Whimsical Wednesday

Today was an interesting day.  My fb status was:

It's rainy outside, and I feel as bad as it looks. I know if I were alone I'd just get right back in bed and try to go back to sleep with the hopes of a better start when I wake again. But, since I've got two kids I'm gonna put on my super-mom big girl underwear and have fun. I vow that we will not spend all day in front of the TV... and goldfish and justice for all!

Well... that should explain it all, but... let me start over.

It was rainy this morning, it opened up for a few hours in the afternoon though.  I'm having left over sinus problems (not really congestion, but yuck) and don't really feel like doing much of anything.  But I was determined... the TV would be turned off... eventually.  It took a while, but the kids started playing on their own for a while.  I built them a little fort area with all the pop-up tents and tunnel.  They had fun in that for a while.  We made some popcorn, then sat down in front of the TV again (I'm really kicking myself over the TV thing today.  All that kept going through my mind was how TV causes ADD.). 

I finally got an idea, all on my own, for a project for us to do.  But it was somehow time for Paul to already go to naptime.  I was inspired by all those wreaths on Pinterest.  I wanted to do something like that.

I took Erin into the playroom and we did some cutting.  I went and got a paper plate for me and gave her some construction paper.  While she concentrated on her single snips, I cut out the center, so that all was left of the rim of the paper plate (FYI I used the thick, slightly more pricey paper plates that we buy to eat off of... I've said it before, Chris has expensive taste.  But I do buy them in bulk, so that helps.  But I suggest this type for this project so that it has a rounded rim). 

At first I was going to take some ribbon that I had laying around (a fun mini mouse pink ribbon) and wrap it around.  Then I thought about tying it on and letting the ribbon hang, but then I thought that would look better if it was tulle.  So I nixed the ribbon.  Then I thought about some flowers, so I grabbed some tissue paper and looked up on Pinterest how to create some tissue paper flowers.  But even the simple ones would have been too complicated for Erin to do.  So I decided to just cut the paper into rectangles (5"x7" apx) by following the folds.  I chose three different, yet coordinating, sheets and cut them up. 

Rather than making flowers, I had Erin wad up the paper, then we glued them to the bottom of the paper plate rim.  It was pretty fun.  We only got the wreath half way done, but I can already tell it's already one I'll be ready and willing to hang on our front door.  I'm excited to proudly show off the crafts my kids do. 

It got me thinking about making a fall one (the colors I chose originally were more wintery because I didn't have any fall or halloween type colored tissue paper), and thought about using a different type of flower thing I had seen on Pinterest.  So I got to work on that.  I had to cut them out without Erin around.  It's looking like I'll have to put them together by myself, too.  But I can probably have her help out on placement and maybe gathering up a few leaves to put on it, too... I don't know where the leaves are that we would pick up because there are no big trees around. 

But when she started getting restless and he woke up... and after I fed them the rice I had just made with a fruit cup on the side... it was back to TV.  Rapulzel started playing, and they really got engrossed into that.  But I started feeling guilty again.  I mean, no wonder my kids are so ADD already.  Gotta keep it off and keep them away.  It's just hard when there's two of them and just one of me. 

SO I started thinking of things we could do to get some extra energy out.  Zoo!  Perfect... but nobody wanted to go with us.  By the time I decided we should go ahead and just go, I knew Erin would fall asleep... so we just went for a drive.  She fell asleep before I made it to McD, so I was able to get some ice cream.  :)

When we got back home, though, She woke up, went back to sleep for maybe 30 minutes... and was a compleate B for a while. 

Paul needed to take his second nap, even though it was getting late.  So once Dada came home, and after a few fits, he took Erin to the grocery store while I put Paul down for a nap and tried to get some rest myself.  But I think that cup of tea in the morning was still rolling away.

But the day went better, minus the tons of fits.  Erin didn't get enough pom poms, but they did get some time playing outside when they rode their bikes and ran around in the open area with Nissi and Canaan.  It was a good ending for the day. 

POST POST:  We finished the wreath the next day and this is what it looks like:

I think I'll hang it on the door when the time comes, maybe add a few snowflakes hanging from it, but otherwise pretty cool for a kid craft I created. 

Sept 20

Sept 20, 2012

Well its dark now but today had been interesting.
All day I've been thinking about something that aught my mind this morning.  Every morning I go thru at least 2 Pediasures when I get the kids their morning drinks.  Sometimes three, rarely four.  But with all these Pediasures we go thru I fill up at Sams Club and get about four cases at a time.  But I was emptying the second one into Paul's sippie cup and kept thinking "what can I do with all these bottles?"  I remembered the Gerber's Puffs snowman, so automatically I thought of snowmen... then maybe trees, then... yeah, that's about as far as I got.  Vases, maybe?  I don't know.  I can't think of anything, but I've got a ton of them.  So far all I've been doing with them after they're empty is throwing them away.  There's got to be something I can do with them.

Anyway, the day went on with minor things going on.  We got ready and went to McDonalds (how I got them in the car) then to school.  After I dropped them off, I went home and quickly picked up the trash, then went back out for a couple of back to back appointments.  One was in Owasso, the next was in Claremore, so I didn't quite make it to the second on time.  Then I went for a drive to Broken Arrow to pick up some drawer/bins for the kids room at their Lowes (ours were out and they're on clearance so they're not getting more).  I'm really excited to get them up and see what it all looks like.   But because I was out all day it meant that I kept the kids in aftercare for a little bit. 

When I picked them up they both went to sleep and I went to work on the first box of bins.  Went up pretty good and easy.  Tried to get a little rest myself, but no luck there.  I kept getting texts and calls every time my head hit the pillow. 

Anyway, so when they got up we went for a wagon ridethen ate some ramen and peaches for dinner.  Pretty uneventful... that was until Dada decided to call.  He decided to call and Erin was on the potty.  It was actually perfect timing cause she was sort of refusing to go because she wanted Dada.  We were glad to talk to him and he helped a little, but Paul was messing around with stuff.  He got in trouble for flushing the toilet numerous times.  I kept placing him outside the bathroom, then he'd come right back in.  He started messing with the empty trashbin (it has a heavy lid on it), and because I was paying attention to the Erin and Dada thing I didn't notice it when Paul dropped one of the items on his toe.  I heard the piercing cry followed by outright crying, he had definetly hurt himself.  I immediately grabbed him up and checked him over, pressing on him and prodding him.  Nothing brought up an additional squeal.  So I hung up and headed out.  He was still crying and wouldn't stop.  Then Erin started crying because she wanted to talk to dada some more.  He called back and everyone was in tears, so I didn't talk other than to tell him I'd talk later. 

The night went on and I only noticed his toe when I started get his PJs on.

This is where he had gotten hurt in the bathroom.  He must have dropped the heavy top on his big toe.  :(  I feel aweful about this.  It was swollen and tender to the touch. 
And so he went to bed, and Erin got to stay up.  But after her first show, before she got to watch her second for the night we counted the pom poms.  She hadn't gotten enough, so she would have to go to bed without a reward. 
Before I started the second show I reminded her and reiterated that she would be going to bed right afterwards.  Well, after the show she went to her bed very willingly... until she discovered that she could turn the lights back on.  Then hell broke loose again.  She refused to sleep in her bed and I told her I'd come get her when I was done.  That quieted her down for a little bit.  Long enough for me to get a couple of bins built (I couldn't hang them because the lights are burnt out in the playroom), but then she started getting loud again.  So I decided to pack it up and call it a night.  She joined me in the bedroom while I gave myself a shot (which didn't go all that well... the needle wasn't deep enough).  She then wanted to sleep in the living room... turns out she just wanted to play in the living room and read her book.  Now, I've got nothing against reading... I want her to read more.  But it was time for bed.  So I had her sleep in Chris' spot. 

First Pinky-Promise

Well, I was just about to write, very smugly, about how its 9 o'clock and both my children are in bed without fuss or fighting.  Erin had easily walked into her bed, no iPad needed, on her own free will, and laid down.  And just as I was thinking about this blog and about to eat a celibratory ice cream cone, Paul wails out... surely due to Erin having taken his binkey.  But I walked in and gave him another one... more screaming that didn't last long.
Anyway, about today:  A wonderful day on my own... sort of.  Chris left today for Vegas for Mary's funeral.  We had a good morning together, but then the afternoon came.  We had a lot of fun. 
I made some colored rice, with Erin's help, and when Paul woke up we all went outside and played with it.  Well, I thought they'd have fun with them in the ice trays, but Paul promptly poured them all out over him.  "Okay, we can do that, too".  It lasted for a little bit, and then an idea popped in my head.  Glue.
So I ran in the house and brought out glue and construction paper.  We had a good old time placing glue on the paper then spilling the rice over it.  Erin got the hang of what to do right away.  It was the same thing we've been doing with the torn papers on the paper bags.  But Paul was having none of our craft time today and waved his hand back and forth through the glue and rice.  He only stopped when he realized it was sticking to his hands.  His hands were covered in rice and it wasn't coming off.  It was a very cute look on his face while he was trying to figure it out. 
We did some play time, eating picnic style while watching Ice Age (I think they both liked it), stalking school buses, and then a nap for Erin.  We went to Nanas to put her down, and after some play time Paul went down, too.  When everyone woke up we ate then played some more outside.  Because we played in a muddy sandbox (and were still covered with glue, rice, and marker marks) I hosed them down rather than bath time (it would have been too hard to wrangle them for that).  We got them inside and mostly dressed then it was time to head home. 
We did prayers and Paul went down, whyning and crying a little, but was finally asleep by the time Erin went to bed.... and well, we went over what just happened then. 
But bedtime was reasonable for Erin.  We watched the Chocolate Tree episode of Dora, and I promised her we could watch a My Little Pony afterwards.  But between the shows we counted her pom poms.  She didn't have enough to get a reward.  So I made her promise me that she would go to bed without a fuss.  If she did that, then she could have a reward.  But if she threw a fit, then I would take her reward away.  She promised.  She even did her first pinky-swear (pinky-promise).  We were dead serious though.  And it worked, no fuss.  It was a great releif.  I was worried with Chris not being here, but it was all okay.
We had a bit of a hick-up (and it was partially my fault, I'm sure).  Right towards the begining of My Little Pony Erin got up and, I think because she didn't want to leave the room because she kept her eyes on the tv almost the whole time, proceeded to pee on the living room carpet!  Urgh.  I was frustrated, but it was okay.  I talked very sternly to her and just kept repeating things, and trying to make her repeat them "You have to tell Mommy when you need to go potty.  So when you need to go potty, what do you need to do?" etc.  Dora's rules of repitition.  It calmed us both down.  I do feel guilty for the light tap of a spanking (not a full on spanking) I gave her and for making her feel bad by me saying "I'm very sad" quite a bit.  But hopefully it'll sink in.  I know she's got the potty training thing down.  I just have to remind her sometimes.  It's just that it feels like that's all I do is ask her if she's got to go.  I know she tells her teachers when she needs to go.  She will get there.
See, I'm already in a better mood.  This medicine is working.
Allright, two and a half ours past the begining of this post... it's definetly time for bed.  Chris, if you're reading this: know that all went well and I love you.

Bus Stalkers

So because Erin won't go peacefully to her nap in the afternoon I've taken to getting her in the van and driving around until she falls asleep. Some times we barely get out of the neighborhood while other times I'm driving around for what seems like hours!
Well today seemed like it was going to be one of the longer days. It took me a while to convince her that it was either nap time or time to go for a drive. I finally convinced her with a bribe of fries. She didn't seem all that tired, but she had started slowing down so I thought I'd try.
We got in the car, barefoot, and headed out. The school bus was in front of it. She loves school buses so we followed it for a while. But just a little while. I figured since we were going to be up for a while we might as well get some food.
We drove thru mcd and got them each a small order of fries. She was so happy and didn't seem like she was going to go down, so I called nana to see if she wanted to help me with them if we went through claires to get Erin some more earrings. We picked up nana but right after we left the neighborhood Erin was out. Oh well. We will go there some other time. Maybe just her and me while someone else watches Paul.
But anyway... I loved it when we were in the car chasing down school buses. I recommend it to anyone that needs to get out of the house. It was a perfect time. We both were smiling and having fun

Pin It Down

So, needless to say I am addicted to Pinterest. When I'm on my computer or my iPhone I am almost always looking at it or Facebook. Which would be fine if I maybe actually did the stuff I pinned. I started a revolution for myself, and for my children. Erin has to keep telling me to put my phone down and I've started realizing I don't want my kids to be that way. I don't want her to think I'm ignoring her to spend time with my phone instead of her. So I've really had to cut it down. I might just have to take a pinning or facebook fast and get it out of my system. I don't want my kids to think I don't love them or that I'm ignoring them. So I have put my phone down. I'm only on the computer now because Erin really wanted to watch Cinderella and our version is very scratched up. I remembered a pin that has all the Disney movies on it, so I'm just looking that up (and sharing these quick thoughts with you), then I'm off.

Puffs Snowman

So while I was cleaning up today, I got to thinking. I've been in a "let's just throw everything away" mode for a while... which is a good thing, a really good thing in my house. I've donated a lot of old clothes to the PRC, and even a few trips to Goodwill.
But these past couple of days I've been really thinking about what to do with the kids during the day. I want to set up a schedule so we have a reading time (and eventually go back to the Doman lessons for math and reading, and maybe even get some time to cook or clean or something! But anyway, I've been thinking about things we could do, craft-wise. I've been really inspired because all I do is pin things, when I should actually use the pins I do. So I thought I would actually try some out. Yesterday I was successful in the chicken and (somewhat successful in) the fudge. And I created something new all by myself! So I thought I'd try it with the kids.
I'm kicking myself for throwing away all the boxes we had lying around the house because I can think of a ton of things to do with them now. But Se le ve, can't go back; I can only go forward. I'll just have to remember to keep some of the more useful trash when I get on one of those moods.
But Anyway, I was picking up some trash today and while most of it definetly went to the trash, there was one item in particular that when I looked at it I got inspired.
It was the empty can of Gerber's baby puffs. At first, I'm always trying to look at things and think how I could use them as containers. But when I looked at this one I almost immediately thought how it looks kind of like a snowman! So that is exactly what I'm going to make out of it! I'm super excited. I'm going to have the kids pick out the color construction paper for the hat and have them help me glue on the buttons and face.
I'm super excited that I went to Hobby Lobby Saturday (when I was really starting to get the "let's be crafty, kids" bug), because I picked up some smaller pom poms (not to be confused with the award pom poms, googlie eyes, and pipe cleaners (among other things). So now we have a fun craft, and I'm ready for it and so excited to do it. I'm just waiting for both of them to be awake before attempting to do it.

** Sorry this was so choppy, I kept getting up to spend time with Erin. I only started it during the day instead of at night after bedtime because Paul was asleep and Erin wanted to watch a Dora. Well, that didn't last long, she had me getting up and participating along with it (I'm so glad she's started participating with it), then we had to go build a castle, play with play dough, and make some cookies. All things I'm glad I've done, but it made writing this a bit choppy.

***** ((LATER THAT DAY))*****

 

Here's what we did... all with stuff you can get at either your local hobby store or even everything-a-dollar store, except the puffs container.  They did a lot of the work themselves.  We used googlie eyes, glitter glue, and small pom poms.  It was a lot of fun.  I tried having us create the hat, too, but we got a little sidetracked and ended up just glitter gluing the construction paper. 
I figure if I find a few more, I'll do them on my own and we can see the adult-done version that's probably a bit more Pinterest-y, but less children fun friendly!

Good Hard Day

I am so proud of myself, and I just have to brag about it. Today is Sunday, a naturally hecktic day. It was hard for me to wake up this morning, even though the kids slept in. We got them ready for church, and even though Erin was giving me problems we still made it out the door with enough time to stop by McD and get some breakfast. But when we were heading out the door, Erin became Super Stubborn Erin, and would only go through the front door, even though we always go through the garage when we are leaving so I can set the alarm. It took some arguing and threatening her with taking away a pom pom, but she still didn't budge. I could tell a fit was about to persue, so I walked away. I went out through the garage and put the bags in the car. When I came back in I had calmed down just a bit, but she was still being stubborn. A fight I don't really need to fight, I decided, so that's how we went out. Point: Erin. But she was great dropping her off, she held my hand crossing the street and ran to her classroom. It was encouraging to see her in a good mood. After church was a different deal. She was ready to go home, and I knew she could use a nap, and she proved it to me before we got to the door. She wouldn't wait, then she wouldn't hold my hand, then she refused to go out the door and threw herself on the ground. I acted like I was walking away and walked out the door, but she was too stubborn and didn't care. So I came back for her and got her to stand up. But she still wouldn't take my hand. I would normally let that pass, but with first service just getting out and second service people coming in it was too dangerous so I kept grabbing her hand. She started to throw a fit. I didn't care, I grabbed her wrist, because she could get her hand away from me but not her wrist, and it actually kept her upright and she couldn't throw herself on the ground. Paul was slipping out of my other arm because he refuses to grip with his legs and all the bags were falling. She yelled and cried the whole way to the car. I could have died from embarrassment as I heard a boy loudly ask his mother why she was crying. But I just kept walking because if I didn't reach the car soon everything would fall out of my arms, including Paul, and I'd loose my grip on Erin. We made it to the car, and she easily got in... thank God. I thought surely she would go to sleep; she had said she was tired and just wanted to sleep, she was throwing a huge fit, she was yawning, and when she got in her carseat she shut her eyes tightly. "Yes!" I thought, because I knew Paul was going to go down for his nap. We drove around... and drove around... and drove around. She did not fall asleep, so I decided to go home. We put Paul to bed and he slept close to an hour. Erin and I went over the pom poms and I showed her the reward basket. We sat and counted out 25 pom poms so she knew how many she'd need to get something. Then we counted out how many she had in her container already: 13 (10 starter and 3 more... there was a lot of putting in and taking away this morning, so even though she would have had more she didn't). She was doing good though, she cleaned up when I asked her to, and saying please (when promted). Then Paul woke up crying... and he wouldn't stop crying. It was 30 minutes before I called on my mom to help out. But by the time she came I had already given Paul medicine and put him back down to sleep. Erin was watching TV and I was working on getting some food ready. I hadn't realized it til I came home from church that we were supposed to bring the food for tonights community group meeting. So I had started working on some stuff to make. I had deccided I wanted to make some salsa bread, a recipe I actually made up a few days eariler when Chris was talking about making something with the pulp of some of his juice drink leftovers. I had based it on the zuchinni bread one, but modified it quite a bit. It is truely a whole brand new recipe. I just needed to see how much flour and eggs to put in. I was so excited to create something new... and it turned out pretty good. It's missing something, but I just don't know what. I would normally have Chris try it and tell me what it's missing, but since he's on the juice fast I can't have him try it. I'll have to make it again later. Paul liked it, Erin wanted to try it, until I cut her a slice. Anyway, when mom finally came over I had her watch Erin while I ran to the grocery store. I had a brilliant idea for what I wanted to make. I had pined a recipe for chicken that was supposed to taste just like KFC original recipe, but baked instead of fried. I really wanted to try it, but was missing chicken and a couple of the spices. So I went to the store and picked them up (along with some butter and other items). When I came back I realized I had forgotten the milk, so I had to go back out (I had originally asked Chris to get it, but he wasn't coming home any time soon, so I decided I'd do it). When I came back I started making what I now call "Derby Chicken" (Kentucky = Kentucky Derby). It didn't taste just like KFC, but it was still really good. I made a lot of it and it was all gone within minutes. I also made fudge, but didn't realize that it was supposed to chill for an hour, and I made it last, so it wasn't ready... but I took it anyway. I chilled it in the freezer the entire time we were there, and it still wasn't ready. So now I have a pan full of fudge (or a soup like mixture that is meant to be fudge)... and a huge pile of dirty dishes I'm not looking forward to doing. But that's besides the point. My food went over well, and it made me feel like a Proverbs 31 woman. I cooked it all while still in my dress from Church, and an apron (which I'm glad I wore because it bares the bulk of the stains and powder thrown across the kitchen). Erin was relatively tameable, I think she's starting to understand the pom pom plan. When we got back home from group things went relatively well. It was time to put Paul down, Erin was quiet for Bible reading and relatively calm during Prayers. So she got pom poms for it when we left the room. Before she sat and watched her last Dora for the day, we counted the pom poms. She had 32. So she got to choose something from the reward basket. She automatically went for the doll, but then she wanted a sucker too. I told her she could have only one. She actually ended up choosing the sucker. But when she was done with it, she hadn't forgotten about the dolly. It was hard getting her to understand that she couldn't have it just yet. But it worked. It was a great day, in spite of my moody feelings.

Pom Pom Power

Today, for the first time in a long time, I've felt like blogging... but I had a semi-original brilliant idea in regards to the kids.
I was reading about positive reinforcement on one of my pinterest pins. They were talking about using a chart, similar to the potty achievement chart, for things like behavioral issues. Below is the part that inspired me from http://www.theeducatorsspinonit.blogspot.com/2012/06/raising-strong-willed-child-we-get-it.html
Create Goals Together and Chart It
Whenever we observe an undesired behavior arising we try to resolve it by encouraging her to come up with a Weekly Behavior Chart. We sit down together on the computer and create a chart. She helps us to write the rule and theme. Then we print it out and she decorates it and hangs it up. We’ve created it together and she feels that she’s had a voice, a part of the control that she’s seeking. All it takes is a week or two with the chart and we’ve seen a big improvement with that specific behavior issue. It’s worked for staying in her bed at night, combing her hair, watching TV, cleaning up toys, eating her food, controlling temper tantrums. Truthfully it’s worked over the years in my classrooms and it very easily works at home. Pick a goal and work with your child for a few weeks and you will see such a difference.
Well, I thought this was brilliant, because it works well with the potty training. But I also wanted a way to reinforce negative consequences (you know, when she's bad... something other than me yelling at her or spanking, especially if I'm in a bad mood and don't feel I can control my anger). So I wanted to be able to take away the stickers as well. Then it hit me, why not make a jar? Like what you see the weight watching people do with jelly beans or whatnot (for every pound they loose they take a marble or jelly bean or something from the "I want/need to loose this much" jar and put it in the "I've lost this much" jar so they can see how far they've gone). So I decided to do this with Erin. It's relatively inexpensive since most the items can be bought at the Dollar Tree (everything $1 store), even the rewards. But instead of using jelly beans (too tempting to waste the reward bean by eating it instead), I wanted to use pom poms.
I bought two clear plastic containers; one to hold all the pom poms, and one to hold the "I deserve a reward" pom poms. That container would stay clear, so she could see how many she has earned... but I decorated it sparingly with a smiley face. The other container that would hold the rest of the pom poms (we will call this: the first container) looked exactly like the other one except I covered it (from the inside) with black construction paper so as to not get confused and so she couldn't get discouraged by seeing how many pom poms she didn't have.

I figured every morning I would start the "I deserve a reward" container with 10 pom poms. Every time she did something good I would take one from the first container and put it in the reward container. These would be things like sharing, calming down when frustrated, turning off the tv, going to bed without a fuss/fight, eating something I've been begging her to try, cleaning up, picking up toys, being quiet during prayers, etc. All the things the other website had suggested and more (except the potty training stuff would remain seperate, because that's already a system).
The difference would be that I can take away the reward pom poms if she warrented it. If she throws a fit, hits, screams, whynes, watches too much tv, refuses to clean up, is too loud during prayers, etc, she will get a pom pom taken away from the reward canister and put back into the first container. A simple enough concept, and it's going to work perfectly!

As a reward I stocked up at the Dollar Tree. I got a couple of dolls, a few balls, coloring books, disney cups, nail polish, candy bars, suckers, puzzles, slinkie, etc. It was a lot of fun picking them. I even picked up an extra small laundry basket to put them all in.

 I'm going to make a fun sign to put on it that says "Rewards=" and then a number of pom poms. I was originally thinking if she got 25 pom poms a night she could get a reward. But I'm not sure. Even though they're a dollar, some of the rewards are just so cool. I've just got to get over that and remind myself they are a dollar, easily replaced and easy to get more. This is supposed to encourage her, and this is the way to do it.
I'm excited to see how this plays out tomorrow!