I feel like it was too much of a downer to leave everyone (all two of you) that read this thing on such a down note. I believe as a result of letting it all go, things have turned around, even if only a little bit at a time.
Things that have been happening with the kids: Trevor finished vacation bible school at our church this week, and also had his last golf event of the season on Friday. Since Russ does not have a similar outlet to record his stories, I think he would appreciate me recording this one for him: So we were at the closing lunch for Trevor's golf league on Friday. There were close to 100 people there. Some grandparents, some parents, but someone had to have been a member at the lunch. Russ and his dad had won their event not more than 2 weeks previously, so he introduced me to some of the people that he wanted me to meet since I had not been there. The pros have always been really nice to the kids in that they give trophies and pictures in frames of the kids as well as little prizes when they play their fun games afterwards.
So Trevor was in the three hole league this year, and they had a very low turn-out in their group for the season. He played with 3 other boys and two girls in the league. They never mixed guys and girls, so when they announced the winners of the 3 hole group, there were only 3 boys total and gave prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Trevor had a good final round and ended up taking first place with a score of 27. They read off the scores by something to the effect of, "in third place, with a score of 32 was Joe K. In second place, with a score of 28 is Danny M. And in first place, with a score of 27 is Trevor." Immediately following his announcement, you hear a grunting, belted out "YES!!!" And see a fist pump after he jumped out of his chair. After finding the floor pattern by my shoes, I couldn't help but overhear the table next to us say, "Well, I never would have thought that was something that is genetic." And anyone who has ever played with Russ or his dad would know exactly what sound that Trevor made. But what can you say? He enjoyed his win. I hope someday he can be convinced to change the way he holds his golf club.
And then a side event that happened today, as a result of something I did yesterday really makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Yesterday we went to the library. It just so happened that they had a museum pass available for the MN Zoo. I checked it out and saw that it was good for two people for up to a week. Spur of the moment today we took the kids out there. They accidentally rang up two passes, so we actually got all 4 of us in for free. Saved us $42 bucks! That's not a little coupon deal! We didn't have a lot of time, so we headed out to the farm and then spent all the rest of the time on their splash pad. On an almost 90 degree day, I don't feel all that bad. We may not have had the most nutritious meals this weekend, but I didn't spend a whole lot of money on them either.
So it is the start of a new week, and new activity for Trevor. I'm curious to see how it compares to his park program. There are only 3 weeks left of activities. One of these days we will have to have the fun school supply shopping day. I like to get there before things start to run out.
It is time to get going. I stayed up late last night to get through the final episode of Lost. I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe because I didn't have high hopes, but I liked the corny way it ended, exactly like it started. Anyway, I'm going to try to catch up on some of my shows that I have been neglecting. Hopefully I can find the time.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Where did this funk come from?
Ug....hasn't been the best week for me. No real big events that have contributed to it. It might have something to do with getting my grades back for my classes and starting my next session. I am really looking forward to my tax accounting class, but not my sociology class. The end of this session marks the start of the family birthdays. I'm excited to get there, but know that it is going to be a hard process. I have also been hit with a huge "mom guilt" blow this week. I feel like I haven't paid enough attention to both of the kids individually lately. Gwen has been doing great with her potty training, and I think she is just hitting her milestones, so she has been more clingy and upset more than normal. Trevor has been going through a frustrating "won't listen" stage. Coupled with everything and I've been taking it out on myself more than normal.
I know all of the feelings are sooo temporary, and that my current mom guilt is so unfounded. But still frustrating. I think I need to get something on the calendar to look forward to. When my plans involve indecisiveness, that never helps my situation. That and maybe more vitamin D is in store for me. Ok...time to turn it around. I do have a golf tournament to play in next weekend!
I know all of the feelings are sooo temporary, and that my current mom guilt is so unfounded. But still frustrating. I think I need to get something on the calendar to look forward to. When my plans involve indecisiveness, that never helps my situation. That and maybe more vitamin D is in store for me. Ok...time to turn it around. I do have a golf tournament to play in next weekend!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Still a lot going on
Well, as I told my mom, my week off from school usually entails cleaning and organizing for another 10 weeks of classes coming up. I do usually get to a point where I can just do a little bit to keep it up, but there are always things that get pushed off because I don't have time to keep up with everything.
I took Gwen to where Trevor calls "the jump-jump place". It is an indoor climbing contraption and bouncy house. I figured she was at the age where she could get up the levels by herself. But I always struggled with if I should bring Trevor with because he seems to find the kids that can get him into trouble and play with them. So on a park day, I took Gwen. There were a few kids there, and then a busload of daycare kids came as well. I noticed a few new toys from the last time I had been up there. And I was right, she could get herself up very well. The only problem was there were a few steps that were still of a height that she could get herself onto it, but they were made out of lego material. So not the best to try to squeeze and pull against your skin. I'm surprised I wasn't more sore than I ended up being.
Trevor had two adventures this week. On Wednesday, his park group went to a Twins game. Then on Thursday the group biked to a nearby ice cream shop. He had been on longer bike rides with Russ when he would go running, but I think this was longer because they had to bike down and back. I'd have to measure it but I'm pretty sure it was a few miles away from the park. The best part was that he found someplace in Minnesota that has Blue Moon ice cream. It is his favorite. While they didn't have it that day, he got his next favorite which is Superman ice cream.
Thursday during the day, we were able to squeeze out a golf round with Kevin, Brian, my dad, and me. While the forecast was calling for rain most of the week, we avoided it. It was overcast the entire round, but it made the temperature cooler than if the sun would have been beating down on us. So for them, it was a great day for golf. For me, I'd rather have had it be a little more warm. But a chance to play golf with the family is always welcome. Thank you to Kyrsten for watching the kids!
Next week is VBS at our church. On to the next week!
I took Gwen to where Trevor calls "the jump-jump place". It is an indoor climbing contraption and bouncy house. I figured she was at the age where she could get up the levels by herself. But I always struggled with if I should bring Trevor with because he seems to find the kids that can get him into trouble and play with them. So on a park day, I took Gwen. There were a few kids there, and then a busload of daycare kids came as well. I noticed a few new toys from the last time I had been up there. And I was right, she could get herself up very well. The only problem was there were a few steps that were still of a height that she could get herself onto it, but they were made out of lego material. So not the best to try to squeeze and pull against your skin. I'm surprised I wasn't more sore than I ended up being.
Trevor had two adventures this week. On Wednesday, his park group went to a Twins game. Then on Thursday the group biked to a nearby ice cream shop. He had been on longer bike rides with Russ when he would go running, but I think this was longer because they had to bike down and back. I'd have to measure it but I'm pretty sure it was a few miles away from the park. The best part was that he found someplace in Minnesota that has Blue Moon ice cream. It is his favorite. While they didn't have it that day, he got his next favorite which is Superman ice cream.
Thursday during the day, we were able to squeeze out a golf round with Kevin, Brian, my dad, and me. While the forecast was calling for rain most of the week, we avoided it. It was overcast the entire round, but it made the temperature cooler than if the sun would have been beating down on us. So for them, it was a great day for golf. For me, I'd rather have had it be a little more warm. But a chance to play golf with the family is always welcome. Thank you to Kyrsten for watching the kids!
Next week is VBS at our church. On to the next week!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Just a little bit of stress
Well, I can finally breathe. At least for a second. Trevor had his last baseball game a week ago today. We left for the cabin directly to the cabin for the weekend. We had to stop in Eau Claire because I'm a nervous nighttime driver anyway. I couldn't see when you add heavy rain on top of darkness. We stayed for a half hour maybe? Then made it the rest of the way. Gwen had fallen asleep, but Trevor was trying hard to stay awake. When Gwen woke up in the morning, she had hives on her legs. Trevor, my dad and I all went golfing the next morning, while my mom stayed with Gwen. I called our doctor's office and talked to a nurse who thought that it was unlikely something that she ate, more likely something she came in contact with on her legs. As long as she didn't get a fever, and the bumps didn't turn dark red/purple, she was ok. On top of no fever, they didn't even itch her.
Trevor was pretty exhausted after golf, but he was still able to ride on the waterski trainer that afternoon. Poor guy is so scared that he is going to be thrown off into the water that he is very nervous to do anything new. Gwen slept most of the rest of the afternoon. We went to our local restaurant and had the usual wonderful dinner. Gwen had her usual french fries. I decided to try to get to sleep early in preparation for late weekend nights. Unfortunately, I was awoken to Gwen getting sick multiple times. Poor girl. I remember the hungry/thirsty feeling associated with it. I also know enough to try to keep her away from food and water at this point. I let her sleep in my bed so she would feel better. Trevor stayed asleep through it all. But when he woke up, I warned him that if Gwen was still sick, we were going to have to head home.
She was starving in the morning, but never got sick again. We stayed with dry food or bananas and water until dinner time where I allowed her a handful of french fries. She would have eaten more, but I thought not to tempt it. Also on this day her hives had spread up to her stomach and back, and arms. Still no itching. Brian had joined us overnight and was able to take Trevor swimming during Friday afternoon. Friday evening was another dinner at the local restaurant followed by dominoes. Saturday was the birthday celebration evening and again swimming for both kids. I have to say, I love Gwen's love of swimming. The life jacket swim thing I got really is helping her not get as high in the water as a typical life jacket, yet keeps her floating a bit. When she got the hang of it, she was ready to swim to the middle of the lake.
We headed back home on Sunday to say congratulations to Russ and his dad for winning our local golf course's member/guest tournament. The rest of the week has been a blur. I had my final for my auditing class which I am sure I will have destroyed my gpa. I really wish we had the summers off from classes. I guess there is only 6 weeks before school starts now anyway, but it would be nice to get things a bit more organized.
As it is, I have a week off from classes, and will try to get as organized as I can.
As a p.s. Gwen is completely potty trained with the exception of #2. However, she will get a diaper for herself and ask to change into it. I have even had success at going to bathrooms outside of homes and going. Goodness, if I had known it would be this easy, I'd have done it years ago!
Trevor was pretty exhausted after golf, but he was still able to ride on the waterski trainer that afternoon. Poor guy is so scared that he is going to be thrown off into the water that he is very nervous to do anything new. Gwen slept most of the rest of the afternoon. We went to our local restaurant and had the usual wonderful dinner. Gwen had her usual french fries. I decided to try to get to sleep early in preparation for late weekend nights. Unfortunately, I was awoken to Gwen getting sick multiple times. Poor girl. I remember the hungry/thirsty feeling associated with it. I also know enough to try to keep her away from food and water at this point. I let her sleep in my bed so she would feel better. Trevor stayed asleep through it all. But when he woke up, I warned him that if Gwen was still sick, we were going to have to head home.
She was starving in the morning, but never got sick again. We stayed with dry food or bananas and water until dinner time where I allowed her a handful of french fries. She would have eaten more, but I thought not to tempt it. Also on this day her hives had spread up to her stomach and back, and arms. Still no itching. Brian had joined us overnight and was able to take Trevor swimming during Friday afternoon. Friday evening was another dinner at the local restaurant followed by dominoes. Saturday was the birthday celebration evening and again swimming for both kids. I have to say, I love Gwen's love of swimming. The life jacket swim thing I got really is helping her not get as high in the water as a typical life jacket, yet keeps her floating a bit. When she got the hang of it, she was ready to swim to the middle of the lake.
We headed back home on Sunday to say congratulations to Russ and his dad for winning our local golf course's member/guest tournament. The rest of the week has been a blur. I had my final for my auditing class which I am sure I will have destroyed my gpa. I really wish we had the summers off from classes. I guess there is only 6 weeks before school starts now anyway, but it would be nice to get things a bit more organized.
As it is, I have a week off from classes, and will try to get as organized as I can.
As a p.s. Gwen is completely potty trained with the exception of #2. However, she will get a diaper for herself and ask to change into it. I have even had success at going to bathrooms outside of homes and going. Goodness, if I had known it would be this easy, I'd have done it years ago!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
And...it's almost been another two weeks.
Sorry again. I guess that the summer really does fly by. Trevor spent a week off of his park adventure "class" and it was much easier than I thought it would be. I know now that if he has a spare moment, he wants to be playing his DS or Wii, but I can bribe him into doing things that are healthier if I promise DS time in return. So he has been keeping up with his reading, doing cutting/crafts and playing his usual imaginative play stuff. His imaginative play is now centered around Buzz Lightyear and Toy Story type games. He has taken the story to heart and wants to make sure that his Toy Story toys don't feel under-played-with.
We spent the 4th up north at Russ's dad's family place. We saw a lot of relatives, the boys got to play golf, Gwen really picked up on her swimming, and the weather was great! It only rained on the morning of the 4th, but by the afternoon it had cleared out enough to be swimming. I didn't even try to work around Gwen's napping, so she fell asleep a few times in the car, and on the 4th she asked to be put in her bed in the bedroom we stayed at. They put on their own fireworks display, which is awesome, however neither kid enjoys the loud noises. Gwen wanted to be in the house, and then when Trevor joined us, both kids simply wanted to sleep. Rather than wake up early in the morning to head back, we decided to drive back that night to avoid traffic and let the kids sleep in the car as opposed to get unhappy being in the car during the day.
Slowly we have been getting back into a semi-routine. Trevor did have his golf on Friday morning. I have to say that I have had some quick success today with Gwen and potty training. I did start it right before we left for the 4th, but didn't even push her to try in a different location. Then coming home, I haven't really pushed it a hole lot. We had one other day where I knew she was ready and she went after she found out I wasn't going to stay with her forever. And then today, I was prepared to wait it out again, and I knew she had to go, and she went within two minutes of being in the bathroom. I was ready to call the day a success when not more than 2 hours later, she told me she had to go to the bathroom and went without me even having to wait a second. I am almost ready to call the home portion of potty training complete! Now the harder parts are coming. She is VERY independent and doesn't like my help with much. I think the only parts she lets me help with are the parts she knows I can do faster than she can. I will say she is one proud girl! Preschool here we come!
Hot weather....keep coming! I have so missed you!
We spent the 4th up north at Russ's dad's family place. We saw a lot of relatives, the boys got to play golf, Gwen really picked up on her swimming, and the weather was great! It only rained on the morning of the 4th, but by the afternoon it had cleared out enough to be swimming. I didn't even try to work around Gwen's napping, so she fell asleep a few times in the car, and on the 4th she asked to be put in her bed in the bedroom we stayed at. They put on their own fireworks display, which is awesome, however neither kid enjoys the loud noises. Gwen wanted to be in the house, and then when Trevor joined us, both kids simply wanted to sleep. Rather than wake up early in the morning to head back, we decided to drive back that night to avoid traffic and let the kids sleep in the car as opposed to get unhappy being in the car during the day.
Slowly we have been getting back into a semi-routine. Trevor did have his golf on Friday morning. I have to say that I have had some quick success today with Gwen and potty training. I did start it right before we left for the 4th, but didn't even push her to try in a different location. Then coming home, I haven't really pushed it a hole lot. We had one other day where I knew she was ready and she went after she found out I wasn't going to stay with her forever. And then today, I was prepared to wait it out again, and I knew she had to go, and she went within two minutes of being in the bathroom. I was ready to call the day a success when not more than 2 hours later, she told me she had to go to the bathroom and went without me even having to wait a second. I am almost ready to call the home portion of potty training complete! Now the harder parts are coming. She is VERY independent and doesn't like my help with much. I think the only parts she lets me help with are the parts she knows I can do faster than she can. I will say she is one proud girl! Preschool here we come!
Hot weather....keep coming! I have so missed you!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Sorry it's been so long
There has been plenty going on. Summer is in full swing. Trevor is loving (as am I) the parks program. The "teachers" even gently reminded me that if I wanted to sign Trevor up for the Twins' game as one of the Wednesday field trips, that the deadline was fast approaching. The reason they suggested it was because he talks about the Twins a lot. Yeah, I guess he does. It is either that or Mario or even occasionally Zelda. I did have to ask Trevor if he would have preferred to go to the summer class or the parks class for that week, and yes because of the Twins game, he picked the summer class.
So with my class schedule, wanting to enjoy the outdoor weather, playing with the kids, keeping up with homework, and making sure we get all the things done before school starts again...ACK. Not much time for other things.
I have started the potty training process with Gwen. I'm kind of at a loss as to how hard to push it because we have a trip for the 4th, but I also don't want to go backwards. We have already had our first success and sticker on her sticker chart. But she isn't as predictable as I thought she would be. Maybe it is because we don't have as much of a predictable schedule as during the school year. Or perhaps because against my better judgement, I decided to try it even when she got smacked with a bad cold. In general she hasn't been a happy camper the past few days.
Baseball is down to one practice and one game left. Golf is only on week 3 of 7. I will always remember that in retail terms, after the 4th of July comes......get ready for it.....back to school! I'm not sure if Trevor remembers our first school shopping day last summer. I don't even know how much we are going to have to get "new" this year. I don't know that he needs a new backpack. There isn't a whole lot that is on his list. I had to get him a lunch "box" for this summer program since he eats there. But I have a feeling it is really going to sneak up on us.
I'm probably going to start asking for more information about preschool for Gwen. I know the director knows I am interested, but I do want to know what the situation is in terms of openings. I guess we'll just have to see how it all works out.
Oh, I guess I should make note of the fact that last weekend we saw Toy Story 3. MAN did I cry and cry and cry. I am such a nut for Disney Movies. I cried the first few times of Princess and the Frog as well. I guess it is because those really are the only movies I watch these days. If I Netflix something it is usually a TV show that I don't have a chance to see.
So as long as the weather doesn't get cold any time soon, we are doing well. After the first week of summer transition, Trevor has been doing much better. Hopefully we can keep this good streak going. That kid LOVES to be outside, so really things have fallen into place so nicely for us. Who would have thought way back when we bought this place that we would have ended up where we are today?
So with my class schedule, wanting to enjoy the outdoor weather, playing with the kids, keeping up with homework, and making sure we get all the things done before school starts again...ACK. Not much time for other things.
I have started the potty training process with Gwen. I'm kind of at a loss as to how hard to push it because we have a trip for the 4th, but I also don't want to go backwards. We have already had our first success and sticker on her sticker chart. But she isn't as predictable as I thought she would be. Maybe it is because we don't have as much of a predictable schedule as during the school year. Or perhaps because against my better judgement, I decided to try it even when she got smacked with a bad cold. In general she hasn't been a happy camper the past few days.
Baseball is down to one practice and one game left. Golf is only on week 3 of 7. I will always remember that in retail terms, after the 4th of July comes......get ready for it.....back to school! I'm not sure if Trevor remembers our first school shopping day last summer. I don't even know how much we are going to have to get "new" this year. I don't know that he needs a new backpack. There isn't a whole lot that is on his list. I had to get him a lunch "box" for this summer program since he eats there. But I have a feeling it is really going to sneak up on us.
I'm probably going to start asking for more information about preschool for Gwen. I know the director knows I am interested, but I do want to know what the situation is in terms of openings. I guess we'll just have to see how it all works out.
Oh, I guess I should make note of the fact that last weekend we saw Toy Story 3. MAN did I cry and cry and cry. I am such a nut for Disney Movies. I cried the first few times of Princess and the Frog as well. I guess it is because those really are the only movies I watch these days. If I Netflix something it is usually a TV show that I don't have a chance to see.
So as long as the weather doesn't get cold any time soon, we are doing well. After the first week of summer transition, Trevor has been doing much better. Hopefully we can keep this good streak going. That kid LOVES to be outside, so really things have fallen into place so nicely for us. Who would have thought way back when we bought this place that we would have ended up where we are today?
Monday, June 21, 2010
A Happy Heart
Well, we've been pretty busy lately, mostly due to my homework demands trying to be fit in with everything else. And the weather forecasts have been dead wrong lately so it has been hard to plan anything.
Friday started the weekend with an early golf lesson for Trevor. They got an hour to play 3 holes and we needed every minute of it. They even shortened the holes way down. Trevor has really gained some power in the last year, and when he gets a hold of the ball, he can really send it a ways. I think he has even developed a much better touch for putting than he has previously. The rules for junior golf are that they cannot have more than 7 shots on the fairway and 5 putts, for a total of 12 on each hole. Trevor didn't really like getting big numbers since he knows "par" and what it means, but it was cute to see another player convincing him that it was ok.
There are a total of 6 kids in his "league" and after their 3 holes, the pros give them lessons for about 45 minutes. Then they get a treat and a snack. This week it was a mini bat with the Twins' logo on it.
Saturday we decided to head out to the Como Zoo for a family zoo day. The forecast was bright and sunny in the mid-70s. It rained on the way out there, and was overcast the entire time we were there, maybe hitting 70 degrees. We did see all the animals and even went through the carnival area. The whole place has changed a lot since we were there last. Must have been 5 years ago or so? We got there close to opening time so we could find a parking spot and the crowds wouldn't be too bad. Mission accomplished. The outside walking was done when Trevor wanted to do the water balloon wars. I got some nice pictures of that. So on our way out we hit the Conservatory. Surprisingly neither kid fell asleep on the way back. Gwen did take a nice nap that afternoon too.
So for Father's Day, we gave Russ the home made cards, and the store-bought cards. Weather forecast was calling for scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. I had made a family tee-time for 4:00 in the afternoon. I knew Trevor would enjoy it, and decided to try to bring Gwen along as well, for however long she would last. The weather was hot and sunny. Nice job weather forecasters. I knew I wasn't going to be playing golf because Gwen would need wrangling. She wasn't really even interested in trying to hit the ball, or putt. The most interesting part was the coolers containing water. Our course has a lot of them. On the 1st hole, on the 2nd hole, on the 4th hole, a half-way house in the 5th hole where we got treats and drinks, then on the 7th hole. I took Gwen in for dinner and let the boys continue for the back 9. I was right, Trevor enjoyed and played the entire 18 holes. To top it off, yes, he did play from our course's junior tees which makes the holes shorter, but he played our 4th hole in 6 shots. I VERY commonly make a 6 on that hole as well. He had 3 shots in the fairway and 3 putts.
Russ will tell you he had 3 opportunities for a chip-in eagle, and played one of his best rounds. Gwen and I ended with the boys on the last 3 holes. Perhaps, if the weather is nice, we can make this a Father's Day tradition. Some day, hopefully Gwen will want to play with us, or at least last through most of the round.
Then today, Trevor started his parks program. I dropped him off at 9am and they can go until 4pm. I told him I was going to pick him up at 1pm today to see how he likes it. I'm hoping he knows a kid or two from school. I talked with the adults at the park and they filled me in as to how it all works. It really put my mind at ease that they know what they are doing. There are at least 5 adults and probably 15 or so kids. The kids range in age from 6-12. I do admit, that I drove by at about 10am to see what was going on, and the kids were playing some kind of game over the tennis fence by throwing a ball back and forth and trying to catch it. Even if it rains, they have board games or other indoor activities for the kids to do. I think I only saw one girl kid there. This sort of thing is for the active kid. When Gwen is 6, Trevor will be 10 so they both can do this together, but I'm not sure if she will want to or not. It is a very inexpensive option, so maybe we'll have to try it out. I'll learn more about it when I pick him up this afternoon.
All of these things lead me to have a happy heart. It has been nice to create great memories with the family.
Friday started the weekend with an early golf lesson for Trevor. They got an hour to play 3 holes and we needed every minute of it. They even shortened the holes way down. Trevor has really gained some power in the last year, and when he gets a hold of the ball, he can really send it a ways. I think he has even developed a much better touch for putting than he has previously. The rules for junior golf are that they cannot have more than 7 shots on the fairway and 5 putts, for a total of 12 on each hole. Trevor didn't really like getting big numbers since he knows "par" and what it means, but it was cute to see another player convincing him that it was ok.
There are a total of 6 kids in his "league" and after their 3 holes, the pros give them lessons for about 45 minutes. Then they get a treat and a snack. This week it was a mini bat with the Twins' logo on it.
Saturday we decided to head out to the Como Zoo for a family zoo day. The forecast was bright and sunny in the mid-70s. It rained on the way out there, and was overcast the entire time we were there, maybe hitting 70 degrees. We did see all the animals and even went through the carnival area. The whole place has changed a lot since we were there last. Must have been 5 years ago or so? We got there close to opening time so we could find a parking spot and the crowds wouldn't be too bad. Mission accomplished. The outside walking was done when Trevor wanted to do the water balloon wars. I got some nice pictures of that. So on our way out we hit the Conservatory. Surprisingly neither kid fell asleep on the way back. Gwen did take a nice nap that afternoon too.
So for Father's Day, we gave Russ the home made cards, and the store-bought cards. Weather forecast was calling for scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. I had made a family tee-time for 4:00 in the afternoon. I knew Trevor would enjoy it, and decided to try to bring Gwen along as well, for however long she would last. The weather was hot and sunny. Nice job weather forecasters. I knew I wasn't going to be playing golf because Gwen would need wrangling. She wasn't really even interested in trying to hit the ball, or putt. The most interesting part was the coolers containing water. Our course has a lot of them. On the 1st hole, on the 2nd hole, on the 4th hole, a half-way house in the 5th hole where we got treats and drinks, then on the 7th hole. I took Gwen in for dinner and let the boys continue for the back 9. I was right, Trevor enjoyed and played the entire 18 holes. To top it off, yes, he did play from our course's junior tees which makes the holes shorter, but he played our 4th hole in 6 shots. I VERY commonly make a 6 on that hole as well. He had 3 shots in the fairway and 3 putts.
Russ will tell you he had 3 opportunities for a chip-in eagle, and played one of his best rounds. Gwen and I ended with the boys on the last 3 holes. Perhaps, if the weather is nice, we can make this a Father's Day tradition. Some day, hopefully Gwen will want to play with us, or at least last through most of the round.
Then today, Trevor started his parks program. I dropped him off at 9am and they can go until 4pm. I told him I was going to pick him up at 1pm today to see how he likes it. I'm hoping he knows a kid or two from school. I talked with the adults at the park and they filled me in as to how it all works. It really put my mind at ease that they know what they are doing. There are at least 5 adults and probably 15 or so kids. The kids range in age from 6-12. I do admit, that I drove by at about 10am to see what was going on, and the kids were playing some kind of game over the tennis fence by throwing a ball back and forth and trying to catch it. Even if it rains, they have board games or other indoor activities for the kids to do. I think I only saw one girl kid there. This sort of thing is for the active kid. When Gwen is 6, Trevor will be 10 so they both can do this together, but I'm not sure if she will want to or not. It is a very inexpensive option, so maybe we'll have to try it out. I'll learn more about it when I pick him up this afternoon.
All of these things lead me to have a happy heart. It has been nice to create great memories with the family.
Friday, June 18, 2010
I know it is summer vacation, but
Really, does sleep have to be SO messed up for both kids? Trevor had Vacation Bible School this week, with Golf lessons today (Friday). On Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, Trevor was talking in his sleep and woke up a few times at night. He didn't come and get me, so it wasn't that bad. I asked him if he remembered waking up last night and he said he did, and that he just realized it wasn't morning and went back to sleep. I thought maybe he was getting a cold, but nope. Then Gwen woke up at 5:00am on Thursday morning and started belting out the songs from Princess and the Frog. She did go back to sleep after she wore herself out but oh my. It was a rough week for sleep.
We had a packed week full of activities, and it was obvious that Gwen wants to be right there with Trevor. We have already been talking about the possibility of preschool this September for her, so I think in her mind, she is as old as Trevor, since Trevor is going to school now. Trevor had two baseball games, Monday and Wednesday night. I had golf on Tuesday evening. Russ came home safe and sound on Thursday evening. The week flew by. This morning was pretty early for Trevor as we had to be at the golf course before 8am. We made it and it was great weather, he seemed to have a great time, and learned a lot.
Hopefully the weather will stay warm for the next few weeks so I can take Gwen to some free water parks this week. We'll have to see. Trevor starts his parks program and gets to see Toy Story 3 on Wednesday. I hope he enjoys it. We'll have to see how much he likes the parks to see how much he goes this summer. I hope he at least finds a friend there. That will make it better.
We counted, and there are 11 weeks left for summer vacation. To Trevor, it sounds way too short. Because he thinks September is 3 months away, it should be longer than 11 weeks. But with all we have going on, those 11 weeks are going to be done before we know it. Come on good weather!
We had a packed week full of activities, and it was obvious that Gwen wants to be right there with Trevor. We have already been talking about the possibility of preschool this September for her, so I think in her mind, she is as old as Trevor, since Trevor is going to school now. Trevor had two baseball games, Monday and Wednesday night. I had golf on Tuesday evening. Russ came home safe and sound on Thursday evening. The week flew by. This morning was pretty early for Trevor as we had to be at the golf course before 8am. We made it and it was great weather, he seemed to have a great time, and learned a lot.
Hopefully the weather will stay warm for the next few weeks so I can take Gwen to some free water parks this week. We'll have to see. Trevor starts his parks program and gets to see Toy Story 3 on Wednesday. I hope he enjoys it. We'll have to see how much he likes the parks to see how much he goes this summer. I hope he at least finds a friend there. That will make it better.
We counted, and there are 11 weeks left for summer vacation. To Trevor, it sounds way too short. Because he thinks September is 3 months away, it should be longer than 11 weeks. But with all we have going on, those 11 weeks are going to be done before we know it. Come on good weather!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
The darling daughter
I've decided it is much harder to compare where a 2 year old has come in the last year, than it is a 6 year old. Her ECFE teachers talked about how the whole class full of kids has changed from playing independently to starting to play with each other. In that respect, Gwen certainly does not act her age. She has some of her own friends that are closer in age to her, although she thinks any friend, at whatever age, is her friend. You can always hear her talk about "my Sam", or even "my Bubba", or "my Derek". I know Trevor did it a lot too, in that he always thought whenever someone came over to visit, it was always to play with him. Perhaps we perpetuated this thought because that was primarily why people would come over to our house.
I also have to admit that Gwen's love of Tinkerbell and the princesses has happened mostly because of the things that I let her watch, or buy her toys, or surround her with activities. She has fairy and princess books, dolls, stickers, movies, songs, shirts, pajamas, and the list could go on and on. She will occasionally play with some of Trevor's toys that we got him for her age, but they don't seem to hold her interest like the traditional girl toys do.
Her sleeping pattern is very different than Trevor. Trevor still is an early riser. Gwen sleeps late and goes to bed later if she is well rested. She is also very difficult to wake up and get going. But overall her mood is always very loving and touchy-feely.
She has her own way of doing most things. Unlike Trevor, she has to do everything all by herself. While there are many things she can't quite do all by herself, she still wants to give her input. I am rather shocked at how her hair thing is going. I really like her long hair, so I can put her hair in pigtails for special occasions. But one day, when I did the pigtails, she asked for it the next day, and the next, and the next. This has been going on now for at least a month now. Oh well, it is giving me good practice. I never was very good at doing my own hair and didn't have a sister to practice on or teach me how to do it.
I wonder if she still remembers a time when she had a nuk. She has dolls that have them, and knows what they are, and pretends sometimes to put them in her mouth, and even one night she asked about them. I told her they were gone, and she was fine with that explanation, but I guess I was wrong about her security of needing them. Trevor still takes to his "blankie" although he never seemed to need it until within the last few years. It is pretty obvious now that Gwen's security object of choice is my LiveStrong yellow bracelet. I now have a stash of a bunch of them, for if they get lost, or broken, but she sure loves to talk about and rub them against her skin. She also loves to point out whenever someone has the same bracelet. "Look mom! He has mamma's bracelet too!" But what is really strange is that she doesn't need it to go to bed. If she sees it, she will ask for it, and there are times where I can tell she needs it before she can go to bed, so she will ask for it, but if she is tired, she can still get to bed fine.
I would say that she is like Trevor in that she is very confident in new situations. However, I do think she takes her cues from other people. If Trevor is involved in some way, she wants to be right there with him, having a conversation with anyone around. If it is a place she should be familiar with, she is completely fine. She loves anything called "school" and I know once we introduce her to things like dance or gymnastics that even though she hasn't heard or seen anything about them before, she will still love it and adapt quickly. The only thing I'm pretty sure she is hesitant about is the doctor and dentist. I'm pretty sure she still has memories of her previous shots, and associates those bad feelings with the doctor.
I think she feels like she wants to have someone to boss around like parents do to their kids and older siblings do to their younger siblings. So when she plays with her dolls and babies and such, she always makes the same whining noises she does for me, and then tells the baby that she will get a time out if she does not stop the noise. Or she will have to go to bed. While the act itself is hilarious to listen to, it is not fun for me. Primarily because when she is doing this, it is a LOT of the time, so I never get a break from actually not hearing the noise, whether or not it is directed at me. And also, hearing that noise immediately puts me on alert. I often hear it and wait to hear if it is accompanied by a painful cry or some other "danger" cry that can sometimes happen if a fight or something else is going on. I'm glad I have that mom-instinct, but it really stinks at times when it doesn't need to happen.
Because of her behavior it is so hard to remember that this little girl is only 2. She comprehends so much and is not even close to the deliberately disobeying stage, so I have to soak it in and let her be a little girl before she grows up too fast. She so wants the attention of Trevor and to be like him, so I know that I have to let her find her own way too. If she goes to preschool this fall, it will be interesting to see where that takes us. Right now, we just have to have fun in the sun, at the parks, and playing with friends.
I also have to admit that Gwen's love of Tinkerbell and the princesses has happened mostly because of the things that I let her watch, or buy her toys, or surround her with activities. She has fairy and princess books, dolls, stickers, movies, songs, shirts, pajamas, and the list could go on and on. She will occasionally play with some of Trevor's toys that we got him for her age, but they don't seem to hold her interest like the traditional girl toys do.
Her sleeping pattern is very different than Trevor. Trevor still is an early riser. Gwen sleeps late and goes to bed later if she is well rested. She is also very difficult to wake up and get going. But overall her mood is always very loving and touchy-feely.
She has her own way of doing most things. Unlike Trevor, she has to do everything all by herself. While there are many things she can't quite do all by herself, she still wants to give her input. I am rather shocked at how her hair thing is going. I really like her long hair, so I can put her hair in pigtails for special occasions. But one day, when I did the pigtails, she asked for it the next day, and the next, and the next. This has been going on now for at least a month now. Oh well, it is giving me good practice. I never was very good at doing my own hair and didn't have a sister to practice on or teach me how to do it.
I wonder if she still remembers a time when she had a nuk. She has dolls that have them, and knows what they are, and pretends sometimes to put them in her mouth, and even one night she asked about them. I told her they were gone, and she was fine with that explanation, but I guess I was wrong about her security of needing them. Trevor still takes to his "blankie" although he never seemed to need it until within the last few years. It is pretty obvious now that Gwen's security object of choice is my LiveStrong yellow bracelet. I now have a stash of a bunch of them, for if they get lost, or broken, but she sure loves to talk about and rub them against her skin. She also loves to point out whenever someone has the same bracelet. "Look mom! He has mamma's bracelet too!" But what is really strange is that she doesn't need it to go to bed. If she sees it, she will ask for it, and there are times where I can tell she needs it before she can go to bed, so she will ask for it, but if she is tired, she can still get to bed fine.
I would say that she is like Trevor in that she is very confident in new situations. However, I do think she takes her cues from other people. If Trevor is involved in some way, she wants to be right there with him, having a conversation with anyone around. If it is a place she should be familiar with, she is completely fine. She loves anything called "school" and I know once we introduce her to things like dance or gymnastics that even though she hasn't heard or seen anything about them before, she will still love it and adapt quickly. The only thing I'm pretty sure she is hesitant about is the doctor and dentist. I'm pretty sure she still has memories of her previous shots, and associates those bad feelings with the doctor.
I think she feels like she wants to have someone to boss around like parents do to their kids and older siblings do to their younger siblings. So when she plays with her dolls and babies and such, she always makes the same whining noises she does for me, and then tells the baby that she will get a time out if she does not stop the noise. Or she will have to go to bed. While the act itself is hilarious to listen to, it is not fun for me. Primarily because when she is doing this, it is a LOT of the time, so I never get a break from actually not hearing the noise, whether or not it is directed at me. And also, hearing that noise immediately puts me on alert. I often hear it and wait to hear if it is accompanied by a painful cry or some other "danger" cry that can sometimes happen if a fight or something else is going on. I'm glad I have that mom-instinct, but it really stinks at times when it doesn't need to happen.
Because of her behavior it is so hard to remember that this little girl is only 2. She comprehends so much and is not even close to the deliberately disobeying stage, so I have to soak it in and let her be a little girl before she grows up too fast. She so wants the attention of Trevor and to be like him, so I know that I have to let her find her own way too. If she goes to preschool this fall, it will be interesting to see where that takes us. Right now, we just have to have fun in the sun, at the parks, and playing with friends.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Finishing Trevor
So there were a few more things I wanted to add. Simply put, he grew up a lot this school year. He lost his first two teeth. I measured him again, and he grew 2.5 inches in the last 6 months. He's now up to 4ft 2.5 inches. I think he said he is the 3rd tallest in his class, although him and the two other boys are pretty much the same height. He learned how to ride his two wheeler. He learned how to swim. He had his first "friend" sleepovers.
We got his report card today as a mark to the end of school. He did really, really well. The only area he needs work on, is due to me not working on it. I feel a little puzzled by which kind of scissors to buy him. So unknowingly, I bought him left handed scissors. But maybe because he writes with his right hand, he should have right handed scissors? Anyway, his scissor skills aren't where they need to be, and his other fine motor skills could use some work. But really, looking at the big picture, am I really worried that 10 years from now, we really are going to be talking about how he needs to work on cutting things out? I hope not!
A lot of the area that we put a lot of time and effort into was in the behavior side of things. We used a sticker chart that we developed with his teacher to help Trevor, and us, know what kind of a day he had. I really think it helped him grasp what was expected of him more. His scores in the specific areas we devoted to working on went from 1's to 3's. 3's being where he should be at, and 4 being the highest score you can get. I'm hoping that because his teacher obviously sees improvement from mid-year that he has perhaps turned a corner on his behavior, and we are working towards a much easier time.
Next up, is little Gwen....
We got his report card today as a mark to the end of school. He did really, really well. The only area he needs work on, is due to me not working on it. I feel a little puzzled by which kind of scissors to buy him. So unknowingly, I bought him left handed scissors. But maybe because he writes with his right hand, he should have right handed scissors? Anyway, his scissor skills aren't where they need to be, and his other fine motor skills could use some work. But really, looking at the big picture, am I really worried that 10 years from now, we really are going to be talking about how he needs to work on cutting things out? I hope not!
A lot of the area that we put a lot of time and effort into was in the behavior side of things. We used a sticker chart that we developed with his teacher to help Trevor, and us, know what kind of a day he had. I really think it helped him grasp what was expected of him more. His scores in the specific areas we devoted to working on went from 1's to 3's. 3's being where he should be at, and 4 being the highest score you can get. I'm hoping that because his teacher obviously sees improvement from mid-year that he has perhaps turned a corner on his behavior, and we are working towards a much easier time.
Next up, is little Gwen....
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