Laid Back Sunday

It has been a beautiful day today - a little chilly, but nice and sunny for a change! We went to breakfast and then I took the kids out to Bowie park (Lance had to work). Some friends of ours happened to be out there too, so we spent time playing on the playground, feeding the ducks, and enjoying some outdoor time!!! Yesterday was a bit colder (even though we did manage to eat ice cream), so it was back to the Chick Fil A play area and then playing at home after dance class.

Katie is really cracking me up today, even though I have to try to hide my amusement since she is being pretty bad! She didn't make it to the bathroom in time after we got home, but didn't tell me. She just went to the bathroom, stripped off her clothes and then went to find something else to wear. When I asked her why she needed to change she tried to tell me "I just felt like it" but then she ran out of the room and held the door closed trying to keep me from leaving. When I discovered her accident (and got around her superior blocking efforts) she told me "no big deal mom, they were dirty from the park anyway." Then, just now when I was uploading pictures and thought they were playing contentedly with the kitchen in the dining room she comes running up to me and says "who is that upstairs, mom." I jumped up freaking out thinking that someone was in our house (since Lance is still at work), and ordered her to go out the back door before I realized that Tyler was missing. I yelled up for him with no answer and I ran up the stairs to find him hiding under the ottoman in the playroom (he told me he was looking for a flashlight and tried really hard to distract me from the fact that he is not supposed to climb the stairs by himself). Only after my heart rate got back to normal did I realize that Katie was being a little tattle tale AND that she had told Tyler to go upstairs to get the flashlight so they could "look for monsters." Turnabout is fair play, though, since Tyler has a repertoire of "bad" words (not all of them really bad words, just things I don't want them saying) and is always finding creative ways to get Katie to say them and then he is quick to tell on her or make sure I heard her!

I think I have mentioned in other posts that I have given up on fashion with Katie. I let her dress as she wishes most days, and try to embrace that it is a good thing that she thinks she looks fabulous and isn't afraid to stand out. So, that is the reason behind this "perfect" playground ensemble :)!They had a blast at the park! It has been a while since we have been able to get out and they are bigger and more fearless now so it seemed all new!

These little cut-out things are fun now, too because they are definitely in the play pretend stage and can imagine being all the animals depicted, in this case, appropriately, two little turkeys (I think)!

ABC's and 123's!

Well, we did end up getting to go to dinner last Friday and it was great! The kids had a lot of fun at Monkey's Treehouse for Parent's Night Out and we enjoyed a delicious meal, even if we were a little nervous the whole time about the kiddos! Unfortunately, there isn't another Parents Night scheduled anytime soon, but at least now we know that it is doable. We can't fit in dinner and a movie in the time that they keep them, and there are a few we want to see, so maybe this is a step in the right direction for convincing Lance that it might just be ok to get a sitter once in a while if the evening plans aren't too expensive!

Katie impressed me last night and I just had to share. She has been working hard on her letters and numbers, trying to keep up with her brother (who unfortunately is still pretending he doesn't know them anymore unless Katie gets it wrong and he thinks he should correct her). When we were reading at bedtime yesterday she got every letter right (with just a little help on three or four), and counted all of the items on the pages! She was so proud, and I was too! I am very pleased with what they are learning in terms of the curriculum, and they are developing friendships and have great relationships with their teachers and classmates. I still have worries, though, because I don't think it is appropriate for children their age to know about "jail," or to turn toys into "guns," or to be exposed to some things that unfortunately their classmates know way too much about. I know that they will be exposed to all of that stuff eventually and could be even at a different school, but they are so impressionable at this stage and in the next year and that is what makes me nervous. Still, though, I can't find any preschool programs that are affordable for two of them that would be any better, so I am just going to try to be more proactive in talking to them and making sure that they tell me things that I may need to correct or clarify. In the long run, I think they are getting a great education that will give them a great start in school, and I am getting an education on letting go and not being such a worry wart!

We did break down and get a camera charger so look for pictures in future posts!

Date Night (!).......Maybe

We received a gift certificate to one of our favorite restaurants for Christmas (thank you Ray Ray and So So), and have been anxious to have the opportunity to enjoy some good food and not have to worry about telling little ones to sit down, or to use an inside voice, or that they "better actually have to use the bathroom this time." So, when we saw that a place nearby was having a Parents Night Out we decided that it would be fun for the kids and give us the chance to squeeze in dinner. So we made reservations and got the kids signed up, and then last night started trying to plan logistically when Lance admitted that he was nervous and wasn't sure if he wanted to go. That, in turn, made me anxious because his fears aren't completely unfounded (people we don't know watching the children in an active environment with lots of other children). I am torn - I know the kids will have a great time, and I know that we will enjoy some time together than doesn't involve a basketball gym or stadium BUT, I don't really want to spend the money (for the Parents Night Out) and then sit and worry the whole time while we are trying to enjoy our meal. We may just call it off and try to plan something around my birthday when hopefully we can do some advanced planning and find someone that Lance is more comfortable with watching the kids (aka - family - :)).

Nothing much else planned for the weekend. Katie still has dance class for the next couple of months, but other than that there is a chance of snow on Sunday which means cold, dreary and rainy (not even going to get my hopes up that it will be snow instead of rain) so we will either head back over to Monkey Joe's or find something to do indoors. I can't wait for it to get a little warmer so we can start playing outside and going to the zoo again, although Lance took a job with a new company and has to work on Saturday and Sundays now and my tennis season starts mid-March so I don't know how we are going to do it all! Katie will have dance class right when my tennis matches will be and Lance will need to be at work on Saturdays before I am back from tennis and Tyler isn't old enough to watch himself - I guess we are going to get some practice learning how to juggle lots of activities which I am sure is in our future as the kids get older. Either that, or we need to get better at asking for help! We still haven't located the camera charger so we'll have to continue to make do with poor quality pictures, but if we get into anything fun this weekend I'll be sure to snap a few!

Tyler completed his participation in the Vanderbilt research study yesterday. He did great and told me repeatedly that he had a good day. He really enjoyed being there and you could tell he felt like a big kid and was proud of himself (and he really likes the dinosaur prize he got at the end). He is back to doing his shy thing where he hides his face and clings to either Lance or me, but for some reason he was just chatty and open with the doctors and researchers over there. He got to eat lunch with me and Lance, So So and Ray Ray after his appointment and was having a really special day until he realized that we were in fact going to school. He tells me he doesn't like school (other than saying that he does like the playing outside part), and is resistant to go pretty much everyday - BUT he never wants to leave when I pick him up in the afternoons so I am thinking it's not that bad :)! Spending one on one time with Tyler is always fun because you really get to talk to and listen to him and the way he interprets things and sees the world is funny and interesting, and often makes you stop and think too. He is very matter-of-fact and isn't afraid to tell other children on the playground, or in his class, or even adults how things should be done, or what they should or shouldn't be doing. A boy who was about 6 years old at Chic fil a was being mean and Tyler told him "it's not nice to do that," his teacher was having trouble with something and Tyler finally looked at her and said "what are you trying to do, you need to ask for help" (something we tell him all the time to try to keep him from getting frustrated), and the funniest was yesterday when he was trying to tell me something and Katie just kept talking and talking (and he had been reprimanded the night before for saying shut up and then saying be quiet meanly) and he looked at her and said "Katie, you need to slow your mouth down!" They are too funny and I know I need to remember these times when they are fighting over a chance to talk to me since I am sure there will come a time when I am begging them to tell me what they think and how they spent their day!

Saturday Fun!

Today has already been a big day for the kids! Lance and Tyler went to College Game Day at Memorial Gym in preparation for the big game against Kentucky tonight.

Katie had dance class this morning and although they haven't gotten their costumes yet, they are talking about the recital in May and getting excited!

This afternoon they are headed to So-So and Ray's Ray's so Lance and I can go to the game. They humored us by saying Go Vandy, but they are much more excited about playing with their grandparents!

We think we left the camera charger in Gatlinburg, so the pictures are really poor quality from the ipod. The kids love it though, because they can take their own picture!

Strong-Willed!

I should have expected it, but just as soon as I had the thought that "this is a good stage" in terms of the behavior of the kids - things changed! Katie was in "time-out" for about 20 minutes yesterday after what started as a 3 minute stint. A minute was added on every time she got out of time-out, yelled or hit (the original offense). My awesome hubby who has willingly done dinner, baths and bedtime many nights the last few weeks while I have played tennis and done bootcamp, was the enforcer this time. I usually put her in her room after a couple of times of her getting out of the designated spot, but the walls and doors in our house have really taken a beating lately and they are inevitably kicked and pounded if she is put in her room to "cool down." Lance is better at staying calm and just putting her back in her spot and telling her that is another minute (when I would be shrieking and yelling even though I know I shouldn't - I guess I know where she gets it). She certainly has a temper, and her willpower will serve her well eventually, but right now it is patience testing!

Tyler doesn't openly defy us as much as Katie, but he certainly is displaying his displeasure lately. He is still whining more than usual, and will throw himself down to have a temper tantrum when things frustrate him or don't go his way. We went through a spell a while back where we told him that we couldn't "hear" whining and that seemed to work so we may need to go back to that and the ignore method to reinforce that "big boys do not whine." I am still a bit concerned about Tyler and school, but I know I shouldn't be. He knows all of his letters, letter sounds, numbers, colors, shapes, etc. but lately has started acting like he doesn't. He will either think it is funny to say the wrong thing, or act like he doesn't know it with a sly grin (unless Katie is trying to tell us something that he knows is wrong and then he "helps" her, much to her chagrin). I think there are two big reasons - one is that he is just discovering humor and is a silly little boy who thinks making up words, and giving silly answers is hilarious. The other is that I think he is just over it. He knows the lessons that are being taught and is ready to move on, but the rest of the class still needs to focus on letters, sounds and numbers. So, he is entertaining himself in lieu of being challenged to learn anything new.

I have to apologize, again, for a pictureless post. As I mentioned above, Lance has virtually been a single parent the last two weeks and we haven't had much time during the week or otherwise to do much of anything. This weekend, though, the kids are visiting So-So and Ray-Ray (YEAH) while we go to the Kentucky/Vandy game, so I can't make any promises for the next posts - but SOON!

Princess Dance Camp!

For the most part I don't hate working full-time and the kids seem to enjoy school, but I do regret that there are some really fun things that happen during my working hours that we just can't do. I thought we were going to have to pass on Princess Dance Camp this summer (which I know Katie will just love), but I think we might be able to work it out. It is from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and just for that week I am thinking about taking Katie out of school and having Lance pick her up (just don't know what his schedule will be at that time) and I can probably drop her off. I am so excited that we might be able to find a way for her to do the camp, because I know she will absolutely love it. The princess camp comes highly recommended and our friends with girls say that it is the best experience for little ones who love to dance and play dress-up (sounds like Katie). We weren't able to coordinate swim lessons since they are at 5:00 and I can't really get there by then, but hopefully we can fit it in when work slows down a bit (ha) and I won't have as much trouble leaving a bit early. If all else fails, dance class ends in May and then we could do the Saturday class.

Tyler participated in an autism study last week (as a "typically developing" comparison) and goes back next week to finish up. He did so well answering the questions and playing games and the doctors and researchers just loved him. He was so full of himself, but it was pretty cute. The lady who was doing the assessment asked him if he was a silly boy and he said "no, but my daddy is" and then said "I'm actually a handsome boy!" Wonder where he heard that - ha ha - I tell him he is my handsome boy all the time because one time he got upset when someone called Katie a pretty girl and didn't tell him he was a pretty boy! The study requires him to lay still with his arms by his side for 30 minutes and we are supposed to practice that for the next session with the scanner sounds cd they gave us (haven't quite found time for that yet, either). She said we could put a movie on since that is what they will do there (they are surprisingly still not that captivated by movies, though), but we discovered some crazy (worse than Yo Gabba Gabba) show this week - Lazytown - that they absolutely love and that might do the trick to keep him still since it is mesmerizing for some reason to them. I am going to try to see if I can get a dvd copy to take with us.

Nothing, however, mesmerizes them quite as much as the Leapfrog games, though. They love those things (and we are seriously regretting not getting the same one for them since they fight over who gets the "good" one) and are doing pretty well figuring them out. I think they have really helped Katie with her letters and numbers, and especially with drawing and writing letters. We ultimately want to get them the tablet style Leapfrog, so we are trying not to spend a lot on games and accessories for these, and don't want to get another of the kind that they like best because we are probably going to replace them next Christmas, or maybe their birthdays. It is hard, though, because I know they would be just as happy if we got another like the one Tyler already has and then they could play the same games at the same time. We got Katie a different one because it was supposed to be better for younger children, but had no idea that she would love a game that is only available on the one Tyler has! The tablet one has a camera, plays music, and is more touch than controller based so I do think that will be the best option eventually and we will just deal with the arguing over who gets to play Mr. Pencil now! Katie is learning to draw letters in one of the games and just yesterday drew me a picture at school with an "n," "o" and "t." She is really coming along with learning letters, and even sounds and is ahead of Tyler in being able to write them, and I do think it is a combination of those games and her being competitive and getting tired of hearing Tyler praised for knowing them! Tyler enjoys the e-books (and they are great for sight words which I think is the next step for him), and they both really like the building/drawing/coloring/shape game that happens to just work on one of the games (we have one Leapster Explorer and one Leapster 2). I like that the games are really good at reinforcing shapes, colors, problem solving, basic vocabulary, etc. so I will deal with zombie kids in the car and try to make sure they aren't playing with them too much beyond that!

We had a good weekend, but didn't take any pictures :(. We went to dinner with So-So and Ray, went to one of our favorite breakfast places in Leipers Fork and had ice cream! Sounds like a lot of food now that I write it out and makes me realize why no pictures were taken - we were too busy eating! I was still sore yesterday after boot camp on Thursday, and I played tennis last night (yeah) and have boot camp tonight again so I don't imagine we will have any big plans the rest of the week since I will undoubtedly be whining and complaining about not being able to move (boot camp is serious), but hopefully this weekend will have something fun in store!

Go here, go there!

I never would have imagined that we'd need to employ elaborate planning to keep up with the schedule when the kids were just three years old, but it sure seems like organization will be key in the next few months! Katie is still enrolled in dance class (and absolutely loves it). She will have a recital in May and classes every Saturday up until then. Tyler is begging to go back to Tumble Tots, and we may after a session of preschool swim lessons. We are anxious to get them swim lessons because they love the water and we love taking them swimming, but would be more comfortable if they had a little training in water without us and especially some safety lessons from someone in addition to us! Those start next week and I must admit that I am nervous as well as excited - it will be hard to watch them and not be in the water to hold and guide them! We have talked about doing soccer and the kids say they want to, but we will see since I hear a lot of people say three is too young for organized sports. To top it all off, my tennis season starts soon and I am enrolling in a boot camp (eek) at the Y starting this week. Lance's business has picked up some (woohoo), and getting everyone where they want and need to be will probably be challenging in the next few months, but I think it is good for all of us to get to play and enjoy hobbies and in the case of the kids, find new interests.

I still have the lingering stress of trying to figure out the school situation, but after calling everyone and getting information from all places with PK and Jr. Kindergarten I just don't know how we can swing it. Even the metro PK program at the elementary school they will attend is pretty expensive when you factor in two children (even though it is at a public school they do charge for PK), and the equally as taxing expense of after care. It seems that most people I know have both parents working, but none of the programs (at schools or the Y) seem to be very working parent friendly. The PK programs end at 2:00 or 3:00 and then charge an arm and a leg for aftercare, and all of the things at the Y start at 5:00, which is pretty difficult to get to when I am not even off work until then! I will still probably try to get them into the PK program at the elementary school by our house and if they get in see what we can work out in terms of before and after care (I may be able to switch around my work schedule to get done a little earlier if need be). Who knows, maybe by then we will have won the lottery :) (although I guess we need to start playing in order to win)!