Chloe "Reading"

When we go to the library, Chloe picks out her books, goes to the table, and takes a picture walk.  She loves to make up the story as she goes.  It's usually quite humorous.  This one isn't as funny as most but here is an example of Chloe "reading"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vpG_lGbASo

I'm Old and Not Going To Be the Cool Mom!!

So over the past couple of months, a few things have happened that made me feel old......

1.  As students were filing in to math class, a boy told me he 'got burned' in PE.  I asked what they were doing that was so hot in PE.  The class started laughing.  They then told me what 'burned' means. I had to ask them to repeat it again because I didn't quite get it.....

2.  It was pajama day at school.  I have duty on the fifth grade stairs.  All of these girls kept going up the stairs with what I thought said ID on their pjs.  I finally asked the safety patrol what ID was.  He said that is One Direction.  I then had to ask who One Direction was.  He asked if I was serious!  OK, in the car, I am either listening to nursery rhymes, bible songs, or a Disney DVD.

3.  I see fifth graders wearing high heels all of the time.  High heeled boots especially.  I've made the comment that they shouldn't be wearing that.

4.  I've seen kids wearing stone wash denim and I wonder if it's coming back in style.

5.  A 3rd grader made cookies for my birthday.  When she gave them to me, I told her how sweet she was and then asked if her "mommy" made them.  She said, "Yeah my MOM made them."  I guess I'm too used to saying mommy around my own kids.

6.  While filling out something online the other day, I had to put it in my birthday.  It felt like I scrolled forever before getting to my birth year.

7.  Several of my student's parents are younger than me.........

Odds and Ends

The kids start T ball next week.  They will be on the same team.  They are excited about it.  Ashlyn had a little bit of a rough time last year playing.  She wanted me with her on the field at all times.  That was a little shocking and difficult with a traveling husband and a 2 year old.  Fortunately a good friend would keep an eye on her while I HAD to be on the field.  This year the tables will be turned as that good friend now has twin babies and a 2 year old herself while the other one plays ball.  Unfortunately, our kids are not on the same team.  Ashlyn doesn't seem to understand this.  While trying to explain to her tonight that he is on a different team, she said she would just move teams.  I don't think there is any trading in Tball so hopefully having her sister on her team will suffice.  Here's to hoping I don't have to play the field this year:)>

Tonight we painted Easter sun catchers.  When I told the kids I couldn't wait until tomorrow to hold up the suncatcher to the light, Chloe started crying.  I asked what was wrong and she said that she didn't want the sun to come get hers.  :)

The weekend dilemma is whether or not to go to the Easter egg hunt at the park down the road or the one at a nearby church.  The nearby church egg hunt is dropping 20,000 eggs from a plane.  Interesting and probably very crowded.  I remember my childhood in a small town where there was one Easter egg hunt in the county.  Now living outside of Atlanta, I could go to a bunch within a short radius of our house.

Kite day was today at school for Chloe.  I couldn't go since I am a working woman:).  Brandon switched his schedule around so he could go to kite day and eat lunch with the kids.  They were so excited this morning, they could hardly contain themselves.  Then after work when I picked them up, they couldn't stop talking about daddy coming to school.  It was sweet.

My birthday was a few days ago.  I got lots of love from my students.  You want to know the difference between a 2nd and 3rd grader(both of which I teach)?  2nd graders all made me cards saying how much they loved me, loved my class, how sweet I was, and I got a lot of cute pictures of me (and they made me skinny).  3rd graders made signs for me and put them on my door.  They consisted of "happy 29th bday ha ha," "happy 29th bday wink wink," and "happy 29th bday yeah right."  Maybe I should request that I teach 2nd grade all day:).

Brandon was out of town on my birthday but got me a nice edible arrangement.  Anyways, he called Monday night and was on speaker phone with the kids.  He said, "Guess who has a birthday tomorrow."  Ashlyn said, "Daniel and Joseph!!"  Those are the twins in her class and yes we share the same birthday.  Apparently theirs was more important to her than mine.

Oops She Did It Again!

I think it will be a long time before I look back at this and think it's funny.  For those that don't know, less than a year ago, Ashlyn and Chloe wrote all over my car with lava rocks.  While I was yelling at Ashlyn, Chloe had snuck around and was writing on the other side.  It was horrible.  We didn't get it fixed right away.  Then when we were in PA, we got hit by a hail storm and it left marks all over my car.  So that's when we got it fixed.  The insurance agent called me to tell me that it would be written up as vandals damaging my car.  So my kids, ages 3 and 4, would be the vandals.  When I picked up the car, the man asked what I would do if they did it again.  I said I'd kill them.  Well let's just say that was a strong word.  Recently while outside talking to the neighbor, Chloe wrote on my car.  It's not as deep as before but noticeable and deep enough that it can't be fixed by us.  I calmly told her to go to her room (partly because I thought I was going to kill her).  So I will be driving this car until it dies.  I am not ready for anything new for my little vandals to damage:)

Don't Let Your Kids Grocery Shop.....

So I was at WalMart for a few things.  I usually don't get groceries there but needed milk and a few other things while I was there.  So we go over to the milk section and I tell them to 'get the one with the pink lid.'  I'm the only one at the house who drinks milk so I told them to get a small one.  The next day I pour myself a small glass of milk while cooking dinner. I take one drink, run to the sink, spit it all, and proceed to throw up whatever was in my stomach.  They picked out Buttermilk!!!  OMG it was the worst thing I've ever tasted and even thinking about it now makes me gag.

Note to self:  Inspect what they put in the cart......

The Power of Prayer....

I am sitting here thankful tonight that my kids know God and feel His love for us.  I am amazed at their prayers and the way their little minds work sometimes.  Somehow prayers always leave us chuckling.  Here was Ashlyn's prayer tonight:

Dear God,
Thank you for my friends and my family.  Will you please lay your healing hand on my friend at school Daniel?   He threw up today at lunch and we had to move tables.  It smelled really bad.  Then I think they put the wipes in the trashcan in our room because it smelled in there too.  Can you heal him so he doesn't do that again?  Thank you for the snow today.  Can you make it snow more so I can make a snowman?  I've been wanting to do that.  I know you can do anything because you are God and I love you.
Amen

It's so hard to keep a straight face during prayer time.

Am I raising teenagers???

So it was a good weekend.  However I caught myself many times questioning whether or not my kids were teenagers.  Here's the prime example:

Dress shopping for Easter and picture day at school:  Every dress I held up, Chloe loved.  Every dress that I held up, Ashlyn hated.  She tells me she doesn't like my choices and that I just don't know what a pretty dress looks like.  She also made comments that her friends wouldn't even wear that one.  What, you are 4 years old!!  When I told her that a certain dress was too fancy(looked like a flower girl dress), she said, "Seriously, mom?  I am fancy!"  Oh boy.  So Brandon was on the other side of the store looking at something.  When he came back, she dissed all of his choices too.  So we went home with fancy.

Chloe is a three year old trapped in a teenager's body.  We have said this for a long time.  She is witty, sarcastic, and smart mouthed--all of which we are not proud of......  There are times where I have to try and keep a straight face while punishing her.  For example:

We went to the movies.  On the way out, Chloe had to go to the potty.  I took her while Brandon and Ashlyn went to the car.  We get in there and she won't let me go in the stall with her.  So I stand outside the door.  Nobody else is in there.  Then an old lady enters the bathroom and goes in the stall beside Chloe.  Obviously something didn't agree with her.  This conversation ensues:

Chloe: Mommy are you going potty?
Me:  (quietly) No
Chloe:  What is all of that noise?
Me:  Chloe just go potty.
Chloe:  Wow someone has gas!
Me:  Finish up and let's go.
Chloe:  That's loud.
10 seconds later
Chloe:  Someone stinks!

Chloe then comes out and we raced out of there not even washing hands.  We get in the car and I tell Brandon what happened.....

Brandon:  Chloe did someone have gas in the bathroom?
Chloe:  For REAL!

I can't imagine what the teenage years will look like.