Young Children

Louisa Mei is seven years old today!

*Sigh*. My baby is growing up, right before my eyes. He's napping on the couch, right by me, so content, so tall and gangly, so much like a mini-man I can't believe it. It's such a fun age.

Following a conversation about why boys stand and girls sit to pee:

DD4: That's where we got our dinner.
Me: What?
DD4: Vagina Jen, where they have that soup I like.

You know, at first I read the headline thinking, "Oh No!

Maybe it's the hangover, but this struck me as funny:

DD4 to Dad: is that a bowl of sugar?
Dad: no, that's salt
DD4: Oh, for making diarrhea?
Dad: (?!?) You mean "margaritas"?!

I read this article today, and I wanted to share it. I really needed it, and it renewed my conviction to be a better parent.

Wowzers!!

I've always liked thinking of courage as having the intestinal fortitude to face your fears. Or to just do what needs to be done even when you're scared spitless.

Mothering takes a lot of courage, and the fears I face are not only external but internal as well. I must muster my courage from time to time when I am confronted with my weak points, or places where I feel lacking as a mom.

DD's visit to the eye doctor today gave us good news, feels like the first good news I've gotten in weeks! DD's eyesight is improving!

She has a mild case of amblyopia. She has mild astigmatism and farsightedness moreso in one eye that the other, causing the weaker eye to start "giving up" which we don't want. The doctor's assistant called it "an eye that hasn't learned how to see". Her right eye is her strong eye, the left one the weak one. For a year now she's been wearing eyeglasses to correct her vision, and it's working.

We tried t-ball again today... couldn't find mitt right away (on kitchen counter, duh, isn't that where they always are?) and had DH take DS alone, then DD and I followed behind shortly. When I got there, DS was out in the field catching, running, holding the coaches hand (being shy or being a flirt? she is pretty cute...) and did great! Even participated in group photo, and got his individual picture taken too, which is a feat I don't accomplish often! I'm so glad he warmed up, I think he's really going to enjoy it as the season progresses, all 4 weeks of it.

So it's not even 11am and I am ready to call it a day. Today was Brady's first day of T-ball, and what a nightmare. Right before we left DH and I got in an argument because I got frustrated that he couldn't find DS mitt, even though I told him where it was (this happens all the time) and I huffed, which he found incredibly insulting (it was).

Well, I thought I'd try a blog, at least for a place to unload on the world!
Today was hectic, I was scheduled to be in Brady's pre-school today, and last night, Larry tells me he has to work at 8am (he usually works after 1pm) which means I had to bring Natalie to school with us, and try to help wrangle 8 pre-schoolers, and a 14 month old!

We all like to think we're pretty funny in this family. DH and I are always first to break the tension in a group, or deflect compliments, or otherwise cope with adversity, with a joke. But as I see our genetic material in action I am wondering if I have been deluded about the quality of my sense of humor.

This is my first blog ever, so it should be interesting to see how it works. I just found this site, and am glad about it. I'm a new wife, homemaker and mother of a 5 year old stepdaughter. I'm trying to learn how to adjust to married life, household management, motherhood, and managing a chronic illness in a new environment where I have less time to myself to rest.

DD lost her first tooth yesterday! At knitting circle, no less. We brought it home and put it in her little fairy box and this morning we found the treasures The Tooth Fairy left for DD. Four quarters, a teeny tiny wooden cat, and a sparkly quartz stone. Also a note, see attached.

If I had the money I'm afraid I would actually get this, I'm that pathetic.

DD has asked for a Princess Aurora dress for Christmas. She asked, plaintively, two nights ago whether I thought Santa's elves were sewing a Sleeping Beauty dress. I'm going to try to find one for her. The ones at Amazon have poor ratings, so I'm looking around.

DD loves, and I mean loves Christmas carols and songs, just like I did at her age (and still do). Right now, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is her favorite. I think it's because of the pretty Renaissance style angels in the song book on that page. Here's her version.

As Lenora says! DD whammed the side of her head onto the edge of the coffee table big-time this afternoon. Luckily, no broken skin, no need for stitches, just a couple bruises and some screaming. Gave her arnica internally and externally, and some rescue remedy, and she's fine now, but, man, that was a nasty 10 seconds until I got to her to make sure she hadn't broken her head open.

OK, I hope it's clear that title is tongue in cheek!

First grade continues to be a challenge. Our meeting with the teacher was not great -- despite all my efforts the teacher was mostly defensive, and told us "Sometimes kids say they are bored when it's hard for them."

Warning, this is a long post, as I'm totally obsessing over how much fun we all had during DD's birthday party yesterday. She's FIVE years old now, and I'm dazed, wondering when I'll get over the fact that she's FIVE! She's turning into such a little person! It was very noticable to me this summer that she's developmentally moving out of the preschoolish behavior and into the "little kid" zone.