I know it's PC to say that I limit my kids' television watching exposure. Really, I know I should limit it but when I really need to work...which is everyday, I turn on Disney Junior and let Trae have at it. There, I said it, I feel better now.

And speaking of Disney, we went to Disney on Ice the other night. We haven't been to a show since Belén and Charley were little so it was time to take the other three and since they were running a great special on tickets, we couldn't pass it up.

This is how good it was: Trae crying when the show was over.

 

 

Have a great day!

Mother's Day Tea - Kindergarten style

On Thursday was the big treat for mothers in Blair's Kindergarten class. I picked up Belén from school a little early so she could be home with Trae since this party was during the last 45 minutes of school. A crowded classroom and a 4 year-old who would want to go into the playhouse and bang pots and pans gave me visions of chasing him around the room and missing their performance. So it was better I left him.

I headed off to the school and realized 3 streets over that I had forgotten my camera so I quickly headed back home. Luckily we live a 3 minute drive from school but it still put me behind. I signed in to the school 7 minutes late and I knew Blair was going to be worried. I hoped the whole time that she could keep it together but I know my little tender hearted girl, it would be hard for her. She'd smile but with big tears in her eyes.

When I got to the room, I saw some of my mom friends motion to me and could read their lips saying, "She's here!" to Blair. I walked in at the last part of their first song and Blair was singing but with a worried face and big tears. She came right over and hugged me and I told her I was really sorry but never doubt I would always support her and then I reminded us to be mindful of those children whose mom's couldn't be here. Teaching moments...

The class went on to sing us more songs, give us Mother's day gifts and serve snacks and drinks. They even recited a poem with each child memorizing and saying their own line.

I told Blair that she could make herself a plate while she made one for me, like the other kids were doing, but she didn't want to do that. She said for me to just sit down so she could serve me. Doing that caused her to stand in line all over again for herself but she waited patiently and with cheerfulness and it made me so happy to see her strength. I love being a mom.

Birthday thoughts

I enjoyed another birthday on Tuesday. While I don't really talk about them or ever plan on something for my birthday, this one was especially sweet.

A friend treated me to lunch which did my soul a world of good. I don't know why I don't do that more. And I read sweet birthday wishes from friends near and far.

Belén and Charley had treats and flowers ready for me when I returned home.

(The treats were gone by the time I took a picture.)

Reese made me a ceramic turtle at school and said that he protected him all the way home on the bus. As I stepped out of the car, the turtle fell to the ground. Luckily it was only his leg that broke and in a way that can easily be repaired.

Blair made a big silhouette of herself and Trae showered me with "I love you's" and "Happy birthday" all day long and would find random things around the house to give me. I love handmade things, especially from my children.

For dinner we went to a local family restaurant and as everyone was talking, laughing, and just being goofy, I sat back and scanned their faces. Any doubts I had about all I wanted to accomplish by the time I had kids or by a certain age and feeling that I may have let some years slip by, washed away in that instant.

My most important work was in that room.

I may never get to all that I wanted but that's ok. I have plenty of time to do a few and that is good enough.

Love notes

I was awakened to find 5 little love notes on my pillow.

They'll go with the rest of the stash from years past.

I look forward to reading them again in a few years

to see how the handwriting has changed but hope the sentiment hasn't.

Happy Valentine's Day!

A winter girl

Dear Charley,

While your hair and your name tend to set you apart, it's really your concern for those that need extra care, respect for others and love for your family that will always get you noticed. You are a quality person. You could be taught in the finest academic institutions and go on to have the most prestigious career but without you being a quality person, it would be useless.

I hope you continue to recognize, use and enhance your God-given strengths. Charity is not something so easily given and for most, it's a learned behaviour. But for you it was given when God kissed your head and sent you on your way. You are a lucky one.

I love it when a person from your school will ask me somewhere, like at the grocery store, "Are you Charley's mom??" and when I say yes, they say, "Oh, I looove Charley!"
I tell them we feel the same way. So do your brothers and sisters. They love you forever.

Forever - I never tire of thinking in those terms. I hope you don't either.

Happy birthday, Charley.

Love you, Momma.

With Belén and me, 1 hour old, Texas

5 months old, Utah

14 years-old, Pennsylvania

Insect view - Wednesday quotes

Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.”

~Henry David Thoreau

Trae van Beethoven

For your listening pleasure, let me introduce the newest piano prodigy.

Have a great day!

Hugs,

Laura

The jig is up

As I was walking up the stairs to the living room I heard a little voice say "NUH-SING!"

("Nothing" in Trae-speak)

I thought that was funny because I hadn't asked what was happening nor did I see anything yet. I walked around the corner with my curiosity at its peak and found Trae standing there smiling, holding out an unopened package of super glue for me. I told him thank you and he, being happy with himself, said "You're welcome MOM!" yelling the last word as he went hopping down the hall.

Interesting that even at 2 years-old they know when the jig is up, isn't it?

Spectator sport

Forget watching reality t.v. There's enough drama unfolding at home.
It's a rough 2 year-old life sometimes but at least you can walk around without pants while wearing a dinosaur pajama top and no one bats an eye.

Let them be and follow - a children's photo session

When I photograph children there is no telling how long they will tolerate me so I always go in with some sort of plan. Those plans are usually gone the minute we start. I bring an arsenal of props for interest and other secret weapons but ultimately I just follow them along and work very fast, my fingers adjusting the settings as quickly as I can.

Last Saturday I had the opportunity to photograph my friend's little boys, one who just had a birthday. I always encourage parents to get in to the pictures also so I was happy that Amber was willing to do that. You never know what sweet memory you will make through a photograph.

My whole goal is to capture kids as naturally as new surroundings afford them and just let them be. That plan will always produce something good.
These boys were exceptional and are about the most well behaved little guys I have ever met. And their mom? Well as you can see, she is naturally beautiful, whose beauty is only enhanced by her goodness.

This is just a small sampling of the day.

Reflection

I always thought that I would live close to my brothers and sister and that their kids would hang out with mine. I envisioned them just walking in my house, not worrying about knocking, just as comfortably as if they lived here. I thought they would sit at the kitchen table and eat and tell me about school, the same one that I attended when I was their age. And I would tell them funny stories of their fathers and mother when we were young.

Jon and I think it's interesting that we grew up in the same town, attended high school together but never lived as a married couple there. We moved a few days after we wed and have only been back a handful of times. Sometimes you just have to go where the job takes you.

For my mom it was the same way and I understand now, her excitement when one of her nieces or nephews would come visit us from Texas. Just as you can see yourself in your child, you see your sibling in theirs and it's comforting to know you are all connected.
Connected not only by bloodline but by the whole family experience with its good and bad times; a lifetime of memories.

This week all of my envisioning has come true and it has been delightful. I wish it could stay this way but I'll take what I can have and be thankful for it always. We are loving it.

A sightseeing trip in pictures

My niece, Blaise, at The Washington Monument.

My nephew, Bryson, on the steps of The Lincoln Memorial

Jon and Belen at the Smithsonian - Museum of American History

Cousins on the monument steps

Identifying

One of my favorite sights in DC - The Vietnam Veteran's Memorial

Blaise's reflection on the wall

Reese pointing out the Washington Monument just in case you missed it.

Visiting the Amish

With my niece and nephew visiting from Washington state, it gives us the opportunity to be "tourists in our own town." Yesterday we drove a bit farther into Amish country to take a buggy ride.

The kids were able to pose with a buggy driver.

Trae was too busy chasing animals to get in the group shot.

I love seeing the roadside signs for the Amish. This was a buggy repair shop and a place to give your horse a drink.

Blair enjoyed the view from sitting up front.






Taking hay to the animals.

Belen said she would love to mow the lawn this way and would do it all the time.

Reese enjoyed being up front too.


Traffic jam PA style.

A one room school house, K-8th grade. The Amish only go up to the 8th grade. When the driver, Aaron, told my nephew Bryson that, he asked if he could convert! The gentleman said yes, they need another stable boy on his farm.

We drove through miles of beautiful pasture and between corn fields. The corn is mainly used for the animals while tobacco is their cash crop. They also have other businesses and have proven to be quite business savvy. While on the ride, our driver yelled over to two of his grandkids, speaking Pennsylvania Dutch.
The kids whined back, "Oh all right!" in English.

We all laughed. I guess kids are the same everywhere.

Along the way home we bought some homemade peanut butter cookies - yum

and some homemade root beer - not so yum.

My mom's was really good. I may have to find her recipe and try it myself.

If you have a good one, let me know.

Up next for our town tourism:

Knoebels amusement park - the largest free-admission park in the United States.

It's also our favorite.

The scenic hour or so drive makes for a great time to talk with my husband.

The kids excitedly talk with each other in the back of the car and decide their plan of attack for the rides...and when they'll have an ice cream cone and a potato pierogi.

You gotta love summer

and Pennsylvania.

Have a great day.

Hugs,

Laura

Daydreams

Looking up at cloud formations

is one of the simple pleasures in life.

Enjoy your Wednesday!
Hugs,
Laura

linking to A Beautiful Mess

Live and Love out loud

Cooling off

Are you experiencing a heat wave in your neck of the woods?
Well, there's nothing like cooling off with a hose and a blow-up shark waterslide!
My kids would rather use it as a drinking fountain but whatever works.

Happy summer!

On disciplining others

A picture of Charley totally unrelated to this post.

I just like it.

Recently I was in a store in the middle of the toy aisle. While looking around and as my kids asked for every thing they saw, I kept hearing a little girl say to whom I presumed was her brother, to "stop it." As she repeated this her voice was accentuated with a whine.

Her verbal pleas became heightened and she was crying, asking him to stop.

I looked over and saw that he was punching her. Not just a soft push like siblings can do, but a real closed-fist punch.

I have no patience for this kind of thing.

I could see the kids down the aisle but didn't see any parents. They continued to fight, or I should say, he continued to punch.

So, I sauntered a bit closer and gave the much older and bigger brother a stare and raised my eyebrows at him. He looked at me and scooted away from his little sister.

I went back to shopping and the cries started up again. I looked over and he was back at it. I could see in my peripheral vision that he was looking around to see if anyone saw. There were still no parents around so I went back to the kid and said,

"Do you hear her telling you to stop?!"

"Yeah."

"Then please STOP." I said.

The little girl cried, "Yeah, stop it. It hurts."

He just shrugged his shoulders and slumped back down and played with toys that weren't packaged.

I went back to shopping but I would occasionally look up to see if they were still there. I caught him a few times as he was trying to slap her. He stopped mid-way when he caught my eye and reluctantly brought his arm down. The girl kept flinching every time he moved.

A little while later as I was in the check-out line, they ended up behind me. The girl was trying to tell her mother what he was doing. She wasn't paying attention and blew her off when she said, "Well, quit bugging him" like it was her fault.

Unfortunately that may be the reality of that home.

In my mom's generation and heritage, it was OK to discipline other's children. Maybe not every one's but certainly in the neighborhood. I remember my grandma yelling some thing at kids on her street and they ran away. Then I saw the mother of the kids bring them back to my grandma and say, "Apologize to Mrs. Hernandez for having to yell at you! You better behave from now on!"

Before every school year or the start of a new class at church, we tell the teachers that we won't be offended if they have to discipline our kids. Or they are always free to come and get us if they are disruptive and we'll handle it. We will never be offended.
I know, love and trust every one that teaches our kids so I know they'll be fair. We don't catch all of the things they do but if and when we do, we are quick to act. We have one that can quickly get out of control so we have to always be on our toes. It's just the nature of bi-polar disorder and it is so hard.

I know it's a touchy subject but my questions are...

How do you feel about disciplining other people's children?

Do you feel more or less comfortable if they are your friends?

Do you do it at all? Do you mind if it's done to yours with fairness?

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linking to Take it from me