snow day and thankfulness ...

A view from Kiana's perspective ...

I'm ready to quit being mommy today. It's not so much that all three kids are home for the whole day - I enjoy having the all home ... in the summer time ... when they can be rowdy outside rather than in the living room. Actually ... the boys are doing great. We have a system that started yesterday (no school yesterday due to voting at the school). Our system is they earn one penny everytime I catch them making a good choice. That could include kindness, thoughtfulness, cheerful attitude, etc. They get three pennies if they obey mom the first time and they get three pennies for accepting my first answer when they ask for something like candy, or another cookie, or whatever. So rather than listening to "please mom oh please! why can't i have another one. But I waaaannnt one!" Ugh. They get pennies. I pay up at the end of the day or they can choose to roll their pennies over the next day. Yesterday ... they didn't get it. They ended the day with 3 pennies each ... and decided to roll them over into today to try for something silver ... like a dime or perhaps even a quarter! today, by noon, they're up to 14 and 15 pennies. It's beautiful - they get so excited about earning a penny and have resorted to informing me of their good choice if i didn't catch it. It's working and there is peace in the home ... except for child #3. How do you motivate a toddler?

This one makes me want to quit today ... just for one day ... I think she saw me through the crack in the door because she got even more mad after the picture ... oops.

I told the boys they could have a star wars movie marathon today. Unfortunately they only lasted through 1 1/2 movies. I never let them watch more than one movie in a day. I just think they can be more creative with their time. Hunter couldn't believe it. It's called mommy survival.

They get to play lego starwars II on the playstaition for longer than their 30 minute limit instead ... wow ... I'm sounding strict! I have boundaries, but at least I'm flexible under extreme circumstances ... ha. We made pumpkin muffins, yum right out of the oven, maybe I'll let them have three in one sitting ... why not, all the other boundaries are thrown out the window today!

I wanted to share one other thing that struck me yesterday. I was driving home from the pediatric neurologist (long story - everything is fine) and was thinking about one of the questions he was asking about my daughter.

"Can she grab things and hold onto them?"

"Yes"

"Can she release them?"

"Yes, sadly ... but I guess in your profession that's a good thing right?"

"Yes, the ability to release an object is a very very very good thing."

I was suddenly struck at how for granted I take the fact that my daughter can throw things from her highchair or drop the very item she's asking me to pick up for her over and over and over again. It's a great game to her, an annoyance to me, but a very significant "good" sign of a healthy child to a pediatric neurologist. I drove home feeling so grateful that she can drop toys or take everything out of her bed and drop them on the floor and then cry because she can no longer reach her blankie. And I felt a little guilty for taking it for granted. There were several parents in that waiting room whom I imagine wish they could answer "yes" to the question ... "can she release the object?" I'm grateful for the blessing of a healthy child with whom I only have to deal with some food allergies and the planning and watchfulness that goes along with that.

I guess I don't want to quit being mommy today after all ...