All posts by Janna

Wednesday Wit: February 22, 2012

Wednesday Wit

Ada: She is the bossiest kid in class.  Sometimes she bosses me in the housekeeping area.
Me: OK, well you just use nice words, and if that doesn’t work get a teacher.
Ada: No mom, first you ignore, then you walk away, then you use nice words, then you use firm words, THEN you get a grown up.  That’s what you do at school if someone is bugging you.  (pause)  Sometimes you bug me.
Two can play that game, kid. 

Grace: I have mosquito issues when we go camping.
Ellen: I have hair issues.
Eli… Read the rest

This should be interesting…

More About Me

I’ve had a sore throat for a while now, but with chronic sinusitis this is a common occurrence and not cause for alarm.  But yesterday my voice started getting raspy, and now today it is at about 10%.  Ruh-roh.  Naturally, my kids are home from school today for Presidents’ Day.

My kids are behaving the way they always do: having fun, playing the Wii, deeply involved in their land of make-believe.  Today my tolerance for baby voices and cat sounds is greatly diminished by not feeling well and poor sleep for multiple nights.  So I have retreated to my bedroom … Read the rest

My kids amaze me

Kids

When I make myself step out of the day-to-day work of being a mom (consequences, refereeing, laundry, dishes, snacks, cooking, cleaning, bedroom disasters, flushing yet another toilet that I didn’t use) and just think about my kids and our day, I realize that they are pretty incredible, and they amaze me.  If I sit too long in “what I’m parenting through” it can get pretty discouraging, so let me encourage you to stop, breathe, and really think about your kids.  Each one of them.  Who are they?  What is their personality?  How does that translate as an adult?  As a … Read the rest

Wednesday Wit: February 15, 2012

Wednesday Wit

Eli: Mom, do you know why boys like to sweat?
Me: No…
Eli: Because it makes their hair straight.
Ada: And that makes them handsome?
Eli: No, Ada.  When their hair is straight it helps them attract girls.
Ada: Well, if your hair was straight it would NOT attract me.

Playing Lego Harry Potter…
Eli: Do you know who my favorite character is?  Voldemort.  Because he’s the strongest.
Chad: But he’s evil, and Harry Potter defeats him.
Grace: And I bet he doesn’t brush his teeth.

Ada: Daddy, look at … Read the rest

Thoughtless Words

More About Me

I was riding in an elevator this weekend with a very nice couple who had twelve children (yes…twelve) and a woman got on the elevator who only heard those two words.  Her reply was, “TWELVE??  You must be crazy.”  Ouch.  The saintly woman who birthed a dozen was very gracious and said that having twelve was not much different than having three (we had discussed my Littles), you just do things for longer.  Truth be told, it was that “longer” part that got me, my stages seem to last plenty long.  She got off the elevator too soon though, because … Read the rest

The down side of intentional parenting

Parenting

What?  There’s a down side?  Yes, in a manner of speaking.  Reacting is easier.  It just happens.  It’s like a reflex – the doctor smacks your knee and your foot jumps out.  You don’t think, you just act.  It doesn’t take effort.  But you might kick someone, because you’re not really in control.  That’s WHY we parent with intention instead of just reacting.  We need to be in control – of ourselves, not our children.

This is where the down side comes in… it’s exhausting.  It is physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting.

Physically – no more parenting from the … Read the rest

Parenting Anxiety

Parenting

I’ve written before about Grace’s anxiety, and we are still learning A LOT about her and how to parent her through this.  We are now trying a new resource called Turnaround.  It is an audio program for the child, rather than a book for the parent to read then figure out how to apply to the child.  It’s about 6 kids who go on a hike, each with a different social problem: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (like Grace), shy (not your average kind of shy, but won’t go to school shy), perfectionism (again, the kind that disrupts normal daily … Read the rest

Wednesday Wit: February 1, 2012

Wednesday Wit

Grace: Do you know what a kid’s worst enemy is?  Bed time.
Ada:  No.  I kid’s WORST enemy is ROBBERS.  Because they ROB YOU.

Eli: When I grow up I want to do what dad does.
Grace: When I grow up I want to be a saloner.  I love going to DT Nails.
Ada: When I grow up I am going to be a paleontologist. (And this was, of course, perfectly enunciated.)

Ada: Today at recess I threw mud at in those yellow things.
Me: Are you supposed to do that?
Ada: … Read the rest

Own the tantrum!

Parenting

Picture if you will…

A dad in the church lobby with a two or three year old, who is throwing an all-out tantrum.  She is on the ground, kicking, yelling, m-a-d.  The dad is standing nearby but not looking at her, just letting it happen.  He is the cause of her anger.  He is not giving in to prevent the tantrum.  Instead, he is owning it.  I really wanted to walk over and tell him he was doing a great job.  He placed a boundary for her, she ran into it, and ticked her off.  But her reaction is not … Read the rest

Grace’s Christmas

Kids

A Christmas paper came home recently that Grace had written at school.  Enjoy.

Christ is born in Bethlehem!  Harray!  School’s out!  Ready, set, snowball fight!  Is santa real?  Snow all around.  Together, we’ll be happy!  Mmm!  Hot cocoa!  Absolutely fabulous.  Santa is coming to town!

I love that she has covered all of the Christmas/winter bases.  My little Grace. :)[subscribe2]… Read the rest