11 posts tagged “trio”
When we walked into the gym yesterday for the Olympics, it so happened that a soccer program I was looking at for the kids had a registration table right there in the lobby. I spoke with them briefly, and it turned out that there were enough openings for all three kids to do a free trial class at 11:00, right after the Olympics. Aidan was so excited, he wanted to skip the Olympics and go straight to soccer. We finally convinced him he'd have to wait.
When 11:00 finally rolled around, Aidan and Alanna went to their designated "field" and Emory went with Jason for a Daddy and me experience. Maureen stuck around to watch with me, and we laughed so much. It was quite a sight. Aidan and Alanna had a lot of fun though it seemed like they stopped to sit and have another pow wow every two minutes. They ran around after the ball a little and put forth some great effort, and successfully so, in all the activities. They really enjoyed themselves and followed along pretty well for their first shot at soccer.
Emory's class was not so much a soccer class as a class for developing the skills to participate in a class...listening and following directions, participating in structured activities, and some visual-motor stuff. She loved playing Red Light, Green Light, and stacking little orange cones into towers and kicking them over. She did not, however, feel any need to partake in the parachute activity. Aidan looked longingly over from his area while Emory had her own ideas about how this would work. All the kids were supposed to climb into the center of the parachute and then the parents would hold onto the edges and run in a circle and spin them around. Nothin' doin'...she would NOT get involved in that nonsense. So Jason held on, and she ran beside him, but she couldn't keep up which upset her. So then Jason had to hold her while he ran to do his part for the other kids. From where Maureen and I were sitting, we couldn't see his exact expression, but he would shoot us looks now and then. Then, all the kids got under the parachute, and Emory decided that would be the appropriate time to launch herself on top of the parachute. They finally lured her underneath, and everyone stayed there for several minutes....except Emory, who ran out every minute or so, then Jason would get her to go back in. It was entertaining to say the least and Jason kept his sense of humor about him despite having worked the entire night leading up to this fun-filled morning. So Kudos to him!
Alanna made this picture for me yesterday. It started out as a sticker collage, but then she whipped out her pink glitter gel pen that arrived in her Easter basket, and it became a portrait of the two of us. Her drawings have really evolved recently. She's been adding bodies to her faces, and usually she puts little arms and legs. However, today I noticed that I have eyebrows and eyelashes! She put eyebrows on herself as well. (She wrote her name all by herself, too!)
Last weekend we found some plates that they can decorate with special markers. Alanna drew a couple of people on hers and wrote her name. Aidan started out with a heart, but that ended up getting colored over. He wrote names around the edge of his plate as I spelled them out for him: Aidan, Alanna, and Daddy. (Emory and I got the shaft.) He wound up coloring over parts of the names, too, but if you look closely, you can see make them out. Emory colored in the middle of her plate, then she made little scribbles all around the edge as she said the ABCs. Some of the "permanent" markings have come off, and I discovered this morning that you apparently should not cut on those plates. We may have to do it again soon! Oh well...live and learn!
This weekend we bought a big girl bed for Emory! Oh my gosh, where has the time gone? I cannot believe we are about to be without a single crib in our home. It is hard to believe just over a year ago we had three cribs, and now we will have none! There are many things that are wonderful about reaching this point...we can go places entirely stroller-free...our children can communicate (most of) their wants and needs...but I just can't help but be sad to see time passing by so fast!
Aidan has been very sensitive..moreso than usual. He saw me with tears in my eyes after taking all the sheets and things out of Emory's crib. His face got so serious, and he looked like he was holding back tears. The same thing happened the other day. I was transferring our wedding video from VHS to DVD, and I stopped to watch a clip of my late grandfather wishing Jason and I a wonderful marriage. I started to cry, and Aidan saw my face and started to cry, too.
Alanna has been really interested in the wedding video, and she has decided she can't wait to marry me when she grows up! :) Somehow, I think she'll change her mind! She loves watching the reception and keeps asking to watch everyone dancing. Toward the end of the video, there is a clip of everyone doing the Hokey Pokey (this was just a funny thing the DJ did after the Murray-Sanderson clan did the Rock Lobster). Anyway, Aidan and Alanna started doing the Hokey Pokey, and Alanna started striking these poses that just cracked me up every time she sang "That's what it's all about!"
This morning we did a grocery store run, and luckily for the kids, there were three kids' shopping carts available! It is hilarious watching them push their carts around. One of the carts is really hard to steer...the wheels barely turn at all. Aidan and Alanna get frustrated with it, but not Emory. I don't know if it's her persistence or brute force that she uses to maneuver that thing around. She's the only one of the three who can handle it! We got to the checkout line with only a few things that weren't on the list...which we caught, thank goodness!
While killing some time before dinner this afternoon, I let the kids hang out over by a water fountain. We were waiting for Jason to arrive from work, and we had just finished running a few errands. The kids LOVED watching the fountain and when the water shot up high, Aidan would raise his arms above his head and squeal and cackle with delight. They were all so excited! They asked me for pennies to throw in the fountain, and as luck would have it, I had filled their little coin holders up with pennies from Jason's console on the way home from DC/Baltimore. So I handed each of them their respective coin purses filled with 12 pennies apiece, and I gave them the choice of throwing all their pennies in now or saving some for later. Emory took hers in fistfuls and launched them into the water while Aidan threw his in one at a time. Alanna threw in a couple and asked me to put hers away for another time. After dinner, we spent a few more minutes at the fountain. Emory and Alanna asked for their pennies, and Emory was out of luck. She took it in stride though. Alanna took her little purse and tossed a penny into the water. Then she ran to me and said "I wished to be a mermaid!" When I asked her why, she said she wanted to swim under the water. We talked briefly about the possibility of swimming lessons, and then she went to throw in another penny. She returned and reported that she had wished for goggles. Then she asked me to put the rest of her pennies away again. I guess I'll be researching swimming lessons!
With all the nice weather lately, we've been getting outside and using the golf and tee-ball sets the kids received from Christmas from Uncle Doug. They have really been making strides! Today Jason held down the fort while I went to a meeting, and when I came home, he told me that both Aidan and Alanna were able to connect the bat with the ball when he pitched to them! Wow! When we went back outside in the afternoon, I saw it for myself, and I was impressed! Aidan wouldn't take a turn, but Alanna hit the ball numerous times! Jason said Aidan had a great swing, and from the tee, Emory hits it further than anyone (probably because she does everything with a little more gusto than everyone else! She's got a little more oomph in her swing!)
So here's the latest...
Emory now has a fancy-schmancy Lightning McQueen sleeping bag that came in its very own backpack with a water bottle. She also has LM underwear to entice her to potty train when "the time is right," and she chose some LM stickers for her reinforcer. Part of me can't believe I just bought her boys' underwear, but then again, it will REALLY excite her and nobody will see her underwear anyway (I hope.) I think this is the most any of my children has been caught up in a particular character. They LOVED Blue's Clues for a while, but I guess they just didn't have the amount of retail items out there because my kids were all born after Blue had her HeyDay. (???)
Alanna is in a bit of a stage where everything is scary to her. This can be a little challenging at times, but what can you do! Other than that, she just loves to pretend she is rescuing animals like Diego and Alicia on Go, Diego, Go! She has learned a lot about wild animals I never would have thought to talk to her about from this show. (Diego is Emory's second favorite character) Alanna and Emory would love to have some Diego clothing; they prefer him to Dora. But the darn marketing people feel like Dora is for girls and Diego is for boys. Hmmpphh.
Aidan...we were at Target yesterday, and I was picking out some cards for Mother's Day. Aidan wanted to know who I was buying cards for, so I listed the people I had in mind. Then he said something like "I want a card with a heart that says 'I love you" for Mommy!" I stopped dead in my tracks. It was so sweet, so I told him he and Daddy could come to Target to find the card he wanted to choose. I love getting glimpses of his inner boyishness. He's typically so serene and laid back, that it makes me smile to see some "rough and tumble" come out. It's a fun change of pace. We had some lizards in the front yard yesterday, and while Alanna kept her distance, he crouched down to get a good look and just watched quietly. And of course, there are random times when he just throws something (like a sock) across the room just to be silly. But today, we went to our friends' house for lunch, and their three boys are on the opposite end of the spectrum as Aidan, not to mention Aidan is surrounded by estrogen all day! He loved getting into "the mix" with them. He got a little overwhelmed at times, but he was still laughing and smiling if he stopped to watch. He squealed with delight when he'd jump back in for a minute or two. I didn't want to drag him home for nap time!
(check out Aidan's shirt Jason brought home from Hawaii!)
It's official. Emory is absolutely obsessed with Lightning McQueen. We have 4 different styles of Lightning McQueen cars...similar to matchboxes. Every morning, she looks for the "Dark Red Lightning McQueen" (after he got his paint job in Radiator Springs) and has it in hand before breakfast. If she can't find it, there is a crisis at hand. Jason did a "google images" search for Lightning McQueen, and Emory was SO thrilled to see SO MANY pictures of LM. We've talked a little bit about potty training, and she would REALLY like some LM underwear, which they don't make for girls. But she was so excited at the prospect, it may be the perfect motivator when we decide to make the leap. Does it really matter if she wears boys' underwear??? It's not something that had ever crossed my mind...but I'm thinking it just might be worth it! She is so funny...our rough and tumble little tomboy, who loves all things stereotypically for boys!
We were at the play area at the mall today, and Aidan and Alanna were making cautious attempts at jumping from one "structure" to another. Then Emory decided to give it a shot, and with hardly a moment's thought, she just jumped. She didn't make it, but she didn't care. She just popped up, told us that was a "big jump" and did it again, and again, and again. As Alanna and Aidan practiced, they got closer and closer to meeting their goal. Only a few minor bumps! Emory got one big bonk on the head, and I was expecting a wail, but she just looked up like nothing happened. Aidan hit his nose once, and he got quite upset. He recovered when I told him I'd take a look, so he leaned his head back, and I told him I saw a dinosaur in his nose. He started to laugh and laugh, and off he went.
From the last couple of days:
Emory: As I'm cooking dinner, she comes over and says "Mommy! You best Mommy whole wide world." Of course, I say "Thank you!" Then she replies "I like eggs." And walks away. ....naturally...
(I'm not sure how my kids started this adorable habit of telling Jason and I that we are the best parents in the whole wide world...I have no idea where they learned it, but I DEFINITELY hope that it persists well into their teenage years and beyond. I know, wishful thinking...but that's allowed!)
Aidan: My little lovebug will pretend he needs to go potty just to get a few extra minutes with his beloved Aunt Michelle, who is about to take her son for a bathroom break. So sweet.
As we finished dinner at my parents' house last night, Aidan inquired about dessert. There is ALWAYS dessert at Nana and Grandad's, but we all feigned like there was not any cake in the house. Poor thing, he looked so sad. Jason had to call it off, so he wouldn't cry. We reassured him that of course there was cake...two types of cake, both chocolate in fact. I think this is when he started to cackle with excitement.
Alanna: At dinner last night we also talked a little bit about the kids staying with my parents for the first time while Jason and I got to Baltimore for a few days. Alanna started talking to Emory like a little mommy, asking her if she would be okay, telling her she'd take care of her, all in this very sweet, soothing voice.
All the kids got haircuts last week, and a precedent I was hoping to avoid for a very long time was set. I was standing with Emory, and I looked over at Alanna, who was smiling from ear to ear as she picked out a Dum-Dum lollipop. The kind lady who had just finished cutting her hair just looked at me and smiled as I cursed her in my head. :) At our prior visits, the "stylist" always checked to see if lollipops were allowed before handing them over. I had to restrain myself from leaping across the aisle and intervening. :) So, they all got Dum-Dums, and I will have to pray that they don't remember this joyous experience next time we go. (Yeah, right.)
I know...not a big deal. Am I obsessive? Arguably...yes. But there is just something about handing your child sugar on a stick...
At dinner tonight, Alanna said "Mommy, what would happen if we didn't have a heart." Jason wasn't home, and of course I stopped to wonder how on earth I should answer that question. I wasn't prepared to jump into a circle of life discussion. I'm not sure how long I sat there looking at her, wondering what Jason would say...but I finally said "I don't know. What do you think would happen?" So she said something like "I don't think you could love people if you didn't have a heart." I felt a huge smile spread across my face. Why was she thinking about this? What a sweet answer! I loved it!
Then they all started to talk about how their loveys have hearts and love each other. At bedtime, Alanna recalled Emory putting a heart in her kittycat she made at the Build-A-Bear Workshop, so her kittycat could love someone, too. Then she went on to remind me that her bear that she received the day she was born also had a heart, and her bear loves her elephant. (When Emory made her cat, we explained to Aidan and Alanna that they had bears from the same place that our friends had made for them the day they were born.)
The things that cross three-year-old minds...I never would have guessed!
After we discussed the loving part of the heart, I drew a comparison between the heart and their little squirty ducks they use in the bathtub, to give them an idea of how the blood pumps blood through the body. They seemed to understand it to some degree. Bet that's not in a textbook anywhere!!
