Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Coloring cousins

Summer and Catherine have been coloring up a storm for the past few days. Yesterday, they were even "mailmen" and delivered some of their artwork to various people. Summer almost spent the night with Catherine a few nights ago, but five minutes after I had given up on her coming home, locked the door and went to bed, I heard them knocking. I was a little relieved because I would've probably just laid in bed wondering if she was going to come home or not. She has never had problems spending the night away from home, but it usually with Memaw & Nanny, Paw-Paw or her cousins back home. Anyway, she was excited when I put her to bed about waking up and going over to see Catherine after breakfast. She was ready to be a mailman and told me they were even going to walk in the street to deliver some pictures. I'm not sure they actually did that, but I didn't ask her who all they were giving pictures to. Catherine is big enough to take care of her anyway (12 years old) and we are not in a very busy neighborhood. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've seen any other cars than belong to the family on this street. Well, the real mailman, but that's it. As I type, they are in the kitchen with tons of blank pages to color spread out in front of them. I sure am glad to see them enjoying each other so much.

Mia, Summer's 5 year old cousin who she took a liking to first, has been at her dad's house the past few days so Summer and Catherine have become best buddies. She also plays well with the boys ages 6, 7, & almost 9. Her uncle Glen remarked that he was surprised to see Summer playing so well with them as he thought she would not fit in. She has never been a shy one anyway, but I guess he doesn't know her that well. Glen has a nice playground in his back yard and Summer has really enjoyed it too. They even turned the slide into a water slide with a water hose and a slip-n-slide at the end to make the landing a little more comfortable than just the grass. It's amazing they even have grass in their back yards because most house around here don't. Usually, it is just dirt and rocks.

We have also been enjoying the pool at the Palms these past few days too. Nona got us the hookup with a room key so we can get in with no problems. Today, Clint and I took the girls to see Ramona & Beezus. It was a super cute and kid friendly movie. They really need to make more movies like it. It was perfectly clean and wholesome which you can't even find in a lot of animated kids movies today. They always seem to contain some inappropriate innuendos or language. Clint said he even liked the movie today better than Grown Ups which me and him saw yesterday. I don't know which I prefer becuase I did get a few more laughs out of Grown Ups. But, Summer really liked the movie today and kept telling me that it was a really good movie.

Well, she needs me to come wipe her. I guess that means she went #2. Maybe one day her arms will be long enough for her to wipe herself the right way. Until then, I guess I'll be keeping her clean.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Camping in the desert

Summer is thoroughly enjoying our Vegas family vacation. She's been having a great time with cousins she didn't really know she had. We went camping at Sand Hollow State Park in Utah with them. The kids loved playing in the water and sand all day. Luckily, none of us caught "the itch." Apparently, there is a bacteria in the water that thrives on water/moisture. So if it gets on you, when you get out of the water it will seek a source of moisture. Thus, it will crawl under your skin to find it. Summer kept saying she didn't want to get the itch, and I think she actually thought she would be able to see an itch bug and therefore avoid it. That being said, none of us got one of the t-shirts that they give you if you do indeed get the itch. Yay! I rode her around on one of the razors her uncle Glen had purchased for everyone's enjoyment. She didn't get the full extent of riding through the mountains, but I don't think that would've been a particularly safe trip for her anyway. While we were eating in St. George one day, we got some tickets to a baseball game. The game was not as exciting as I would've hoped since the home team was getting crushed. But, the kids did enjoy some treats from the refreshment stand.

We are back in Vegas now and going to celebrate a few birthdays tonight with the entire family. Can we get a table for 14 please? I hope to go see the Freemont Experience with Summer afterwards. I know she'll love it.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

4 year check up

Everything went well at Summer's 4 year check up except for the fact that we were there for 3 hours. That was a little painful. We actually almost left two hours into it, but on the way out, the dr. was coming to see us so we turned around and went back to the room. Before that, when we were back in the room waiting for the doctor, Summer commented that the nurse said she would be there shortly and it had been a long time already. I just love her intuitiveness. She passed the hearing and vision test with flying colors I assume since I didn't get any feedback otherwise. She was in the 90th percentile for weight at 41 pounds and the 75th percentile for height which I believe was about 40 lbs., the nurse didn't actually say. The nurse was very impressed with Summer's maturity level and cooperation with what she was asked to do. I must say that made me proud, not that I wasn't before. The visit ended with 4 quick shots. She still has a little pain in one of her arms / shoulders today from one of them. Hopefully, it won't interfere with her artwork today.

I actually had to wake her up a little after 8:00 this morning. She wanted muffins for breakfast which she made pretty much by herself. She prefers the wildberry, but we only had strawberry and blueberry. She chose the latter. She loves the batter the best and that was all she actually ate of the muffins. I did get her to eat a piece of cheese before I dropped her off so she wouldn't be starving the whole time she is there. They do have a snack at some point, so I'm not too worried. I bet she will be hungry when I pick her up though. I've still got her muffin in the car just in case she can't wait for lunch. She was happy this morning when I left her, showing off her unicorn outfit to the teacher. It is long sleeves and pants, but there was no deterring her from wearing it. It has been out of commission for a few months since she played outside at her memaw's house and got pine sap all over it. I finally bought some Goo Gone this week and it (along with a little scrubbing) got it all out. I was happy because the stuff cost me over $4 which was about half of the price of the outfit.

This morning she asked me what we were going to do fun today so we planned a quick trip to Chuck E Cheese before our lunch date with Paw-Paw and Lenora (one of our neighbors). She loves to live life to the fullest like me. Good times will never be far from us because we keep our eyes open for every opportunity to have fun.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Art galore

Come Friday we are going to have art galore around here! She has already given once piece away to her sister. If I had to guess, I'd say it has already made it's way to the trash or maybe it's still in her car. I have been doing a little clearing out myself lately. Not too much, but stray masterpieces are trashed if not near the actual place where they go. They have been doing several projects each day at camp. Yesterday, they painted a big picture and learned about symmetry. I think I saw 3 or 4 more art pieces of hers around the room too. They aren't sending all of it home everyday, so I'm sure we will have our hands full when she leaves camp on Friday. I hope she gets a little more excited about going in the next two days because when I dropped her off yesterday and today, she was a little sad. I know she will snap out of it when I'm gone, but still I'd rather leave her with a smile on her face.

When I picked her up from camp yesterday, I surprised her with news that we were going on a picnic at the playground with her cousins. Of course, she lit up like a light bulb. On our way to pick them up, she decided who was going to sit by her since she knew they would fight over it if she didn't. At first she chose Leah, but then decided on Jonathon since they like to act silly with each other. It is one of her more unflattering behaviors, but I know kids need to be kids sometimes and as long as they are not hurting anyone, anythings or themselves it is okay to leave them be. At the park, we all gobbled down peanut butter and banana sandwiches. It was hot and Summer was sweating just sitting there eating, but the kids managed to stick it out and play for a little while.

After too much fun with her cousins, we headed on another family outing to dinner and the mall. We took Clint to pick out a present for his birthday. Summer thought she was going to get to pick herself something out when her Daddy told her that he didn't want anything and instead of him getting something she could. Oh what a tease he is! She did, however, go into the mall expecting only to get to play on the playground. And, she did until she was hot and sweaty and tired. She also left with 4 new pairs of leggings, but she wasn't with me when I bought them. I also have her some clothes for next summer coming in the mail. Thanks for the coupon Buddy!

Bowling was another highlight of the week. Summer loved it again. She used the rolling aide they have available for those who need it and also used her own girl power to get the ball down the alley. Although the bumpers were up, she didn't really use them too much. I think I might have tied her on hitting them....or maybe I did it a few more times. Who knows? She got several spares and even a strike or two I think. She was pretty competitive with some of the bowlers which is kind of sad for us big kids, but it's all for fun anyway. Lexie loved to roll the ball down too until she banged her chin on the rolling aide. Luckily, we were almost through bowling when it happened. It really hurt her though and she cuddled up in her mommy's and my arms for a while after that. Oh, how I love to nurture and love these precious kids who are developing who they will be in these early years.

I actually heard two older ladies talking about kids and their behavior and development yesterday at the restaurant. One was saying how at age 3, whoever is in control, parent or child, will be in control as they grow up. That's a scary thought especially in this day and age where a lot of parents don't really parent and set boundaries for their kids. She also said that by age 5, who they are going to be is pretty much developed (or something like that). The first few years are so important in setting a child up for success or failure and yet today so few are really worried about their children's well being or future. In fact, I'm not sure why some people really have kids. Too often it's not well thought out, but rather just something everyone does. Parenting is a life long committment; kids are not a commodity. Okay, stepping off the soap box. Back to the ladies, I couldn't tell if they were talking about this because of my kid who has not officially learned how to use her indoor voice or another child who was jumping and climbing everywhere or maybe it was just a random conversation I was meant to hear. It was very interesting though and good food for thought.

This week has been a family adventure for us. I wonder what the evening has in store for us. Karaoke? Movies? Shopping again? We'll see what Summer says when she gets home from camp. Maybe we will just all sit around and play games in the living room. Before any of that happens, she has her 4 year old check up. I'm thinking she might be getting a shot, but I haven't mentioned it to her yet. No since in worrying her all day for no good reason.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Empty house

It's hard to believe how big Summer is getting. I can hardly lift her 40 pounds anymore, but notice I said hardly. I still lug her around when she needs a lift, but not to the extent I would've a few years ago when she was Lexie's size. The other day she jumped and landed on my belly. It was not a good moment, for me anyway. It hurt, and I was trying not to get too mad. I think I succeeded. I know she didn't mean to do it, but nonetheless, she pounced on me like a dog on a cat. I'm not a big wrestler or brawler so I'm not sure how much more I can take of her climbing on me like she's a monkey. I still like to play with her in the floor, but when she steps on my hair it can be painful. We need a yard with a playground so she can monkey around out there when she's feeling frisky. Well, maybe we don't "need" it, but I guess we all want it.

This morning we took a walk. After waking me up at 7:02 with the words "Mom it's morning," we proceeded to the couch for an episode of Little Bill. (I think that's what it was.) It inspired me to get up and get going so we had ourselves a little walk just like the boy on the cartoon had with his grandmother. Of course, we didn't get to see a goose and her goslings, but we did enjoy a sculpture garden. Summer lucked out because the sprinklers were watering the plants which gave her the opportunity to run through the water. And, yes, she made me do it too. It did get rid of her bed head hair so it was like a blessing for us both. I let her lead the way until we got back. Then I announced we were taking the stairs. She did pretty good alternating her steps all the way up. She did try to tempt me into a confrontation by starting off not doing it that way, but I ignored it which seemed to work. :) Go me. We have not been doing a whole lot of working on her motor skils, but she is pretty active and not having any problems so I think she will be okay. We did do a follow the leader type activity on our walk where we walked on our toes, heels, hopped, kicked and walked backwards. Her contribution to the activity was hopscotch type jumping. She loves to get her exercise. Sometimes when we do something physical, she will say we are exercising. She enjoys it too so that is icing on the cake.

Art camp started today. The teacher said they would be painting and making clay so I hope Summer gets her fill of crafting for the day. We have been working on a frog puppet for a few days now. She hasn't really had the attention span to finish it. The coloring of the tongue seems to be too much for her to do at one sitting. We both colored an eye, and I colored the arms. Maybe one day it will be complete. In Sunday school yesterday, we made puppets. Summer got to make the Jesus puppet for our puppet show. She didn't put any clothes on him, but rather drew the body, belly button included. She also gave him pink hair. Now granted, I did give the kids the option of white, pink, black or brown hair, but I didn't think the pink hair would be the one used on Jesus. I guess I should've when I gave it to Summer though. She was so excited to be the one who got to do him when I was handing out the bags. Before church, Summer's angel Brenda gave her $7 to buy something special with. This lady has always had a special thing for Summer and brings her gifts on holidays and special occasions. She has Summer's pictures hung on her walls at home. Well yesterday the occasion was just because there weren't any holidays coming up. Anyways, later that evening, we took Summer to the Learning Express toy store. She had found $4 in her wallet which she put all her money into before we left. I also put a 20% off coupon in there that I had found the day before. On the way there, she talked about this air pogo toy they have. We discussed that is was a lot of money ($200), way more than the eleven dolloars she had. She always loves to play on it when we go there. So, I was surprised that she did not even go near it the whole time we were in the store. She looked things over. She searched for the winged horse she had seen in there once before and wanted. But, it was not there. She looked over the expensive furry animal dolls. I was glad she didn't pick one of those because one little family is $21.99 (or close to that). She saw a wood picture frame with a cat that would be a fun craft and initially picked it. Then she saw the mosaic art kits and set out to find the perfect one for her. She got the one with unicorns. When we got to the car, Daddy noticed the price tag said $16.99 and he remembered her only having $7. She explained that I had given her the rest of the money to pay the $14.?? total. I didn't think it was worth it to make her pick something else when she was so excited about a craft that we can all 3 do together. And, that's just what we did when we got home. We sat in the living room floor making a beautiful picture of a unicorn and a rainbow. And, that was priceless.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Remembering precious moments

Summer has been collecting money to fill up a bank she made in vacation Bible school. She wants to give the money to Jesus. I think she thinks that someone at our church is actually Jesus. She told me her cousins did not have a Jesus at their church. I'm not sure who she actually thinks Jesus is because I haven't asked her specifically. But, I'm leaning towards the preacher or the music minister. I want to wait and see what she does when she fills it up before I set her straight or at least attempt to. It is clear that she does not have a full understanding of the Bible and the story it shares. But, neither do I. I think I understand the message of Jesus was to spread love and help others. And, that is what I want to pass on to my daugther. How to give and not worry about receiving. We've quite a ways to go, but she is now offering her art creations up to others so they can have some too. She told me that this morning.

First thing out of bed today, she was ready to paint a magnet from a new kit she got as a late birthday present from my aunt. She picked the turtle and painted away. When she was finished, I noticed she had left the shell white (the color of the material). I mentioned it to her and she said she wanted it to be more "colorish" so that is why she left it white. Now she knows what colorful means.

This past week we had friends in town. They had a boy around the age of 10 with them. He and Summer and Katie all kept each other entertained. I hardly saw her at all because she was too busy to come and sit in my lap and cuddle. But, that's okay because I had my hands full with Lexie. When Summer saw Lexie in my lap, she did gravitate my way a little more. But, she was mostly playing with the older kids. It is amazing how well she fit in with them. They are all good kids though. They played in the kiddie pool and hot tub. Cameron worked on perfecting the slip-n-slide for maximum speed. Summer went down on my back a few times. Lexie laid on a float, and I went down with her. The grass had just been cut so we were all pretty grassy, especially if you wiped out. But, that just meant waterhose fun and more smiles. Summer is definitely becoming more independent. The thumb is still there though. So is Teddy.

Do you know how hard it is to walk around the house with a 4 year old and an almost 2 year old on your legs? Not quite impossible, but 60 extra pounds is a lot of dead weight. Lexie alone is actually pretty easy though if she can hang on. The two of them love to crawl all over and tackle me too. They have learned to share my lap, although Summer still wants it all. It feels good to have a couple cling-ons or snuggle bugs. Of course, I wouldn't want them hanging on my 24/7. But, you know you're doing something right when they are happily snuggling in your arms, head on your shoulders. These are priceless times for me.