Bath Time

This morning I gave my daughter a bath. She fought me the entire time. I picked out a few toys for her and got her undressed as she screamed, "No bath!". I used the shower head (she wasn't about to sit down) as she stood up screaming, "No bath!". I asked her to raise her arms, tilt her head back, and lift her foot, all which she easily did while continuing to scream, "No bath!". We finished washing and I pulled her out of the tub. I wrapped her in the towel, dried her off, and got her dressed...all the while, she was screaming - you guessed it - "No bath!!".

I'm too tired to be angry this morning, so I found it more humorous than anything. It made me wonder about the bigger picture. Even though I don't believe in the omniscient god with the long white beard sitting on the cloud and looking down over us, I imagine our lives would often look to him just like our bath scenario did this morning.

How funny when something happens to us that we don't like - from the loss of a job to the loss of a family member - we fight it the entire time. God is sitting there gently moving on, sighing and hoping that next time bath time rolls around that perhaps we'll fight just a little less.

What I Learned from (Tyler's) First Day of Kindergarten (Part 1?)

1) Life is ever changing. In case you forget, take a look at photos of you or your kids when they were born and on their first day of school, only 5 short years later.

2) Just because you receive a post card showing the bus stop time, that doesn’t mean that is the time the bus is going to show up.

3) Waiting 30 minutes at the bus stop is exciting only for the first 10.

4) The first day of kindergarten is often more stressful for the parents than for the kids.

5) Sometimes, it is more stressful for the kids.

6) If you have two kids and you get one excited about riding the bus, you need to make sure to explain to the younger child why they can’t ride the bus.

1 (child getting to do something) + 1 (child not getting to do something) = 2 (hours of screaming)

7) The invention of digital cameras in addition to nervous parents makes for an impromptu anxiety-party outside of the kindergarten classroom on the first day of school.

8) Six hours isn’t as long as it might seem, particularly when there are things to get accomplished.

9) Exhaustion is contagious. A day at kindergarten exhausts not only the kindergartener, but all family members surrounding the student.

10) Cranberry-Orange Muffins can temporarily solve almost any problem.

11) You can learn more about your child’s day at school by listening to his conversation with grandmothers than by asking him about his day.

12) Life goes on the next day. And the next. All we can do is enjoy the beautiful flow of it and try to be present for it all.

In the Doghouse

I love the decision making process of a 5-year old.

The other day we were all going through our morning routine. Tyler had gotten dressed and had asked daddy if he could watch a kids show.

(I generally frown upon watching random t.v. ...it is on if we have to shower after the kids are awake or if we are watching something together, for example.)

Chris knows this and replied, "No, Tyler, I think your mom would make me sleep outside if I let you watch a show."

Tyler protested for a bit and finally went to the other room to play with his toys.

After a few minutes, he found Chris again, and, after a big sigh, said,

"Sorry daddy, but you are just going to have to go outside. I want to watch a show."

Lyrical Laughs

(I keep wanting to add photos for the funny things the kids say - it just adds something to each post. In so doing, however, I've fallen behind on updating. In order to keep this blog going I may have to forgo some photos....but for now....)

A couple of weeks ago I had a song stuck in my head. I was singing it while preparing lunch for the kids as Tyler sweetly painted his craft project at the bar. After a few rounds of singing the chorus, "Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep", Tyler turns around and looks at me.

"Mom, I don't think you are supposed to say that."

"What, Tyler? Mommy is just singing."

Tyler paused for a minute, looked around to make sure no one else was listening, and whispered, "ass!!".

It took me a minute, but then (somehow without laughing) I said, "No, Tyler, the song is 'Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep." (We discussed how, yes, we aren't supposed to say the other word.)

He quickly said, "Oh" and fidgeted for a minute. After a long pause, he said,

"I'm just going to go back to painting".