Sunday, November 30, 2008
Need some help
Hi...do any of you know how I could take this picture, and KEEP the hat colored but put the rest in black and white? I know I could do this in PhotoShop (I have Photoshop CS2). Generally what I do is make the entire thing grayscale and then color by hand but it doesn't look as natural. So if any of you know how to do this PLEASE let me know. I really want to get better at this stuff.
Thanks!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Reindeer Festival
Today we went to a nearby nursery to see two of Santa's Reindeer, Dancer and Blitzen! :) It was free and fun to see how big their antlers were. Brynna was not too sure of going near them, and wouldn't go look at them by herself. She also wasn't too sure about Santa either. She talked to him and waved to him, and even took a picture with him, but would not stand by him or let him hold her. Baylen, on the other hand did a great job and even let Santa hold him!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! :0 We hope you ate plenty of turkey and took some time to think about who and what you're thankful for.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
I'm Thankful...
Briana's post earlier today inspired me to do the same...
I am thankful for...
1. My family--we have grown into a family of four and through all of our ups and downs, every day brings something new, something to look forward to, and something to appreciate.
2. Dj--Thanks for keeping me sane. Your ability to see things from a different perspective always helps me reevaluate what really matters. You keep me grounded and our children so so very lucky to have you as their daddy. I'm thankful you are able to see past my faults and my ability to fly off the handle at times. I am thankful you have been with me every step of the way...through it all and you haven't run away. haha
3. Brynna--thank you for being so honest and for wearing your heart on your sleeve. Thank you for making me laugh every single day, reminding me that parenthood is no easy task, that it's wonderful to be so curious, and giving me that feeling of total happiness when you smile, you say you love us, and hug and kiss on your brother. Thank you for your bossy, take charge attitude, and your sweet, sweet demeanor. I'm so thankful you are my firstborn.
4. Baylen--I'm thankful for your kisses and hugs...that you're a momma's boy through and through. I'm thankful for your happy-go-lucky personality, who always wants to be included, and is full of more energy than I can measure. Thank you for re-teaching me the importance of patience, reminding me that I can't control everything, sleep is overrated, and there's not always a right answer. Thank you for your giggles and handsome smile, your "lovey" ways, still making the time to cuddle with me every night, giving me that warm fuzzy feeling that only moms can really feel. I'm so thankful you are my "baby."
5. My parents back home in Iowa...*sigh* I miss you more than you know. Thank you for always being there for me when I need you. Thank you for being the best grandparents to our children and loving us for who we are.
6. My sister and brothers: I couldn't imagine what life would be like without you three. I wish we lived closer to each other so I could see you all more often. Our last trip to Ferg's was WAY too much fun and I'm thankful for those times when we laugh all night long.
7. Grandma Ruth--I'm thankful that you have always been in my life for the past 29 years. Thank you for being a positive influence and showing me how to be strong even when I didn't want to be.
8. My health--I'm thankful for my good health and I pray that I continue to have good health for many, many years to come.
9. Our (Dj's and my) jobs. Whew...in these difficult times, I feel pretty secure. Thank God for that. I'm also thankful for all of the wonderful weeks and summers I have off to spend with my kids and hubs. I'm also thankful that Apple continues to thrive and for everyone who continues to buy iPods and iMacs. I'm thankful for my fabulous colleagues and I'm thankful I have had so many WONDERFUL students the past 8 years..seriously, that is why I stay at CMS...those kids mean the world to me.
10. My friends--thank you for keeping in touch with me and always including me...you know who you are....and for a few of you who live far away....wow, I miss you soooooo much. For those who live close, thank you for all that you do for us. I'm so thankful to have such an incredible group of friends.
11. Our home...we have a roof over our heads, and yes, though crowded at times, I am thankful we are warm and safe.
12. Our cats--Zoey and Cammy--these were my first "babies" and I'm thankful they have adjusted and embraced our two new babies who have joined us within these last two years.
I am thankful for...
1. My family--we have grown into a family of four and through all of our ups and downs, every day brings something new, something to look forward to, and something to appreciate.
2. Dj--Thanks for keeping me sane. Your ability to see things from a different perspective always helps me reevaluate what really matters. You keep me grounded and our children so so very lucky to have you as their daddy. I'm thankful you are able to see past my faults and my ability to fly off the handle at times. I am thankful you have been with me every step of the way...through it all and you haven't run away. haha
3. Brynna--thank you for being so honest and for wearing your heart on your sleeve. Thank you for making me laugh every single day, reminding me that parenthood is no easy task, that it's wonderful to be so curious, and giving me that feeling of total happiness when you smile, you say you love us, and hug and kiss on your brother. Thank you for your bossy, take charge attitude, and your sweet, sweet demeanor. I'm so thankful you are my firstborn.
4. Baylen--I'm thankful for your kisses and hugs...that you're a momma's boy through and through. I'm thankful for your happy-go-lucky personality, who always wants to be included, and is full of more energy than I can measure. Thank you for re-teaching me the importance of patience, reminding me that I can't control everything, sleep is overrated, and there's not always a right answer. Thank you for your giggles and handsome smile, your "lovey" ways, still making the time to cuddle with me every night, giving me that warm fuzzy feeling that only moms can really feel. I'm so thankful you are my "baby."
5. My parents back home in Iowa...*sigh* I miss you more than you know. Thank you for always being there for me when I need you. Thank you for being the best grandparents to our children and loving us for who we are.
6. My sister and brothers: I couldn't imagine what life would be like without you three. I wish we lived closer to each other so I could see you all more often. Our last trip to Ferg's was WAY too much fun and I'm thankful for those times when we laugh all night long.
7. Grandma Ruth--I'm thankful that you have always been in my life for the past 29 years. Thank you for being a positive influence and showing me how to be strong even when I didn't want to be.
8. My health--I'm thankful for my good health and I pray that I continue to have good health for many, many years to come.
9. Our (Dj's and my) jobs. Whew...in these difficult times, I feel pretty secure. Thank God for that. I'm also thankful for all of the wonderful weeks and summers I have off to spend with my kids and hubs. I'm also thankful that Apple continues to thrive and for everyone who continues to buy iPods and iMacs. I'm thankful for my fabulous colleagues and I'm thankful I have had so many WONDERFUL students the past 8 years..seriously, that is why I stay at CMS...those kids mean the world to me.
10. My friends--thank you for keeping in touch with me and always including me...you know who you are....and for a few of you who live far away....wow, I miss you soooooo much. For those who live close, thank you for all that you do for us. I'm so thankful to have such an incredible group of friends.
11. Our home...we have a roof over our heads, and yes, though crowded at times, I am thankful we are warm and safe.
12. Our cats--Zoey and Cammy--these were my first "babies" and I'm thankful they have adjusted and embraced our two new babies who have joined us within these last two years.
Monday, November 24, 2008
On Dasher, On Dancer, On Prancer, On Vixen
Yep, I'm hoping that my little fam of 4 will be able to make some time to go see a REAL reindeer this weekend...actually TWO of them...:)
Here's a pic of what they look like! so fun!
Conversations...
Funny conversations I've had with my kids @ school lately. To preface this first one, yes his real, first name is Moon. And for the record, he was given the name by his mom b/c he had a small, perfectly round head like the moon. Of course! haha
Moon: "Mrs. Fitz, is that really you in that picture? Are you drinking a Mountain Dew?"
Me: "Yes that's me. No that was not my Mt. Dew."
Moon: "oh. Wow in that picture you look like a grandma!"
Other students in the background..."ohhhhh Moon...you did NOT just say that...you're trippin!"
Me: "Oh my Moon, I can't believe you just said that. Don't expect a Friday note from my any time soon! (I smile) Now you've moved to the bottom of my list.."
Moon: "Oh...no...I'm sorry Mrs. Fitz, I didn't mean it like that...wait, how can I make it up to you?!"
As read in a student's (Ismail's) autobiography today:
"So another time I was fighting with my brother and he ticked me off because he said I could play the video game and then all of a sudden he said I couldn't. Then he let his friends play ahead of me and told me I couldn't play. I was like 'what?" So I got up and socked him in the face. He was bleeding and he asked me, "Why did you do that for?" and I said, "Cuz that's the way I roll."
Here's another part of his autobio:
"I am a Muslim. IF I were a GOOD Muslim, I'd pray 5 times a day, but because I'm at school, I miss the second prayer of the day. Good Muslims also go to the mosque on Fridays, but I can't do that either because I'm in school. But, before we pray, we have to make sure we fart, go to the bathroom, and shower beforehand. That means we must wash our entire bodies before we pray in this order: ____, etc etc."
I had to pull aside another kid, Mohammed, who I know is also Muslim and ask him this business about farting and goign to the bathroom and he clarified that yes, that was true, but really it is more of a cleansing thing. So then I asked him what happens if you have gas while you're praying? he told me.."Well, then you have to start all over and re-wash and everything." He was giggling the entire time I was asking him this stuff.
Then I said..."Wow, that might take some a long time to finish praying"
Mohammed: "yep, but our god is pretty forgiving after it happens once and just lets it go."
haha
Moon: "Mrs. Fitz, is that really you in that picture? Are you drinking a Mountain Dew?"
Me: "Yes that's me. No that was not my Mt. Dew."
Moon: "oh. Wow in that picture you look like a grandma!"
Other students in the background..."ohhhhh Moon...you did NOT just say that...you're trippin!"
Me: "Oh my Moon, I can't believe you just said that. Don't expect a Friday note from my any time soon! (I smile) Now you've moved to the bottom of my list.."
Moon: "Oh...no...I'm sorry Mrs. Fitz, I didn't mean it like that...wait, how can I make it up to you?!"
As read in a student's (Ismail's) autobiography today:
"So another time I was fighting with my brother and he ticked me off because he said I could play the video game and then all of a sudden he said I couldn't. Then he let his friends play ahead of me and told me I couldn't play. I was like 'what?" So I got up and socked him in the face. He was bleeding and he asked me, "Why did you do that for?" and I said, "Cuz that's the way I roll."
Here's another part of his autobio:
"I am a Muslim. IF I were a GOOD Muslim, I'd pray 5 times a day, but because I'm at school, I miss the second prayer of the day. Good Muslims also go to the mosque on Fridays, but I can't do that either because I'm in school. But, before we pray, we have to make sure we fart, go to the bathroom, and shower beforehand. That means we must wash our entire bodies before we pray in this order: ____, etc etc."
I had to pull aside another kid, Mohammed, who I know is also Muslim and ask him this business about farting and goign to the bathroom and he clarified that yes, that was true, but really it is more of a cleansing thing. So then I asked him what happens if you have gas while you're praying? he told me.."Well, then you have to start all over and re-wash and everything." He was giggling the entire time I was asking him this stuff.
Then I said..."Wow, that might take some a long time to finish praying"
Mohammed: "yep, but our god is pretty forgiving after it happens once and just lets it go."
haha
Saturday, November 22, 2008
8 months old
I am a week late on this, as usual, but here is our BIG boy at 8 months old. Goodness, I can't even believe 8 months have gone by as quickly as they have. Turning 8 months old has brought with it a little frustration, which has been testing mommy's (and sometimes daddy's) patience, but mostly a whole lotta joy...
This Mister is BUSY with a capital B. Literally, he HAS to be moving constantly.
Baylen has been able to pull himself up on furniture and in his crib for about 2-3 weeks now. He's also starting to cruise around furniture.
He is saying mama on a regular basis...which means he now can say "mama and dada"...he also babbles quite often. The funniest is when he does it in the middle of the night and I hear it over the baby monitor.
He is eating mostly Stage 2 and some Stage 3 foods. He has started to eat toast with the crusts cut off, puffs, Cheerios, and Cheetos Puffs. He is a messy eater and will only ever end up getting maybe 3 or 4 puffs or Cheerios in his mouth and successfully eaten, while the rest will end up in the high chair.
He loves to give kisses and hugs and zerbets. haha
He is starting to wave with his hand and he gives High 5's...he's REALLY close to clapping and playing pat-a-cake
He has been able to stand on his own for about 3-5 seconds. He's still trying to figure out that he has to stand flat-footed instead of on his tippy toes.
He enjoys the Leap Frog Activity table (which we have borrowed from our friend, Cade), the bouncer, and anything of Brynn's. Also Loves playing with our toy balls--purple one and Sesame Street one, as well as little cars, the drumsticks, and blocks. He also enjoys playing in Brynn's kitchen w/ her.
He still has 2 bottom teeth, but there is a BIG ol' bump on the top gums, so one is coming really soon.
He has always been a loud crier, and somewhat of a screamer, but lately he's really learned how to SCREAM and use it as a manipulative technique. This is the thing that has been frustrating...ugh....when he screeches, it is ear piercing. He now has learned how to screech whenever he wants us to pay attention to him or when he's unhappy. Sometimes this happens at 3 in the a.m. when he doesn't want to go back to sleep. (our poor neighbors)
He constantly gets into things he shouldn't be, like: the remote, the TV, the XBox, pulling open drawers, pulling out magazines, opening cupboards (like the ones on his dresser), trying to get in the garbages, cat litter, and wants to play in the cat food and cat water.
He tries to pinch..this is another frustrating thing...when he's trying to settle down and self-soothe, part of his little routine is trying to pinch skin. It really FREAKING hurts. We have no idea how to break this little habit.
Loves to pull Brynna's hair and try and pick on her. He also loves playing with her but also picking AT her and she gets so ticked at him sometimes!
Loves his pacifier....especially now b/c of the whole teething thing.
Not much into reading books. Would rather just eat them and grab at them.
Loves attention. Likes to be held and played with. (what baby doesn't?!)
Tries to climb the stairs. (scary and welcome back, Baby Gate)
Loves to chase after the cats and when he catches up with them, he grabs at their fur--his way of petting them
Has learned how to hold on to toys with all his might when Brynn tries to take them away from him. He also screams while he holds on to whatever toy for dear life. haha
Has not been a fan of getting his pic. taken by Dj or I lately. It has made getting that just right Christmas card photo damn near impossible.
Has had some nights of sleeping all the way through...but they are sporadic.
Can chug an 8 oz. bottle....but this is mostly at night b/f bed. Normally, he'll drink 4, 5, 6 or 7 oz. bottles depending on time of day and how long it's been since his last "food" meal.
We are trying the sippy cup. So far, he loves trying to drink out of it and mess around with it, but I don't think he gets the whole "Suck" thing yet. I have taken out the stopper a couple of times, and he likes getting the water out and drinking it, but w/ the stopper in, we've been unsuccessful.
He will put nearly everything in his mouth. I've fished out paper mostly (from magazines he rips then tries to eat)
He is wearing 6-12 months, 12 months, 12-18 months, 18 months (depends on brand)
We think he weighs about 22 pounds and he's about 28 inches tall.
His feet are too fat to fit into shoes and when we put socks on him, it seems like they cut off the circulation around his ankles (though he never complains)
Is a great shopper but not so great when we eat out.
Is finally growing some hair on that head of his!
Is a happy boy and is really curious of his surroundings...Loves looking out the window!
This Mister is BUSY with a capital B. Literally, he HAS to be moving constantly.
Baylen has been able to pull himself up on furniture and in his crib for about 2-3 weeks now. He's also starting to cruise around furniture.
He is saying mama on a regular basis...which means he now can say "mama and dada"...he also babbles quite often. The funniest is when he does it in the middle of the night and I hear it over the baby monitor.
He is eating mostly Stage 2 and some Stage 3 foods. He has started to eat toast with the crusts cut off, puffs, Cheerios, and Cheetos Puffs. He is a messy eater and will only ever end up getting maybe 3 or 4 puffs or Cheerios in his mouth and successfully eaten, while the rest will end up in the high chair.
He loves to give kisses and hugs and zerbets. haha
He is starting to wave with his hand and he gives High 5's...he's REALLY close to clapping and playing pat-a-cake
He has been able to stand on his own for about 3-5 seconds. He's still trying to figure out that he has to stand flat-footed instead of on his tippy toes.
He enjoys the Leap Frog Activity table (which we have borrowed from our friend, Cade), the bouncer, and anything of Brynn's. Also Loves playing with our toy balls--purple one and Sesame Street one, as well as little cars, the drumsticks, and blocks. He also enjoys playing in Brynn's kitchen w/ her.
He still has 2 bottom teeth, but there is a BIG ol' bump on the top gums, so one is coming really soon.
He has always been a loud crier, and somewhat of a screamer, but lately he's really learned how to SCREAM and use it as a manipulative technique. This is the thing that has been frustrating...ugh....when he screeches, it is ear piercing. He now has learned how to screech whenever he wants us to pay attention to him or when he's unhappy. Sometimes this happens at 3 in the a.m. when he doesn't want to go back to sleep. (our poor neighbors)
He constantly gets into things he shouldn't be, like: the remote, the TV, the XBox, pulling open drawers, pulling out magazines, opening cupboards (like the ones on his dresser), trying to get in the garbages, cat litter, and wants to play in the cat food and cat water.
He tries to pinch..this is another frustrating thing...when he's trying to settle down and self-soothe, part of his little routine is trying to pinch skin. It really FREAKING hurts. We have no idea how to break this little habit.
Loves to pull Brynna's hair and try and pick on her. He also loves playing with her but also picking AT her and she gets so ticked at him sometimes!
Loves his pacifier....especially now b/c of the whole teething thing.
Not much into reading books. Would rather just eat them and grab at them.
Loves attention. Likes to be held and played with. (what baby doesn't?!)
Tries to climb the stairs. (scary and welcome back, Baby Gate)
Loves to chase after the cats and when he catches up with them, he grabs at their fur--his way of petting them
Has learned how to hold on to toys with all his might when Brynn tries to take them away from him. He also screams while he holds on to whatever toy for dear life. haha
Has not been a fan of getting his pic. taken by Dj or I lately. It has made getting that just right Christmas card photo damn near impossible.
Has had some nights of sleeping all the way through...but they are sporadic.
Can chug an 8 oz. bottle....but this is mostly at night b/f bed. Normally, he'll drink 4, 5, 6 or 7 oz. bottles depending on time of day and how long it's been since his last "food" meal.
We are trying the sippy cup. So far, he loves trying to drink out of it and mess around with it, but I don't think he gets the whole "Suck" thing yet. I have taken out the stopper a couple of times, and he likes getting the water out and drinking it, but w/ the stopper in, we've been unsuccessful.
He will put nearly everything in his mouth. I've fished out paper mostly (from magazines he rips then tries to eat)
He is wearing 6-12 months, 12 months, 12-18 months, 18 months (depends on brand)
We think he weighs about 22 pounds and he's about 28 inches tall.
His feet are too fat to fit into shoes and when we put socks on him, it seems like they cut off the circulation around his ankles (though he never complains)
Is a great shopper but not so great when we eat out.
Is finally growing some hair on that head of his!
Is a happy boy and is really curious of his surroundings...Loves looking out the window!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Turkey Turkey
In celebration of our upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I had to post pics of Brynn's way cool turkey hat she made in daycare. It was cute--when I picked her up, I asked her if she wanted to wear it over to the Baby Room and show Baylen her cool hat. She said, "yeah!" So we put her coat on and her hat, and then walked next door to pick up Bay. When we walked in, we saw he was sleeping in his crib. So we both walked over and started trying to gently wake him up. Brynn walked over and put her face right up next to the side of his bed and said, "Baylen, wake up...look at my turkey hat!" It was sooooo cute and I was chuckling. She repeated it again and all of a sudden, he sat up and looked and looked at her and gave her a big, goofy grin. It was so freaking adorable.
BTW: Bay slept through the night last night whoooooooooooooo hooooooooo
BTW: Bay slept through the night last night whoooooooooooooo hooooooooo
Sunday, November 16, 2008
2 Years, 2 Months=26
I haven't written much about how smart my little Monkey 1 is so I thought I'd record what I can remember about what she has been up to.
*crawling up on everything, trying to climb on everything
*ETA: loves playing with and throwing/kicking a ball, playing with her baby dolls and stuffed animals, playing with her kitchen (and likes to cook Baylen Mac 'n Cheese or potatoes), her cutting fruit, princess keyboard, and her Little People toys
*wants us to treat her like a baby: carry her like one, get in Bay's saucer or his bouncer, copies him when he babbles
*sings and dances constantly. LOVES listening to her iPod in her room and the radio in the car. Whenever we're getting ready to pull out of the driveway, she shouts, "Turn up music, mommy!" Her favorite radio songs are "So What?" by Pink...and yes, she knows some of the words AND "Disturbia" by Rhianna....whenever she hears the instrumental intro, she starts in: "Bom bom bee dum!"
--more on singing...here are the songs she enjoys singing and she does know all or most of the words to this long list. She often sings these to her baby dolls:
1. Mary Had a Little Lamb
2. London Bridge
3. Itsy Itsy Spider (her version instead of Itsy Bitsy)
4. Row, Row your Boat
5. ABC's
6. Good Morning _____, how are you? Who is sitting next to you?
7. Humpty Dumpty
8. If You're Happy and You Know it Clap your Hands
9. BINGO
10. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
11. You Are My Sunshine
12. Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
13. Happy Birthday
ETA:14. Old McDonald had a Farm
15. Farmer in the Dell
16. Where is Thumbkin?
17.
There's more but that's all I can think of right now.
*We don't have a lot of time to watch TV but whens she does, she loves watching: Barney & Friends, Sesame Street, Play with me Sesame, Calliou, Mother Goose Treasury and has watched a little bit of Lion King and Toy Story
*Loves reading books. Her current favs are: It's Sharing Day (a Dora book), Little Pea, Pacifiers are not forever, Teeth are not for Biting, and Snuggle Puppy
*still has a paci--we're working on this...she's down to just when sleeping, and it's hard when little bro has one. We keep saying together: "put the paci in the trashy!" But when we ask her if she wants to put the "paci in the trashy," she does not want to do that.
*talks NON-STOP...constantly asking: "What's this, Mommy?" or "What color's this?" and talking about everything and anything. It's amazing what comes out of her mouth on a daily basis!
*has a great memory and is really good with names. She has known all of the kids's names in her class for several months now, and knows many of the other kids's names in daycare as well.
*Hilarious!! Today she walked in the kitchen with a pair of brown tights pulled up over both feet and they were pulled up about halfway up her legs. She said, "help mommy, want tights on now!" or she was sitting on the potty a couple nights ago and she told me, "Go away, mommy!" she wanted privacy!! This morning, I told her that she could crawl down to the foot of our bed and pet the cat. She asked if Baylen could pet Cammy and I said, no, he's too little. Just you. So Baylen tried to crawl towards the cat and she said, "No not YOU! Just Brynna!" Her facial expression was soooo funny!
*Miss Personality...has been in trouble at daycare several times this past month for: biting, hitting, pushing, and pinching. Let's hope this is just a phase and she'll grow out of this. yuck!
*Loves her brother. Even though they fight and she gets mad at him sometimes, she loves on him and they can just giggle and giggle with one another about who knows what...this morning she was dancing and singing for him and Bay was just eating it up!
*Wears size 18, 24 months and 2T. Still a peanut for her age. Weighs maybe 24 pounds; size 5 1/2 and 6 shoe depending on the brand
*loves wearing slippers and can put on her own shoes.
*Still working on potty training. She goes potty at daycare once about every other day. She loves the idea of wearing big-girl underwear, but when we've tried it, she wets right through and b/c she enjoys sitting on the couch and floor, I am just not up for cleaning urine off of everything just yet. Is that lazy of me?
*ETA: also knows and can recognize these colors: green, orange and sometimes yellow!
P.S. Megs: check out her dress! :)
Labels:
Brynna B
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Mister B
Is 8 months old! more on that later...but here's the promised pic of him in his outfit he wore for school pics. I love rocker-ish wear for boys. It's so cute. If only he had enough hair to sport a mohawk.
Friday, November 14, 2008
1, 2, 3 Magic
Some of you have asked about 1, 2, 3 Magic, so I thought I'd do my best to explain. My mom introduced me to this tactic a couple of days ago and it has really worked wonders with Brynna. There were many times when she would choose to ignore our requests to do things, such as getting dressed, picking up something, stop playing with her food, taking something away from Baylen and refusing to give it back, throwing a tantrum, etc. So, in comes 1, 2, 3 Magic! When we ask her to do something, and she refuses, then I will say, "Brynn, that's 1...if I get to three, that means you'll have a timeout." You can also say, "That's one and that's your warning...if I get to 3, then you'll have to sit in timeout." So far, I have only had to count up to 2 and have never had to get to 3 for a timeout or whatever consequence I decide is necessary based on the situation. For example, sometimes the consequence is not a timeout, but instead, taking a toy away for awhile that she's not willing to share with Baylen or taking her juice box away b/c she's messing with the straw, leaving a store and going to the car or going back home, or taking her plate away and telling her that's it, she's done. Whenever she does listen the first time or even after the "1" warning, then I always praise her and tell her that she is such a good girl for listening and I thank her and give her lots of positive warm fuzzies. She totally understands what I mean about if I reach 3, and has responded to it very well since the very first time I tried it.
Here's an example scenario that happened last night:
Brynna was playing with the straw in her juice box pulling it up and down.
Me: "Brynna, please stop messing with your straw and drink your juice like a big girl."
Brynn: "No mom I will mess with straw."
Me: "Brynna, that's one. If I get to three, I will take your juice and you won't get to drink it anymore. Please put the straw back in your juice."
Brynna: "no no take away, Mommy. I drink it like big girl, okay?"
and that was the end of it. :)
ME: "Thank you honey, for listening. You are such a good girl for drinking your juice and not messing with your straw."
My suggestions:
*I think you have to find the window of opportunity when deciding when it's okay to use this tool. That is, recognize when your child is emotionally and mentally ready to understand that one is really a "warning" and that they know next comes 2 then 3. Also, that they understand what a timeout is and why they are in a timeout in the first place.
*Try to avoid "yelling" when giving the warning, but instead, remain calm and have a firm voice. That way they know you're serious and mean business, but you aren't freaking out or getting too upset. I know Brynn seems to respond much better when I am calm, yet firm vs. getting upset and getting overly frustrated in the heat of the moment.
*This is one kind of discipline/consequence tool. I recommend trying to avoid over-using it.
*Follow through...if you are going to give a timeout, then that's the consequence. If you're going to take something away, then do it. Otherwise, this method will lose substance verrry quickly
Thursday, November 13, 2008
What do you think?
This is the dress I bought for Brynna for possible Xmas and Wedding we have over the holidays. is it a keeper?
Mary and mom you BETTER comment too!
Miss Polka Dots
We are still battling daycare incidents, but they happening less frequently. Now she's moved on to pinching. I have no idea where she learned how to do that. This little missy is definitely full of personality. Thanks to my mom, we've introduced the "1, 2, 3 Magic" discipline/warning tool and it's working out REALLY WELL right now.
Anyway, she wore this for picture day at school on Tuesday. I didn't get Baylen's pic but I'll put his outfit back on and take a pic. He wore a rockin' button down striped shirt. :)
Just messin' around
This scene unfolded before my very own eyes. Needless to say, before the 3rd pic was taken, Brynna tried to get out of the cart and as that was happening, the cart and her started tipping backwards towards Baylen. Luckily, I caught everyone in time and made Brynn get out of the cart. I told her not to climb inside again! But, it was rather humorous to watch.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
I'm spent
Baylen slept like C*** last night. Well, the first half of the night anyway. He was so tired he went down about 8, maybe a little before. he slept in his crib until 9:30. Woke up. I brought him down and let him fall back asleep. He woke at 10:30 and was up until midnight when he finally crashed and slept until 5:30 a.m. I let him cry it out after I gave him ANOTHER bottle at 11:30 p.m. He screamed SO loud at the top of his lungs for 10 straight minutes. I thought that our neighbors were going to think something really bad was happening b/c he was screaming bloody murder. So, I went and picked him up and he fell asleep in my arms. 10 min. later after he was out for the count, I put him back in his bed and prayed he'd sleep the rest of the night. Success! (He was probably worn out from crying so hard.) Although, it would have been nice if he had slept from 8-5:30 straight. BTW: Where do I sign up to get one of those kind of sleepers? Seriously. Ugh...I am sooooooooooooooooooooooo freaking tired today. I can barely keep my eyes open. I could never be a full-time single parent.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Busy...
Really busy this week so posts might be intermittent. Sun night Baylen slept through the night. I was so thankful. But last night was a different story. That little turkey was up about 5 times I swear. He was up from 12-1:40 a.m. Yikes is all I have to say. He did NOT want to sleep by himself in his own bed last night for some weird reason. I think his teeth are bothering him. #2 on the bottom popped through a couple of days ago and there are bumps on his top gums. He has MAJOR diaper rash. I have never seen anything like it on a child of mine. Brynn never had diaper rash ever. She got red sometimes, but Baylen, has it full force. Poor kid. I bet it hurts like hell. I hope he sleeps better tonight . I souped him up with orajel and some infant tylenol. Sleep little man, sleep.
Friday can't come soon enough.
Went shopping today by myself for first time in a long time. It was nice and I wanted to buy something really fun for myself but I ended up buying more for other people. I did buy a cute gray cord. skirt from H&M for 19 bucks! Steal! But, I didn't find anything I was super excited about for myself with the exception of a North Face coat and vest I liked.
I bought some Christmas Church outfits for the kids but I'm not completely in love w/ them. I just didn't see anything out there that I felt like I HAD to get for them this year, like last year when I saw the leopard print dress at Gymobree for Brynn. This year, I do not have that same feeling. However, these outfits the kids can also wear beyond the holiday season, like to Katie's wedding and any other thing we need to take them to for dressing up. I just need to get some pants for Baylen and shoes for Bee.
We have some xmas shopping done for the kids. I think we still want to get Brynn a tricycle, so we'll need to get that one of these weekends from Target. And, Baylen needs a couple more things too...still to be determined. So far, he has a glowworm, an AIR JOrdan outfit and a remote that makes sounds. I suppose he doesn't really care how much he opens b/c he'll be most interested in eating the wrapping paper. Maybe I should just buy him a roll and call it good. haha
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Fun in the laundry basket
It's starting to get chilly around here...although no snow in our parts, there has been some in the mountains. Despite the weather, we just had some fun w/ our hats and mittens. I didn't put on Bay's mits b/c it's seriously a lot of work to get them over his little chunky wrists! :)
Whew...
This week will be a challenge. I hope I can survive. It's especially difficult to have a little girl who is so darn cute but so darn ornery. I feel like we're telling her to stop doing something or "NO" constantly. When we're not doing that, she is in a time-out or upset about something. Needless to say, turning 2 has been tough on all of us. Bee's teachers tell us it's the case of "The TErrible Two's" and my mom also agreed that if we get it bad at 2, then 3 will be easier. I sure hope so! Even though she's still our Princess Peanut, she is still Miss Personality and has unleashed a bossy side of her lately, as well as a very VOCAL side too....as in LOUD. She demands me to turn up the music in the car "mommy turn up music NOW!" she'll say. We've been working on saying "please" and saying it nicely--so, we're getting there. Also, when she wants something, she starts yelling, like..."Nooooo want mommy now!"
The biting phase has seemed to have subsided, THANK GOD. But now, she's on to hitting. She hit a girl in the eye the other day b/c she didn't want M. to sit next to her in the circle. Nice Brynn. I am not sure where she is learning these behaviors, or if she's just doing it all on her own, but it is still frustrating. It also explains why M's parents steered clear of us at the zoo last weekend. And who could blame them? Anyway, we're just trying to be patient and get through each of these little "Angry" phases of hers one at a time.
On another note, she's definitely showing that she's jealous of Mr. Big man Baylen. She wants us to hold her hands like we hold Baylen's to help him practice walking. She wants us to carry and hold/cuddle her like a baby. She wants to get in his crib every chance she gets. She wants to try baby food. She babbles like a little baby instead of using her words. She wants us to put her in the bouncer or in the saucer to try it out. She has a fit when he's in the stroller and she's not. So, we're also working through this too. It has helped when I spend time with her--just her and I, like going to the mall together, or to a craft show, or even to the grocery store. She needs that separation from him and time with just me. I feel bad for her b/c she is a great big sister, but I get how she needs time with just "her" without Baylen always gettin' in her space.
Despite the fact that we have been struggling with the Terrible Two's, she is also so freaking hilarious. She says and does the funniest things and we are constantly cracking up at the things that come out of her mouth. It's amazing how she can pick up word tenses/plurals/singulars of different words and how she can hear something once and remember how to use it in the correct context. She's learning how to pretend, and that's hilarious. She also will hear songs on the radio and can sing the chorus after only hearing them a handful of times, or hear a story read to her a handful of times and be able to "read it back" to me from memorization. It's pretty cute and impressive too. :) She is so curious and always asking, "Mommy what is that?" and always listens to my explanations of things. It's so crazy to see how fast she's growing up and how she's so interested in the world around her. She remembers so many things and talks about how she remembers them, like riding the horse at the Farms a couple of weeks ago, her birthday party and the pinata we hit, etc. She tells me what they did at school that day when I pick her up and always asks her daddy and I when we walk in the door, "Mommy, how was your day? and Daddy, how was your day?" It's just so cool.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
"Lots of new terms for president elect"
I saw this article in the Seattle Times today and thought it was fun and informative at the same time...so enjoy the Obamanyms!
(article by William J. Kole, Associated Press
First there was "Obamamania" punctured in places by naysayers crying "NObama!"
As President-elect Barack Obama prepares for the White House, his message of change, resounding at home and abroad, seems to have unleashed a barrage of Barackisms. Or maybe they should be called Obamanyms.
Here's a glossary, culled from Web sites, news reports and the blogosphere.
Obamaphoria: The post-election rapture that swept over Obama's supporters worldwide.
Obamanation: A twist on "Abomination," expressed by evangelicals and other conservatives who oppose Obama's stance on abortion, gay marraige and other social issues.
Obamarama: The celebrations around the Jan. 20 inauguration.
Obamanos: A play on "Vamonos" or "let's go," among Obama fans in Mexico.
Obamatopia: The polictical paradise that Obama's staunchest supporters hope he'll usher in.
Obamalujah: Exulatation shouted by his fans.
Obamatrons: The policy wonks who will occupy the West Wing of his White House.
Obamascope: Media scrutiny of the new leader.
Obamanator: Hollywood-inspired nickname for the new president, even if he's got what CA Gov. Schwarzenegger contends are "skinny legs" and "Scrawny little arms."
Obamalicious: Complimentary term used by those who like Obama's looks.
Obamaloha: Goodby, Obama-style, with a nod to Hawaii, his birthplace
Oh-bama: Joyful exclamation, via headlines in the Kenebec, Maine, Journal, The Register Guard in Eugene, OR, and The Namibian, from teh soutehrn African country of Namibia.
Bamelot: Descirption of his persidency, from a NEw York Post headline that played on the youth and freshness of John Kennedy's administration, which came to be known as "Camelot."
Obamerika: HEadline from the Croatian newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija.
Barackstar: Description from those who believe Obama is "The Mick Jagger of politics" (from Slate.com).
I think my personal favs are Barackstar and Obamanator. haha
(article by William J. Kole, Associated Press
First there was "Obamamania" punctured in places by naysayers crying "NObama!"
As President-elect Barack Obama prepares for the White House, his message of change, resounding at home and abroad, seems to have unleashed a barrage of Barackisms. Or maybe they should be called Obamanyms.
Here's a glossary, culled from Web sites, news reports and the blogosphere.
Obamaphoria: The post-election rapture that swept over Obama's supporters worldwide.
Obamanation: A twist on "Abomination," expressed by evangelicals and other conservatives who oppose Obama's stance on abortion, gay marraige and other social issues.
Obamarama: The celebrations around the Jan. 20 inauguration.
Obamanos: A play on "Vamonos" or "let's go," among Obama fans in Mexico.
Obamatopia: The polictical paradise that Obama's staunchest supporters hope he'll usher in.
Obamalujah: Exulatation shouted by his fans.
Obamatrons: The policy wonks who will occupy the West Wing of his White House.
Obamascope: Media scrutiny of the new leader.
Obamanator: Hollywood-inspired nickname for the new president, even if he's got what CA Gov. Schwarzenegger contends are "skinny legs" and "Scrawny little arms."
Obamalicious: Complimentary term used by those who like Obama's looks.
Obamaloha: Goodby, Obama-style, with a nod to Hawaii, his birthplace
Oh-bama: Joyful exclamation, via headlines in the Kenebec, Maine, Journal, The Register Guard in Eugene, OR, and The Namibian, from teh soutehrn African country of Namibia.
Bamelot: Descirption of his persidency, from a NEw York Post headline that played on the youth and freshness of John Kennedy's administration, which came to be known as "Camelot."
Obamerika: HEadline from the Croatian newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija.
Barackstar: Description from those who believe Obama is "The Mick Jagger of politics" (from Slate.com).
I think my personal favs are Barackstar and Obamanator. haha
Labels:
Obama
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
It's Obamaphoric
Last night as I had tears streaming down my face as I watched ABC announce that Barack Obama would be our next President of the United States. All I could think about was earlier that morning in the car on our way to daycare, I had looked back at both of my kids and thought to myself, "My children will hopefully be able to witness an amazing moment in history become a reality if Obama wins the Presidential race tonight." This little "moment" was quite emotional for me as we continued our drive. (So much so, that Brynn asked me, "What's wrong, mommy?") I was on pins and needles all day and it gave me goosebumps thinking about what might happen. I kept praying that Obama would indeed, come out victorious. This election has, hands-down, been the most important to me for so many reasons.
I thought about the comment my dad made to me around Christmas time last year when Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were still in the running for the Democratic Party's nomination for President of the United States. "America is not ready for a black president. They won't pick him over Hillary." Granted, that was his opinion and I respectfully disagreed with him. After Dj and I were able to hear him speak in person in Jefferson at the high school, I knew he was exactly what our country needed. And to me, it wasn't because he was black.
I will never forget the first time I saw Obama. He was a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show and as soon as I tuned in that day, and I heard him speaking, I was drawn to his philosophies, theories and ideas. He was someone who brought a different flavor to politics and kept referring to them as "a new way of politics." He was eloquent, confident, yet so honest and realistic. I felt like I could connect with him and he understood where we were coming from. Oprah had made the statement that often times, he was criticized by other African American people for speaking like a "white" person and wnated to know how he responded to that. He said, "I just tell them I speak like Rosa Parks, like Booker T. Washington or Frederick Douglas." When I heard him say that, again....major goosebumps. This guy was the real deal.
And today, I woke up with a new sense of hope. A hope that our country will be heading in the right direction with our new leadership in place come January. A hope that my children will be able to dream big and grow up seeing that whatever they dream for can become a reality. A hope that my kids will feel like they belong and mean something based on their character and not by the 'color of their skin.' It makes me wonder what Martin Luther King Jr. is thinking about all of this. I bet he has tears in his eyes too.
I thought about the comment my dad made to me around Christmas time last year when Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were still in the running for the Democratic Party's nomination for President of the United States. "America is not ready for a black president. They won't pick him over Hillary." Granted, that was his opinion and I respectfully disagreed with him. After Dj and I were able to hear him speak in person in Jefferson at the high school, I knew he was exactly what our country needed. And to me, it wasn't because he was black.
I will never forget the first time I saw Obama. He was a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show and as soon as I tuned in that day, and I heard him speaking, I was drawn to his philosophies, theories and ideas. He was someone who brought a different flavor to politics and kept referring to them as "a new way of politics." He was eloquent, confident, yet so honest and realistic. I felt like I could connect with him and he understood where we were coming from. Oprah had made the statement that often times, he was criticized by other African American people for speaking like a "white" person and wnated to know how he responded to that. He said, "I just tell them I speak like Rosa Parks, like Booker T. Washington or Frederick Douglas." When I heard him say that, again....major goosebumps. This guy was the real deal.
And today, I woke up with a new sense of hope. A hope that our country will be heading in the right direction with our new leadership in place come January. A hope that my children will be able to dream big and grow up seeing that whatever they dream for can become a reality. A hope that my kids will feel like they belong and mean something based on their character and not by the 'color of their skin.' It makes me wonder what Martin Luther King Jr. is thinking about all of this. I bet he has tears in his eyes too.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Please help if you can...we're desperate
the school I work for is in trouble. We hardly have any money in our ASB account. This account funds ALL student activities, student sports programs, and end of the year activities. Right now, we only have $300 in our account. It really sucks. We can't even pay for our yearbook bill b/c it's way more than what we can even afford. We were supposed to get volleyball uniforms and new volleyballs this year but that is not happening. They can't even afford to pay for basketball referees at the games in a month. It's just so sad. :(
We are doing a fund raiser at school sponsored by Sally Foster products. They sell really cool wrapping paper and a whole lot more. You can take a look online...at www.sallyfoster.com
If you are interested in ordering something and want the proceeds to go to my school, please email me and I'll give you the school name and school number you need to enter at the checkout.
oh, and you can email me at sfitz@mac.com
Please AT LEAST take a look. You might find something you like! (I ordered some wrapping paper already that's modern and chic!)
Thanks for anyone who chooses to help support our school's financial crisis!
We are doing a fund raiser at school sponsored by Sally Foster products. They sell really cool wrapping paper and a whole lot more. You can take a look online...at www.sallyfoster.com
If you are interested in ordering something and want the proceeds to go to my school, please email me and I'll give you the school name and school number you need to enter at the checkout.
oh, and you can email me at sfitz@mac.com
Please AT LEAST take a look. You might find something you like! (I ordered some wrapping paper already that's modern and chic!)
Thanks for anyone who chooses to help support our school's financial crisis!
Labels:
please help we're desperate
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Look at this little trickster
He has been pulling himself up to his feet. We are in trouble! (don't mind the mess around the table/floor...that's from Baylen pulling mags and other items off the table b/c he can reach all of the stuff now.)
Return to the Zoo
Today our daycare planned an outing at the zoo. It was really crappy ass weather, but we still managed to go down for a couple of hours since we had purchased the tickets ahead of time. Brynna's request was to see the giraffes, so we made sure we made a pit stop there. They were not out in their natural habitat b/c it was raining and one of the zookeepers told us they had to stay in their barn b/c when it rains, it gets really slippery and due to the fact that they are skittish by nature, they tend to slip on the grass and fall, sometimes injuring themselves. Apparently, because they are such skittish animals, they only sleep/nap for 15 minutes at a time. They are always "worried" they are going to be preyed upon, hence the skittish-ness.
Another perk? We saw the Lion, Bear, Mountain Goat, and Jaguar UP CLOSE. This was the first time in three visits that we had seen these animals close up and personal, so it was pretty exciting. :)
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