My 5 year olds vocabulary

While pushing the handicap button on the entry doors at Macy's, Parker says, "The door closes automatically."

While coloring crafts from a birthday party, Jake says, "Look mom, we're working very diligently."

Whoa.

A Family First: Ice Skating!

So. Much. Fun. We went to a birthday party and Brock and the boys ice skated for the first time. It was awesome.

3 Days of Easter

Easter at school... Easter in Harmony... Parker & Ellie Jake & Gracie Easter on Easter...

Mommy and Jake time

This is what Jake carved into my couch. Lovely isn't it? For the past several months it seemed as though we were constantly scolding/reprimanding/disciplining Jake. He had been fresh and talking back and not listening and just giving us a hard time. He and I had also been less affectionate with each other because I think we were honestly just both upset with one another. Me at him for not listening, and him at me for being mad at him all the time. It was really making me sad. I hated that we weren't getting along and I felt disconnected from him. I really wanted us to reconnect and have some alone time together. Over the weekend I suggested that we have some one on one time with the kids. And I thought while I was alone with Jake we could talk a little bit about how we've been getting along and if it's been upsetting to him. We made marshmallow pops together, that were gross, and then read stories. I could feel a "shift" in him while we were alone and thought he might start to come around a little bit. Later on in the day he had an eyelash stuck in his eye and when I got it out and held it on my finger I told him to make a wish, but don't tell me what it is because it won't come true. He made a wish and blew it off my finger. That night when I was getting him out of the shower I was just about to ask him if we were still best friends and see if we could start up a conversation, when he said, "I want to tell you my wish was since it will never come true anyway." I asked him why he thought it would never come true and he said because it just won't, it's impossible. I said ok, tell me. He said, "I wished that you would stay my mommy forever." I said, "But I will stay your mommy forever!" He said, "No you won't because one day you'll turn into a grandma and you won't be my mommy anymore!" So with my heart breaking I explained to him how I will always be his mommy no matter what, even when I turn into a grandma. So after all of that, after what seemed like months of him pulling away from me and not wanting hugs and kisses and cuddles, and us arguing all the time, he wished I would stay his mommy forever. And since then he's been way more affectionate and wanting to cuddle and be near me. Thank goodness for "Mommy and Jake time" It brought my baby back.

Does my mouth hang open a lot?

It must, because I often find myself staring at my kids in disbelief. Like, did that really just happen? Or did you really just say that? For instance...

Yesterday I bought the boys a blow up pool for the backyard. We get one every year because they love playing in it and we get so much good use out of it that they usually end up popping from so much play. After jumping in and out and going down the slide 76 times we broke out the water guns Aunt Binky got them for their birthday. Now these are no ordinary water guns. They're long sticks that you have to suck the water up into and then the water shoots out really far. Think huge syringe. So Jake is playing with his and I'm sitting on the porch fully dressed and dry just watching them when he points his at me. I said, no, not at me. Point it over there. He listened! A few minutes later he came at me again. I said, NO, not at me! Then as serious as a heart attack, completely straight faced, he said, "I just want to shoot it in your ear."    Mouth hangs open.    I say, "Do I look like I want you to shoot it in my ear?!!!!!!" What on earth gave you the impression that that would be something fun for me? Really???? Did he REALLY just say that? As calm as he would say I just want to give you a hug or as normal as that would sound, he said I just want to shoot it in your ear. Like that's normal.
They continue playing and then I watch as he (Jake) tries to squirt the gun directly into his eye. He puts the end of it right up to his eye but his arm isn't long enough to reach the other end to depress the "Syringe". Is depress the right word? Anyway, he couldn't do it, so he goes up to Parker and again, serious as a heart attack, completely straight faced, he says, "Hey Parker, can you squirt this in my eye?"    I nearly fell off my chair. With of course, my mouth hanging open.

Then this morning they're in the TV room on the couch before school. We have faux suede couches in there, you know the kind where if you rub it in one direction it'll make a mark but then when you rub over it in the opposite direction the mark will go away? Well, I went in there to tell them something and I discover that Jake has used the foot of one of his Thor toys to draw a lovely picture of a person into my couch cushion. But he used enough pressure to where he SCRATCHED/CARVED whatever you want to call it, it into my couch. No amount of rubbing in the other direction was making this masterpiece go away.    My mouth hangs open.  Again.

Starting a little too young

The boys came home from school the other day and Jake said, "Parker cried twice today at school." Everyday they have to write the letter they're learning in their Froggy Journal and cut out a picture of something from a magazine that begins with the letter they're learning and put the picture in their yellow folder. Apparently Parker was having difficulty finding a picture so he got frustrated and cried and then he dropped his glue stick and cried again. The boys have been complaining about, and expressing their distaste for these activities at school.
This morning we got up and got ready for school. Jake ate half of his breakfast and then said he felt "yuck". I asked him if he felt like he was going to throw up and he said yes. I reminded him of when Parker got punished for lying about being sick because he didn't want to go to school and he said he was sure, he wasn't lying, he definitely felt like he was going to throw up. Ok fine. I kept him home after loading the car up with plastic bags and a barf bucket on the way to drop off Parker. We get back home and I ask him again, after suspecting that he's perfectly fine, if he lied to me. He said, "I was just playing a joke on you. I'm fine." Uh, what? "A joke?" He said, "I thought it would be funny." "Do you see me laughing???!!!" What the hell is going on here. He's 5. Am I screwed or what? They're just cutting out and writing letters now and they're already protesting. I can't wait for long division and science projects and book reports...should be a jolly good time!

Summer already approaching?

My final days are coming up where I have the opportunity to really kick ass as a mom: Summer.
I read all kinds of blogs about mothers who come up with all these fun activities and crafts to do with their kids. My kids don't like crafts but they love to go places and do different things. Last summer we kept pretty busy with friends and playdates and the pool, and it went by quickly. This year I think I want to challenge myself. Really challenge myself to do great things with them before they start Kindergarten and we don't have long stretches of hours to fill with activities anymore. Before I know it they'll be gone all day and when they come home we'll have homework, then dinner, then bed! I want to make this summer meaningful and memorable. I'm determined to. I'm well aware how difficult this will be for me, but I feel like it would be a great accomplishment and something special that I can do for my boys since we won't be together as much anymore come Fall. Everyday we will do something GREAT! This will be my Summer Challenge.