Choo Choo!

First of all, let it be said that there are no original ideas from my little noggin represented in our afternoon.  Thank you Pinterest and Facebook, and creative mothers everywhere.

Polar Express is a BIG DEAL at our house.  I think the girls have watched at least parts of it everyday.  They love the train and the kids and the 'Hot Chocolate' song and the carribou!  Just in the last day or so, they really like 'Santy Cwaus' too!

Our Elf has been showing up sporadically this December - he helps us talk about Santa Claus and naughty and nice and being good even when Momma isn't watching.

Today, Elf showed up with Tickets for the Minivan Express!!

The girls immediately recognized that they were tickets, and we were headed to the Choo Choo train!

Daddy was the Conductor and was yelling "All Aboard!!".

After getting buckled in, they had to show their tickets to get punched (fake style - turns out there is NOT a hole punch in this house.  Trust me.)

And then they got their refreshment!  Hot Chocolate!  (Kate says Chocolat very French-like - adorable!)

Here, they are 'cheers-ing' their Hot Chocolates!

We headed out and looked at Christmas lights.  They loved it!  They were so excited about Chesapeake's trees and the houses with Santas and reindeer!  There were shouts of 'Merry Christmas!' and 'Awesome!'

But Jack was there too.  He put up with our fun and games for a while...and then he didn't anymore.  The ride home was loud and the Hot Chocolate ruined their supper, but this little outing is definitely on our Christmas Traditions list.

Merry Christmas!

The Conductor's Wife

iBite

Karma.

Kate is learning about karma.

About a month ago Jack had just woken from a nap and all of us were playing in his room.  I had changed his diaper and left to go to the laundry room (cloth diapering now...another post, another day).  The girls were up on the big bed with Jack and all three were playing nicely.  I had walked about 4 steps when Jack starting wailing.  Sobbing.  Crying.  He was hurt.

My first thought was that he had rolled off the bed.  At that point he hadn't proven that he was that mobile, but that is where my brain went first.  I high tailed it in there to find all three still on the bed.  I immediately went to Jack and bent to pick him up....and saw four tooth indentations in his little forehead.  Momma saw red.

I asked who did it.  No answer.  Kate was closest, I scooped her up, spanked her, set her in the hallway and told her to go to her room.  When I stepped back Lauren was saying, "I sorry, Jack.  I sorry, Jack."...so I scooped her up, spanked her, set her in the hallway and told her to go to her room.  It was the first time in my adventures in parenting that it was a very good thing that there was another crying baby who needed me...I might still be yelling and spanking.  Whoa.

Jack calmed almost immediately.

The girls and I had a BIG talk.  About biting, and lying, and someone else getting in trouble for our bad choices, and babies versus big girls, and anger, and forgiveness.  I'm sure they soaked it all up.  Momma was on a roll...and still shaking mad.  It was good for me to just keep talking.

About a week later I came home from work and Hope was chuckling that Kate had told her a big story that day.  I had already told Hope about the incident, and that my suspicions were still on Kate, but I really had no way of proving it.  Kate confessed.  To Hope.  In detail.

Almost every day Kate goes through the pictures in my phone...pauses on the picture below and says "I bite.  Sad day.  Sorry Jackapoo."  If you look up contrite in the dictionary....there's a picture of Kate.

A little boy bit Kate at 'school' last week.

Karma.

Love.

Momma

I'm BAAAACK

When I was in college and then in chiropractic college, I developed then perfected a specific procrastination technique.  A big test would be looming in the near future, and I would begin to plan be able to study.  Notice that I didn't say, "I would begin to study".  Nope, not me.  The prep went something like this:

*Organize notes, books, study guides, notecards, etc.
*Buy new highlighters, pens, notebook, etc.
*Sit down with syllabus and begin the higher math process that would help me arrive at the exact grade I needed to score on specific exam to get an A, B, or C (whatever the case may be).
*Use even higher math skills to determine just how much studying would be required to achieve exact score.
*Clean room
*Clean house
*Be certain all dishes and laundry were done
*Grocery shop and prepare a few meals
*Coordinate with friends to ensure availability for study party group
*Exercise/stretch

THEN, I could get to work.

Well, friends, I have completed the aforementioned tasks to now be able to blog again.

I got out of the habit.  We moved, and much settling in was required.  We opened a business, and much work was/is required.  We have three kids still...

Everyday, 4pm, naked.

First I had to organize all my pictures.
Then I had to research new websites to see if I needed to change the way I blog.
Then we had to get family pictures.
Next I had to beg a friend to put family picture on the blog and re-vamp it. (THANK YOU, DAISY!!)
Then I had to buy a desk and lamp and power strip.
Then I had to set up an 'office' in our bedroom....
You get the idea.

I've missed this.  I NEED this.  I need your sweet comments.  I need a record of the fiasco that is everyday life here.  I will (hopefully) one day need a reminder of how hard we worked to achieve our dreams, both professionally and for our family.

So, friends.  I'm back.

Missed ya!
The Momma