Innocence

I love the fact that my kids are kids. They are naive about many things, and I hope it will remain that way as long as we can help it. There's so much to fear and so many things to protect our kids from nowadays that many times our kids lose their innocence much faster than they should.

This week was Red Ribbon Week at school. So all the teachers were doing their best to encourage the kids to be "drug-free" and such. With all the craziness of Halloween in the same week, I was wondering if Bear and Chipmunk actually retained anything. So at dinner tonight I asked Bear.

Me: So it was Red Ribbon Week this week, right?

Bear: Yes.

Me: What did you learn about during Red Ribbon Week?

Bear: Uh, my teacher just talked to us about how we're not supposed to put bad things like grubs in our body.

Me: Grubs?

Bear: Yeah, grubs. You know, like how smoking is a grub and not good for our body.

Me: (trying hard not to laugh) It's "drugs," not "grubs."

Bear: Oh. Then what's a grub?

Innocence. Gotta love it.

Tiger Sister

There was so much debate and chatter about Tiger Moms for a while there. Even in everyday conversations with friends the occasional, "I sound like such a Tiger Mom," would come up now and then. It was to the point where it became a verb:

"Wow, he's reading already? Did you 'Tiger Mom' him?"

Full disclosure time: Yes, Chipmunk is reading. Yes, he is reading beyond his grade level. No, I did not "Tiger mom" him. In fact, it was his sister who taught him how to read. It was his sister who pushed him to read more. There were occasions when I caught his sister using flashcards on him (when he was 3 years old and she was 5) in order to teach him how to read sight words.

Even now, during homework time I don't have to keep Chipmunk on track. Bear does it all. Some things I've heard:

"Did you finish your homework? Would you like me to check it for you?"

"You're not writing straight enough. Erase it and do it again."

"Wow, you're really getting better. Good job!"

She's either going to grow up to be a teacher or a Tiger mom. For my future grandkids' sake I hope it's the former.

Teacher Talks

It always worries me when a teacher needs to pull me aside and discuss something that happened during the day. Of course, I've been finding that the types of things I'm told are really different from one child to another...I won't name names, but you can probably guess which child is which...

Child A

"...had a little argument with a friend which resulted in some tears...not sure what happened, but just wanted to let you know so you can discuss it with your child."

"...got a little frustrated and teared up during the art project."

"... maybe might have been a bit tired, but still did...best to participate."

Child B

"...was standing on a ball and fell face forward into the ground...and that's why we don't stand on balls."

"...was a bit upset about the art project not turning out right and stood up and threw away the artwork. I pulled it out of the trash in case you wanted to keep it and perhaps encourage your child."

"...has been spitting here and there onto the carpet, outside on the cement, and I don't know if spitting is allowed in your home, but...shouldn't be doing that here."

Now, I have to ask...why is it that for all the teacher talks for Child B, it makes me feel like a terrible parent?

Like mother like daughter

My daughter was a bit upset tonight. We caught her using her Kindle when she was supposed to be sleeping, and thus the Kindle was confiscated.

She felt so guilty, she wouldn't stop crying. Matt and I tried to tell her it was okay, but she still felt sad. So I sat on her bed and began to tell her a story...

"Way back when your mom was a little girl, she used to like to read. She liked to read so much that she would hide under her blankets at night with a flashlight and book. Sometimes my mom or dad would catch me and tell me to go back to sleep, but you know what would happen only five minutes later? I would get that book and flashlight and continue reading. Sometimes I would get caught again, and sometimes I wouldn't, so I would end up reading for a long time."

Bear giggled at the thought of her mother reading books by flashlight under her bedding. She giggled again at the thought of her mother getting in trouble with her parents.

Then Bear made a confession.

"I actually use my kindle every night before bed, but I put it down when you walk by my room."

This confession made me laugh out loud.

So I hugged my daughter, kissed her on the forehead and said, "You are more like me than I realize sometimes."

First Day of First Grade

Bear was so excited to start 1st grade today. Even though she set out her clothes last night, she still went through a couple outfit changes this morning...everything had to be just so.



She was excited to see some familiar faces in her class this year and ran to join them in line. See, she's grinning from ear to ear.

Of course, someone else was absolutely ecstatic that Bear was off to school for over 6 hours.



As soon as Bear was safely inside her class, Chipmunk pulled my arm and made sure to get out of the school grounds as fast as possible. He wouldn't even let me stop by the parents get-together in the cafeteria.

It's been two and a half hours since we dropped her off and he's still in the best mood. Coincidence? I think not.

Update: My son just admitted that he's going to play with his sister's toys while she's gone and then he said, "shhh, don't tell her!"

Storyteller

"I love the stories that you tell about your kids..."

I get that comment a lot. I have a lot of stories. Not fables, myths, or fairy tales, but true stories. Stories of my daily life with Bear and Chipmunk and the crazy things they do each day.

"Your kids always do such great things..."

It often makes me stop and wonder whether it's just my kids that get in trouble like this...or all kids, and their parents just aren't willing to 'fess up.

I always hope it's the latter, but I'm beginning to feel like it's not.

Like the day I found water flooding out under the bathroom door, only to find an inch of water covering the bathroom floor because my kids were purposely pouring water onto the floor to make a big puddle to splash in...

Or the time I found dried spit all over and around our room fan because (as the kids admitted later) they thought it was funny to see the spit fly everywhere...

Or the time I woke up to: (1) find my daughter trying to eat a breakfast of sprinkles in a bowl, (2) the empty bag of Cheetos on the floor, or (3)the chocolate advent calendars that only lasted ONE day.

Or the day I realized our Brita pitcher was actually depositing things into our water instead of filtering out, because apparently some kids thought it would be interesting to filter their orange juice...

And today, as I was standing on a ladder ten feet off the ground in the middle of our high-ceilinged living room unwinding a toy from our ceiling fan, I thought to myself, "Don't all kids do these kinds of things or is it just mine?"

Recently at our local moms group, a speaker was emphasizing finding the humor in the crazy situations that arise because of our kids...I admit though I'm having a tough time finding the humor in each situation as each day I'm fixing something else that my kids' curiosity tampered with.

But I'm trying, and as I tell these stories I hope that my listeners will at least find the humor in them, so that perhaps one day I can laugh along with them.

Alice and Pablo

This is Alice and Pablo.



No, those aren't their real names. They've just been calling each other by these names. It all started one day when Chipmunk informed me, "My name is Pablo, and this is my bear, Teddy."

Pablo made sure to tell his sister of his decided name change. She smiled and replied, "Then you can call me Alice."

Pablo and Alice. Of course, I asked them what made them decide on those names.

Pablo answered, "Well, Alice is from Alice in Wonderland, and Pablo is from the Backyardigans."

I don't know if it's because of the name change, but Alice and Pablo have been getting into a lot of mischief lately. They've been coloring on their faces (See above picture).



They've been playing with their food.



They've been hiding my purse and leaving strange messages (that make me laugh, of course).

They have been a lot of fun...

Apologies

I was surprised when Chipmunk didn't fight naptime today. He happily bundled up in his blankets and closed his eyes. Bear on the other hand had a case of the "grumpies" and showed her rebellion by tossing her beloved Sonja to the ground.

"I don't want her," she said with a pout and a hmmph.

"That's fine," I said and picked up the doll. "Would you like to take care of Sonja?" I asked Chipmunk after he sat up to see what was upsetting his sister.

He nodded and I handed him the doll. He pulled her into a hug with his teddy bear and then laid them both on his mattress beside him, tucking them under his blanket.

"Are you sure you don't want her?" I asked Bear again.

"I don't want her!" she repeated gruffly.

"Okay, but if you do, I'm sure your brother will be happy to give her back to you." I closed the door and left them to their naps.

About five minutes later I heard a few whimpers and sniffles and I knew Bear had started crying. I thought perhaps she wanted her doll back, but when I entered her room, I found she was already clutching her beloved friend.

"Why are you crying?" I asked.

With tears rolling down her cheeks she said, "I was saying sorry to Sonja for throwing her and I just started crying as I was saying it."

Sigh. Gotta love that kid.

RIP Fishy

Poor Bear...she's been wandering around our home saying, "I'm still sad that Fishy is gone."

Who is Fishy? Fishy is the little silver fish that Bear won from the County Fair throwing a fortuitous ping pong ball into a bowl of colored water. You should have seen Bear's face when the little plastic tank was handed over to her...she was so proud.



These days, however, I have to explain to her why Fishy had to "go away."

I figured the fish wouldn't last long, but four days?

Well, considering the circumstances surrounding Fishy's death (found him keeled over surrounded by an excessive amount of fish flakes), let's just say Bear learned her first lesson in pet care: Being generous to your pet doesn't necessarily mean that it's a good thing.

Poor Bear. Hopefully she'll have better luck with pets later on.

First Day of Preschool

Today was Bear's first day of preschool (sniff!).



No tears for this little social butterfly. She sauntered into her classroom and only told me one thing, "Don't forget to pick me up, okay?"

When we did pick her up, she was beaming with smiles and bursting with all kinds of stories from her day.

She mentioned painting, a story about a frog, learning a new song and playing with her new friends...which she mentioned were all boys...Really?

I guess preschool is a hit for Bear.

Playing Games

So the other day we went to the market with my sister and I witnessed this...

Bear: I know! I got a good idea! Let's play a game!

Auntie: What? (Meanwhile Bear comes up behind her and hits her on the rear end)

Bear: Let's play butt tag! (Giggling and runs away)

Auntie: Bear, I don't know if I want to play this game.

Bear: Come on, Auntie! Touch my butt! Try to touch my butt!

Auntie: Who taught you this game?

Bear: I don't know. Come get me! Touch my butt!

Seriously, who taught her this game?

Ballerina Bear

For those of you who would like to see Bear in action...

Ballerina Moms

Taking Bear to ballet classes has immersed me into a whole different culture that resides within the confines of dance studio lobbies. I feel like an alien in a strange land of pink tutus and shiny tap shoes, where the most common greeting is, "so which one is yours?" as the well-groomed parents look through the plexi-glass windows pointing at their pint-size progeny. It's where they talk about which ballet teacher is the best at teaching technique to three year olds and compare which child seems to have the most elaborate hair-do. They share about the other extracurricular activities their children participate in (hip hop, gymnastics, soccer, voice lessons, piano, drawing etc.) and then discuss the ramifications of what would have happened if they didn't make it into "this class.". Their cell phones are abuzz confirming play dates and they rapidly discuss with each other which children's museum has the best technologically interactive display to engage their budding geniuses.

Having little grasp of words such as "Nanny" or "Spare Moment", I stand off to the side and quietly wait (er...run after the elusive and quick to wander Chipmunk) while the other ballerina moms "ooh" and "aah" at their children stumbling through grand jeté and échappé sauté. Then as the clock strikes 10:40, we rush in to change our dear daughter's shoes so another 20 minutes of shuffle hops and taps can proceed. And the moms watch with stars in their eyes imagining futures of standing ovations and encores, delighted at their child's interest in art and culture.

Then the teacher dismisses and all the girls run out of the dance room prim and proper, hairstyles intact, with beaming smiles on their faces. Their mothers pick up their brand name tote bags and receive them with open arms and bottles of water and ask them how their ballet class went while escorting them towards their minivans headed for the next enlightening destination.

Meanwhile, Bear runs out of the studio, with her ponytail falling out, secondhand leotard, a ruffled Sonja in one arm and a freshly printed ladybug stamp on the other and proudly announces, "I love ballet class!" I in turn respond, "I'm glad you had a good time."

Pea Harvest

Everyday Bear waters her little garden. She inspects her plants, excitedly points out each flower and pea, and asks repeatedly when she can eat them.

Well, the day arrived. When I told her that it was time to pick some peas she ran to the window so quickly she practically pushed me over. She repeatedly asked if she could pick them herself. Chipmunk stood in the back complaining hoping to join the fun himself. So the four of us (dad was home, too) picked a handful of peas and then I washed a couple and gave them to the kids to eat. The rest I steamed and added to a salad for our dinner.



So now Bear has taken if upon herself to alert whenever she thinks any pea is mature enough for the picking. She then insists on pulling the stem off and eating them before I get a chance to cook them.

I'm glad she's excited about it all. She should be, this is her garden and she is now able to reap the benefits.

"Tippy Steps" song

Today in the car Bear announced that she was going to teach me a song. She said that it was called the "Tippy Steps Song." She then sang a random song about being in a car and dancing on tippy steps (which I'm guessing is her way of saying "tippy toes") and something about Chipmunk throwing his toys on the ground. It was her first original song. I'm so proud.

Shiner

Our little Bear had a little accident at church this morning...



She had a close encounter with a file cabinet after a bout of spinning. Bonk! She immediately started bruising around her eye and wasn't too happy for a while...

She seems better now...although perhaps a little more wary of spinning.

Clean Up Time

Bear, it's time to clean up! Pick up your toys off the floor!

Okaaaaaay, mommy!

I guess I should have been more specific.



Oh well, at least she did pick her toys off the floor. Although I guess now I have to clean off the couch.

Those Four Dreaded Words

Lately there have been four dreaded words in our home..."I Doing Nothing Mommy!" Usually when those four words are used, it means Bear is up to no good.

"I doing nothing, Mommy!" She says as she swipes at her brother's shirt. I later find ketchup up and down Chipmunk's sleeve.

"I doing nothing, Mommy!" She calls from her room where I later find she's taken all of her clothes out from her bottom two drawers.

"I doing nothing, Mommy!" She answers after I question her about the food she's dropping on the floor.

"I doing nothing, Mommy!" She yells preventatively before I find her playing with things I've already asked her to stay away from.

"I doing nothing, Mommy!" She cries out to mask her brother's complaints as he's crawling away from her now wearing several layers of hats.

"I doing nothing, Mommy" She exclaims after I hear a loud crash and a boom.

"I yuv you, Mommy" She says afterwards, hoping that I won't notice a thing.

Daddy, Buy this!

Going to Costco is not just a shopping trip, it's a family outing for us. Two kids can sit in the cart comfortably, partake of yummy samples and watch as mom and dad ponder whether it's worth buying 300 diapers at a time. Bear enjoys the ride and has happy thoughts of hot dogs. Chipmunk loves the ride as long as his sister is sitting there next to him, sharing her hot dog.

Today, I parked the cart and stepped a couple of feet away when I heard, "Ooooh, wow! Daddy! Daddy! Come buy this! Buy this!"

Matt was a little confused and said, "What?! Do you know what this is?"

Bear smiled, nodded and said, "A Drum box! Buy the Drum box!"

Apparently I parked the cart next to a large pile of Guitar Hero:World Tour boxes for the Wii.

So we bought it...just kidding, we didn't. But that sure would have been a fun ending to this story. Oh well.

Returning to Normal Land

With travel and illnesses, it's been slow trying to get back to what we call "normal" in our home. Bear is finally remembering to use her "please" and her "thank you" without our prompting. She's also remembering what it's like to actually take afternoon naps. Chipmunk who has been super-clingy and seems to have developed some kind of super-baby-anxiety is starting to regain his independence. Once his fever broke, he still wasn't acting like his usual happy self, but slowly, day by day, he's starting to regain his appetite for food and for life. And naps? Oh yes, the naps are getting back on track, too.

It's kind of funny though how hard you have to work just to adjust everyone back to a normal schedule, but it's definitely necessary for sanity.

Speaking of normal, here's a funny Bear story...



So she runs up to me like this, hat over one eye and says, "Look, Mommy! I'm a pirate! Arrrrrrrr!" Then she proceeded to "Arrrrr!" all over the livingroom.

Now that's normal for our home.