I've always heard the phrase "it's just one of those days" from people and I find that I tend to say it myself, but I feel like I am saying it every.single.day. I get to work (late, of course...I think I just really enjoy greeting all the parents in the parking lot as they leave) and the kids have done something wild in the morning, or there is some sort of illness that causes us to have to go to the doctor, or I had to clean up a massive amount of poop, or Andrew had drug something out that created an enormous mess, or I forgot one of the many things that I forget...diapers, change of clothes, formula, bottles, food, breakfast, cell phone, keys...the list goes on. My response said mornings is "it's just one of those days." So, I guess, that "those" days are EVERY day and I am thinking about saying on mornings when I am on time, we've got everything we need, there is no major tantrum, all kids are well, and all diapers are clean that it would be "one of those days."
Anyway...yesterday was quite the day. I've recently decided that I think age three is the age when all children are bipolar. I'm quite certain that by age 4 this disorder is over, or at least working its way out. I'm not 100%, because we're not there yet, but I am hoping. Andrew threw about 27 fits between 7am and 8:30am. There was a fit about which underware (yes, underware!) he wanted to wear to school, what socks he wanted to wear, the shoes, the choice of breakfast food (yogurt, but only the Dora yogurt and that day it had to be pink not the orange which I grabbed first. He was angry about sitting in the carseat and because the weather was cold outside that morning. As he stood in front of the open door to the preschool (and we were late and all the parents were walking in and out and I had 4 bags and Madelyn in my arms) I diagnosed the bipolar disorder.
Where am I going with this? I have decided that one day I'm going to miss "those" days and so I want to remember the days that I almost pulled out all my hair and had poop from my shoulder to my waist caused by M's antibiotics and the days when the firemen showed up at our house!
Yes, that's right, the firemen. We have carbon monoxide detectors in our house that are hooked up to our alarm system (we had a minor incident with our first detector, it went off when Andrew was like 2 mos old and I called the fire dept. They came out, it was nothing, I was still scared, Jason called the alarm company the next day). About 8:00 or so last night, our alarm went off and it is LOUD. I heard the alarm, then I heard Andrew just screaming crying. I was upstairs and Jason was downstairs with Andrew. I ran down the stairs, shut off the alarm, and tried to comfort Andrew who was standing beside the detector. We told him he cannot press that button and he said "I never do it again, I never do it again." I felt very sorry for him...sort of...those are some good lessons when they don't get hurt, but they get just scared enough not to do it again. Then, the alarm company called and said the FD had been dispatched. We explained that our 3 year old set it off, but it didn't matter. They have to investigate it. So, minutes later, the ladder truck and 3 firemen show up at our door. Andrew was still a little scared. They came in and checked. We don't have carbon monoxide. They also let Andrew come outside and climb around the truck and gave him 2 coloring books. He thought that was great! I just hope he doesn't think that our CM detector is a magic button that summons the firemen!
So, that is "one of those days" that I want to remember. I almost took pictures, but I thought it might be a little weird!
Cheeseburger In Paradise!
After dinner I ran Andrew's bath and told him it was ready. He took his hamburger, put it on the side of the tub, got undressed, and finished it while bathing.Andrew's New Big Boy Room
We finally decided to turn Andrew's "nursery" into a big boy room! It was a really fun project for me. It looks much more like a room that a three year old should live in.
I ordered this book rack from Pottery Barn Kids to store all of his books. I wanted something that wasn't going to take up too much space in his room and this is just perfect.
His dresser was originally on this wall with his name over it, but I moved it to create more space. It was a pain to hang his name on the wall, so I was really glad the book rack fit right underneath it.
I moved the dresser into the corner of the room and it I like it there just fine!
His nightstand is now next to the bed and he got a new lamp to go on it. He really wanted a new lamp. I have no idea why that was so important to him. His red toy bag is now his laundry bag and I like it, because it's so easy to haul to the laundry room.
His crib converted into a full size bed and we got the quilt from Pottery Barn Kids. We got him a new mattress, but the box springs made it so high we had to take them off and put them under the bed for safety.
I organized Andrew's closet to make room for his new birthday toys and the other toys that were in his room and we just didn't have enough storage. I bought 2 sets of shelves from Wal-Mart and some storage bins for his things and I'm really happy about it.
Andrew likes that he can see everything and get what he wants out to play with.
I moved this shelf to where the night stand used to be and found the alphabet picture at Target. I also got him a bulletin board to display his artwork.
I ordered this book rack from Pottery Barn Kids to store all of his books. I wanted something that wasn't going to take up too much space in his room and this is just perfect.
His dresser was originally on this wall with his name over it, but I moved it to create more space. It was a pain to hang his name on the wall, so I was really glad the book rack fit right underneath it.
I moved the dresser into the corner of the room and it I like it there just fine!
His nightstand is now next to the bed and he got a new lamp to go on it. He really wanted a new lamp. I have no idea why that was so important to him. His red toy bag is now his laundry bag and I like it, because it's so easy to haul to the laundry room.
His crib converted into a full size bed and we got the quilt from Pottery Barn Kids. We got him a new mattress, but the box springs made it so high we had to take them off and put them under the bed for safety.
I organized Andrew's closet to make room for his new birthday toys and the other toys that were in his room and we just didn't have enough storage. I bought 2 sets of shelves from Wal-Mart and some storage bins for his things and I'm really happy about it.
Andrew likes that he can see everything and get what he wants out to play with.
I moved this shelf to where the night stand used to be and found the alphabet picture at Target. I also got him a bulletin board to display his artwork.Ozark Corn Maze and Chuck E. Cheese
Last Saturday, after we watched the Hogs beat Georgia, we went to the Corn Maze. One of the families from the preschool owns it and gave us some passes to come and we wanted to check it out. Let me just tell you, take whatever temperature it is outside and multiply it by about 5, because how hot it is inside a corn field! We forgot to bring the stroller so Jason carried Madelyn and I had to carry Andrew after about 5 minutes in the maze, because he was too tired to walk! I was determined to make it through the entire maze...until I saw the giant, black snake! I am absolutely terrified of snakes. So terrified that I screamed, turned, and ran out of that maze so fast with Andrew on my hip and Jason and Madelyn in front of my just trying to get out of my way. I refused to go back into the maze and spent the rest of the trip cautiously looking for snakes anywhere I stepped. I was the only one who saw this snake, so no one knows how truly long it was, but I'm going to go with close to three feet...seriously! After we had calmed down and had some water, we decided to ride the cow train. This was a painful choice. It was bumpy and my back hit the back of the barrel every move we made and it is now bruised. Jason and Andrew shot the corn cannon and then we left. It was a really neat place and I would definitely go back...when the kids are older and it's freezing cold so I can be certain that all snakes are hibernating!
After our corn maze experience, I was ready to go home and relax, but Andrew has a fantastic memory and remembered that I promised him we would go to Chuck E. Cheese after the corn maze. So, off to CEC we went! Good grief that place is a zoo. I can't even think in there...and some little girl stole some of my tickets! I mean right out of the skee-ball game that I was playing with Andrew. She even looked at me and made a sneaky face and took them. I really didn't want to be that parent that argued with a child over tickets in CEC, so I just let her have them. I hope she got something really good! Ha! Andrew had a great time and made it out with some glasses and two suckers!
This is what Madelyn thinks of CEC!
After our corn maze experience, I was ready to go home and relax, but Andrew has a fantastic memory and remembered that I promised him we would go to Chuck E. Cheese after the corn maze. So, off to CEC we went! Good grief that place is a zoo. I can't even think in there...and some little girl stole some of my tickets! I mean right out of the skee-ball game that I was playing with Andrew. She even looked at me and made a sneaky face and took them. I really didn't want to be that parent that argued with a child over tickets in CEC, so I just let her have them. I hope she got something really good! Ha! Andrew had a great time and made it out with some glasses and two suckers!
This is what Madelyn thinks of CEC!
Come and Play! It's Andrew's 3rd Birthday!
We had a great third birthday party for Andrew! It was absolutely perfect and I couldn't have imagined it to be any better. He had an excellent turn out! Lots of family and friends came to celebrate with him. It was a wonderful afternoon. I took a ton of pictures and borrowed some from my dad's camera, so they aren't really in any particular order, but here they are!
Opening presents! It was a lot of fun this year, because Andrew was really into it! He did have quite a bit of help and then Madelyn wanted to join in the fun!
Getting ready to sing Happy Birthday and cut the cake!
Blowing out the candles!
Andrew loved the blowers and so did all the other kids.
I had 6 different stations set up for the kids to play at. This one was Cookie Monster's cookie decorating. We had a puzzle table, a play-doh table, a painting table, a coloring table, and a craft table where you glued things to the number 3! The kids really enjoyed it and the parents were able to help their kids, but a lot they could just do on their own. It was really fun!
We had it in our church gym, which was excellent. There was plenty of space for everyone!
Rick's did a fantastic job on the cake! It was adorable!
More of the decorations!
Having fun at the craft table. Connor and Madison. It's so fun having my college friends and their kids come!
The painting station. This was a big, messy hit!
Andrew was sampling some of the snacks.
Andrew and his piece of cake. He didn't want anyone to take it from him!
Opening presents!
More presents!
Madelyn was having fun with Grandad. There were so many family members there to take care of her! She had a great time playing with everyone!
We brought our bouncy house and the kids loved it. They were all crammed in there together. I thought at one point it might pop, but it held up!
After the party! Andrew crashed once we got home and got everything out of the car! He had a busy birthday party and I know he enjoyed it so much. We were so happy that so many people came to celebrate this birthday with us! I don't think there is anything that could have made this party any better! It was just a calm, laid-back day! I planned and planned ahead of time so that today would just be easy going for everyone. Now, I'm going to box everything up and save it for another couple of years for Madelyn's third birthday! I'm also going to have to get busy planning for her first birthday. I've got everything pretty much planned, now I just have to get it together. At least I've got another two months. I cannot believe that they are three and almost one!
Opening presents! It was a lot of fun this year, because Andrew was really into it! He did have quite a bit of help and then Madelyn wanted to join in the fun!
Getting ready to sing Happy Birthday and cut the cake!
Blowing out the candles!
Andrew loved the blowers and so did all the other kids.
I had 6 different stations set up for the kids to play at. This one was Cookie Monster's cookie decorating. We had a puzzle table, a play-doh table, a painting table, a coloring table, and a craft table where you glued things to the number 3! The kids really enjoyed it and the parents were able to help their kids, but a lot they could just do on their own. It was really fun!
We had it in our church gym, which was excellent. There was plenty of space for everyone!
Rick's did a fantastic job on the cake! It was adorable!
More of the decorations!
Having fun at the craft table. Connor and Madison. It's so fun having my college friends and their kids come!
The painting station. This was a big, messy hit! 
Andrew was sampling some of the snacks.
Andrew and his piece of cake. He didn't want anyone to take it from him!
Opening presents!
More presents!
Madelyn was having fun with Grandad. There were so many family members there to take care of her! She had a great time playing with everyone!
We brought our bouncy house and the kids loved it. They were all crammed in there together. I thought at one point it might pop, but it held up!
After the party! Andrew crashed once we got home and got everything out of the car! He had a busy birthday party and I know he enjoyed it so much. We were so happy that so many people came to celebrate this birthday with us! I don't think there is anything that could have made this party any better! It was just a calm, laid-back day! I planned and planned ahead of time so that today would just be easy going for everyone. Now, I'm going to box everything up and save it for another couple of years for Madelyn's third birthday! I'm also going to have to get busy planning for her first birthday. I've got everything pretty much planned, now I just have to get it together. At least I've got another two months. I cannot believe that they are three and almost one! Baby Boom!
Last week was a week of babies! I had four friends that had healthy babies last week! Congratulations to all of them- there were three boys and one girl. I cannot believe that all these babies are finally here. I was holding one of them and thinking about how small he was and the boy was 8 pounds! Andrew was only 4 lbs 3 ozs and Madelyn was 6 lbs 6 ozs, but I thought he was just teeny tiny- I guess that just proves that time passes much to quickly. I thought about my own babies and how Andrew is going to be three years old this month, and while planning his Sesame Street birthday bash is a lot of fun, I am a little sad that he is going to be three years old. I'm pretty sure that means he is not a baby anymore. And Madelyn is going to be 10 months old this month, which means she will be one year old very soon. Aside from the fact that I cannot believe I have an almost one year old and three year old, my kids have grown up way too fast. I'm so thankful to get to spend each day with them (even while I'm working) and watch them grow up. I think of this verse when I think of these moments that go so quickly with my children: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed. In the twinkling of an eye! 1 Corinthians 15:51. Granted, it is not in relation to parenting, but I think it could be! So, here are a few pictures from the days that my babies were born!
Madelyn Claire
November 13, 2009
6 lbs. 6 ozs. 21 inches
Andrew Harrison
September 15, 2007
4 lbs. 3 ozs. 17 1/2 inches
First Day of School!
Well, we survived the first week of school! It was exhausting for all of us. Everything went so well. I couldn't have planned it better myself! The teachers are doing a fantastic job! I am just amazed at the work that everyone has put in to make this week run so smoothly. I am also just totally amazed at the tremendous growth within the school. We ended the year with 81 students enrolled and began this year with 92 students! Of the 81, we lost a little over 40 of them to kindergarten and families moving. I am just thrilled by this! Plus, this is just the beginning of the third year that we have been open. We were looking back at the fire drill records and at this time in 2007 there were 33 students and 6 teachers that participated and this year we had 63 students and 11 teachers! Our program runs on a MWF, T/TH, or M-F basis, so that is why we have 92 enrolled and only 63 that particular day.
Andrew and Madelyn have enjoyed getting back to school- not that they really even left! They have some new friends in their classrooms and are really having a lot of fun...and sleeping great!
Our first day of school picture (on the second day)
This is about as good as it got for me, Madelyn was done!
She was ready to have breakfast!
This is her signature face anytime I come to the door of her classroom!
Andrew enjoyed getting to paint! He loves watercolors!
Watching his friends paint.
This is what Andrew does anytime I walk by and he is on the playground...depending on his mood. Some days I do get totally ignored!
Andrew and Madelyn have enjoyed getting back to school- not that they really even left! They have some new friends in their classrooms and are really having a lot of fun...and sleeping great!
Our first day of school picture (on the second day)
This is about as good as it got for me, Madelyn was done!
She was ready to have breakfast!
This is her signature face anytime I come to the door of her classroom!
Andrew enjoyed getting to paint! He loves watercolors!
Watching his friends paint.
This is what Andrew does anytime I walk by and he is on the playground...depending on his mood. Some days I do get totally ignored!
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