time to prepackage my own food, I'm going to make it fruits and veggies or other healthier snacks.
I also yell more often when I'm not engaging myself in what the kids are doing. Obviously, they get into less trouble when I'm playing with them instead of on the computer or doing chores around the house. Also, if I am upset about something that has happened that they cannot even control, I find it harder to keep my emotions in check. But I have to! I have to remember that my bad moods don't need to affect them.
I often remind my husband that our kids are going to act how we act. How will they ever learn to have patience if we yell within seconds of them doing something wrong? We have to teach by example and be the type of people that we want them to model. They are not going to just turn into well behaved, obedient, patient children if we don't literally teach them what it means to be well behaved, obedient, and patient. We have to be what we want them to be.
Is anyone else feeling the pressure? Because I certainly am.
In a perfect world, we would all be on the floor playing with our kids 24/7, never yelling, teaching them how to be good people day in and day out...but reality is not perfect and we can't be perfect. Try as we may, we won't achieve perfection in this life and that's ok!
My very favorite part of the above article was this: "Most of all, if you do yell, be a good role model and apologize, forgive yourself, and try again next time."
Even though we can't be perfect, we can pick ourselves up and try to do better every day. That is definitely my top priority right now; to do better than I did yesterday. I always want to be moving forward in the right direction and I want to make sure my kids understand that though I'm not perfect, I am trying to be a good mother.
Since my "baby girl" is 4 now, we got her in to the dentist for her first cleaning and xrays!
We talked about it the whole morning and I explained what was going to happen. She was excited to go but made me promise I would hold her hand. :) When we got in the room, she got to put on some fun sunglasses so the bright light wouldn't hurt her eyes.
I held her hand for a while but when Spidey needed me for a minute, I let go and she sat through it all just fine. I was so proud! She giggled when they put the water in her mouth and suctioned it up. She kept closing her mouth on purpose because she thought it was funny.
Here she is with super clean teeth and the most beautiful smile.
The best part was the very end when she got a Belle toothbrush, 2 stickers, some lip gloss, and some pink heart sunglasses. Can you say spoiled? She really lucked out.
She had NO cavities, which made me happy since neither Boss or I have great teeth. We were told to start flossing every day, which she loves and SHE reminds me about at the end of every day.
The only issue that came up was the fact that her mouth is crowded. Sarcastically, I'd say I was shocked but I wasn't. My mouth is super crowded. I'm still waiting for the day when we can afford to get me braces and I'll get to look like a 14 year old mother of 2. :)
Then, it was Spidey's turn.
Oh that boy. Since he's only 2, they planned on just looking in his mouth and being done but he did so well that she cleaned his teeth as well! I think because he watched Petey loving it, he decided it had to be fun. Of course, he also loved the sunglasses. Doesn't he just look so small on that big chair? His feet barely go past the back of the chair. He actually cried when it was over because he wanted to keep riding on the chair.
The only problem with Spidey's teeth is that they are apparently more crowded than Petey's. Darn...
I was hoping they wouldn't say that but since his are worse, I was told to start flossing his teeth if he will let me. I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't even tried it yet but it's only been 2 days. I'll try and remember tonight. :)
It's crazy how grown up my kids are. We are scheduled to go back in 6 months and because Spidey did so well at 2 yrs old, they have him scheduled for a regular cleaning and xrays just like his big sis! I just find it funny that when Petey went at the age of 3, she barely let them look in her mouth so they didn't clean her teeth at all. I guess that is a perk of being a younger sibling. The older one tries something out and shows you it isn't scary!
I'm so proud of my big, little kiddos! They are much braver than their mom. I still hate the dentist, even just for a cleaning. Hopefully they don't grow to hate it as much as I do.
I'm having a hard morning...really, a hard couple of days. My hormones are all over the place. I've figured out it's because I've been lazy taking my birth control and the past week, it's more common that I skip a night and take two the next night. Not good.
I know I say everything's better and that infertility doesn't run my life and it's true. But just because it just doesn't run my life does not mean I won't be faced with hard days; days where I dream about being pregnant or holding my own tiny baby in my arms. It seems so unreachable at this point but I try to not give up hope.
There are many days I love just having my two kids. Their independence is exciting and depressing all at the same time. It is a lot easier not having to do everything for my kids, having them both using the bathroom, being able to entertain themselves when I need a break, etc. But on the other hand, I dont want them to grow up! They're getting too big.
I know I'm crazy and it's probably messing up my child but when Spidey comes up to me and says, "Me da baby." and curls up in my arms, I always agree with him. And when he wants the binky he never took as a baby for 2 minutes, I let him. And when he needs me for just about anything, I'm right there. I understand he wont need me forever and that makes me sad. I know I'm spoiling him but he's my baby! He may be 4.5 months away from turning 3 but he is my baby!
Often times, even when it's my big girly wanting to snuggle or have some "baby time", I just let her. I let her because the past 4 years have gone by way too fast and I know someday I'll look back and think age 4 was a baby age, whereas right now it seems old!
Over the weekend, I didn't turn on the computer a single time. I was with my family, not just in the same home as them. I've tried so hard to stay off the computer more often because I really have better days when I'm focusing more on my children and playing with them. They are actually way more entertaining than the computer anyway. :)
I know my unbalanced hormones are playing a part in this sad realization of my not-so-little children but at least it helps me realize their importance and appreciate this time I have with them. They are only going to be little for so long and I don't want to miss out on that.
And on that note, it's time to sign off of the computer. :)
We had a family party for Petey this past Saturday. She requested it be a Pinkalicious party, which was easy enough since we just made everything pink. :)
The food table. Nothing too fancy but we tried.
Petey wanted PB&J's so we did those, plus egg salad and chicken salad sandwiches.
I dyed the lemons pink and put them in the pink lemonade.
Boss' brothers really love my camera. Cant you tell? :) And yes, I did try to make a cute background with streamers and balloons but the tape I used wasn't strong and they kept falling down!
It was so nice to have both our families come a bit early and help with the food and setting up tables/chairs.
This picture may be a bit blurry but Petey was just so excited and jumping around, waiting for everyone to show up.
Petey said she was cold so I let her lay down with a big blanket until people showed up. :)
Almost everyone that was invited showed up and we had a full house...literally. Petey asked about 20 times when she could open her presents and finally, after we were done eating, it was time!
Grandma and Grandpa got her a Minnie Mouse backpack, super cute Mickey shaped earrings and a necklace, a dress, shirt, and new light up shoes!
Boss' friends, Ryan and Kaitlin, got Petey a cute pink dress and a little kitty that purrs and moves it's tail when you pet it (it is not a real kitty...battery operated :).
Boss' aunt and uncle got our girl Princess shrinky dinks. I've never done them before and they're really cool! Boss helped Petey make some later that day and now she has a cute charm bracelet with them on it.
My sister, Jamie (and her family), got Petey a cute purple bear, some lip gloss, lotion and perfume (which Spidey has already successfully shattered...it was made out of glass).
Boss' other aunt and uncle got Petey a magetic dress up Princess set. She loves it!
My other sister, Karin and her husband, got Petey a Tinkerbell toothbrush holder and a sun catcher.
Nana and Papa got her some adorable dresses, a matching purse, and a Princess book.
We had forgotten about a certain present we got for our girl so she opened Chutes and Ladders from us.
Then it was time for the birthday girl to blow out her candles. I accidentally put 3 candles on it until someone asked if I did that on purpose. I guess I was in denial that my baby girl is 4 now!
Success! She blew them out in one try.
The best part of blowing out the candles is when it's over and you get to eat the "Pinkalicious" cupcake.
That afternoon, she painted her sun catcher...
...and put it up in the window.
Boss played Chutes and Ladders later that day. Petey loves games and since she got a few of them, we have been busy playing games all week.
I had to take a picture of Petey on Sunday morning. We bought her this dress for her birthday and I think it's beautiful! Definitely one of my favorites on her right now. :)
That night at dinner with my family, we celebrated Boss' birthday.
The kids were very excited for him to open his present from my parents. :)
They got him new church pants and some surprises ($$$) in the pockets. :) He really needed new church clothes so this was the perfect gift.
It was a fabulous weekend and I am so glad we have so much family who support and love us and our children.
He is a protector. He is always making sure our children are safe and that I am safe also. If I hear a noise in the middle of the night, it takes one tiny nudge and he will pop out of bed to make sure everything is ok (as opposed to the mornings, when it takes him 30min to get up :). He will kill bugs for me, teach me safety skills of my own, and I bet he'd even fight for me if he needed to.
He adores me. I know, it sounds vain, but I am lucky to have him always there to build me up when I want to break down. He isn't perfect and he certainly isn't the most sensitive person I've ever met but he tries and that counts more than enough in my book.
He is so silly! He is always doing things that make me laugh. I can remember this particular day. I honestly don't know where our kids were (but they were probably with my mom). We went outside and were both doing tricks on the swings. I remember laughing so hard my stomach hurt. I love that he makes that happen. I love that he makes me laugh often.
He is a kid magnet. Not only do our kids look up to him, so many kids at church or in our family love to be around him. When we were in charge of the 18mo-3 year olds at church, most of the kids preferred him over me. He is just so fun!
He is willing to do un-manly things if it makes his daughter smile. He has painted her toe nails, done her hair, etc and doesn't even complain about it. He is such a good dad for both kids but I have been pleasesantly surprised with how well he treats our daughter. She is a princess in his eyes.
He loves his family. It's not hard to be entertained when all of his family gets together...
...did you need proof? (Yes, they try to tickle Aaron until he pees his pants. Apparently, they've been successful before. Too bad Aaron is as big and probably stronger than he is now.) Him and his brothers are often found wrestling or tickling each other. He really has a deep love for his family and I love that about him. He worries about his siblings and tries to be aware of the things that are going on in their lives.
He is a super awesome dad to his son. He teaches him how to treat us girls but he also teaches him fun "manly" things like getting dirty, wrestling, and whatever else men do. :) I may not always understand the things he loves but I love that he has things to love.
My husband is amazing. He loves others. It seems like he is always helping someone else because he just loves to be there for people. I am proud that he is mine and that I am his.
Today wasn't the best birthday he's ever had (He's been gone at work ALL day.) but we are celebrating more tomorrow and I hope to make it a fun date night.
I figured I needed to get her birthday post done since Boss' birthday is tomorrow and Petey has a family birthday party planned for this Saturday.
Last night, I decided to blow up a bunch of balloons and throw them on the floor in Petey's room. I also covered her door in streamers so she would be surprised when she opened the door. Though I did not take any pictures, I did take a cute video of her discovering her surprise this morning.
Then it was time to open presents. Since we woke Boss up before he left for work, we were nice and just loaded the presents onto our bed so he could rest a little bit longer. :)
Spidey picked out 3 distinct gifts for Petey that were all perfect! I was so proud of him for choosing on his own and actually thinking of things that she would love. He picked an Izzy dress up (Jake and the Neverland Pirates is one of her favorite shows.),
a WordWorld dvd (also her favorite show), and a Preschool learning book. He just wanted to get her a book and when I showed him that one, he agreed.
Hugs for her brother. She was so happy with what he got her. It was adorable to see her thankful to him and see him light up and remembering picking those special things out for her.
From us, Petey got the game Guess Who, which is a game she loves playing at Grandma's house. This newer version is actually a bit harder for a 4 yr old to play but we played a couple of times and she's already getting the hang of it.
I LOVE the expression on her face here. SIX months ago, Petey asked for a pink car for her birthday. I was thinking a matchbox car like her brother's and I couldn't understand why she would want that (she doesn't play with his cars). She was stuck on it and wouldn't budge. She was specific about it being a pink car so we ended up finding a cute pink Barbie car for her Barbies and she loved it!
She did have a set back 2 hours after opening presents where she said, "Mom, I didnt want a Barbie car! I just wanted a regular pink car!" I had to explain gratitude and kind of hype up her Barbie car and she's back to loving it now. :)
This picture is of one shirt but we got her summer clothes since she actually grew out of her 2T shirts! Finally...at the age of 4... :)
She also got some fun little randoms, including a purple sequined hat (one of her birthday requests was "something purple"),
dress up shoes,
and star sunglasses (they came in a set so Spidey got some too!).
In her birthday interview, Petey's favorite food was waffles so that is what we had for breakfast.
Spidey wanted to sing happy birthday to his sister and I took a short video. He is seriously the cutest little boy!
Then it was time to get dressed in her "birthday girl" shirt and head out for a day of fun.
We started at Toys R Us since Petey is part of the birthday club and gets a $3 gift card on her birthday. They also give you a balloon and a special crown. She loves it! She picked out these little pom poms and when we got home this afternoon, she said, "Look, daddy! Im practicing to be a cheerleader!" (He just about had a heart attack.)
Then it was off to Liberty Market for some FREE birthday food. We got there a bit earlier than lunchtime so we all shared 1 pancake, 2 eggs and some bacon. It didnt fill us up but that's ok because right next door to Liberty Market is...
...Joe's Real BBQ. By the time we arrived to Joe's, it was lunchtime and we had plenty of food to share between the 3 of us.
After a yummy lunch, we headed to the $2 theater to see Chipmunks: Chipwrecked. Petey loves the movie and had requested that we see a movie today.
Spidey is so lucky. He got to have a super fun special day too and it wasn't even his birthday!
They loved the movie and we had a great time.
Since the movie theater is right next to the mall, we headed there to play in the kids play area.
When we were done, I asked Petey if there was anything else she would like to do on her birthday and she convinced me to do a little clothes shopping. (A girl after my heart...) I let her pick out 2 new dresses and she loved it since she doesnt usually get to pick out her clothes.
We had a motly quiet afternoon and played dress up and watched a movie together while the boys napped (Boss got off work a little earlier than normal.). Petey loves her pirated costume and pom poms and I had to take a video. She was making up the funniest little song and dancing around.
Lucky birthday girl got to change into one of her new dresses before we headed out, just the two of us, for dinner at Joe's Farm Grill. She's such a cutie.
She ordered pizza and a strawberry milkshake and loved it.
All in all, I'd say this was one successful birthday. She had a fun fun FUN day and I'm glad we could make that happen for her.
I really am having a hard time believing that my baby girl has been mine for 4 years now but it's true! And I wouldn't have it any other way.
