James with Paw Paw hair before his haircut

How teaching 7th grade has prepared me for raising toddlers

The last month of school I started making a list of things I said to both my little ones at home and again at school.

Don't throw that
Take that out of your mouth
Keep your hands to yourself
Sit in that chair right
Don't pull hair
Put your shirt on right
Don't hit
Keep your voices down
That is not a nice word
No pushing
Share
Play nice
Don't touch that
Don't play with scissors
Turn around and walk right
No squealing in here
No jumping, walking or standing on or over the furniture
Don't put make up on him
Ask me again and see what you get

Who knew children under the age of four and 7th graders had so many misbehaviors in common?!?

Things kids say

Mallory just told me that somebody's sidewalk was all craped up and the barbage truck had to come fix it. To translate into real English...there was a water main break in our neighborhood and they had to tear up the side walk and the city's big work truck had to come fix it. Learning to translate stuff like that...Yet another way that teaching 7th grade has prepared me for raising toddlers!

Jackson likes to read

Jackson has discovered books this week. It's a good thing we have a good variety. Today we have read the Bible, Mother Goose, Farm Animals, Boats, and Planes. The Bible is his fav so far. It has the most pages. While I was reading books with Jackson, Mallory yells, "James has the scissors." It doesn't take long for things to get out of hand around here. In the last thirty minutes I have cleaned up red glitter all over the kitchen floor, chased the dog out the front door and back into the house three times, read with Jackson, taken scissors from James, and checked the mail. Not all in that order. I can't really remember what order they occured. Is it nap time yet?

Responsibility

Some days I really hate how much Mallory is like me. This child will do anything not to go to bed. Tonight she has to "breast feed" her baby. I'm laying in bed and she comes in here with one of my bras, her big boy baby, and a towel. This little girl told me, "I have to use this towel to cover my body while I breastfeed. It's my responsibility." Where does she get stuff like this?

Can you see how cute her hair is now?

Poor Jackson

Poor baby woke up from his nap Friday just screaming. Not just fussy, but SCREAMING. It was awful! I didn't know what to do for him. He was crying so hard he threw up. That's when I called Titus to come home and help me take them to the doctor. He had fluid in one ear and got an antibiotic. Saturday he was better, but Sunday he was real fussy and still running a little fever. And then...he cried all night long!!! Titus finally got him to settle down and sleep about 6 am. We have all been exhausted since. He was better today, though and neither of the boys ran fever today.

We were late to swim lessons Monday morning, but it was ok because the other kids in her group weren't there. She got private lessons without having to pay for them. Mallory went in the deep end on the noodle. She is doing well, but still wants to hold on to the instructor the whole time.