Me: "Tomorrow is an Abuelo and Abuelita day."
Logan: "And Daddy will drop us off?"
Sylvie: "And you go to work?"
Logan: "And Daddy goes to work?"
Me: "Yep!"
Kids: "WOO-HOO!!!!"
Makes me feel so special. I think they're more excited about me going to work tomorrow than I am!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Adventure Saturday...we met the REAL Ariel!
We had a jam-packed Saturday full of excitement and one massive tantrum. Let's run down the exciting events.
These are my sweet kids who asked nicely all week if we could go to "Burger King" to get a Sponge Bob kids meal toy. We planned it, and went and here they are all sweet and happy waiting anxiously for the glorious Bob toys as the entire store is decked out in images of Bob himself. Alas, this darn Burger King is King of false advertising as we got some dumb Nickelodeon toys instead. Poor kids, they were so heartbroken. When the line died down I spoke with someone and he glanced through the box with kids meal bags and nope, no sponge bob's left. Guess what, this was the second time this happened at this particular burger king. So wrong. And what's crazy is they were out of control, understaffed and couldn't handle the lunch crowd at all. There was crazy beeping all over the kitchen and no one taking orders, he was running back making food too!!!! What a mess.
The McDonald's right next door has their act together. Also, I'm a bit miffed that the kids' meals price adds up pretty quickly because the mac and cheese is extra and the apples are extra and their grilled chicken sandwich is one of the priciest things on the menu. Let's just say we could have gone to Denny's for the same price! And I could have made Kraft Mac and Cheese without sponge bob toys at home for much less!
We got to go to a kids' party where the REAL Ariel made an appearance! Sylvie was sooo nervous! She held onto that purse and a few of the Bdaygirl's fashion dolls the entire time. She was quite relieved when Ariel came to sing for us, played "Hot Potato" with a tiara, and generally was sweet and fun. We all pushed our stay a bit too long because it was downpouring, but the rain stopped and we headed home. Very ready.
"Mom, what's in Sylvie's hand? Why does she have BdayGirl's toys?"
"Sylvie, I told you we had to leave those there! Well, as soon as we go home, we're mailing them back to BdayGirl."
"No!"
Take them away at home, put into an envelope....
"They are MINE!!! I WANT THEM...." and continue the whining and crying and drama and carrying on for the next 20 minutes and then on and off for the rest of the evening. Oh my! We had talks about how it's not nice, BdayGirl misses her toys, etc. But reasoning with a 3 year old is next to impossible. Logan finally settled her down for good. He was talking to her and came back to inform me...
"Mom, Sylvie is done crying now. I told her we will get her the same toys for her birthday." and went back to play.
These are my sweet kids who asked nicely all week if we could go to "Burger King" to get a Sponge Bob kids meal toy. We planned it, and went and here they are all sweet and happy waiting anxiously for the glorious Bob toys as the entire store is decked out in images of Bob himself. Alas, this darn Burger King is King of false advertising as we got some dumb Nickelodeon toys instead. Poor kids, they were so heartbroken. When the line died down I spoke with someone and he glanced through the box with kids meal bags and nope, no sponge bob's left. Guess what, this was the second time this happened at this particular burger king. So wrong. And what's crazy is they were out of control, understaffed and couldn't handle the lunch crowd at all. There was crazy beeping all over the kitchen and no one taking orders, he was running back making food too!!!! What a mess.
The McDonald's right next door has their act together. Also, I'm a bit miffed that the kids' meals price adds up pretty quickly because the mac and cheese is extra and the apples are extra and their grilled chicken sandwich is one of the priciest things on the menu. Let's just say we could have gone to Denny's for the same price! And I could have made Kraft Mac and Cheese without sponge bob toys at home for much less!
We got to go to a kids' party where the REAL Ariel made an appearance! Sylvie was sooo nervous! She held onto that purse and a few of the Bdaygirl's fashion dolls the entire time. She was quite relieved when Ariel came to sing for us, played "Hot Potato" with a tiara, and generally was sweet and fun. We all pushed our stay a bit too long because it was downpouring, but the rain stopped and we headed home. Very ready.
"Mom, what's in Sylvie's hand? Why does she have BdayGirl's toys?"
"Sylvie, I told you we had to leave those there! Well, as soon as we go home, we're mailing them back to BdayGirl."
"No!"
Take them away at home, put into an envelope....
"They are MINE!!! I WANT THEM...." and continue the whining and crying and drama and carrying on for the next 20 minutes and then on and off for the rest of the evening. Oh my! We had talks about how it's not nice, BdayGirl misses her toys, etc. But reasoning with a 3 year old is next to impossible. Logan finally settled her down for good. He was talking to her and came back to inform me...
"Mom, Sylvie is done crying now. I told her we will get her the same toys for her birthday." and went back to play.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Mazes and Modern Development
Modern Development- Did you ever notice that if you live in a wealthy community, everything around you is more expensive, whereas if you live in a lower-level of income area, there are bargains to be had? Obvious but pretty prevalent when you start looking around.
A few things came to my attention lately:
-A new development near us in a very expensive neighborhood contains a Lifetime Fitness and lots of high-end shopping. Including a Kohler Spa. I was over there for a kids' bday party and was shocked at how many high-end things were there amidst the high-end houses, high-end streetlights, and high-end public landscaping.
-Driving along Harlem Avenue (Route 45), a major north-south arterial, you can tell what community you are in by what stores are on Harlem. I was a bit jealous of some of the lower-income areas that had cheaper grocery stores, Family Dollar Stores, Cardinal Fitness (cheaper workout facilities), etc etc. Not so jealous of the junky gas stations, roads that need repair, or falling apart buildings, but still, being closer to cheap shopping for essentials would be nice to lower that monthly shopping bill! We aren't even really close to a SuperWalmart or Meijer or anything, and we're not a "high end community."
-One of the major local grocery chains is lowering their prices. I was all excited and read the comments in the tribune online. So many people said the store is a rip-off and suggested alternate stores for groceries, none of which is within 25 minutes of here. Go figure! Anyway, they were also saying that the pricing seemed to differ tremendously from store to store depending on their location. I have shopped in Indiana and let me tell you, we're getting ripped off on everything here in Chicagoland!!!!
Mazes
I bought a friend a birthday present of a book of mazes by Kumon and couldn't resist getting one for my kids as well. We have a few workbooks of different brands from last summer that are almost gone. My favorite brand is "Big Skills, Little Hands." Logan's teacher suggested keeping up with cutting and tracing skills last summer, so we got these books and both kids love them. They were from Cotsco or Sam's club. So my assessment of the Kumon books is to get them cheap. I saw them at a bookstore for $14 or so. I got them at Target for $6.95. Huge difference! I also like the way the "Big Skills" books have tear-out pages and Kumon's didn't tear well.
But....the mazes are way too cool! How does one get a job doing this?
A few things came to my attention lately:
-A new development near us in a very expensive neighborhood contains a Lifetime Fitness and lots of high-end shopping. Including a Kohler Spa. I was over there for a kids' bday party and was shocked at how many high-end things were there amidst the high-end houses, high-end streetlights, and high-end public landscaping.
-Driving along Harlem Avenue (Route 45), a major north-south arterial, you can tell what community you are in by what stores are on Harlem. I was a bit jealous of some of the lower-income areas that had cheaper grocery stores, Family Dollar Stores, Cardinal Fitness (cheaper workout facilities), etc etc. Not so jealous of the junky gas stations, roads that need repair, or falling apart buildings, but still, being closer to cheap shopping for essentials would be nice to lower that monthly shopping bill! We aren't even really close to a SuperWalmart or Meijer or anything, and we're not a "high end community."
-One of the major local grocery chains is lowering their prices. I was all excited and read the comments in the tribune online. So many people said the store is a rip-off and suggested alternate stores for groceries, none of which is within 25 minutes of here. Go figure! Anyway, they were also saying that the pricing seemed to differ tremendously from store to store depending on their location. I have shopped in Indiana and let me tell you, we're getting ripped off on everything here in Chicagoland!!!!
Mazes
I bought a friend a birthday present of a book of mazes by Kumon and couldn't resist getting one for my kids as well. We have a few workbooks of different brands from last summer that are almost gone. My favorite brand is "Big Skills, Little Hands." Logan's teacher suggested keeping up with cutting and tracing skills last summer, so we got these books and both kids love them. They were from Cotsco or Sam's club. So my assessment of the Kumon books is to get them cheap. I saw them at a bookstore for $14 or so. I got them at Target for $6.95. Huge difference! I also like the way the "Big Skills" books have tear-out pages and Kumon's didn't tear well.
But....the mazes are way too cool! How does one get a job doing this?
Sigh....
I grabbed the magazine we get from the University of Washington and came across some photos that made me feel like I was just punched in the stomach. It made me miss Seattle so bad, and be so grateful for my time there. It's not just that I want to visit again, though that would be nice (and expensive), but I miss being immersed in this place. The green, the hills, the mountains, the air, the water, the people, the university culture, all of it. It's like a piece of me is missing and I'll probably always feel that way. When we were there, I missed Chicago. How do people move to many different places and not feel like they left a piece of themselves behind?
Spike Mattford took a year and climbed onto the roof of Safeco Tower (UW Tower) and took these photos over a year's time. Gorgeous.
http://www.spikemafford.com/newwork/viewsfromthetop/
Spike Mattford took a year and climbed onto the roof of Safeco Tower (UW Tower) and took these photos over a year's time. Gorgeous.
http://www.spikemafford.com/newwork/viewsfromthetop/
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Lego Mania
Zach, Zach, he's a lego maniac........
Saturday was a full and busy day going to a wedding for a friend. Sunday Logan woke up, plopped down on the floor with his box of legos and didn't stop creating until I made him go to bed! He always makes neat things, but he would start telling us what he was going to make and then sit and figure out how to make it work. He kept trying to make things with moving parts.
This is my favorite. He calls it a Robot and I love that Spiderman is on the top in a special compartment in the head of the robot.
Sylvie woke up and decided to learn today. She practiced cutting complex shapes, drawing, gluing, and wanted me to write words for her. We made a little paper dog bed and toys for the dog, and she cut the dog out herself! When she saw me taking pictures of Logan's creation, she set up all of her favorite amigos for me to take pictures of:
Conversations in the last minutes while I was typing this:
Sylvie: "I need somebody to pwaaaay with me!" (play)
Logan: "Mom, can I have some more broccoli? Mmmm, mom this is so good (smacking his lips)" (had to run over and give it to him before he changed his mind. He's on round 2 of dinner. Maybe a growth spurt is on the horizon!)
Saturday was a full and busy day going to a wedding for a friend. Sunday Logan woke up, plopped down on the floor with his box of legos and didn't stop creating until I made him go to bed! He always makes neat things, but he would start telling us what he was going to make and then sit and figure out how to make it work. He kept trying to make things with moving parts.
This is my favorite. He calls it a Robot and I love that Spiderman is on the top in a special compartment in the head of the robot.
Sylvie woke up and decided to learn today. She practiced cutting complex shapes, drawing, gluing, and wanted me to write words for her. We made a little paper dog bed and toys for the dog, and she cut the dog out herself! When she saw me taking pictures of Logan's creation, she set up all of her favorite amigos for me to take pictures of:
Conversations in the last minutes while I was typing this:
Sylvie: "I need somebody to pwaaaay with me!" (play)
Logan: "Mom, can I have some more broccoli? Mmmm, mom this is so good (smacking his lips)" (had to run over and give it to him before he changed his mind. He's on round 2 of dinner. Maybe a growth spurt is on the horizon!)
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Backyard Climbers
I had a swingset growing up and I know how wonderful they can be. It seems every house in America has one nowadays, often the wooden variety. We have a smaller yard with lots of trees, so we have decided that the nice grassy area is better for running games of soccer than a big ol' gymset. Plus, we have a park practically in sight from our house with a big climber and swings.
Today I saw the Toys R Us ad and I have to say I'm impressed by the direction the designs are taking. I have seen a trampoline with a jumping bar on one set, rock climbing walls have been out for awhile. But the "playhouse" portion of the typical wooden set has usually been a tarp over the top. Which wears out. And then the wood on the set fades and it looks like it needs upkeep (at least to me). My neighbors did use a blue stain and their gymset looks adorable and fresh. These new ones have little playhouse-looking tops. And they are really cute! Not that I want one, just happy to see what I consider fun designs going up in the backyards across America:)
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Good Night, Good Morning
The kids have been so animated at bedtime and hilarious, dancing and acting out the stories we read. The other day Sylvie unbuttoned her shirt to make it like a cape to be the boy in "No David" and then they were using blankets as capes and then Sylvie put the blanket on her head and walked around saying "Who turned the Lights out?!" I keep wishing I had my camera, so I thought to grab it. Of course it ran out of battery and cut my movie short, but I think it's a cute little interaction between the two kids. Logan is asking about and pointing to the "Star" drawn on the wall if you can't make out the word he is saying. My favorite from this book is what I was trying toget her to say. She says "Who stole the tootie from the tootie jar." (cookie) when David tries to get the cookie jar. Too adorable. Darn running out of batteries camera. Er, darn user for not remembering to charge them:)
Logan is in the habit of bringing alllllll of his friends down and up each morning and night. I couldn't snap fast enough to get them in his arms, but it's quite hilarious. And Sylvie just wanted to say "Good Morning" to her friends in the camera.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
No career moves in that direction
There is a family in our lives that has different standards of "housekeeping" than I do. My house is often messy, I get upset when I start seeing dog furballs rolling around and mad at myself when I wait too long between vacuuming. There are nights when the dishes are not done. I'm not perfect.
But this house is beyond my comprehension. The house itself should have been torn down when the family bought it. But instead they have spent 6 years "rehabbing" it. The village has had to step in and demand professionals help with certain pieces of the project. So as it stands, the house has new siding and looks okay at a glance.
We went inside today after an egg hunt and I came home furious. It is just so unfair and I think they are doing their children an injustice by letting them live in such squalor. The kids don't know how to take care of their things because there is nowhere safe to put them that they will not get stepped on. It's not a matter of no cash flow, there has been plenty of money dumped into garage sale junk over the years. And it's not time, the husband has entire summers off of his job to throw into remodeling.
Some things that drive me crazy-
*They remodeled the kitchen with IKEA cabs and took an extra 2 years to finish one strip of tile above the countertops. The framing at the doorways and windows is all exposed, they never put trim on any of it. So it's choppy drywall that's getting ripped to shreds.
*Clutter, Clutter,Clutter. It's not a huge house, but get a grip on buying junk you don't need, can't find, and is broken. Just because it's cheap or free doesn't mean it belongs in your home.
*One bedroom has been declared unuseable after a sizeable splinter on one child's foot. So they moved everything out and bought new laminate flooring for that room the next day. That was 3 years ago. Now that room is covered in old grungy rugs which are covered in every piece of junk you can imagine. Including things well outgrown by their children. And it's never been vaccuumed because it's covered in junk. Not even trash like wrappers, just "stuff." So now their kids share a room and it drives the son and daughter crazy, because they do each have their own room, it's just "unuseable."
*Throughout the entire house there are chunks of plaster falling off the walls and ceiling, exposed wood framing, no trim on any of the windows that have been replaced, exposed electrical boxes and none of the floors meet the walls. There is dirt, dust, animals dander from the dog and hampster and crumbs hanging out in every crevice and you can see it all sitting there.
*Nothing looks "clean." I know from having an older home that spraying some Swiffer type product on your tub will not get you anywhere. To clean my tub I have to use a combination of bleach powders, a stiff scrub-brush, a toothbrush and soft scrub. Not to mention a lot of elbow grease. Nothing has been cleaned with any amount of effort. Ever. She has a few times mentioned she has never really washed the hardwood floors, or does it once a year. Absolutely disgusting, especially looking at the floor.
So I guess all this feels good to type out because I can home so angry I wanted to scream at everyone in the house. And it hit me that I am very happy I am not a social worker or someone who deals with kids that have been abused or neglected in any way. I just cannot handle the news when I hear a parent was horrible to their child or some injustice has been done. I definitely could not come home from a day of walking into a house like theirs, saying "the kids are loved, there is food in the pantry, all is okay" and in good conscience let it continue. I wanted to tear into the mom next door and tell her it's NOT okay to live like that but I didn't. So I guess I'm not brave enough to speak my mind on the subject openly either.
Whew, it feels good to get all that out. Now off to go clean something!
But this house is beyond my comprehension. The house itself should have been torn down when the family bought it. But instead they have spent 6 years "rehabbing" it. The village has had to step in and demand professionals help with certain pieces of the project. So as it stands, the house has new siding and looks okay at a glance.
We went inside today after an egg hunt and I came home furious. It is just so unfair and I think they are doing their children an injustice by letting them live in such squalor. The kids don't know how to take care of their things because there is nowhere safe to put them that they will not get stepped on. It's not a matter of no cash flow, there has been plenty of money dumped into garage sale junk over the years. And it's not time, the husband has entire summers off of his job to throw into remodeling.
Some things that drive me crazy-
*They remodeled the kitchen with IKEA cabs and took an extra 2 years to finish one strip of tile above the countertops. The framing at the doorways and windows is all exposed, they never put trim on any of it. So it's choppy drywall that's getting ripped to shreds.
*Clutter, Clutter,Clutter. It's not a huge house, but get a grip on buying junk you don't need, can't find, and is broken. Just because it's cheap or free doesn't mean it belongs in your home.
*One bedroom has been declared unuseable after a sizeable splinter on one child's foot. So they moved everything out and bought new laminate flooring for that room the next day. That was 3 years ago. Now that room is covered in old grungy rugs which are covered in every piece of junk you can imagine. Including things well outgrown by their children. And it's never been vaccuumed because it's covered in junk. Not even trash like wrappers, just "stuff." So now their kids share a room and it drives the son and daughter crazy, because they do each have their own room, it's just "unuseable."
*Throughout the entire house there are chunks of plaster falling off the walls and ceiling, exposed wood framing, no trim on any of the windows that have been replaced, exposed electrical boxes and none of the floors meet the walls. There is dirt, dust, animals dander from the dog and hampster and crumbs hanging out in every crevice and you can see it all sitting there.
*Nothing looks "clean." I know from having an older home that spraying some Swiffer type product on your tub will not get you anywhere. To clean my tub I have to use a combination of bleach powders, a stiff scrub-brush, a toothbrush and soft scrub. Not to mention a lot of elbow grease. Nothing has been cleaned with any amount of effort. Ever. She has a few times mentioned she has never really washed the hardwood floors, or does it once a year. Absolutely disgusting, especially looking at the floor.
So I guess all this feels good to type out because I can home so angry I wanted to scream at everyone in the house. And it hit me that I am very happy I am not a social worker or someone who deals with kids that have been abused or neglected in any way. I just cannot handle the news when I hear a parent was horrible to their child or some injustice has been done. I definitely could not come home from a day of walking into a house like theirs, saying "the kids are loved, there is food in the pantry, all is okay" and in good conscience let it continue. I wanted to tear into the mom next door and tell her it's NOT okay to live like that but I didn't. So I guess I'm not brave enough to speak my mind on the subject openly either.
Whew, it feels good to get all that out. Now off to go clean something!
Hoping for a Regular kinda Saturday
Yesterday was Friday. At least I think it was. I wouldn't know. It was a looooooong day! We got up early to get Sylvie to the dentist for her filling. She right off the bat decided this was not happening and I had to do a lot of co-ercing and threatening and bribing. Which is tiring! The dentist is a good ways away, so we got there early and I stopped for a snack since Sylvie really hadn't eaten much. Worked out great and we got there in plenty of time. Ariel was on the tv there so she was all excited and happy and just a bit thrown off when they took her hand to bring her back without mommy!!!!!
So, on my ride down to the dentist, I get some phone calls from Jorge. He is almost positive he has another kidney stone and he is driving so he is turning back from work and heading home. Another call, now he's headed to the ER. Yikes! I'm headed the other direction and this appointment has been a long time coming, so luckily his family can help him out.
So I'm sitting waiting watching the Sea Witch with Logan with my daughter getting a filling on a pretty bad tooth and my husband in the ER. What craziness!
Sylvie did well, though the cavity exposed a nerve so they had to do some major digging and she has to go in 2 more times. Poor baby! So she was numb, crying and done with the dentist. Logan was upset about daddy but I wanted to check in on him at the ER. He had passed the stone by the time we got there, but were waiting for results and his morphine to kick in.
So lots of "you go here with this person, I'll go there with that person" all day long and we now know Jorge has more kidney stones to wait out (yikes! He's had them twice before!) , Sylvie's whole lip is swollen (the doc says it's from biting, not from an allergic reaction). The day was just eternally looooooong. Had to get Jorge's car back from his family, etc. Oh, and the icing on the cake, the ER prescribed meds Jorge is allergic to (duh!), thank goodness Walgreens caught it. So we had a few trips to Walgreens where the pharmacist sized me up making sure I wasn't trying to get Narcotics for my own personal use- as if! But I'm sure it happens all the time.
Today I cleaned like a maniac and the kids are mostly back to normal. Sylvie's lip is still all swollen but the kids are playing again together and Jorge isn't writhing in pain, so let's hope for a normal, uneventful, if busy, Saturday.
So, on my ride down to the dentist, I get some phone calls from Jorge. He is almost positive he has another kidney stone and he is driving so he is turning back from work and heading home. Another call, now he's headed to the ER. Yikes! I'm headed the other direction and this appointment has been a long time coming, so luckily his family can help him out.
So I'm sitting waiting watching the Sea Witch with Logan with my daughter getting a filling on a pretty bad tooth and my husband in the ER. What craziness!
Sylvie did well, though the cavity exposed a nerve so they had to do some major digging and she has to go in 2 more times. Poor baby! So she was numb, crying and done with the dentist. Logan was upset about daddy but I wanted to check in on him at the ER. He had passed the stone by the time we got there, but were waiting for results and his morphine to kick in.
So lots of "you go here with this person, I'll go there with that person" all day long and we now know Jorge has more kidney stones to wait out (yikes! He's had them twice before!) , Sylvie's whole lip is swollen (the doc says it's from biting, not from an allergic reaction). The day was just eternally looooooong. Had to get Jorge's car back from his family, etc. Oh, and the icing on the cake, the ER prescribed meds Jorge is allergic to (duh!), thank goodness Walgreens caught it. So we had a few trips to Walgreens where the pharmacist sized me up making sure I wasn't trying to get Narcotics for my own personal use- as if! But I'm sure it happens all the time.
Today I cleaned like a maniac and the kids are mostly back to normal. Sylvie's lip is still all swollen but the kids are playing again together and Jorge isn't writhing in pain, so let's hope for a normal, uneventful, if busy, Saturday.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Coming out of the fog
We're starting to feel better. Well most of us anyway. But what's left is zero energy, still not up to going out, and cold weather not conducive to getting outside much. So we're feeling lazy. And just when we were all at our wit's end, Sylvie decided to disrobe, which gave me a good excuse to introduce some new jammies Nan bought them. They adore them and it was a bright spot in our otherwise booo-ring evening.
Also, we did color eggs and do an egg hunt. The kids may be sick, but I didn't want to miss out on Easter altogether! Jorge got the pics of Logan's egg hunt since they went to the "big kid" area where there were fights over the "Golden Eggs", while Sylvie and I hung out with the littler ones where the candy was strewn all over the designated area.
Also, we did color eggs and do an egg hunt. The kids may be sick, but I didn't want to miss out on Easter altogether! Jorge got the pics of Logan's egg hunt since they went to the "big kid" area where there were fights over the "Golden Eggs", while Sylvie and I hung out with the littler ones where the candy was strewn all over the designated area.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Working Moms
I got in a few discussions this weekend about being a mom and working at the same time. I figured I'd throw some of my opinions on "paper" for posterity or to provoke thoughts or whatever.
*Today a woman had her last day at the office. She quit to stay home as a full-time mom. I didn't know her well, but someone said she has 4 kids. I always wondered how people even manage to raise a lot of children while working. I feel for moms I know who have a lot of children by chance but know they have to work to make money.
*I don't know if there is any "Easy" age to leave kids in daycare. When they are little, they are so needy and their awake times are short, so getting home, you get the cranky and bedtime, not so much playtime. When they are toddlers, if you are home, you are always in search of things to do with them as they get so busy and explore. So getting out of the house is a good expansion of their world, be it a babysitter's house or daycare, or even another person in your home to expand their experiences. But it's also when they seem to catch every single germ that wanders by.
Then comes preschool where most people seek some kind of learning setting for their child but it gets so darn complicated with the drop-off and pickup, and expensive, so there's a lot to consider there. Throw in Kindergarten which is 5 days a week of 2-3 hours at a time to make it complex. Grade school is longer days, but who gets off of work by 2:30 every day unless you work AT the school your children attend? And then drop-offs for all ages don't even coincide with your work start time (mine don't.)
*So given all that, if you went to a potential employer at a 40 hour a week job and said "I want to work but I'll need all school holidays off, spring/winter break, summer vacation, and the ability to stay home whenever my kids are sick" you'd probably be shown to the door. I totally understand why a lot of people I know just take split shifts from their spouses and then whoever is not working watches the kids. Throw in an adult case of the flu and you might be screwed, but that could happen without kids as well, so one would hope you would be allowed sick days, paid or unpaid.
*I think being a working mom is a rough job. My personal difficulty is transitioning from the pace of work to the pace of home. And going from being at work where I put a pen down, I pick it up from the same location, and only deal with my own messes, to home where there are spills, messes and messy noses. It's remembering show and tell and what car to drive on what day and where to go.
*But I've been home too and the boredom/ repetitive factor of the mundane everyday activities is a lot as well to handle.
I guess sometimes I totally wonder how the heck some people do it. We have family who is mostly flexible, and we've had to learn to adjust to get things to work. So if you are a mom and you work and you have figured out how to make it work, hooray for you, it's no small accomplishment!
*Today a woman had her last day at the office. She quit to stay home as a full-time mom. I didn't know her well, but someone said she has 4 kids. I always wondered how people even manage to raise a lot of children while working. I feel for moms I know who have a lot of children by chance but know they have to work to make money.
*I don't know if there is any "Easy" age to leave kids in daycare. When they are little, they are so needy and their awake times are short, so getting home, you get the cranky and bedtime, not so much playtime. When they are toddlers, if you are home, you are always in search of things to do with them as they get so busy and explore. So getting out of the house is a good expansion of their world, be it a babysitter's house or daycare, or even another person in your home to expand their experiences. But it's also when they seem to catch every single germ that wanders by.
Then comes preschool where most people seek some kind of learning setting for their child but it gets so darn complicated with the drop-off and pickup, and expensive, so there's a lot to consider there. Throw in Kindergarten which is 5 days a week of 2-3 hours at a time to make it complex. Grade school is longer days, but who gets off of work by 2:30 every day unless you work AT the school your children attend? And then drop-offs for all ages don't even coincide with your work start time (mine don't.)
*So given all that, if you went to a potential employer at a 40 hour a week job and said "I want to work but I'll need all school holidays off, spring/winter break, summer vacation, and the ability to stay home whenever my kids are sick" you'd probably be shown to the door. I totally understand why a lot of people I know just take split shifts from their spouses and then whoever is not working watches the kids. Throw in an adult case of the flu and you might be screwed, but that could happen without kids as well, so one would hope you would be allowed sick days, paid or unpaid.
*I think being a working mom is a rough job. My personal difficulty is transitioning from the pace of work to the pace of home. And going from being at work where I put a pen down, I pick it up from the same location, and only deal with my own messes, to home where there are spills, messes and messy noses. It's remembering show and tell and what car to drive on what day and where to go.
*But I've been home too and the boredom/ repetitive factor of the mundane everyday activities is a lot as well to handle.
I guess sometimes I totally wonder how the heck some people do it. We have family who is mostly flexible, and we've had to learn to adjust to get things to work. So if you are a mom and you work and you have figured out how to make it work, hooray for you, it's no small accomplishment!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Fashion Plate
We were cruising the aisles at Old Navy while Jorge picked out some new jeans. I found a dress and showed Sylvie and she was instantly in love with it. Then I saw some cute shirts on sale and was oohing and aahing over them. She took one look and stood back and said:
"I'm not so sure about those Mom." and walked away.
Looks like I'll have to bring her with me on any clothing shopping trips. And by the time she's 9, I'm seriously going to have clothing issues, I just know it!
"I'm not so sure about those Mom." and walked away.
Looks like I'll have to bring her with me on any clothing shopping trips. And by the time she's 9, I'm seriously going to have clothing issues, I just know it!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Funnies
Sylvie has been sick, so we've done a lot of hanging out at home. A lot of funny things have been said of late. Here are a few.... (I'll spare the bodily fluid-related comments that are in abundance with this illness)
*(from deep asleep on my lap) "My Sister Ariel wants me to go swimming with her. And I can't find her!"
*(sweet off-key singsong voice) Logan: "I am sad when I am playing....." "Mom, I made that song up. I know lots of songs." Sylvie in her singsong voice, to the same tune "One day when I grow up I will be a real Cinderella."
*(playing at the Batman Cave) Sylvie "I am Buzz Lightyear and I need to go the bathroom" Logan "We don't have a bathroom at this Bat Cave."
As a side note, Logan has been completely lost without Sylvie as his little playmate. When she perked up after the walk, he was all excited to play with her and when she changed her mind, he got really upset. It makes me so happy to have given them the gift of each other. :)
*(from deep asleep on my lap) "My Sister Ariel wants me to go swimming with her. And I can't find her!"
*(sweet off-key singsong voice) Logan: "I am sad when I am playing....." "Mom, I made that song up. I know lots of songs." Sylvie in her singsong voice, to the same tune "One day when I grow up I will be a real Cinderella."
*(playing at the Batman Cave) Sylvie "I am Buzz Lightyear and I need to go the bathroom" Logan "We don't have a bathroom at this Bat Cave."
As a side note, Logan has been completely lost without Sylvie as his little playmate. When she perked up after the walk, he was all excited to play with her and when she changed her mind, he got really upset. It makes me so happy to have given them the gift of each other. :)
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