Reversal

Okay, so the crib is back. First, I tried to use the toddler bed option. After a couple of night of being up at 1 or 2 in the morning picking Danny up off of the floor, I decided that it just isn't worth the frustration. The sides are back on the crib, and I am sleeping again. None of my child rearing books said to return your child to the crib when it gets difficult.....hmmmm.....more to follow on that one, I am sure.

This morning, I left to take Sarah to school, with Danny playing in the playroom and Steve watching...picture to be added soon.

Big Boy

Oh crap. I have taken away Danny's crib. It seemed like a really good idea this afternoon, when he was climbing out of it every time I turned around, but now I'm rethinking the whole thing. What am I going to do when he's not really tired at night?

Benadryl, my sweet friend.

By the way, Danny's finger is much better, but it's really ugly. I have been informed by a friend that one can get through life with a bent pinky and turn out ok. That's something I can worry about for a while!

Fall Fun Days

Today we went on an excursion to a pumpkin patch about 30 minutes south of us http://circlesfarm.com/ and we had a blast. They had so many cool things for the kids: a sunflower maze, corn maze, straw "caves", of course a pumpkin patch, and hay rides. It was a bit pricey for us, but was well worth it in the end.

Danny's favorite part was the hay loft. The owners set up huge slides and the kids can slide down into a deep, soft pile of hay. Sarah preferred the straw caves. So much so that I nearly had to go in and extract her to move on to the next activity.

We did leave with two pumpkins to show for our $36.00. They will be proudly displayed along with our other Halloween crafts, which include a spider web and little black bats hanging on sticks that Danny and I collected. The kids think they live in a haunted house...isn't that cool?

I Told You So!

It finally happened. Danny's pinky finger was crushed in Sarah's bedroom door yesterday. Crushed. It was FLAT. Thank goodness, Steve was not traveling yesterday and I was able to take Danny to the urgent care without his sister. We spent an hour waiting in a lobby of Columbus Childrens' Hospital where I would not let him play. I was afraid that he'd get something much worse than a crushed finger. He had xrays and a doctor bent his finger all around...nothing broken. How can a finger be flat and not be broken? God has truly designed us well, I guess.

Paradise

Steve and I returned last night from a 4 day trip to Key West. We had a great time, and I will post at least one picture...in time. It was SO nice to be there as a couple, rather than as parents! Thankfully my parents were willing to watch the kids for the time we were gone.

The whole trip was great, but the highlight was taking a 2.5 hour catamaran ride to the Southeasternmost National Park, Dry Tortugas. Fort Jefferson was built there prior to the Civil War, but never finished. It was used for many purposes, including as a Union prison for deserters and as a prison for Dr. Samuel Mudd (of John Wilkes Booth fame).

While we were there, I was able to try snorkeling and discovered that I am a bit claustrophobic. I was panicking that I wouldn't get enough air through the tube...or that the tube would fill with water...or...you know. I don't understand why I felt that way, since you can just lift your head up and take the tube out if you need to. Despite this, I was able to partially conquer the fear and swim out far enough that Steve told me I needed to come back.

I am ready for the next vacation, please!

Gone Already

Today was my daughter's first day of full-day kindergarten. She was identified as needing some extra help with literacy skills, and the school district just started a program for 10 children at her school. Initially, I didn't want to put her in the class, thinking that she would catch up naturally. Some good friends convinced me to accept the help when it's offered, and I think that was a good call.

I must admit that I am not ready to give up my child for an entire day, 5 days a week. It was so hard to drop her off this morning. Sarah, on the other hand, was jumping up and down at the thought of eating lunch at school and having a recess period. This is just one more of the many steps one must take to help a child grow.

So, it turns out that she had a very short recess, as she took a long time to relish her tasty lunch. Thankfully a kind teacher sat with her while she ate. She doesn't remember what she did in the literacy portion of her day, but she did tell me ALL about rest time, recess and lunch... and so it goes.

Working....

My husband, God love him, is "working" in Munich this week. Interestingly enough, he got his schedule "mixed up" and he's there two days longer than he needed to be. Did I mention that this week is Oktoberfest? In the beginning, I questioned whether this was a true meeting or just a junket. You be the judge.

Piano lessons

Yesterday I caved in to Sarah's request to start piano lessons. I have been dodging this request for quite some time, as she has little ability to sit and do anything. In fact, the only things that really hold her attention are swimming and the computer, so I figured that piano lessons probably wouldn't added to the list.

Well, I lowered my expectations for what a lesson would be, and I thought, we'll discuss the black and white keys, along with one note. Middle C. Surely we would get that done, and she'd have the satisfaction of learning one note. She looked at me like "Duh!" when I talked about the black and white keys. Then, the discussion about middle C began. We found C on the keyboard together, and then she began reciting the alphabet while pressing the other keys. It was over. She then got out a book of sonatas and asked if she could read the music now.

Oh brother.

The Reluctant Blogger!

It seems that no matter how many good ideas one has for writing, they will not place themselves into my blog. Darn. You see, I have this problem with perfectionism. (For those of you who are familiar with FlyLady, I am a complete SHE) I think that I shouldn't post anything until it's perfect, which is the same philosophy I have applied to everything else in my life. Let me tell you, it keeps you from doing quite a bit.

Maybe that's why working outside the home was so satisfying. There were things that I had to do, I did them, and I did them well. Heck, I even enjoyed it...and they PAID me, told me that I did good work....you can see where I'm going. If I didn't like it, I quit. Staying home with children is the complete antithesis of everything that I liked about working! I am, nonetheless, finding it rewarding in a much deeper sense. Someone please just remind me of that on Day 5 of my husband's business trip!