Teenage Pleasures

The other day we made a quick stop at Meijer. We don't go there too often simply because it's on the other side of town but the girls and I really like shopping there when it's convenient - me for the produce section; the girls for the mechanical horse waiting for them after the check-out line.

Driving into the parking lot, Noelle asked how much it cost to ride the horse. I told her it was only a penny. She was excited because she has quite a few pennies. She enthusiastically announced, "When I'm 16 I'm going to drive to Meijer by myself and ride the horse all day!"

I highly encourage her to do that.

Oh, Hello There!

Last week I was planting some seedlings and I needed a few small pots. I have several pots nested together on our deck so I grabbed the top one, only to discover someone decided nested pots is a good place to build a nest. A mama wren has carefully made a cozy home for her 5 little eggs.
Anytime I need another pot, I find myself talking to the mama wren, explaining what I'm doing and that she has nothing to fear, I just need to get a few things near her nest. She looks at me rather suspiciously, but we seem to have a pretty good relationship...it must be a mama thing.

Lessons I've Learned

Here's a helpful tip I've learning in parenting:
When your child asks you to do something with them, give them a "time" when you will be available.

So often one of my girls will ask me to play/read to them and I'll be in the middle of doing something that needs to get done. If I say "I'll play with you as soon as I'm done here," they just lay around nearby asking when I will be finished.

I've learned to direct their attention to our large clock in the living room and say "I'll be ready to play with you when the big hand gets to the 3 (or whatever number is appropriate)." This sets a defined time for them - as opposed to the nebulous "when I'm done". If the child doesn't know their numbers I usually say "when the big hand gets to the bottom/top" and point it out to them.

Benefits:
They learn the concept of time
They learn their numbers
They're happy knowing mommy isn't blowing them off

Warning:
Try to be realistic in your time estimate. It's better to be ready early rather then break your agreement...although it happens.

I also use this tactic when I need them to do a chore or clean up or get ready to leave. I'll give them a "5 minute" warning by saying "when the big hand gets to the 6 I need you to clean up so we can leave." Then when I come back to tell them it's clean up time they're better prepared.

Fairy Tales

You know you've read too many fairy tale books when...
...You're daughter asks you if you have any magical powers
...And you quickly respond "Yes, I can fly."
...And she believes you (suspiciously)


After I confessed my supernatural ability to fly Noelle had a few questions for me:
N: Why have I never seen you fly?
Me: My super powers only work when no one is looking
N: Do you have wings?
Me: No.
N: Since I'm your daughter, why can't I fly?
Me: You probably can't until you're older
N: How old are you?
Me: 34
N: When I'm 34 I'll try to remember to see if I can fly
Me: You do that

Noelle asked several times, "Can you REALLY fly?" I simply told her it's good for mommies to have a few mysteries so that the kids are kept guessing.

In all seriousness...If you're looking for a fun chapter book for your little girls, I recommend "Fiona and Frieda's Fairy Tale Adventures" by Nadia Higgins. It helps if your kids know how the real fairy tales go since this is a twist on the real story.

Spring Happiness

Happy Spring things:

Fresh mulch and fresh green growth

A bouquet a tulips from my flower bed

Fresh strawberries on sale and a super sweet girl

Spring Break

This week is Noelle's Spring Break, so we took advantage of the time off and traveled to VA to visit grandparents. While we were there we took the Metro into Washington, D.C. for a day at the National Zoo.

Pappy Sauder and Noelle on the Metro

Grammy Sauder and girls at the Metro Station

The zoo crew: Grammy and Pappy Sauder
Grandma Spence
Brad, Janelle, Noelle and Sadie

At the end of the day with tired girls

Grandpa Spence and Granddaddy couldn't join us at the zoo, but the girls made sure they got some play time with them later in the week.

Toothless

The thrill of getting a hole in your mouth...
Noelle lost her 2nd tooth this week and is super excited!

Easter

We decorated eggs on "Easter Eve"

I got the idea for using a whisk with younger children from my Family Fun magazine - brilliant!We used crayons and stickers to create our eggs this year.

Easter Day was a beautiful day which started with an amazing church service and ended with a relaxing dinner and egg hunt with friends.

Noelle and Sadie in their Easter dresses from Grammy Sauder

Noelle's Creativity

Noelle loves to create things. It's fun and exciting to see what her brain comes up with. This week she started a cookbook and choreographed a dance.

Here she is with the cookbook. She asked me to write the words, so she listed me as author, but I humbly take no credit for any of it.
She said once she filled the pages, she'd make copies and then we could sell them. Here's a sample of what you can make once you purchase this unique cookbook.
Maybe I should allow for pre-orders assuming there'll be a rush once the copies are made.

And here's the dance. I thought she did a remarkable job depicting the dance steps. I was not the author for this one - it's all Noelle's creativity.