4 year old conversation

I get to volunteer in Paxton's class on Friday afternoons during "center time." During the first few times I would stand in the back so Paxton wouldn't get distracted by me and participate with his teachers and friends. I guess I put a little more stock in the fact that Paxton and I are best friends, and I just knew he would want to play with ME more than his friends...WRONG. He barely even acknowledged I was there until he got to my center. Then he threw me some sweet, "I love you, Mommy's!" :) Other than that though, he just goes about his business. I do believe I embarrassed him the other day when I was in full dance mode during the hokey pokey!

While Paxton was at another center I was eaves dropping on his conversation with one of his buddy's (this won't be the last time that happens). This is how it went:

Friend: Who is Charlotte? (I think he heard me say something to Pax about Charlotte.)

Pax: She's my little sister. And Porter is my little brother. Who is your little sister?

Friend: I don't have a sister.

Pax: Then who is your little brother?

Friend: I don't have a brother.

Pax: Then what DO you have?

Friend: I have TOYS!

Touche, little dude! Touche! It's so cute to hear these little people have their own conversations and form their own friendships. I absolutely look forward to my few hours in that classroom. I love to spend the time with Pax, but I also am falling in love with all his little classmates. They are all so adorable and unique!

Catch phrases at the England house

As I am sure is true in everyone's house, there is never a dull moment around here. Sometimes the insanity is perpetuated by me (aka turning up the music super loud so we can dance it out) and others it is driven by one (or all) of the kids just being kids.

There are phrases that I hear or say on a daily basis that are fitting (and funny if I actually listen to what's being said) for this season in our lives, however, if I were to hear the same phrase 18 years from now it would not be so cute!

Here are a few examples:

"Charlotte, NO MORE DANCING ON THE TABLE!"

"Paxton, you have to wear pants at the dinner table or at LEAST underwear!"

"Porter, take your underwear off of your head!"

"Charlotte, stay out of the trash can!"

"Boys, please take your hands out of your pants!"

"No, Paxton, you may not kiss the babysitter who you have never met before tonight."

"Charlotte, do not put your hands in the toilet."

"Porter, just because we had to let you pee in a cup in the car that one time doesn't mean you need to hold it until we get in the car so you can go in a cup again!"

Some of these phrases are said about every 5 minutes all day long. I try not to be a no no no mommy, as the word starts to lose it's effect after the millionth time it is said. For a while I would gasp really dramatically and say DANGER if someone was about to do something dangerous. This, apparently, was funny and therefore not effective either. There are so many books out there written on getting your baby to sleep. I've given up on trying to feel really well rested. I wish there were books titled, "How to keep your toddler from knocking out her front teeth, " or "How to keep your preschooler from talking to every stranger on the planet without scaring him to death about strangers," or "How to teach your almost 3 year old that he doesn't need to do everything his older brother does...the good things and the bad things."

When we were in college we started this thing we called "only in Stillwater," where everytime we would see or hear something that reminded us of Stillwater we would write it down. The list was HILARIOUS!!!! These phrases are my grown up version. And the list grows every day!

Jerry

Today we had our playroom painted. One of my dear friends who knows a ton of people referred a really nice man named Jerry to paint for us. When he came over this morning to give me a bid for the job this is what he walked into:

*Please note we have NEVER met Jerry before in our lives!*

Jerry: Good morning ma'am. Nice to meet you. (as we shake hands)

Me: Good morning Jerry, I'm Kate.

Paxton sticking out his hand for a shake: Hi Jerry, I'm Paxton.

Porter: And I'm Porter.

And then it happens...just like that...Paxton goes in for the HUG! Arms wrapped ever so tightly around Jerry's waist, head buried in Jerry's bellybutton is where Paxton landed. For so long, I had to gently pull him off of our new friend. Jerry was caught a little off guard by the sudden act of affection, but very quick to recripricate the love Paxton was giving him. Jerry has 4 kids of his own so he was VERY sweet to the boys all day. And each and every (1000) time the boys would say something like, "Jerry why do you have sunglasses on your head? Jerry why do you have paint on your arm? Jerry what does that say on your shirt? Jerry do you like turkey sandwiches? Jerry are you going to paint until sundown? Jerry is that your truck? Jerry ummmmmmm....." He was quick with a sweet response that satisfied the questioner at hand.

Don't you know that when Jerry was packing up for the day and about to leave it happened yet again. Biggest bear hug Jerry has probably ever had!

I LOVE the sweet acceptance of children. It amazes me, really. I wish this could carry into adulthood. That people would never lose this innocence and love for everyone no matter what the situation or circumstance.

However, this brings me to a new lesson we might need to start covering...STRANGERS!

My Children are my teachers

I once heard this quote, "While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about."

Nothing has been truer in my life. Everyday I learn a lesson from my children that makes me a better person. I have been re-reading this book that I absolutely love called The Mastery of Love. I read it once when Scott and I were first married. As I am re-reading it I feel like I am reading it for the first time, because the first time I read it I was reading it from the perspective of a wife. Now I am reading it from the perspective of a mother as well.

There is one chapter that really stands out to me. It is the chapter on innocence. It talks about how the innocence of children is so pure and perfect and as they grow that innocence is lost a little more with each new experience. Obviously, there is an element of losing innocence that is healthy and necessary. This is what keeps us from hurting ourselves and being reckless. The innocence that I want to try and salvage forever in my children is the acceptance, forgiveness, and caring for other people that we lose so much as we grow.

When I watch my kids play with each other and other children I can't help but notice that they do everything with a happy heart. They are carefree and uninhibited. They aren't wondering who is watching them and what someone else might think about the way they are playing. When they have a disagreement, they resolve it and move on as if it never happened. There is no grudge being held or plan to retaliate.

Paxton has a birth mark on his arm. The kids in his class noticed it the other day and were asking him about it. He was so proud that he had this birth mark "because it makes him different and special." And the other kids thought it was cool. He was trying to wear his sleeve rolled up so everyone could see it again the next day. He was never embarrassed about it. No one made fun of him for it.

Why don't adults act this way? Why are we so worried about what other people might think about us or the decisions we make in our lives? I have really been trying to regain that innocence of my children.

Everyone has different parenting styles. I appreciate and understand that me and almost all of my friends have a different one. I LOVE this and try and learn what others do and what works best for them. We use the "attachment approach to parenting." This is what works for our family, and I am fully aware this is NOT good for everyone. This is what is good for us. But because we have adopted this approach to parenting I read a lot of stuff by Dr. Sears who I find encouraging to this style of parenting. One thing that he says is "get behind the eyes of your child." He is referring to soothing techniques, sleep training, discipline, etc., but I have also been trying to do this in other aspects of my life, too. When I start to feel myself getting judgemental or negative I try and look at the situation from "the eyes of my children." It helps me so much to put things into perspective.

One thing I want my kids to know more than anything is that we are in a relationship with each other. It is not "me mother, you child." It is a partnership. If we guide each other we are all so much better versions of ourselves.

Baby Avery turns 1!

Avery is the baby of the family. I mean of the ENTIRE family! So needless to say we all find her absolutely perfect and adorable in EVERY way!

Baby Avery turned 1 on August 20! She had a killer birthday party at Yogi Bear's in Eufaula. It was 115 degrees of fun!! No, but seriously, it was the best 1st birthday party!

There was swimming...

And cousins...

And pizza...

And Cake!!!

It was so much fun this happened before we even left the parking lot.

And this about 20 minutes into the the car ride home!

Avery is so sweet and precious and my whole family loves her so much it is crazy! I will have to say I think Charlotte loves her the most though. Charlotte hands me my phone about 100 times a day and says "BABY!" She wants me to pull up photos of Avery and she kisses the pictures. The boys also adore her and love to make her laugh. She is the sweetest, happiest little peanut in the whole wide world! Happy Birthday Baby Avery!!

Sweet Sleep

Sleep is a 4 letter word in our house. We are the worst sleepers. All of us. Well almost all of us. Porter is the only one who could sleep anywhere and through anything.

**It is only appropriate that I put a disclaimer before the following story. I know I am a little crazy, but I can't help it. This story is not to provide evidence of my craziness but to provide evidence of Porter's wicked deep sleeping skills. Try to refrain from judging me! :)**

One night Pax and Port were in the shower and Porter slipped and fell on the cusp of the shower door. He started sobbing hysterically and immediately got an ENORMOUS bruise on his side. He calmed down and all was right in the world again....until he went to bed, that is. I, being the incredibly neurotic mother that I am, started panicking that he had fallen and damaged his spleen or kidneys or something, (I know, I know it's nuts. I can't help it people. I watch too much Grey's Anatomy!) so I start my thing that I do when I start to get paranoid. I ask Scott if he thinks I should take him to after hours. He says, " if you think you need to take him then so do I. But take him now before it closes so we don't end up in the freaking emergency room later." He says these exact words every. single. time. I try to talk myself out of it, and then I always end up taking him. I mean the bruise was HUGE people. And all sorts of different colors.

So I go upstairs and get sleeping Porter out of his bed. I load him in the car, drive to urgent care, fill out all of the appropriate paperwork, they weigh him, take his temperature, look at his pupils, the doctor assesses him, looks in his ears, etc. I check out, put him back in his car seat, take him out of his car seat once we get home, and put him back in his bed, all without him waking up. I am so envious of this type of sleep. If someone flushes the toilet in the house next door it will wake Charlotte up, which in turn will wake me up, which in turn will wake Scott up. And that's how it goes.

When I hear the term "sleeping like a baby" it always makes me think of Porter. He has no problem catching a few zzzzzzzzz's where ever, when ever he can!

I hope you have a big trunk because I'm about to put my bike in it

This kid got a new bike... My mom and dad wanted to get him a new bike, but I didn't think there was any way he was going to be able to ride a bike like this. He's only 2 (and his legs are a little short :D), and Paxton didn't really even learn to pedal until he was 3+.

Of course I was wrong! He jumped right up there and took off! So we took the kids to the school parking lot after dinner to ride and ride and ride.

Paxton got a new big bike for his birthday in March, but it's been so stinking hot we haven't really gotten to ride much lately.

Paxton thinks everything is a competition for some reason. He must inherit this competitive gene from his dad because I don't have a competitive bone in my body. I physically feel sad after watching sports because someone has to lose. It's weird. I know. So he was racing Porter the whole time. Porter is oblivious. Every time Paxton would say, "and the winner is PAXTON!" Porter would say, "and the other winner is PORTER!"

So the boys rode bikes and Charlotte ran. And ran. And ran around the parking lot. Seriously, you wouldn't believe how fast those chubby little legs will carry her! She ran so much she had to take a rest right in the middle of the parking lot!

They had a blast and were completely tuckered by the time we got home. I LOVE this weather because my whole family loves to be outside. We could almost live outside.

Ummmmmm, could someone please remind Charlotte she is only 1?!?! I don't think she got the memo.