Last night my daughter asked me if I would cuddle with her when she went to bed. She complained that she was cold. How she can be cold when the temps have been in the high 90s at night around here, I'll never know. Anyway, I snuggled with her for a little while then decided it was time to get up. I gave her a little peck and told her she was an awesome kid.
She replied by saying: You're an awesome mom. You're a tough mom too, but inside you have the heart of an angel.
Oh, she's gooooood!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Thanks McDonald's lady
After my daughter's swim lessons, we drove through the drive-through at McDonald's for a litte reward. My little one was tired and very cranky. I guess the clerk heard her because when I drove up to the window, she gave me a little yellow frisbee for the baby. I handed it to her sister to give to her and those cries turned to squeals of delight.
Thanks McDonald's lady for making my drive home a little sweeter.
Thanks McDonald's lady for making my drive home a little sweeter.
A way to go moment...
My oldest daughter has never had an adventurous spirit. I blame myself for that in part. We had her a little later than most couples and I guess I was scared of her getting hurt. So rather than letting her try things on her own and risk getting the bumps and bruises associated with growing up, I coddled her.
Last year, she decided she wanted to try swimming lessons. That first week was probably the roughest week of her young life. She cried everytime she hit the water. She wouldn't dare get her face wet. Well, by the second week, she was diving for rings and sticks and the bottom of the pool. We had finally found that thing she loved.
This summer we started back up at swim lessons. At the beginning of the summer, I started her at a Level I American Red Cross swim class. She had finished last summer at a Level II, but I recognized that she still needed help with the basics. I figured rebuilding that foundation couldn't hurt her. And it did.
Where last year she was fearful of floating on her back, this time she embraced the challenge. I would sit at the side of the pool with her baby sister, and I'd hear my big girl tell the instructors that she wanted to try to the backstroke by herself. When the instructors took the kids over to the deep end of the pool, I saw hesitation before she jumped. I waited for her to start crying about not wanting to do it, but she surprised me. She sucked it up, jumped in and then swam to the side of the pool. Pretty soon, it got easier and easier.
Well, today was the last day of swim lessons for the summer. And it was nice to see that my daughter was genuinely unhappy to see it end. When the teachers handed out the final certificates, she pulled my daughter and two other little girls aside and congratulated them for not only completing the class but getting promoted to the ARC Level III class. The look of shock and amazement on my daughter's face said it all! She was thrilled. She didn't imagine that she'd get that far this summer, but she did. And she can't wait to start lessons again because she wants to learn how to do more advanced strokes.
It was definitely a `way to go' moment and one that I'll never forget as a parent. It's a great feeling when your kids not only surprise you with the things they can accomplish, but they surprise themselves too. I'm so proud of my big girl!!!!
Last year, she decided she wanted to try swimming lessons. That first week was probably the roughest week of her young life. She cried everytime she hit the water. She wouldn't dare get her face wet. Well, by the second week, she was diving for rings and sticks and the bottom of the pool. We had finally found that thing she loved.
This summer we started back up at swim lessons. At the beginning of the summer, I started her at a Level I American Red Cross swim class. She had finished last summer at a Level II, but I recognized that she still needed help with the basics. I figured rebuilding that foundation couldn't hurt her. And it did.
Where last year she was fearful of floating on her back, this time she embraced the challenge. I would sit at the side of the pool with her baby sister, and I'd hear my big girl tell the instructors that she wanted to try to the backstroke by herself. When the instructors took the kids over to the deep end of the pool, I saw hesitation before she jumped. I waited for her to start crying about not wanting to do it, but she surprised me. She sucked it up, jumped in and then swam to the side of the pool. Pretty soon, it got easier and easier.
Well, today was the last day of swim lessons for the summer. And it was nice to see that my daughter was genuinely unhappy to see it end. When the teachers handed out the final certificates, she pulled my daughter and two other little girls aside and congratulated them for not only completing the class but getting promoted to the ARC Level III class. The look of shock and amazement on my daughter's face said it all! She was thrilled. She didn't imagine that she'd get that far this summer, but she did. And she can't wait to start lessons again because she wants to learn how to do more advanced strokes.
It was definitely a `way to go' moment and one that I'll never forget as a parent. It's a great feeling when your kids not only surprise you with the things they can accomplish, but they surprise themselves too. I'm so proud of my big girl!!!!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Missing the dog
About a month ago, our family dog passed away. It was a hard loss for all of us - she'd been with the family for almost 13 years. My oldest daughter and the dog had a love-hate relationship for the first few years of my daughter's life. You see, she saw the dog as a threat to her food supply. That dog would plant herself right by my daughter's chair and see what tasty morsels she would drop from the table at dinner. And even though my daughter is almost in second grade, she's still a pretty messy eater.
Well, when the dog passed the two of us cried - a lot. My daughter asked her dad and me to do her a favor after that first day. We agreed not to talk about the dog until she was ready to. It just made her too sad. So that's what we did.
The other night my daughter and I were coming back from a program at the local library on wild animals that had been rescued. Somehow we got on the subject of the dog and before long the tears started to flow. I reminded my daughter that our dog was in a better place and maybe it was best to think of happy memories or what she would be doing in Heaven right now. She was having a hard time, so I offered my thoughts.
`You know that she's up in Heaven right now chewing on the biggest chew bone ever because in Heaven they only have really big chew bones. And you know Jesus is probably yelling at her, and saying `Geez! Cookie tooted.' And I'll bet it's such a horrible toot that it's making Jesus' eyes water.'
Well, we both started laughing so hard, our eyes were watering. I'm just glad we were able to turn sad memories into happy ones.
Well, when the dog passed the two of us cried - a lot. My daughter asked her dad and me to do her a favor after that first day. We agreed not to talk about the dog until she was ready to. It just made her too sad. So that's what we did.
The other night my daughter and I were coming back from a program at the local library on wild animals that had been rescued. Somehow we got on the subject of the dog and before long the tears started to flow. I reminded my daughter that our dog was in a better place and maybe it was best to think of happy memories or what she would be doing in Heaven right now. She was having a hard time, so I offered my thoughts.
`You know that she's up in Heaven right now chewing on the biggest chew bone ever because in Heaven they only have really big chew bones. And you know Jesus is probably yelling at her, and saying `Geez! Cookie tooted.' And I'll bet it's such a horrible toot that it's making Jesus' eyes water.'
Well, we both started laughing so hard, our eyes were watering. I'm just glad we were able to turn sad memories into happy ones.
Monday, June 30, 2008
New tooth
We were in line at a Babies R Us buying our little one a new exersaucer when I noticed a little white spot on her gum. I felt around and sure enough, she's cut her first tooth. I announced it to my hubby and our oldest, and I was so pleased to see how excited her big sister got at this little milestone. I knew I had a good girl.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Thanks, teach!
My daughter recently finished first grade. I can't believe how quickly the school year went. When I think back to the first days and how much she struggled, it's amazing to see how far she's come. That first report card was less-than-perfect, and I remember how devastated she was by that. But we, as a family, were lucky that she had such a wonderful teacher. She kept in constant communication with us through parent-teacher conferences and e-mails. She also made every effort to greet each child with a hug at the door in the morning and a few words to the parents as the kids were being dropped off.
When my daughter would come home from school, she was always in a good mood. I'd listen to her talk about her day and laugh when some funny, new saying would come out of her mouth. When I'd ask where she learned that, she'd always say it was her teacher. Then there were times at dinner or at bed, when she would call me by her teacher's name. She'd catch herself then blush or grin widely. I guess she was trying to make sure that I didn't get jealous. I never did. It always made me feel relieved that she was obviously loved and well taken care of during the day.
As the final days of school were approaching, I began the count down. When it got down to the final two days, she insisted that there were four days left not two. We went back and forth on this, and then I finally asked her why she kept saying that there were four. She said it was because she wasn't ready to leave her teacher yet. I assured her that she would have a good teacher in second grade. I wasn't sure if that helped or not.
Well, the last day finally came. The children were given autograph books to sign, and my daughter brought hers because she realized her teacher hadn't signed it yet. When it was time to go, she walked up to her teacher and asked her to sign it. I watched my little girl fighting back the tears. And the more she fought it, the harder they came. I don't really like to cry in front of my daughter because she's a sensitive little kid. She doesn't like to see anyone cry. But this time, I couldn't help it either. She and her teacher rested their heads against each other as she wrote in the book.
The message said: You are my `sweet angel.' I love you and will miss you. Please come see me.
And she signed her name. Then she gave my daughter the biggest hug.
Her teacher came to me and hugged me earlier and told me how much she loved my daughter and what a great kid she is. And that's always nice to hear, but seeing how much love there was between those two made me realize how hard it was for my daughter to let go.
As we walked to the car, she sobbed about how unfair it was to have to say goodbye to her. She told me that she dreamed of having a teacher like her and now that she had her she didn't want to say goodbye. I don't ever remember feeling that way about any of my teachers growing up. I told her that we would write to her this summer and in the fall she could bring her an apple on the first day of school. I also looked that cutie in the face and wiped away her tears and told her, `You know, you crying like this is the reason teachers and the people you meet love you so much. You're a great kid.'
I think that helped.
When we came home, I set her up with an e-mail account and she wrote to her teacher that afternoon with promises to write to her often this summer. I know that's a promise and a friendship she's going to keep forever.
When my daughter would come home from school, she was always in a good mood. I'd listen to her talk about her day and laugh when some funny, new saying would come out of her mouth. When I'd ask where she learned that, she'd always say it was her teacher. Then there were times at dinner or at bed, when she would call me by her teacher's name. She'd catch herself then blush or grin widely. I guess she was trying to make sure that I didn't get jealous. I never did. It always made me feel relieved that she was obviously loved and well taken care of during the day.
As the final days of school were approaching, I began the count down. When it got down to the final two days, she insisted that there were four days left not two. We went back and forth on this, and then I finally asked her why she kept saying that there were four. She said it was because she wasn't ready to leave her teacher yet. I assured her that she would have a good teacher in second grade. I wasn't sure if that helped or not.
Well, the last day finally came. The children were given autograph books to sign, and my daughter brought hers because she realized her teacher hadn't signed it yet. When it was time to go, she walked up to her teacher and asked her to sign it. I watched my little girl fighting back the tears. And the more she fought it, the harder they came. I don't really like to cry in front of my daughter because she's a sensitive little kid. She doesn't like to see anyone cry. But this time, I couldn't help it either. She and her teacher rested their heads against each other as she wrote in the book.
The message said: You are my `sweet angel.' I love you and will miss you. Please come see me.
And she signed her name. Then she gave my daughter the biggest hug.
Her teacher came to me and hugged me earlier and told me how much she loved my daughter and what a great kid she is. And that's always nice to hear, but seeing how much love there was between those two made me realize how hard it was for my daughter to let go.
As we walked to the car, she sobbed about how unfair it was to have to say goodbye to her. She told me that she dreamed of having a teacher like her and now that she had her she didn't want to say goodbye. I don't ever remember feeling that way about any of my teachers growing up. I told her that we would write to her this summer and in the fall she could bring her an apple on the first day of school. I also looked that cutie in the face and wiped away her tears and told her, `You know, you crying like this is the reason teachers and the people you meet love you so much. You're a great kid.'
I think that helped.
When we came home, I set her up with an e-mail account and she wrote to her teacher that afternoon with promises to write to her often this summer. I know that's a promise and a friendship she's going to keep forever.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)