The title of this blog won't really make sense until the very end - so, wait for it; it's worth it!
Yesterday, Zachary woke up with a pretty pink eye and being the glass-half-full type, I tried to believe it was just allergies...well it wasn't. He's got the infection so we started treating him. Don't you just love putting drops in preschoolers eyes? That's another story, that I likely will NOT blog about!!
Regardless, Z spent the afternoon at home with Daddy and then they came to pick me up at the office. We had to stop by and pick up David's truck on the way to church so the two of them could go home while I stayed at church to sing. Zachary kept asking where we were going and he just couldn't understand why he couldn't go in church with me. He started fake crying and saying he didn't want me to sing. To which, I always reply "If God made you a singer, you have to sing."
After I said it this time, I could just see the wheels turning in his little head and after a few moments of silence, the conversation went like this:
Z: Where's God?
Me: In heaven
Z: In heaven? Where is Him?
Me: In heaven and in my heart.
Z: I wanna talk to him; where's your heart?
Me: In my body...errr, in my spirit. ( I was obviously digging a hole at this point since he really wasn't grasping the concept of the spiritual side of life haha).
Z: In your body? God in your body?
Me: Well, like I said in my spirit and I can talk to him whenever I want and so can you.
Z: I wanna tell him not to tell you to sing.
Me: Well honey, we can't tell God what to do. We can ask, but we can't tell him what to do.
Z: in your body? (he was clearly stuck on that phrase)
Me: Well, yes.
Z: silence
several moments later
Z: is Moppett there?
Me: Where?
Z: in your body?
Me: oh no, honey (Moppett was the cat we had to put to sleep before Christmas. I told Z she went to heaven, because I just didn't know what else to tell him then.)
Z: in your heart?
Me: I'll always love her in my heart.
Z: Moppett's in your heart? In your body? You say she in heaven with Jesus?
Me: Yes I told she was.
Z: K, so she in your body; Moppett's in your bottom.
What a tangled web we weave.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Z is THREE
Wow, three years...really? To say they've flown by would be a complete understatement. It was about this time on Feb. 17, 2006, when the doctor told me that I would be having Zachary a little early. I was scared, but so excited. We waited all day, while more pressing emergencies came into the unit...into the evening and then it was almost midnight (11:02) when my sweet bean finally felt the cold air of the OR on his delicate skin. I cried a lot that night - some tears of pure joy at the miracle before me, then tears of sadness when they carried him away so quickly. I didn't even get to hold him until about 3 a.m.... the realities of a c-section in a university hospital I suppose. I've been flashing back to that moment all morning and wondering how we got from there to here so quickly.
How did we get from that sweet little baby who only cried when he was wet or hungry to a child that screams at me for singing him Happy Birthday and handing him a small present on his birthday? Yes, I walked into Zachary's room this morning to surprise him with a small present and sing to him and he started screaming NO, NO, NO, don't sing to me I don't want a present..."
Wow, if there's a quicker way to steal the wind from my sails, I don't know what it is. So I tossed the gift on his bed and walked out the door in protest of his attitude. I guess he really isn't a morning person. I've known this and tried to change it so many ways, but to no avail...not even Mickey Mouse presents on his birthday can lift him out of the morning hate. He got swatted twice while trying to get him dressed and then continued to whine and scream until finally, magically...the mention of picking up donuts for his friends at the babysitter's pulled him into sanity....until we got there and they had no sprinkle donuts...WHAT BAKERY in its right mind doesn't do sprinkles? Donut Days...that's the one. He settled on a few chocolate covered ones and a coconut cake donut with flakes all over. So I think he may actually have a good day and for once I am sugaring him up for her to deal with :) Tables have turned hehehehe
Happy Birthday Z....yes I know I need to replace my header now that you're THREE :)
How did we get from that sweet little baby who only cried when he was wet or hungry to a child that screams at me for singing him Happy Birthday and handing him a small present on his birthday? Yes, I walked into Zachary's room this morning to surprise him with a small present and sing to him and he started screaming NO, NO, NO, don't sing to me I don't want a present..."
Wow, if there's a quicker way to steal the wind from my sails, I don't know what it is. So I tossed the gift on his bed and walked out the door in protest of his attitude. I guess he really isn't a morning person. I've known this and tried to change it so many ways, but to no avail...not even Mickey Mouse presents on his birthday can lift him out of the morning hate. He got swatted twice while trying to get him dressed and then continued to whine and scream until finally, magically...the mention of picking up donuts for his friends at the babysitter's pulled him into sanity....until we got there and they had no sprinkle donuts...WHAT BAKERY in its right mind doesn't do sprinkles? Donut Days...that's the one. He settled on a few chocolate covered ones and a coconut cake donut with flakes all over. So I think he may actually have a good day and for once I am sugaring him up for her to deal with :) Tables have turned hehehehe
Happy Birthday Z....yes I know I need to replace my header now that you're THREE :)
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
He's so random...
I know that most preschoolers are just one random thought after another and Z is no exception. Yesterday we were driving home and he was talking non stop about something, and then he said "Mommy, when I grow up I will be a doctor." I said oh really? He said, "yeah, I will." We told him that it would take a long time to become a doctor and he would have to go to school for a long time and he just said "okay," and moved on to the next topic in his brain. Sometimes I'm so amazed at how much kids this age actually think and ponder things and just how much they absorb.
It's an awesome age in that regard, the evidence of sponge brain! Even at dinner last night, Zachary wasn't too interested in eating so I told him he had to take five bites before he could get down. He asked me to count them for him and we did it together up to three and then he said..."is that enough?" I said no, that was only 3 and he said "oh, two more." Amazing he's adding and subtracting subconciously. So it makes me wonder why he can't remember to add please to the end of every request hmmmm.
It's an awesome age in that regard, the evidence of sponge brain! Even at dinner last night, Zachary wasn't too interested in eating so I told him he had to take five bites before he could get down. He asked me to count them for him and we did it together up to three and then he said..."is that enough?" I said no, that was only 3 and he said "oh, two more." Amazing he's adding and subtracting subconciously. So it makes me wonder why he can't remember to add please to the end of every request hmmmm.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Don't make burps at the table....please
Zachary has found his new passion...burping. Oh it drives me batty. At first, it was really funny, but now he's just continually trying to burp. It's the worst at the table when there's a beverage near by. Don't give the kid a straw if he's ever eating at your table, you've had fair warning. He can suck in more air than our Dyson vacuum. Then he starts complaining of a belly ache, which of course is only relieved by belching.
Burp after burp, laugh after laugh....and the food still sits on the plate untouched. So a couple days ago I'd had my fill of it. I do have to give him credit, he was saying excuse me after each one, but oh my gosh the quantity was unreal. So I told him no more making burps at the table, not even one. To which he responded by...well...burping and laughing. I told him he could not burp at the table, if he wanted to play that game, he must get on the floor. He calmed down some, but it didn't take long to get into the same mode again. So I warned him that he would be in time out if he did it again. You guessed it, he responded with a burp and laughs. I quickly scooped him up and sat him on the stairs with the timer set for 2 minutes. Z didn't like that one bit, but he was out soon.
Back to the table for yet more burping. I told him that since the time out didn't work, he would get one swat on his bottom if he did it again. He didn't care, the burping was more important. I don't know how long it took to finally get through that meal, but we made it.
Fast forward to the next meal. I will take into consideration he was suffering from severe cabin fever, however; I was not ready to deal with table burping again. I was getting his plate ready and then noticed he was on all fours on the floor with his head pointed down....where he began burping on the floor. David and I were biting our tongues in laughter. Hey, at least he remembered that I'd said if wanted to burp, he had to do it on the floor, right?
Burp after burp, laugh after laugh....and the food still sits on the plate untouched. So a couple days ago I'd had my fill of it. I do have to give him credit, he was saying excuse me after each one, but oh my gosh the quantity was unreal. So I told him no more making burps at the table, not even one. To which he responded by...well...burping and laughing. I told him he could not burp at the table, if he wanted to play that game, he must get on the floor. He calmed down some, but it didn't take long to get into the same mode again. So I warned him that he would be in time out if he did it again. You guessed it, he responded with a burp and laughs. I quickly scooped him up and sat him on the stairs with the timer set for 2 minutes. Z didn't like that one bit, but he was out soon.
Back to the table for yet more burping. I told him that since the time out didn't work, he would get one swat on his bottom if he did it again. He didn't care, the burping was more important. I don't know how long it took to finally get through that meal, but we made it.
Fast forward to the next meal. I will take into consideration he was suffering from severe cabin fever, however; I was not ready to deal with table burping again. I was getting his plate ready and then noticed he was on all fours on the floor with his head pointed down....where he began burping on the floor. David and I were biting our tongues in laughter. Hey, at least he remembered that I'd said if wanted to burp, he had to do it on the floor, right?
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Yes, my son likes dolls
As a little girl, I played with trucks, got dirty, and on and on. So why is so hard for me to accept that my little boy likes to play with a doll? I've reaad all the positive takes on this...that it helps him learn to be a nurturer, teaches him empathy, yada, yada, yada. But still, there's some part of me that just wants to yell "BOYS DON'T PLAY WITH DOLLS" to little Z. But I suppose that would be a bit extreme and it'd probably just scare him anyway.
See, most of the dolls at church are naked. Over the years, children have stripped them down and somehow their clothes have been permanently separated from their bodies in the chaos that is preschool. We were in the Goodwill store the other night after our most recent trip to Asuka Japanese Steakhouse (Oh how I love Japanese food, but I digress). So I see a nice CLOTHED doll, brand new and its' only 50 cents! So heck yeah, I grabbed it up for the preschool rooms at church, along with a few other toys that still have tons of life in them for all these rambunctious 2 and 3-year-olds. Z played with it a little when we got home, calling it his baby, putting it to bed, etc. At least it's a boy doll..or that's what I told him since it's bald with a blue outfit on. I kept reminding him that we would take that baby to his room at church and he seemed to understand that, however; I now know that he did not understand that we would actually leave the baby there.
We took it this morning and let Z carry it to his room. When I went to get him after church, he was holding the baby. The teachers said he had cared for it all during the class time...putting it to bed, telling other kids to be quiet because his baby was sleeping, but also throwing it up really high in the air hmmmm. To be brief, we still have the doll; Z would not leave it at church...oh joy!
See, most of the dolls at church are naked. Over the years, children have stripped them down and somehow their clothes have been permanently separated from their bodies in the chaos that is preschool. We were in the Goodwill store the other night after our most recent trip to Asuka Japanese Steakhouse (Oh how I love Japanese food, but I digress). So I see a nice CLOTHED doll, brand new and its' only 50 cents! So heck yeah, I grabbed it up for the preschool rooms at church, along with a few other toys that still have tons of life in them for all these rambunctious 2 and 3-year-olds. Z played with it a little when we got home, calling it his baby, putting it to bed, etc. At least it's a boy doll..or that's what I told him since it's bald with a blue outfit on. I kept reminding him that we would take that baby to his room at church and he seemed to understand that, however; I now know that he did not understand that we would actually leave the baby there.
We took it this morning and let Z carry it to his room. When I went to get him after church, he was holding the baby. The teachers said he had cared for it all during the class time...putting it to bed, telling other kids to be quiet because his baby was sleeping, but also throwing it up really high in the air hmmmm. To be brief, we still have the doll; Z would not leave it at church...oh joy!
Friday, January 23, 2009
To spank or not to spank; yes I want your opinions
I was spanked when I was a child. I was yelled at and I yelled back. There I said it. I don't think I'm totally messed up because of it, but I always said I would do things differently.
That was until I had a strong-willed, stubborn little boy enter my life and no I'm not talking about my husband. I've always thought spanking was the "easy" and "lazy" way out in theory. I still do to a certain extent. Disciplining without spanking requires a lot of patience, resolve and creativity and that is a lot of work. Still, is there a time when spanking is the way to go? Does it depend on the child? Does it depend on the severity of the inappropriate behavior? I have not answered all these questions in my mind to a point where I feel comfortable with the way I discipline my child.
In the Bible, when it says to spare the rod is to spoil the child, it is referring to a literal rod or is that a symbol of strong discipline and guidance as in the shepherd using the rod to guide and steer the sheep in the direction that is right? I don't see a shepherd beating the sheep with the rod. Am I way off base here?
I've read books that interpret it one way or another and I don't know that I agree with either view completely. I guess I find myself somewhere in the middle and that is the reason for all the questions. How hard is too hard to spank? How many swats? What if the child doesn't respond to the spanking; do you keep spanking until they do? Or do you hope that they remember the swat next time before repeating the behavior? Oh see, I'm so confused. Maybe I'm making this more than it should be, but we're just having some serious power struggles with Z and he needs to learn to respect us.
It also bothers me to read about spanking and then immediately hugging the child and telling them you love them. Doesn't that send a mixed message?
I admit I have spanked as a last resort and when I'm at my wits end in coming up with a way to discipline that will actually get through to Z. What are your honest opinions on this? I'm not going to judge anyone for saying what you think. Everyone is in a unique situation with unique children and I know we all have different ways of discipline. I just need some input on what works for you and what doesn't and what you believe is wrong, right when it comes to spanking.
As a side note, I just can't wait to see what ad google pairs with this blog...could be seriously warped!
That was until I had a strong-willed, stubborn little boy enter my life and no I'm not talking about my husband. I've always thought spanking was the "easy" and "lazy" way out in theory. I still do to a certain extent. Disciplining without spanking requires a lot of patience, resolve and creativity and that is a lot of work. Still, is there a time when spanking is the way to go? Does it depend on the child? Does it depend on the severity of the inappropriate behavior? I have not answered all these questions in my mind to a point where I feel comfortable with the way I discipline my child.
In the Bible, when it says to spare the rod is to spoil the child, it is referring to a literal rod or is that a symbol of strong discipline and guidance as in the shepherd using the rod to guide and steer the sheep in the direction that is right? I don't see a shepherd beating the sheep with the rod. Am I way off base here?
I've read books that interpret it one way or another and I don't know that I agree with either view completely. I guess I find myself somewhere in the middle and that is the reason for all the questions. How hard is too hard to spank? How many swats? What if the child doesn't respond to the spanking; do you keep spanking until they do? Or do you hope that they remember the swat next time before repeating the behavior? Oh see, I'm so confused. Maybe I'm making this more than it should be, but we're just having some serious power struggles with Z and he needs to learn to respect us.
It also bothers me to read about spanking and then immediately hugging the child and telling them you love them. Doesn't that send a mixed message?
I admit I have spanked as a last resort and when I'm at my wits end in coming up with a way to discipline that will actually get through to Z. What are your honest opinions on this? I'm not going to judge anyone for saying what you think. Everyone is in a unique situation with unique children and I know we all have different ways of discipline. I just need some input on what works for you and what doesn't and what you believe is wrong, right when it comes to spanking.
As a side note, I just can't wait to see what ad google pairs with this blog...could be seriously warped!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Cubbie Love...and boredom
I got permission from one of the other cubbie mom's to use her son's name in my blog today. I didn't get the name of the other one so I'll just use his first initial until she tells me it's okay.
First of all, Zachary is in Awana Cubbies at church. Yes, I know he wasn't old enough this year. But I prayed that we would find a way out of the nursery room we all despised at the time and God answered my prayer in a unique way. We were told Zachary could come to cubbies a year early if one or both of us helped in his class. David stepped up to the plate and all is well. Zach is thriving in cubbies...repeating his verses like all the other kids who are a bit older than him.
After I finish singing in church, I usually go down and join the cubbie class and help out where I can. Usually that means running interference between the kids and trying to get them to stay in their chairs during story time, which is nearly impossible. Sometimes those kids totally crack me up with their looks, phrases, attitudes, etc. Last night, Zachary got a taste of his own medicine. As I've blogged before, he's very into saying "I don't love you," especially if he's in an onery mood or just feeling his age I suppose.
During story time, little Z was sitting by Boston Parker and they were mildly annoying one another pushing and leaning and just being little boys. All the sudden, Z starts leaning and scooting closer to Boston and he looks at him in the eye and says "I just love you; I love you Boston." He kept saying it over and over, all the while not quite understanding Boston's response of "No, you don't, nooooooo." It was really hard for me not to laugh. Z kept looking at me in complete confusion. I told him that now he knows how it feels to tell someone you love them and for them to be "mean" back. He just lowered his sad little head and said "yeah." Didn't take long and they were buddies again, back to running around the room and laughing. A while later, they were sitting beside each other playing with blocks and when I looked down they both had an arm around each other's shoulder. It was too cute. Of course, when I pointed it out, they both quickly appear to not know what I was talking about.
Another early-to-start-cubbie is MD. This kid melts my heart and he's quite the little comic most nights. Last night was no exception. During the story time, MD sat sideways and leaned against the back of his chair with one arm and laid his head half-way down. He then began to fake snore and I about lost it. I felt sorry for the reader, but geez it was hilarious. MD is going to be a pistol in school; I see a future class clown in the making :) What do you think Mia?
First of all, Zachary is in Awana Cubbies at church. Yes, I know he wasn't old enough this year. But I prayed that we would find a way out of the nursery room we all despised at the time and God answered my prayer in a unique way. We were told Zachary could come to cubbies a year early if one or both of us helped in his class. David stepped up to the plate and all is well. Zach is thriving in cubbies...repeating his verses like all the other kids who are a bit older than him.
After I finish singing in church, I usually go down and join the cubbie class and help out where I can. Usually that means running interference between the kids and trying to get them to stay in their chairs during story time, which is nearly impossible. Sometimes those kids totally crack me up with their looks, phrases, attitudes, etc. Last night, Zachary got a taste of his own medicine. As I've blogged before, he's very into saying "I don't love you," especially if he's in an onery mood or just feeling his age I suppose.
During story time, little Z was sitting by Boston Parker and they were mildly annoying one another pushing and leaning and just being little boys. All the sudden, Z starts leaning and scooting closer to Boston and he looks at him in the eye and says "I just love you; I love you Boston." He kept saying it over and over, all the while not quite understanding Boston's response of "No, you don't, nooooooo." It was really hard for me not to laugh. Z kept looking at me in complete confusion. I told him that now he knows how it feels to tell someone you love them and for them to be "mean" back. He just lowered his sad little head and said "yeah." Didn't take long and they were buddies again, back to running around the room and laughing. A while later, they were sitting beside each other playing with blocks and when I looked down they both had an arm around each other's shoulder. It was too cute. Of course, when I pointed it out, they both quickly appear to not know what I was talking about.
Another early-to-start-cubbie is MD. This kid melts my heart and he's quite the little comic most nights. Last night was no exception. During the story time, MD sat sideways and leaned against the back of his chair with one arm and laid his head half-way down. He then began to fake snore and I about lost it. I felt sorry for the reader, but geez it was hilarious. MD is going to be a pistol in school; I see a future class clown in the making :) What do you think Mia?
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