"FULL COMPLIANCE"

My "Momentarily Compliant" Bunch

Just as we were finishing up breakfast this morning - K.G. (our friendly Health Department Representative) came to visit. You never know when they will come, so the best you can do is try and stay on top of all your various State paperwork, work by the policies, and have fun doing your job.

So our morning was a little out of whack: no Circle Time, no Story Time (but we did get that in this afternoon). Simultaneously I watched my babies, and went through my inspection: pulling files/paperwork, locating a wayward Certificate, answered the 1 Million questions from the Provider Self-Evaluation Checklist (not really a million), changed diapers, pulled and passed out toys to “maintain” some semblance of order, got my first bite from the Prince (a few bites to the shoulder), and administered a couple of Time-outs (nobody said the kids had to be "compliant"). I didn't get my Circle Time, my morning Story Time, or my usual morning outside time – poor Marty - but it was All Good.

After 4 years of near-miss inspections...I have finally accomplished a “Full Compliance” on my Annual Survey. YEAH!

Thanks for all your patience and cooperation with me as I continuously seem to be bugging you for some signature on a paper outlining where your baby naps, where I plan on taking them today, or sign here for Triaminic, Tylenol, etc.

I know it seems I enjoy my role as the "Immunization Police". Bugging you about your child's last shots, what were they, what date? I don't mean to seem so noisy, it's those crazy forms.

And yes, there will be a PARTY! Tentatively set for Saturday, August 16 (probably around 6:00). I’ll send out e-vites to everyone – friends, neighbors, and families (current, past, parting, and potential).

First Harvest

Finally, the day we have been waiting for - First Harvest!
Faithfully (everyday) we venture into the garden
to check our growing veggies, weed, and water.

Herbs in, herbs growing, tasting fresh herbs last week - SPICY.
Tomatoes in, tomatoes growing, blooms on, fruit on, some ripening!
Cukes & Eggplants in, rabbit eat Eggplants & Cuke flowers,
put up fencing, growing good now.
Beans in, sprout, rabbits eat, put up fencing, replant some, okay.
Okra in (two kinds), okra sprouts, okra growing bigger every day.
20 Peanuts in, 4 Peanuts sprouting.
Peanuts grow slow... we won't know until Oct.

This particular cucumber has been taunting us for weeks.
Last week I told them we would pick it by Friday.
Friday I said we should wait a bit longer - maybe Monday.
Well, here it is Wednesday and we have harvested that taunting cucumber,
two big eggplants, and some assorted tomatoes - all to eat with lunch today.

Feeling quite "Lydia-like" I prepared a fresh lunch.
So this is Farm to Table. I like this - and the kids did too.
Happy plates all around - even the sauteed eggplant.

And being the lover of Silly Songs I made this up during lunch,
and they all sang along:

We grew it in our garden,
We cooked it on our stove,

We put it in our tummies,
And that is how it goes!

LOOK WHO'S ONE!

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I love kids.

Anyone who knows me better than most may tell you I prefer girls.

But that was my "pre-Prince" era.

This little snookie has stolen my heart in a way no other baby ever has.

He came to me such a tiny baby, and he's One Year Old Today - already!?

I don't know why it was this one that did me in so badly.

There was a time in my life when I dreamed of having 4 boys.

Then after Girl1, all I wanted was girls.

After Girl2, I was done (I thought) because 2 girls HAD to equal 4 boys.

Maybe he is the boy I've never had.

He is "my little boy" for the day - three fantastic days a week.

On Thursdays about 5:00-I feel a bit down-he won't be back until Monday.
I know he is going to change, & be up to new tricks the next time I see him.

On Monday morning, when he greets me with those brilliant eyes twinkling -

I just melt a little bit more in love with him!

And it's not just me - all of The Girls love this little guy too.

Everyone erupts in cheers of welcome as he beams out his welcoming love.

Our little "Daycare Brother" is here - Yeah!!!!

Yes, he is a very special boy.

To everyone who is blessed to know him - even for only a few days a week.

Very special, especially to me.

Happy Birthday, my Prince.

Loose a Tooth, Learn to Lie....

Dear Girl3,

Just because you lost your first tooth a couple of months ago, and you have recently mastered the fine art of telling a tall tale (and sometimes just telling an outright lie - PC fib) does not mean that you are all grown-up, or that I am taken off guard.

You may be able to take me by surprise - but I am MOTHER, I am always on guard. It's a freaky fact of nature about Moms - that, and we have EYES in the BACK of our HEADS. Ask your two older sisters.

Worse for you that you have two older sisters who have "seasoned" me to perfection (not that I am really perfect). Even more worse for you - SANTA is on my side. So Don't Mess With The Mom - seriously, this is a very important rule and you will be wise to take it to heart.

Eternally Watching,

Mom

P.S.

The next time you tell me it is your teacher's last day, and convince me to buy $15 worth of chocolates as a parting gift - you will eat the chocolate for dinner the next night.

This entry is a not meant to be taken seriously. Please refer to the post below about Girl3 and her Preschool Teacher. Apparently, Girl 3 is very excited at her upcoming adventure into Kindergarten and everyday at Preschool is her "last day". Mrs. Emilie must have been teasing her back and told Katie that this was HER LAST DAY TOO (yesterday). Those two are crazy, and I'm out $15 bucks.

Some Good Clean Fun...

Some people wonder what we do all day to entertain ourselves - doesn't it get old hanging out with little children all day? Doesn't it get boring doing the same things day in and day out?

Well, what activity DOESN'T provide some level of entertainment - and how could watching a child grow and develop new skills every single day you are with them be boring? And if we did the same things day in and day out, I guess we could get bored - so we mix it up around here.

Like today, we need to send B's sand box back home. We borrowed it awhile back when her family had their house on the market, and I wanted to test-run adding a sand box outside (Thank you S-Family #1). Well, they are in their new house (Congratulations!) and we have a new sand and water table outside on our playground.

You can't send a sand box home without cleaning it first, especially to a new house. And every day in the summer warrants some water play - so another "what to do next?" solved! Put those little munchkins to "work" cleaning the sand box. Everyone should enjoy work so much.

"The Best Day EVER"

It's almost been a week since our "Best Day EVER" and a few "Best Meal EVERs" have since been served. It's been 15 minutes since Girl4 used delay tactic #2 and moved her nap mat to the couch looked up and said, "But Mommy, I'm not sleepy", and she's out. The floor is drying - thanks QBoy for showing me that being sick for a couple of days does not excuse me from mopping! So while it drys, it's time to blog...

Last Friday (06/06/08) was one of the days I will always remember as one of my best days ever. First off, in case you didn't know this, Fridays here are "Cheesy Eggs Day" which I really can't think of a better way (except for maybe ice cream) to start your day. Secondly, Friday is usually a "No Baby Day" which translates around here as "Road Trip Time". We headed off to our favorite local park, arriving just about 9:30am - before the morning crowd. We had the prime playground almost entirely to ourselves. Not that we don't mind sharing and meeting new friends, but at least for me - it's much easier to keep my eyes on 4 when I don't have to screen through 40 others. The crowd descended, so we made a break up the hill to the swings - SCORE! - nobody is around. Then it was off to play with the masses.

We meet up with a wonderful young lady, Samantha, who was "play-daying" with her nieces and nephews. I actually saw her much earlier that morning at the McD's when I made a breakfast pit-stop with Girl3 before preschool (no Cheesy Eggs Fridays for her, just McD's). We shared "kid-sponsibilites" like helping each others charges across the monkey bars, making sure traffic flowed in one direction, stopped the bigger ones from trying to carry the smaller ones - stuff like that. We visited (kind of strange visiting with someone who is the same age as your oldest - but nice - and yes, I do talk to my oldest occasionally). We nature walked around the pond, spotting all kinds of beautiful sights (see slide show). We stopped off for a drink from the water fountain, of course they had a sterile cup - do you really think I'd let them sip directly from a park fountain of germs? And of course, that lead to a fun splashing game and some singing of water tunes.

When we got home from the park we had a Build Your Own Taco Lunch - carefully prepared/assembled/and refrigerated while they ate their Cheesy Eggs that morning. Did you know that 4 Hungry Little Girls and 1 Day Care Provider can eat about 4 tacos each? Of course, some of those tacos consist of only shell, shredded cheese, and bit of LaTiara Taco Sauce. But they did eat their beans, and their Moroccan Oranges. You'll need to wait for my Cook Book to be published if you want those secret recipes (just joking). Complete, fabulous, perfect lunch (except maybe ice cream). Then it was nap time for everyone - 2.5 glorious hours of snoring.

After nap - we hit the road. Now we don't usually venture out twice in a day, but this was our first stab at Summer. We headed off to Baskin Robbins for Pink Bubble Gum Ice Cream. Grandpa Mississippi has taught me some very valuable lessons, like a person on vacation can have ice cream BEFORE their meal - it's the law in most states. So from there, I took the maternal/paternal logic I'm blessed with and figured out that if you deny yourself the pleasure of ice cream for breakfast and then again for lunch - you should at least have it for snack! Nobody can say we will be denied around here.

Home again to play in the sprinkler until those "real parents" arrive and take away my Big Girls for a couple of days. And how do I know this is "The Best Day EVER"? Because my heart, and two little girls strapped into their car seats way way back in the back of the car on the way home from ice cream told me so. And they wouldn't fib about something like that.

March Girl3-isms

This is a letter to Girl3's Preschool Teacher:

Dear Ms. Emilie,

Thought you may find these “K-isms” amusing as they reflect directly on your wonderful influence as a teacher on her:

05/08/2008
K has a slight crush on an older boy J (5th Grader). Poor J goes to her new school this fall. K and I are on our way to Kindergarten Round-up – she’s mention J several times on the way there, and couple of times in the classroom as we take a school tour. I’m trying very hard not to give her much attention regarding this matter, because that often makes things worse.

We are looking at the “Big Buddy – Kindergartner” pictures in the hallway. The school has a “Big Buddy Program” which pairs up a 6th Grader and a Kindergartner for the school year. K sighs deep, and says “I hope that J is my Big Buddy when I come to school.”

We are heading down the hallway to leave, she says for what seems the 100th time “I wish I could see J today.” To which I respond from my “script” on this subject: “J is in class, so we probably will not see him today.” Of course, this barely leaves my mouth and we see J leaning against a wall, knee pointing out, one foot against the wall - in a 5th grader kind of James Dean “Rebel without a Cause” stance, waiting in line for a drink from the water fountain. I can feel the energy pour out of K – such excitement (my stomach is sick). Poor J, such embarrassment – he’s too young to take this attention as any kind of compliment – his eyes darting from side to side to see if any of his friends are seeing this.

On our way home, it’s “J this” and “J that” and I finally CRACK. In my Mommy-Can’t-Take-Much-More-of-This-Tone I rant “Kindergarten is just like Preschool. You are not there just to have fun, you are there learn. You are not there to chase after boys, kiss them, or hold their hands. K, you are 5 YEARS OLD – you are not a teenager – you do not get to have boyfriends for a long, long time.”

From behind me in her car seat I hear her say under her breath, “What can I say? Boys are my weakness.”

Me: “WHAT?”

K: “Nothing.”

Me, turning red: “What did you just say? WHAT did you just say?”

Katie: “Boys are my weakness?”

Me (knowing this hasn’t come from her 17 year old sister): “WHERE did you hear that – Boys are my weakness? – WHO taught you THAT?

Katie: ”Miss Emilie. Miss Emilie says Chocolate is her weakness, so Boys must be mine.”

I laughed on the inside. I cried on the inside. What a smart kid, what a sponge. What trouble we are in for.



05/21/2008
K is eating breakfast and says, “When kids are Happy and having fun they are 100%. When they are mad they are 2%. When they are nervous 3%, and sad - 1%.”

I knew Montessori would expose her to a lot – but WOW – a concept of percentages – I am impressed.

So thanks again, for being so good for K. I know that you know you make a difference for your kids – but just how much you may not really know.