Talking Tuesday #5 - girls only edition

Addyson:  "Why did you marry daddy?" 


Kinsley:  "Daddy has silly hair." (look at a picture of daddy when he was 18) 

Kinsley:  "It's going time."

Addyson:  "Mommy I grew bigger when I was sleeping in your room."

Kinsley:  "Are you going to eat that hula hoop?"  (an onion in my salad)

Speeding up dinner time - our newest solution

Meal time at this house is not enjoyable, for the most part.  It involves a lot of commands: 

• Sit down
• Stop touching him/her
• Sit on your butt
• Eat
• Take a bite
• Eat
• Stop talking
• Eat
• Sit down

Cody, more so than I, is fed up with meal time and mentioned eating after the children went to bed.  But, eating as a family is important to us, so we have chosen bribery.  Yep, the worst thing parents can do.

Here's how it works:
First person to finish eating (lunch/dinner) is rewarded with a coin.  If you sing, dance, "fart around" at the table, no dessert.  

Our poky eating child who turns food into soup from the 100 chews she must complete before swallowing has actually won the last couple of meals.  


*We are not asking our children to inhale their food, but to simply eat and quit horse playing, and by making it a little competition they are focusing more on eating and less on their antics.  

Aged

Cody:  "Hey, is that a...?
Me:  "What?  What are you looking at?"
Cody:  "You have one gray hair." 
Me:  "Thanks for pointing it out, ass hole.  I already know." 
Cody:  "Wow you aren't even 30 and already have your first gray hair." 
Me:  (Really wanting to put a fist in the hubby's big mouth) "Well, at least I still have hair, as you lost yours by the age of 21.  So, shove it, you old fart."

Friday Night Leftovers on Saturday

Thanks to our host, Danifred, for allowing me an excuse to ramble, even if it is a day late. 

• I have to be the only parent that visits the doctor as frequently as we do.  
• Monday - twins go in for a follow up which ends up with Eligh having an ear infection and Kinsley being diagnosed (again) with asthma and a new treatment plan.  
• Thursday I take Addy in as she is severely constipated and in screaming pain with no relief after laxatives and gulp a suppository.  She had to have an X-ray and left with meds to keep her on for one month.  
• Last night Cody and I were "supposed" to have a kid free house for the evening.  That got squashed when Kinsley woke up at 11 pm Thursday night spewing. 
• Addy and Eligh still went for their sleepover, Kinsley stayed with us and she was back to herself by noon. 
• Daddy and I took her out to eat and even let her pick out a new toy.  It was very strange to just have one child around.  
• If I was not working on my master's degree right now, I would have so much more time to actually get things accomplished.  My list continues to grow, with little time to get anything completed.  
• In a little bit I get to get my hair trimmed and I can't wait.  I haven't had a trim/cut since early August.  

Santa's "Sac"

Sorry, no "Wordless Wednesday" we are dealing with some intense tummy pains from Addy that have taken up my picture download time. 

Instead, a Wordy Wednesday:


Eligh to Daddy:  "I'm going to punch you in the sac!"

Mommy:  "What is a sac?"

Addy:  "Like Santa's sac."  (Trying not to bust out laughing - I'm lying, I totally did)

Me:  "Eligh, does daddy have a sac?"

Eligh:  "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

I learn something new every single day. 

Toddler activities

My three children keep their mommy and daddy very busy with all the activities they NEED want to do. 

A list of all that they enjoy at their current ages:  4, 3, & 3:

• Puzzles
• Floor size puzzles
• Smaller pieced puzzles for Addy
• Wood puzzles
• Dress up puzzles

• Coloring
• We have a two-sided easel (marker on one side, chalk on the other)
• Each have their own smaller marker board (Christmas gift = less fighting)
• Books 
• Color Wonders
• Plain old paper and utensils
• Games
• Red Rover
• Duck 
• Go fishing
• Memory
• Limbo (not a fan, takes time to set up)
• Candy Land (Santa gift)
• Chutes and Ladders (Santa gift)
• Ice cream game (only a two player game)
• Uno Moo
• Hungry, Hungry Hippo (Santa gift)
• Honeybee 
• Don't Spill the Beans
• Pizza 
• Wii (their favorites listed below)
• Mario Kart
• Smurf dance party
• Bass Pro fishing

*This cabinet stays locked up unless daddy or mommy open it and are in the same room as the children during activities.  All coloring supplies have moved to a three drawer container for easy access for the children.  And, there are more puzzles on a bookshelf in another room.  Three kids = way too much stuff.

Appointment gone wrong

The twins had follow up appointments this afternoon regarding Kinsley's newest meds and Eligh's allergy testing.  I had to bring all three kids to the appointment, which I knew going in could easily end in stress. 

It was not Addyson who caused the stress and extra sweating from managing the poor behaviors while still trying to talk to the doctor.  Addyson colored from her book or read some books and stayed in her seat 90% of the time.  Great. 

It was this little one that caused mommy to work extra hard:

He was worse than bad, he was HORRIBLE. 

He was antagonizing the girls, flopping on the floor, pushing the stroller, spitting his tongue out, trying to wipe boogers on his sisters, arguing with me (how old is he again?), running around, and being down right sassy.  I was so.very.mad/disappointed in his behavior.  So mad. 


The good:

• Eligh is not at risk for any of the common allergies and we are doing everything we are supposed to, to help him gain weight.  
• Kinsley was content playing on her LeapPad and follow directions.  

The  rest:

• Since there was absolutely no change in Kinsley's never-ending cough, the reflux has been ruled out and we are back on some asthma meds.  This entails a chewable pill once a day, an inhaler twice a day, and a different inhaler for activity.  We go back in a month to assess.  
• Eligh is not allergic to anything, so we can keep his diet as is.  
• Yesterday, Eligh poked his right eye with his place mat (how, I do not even know), and his eye was red all day yesterday and today.  Doctor checked it, no damage, so we are good.  But, as he did the rest of his vitals, he found that Eligh had an ear infection.  Huh?  Hasn't had a fever in a week, no complaints, etc.  Back in a month for him as well.  

Curious - how do you all handle bad behavior when in similar situations?