Here's our Story: May 2010

"mommy what's that?" "it's a quilt I made a long, time ago" "...Mom, it looks like pants" "the pockets are a good place to put the garbage so it doesn't blow away"

It was really sunny, and trying to get a good picture was kinda tricky

Okay so last week I was having some mommy guilt. Jack gets extra attention being in school and speech therapy, needing extra time with mom and dad to do homework and such. Megan, being the little one also gets extra attention because she can be quite demanding. Then there's Brianna, stuck in the middle and just floating along. I felt like Brianna was in need of some regular, reliable, one on one time, with mommy. So we made a plan to have a standing picnic date, every Thursday while Megan takes her nap around lunchtime. Brianna is thrilled with the idea, and frankly, so am I.

We packed a picnic lunch, got out the "jean quilt" I made several years ago, picked a spot (close to the house, it was really windy) and enjoyed some silly conversation. "mommy, my pickle has a stick on it, that must be where it was hooked onto the pickle tree"

giggle....giggle....

Tomorrow's thursday and I'm looking forward to our "date"!

Okay, so kids say things. Sometimes they say things that make no sense, sometimes they say things that are mean or kind or sweet. And sometimes, kids say (or do) things that make you crack up laughing. I often catch myself thinking "I need to remember that he said that, or that she did that". People tell me "you need to write these things down". I'm no good at journaling in the traditional sense of the word, so I guess this is where I'll record those funny, little things they say.

The other day we took Jack and Brianna to the movies. It was Brianna's first time and we were so excited to go see "how to train your dragon". We went on a Saturday afternoon in our small town, so we were the only ones in the theatre. We picked our seats and began passing out the popcorn. Before the movie got going, Brianna got a little restless and wanted to move around. She hopped off her seat and it flipped back up. She turned around, pushed it down, then let go... it popped back up again! She made this frustrated look, pushed it down with a little more umf, held it there for a second, then let go... sure enough it popped back up again. She stomped her foot, threw her fists to her side and said "Mom, my seat is BROKEN"!
giggle... giggle...

Poor Megan has eczema and is always itchy. She scratches her arms and legs whenever she gets the chance. Jack and Brianna often here Mommy and Daddy reminding Megan not to scratch, and often feel the need to "help" megan by telling us everytime she's scratching. Mommy, however, also has eczema and sometimes understands the need to scratch. The other day we were driving in the car and Megan was particularly fussy. Jack called up to me in his best tattle telling voice "Mo-om, Megan is scratching!" to which I answered "Jack leave her alone, she's itchy, just let her scratch" (she had tights long sleeves on and she sometimes gets really mad when you tell her not to scratch)
.... Jack responded, almost in tears...."But mommy, she's scratching ME!"
Oops! Okay meg, if your itchy you can only scratch yourself...

I've been spending a lot of time working out in my garden and sometimes the kids insist on being in there with me. I was planting green bean seeds near by my broccoli plants (which are taking off quite nicely). Megan LOVES broccoli. It is her favorite vegetable and when we serve it with dinner I have to limit how much she gets so she'll eat the rest of her dinner and so everyone can have some. She's also decided these past couple of weeks that she's finally ready and willing to try to figure out talking, and is coming up with new words daily.
She saw my little broccoli plants that are just barely starting to grow a nice little bunch in the center of each plant. She nicely went up to the plant, petting it gently, and said "pee-ee" (please), "no megan, we can't eat that broccoli, it needs to grow some more".... She waits a second, then grabs the bunch a little more roughly and nicely demands... "ummy, PEE!"... I take her hand off the plant, move her to the other side of me and say "No! don't pick it, the broccoli is not ready yet! Don't touch." I turn my back again, she bolts around me, runs to the broccoli, pulls one of the plants right out of the soil. As I'm pulling it out of her hand she's crying "bawty...ummy...peee" Okay, I guess I'll have to come work on this later. We leave and she's sad, that is, only until I serve broccoli with dinner.