Whatever

Amber has been having some bad days at school. Of course, she doesn't fill me in until the mornings right before school. This doesn't give us a lot of time to talk and problem solve together, but it should give me a lot of time to think about an appropriate response. Unfortunately, I don't always have the right answers even after I think about it. YIKES, that scares me!

Last week apparently a little boy in her class walked up to her and said "I don't like you. You are not my friend. " right in her face. I, of course, went into immediate defense mode when she told me this in the morning as she was sobbing that she didn't want to go to school. What is a parent to do? How dare this little boy hurt my beautiful little girls feelings? I finally talked her into going to school after promising that Amy and I would come eat lunch with her. After eating lunch, when the kids were outside this little boy walked up to me and asked my to tie his shoe. While I was tying his shoe I asked him if he said those things to Amber, of course he said "No", DUH what did I expect him to say...he is 5 maybe 6, if he said them, he probably wouldn't remember anyway...I quickly explained that she thought that he didn't like her and that it hurt her feelings. WHAT WAS I DOING?

See, I told you should have been thinking about an appropriate answer...this was not it. This was my maternal instinct kicking in. She needs to learn a way to handle these sorts of things on her own. Her mommy will not always be able to come to her rescue. Oh how I wish I could, but then she really would have any friends...HA!

After talking to my very smart friend, Andrea, who has more experience in this since her kiddos are a little older, we decided that we needed to arm her with a response when people say things that she perceives as hurtful.

Her response is "WHATEVER" and walk away.

Have any of you encountered this, and if so what is your mommy response?

Donating Cookies

So the Daisy Girls Scout Cookie sales are done. YEA!!! Actually for me it wasn't that bad. Amber didn't sell many, well actually I sold them all. But that is beside the point. When I decided to be the Daisy Leader, it was because I thought it was something Amber would really enjoy (but not without her mama). She does love it, and to tell you the truth, so do I. I have a troop of 15 girls, 10 kindergartners and 5 first graders. All are great girls. I love when I go up to school and I hear little girls voices yelling to me, "Hi Ms. Milli!" or they run up to hug me, it is just so sweet!

Back to Girl Scout Cookies, one of the programs that the cookie sales offers is called "Gifts of Caring". This is for those people who want to buy cookies from the girls, but don't really want/need the cookies. Those cookies can be donated. If the girl sells 10 boxes of Gift of Caring cookies, they earn a patch. Now I have to make a confession, I bought all 10 boxes of Amber's Gift of Caring cookies. But really, there was a lesson to be taught here. Of course, I explained to her why I bought them, but we didn't get cookies. There is also one other little girl in our troop that sold 10 boxes of Gift of Caring cookies. (Her mom just happens to be the cookie manager for our troop. HA HA!) We chose to donate the 20 boxes of cookies to the Saline Valley Fire Department.

So, tonight we took the two girls to the fire department to deliver their cookies after school.

Both were VERY excited. I cannot tell you what a rewarding experience this was for the girls and myself. The firemen were so thankful.

They gave the girls both a plastic fire helmet.

They showed off the fire truck, opening EVERY cabinet and explaining what every tool was used for.

Then they took us on a ride in the fire truck around the block. HOW AWESOME IS THAT!! Once we got back from our ride, they took us on a tour of the firehouse, show us the kitchen, bunk rooms, chiefs office, you name it, we saw it.

Since my dad is a retired firefighter, this was stuff that I got to do on a regular basis as a kid. But I never realized until today what a treat that was. I am so thankful to those guys for making those two little girls feel so welcome and giving them such an awesome experience.

So, next year when you buy your cookies from your local and favorite girl scout, throw in an extra package for the "Gift of Caring". Not only are the recipients of the cookies very thankful, but it teaches the girls selling the cookies so great lessons.

Reading

I LOVE Reading. I read every night before I go to bed. It doesn't matter what it is...fiction, non-fiction, self-help, mysteries, chick-lit, Christian fiction, you name it I will read it. Right now I have been stuck on Francine Rivers, she is a christian fiction writer, and her stories are so pure and life applicable.

Dave likes to read his magazines and the newspaper, but he doesn't really read books. I am hoping that my love for reading is passed onto the girls. Amber started reading when she was 3. She is an awesome reader. She reads for 20 minutes each night as a part of her homework from school, and sometimes even more. On this particular night she was reading to Amy while Dave and I got our showers. (Amy really was paying attention, until I go the camera out.) I LOVE how snuggled up they are and that Amber would read whatever Amy chose. Such a sweet big sister.

(Sorry about the blurry pictures. I am clueless when it comes to my camera. )

The Club

Amber's little friend Kelsey came over after school one day last week. They are very sweet, because they allow Amy to play with them. Last week, they were downstairs in the playroom. I of course check on them periodically, but they were quiet and not getting into anything, just busy playing. When it was almost time for Kelsey to go home, I came down to this on the playroom door.

I also found a document opened in Microsoft Word on the old computer that says:

amber

amy

kelsey

314 art (apparently that is the room number where the club meets)

They each had a little piece of construction paper with their names on it, which is apparently the membership card.

I think I found this so funny, because my sister and I, along with my cousin were always making clubs. They usually involved spying on the neighbors, or bike riding tricks or something crazy. I don't remember us being this young though. I told Amber about my clubs tonight (maybe a mistake). She said their club was: a spying and sneaking club. I guess as long as I keep them locked in the basement, they can't do too much damage.

Curtain Calls

My children are the queens of Curtain Calls. In case you don't know what a "curtain call" is, it is that time after you get the kids in bed, all tucked in, said goodnight and walk away, and then it comes "MOMMMMEEE". And they need something, anything, and most of the time they don't even know what it is. Usually it is a drink, or they are hungry, or a band aid for an "owie" that has miraculously popped up as soon as the lights were turned out. Last week Amber called out to me. As I came back up two flights of stairs to see what the problem was, she says to me, "It is boring in here not doing anything." Really! She called me to tell me she was bored as she was supposed to be going to sleep! Unfortunately, I am not very patient or sympathetic at bedtime. BUT, that is where Dave comes in...he is SO much better at bedtime than I. So last night, after we got the Nintendo DS put away, Amber showed me a bruise on her leg that she got while I was at a meeting. I was honestly sympathetic, I kissed it, told her it must have hurt and if she got some sleep her body could start healing it. She gets up...LIMPS to her bed...and starts whining about how bad her leg hurts. My reaction, no more sympathy, no more patience, I tell her to go to bed and walk away. I know, bad mom, but it was after 9:00 at this point. So Dave goes in...and is there with her for a few minutes, and she quiets down. I walk back by the room after he leaves and this is what I see...

Of course, that wasn't the end of it...suddenly Amy's knee hurts. It is now Dave's problem. Here is what I find on her.

Amy's leg brace only lasted a few minutes, but Amber has a much more stubborn personality. She had to unwrap her leg when I woke her this morning.

It is not fun to be sick

We have not had a healthy start to this year. Amber started us off a few weeks ago with a double ear infection. Then a week later the stomach flu, which she so graciously shared with Amy last week. Friday night, Amber and I were back at the urgent care with another ear infection.
Since the girls have been sick and each one very helpful when the other is sick, Dave took them to Target to pick out one new game for their Nintendo DS. Of course they didn't agree on ONE game initially, so he offhandedly says, "Get sick again and then you can come back and get another".
Fast forward to breakfast this morning. I gave them each a half of a banana with breakfast. They both looked at me like I had gone completely nuts. I told them, we are going to eat more fruits and vegetables so that we can be more healthy and not get sick again. Amy looks at me and says, "I'm not eating this." Of course, I ask her why, since bananas are one of the few fruits she will eat. She tells me, "I want to get sick again." I of course look at her like she is crazy. And she finishes with, "Then I can get a new DS game."
Way to go dad! Hopefully, we are done with illness for a little while.

What do I do?

I can remember talking to an old friend right after I had Amy, Amber was 19 months old, and I had just left work to become a stay-at-home mom. My friend said to me, "Aren't you going to be bored?" At that time, if I wasn't changing diapers on one or both girls at the same time, I was feeding one or both girls at the same time, or trying to get them down for a nap. Boredom never was a problem...TRUST ME!

As the girls have now gotten a little older and are not as needy as they once were, I have branched out to do some other things "to keep me from getting bored". HA HA!!!

So here is a rundown of what I do to keep me from boredom:

• Part-time teacher at Gymboree Play and Music - Wednesday Evenings and Saturday Mornings
• Girls Scout Daisy Leader - 1st and 3rd Monday Evenings, also neighborhood meetings once per month
• Bible Study Fellowship - Tuesday Mornings
• Bible Study Fellowship Children's Program Volunteer - 2 Tuesdays each month
• MOPS - 1st and 3rd Friday mornings
• MOPS Steering Team Member - Meetings once a month in the evenings
• Room Parent
• Subdivision Trustee
• Driver - Amber to school and back everyday, Amy to and from school on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays, Amy to gymnastics on Thursdays, Amber to dance on Tuesday evenings

I think that is all. Believe it or not I really do love everything that I do, OK maybe with the exception of being a subdivision trustee. But that is just because I have to listen to adults complain and not just kids...HA!

The question that I have been pondering to myself is: What am I going to do next year when Amy is in school full-time as well? As you can see, I really don't have time to work. LOL I will just spend a lot of time praying over it and see where God's plan leads me. No matter where it is, I am sure I will not be BORED!