Stressful morning with Peanut....

This morning hubby and I got my son out the door for the bus and then my daughter off to preschool. We notified her teacher and the director of the preschool that we'd be picking her up after only an hour because the school district had scheduled us for her kindergarten pre-screening. We went home and threw breakfast down our throats and went back to pick her up. After getting to the school my daughter began to panic. She was terrified and kept hiding behind me. They were going to take her off to different stations to test her level of abilities and motor skills while we got to watch an informative and entertaining (not) video telling us what to expect. Ummm been there, done that.

Well nothing went as planned. We sat down with a teacher in the large gym and she was terrified and began to cry. Within a few minutes of trying to coax her to cooperate it seemed we put a monkey wrench in their uber schedule because the Assistant principal came over and asked if I wanted to reschedule a time alone so she wouldn't be overwhelmed. NO!! I love my daughter but TOUGH! You see, she will HAVE to go to school and will HAVE to get used to these things and letting her manipulate this (which is a phase she's in) would only strengthen her resolve that she was right and I was wrong and I should listen to her more often. OH heck NO!! I kept the wolves at bay trying to get her to start to participate in the 'that's a red block, that's a blue triangle' stuff. Finally my son's kindergarten teacher came over to work with her. My daughter knows her but I'm not her biggest fan with what she put my son through last year. But I zipped my lip and let her take her off to a smaller room with us and got what needed to be done done.

Still my daughter didn't do half as well as she would have done if she had just calmed down but she FINALLY did finish it. *phew* That's station one of 3. I know.

We had her sit down to make a bear out of paper to wait for the next station (language.) I got to fill out an 'oh so much fun' questionaire where they want you to tell them the weaknesses of your child (I KID YOU NOT!) Of course my daughter has NO weaknesses except for she was nervous. End of story and that's what I wrote .... so stick it!

She did great on the language station (except rhyming words) and began to come out of her shell. Waiting for the motor skills station she was full blown peanut. Hopping on one foot, laughing and greeting other kids. One of the teachers said, "Boy, she's a completly different girl." I replied, "Yep this is the real Peanut." Of course I said her name but you get the idea.

As it turned out in motor skills she crushed! She could cut better than my husband and her printing is leaps and bounds ahead of her brother (who hubby said writes like him. LOL)

She was singing and dancing on the way out and got her goodie bag decorated by the 4th graders. After getting her coat on she said, "That was fun."

*note a big exhale here of frustration, stress and complete mental exhaustion.*

Thank god the new school year is months and months away. *phew*

A new conversation with 'the Peanut'

My daughter just walked up to my husband and said, "I am a doctor. I take care of dead people."

We stiffled our laughs as best we could and we told her that she wouldn't have much to do to take care of dead people. We explained that you can't do anything to help dead people. She said, "Maybe we could give them a cup of blood to bring them back to life."

WTF? Where does she learn this stuff?

We told her that we don't think that would work.

She finally conceeded, "Alright, I'll take care of sick people." We smiled at each other. Then she added, "I'll stick a needle in their arms to take the sickness out."

Adding to this conversation she stated that people would come to her office and that no one was to see her feet. (she is wearing mommy's blue mittens on her feet. LOL)

Daddy asked her, "Why can't they see your feet?"

"Because they can't take my stinky feet."

Ahhh, you can keep my mittens baby doll. hee hee.

A moment with my Peanut

My daughter has always named things: her dolls, her animals her horses. Back in time the names were a blur like 'ala' and 'abda' because she failed to come up with a name. Then everything was either her or her brother's name.

Yesterday she engaged her dad and I in a conversation about 'when I grow up'. She was thinking about the pets she'd have when she will be an adult. (Bear in mind we have one dog, one cat and one fish.) She told us she would have a black cat and name it licorice (color us surprised by her creative answer. We are LOVING that name.) Then she would have a dog that was brown (hmmm like the dog we HAVE?) and name him (and here we forgot but today she came up with the name I'm listing here) "Cheesy. LOL And she'd have a fish (which if this 'Jason' fish we have that is 4 years old is as scary as I think it might be the SAME fish) she'd name him 'Deary'.

Why am I sharing this? Simple. We tend to forget these things she says. We try to write funny things down but have fallen off that habit. So I plan to write those things here and every month print it out and keep a binder for my kids to look back and laugh at when they grow up. I'm like Monica on 'Friends' with binders and labels. LOL.

So there is a moment with my Peanut.

That kind of day...

I have had a DramaMama kind of day and it has me humming thus far.

Leaving the house later than planned because the icing took longer to make for the cake than I planned I was on my way to Walmart. Wow, just like Drama....lol. I needed a list of things and my mom and dad are sick and asked me to pick something up for them. So I am on my way with only one hour before I have to be at my son's school. I'm thinking great this is going to be run, run, run!!

So we find the decongestants for my mom, my daughter and some for the cabinet for myself. We go through the store and find the bike I planned to get my son and the woman back there helped me get the already assembled (woo hoo!!) bike into my cart. Then I maneuver the over stuffed cart through Valentines displays for the oh so necessary goodie bags because it is no longer enough to give JUST a valentine in school anymore. 38 kids to give baggies to between both kids. That aisle is conjested but we manage. I find the card for my BIL's whose b-day is Valentines day. I know. And then the ever important pop tarts for both kids. People are letting little ol' me go through with my bike stuffed cart and the woman at the check out is cordial and so I make converstation. It's just how I am. (Yeah, you figured that right long island dad?)

Once in the car I realize I have to skip Costco and go straight to my son's school for lunch. This is where I figure my day is going to be rougher than expected. My daughter has a bad head cold and I have her running like crazy. But we get to his school on time and sign in, then walk back to the cafeteria to wait. He arrives and he has totally forgotten that I was coming in to lunch with him for his b-day (albeit a day late ... but hey, it's pizza day! lol) He lights up with an ear to ear grin and my day just got 100% better. There is nothing like having that effect on your child. His happiness is mine.

So he guides me through the lunch line (like I've never done it before. *chuckle*) and then we find our way to the tiny tables and chairs. He is proudly telling his friends that my daughter and I are there. 22 kids ages 6-7 and for the first time in a long time I feel tall. okay... stop laughing. I became table mom, opening milk cartons and utensil packets. I got to hear about when each of their birthdays are and what is their favorite pizza while enjoying lunch with my kids. I even got an unprovoked public hug from my son which has become a no-no these days but hey, he did it not me. I was floating.

He seemed sad that lunch went so fast but we separated after leaving the cafeteria. My daughter and I, however were on the second leg of our trip. When I opened the back of my 'oh so sexy teal mini-van' (from now on known as the OSST mini-van) I realized I had over 20 bags of clothes to donate to St. Vincent Depaul, which was on the way to Costco. As I pull into the church parking lot, where the bins are located, I see the St. Vincent DePaul truck there and a guy shutting the back. I thought, oh man, I'll be in his way. He's on his way out.

I pull up and back in, not hindering his exit and climb out. The guy from the truck greeted me with a warm smile and hello. I greeted him back. I said, "I'm sorry. I see you are finished loading. Am I holding you up?"

"Oh no no," he replied and then offered to help unload the OSST mini-van. Then a second guy came out of nowhere and also began to help. It took only minutes for them to help unload the van while I tied the bags up. I offered to double up one bag and the one guy stopped me since there were shoes in it and said they load those differently. I apologize and laugh and he says, "If that's the worst thing to happen to me today then I'm in pretty good shape."

I thanked them and wished them a good day and they did in return. I was quite appreciative of their help and was on my way once more.

Then Peanut and I got a parking space pretty close to the entrance and given the windchill being 3 degrees I was glad. I scooped her bundled butt up and moved quickly inside. A gentleman was leaving with an empty cart and was pushing it in the corner. When he saw me he moved it for me to position Peanut in the basket. I thanked him and he replied, 'you're more than welcome. This one is nice and warm for her." Again I said thank you and entered the store, feeling like common courtesy is resurfacing in society.

The rest of the trip was quite uneventful. And while this trip might not seem that exciting it was full of nice things people did that helped make a normal shopping day quite enjoyable. Now I'm warm in my cozy home and about to take off cleaning, laundering and decorating a race car cake.

My little girl...

My daughter and I are close now. Like two peas in a pod. My mom and I are close, our personalities are very very similar and for many years people would call me 'mini me' in regard to being her mini me. Now my daughter is referred to as the 'mini-mini me'. LOL

All I know is that my mom and I talk like mother/daughter as well as like friends. We laugh at the same things and correspond daily. She lost her mom when she was 17 (her dad when she was 15.) I am grateful to have gotten the opportunity to know her as more than just my mom.

I hope that one day, my little girl and I will be equally close and enjoy a wonderful friendship. Only time will tell and I certainly don't want my little 5 year old angel to grow up too fast.

These days I never know whether she'll wake up viewing me as the heroine in her life or the villian keeping her from what she wants. Yesterday her school was cancelled and she begged me not to cancel it. I told her that I had no control over the closing.

Today I learned I was the villan yesterday. When daddy talked to peanut (whom he hasn't seen since Tuesday other than sleeping in her bed) he brought up the fact that school was closed yesterday. Her reply? "Yeah," with a long face and pouty tone, "mommy closed it." And now she blamed me for her getting killed on her gameboy game. Apparently today I'm not the heroine. LOL

Another moment with the peanut [?]

Yesterday I picked up my daughter from preschool. As always I asked her about her day and what she did. I ask her specific questions having learned with my son that they quickly forget the entire 2-1/2 hours they spent and all they did unless you pry it out of them. We were talking and she said out of the blue, "I want to go to Disney World."

(No Mike, she isn't reading your blog. LOL But she does remember going in May of 2005.)

Me: "I know honey. We'll go again in a few years."
Peanut: "Where IS Disney World?"
Me: "It's in Florida. Near the East Coast of Florida. Uncle Bill and Aunt April live on the west coast of Florida."
Peanut: "Yeah, 'cause Texas is too hot."

What?

*sigh*

My little peanut...

My daughter cracks me up on a regular basis. It's not that my son doesn't anymore it's just that my daugther is at an age when the funniest things come out of her mouth.

Yesterday, while driving her to preschool, she was yelling from her carseat in my 'oh so sheek' teal mini van. I know, stop drooling it's a sexy car. *chuckle* What was she yelling? Let me try to quote her...

"Hey lady! That's a green light! Move!"

As we got to the turn into her preschool I had two cars in front of me. The lead car was turning into the preschool but the one in front of me wasn't. When the lead car was turning we slowed down. This caused my daughter to yell, "Lady! There isn't a light at my pwestool (that's preschool in peanut talk.)"

Both times I said, "[insert peanut's name here], why are you yelling. We aren't in any hurry, this is normal for driving. When a car slows down, we slow down. There are rules on the road. I'm not yelling, you shouldn't be."

Finally the last time she yelled that at the preschool I said, "Why are you yelling? We had to slow down, honey. It's part of driving." Then a thought struck me, do I do that? Do I yell as I drive but don't realize it? So I asked her. Kids are honest, she'll tell me. "[insert peanut's name here] does mommy yell like that?"

"No. But daddy does."

I busted out laughing. Oh when I told hubby about that you could hear the vacuum of him inhaling in shock. Yes, honey. I told you to calm down in the car that the kids pick all that up. *wipes brow, phew* it wasn't me. *chuckle*

*****

This morning I was helping peanut in the bathroom getting dressed. I just got her pants on and she said, "Yeah! Thats what I'm talkin' about sweet mama!" I laughed so hard I almost fell over. Later I gleened from her that that was said in the movie 'Barnyard' which we rented over the weekend. She only saw it once and yet she quoted it. Silly girl. Hee hee.

ohhh! That reminds me, I have to return those movies. Crap and I was just at that store this morning. *sigh*

Little social butterfly

Yesterday when picking my daughter up from preschool I got to talk to a mom I had never talked to before. Her son apparently talks about my daughter a lot. This isn't the first time I've heard that. There are twin boys whose mom told me that. My daughter is a little social butterfly. She hasn't met a child she didn't instantly like or talk to. She walks up to girls in dresses and tells them how pretty they look. With boys she walks up and says whatever pops in her minds right at that moment.

No one is off limits to her. When I take her to school she kisses me and is off. I wave bye and smile. I hope no one crushes that amazing ray of sunshine that is my daughter.

Waking up on the horror movie side of the bed...

My daughter has a fantastic imagination (both my kids d0.) They would rather play with their imaginations than watch TV. I have no need to kick them off the sofa to go play, they do it themselves.

This morning my daughter seems to have slipped into a horror movie mode or something. She has been out of pullups at night for almost a year but still has the ocassional 'accident'. (bladder control takes time and training so I don't worry.) But of course after completely organizing the second floor and remaking the beds last night she'd have an accident. (of course.)

After doing some online banking I head up to her room to strip and remake the bed and continue the laundry train that I'm the conductor of (and never seems to have a caboose to, what's up with that?) She's sitting with a huge handful of costume jewelry in her hands and turns and says, "Oh Mommy! You scawed me. (because her 'r's' are like that and her 'k's' are like 't's' so bear with me. LOL)"

I apologized for scaring her and told her I was going to change her bed.

Naturally her reply was, "Yeah, cause if a werewolf comes I will grab them and shove bracelets down their throats." This stops me dead in my tracks. Did I just have a stroke or did she just say that? No stroke. She said that and she continues into a 15 minute discussion of werewolves. Here are some of the hightlights of the conversation (which was mostly one sided but with me saying "hmmm", "oh really?" and "What else?" Yes, I was egging her on.)

"Werewolves hate the light so when they come I'll catch them with my lightbulb."

"And you can make them Cream of Wheat and that will scare them." (she's on a cream of wheat kick and has eaten it for 5 mornings in a row.)

"Werewolves have sharp claws like hyenas."

And then somewhere in there she wanted a white kitty (which she pronounces 'titty' I know. I know.) from her shelf. I had given it to her and she spied a Ty elephant up there and asked for it. I told her she wasn't going to have me clear her shelf after I had just organized her room. She just stared at me. So I decided to slip into her imaginary world and said, "Besides, elephants will be of no use to you against werewolves." (This sentence made hubby laugh even harder.)

Her reply? "Okay. I won't talk about werewolves anymore." What? I'm so confused.

But after making her bed and gathering the soiled sheets she picks up a costume ring off her vanity and asks one final question, "Do you think werewolves marry other werewolves?"

Ohhhh peanut. You amuse me so.