Monster 6.0

My Sweet Monster,

Today you turn six. Six hurts my heart more than five did or some reason. You are just so excited about it though and its infectious. You have been giving us the countdown for weeks on how many days until your birthday and I have been impressed at how well you have kept track. Then you woke up this morning all excited because its finally here! You opened most of your presents yesterday and you loved the toys you got but your face when you opened the Skylanders game is one I won't soon forget. Pure joy! You get to do show and tell at kindergarten all week for your birthday week and I can already tell you are going to run out of days before you run out of things you want to take.

This past year seems like such a blur. You have grown physically by leaps and bounds. Getting taller and stronger by the day it seems. You have officially outgrown your big brother in the weight department and are getting close to doing the same in the height department as well. I still hold to my stance that you will eventually outgrow us all. You will be a big, strong boy when you grow up, just like you are now.

You've grown in the sports department too. I used to say you were going to be my math-lete instead of my athlete because of your clumsy but you've actually (finally) started getting more control over your own feet. You played t-ball again last fall and spring but you still hated it so we skipped it this fall. You will like coach pitched ball so much better, I am sure of it. For now though, you have been excelling at swimming. We started you in swim classes early this summer and you've taken to it extremely well! You keep moving up levels and out swimming kids much bigger than you. Michael thinks you might be a swim team kid if you put your mind to it and I agree. You are strong and fearless and love a good competition.

You still have that huge personality too. The kind that draws people to you like a carnival ride they weren't sure they wanted to ride but convinced them to anyway. You love to entertain and love to play but mostly you love to talk. Also, be in charge. We're working on that last one but sometimes its impressive how good you are at it. Even with much bigger children. They all listen to you and do their part. Maybe you'll be a politician.

You got a new baby brother this year too and you have absolutely been over the moon. Your little brother, even at a few weeks old, just adores you. He will be fussy and wiggly but when placed in your arms, or you start to talk to him, he gets still and pays attention to you. Even when nothing else works. ITs really pretty amazing to watch. I'm glad for you. You were so excited about im. Especially after Gage, you needed a take home baby as much as any of us. If anyone asks, you always tell them you have 3 brothers and it makes my heart leap every time because you remember. You loved and you love and I love you.

Baby, I'm so proud of you. I love your crazy. I love your heart and incredible mind. You are an amazing little mama's boy and I am excited to see just how far your drive and personality takes you. It will be far.

I love you my monster,
Mama

Day at the Aquarium #WW

*I took these with my Galaxy S5 at Georgia Aquarium. I am sharing because I loved them, not because I am affiliated.

Why My Kids Do Chores

Seems like lately I have seen a lot of those charts for what age your child can do certain things. Not academic things, household things. Like cleaning up after themselves, helping with laundry, etc.. I've seen as many different ideals as I have pins. Some expect more, some less. Some think scripture memorization is more important, some focus more on what they can reach.

Thing that really caught my attention is that the common comment with these lists and charts is generally along the lines of "I really wish my kids would do this stuff" or "Wow, my kids would never xyz".

Really?

My boys have always been my helpers. Granted, they like to help but its also because they've always been expected to. Especially over the last few years when I had to return to work and was doing it on my own for awhile.

Kids need responsibilities. More than just doing their homework and putting their plate in the sink. They need to learn to be a productive member of a household. They need to know that the laundry fairy doesnt wash, dry, and fold their dirty clothes while everyone sleeps. That those dishes they put in the sink don't magically disapper. The bed they sleep in? Doesn't make itself either.

They live there too. I am their mother, their caretaker, and love them more than life but I am not their maid.  I simply could not do everything it takes to run a household without their help and still get to spend time with them. I want them to be able to be independent and a productive member of their household without feeling like their partner should take care of them.

The boys do chores depending on what needs to be done and what they can handle. Little things like cleaning up their toys and putting things where they belong but also helping with the yard maintenance, sweeping, and cleaning bathrooms. I spent time making sure things were organized in a way they can be independent and not require help. I pared down the things we use to clean to two spray bottles. One with vingar/water and the other with diluted lysol cleaner. Those two bottles will clean anything in your house and both are kid friendly.

D knows how to use the vaccuum correctly while K usually sweeps the hard surfaces because the vaccuum is too heavy for him.

They want to take their lunch instead of buy it? They know how to put together a pb&j.

Not that they do all of those things all the time but they can do it and they don't give me lip about it if I ask them to. It's all simply become part of how our household runs. No charts or special prizes needed*. We all have to care for it and they understand that.

Of course that doesn't mean it's all work around here. The chores and things they do take at most half an hour a day. The difference is that when you do a little every day and there are more people doing it, it goes faster and leaves a lot more time for fun and snuggles. So its a double bonus. The house stays cleaner and the boys get more of my undivided attention!

It's mostly about trusting your child with responsibility. Start small and understand it might take some guidance at first. Given the chance, any one is going to sit back and let someone else do all the dirty work but given direction any one can learn to help. Even kids.


*Not to say we've never used charts. We have used a ticket system in the past but it fell to the wayside. They just didn't seem to care about the ticket part and did their "jobs" anyway. Just another reason my kids rock my socks.

Two Swimmy Fish

Its official, both my boys can swim! D learned to swim unassisted last Summer but has only gotten stronger and more confident this year. Lately he has been perfecting his dive. Its progressed from a cringe worthy belly flop to a much more sophisticated looking dive.



K on the other hand refused to be in the water and not be wrapped around your face and/ or have a swim vest on until this year. I even tried swim lessons to make it easier and it didn't help.

At the beginning of the swim season this year, I got him a new vest and let him have at it. He has been so much more confident this year its almost like a different kid. He jumps in and puts his face in and swims all around the pool chatting up strangers all day as long as he had his vest. If I took the vest off he would panic. Until recently. His confidence I  the water has grown by leaps and bounds in the last month. Then, today, I decided to try again.



Little fart had me snowed! He took off across the pool like it was no big deal. Jump in and swim to you, mom? No problem. Go fetch that diving ring from water over my head? Check. The only thing I cant convince him to do is backfloat. He is convinced he's going to drown on his back for some reason. Still, I'm impressed as heck. First they taught themselves to use the potty, then they taught themselves to swim. No complaints here!

How old were your kids when they learned to swim?

My Not So Little Monster

My little monster is getting way too big here lately. Yes, he will be 5 in less than 3 months but I never said he was allowed to grow up on me. All of a sudden he has gotten the big boy look. The big feet, the big hands, the definition in his legs. 

He has always had the big boy personality. Well, a big personality in general actually. He's out grown the sass that comes with turning four though. He is much more reasonable and definitely easing on the temper. Still working on the lying though. At least he's bad at it.

He has been a talker since birth (practically) and has no qualms about chatting up strangers. Thats where his huge personality really shines. He can carry on a conversation with anyone. He can also talk just about anything out of other kids and some adults. He's quite pursasive. My mother says he is going to make quite a senator some day. 

He is also losing a little of the clumsy that has kept him quite gravity aware for most of his life. He is getting strong and losing a little of the heft that gained him the nickname "hunky". He loves to wrestle and swim. Baby boy would live in the pool but he's not quite there with the swimming yet so he takes his trusty vest with him.

Of course he still loves to snuggle. He has always been the most physically affectionate little kid I've ever seen. He will hug, kiss, and snuggle anyone he thinks might need it. Even if they arent so sure they did. Especially from a pool wet kid. Still, hes a lover and a big time mamas boy.

My little goof is growing up. I am not ready for this. He is supposed to stay little. Both of them are. 

My Handsome Easter Boys

No Days Like Snow Days!

This week, Atlanta got hit with a rarity. An early winter ice storm that completely shut down the city. I'm talking apocalyptic in a sad and truly Southern kind of way. People stuck in their cars for hours and hours, kids had to sleep at school because the buses couldn't navigate, we were stuck where we were for literally 4 days straight while the government struggled to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. 

In the meantime though, my boys had a blast playing in the snow and staying home for an impromptu vacation! We played outside and drank hot cocoa to our hearts content. Then we napped and snuggled while watching endless rounds of Sheriff Callie (shoot me). 

Of course going back to school on Monday is going to be a struggle for all of us but it has been nice to have a break to just hang around for a bit and be silly. I have a feeling this is not the last we will see of Winter's nasty side this year. I just hope that Atlanta is better prepared for it next time!

A little bonus silliness from YouTube:

Four

My handsome little monster,

I know I say it every year but I just can not believe you are four years old. You are no longer a toddler but a preschool aged kid now. To say that the last four years have flown by would be the understatement of the century. It seems like last week we were awaiting your arrival and getting nervous that you would make your appearance on your brother's birthday. I was filled with excitement on meeting your little self and nervousness of being a mother of two.

Your little personality was clear right from the start. You are the boss. You came out and we all immediately started dancing to your, sometimes offbeat, tune. Truth be told though, we love it. You keep everyone in their place and make sure we stay on task.

You are also a big lover. You are and in your face kind of love monster that will not be ignored. You will climb up in my lap and get right in my face with your eyes all wide and kiss me right in the mouth before exclaiming your love for me over and over. You're like that with a lot of people really but you are still a mama's boy through and through. Mama is your favorite and you don't care who knows it.

You and your brother have gotten into the sibling rivalry big time this year. Whatever D has or does, you are right there behind him. Its been hard for you for D to have started Kindergarten this year. You miss your idol. You've done really good about being patient and entertaining yourself and me while he was at school though. You are going to be such a class clown.

I'm proud of you baby. I try to say it often but I want you to know and remember just how proud of you I am. Always will be really. You are strong willed and handsome and goofy and lovey and you are my son. How did I ever get so very lucky?

Love, Mama

Mini Gamers

Summer Lovin'

It has been an awesome summer. The boys and I have gotten some good sun, some amazing food, and even more fun. We have ouspent more time outside this summer than we have been able to in the past and we are all both enamored and exhausted.

There have been the countless days spent in the water. We go to the "beach" at the lake and have spent the day swimming and cooking out and just generally relaxing and bonding and having great fun as a family. The boys have really enjoyed playing in the water way more than the sand, which was not something I expected. I really thought that Littles at least would enjoy building and crashing sand castles but they would much rather be floating around in the water.



We also spent some time checking out the local water parks. The county we used to live in opened a new aquatics center this spring and we have enjoyed going and splashing around. We checked out several of the local YMCA's pools and such too. Some better than others but definitely none as much fun as White Water.

This year was the first year that the boys have been able to go to White Water and they have absolutely fallen in love. The first time we went it was just D, a close friend, and me. D had so much fun riding all the rides and it wasn't busy so we rode most of them at least twice, spending about 5 hours. The second time we went, we took K. I have to say the littles completely had us stunned. He rode everything he was tall enough for and wanted to ride the ones he wasn't. I thought he would hate it but he had more fun than D!


Speaking of general kid fun, the boys also got to ride their first go karts this summer and they are hooked. Here again though, it was K that seemed to be more enthused about getting to do it. Baby loves him some speed.

All in all, its been an amazing kind of Summer break. Soon, D heads to Kindergarten though and everything is going to be a whole lot different. I'm sad that our Summer is coming to a close but I am also ready to move on into birthday season and all the fun that Fall has to offer.

Monster Hilarity #WW

Bunk Beds!

Last week, the boys took a big step. Well, okay, a big step for me anyway. They upgraded to bunk beds! It was a half surprise from a loved one, half letting them pick out the bedding type of a deal. Needless to say, they are mad excited.

They have actually done a lot better about sleeping in them than I would ever thought they would. I figured that D especially would have a hard time adjusting because he usually does when anything changes. He has done great so far though. He is loving being the big boy and climbing up into bed where his brother can't reach him to pester him. K on the other had regularly falls asleep in the floor/ in the yard/ wherever he stops, so I knew he would be fine.  Of course, K has already gotten "stuck" up on the top bunk once already by climbing up there and being to chicken to climb back down. At least Captain Clumsy knows his limits? His brother has tried to help him figure out how to go up and down the ladder but its only half hearted at best because he really doesn't particularly want him up there. Which I can't blame him for. Everyone needs their own space. 

K picked Cars.

D picked Spiderman.

The best change so far? D is obsessed with keeping his bed made. Loving it!

Up next is a little paint and some decorations to match their choices of bedding. Luckily they are both pretty much the same color scheme. Here's to growing up!

Two T Ball Boys

Last fall, D started playing tball. He loved it. It was the thing he looked forward to every week and every weekend. He took his time as an "Athletic" very seriously and got the "most improved" and "best team player" award at the end of the season. So, of course, it was natural that he play again this spring. What I wasn't expecting was to sign K up too.

I had originally signed K up to play soccer instead because it just seemed to be more his thing. More fast paced, more running, more falling over. The thing is though, after I signed him up, I got an email that he was going to be the youngest in the league by almost a full year. Thats a lot of age difference
when you are 3 (and hopelessly clumsy).

So, I decided to change him to tball too. He was actually more excited about the idea than I thought he would be and D was not so surprisingly gracious about accepting his little brother into "his" game. They play one the same team and the two are always little partners in crime on the field.

Its been so much fun to watch them play together. D is definitely the more athletic of the two. My slugger. K mostly likes to run and play in the dirt but some day he is going to make an awesome baseman. Other kids bounce off that little boy like a brick wall. He's solid.

This fall though, D will play coach pitch, while K stays in tball another year. I am making the most of it and enjoying every game and practice until then. My little duo.

Muffins with Mama

My K had his muffins with mom breakfast at school yesterday. It was too cute to not share...

Muffins! K ate 3. I had half of one then K finished it for me. Baby loves to eat.

He made me a "bouquet" of flowers with things he loves to do with his Mama on them. I cried. Totally. 

Making our craft.

Our craft was a frame with the most handsome 3 year old on the planet in it!

Pizza Night! #WW

Fun in the Sand #WW

The Perfect Insta-Weekend #WW