Chronicles of Kindergarten ~The RED card

Oh SJ...

My sweet lil SJ.

SJ and the RED card.

SJ and the very bad morning which ended up with a red card. 

Let me explain....

It started off as a normal morning. SJ got up and had her breakfast like she does everyday. We packed her lunch and got dressed. I combed her hair which is such task most days. Got in the van and took off towards her school. 

We got there a little early but not too bad. She told me she didn't want to go in the gym and wait with her class. I told her that was fine we would just sit in the van and wait until I knew we would be able to walk into her classroom. That is when it started....

"I am going to miss you!"

I told her that she would have a good day and learn lots of wonderful things. 

"But I will still miss you!" 

When we got out of the van she grabbed on to my hand like she does everyday. I thought we were in the clear and had avoided any breakdown. If I would have bet on that I would have lost some money. 

She grabs my hand tighter as we pass all of the offices. "I'm really going to miss you!" she tells me as she squeezes tighter. 

When we get down to her classroom she grabs on to my leg. I give her a little hug and she starts crying. I instantly know this is going to be bad. Her teacher tried to take her hand and she wanted nothing to do with it. The principal who was my English teacher in high school tries to get her to smile and she wanted nothing to do with him either. I take her inside the door and she screams louder. 

Oh great...

The teachers aide tries to talk to her and SJ just ignores her. I tell her that she needs to stop and have a good day.  She is having none of it. 

She keeps yelling and grabbing on to me. I tell her I have to leave and go to work. She screams harder. 

I tell her I love her and will see her later. She clenches on to my arm and grabs my shirt. 

I have to pull her off me and walk away. The poor teachers aide was right there to pick up the mess I left. 

I then made the first mistake of parenting....I looked back. I know I shouldn't have done it but I did. I know you all will give me a break cause my mommy heart was hurting.

When I looked back I saw my little girl screaming and trying to grab me. It broke my heart and I started tearing up. I walked as fast as I could out of that school so I wouldn't make a fool of myself. 

So flash forward to me picking her up from school.

She was full of smiles. I ask her if she got a red card today as I open her book bag because I knew she did. My mommy intuition told me that the fit she threw before I left continued. 

Just so you all know a red card is a notice that is sent home to parents to let them know what had occurred during the day at school ONLY if your kid is bad AND had to sit on the red mat. They sit on the red mat after being given a certain amount of warnings. This is a way to make sure they aren't distruptive to the rest of the class and it allows the child time to calm down so they can try again. 

Yup SJ had refused to do her work ALL morning long! Just like I knew she had.

I looked at her and said "What is this for?" 

"Cause I missed you!"

"SJ it is okay that you missed me but it is not okay how you acted and that you did not do your work."

"Oh so I need to do my work even if I am sad?" 

"Yes baby you need to always try your hardest."

"Ok Mommy I will try real hard tomorrow."

Since that day we have not recieved another notice from the school about her having to sit on the red mat. She still has rough mornings but we haven't had a day where she threw a massive fit like that.

Well not yet anyway...

I am very proud of her for trying her hardest even on the days she doesn't want to. She makes me proud for how hard she has been trying.

I know we will have tough days but I know she will at least try. That is all I ask of her because there will be times she fails and times she will succeed. She will never experience either of those if she doesn't at least try.

Does your child's school have something similar to a red mat for children who are learning the rules? 

Quote of the Week #11

I don't know what it is about this quote but I absolutely adore it. Maybe because it can be used in many different situations. 

I am using it as an everyday reminder that me becoming healthy is not a quick fix. It is something that takes time. I am not planning on being the next bodybuilding champion, I just want to be comfortable in my skin again. I want to be healthy for my little ones. I want to feel more relaxed. I want to sleep better. I want to have more energy so I can play with my kids more. I want to teach them to be comfortable with who they are. I also want to teach them what a little hard work and dedication can do. 

It helps me stay grounded when I don't want to eat that chicken breast I have yet to prepare. It also helps me remember that the end result will come and I will feel better. 

Linked with: 

A Letter To My Children:

Dear Little One's

I know you see the way I look at myself in the mirror when I am tying on new clothes. I know you listen to Mommy when she gets frustrated cause her pants shrank in the wash. I know that you hear me mumble under my breath about how unhealthy I am being by eating ANOTHER cupcake or how I swear this is the last Dt. Dr Pepper till the next day about 5 minutes before I grab a new one.

I want you to be proud of your own bodies and how God made each and everyone of you beautiful in your own way. My wish for you is to always look in the mirror and see what I see. To see those beautiful blue eyes that are each a different shade. To see that your personality and crazy quirks make you the most interesting people I know. I hope you look at yourself and see that your missing teeth and freckles are just memories from when you were having fun. 

It is because I want you all to be happy with who you are I will do the same. I am not happy with how I am feeling so I know it is time to change that. I will be working out and eating clean. I will get up early to workout because it doesn't take time away from you all. I will do this because it will be hard and I want to teach everyone that it is worth it. For you to always know that you are worth me doing 2 minutes worth of burpees nonstop. 

My promise to you is that I will not give up and keep going even when I don't want to do it. I will teach you about fitness and nutrition instead of telling you that it isn't healthy. I will lead by example and eat my vegetables even when I want chips or cupcakes. 

I will do this because it is time for me to love myself as much as I love you! 

Love,

Momma

Linked with: 

Quote of the Week #10

Some days we all look around us and see what all needs to be done which makes the stress piles on. We look at the stack of bills and then at our bank account. If you are all like me you want to crawl into a hole and never come out when it is time to pay your bills. 

This life is one that goes by too quick. You blink and your babies are moving away to collage. You retire and realize you don't have any hobbies so returning to work would be better than sitting on the couch. 

I think we all need to take some time to look around us and realize why we are blessed because I have learned focusing on the positive makes me feel better than focusing on the negative. I will start....

I am blessed because I have 4 beautiful children.

I am blessed because I have food on the table.

I am blessed because I woke up this morning...that's a big one!

I am blessed because I am lucky enough to have a job to pay for things we need and want.

I am blessed because I married a man who starts where I end.

I am blessed because my children have the greatest Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Grandparents.

I am blessed because I am LOVED.

Let me know why you are blessed below in the comments. Trust me when I say if you focus on that you will forget about how stressed you are. 

Linked with:

Kansas State Fair

This past week the Kansas State Fair has been going. It has always been a favorite past time of my family to go. 

When I was younger my dad and mom would take us on the first Friday night because it was free for us to get in. We would walk all the buildings and grab a bunch of free stuff we didn't need but thought was the coolest thing since sliced bread.

Come on who doesn't want a salt cube that cows use? Shoot that was the bomb.com! 

It actually taste like crap but we thought it was awesome! 

We would also see all the animals that they had there to win the blue ribbon. Honestly this is probably my favorite part of the fair. I don't know what it is because I could have just gone to my moms cousins farm in Salina and saw the same thing. Shoot I can drive down the street and see 20 cows. My backyard has chickens and rabbits for goodness sake. 

I told you all I am a Kansas girl. Or should I say I told ya'll I'm a Kansas girl. 

We also had dinner at whatever place we chose which usually ended up in us all wanting 5 different things. My parents didn't care though they did it for us. I usually got a Pronto Pup which is just a corn dog but 2,000 times better. You think I am joking come taste one and you will agree! However they are so bad for you. 

My parents also let us go one other day. It was always a Wednesday. It was also ride-o-Rama day. We paid for a bracelet  that would allow us to ride as many rides as we wanted. It was the amazing! 

When I was in high school my dad and step mother bought a fair booth with two other couples. It was called Messy Marvins. If I wasn't in school or volleyball practice I was at Messy Marvins. This is where I fell in love with fried pickle spears. 

OH MY GOSH these things are to die for! I have not found anything that taste like them since my dad decided it was the last year. Trust me I look every year for them and no one has come close to my first love. 

This year we took the boys on Monday during the day. It was dollar day so you get in for only a dollar vs the $10. We actually got in for free because we had a Dillion's card. Anyone who showed one got in for free. The boys were free because of how young they are. We took them to the pig races!!! It is D3's favorite and we have to see it every year. All it really is is 4 pigs running around a little race track to get an Oreo cookie which is at the end of the track as well as pig feed. Add a crazy announcer with some pig cheerleaders and you have a crazy fair event that every kid wants to see. Well not Bug but he doesn't understand what was going on and there were marching bands walking by that he would rather watch. 

One of my favorite things we saw that day was a Tiger show. There were 6 female tigers which did an arrange of different tasks for chucks of raw meat. Some of the tigers jumped boxes, dance, through hoops, and stand on their hind legs. The coolest tiger was the one who was walking on a tight rope. Seriously on a tight rope!!!! 

I was a little worried for the trainer running the show. One of those tigers was not very corporative and I was just waiting for her to do something. Thank goodness she didn't. 

After the tiger show was lunch and seeing some animals. D3 really enjoyed it because we went to the birthing center and a baby cow was just born. There was also baby sheep. Not going to lie but it was disgusting. The cow wasn't completely clean yet and there was still blood and fluids all over. 

So....gross.

So gross. 

We took the boys home after we saw the animals because Bug was getting sleepy so we thought it would be better to let him sleep than try to fight him. After SJ got out of school we walked to the fair grounds since her school is two blocks away. We let them ride a few rides since the rides were all one ticket. 

We then took the kids home so we could have a date night at the demolition derby. I have never been to a demolition derby so this was a new adventure for me! 

The hubby loved it! He wasn't getting into it like a lot of the people there were but he really enjoyed it. He told me he had no idea what was going on half of the time but he really enjoyed it. 

I am ready for the fair to be done. My allergies can't stand it because of all the dust and animals. 

It was a really good day and I am looking forward to next year! 

Do you have a favorite past time with your family? 

Linked with: 

Quote of the week #8

I adore this quote! Not because it is a deep theological quote that is designed to make you think. I love it because is tells people that you are someone.

I hope that my kids will understand that what makes them sparkle is what makes them special.

It is what I love the most about them.

In this world there are too many people who dislike others for who they are. For the religion they practice. For the person they love. For a flag they fly. For the color of their skin. For their likes and dislikes. For their weight.

I want my kids to love each other for who they are. It doesn't matter if their skin color is different from yours. It doesn't matter if they believe that aliens are taking over our bodies. They are all people just like you and me. We may not believe the same things and we may not get along but we all deserve to be treated with respect. We all have a sparkle that nobody else has. 

I will teach my kids to not only embrace their sparkle but to help others find their glitter when they have lost it. 

Linked with: 

Quote of the Week #9

I have been under the weather this past week so I haven't done much...any...blogging this past week. Boy did I miss it! I am feeling better as is my household so I will be writing more! Plus it is the Kansas State Fair week so that means there is something exciting for my kids to do that they only get to do once a year! 

My quote this week comes from St. Francis. I love how he lives so simplistic. I think he can teach a lot of people something. Not just about the way we work but also about the way we live. 

Do we need that extra donut or that new high tech phone? 

Do we have to drive a brand new car that has all the gadgets inside of it? 

Do we have to have all brand name clothes?

I know I want those things but I don't need them. There was a time when my oldest were babies and we didn't have a lot of money. We were borrowing from my parents or my husbands mom to pay small bills because all of our money went to larger bills. Now because of those decisions we made years ago about only getting what we NEED we can now do what is possible. We are able to pay for dance lessons and soccer. We are able to go get new shoes before our others are full of holes. 

Even though I am able to get things we want I am still teaching my kids that we don't need to have the newest toys. We may want them but we do not need them. I explain to them that we only get what we need then when it comes to birthdays, Christmas, and some surprises we will get things we want. 

Sooner or later depending on how hard we work, we will be able to do what we thought was impossible. We will be able to buy our dream house and help others who have helped us so much. 

Linked with:

How to Survive Being a New Mommy

Being a new mommy is one of the most wonderful and terrifying feelings in the entire world! You have grown this little person inside of you for 9 months and now they are in your arms. 

If you are anything like I was you are probably over the moon happy that they are here but scared out of your mind about what could happen. I was that mom because when SJ was a few hours old my Dad was holding her while rocking back and forth. The nurse walked by and instantly stopped. My new mommy nerves started going all crazy! She had told my dad to stop rocking for a second because she didn't like the noise coming from SJ. She then took SJ to the nursery so her Pediatrician could look at her who was still on the unit. 

The doctor came in after a few minutes which seemed like the longest amount of time ever! Told me that SJ would have to stay in the nursery at night because of the way she was breathing. They weren't worried but they just wanted to monitor her. The doctor told me she thought it was due to her little face being squished during delivery. Thank goodness she was perfectly fine but it didn't stop me from being super scared of very little thing. 

I have a few tips that helped me get through being a new mommy when I was scared out of my mind! 

Enjoy being a Mom.
       I know that is probably a given but I have to say it. You don't get this time back with your kids. You will blink and they will be packing their car for college. Just soak up every single second of holding them, feeding them, and all of the baby things they will do. Don't worry about holding them too much everything will adjust itself later. You will not worry about how much sleep you have gotten while you are kissing their little fingers and toes. Take lots of pictures! That always made me feel so much better! I don't know why but it did.

Sleep whenever you can
        I am sure you have heard this one before but seriously sleep whenever you can! It will help you keep your mind a little bit. If your hubby decides to take a night shift LET HIM! You are not a bad mom for needing someone to hold the baby while you take an hour nap. It will be fine and they will okay being held by someone else. If the baby is napping do not worry about the chores that need to get done. You most likely don't have the energy to do them anyway. 

Take people's help

     This one was the hardest for me to do because I have always been the one to take it all on. I had to swallow my pride and ask for help a few times. Whether it was when my dad asked if I needed him to cook super for us so we could rest or when my mother in law offered to hold the baby while we slept. I also asked my sister lots and lots of questions while I was nursing and she helped me as much as she could. She was currently living in NYC so a phone call, text, Facebook, or Skype was about all we could do since she couldn't be there in person. It honestly helped me be able to take on this new life. It also made me realize that I wasn't alone. 

Don't stress about the housework 

       Being a new mommy is stressful enough that adding another worry will just make you go crazy! It will be okay if your laundry isn't folded and put away while you are trying to get this new mommy gig down. If someone offers to help you...TAKE IT! You honestly will be too tired to deep clean the whole house so just do what you absolutely need to get done. Save your energy for the screaming baby who has their nights and days mixed up. 

Take a shower!
       Seriously girl TAKE A SHOWER! It will help you be able to cope with the fact that you are absolutely down right exhausted. You might even get five minutes of sleep while you rinsing out your shampoo and or conditioner. Actually possibly both. Plus who doesn't feel a little better after they have clean hair? I know I feel like I can take on the world! 

Watch Netflix
      Laying on the couch, sitting in the recliner, or laying in bed is the perfect place to try to figure out this new life you have been thrown into. Watching a series that you have been looking forward to is the perfect way to do so. I went through One Tree Hill when I was adjusting after SJ was born. Honestly I used Netflix a lot when Bug was born. Not for me but for the children. I watched a lot of Octonauts, Little Einsteins, My Little Pony, Tinkerbell, and Dinosaur Train. It helped my older children chill out when Bug decided he didn't want to sleep the night before. I am probably a horrible mom for letting my children watch TV for as long as they did but hey they are just fine and more important they are still ALIVE. That is really what matters. 

Eat whatever you want
       Do not worry about trying to get back into your pre-pregnancy jeans, or shirts, or shorts, or even your underpants. There will be time for you to start eating healthy and working out. If someone wants to bring you a pizza, eat the whole darn pizza! You are going to need that food to cope with the baby that is fighting sleep. Or the one who screams through their ENTIRE bath which causes your body to react and you have a wet shirt. And not one that was wet from water. Sometimes a cheesy burger is all you need to deal with the craziness that has taken over and will never go away. 

I hope these tips help you deal with being scared out of your mind. I will tell you it does get a little easier...slowly...then someone throws a wrench in your plan and your life is crazy again but in a different way.

Just remember IT IS WORTH IT!

Kids Say The Darnedest Things

My kids say some pretty funny things some times. Okay let’s be honest they say them all the time. I not sure where they come up with some of these things....well some days it is either my fault or my husbands. Yes yes I do ask silly questions when they make small mistakes with their words. Well why wouldn't I? I wouldn't have a funny story if I didn't! 

Here is a list of my favorite ones said recently.

"It's not ice cream it's FROZEN milk soup!"

       This one was for sure said by an adult. I will not take the blame for it because it was not me who did it! I swear I didn't say it. It was my husband who was trying to hide the fact that he was eating vanilla ice cream in the middle of the day when the kids were still awake without giving them a bowl bite. I did repeat it though. Bad Mommy...

"I have a pretty knock life....I mean a silly knock life"

      This was your one and only SJ! She is in love with the movie Annie both the new one and the old one. She had just finished watching the new one for the twelve thousandth time IN A ROW! She might have actually been in the middle of this song when she said it. I don't remember. I gave her that look that said..."REALLY? You think your life is that hard?" That is why she changed it to have silly knock life. Oh child what am I going to do with you?

"That looks like a lizard in your hair"

        SJ strikes again. She was getting ready for school while I am curing my hair for work. She looks at me and says "Momma your hair looks pretty!" Then proceeds to tell me "That looks like a lizard in your hair!" What?!? I am not sure what curling iron she is looking at but I do not see any lizards in my hair. She is one weird child. 

 "Today Soccer Balls practice?" 

          D3 whose speech has doubled in the last few weeks said this clear as day. He looks at me all serious and asks if it is soccer balls practice. You mean as in your ball goes to practice? No? Oh you want to go to SOCCER practice with your team? Yes?!? Oh well no that's not today because today is Tuesday not Thursday. Good job on your words though! He did not get why I said his ball would go to practice...sometimes Mommy thinks she is funny when she isn't. Oh well. 

What is the funniest thing you have heard from your little one recently? Did you provoke it in any way? Let me know in the comments below!

Linked with:

Mom Confessions ~ Hot and Spicy

Okay so you all know I am a hot mess who can't cook. 

Well I am also a hot mess who almost killed my child. Yup that's my confession of the week. 

Okay that sounds horrible but it was an honest mistake AND I stopped it before anything seriously bad happened! 

SJ and D3 are allergic to peanuts as well as tree nuts so I only eat them when I am at work or they are gone that way they don't come into contact with them.  

Well I didn't think this week. Yup my hot mess of a self wasn't thinking. Shocker? Probably not. 

SJ hopped into the van after school and told me she was hungry. I asked if she had anything left from her sack lunch which she told me she didn't. 

I handed her my bag of my snacks, told her to be careful because it might be spicy, and turned around to pull the van out of the parking spot. 

Hot and Spicy....

Hot and Spicy PEANUTS! 

I screamed at her "Don't eat that!" 

She stopped with her mouth open looking at me like I was a crazy woman. 

Well let's be honest I am a crazy woman. 

I asked her if she ate any. She told me she didn't still looking at me like a deer in headlights. Phew! If she would have ate one we might have been in trouble! 

I asked her if she touched it. She told me she did. I asked her if her fingers hurt. She was still looking at me like I had snakes growing out of my head and an alligator mouth. SJ looks at her fingers and says "Ah a lil bit" At this point I am thinking and hoping it's the spice which she got on her fingers. 

I tell her to wipe it off and let me see her fingers. 

No swelling...

No welts...

No redness...

Boy that a close one. 

I gave her Benadryl just in case but she only has a reaction if she eats a peanut. 

Good golly! 

I wish I could say this is the first time I tried to give her or her brother something that had peanuts or tree nuts in it. It's not though...

1.) Butterfinger 

2.) Trail Mix 

3.) Crackers 

4.) Milk

All of those have never made it out of the packaging thank goodness! 

Have you been a hot mess like this? What is your parenting confession? Let me know in the comments below!!! 

Linked with:

Quote of the week #5

I have been very lucky to have found my best friend when I was 16. We both decided to give our summer up one year and participate in the Ulster Project. That summer together changed me in ways I could never explain. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to be able to be a part of something so amazing. 

I have not been so lucky to live in the same town as my best friend. We are almost 5,000 miles apart and have been for 14 years. 

She however has always been my rock. 

She has been the one I go to whenever I have a problem. 

She makes me see both the good and the bad. 

She keeps me level headed. 

She makes me laugh and smile when I don't want to. 

She tells me I am being ridiculous when I don't want to hear it. 

She makes me feel like I am doing something right when everything is going wrong. 

She makes me a better person and I don't know where I would be without her. 

I may not get to see her everyday or talk to her exactly when I think I need to but I will always know she is there for me when I need her the most. I will always know that she loves me and my kids with all her heart. That is what being a best friend is all about. 

Linked with:

Quote of the Week #6

I found this quote on Pinterest a long time ago when I was struggling with who I was and where I was going in my life. We weren't in a good place financially as we had D3 a couple months prior to me finding this quote. I was stressed out a lot of the time and did not know how to deal with it. I was exhausted from raising a newborn, and a 15 month old. I was grumpy and not kind quite often. I looked at the kids and thought am I showing them through my actions how to be a good person? 

I wondered whether they were learning to be kind because I made them or because they cared about people. 

I realized that I wanted to get back to the person I was before I was so tired and stressed out. I had to figure out how to deal with the new stress. 

I am now raising my children to not only to treat others as you want them to treat you but also to give a little more because you never know what a little extra kindness can do. 

Linked with: