Thankful Thursday

I am thankful that school vacation is over and the kids are back at school. I seriously don’t know how people can home school. If you’re a home schooler, then you must have an abundance of patience. I had tons of patience to teach classrooms full of other people’s kids (kids who didn’t speak English), but my own kids? No thank you.

I am thankful that Stella loved going to school. She was nervous, but mostly excited. She had a great time while she was there and apparently met a boy. The high school girls loved her, seriously how can you not love Stella and all her flair?

I am thankful that my kids get along (most of the time). They are each other’s best friend; they always have someone to play with. I think that was why Teddy was so traumatized by Stella going to school while he was home; he has never been home without one of the girls.

I am thankful that Stella has begun to put her clean clothes away without a grand mal tantrum. Considering I have done loads of laundry that consist of 98% of her clothes, you can imagine how much work she has to do when the laundry basket is brought up to her room. Her next step would be to get them in the drawer a bit neater, but right now I’ll take it.

I am thankful that the kids’ rooms are upstairs and I don’t have to see the destruction unless I go up there. They must to have set a speed record for messing up three bedrooms and a hallway. At least the dog can easily find a quick chew toy when she wants; there is an abundance of Barbie shoes and crayons for her to choose from.

Stella Goes to School

Well today’s the day, Stella is going to high school. Yup, she starts high school at four years old, she’s that advanced. Well it’s really the Playschool at the high school. If you ask Teddy, he will be quick to tell you that. He does not want her skipping way ahead of him and Maizie because, “That’s just not fair.”

Last night she decided on what outfit she was going to bring for her “accident outfit”. (A concept that has been explained to Teddy several times) I told her to make sure it was an outfit she doesn’t want to wear too often because it has to stay at school in her cubbie. She made a quick choice, choosing her panties took a lot longer. “Really Stella, what’s the problem here? No one is going to see your panties. Pick a pair.” I wrote her name on it and sealed it in a bag. She swiftly put it in her LaLaLoopsy backpack (for three years I’ve had to buy her a new one, finally she gets to use one for school).

I'm ready to go!

I woke her up and she asked if she could have an energy drink (instant breakfast) because she had to go to school. She was a bit nervous, but she was mostly excited; Teddy was a whole other story. He kept saying, “I’m so excited for Stella I might cry,” as his chin is quivering. I’m thinking, bullshit you’re going to cry because you’re going to miss your little sister. Teddy was on repeat all morning; I think he was trying to convince himself not to cry.

He has to give her a big hug...BTW she's a normal sized 4yr old, he's 18mo older.

Stella gets all dolled up and is ready for her photo shoot; everyone gets one the first day of school. We all pile in the car and drive the three whole blocks to the high school. We decide it’s best if Teddy stays in the car with Ted while I bring Stella inside, no one wants to see a giant big brother blubbering (it’s not pretty…it happened with Maizie).

First day photo shoot

The teacher looks at her and said, “This must be Stella.” She just has a certain aura about her or possibly her leopard coat, who else but someone named Stella would wear something like that? She started scoping out the join and she spotted them, the dolls. Then she though, this place is going to work out just fine. She decided to start with blocks and chatted up the boy on the rug and the high school girl with him. When it was time for me to leave, I could hardly get her attention.

The time she was there went by quickly, good thing I looked at the clock or else I might have missed pick up (I may have to set the alarm on my phone in the future). When I get there, she is elbow deep in babies. She feeding one and putting another one to sleep. She then went to wash the “silverware”. I’ve got plenty of silverware you can wash if you’re so inclined. She didn’t even notice me.

This will be her favorite section for sure

She loved it and the girls in the class loved her. She told me about the scavenger hunt, the project they did and how she had show much fun and she couldn’t wait to get home to tell Teddy.

Her first school project

What Happened to My Kids?

Over vacation something happened to my kids. Of course they made huge messes, didn’t listen, came into the room to fart and leave (tiniest Kraus) but although they got on my nerves, it wasn’t as intense as it usually is. I didn’t offer them up on Craig’s list this week (just kidding, I’ve never done that…I’ve thought it).

My mantra last week was “Upstairs or downstairs”. They have their three bedrooms upstairs and they have the basement, there are plenty of places to play, right on my ass wasn’t an option last week. I did notice that as soon as I made my bed it became a trampoline. That gave them another room to play and watch TV. Each day I made it a little later and later, until I just had Stella make it. (She claims she can’t make her toddler bed, but managers to do a very good job making my king size bed.)

During the week they weren’t even hounding me for snacks; a couple of days that lead to hangry outbursts from Maizie. Since nobody was complaining they were hungry, I lost track of time and dinner was late quite a few times. One night she had a grand mal hangry tantrum and had to be put in isolation, at dinner she ate HALF of the casserole (6 helpings), this from a girl we have to convince to even try dinner. Then she was fine.

More proof of a body snatch, I gave the kids their laundry baskets and Stella (the fashionista) had two. She put her clothes away, without complaining; this has NEVER happened. Teddy also put his away without being asked a second, third or fourth time (more proof). Then they both carried their basket back to the basement instead of just tossing them down the stairs (Teddy’s guilty of that).

Yesterday Teddy woke me up at 3:30am crying because he was sad about going back to school, this from the kid I need to convince to take a sick day. Then there was evidence of normalcy when Maizie came in and asked if she had school tomorrow. When I told her yes, that just set off another tantrum with a blizzard of F-bombs, then things got strange again, she got over it. She got her clothes out for school and finished her homework without me telling her.

This morning started out with Maizie coming down stairs all dressed for school (in the outfit she picked last night) and she drank her instant breakfast without me rushing her along. Then it turned normal again; she could find her shoes, had to keep reminding her to brush her teeth and the car shut off because it was running too long.

There was a bit of the "usual" around here last week.

Are we back to “normal”? Time will tell.

Thankful Thursday

It's time for me to be thankful...

I am thankful I don’t live in Little House on the Prairie times. Man it must have sucked to live back then, no wonder everyone died so young. They died of boredom. During the blizzard, we lost power and that meant heat and TV. I could deal with not having power, but not having heat wasn’t something I am eager to experience again. There were pole workers outside this morning and they had to cut the power for a few minutes, flashbacks and Teddy said, “{At least we have heat.” For the third weekend in a row we’re expecting snow, YEAH US!!! (total sarcasm).

I am thankful Teddy thinks I am the greatest woman in the world. If only he’d do the greatest woman a solid a clean his room, she’d be the greatest and happiest woman in the world.

I am thankful my husband had been getting up with the kids all week. It’s like I’m on vacation too. I slept until 10am the other morning, I couldn’t believe it. What am I back in college? Thanks Sweetie!!

I am thankful for Sudafed and Advil. I had a banging sinus thing going on earlier this week and my wonderful husband went and got me those to take care of the snot clogging my brain.

I am thankful that Teddy is such an obvious liar. The kid can’t lie to save his life. Call him on anything, and he starts moving his hands so fast I think he might take off in flight.

A Trip to the Theater

Yesterday I took the kids to the theater (PPAC) to see Scooby-Doo Live. (Thank you Kristin from Mama Luvs Books) I didn’t tell them where we were going until we could see the marquee. I did not want to endure all the questions. 

So I got them their clothes and told them to get dressed because after lunch we were going out. They couldn’t dress in their usual flair because of the wintery mess that Mother Nature dumped on us Saturday night (but they still had flair). We ended up with door to door service because Ted dropped us off and picked us up. This was the first time I took all three kids to “an event” by myself; I’ve taken one or two but never all three. They were given ample warning on how to behave.

They love going to PPAC

We get there and Teddy kept saying he was nervous. I had no idea why, we’ve been to PPAC several times before. We pick up the tickets and head up to the kids’ favorite spot, the balcony overlooking the lobby. They love to watch the people below.

Keeping an eye on all the people below

Now that the crowd downstairs has dissipated, it’s time to find our seats. We sit down and it starts, “Is it time yet?” This happens every minute until the lights go out. While we are sitting there, Teddy tells me why he’s nervous. The show is about a haunted theater. After reassuring him that he had been to this theater before and nothing happened, he started to relax. Let the show begin.

Someday Maizie will smile for me

At the beginning of the show they have the audience sing along and I swear the parents were singing along more than the kids. I know I remembered every single word to the song, my kids knew some but not all. When it came to a musical number, it was true to the Scooby genre, it also reminded me of the Silver Platters performance or Sunshine Day. (Kudos to you if you remember those performances). Teddy was very relieved when he saw the ghost (not scary at all) and whenever the ghost appeared; the audience had to yell “GHOST!!!” Maizie was not a participant in that, while Teddy had to be reined in.

I think one of the worst things they do is have intermission. Everything is going smoothly, and then they take a break. As soon as the lights come on, Stella announces she has to go to the bathroom. Taking one kids to the bathroom is a chore, let alone three. We were able to navigate the ladies room in a matter of minutes and all three followed the given directions. I kept telling them that whoever didn’t follow directions would be victim to a HUGE scene. Once the break is over, all hell breaks loose in the audience. It is constant chatter and wiggling.

The show ends and our driver (Ted) is right outside the theater waiting with the car running. Thank goodness because it was cold and windy out there. We get home and two out of three play outside and then a trifecta nap. I call that a good day.