The Merry-Go-Round

Today we took the kids to the zoo. It was a beautiful day and it was great to get out with the kids and do something fun. We did however learn two valuable lessons on child rearing. First we learned that riding the merry-go-round until the kids don't want to do it any more doesn't work. We rode the merry-go-round so many times that it became a tag team sport for the grown-ups. We would wait in line, get on the ride, ride for the 5 minute ride, it would stop the kids would cry, we would get off the merry-go-round and get back in line and  start the process all over again. There were 3 adults and 2 kids so every few turns one adult would get to sit down and the other two would ride. The smart thing was that we bought the unlimited rides ticket at the gate, the bad thing was even unlimited rides wasn't enough for the two year old. We rode about 10 times because he cried such a sad faced pitiful cry every time it stopped that we would get off and ride again. Finally, we just couldn't do it any more. The other lesson we learned was that our hyper and sometimes unruly 3 year old did better on a harness with a leash than she does holding someones hand all day. Unfortunately, she sometimes acted like an untrained St. Bernard. She would tug her leash with strong jerks, pull people along the walk way, get tangled up in her leash, and sometimes just refuse to walk. I think her mom needs to enroll her in puppy preschool for some training. All in all not a bad day to take our 2 animals to the zoo!

Grandchildren Might Be Bad for Your Health

Mostly I would say that being a grandparent keeps us young, but grandchildren can be bad for your health sometimes too. We have two preschoolers that bring home lots of germs that seem to get poor grandpa sick on a regular basis. Grandpa has a very bad lung infection right now that started as a cold brought home by one of the grand kids.Then yesterday grandpa fell down while wrestling with our darling 2 year old that was having a major temper tantrum. So now he has a bruised up shoulder and side. A few weeks ago he fell off a ladder while hanging a new swing on their swing set. He is still limping from that accident. Their under foot and stuck to us like glue, and we'll be lucky if they don't kill poor grandpa.

Time-Out Party

Today the Princess was at day care playing when she suddenly notice that quit a few of her friends were sitting on the ground by their teacher. She ran over and asked what was going on, and was told that all her friends were in time-out. She smiled and said "I want to join the time-out party too. In her eyes when ever a group of her friends are gathered it is good time for a party. Maybe we should all make it a party when we are with our friends.

Annoying Little Brothers

Little brothers are a special breed of kid. They some how learn to push every button their older siblings have and yet maintain that ever so cute and innocent look about them. Well, our 2 year old Prince is quickly learning to annoy his 3 year old sister. He can make her yell and cry at whim these days. Now, he doesn't usually hit her or do anything that actually hurts her because he is to cleaver for that and basically a very sweet kid.However, he will accidentally "on purpose" splash water in her face, which she hates, or sit on that last piece of puzzle she needs. He also wakes up first most days so he thinks its funny to yell "WAKE UP" In her ear while she is sleeping. Of course, there are other things he does and he adds new tricks to his trade every day. Yes, little brothers are a special breed of kid, one that many older sisters wish had never been created.

You Smell Bad

Today the Princess climbed up behind me and was hugging me and playing with my hair. I said sweety what are you doing? She said, "I'm smelling you!"  I had just had a bath so I thought she probably was smelling my shampoo, and my scented body wash. So I asked her how do I smell? She honestly answered BAD! I said, "That's not very nice to say, I just had a bath." So she said OK then you smell good, but not really. She would tell me what I wanted to hear, but she didn't want to lie to me. That's one of the things I love about small children. THEIR HONESTY!

Grandpa the Hero

Yesterday the princess was playing in her room when suddenly we heard the Princess wailing with great sadness. Grandpa rushed to her room to see what had happened. She tearfully explained that there had been a tragic pillow collapse and that her stuffed monkey was no longer breathing. He's dead she cried! Grandpa being a fast thinker performed CPR on the monkey and saved his life. Princess tells me at dinner that grandpa is her hero. I know what she means, he's been my hero for nearly 33 years.

Two Toddlers Two Kittens and a Partridge in a Christmas Tree

We are experiencing a strange Christmas phenomenon at our house this holiday season. Our Christmas trees won't stay decorated. Every morning when we get up they are undecorated and we rehang the ornaments and get the lights working before we leave the house for the day, then before we go to bed at night we have to decorate the darn things again. Now we have been doing this since the day after Thanksgiving and it is getting OLD. We all knew having 2 new kittens and 2 toddlers in the house that it wouldn't be easy to get them to leave the trees alone, but we felt certain that they would get tired of messing with them by now. Yes, we could spank the kids and the kittens for tearing it up every day, but they are just curious babies and it's their tree too. The Hub whom likes to be prepared for anything was smart to wire both trees so they would not fall over.The Hub can't stand a preventable disaster!
   Last Christmas on Christmas day we went to spend time with family at my sisters house. Her three kids last year were 6, 4 and 2 years old. Her Christmas tree looked like it had been run over by a truck, shook real hard and then abused some more for good measure. I asked her why her tree looked so bad and she told me that the kids and the dog had knocked it completely over 3 times, and once the two boys were pushing each other and the younger one ended up in the tree breaking several branches. They should have wired their tree.
  Well, when I wake up in the morning I'm sure I will step on the various ornaments that the kittens knocked off the tree and played with all night. Then when I come home from work tomorrow I will see what the grand kids couldn't resist any longer, and now grandpa has in his (to be super glued) collection because it is now broken. Luckily, we were smart enough to hang the important ornaments high on the trees and no one is losing their mind over how the trees look. Some people can be very annal about this kind of thing. No tree or ornament is more important than the children's happiness, we will even put up with those 2 darn kittens. THAT'S HOW MUCH WE LOVE THEM!!!!!