Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Preschool Pretenders - The Hairdresser


Oh how I love listening to and watching my boys pretend!

They role-play, make up scenarios, and seriously create their own little world. Each and every day is a new adventure!

Yesterday, while I was sitting at the dining room table helping my daughter with her homework, I hear the boys pretending to cook dinner in the kitchen. How sweet! They pretended to boil water, make macaroni & cheese, and get it ready for everyone in the family.

The next thing I hear is, "Okay, little buddy, sit still," from my almost 4-year-old son.

I'm listening, as my daughter continues with her writing.

Connor goes on to say, "Don't move. This is tricky."

Avery, my two-and-a-half year old, says, "Okay, Auntie Jen. Do I get a sucker when I'm done?"

UH OH!!

Auntie Jen is my sister, who is also a cosmetologist who CUTS OUR HAIR!!

Connor loves to cut paper and string with scissors. He was trying to cut Avery's hair!

I ran into the room just as Connor told Avery he was all done and could pick out a sucker.

There are a couple of spots on Avery's head where Connor actually managed to cut some of the hair. It doesn't look as bad as it could, so I guess I am not going to worry too much about it.



But, boy oh boy, did we have a talk about the appropriate uses for scissors, and that Auntie Jen had to go to school to learn how to be a hairdresser!

I wonder what adventure we'll pretend through next!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Rites of Passage...from Dora to Justin Beiber!

All of a sudden, one day, my daughter informed me she HATES Dora!!

For more than 6 years, we have had many, many fun memories with Dora.
My sweet little girl used to respond to Dora on television, in both Spanish and English. She used to role-play that she WAS Dora, and pretend that all of her toys were Dora's toys!

We read Dora books, had Dora dresses, and played with Dora toys.

All of a sudden Dora is just NOT cool anymore.
We had to purge all of her Dora toys, blankets, and everything from the house.

A book order form came home from school, and she proceeded to inform me that the Dora books were definitely NOT something she wanted to read!

Then she spots a "Justin Beiber" book - and got a huge smile on her face, saying, "Look, Mom, it's Justin Beiber!"

Who??????

Where on earth did she learn about Justin Beiber? Who is he?

Oh, right, he's a tween singer. I must admit, I wouldn't know any of his music if it bit me. I surely wouldn't recognize Justin if he walked up to me in person, either.

How is it that my sweet six-year-old knows about Justin, and I don't?
So I ask her, "Do you even know any of his music?"

She starts singing one of his songs!!!
I've NEVER heard it, nor played it for her!

Wow!

The outside influences that come with being in first grade are staggering!
She's bringing home a new taste in music, toys, and general interests.

I miss being one of the ONLY influences in her experiences.
However, I do appreciate that she is being exposed to new things at school, that I would not have the knowledge to share with her.

That's part of growing up.

She has to learn how to evaluate the value of new experiences and interests in her own mind. Her friends will and do introduce new things, some good, some not-so-great.

I am very thankful that I am still the MOST IMPORTANT influence on her interests!
As mom, I make it a point to talk to her about what happens at school, and these new influences that come into her life while she's in this crazy, diverse place called school!

I just pray that she will listen to her own heart, and that God will guide her, toward what is good and honoring to Him! She will have peer pressure to deal with. That's not going to change.

My job, as her mommy, is to make sure she's strong enough to stand up for what she believes in and to learn from every new experience.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Blue Goo in My Baby's Eyes???

Oh my!

I was folding laundry and watching a movie down in my family room, when I heard a SCREAM from the bathroom, where I had heard my two and a half year old son using the toilet. Mind you, he had been in bed for hours, and was supposed to be sleeping - but who can deny him the time to follow nature's call?

I RUN up the stairs as fast I can, to find him in the hallway with BLUE GOO in his eyes, running down from his forehead! He's crying, "Mommy, Mommy! It HURTS!! It Hurts!!"

What on earth is that blue stuff?

Has my baby turned into an alien? A shape-shifter? Has his blood really started running blue?

I realize, within seconds, as I am sweeping him up in my arms and carrying him to the bathtub, that I left the new blue Buzz Lightyear Shampoo on the bathroom counter after his bath tonight. Ugggghhhhh!!!

He decided that instead of washing his hands with soap, he would wash them, and his hair again, with his new beloved shampoo!!

I strip him out of his footie pajamas and Thomas the Train underwear, and place him in the tub. He is crying, and trying not to rub his hands in his eyes.

As I spray him off, he stops crying, and starts giggling!

He finally says, "Mommy, I feel all better now. I like Buzz Lightyear Shampoo - and I put it on my forehead." ;)

The hug he gave me, and the smile on his face as I put him in new, clean footie jammies without blue goo on them, make up for the agony of what I thought could have been wrong with him the first time he screamed.

It's a good thing God made him so dog-gone cute! Otherwise, he would be in big trouble!

Lots of Holiday Giveaways on the .net

I have been blogging, and finding tons of great giveaways on so many blogs!

Here is one of my favorites!

Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House is giving away

A Mobigo VTech Learning System!

Click Here to Visit the Giveaway!

You can see the VTech Mobigo Here!

I will be posting more about giveaways here today! :)

I hope you take the time to enter and win something fun!
Christmas blessings!

Kristen