5 Year and 1 Year Check-ups

Since I have given up Facebook for Lent, I have to document my children's lives somewhere, ok besides their scrapbooks! So, looks like I may be blogging more during Lent.

Today, Owen and Lyla had their well checks. Owen weighed in at 55 pounds, which is above the 95th percentile. He measured 48 inches or 4 feet, exactly. Again, putting him above the 95th percentile for height. Of course, we are not surprised by this as he has ALWAYS been in the 95th percentile! Owen was very cooperative with the nurse while he got weighed and measured, however, he didn't hear the instructions on where to stand to be measured because he had the IPod in his ears, but was obedient at taking the IPod out of his ears and was a good listener the rest of the time. He also got his eyes checked at this visit and has 20/20 vision. Looks like he was just telling us stories when he said he needed to wear my glasses to see better!

Lyla on the other hand, was not pleased about being weighed and measured. She is very outspoken and made sure everyone knew in the office that she was not pleased. Lyla weighed in at 23 pounds 12 ounces, putting her in the 75-90th percentile. She measured 30.25 inches long, again placing her in the 75-90th percentile. I was actually surprised, I predicted she would be above the 95th percentile like her big brother this visit, but I was proven wrong!

Both check-ups went well. Owen joked around with the doctor, agreeing that he had Macaroni and Cheese in his ears, taking silly deep breaths when getting his lungs checked out, and letting the doctor know that examining his internal organs tickled! Lyla, on the other hand, does not discriminate on who she does not like touching her, she let the doctor know that she was not enjoying her visit! Both got a clean bill of health.

Owen was pleased to find out that he did not need an immunization shot and even more pleased to hear that he does not need another shot until he is 11! Lyla was not so lucky, she received 3 shots and did not care that these shots would keep her healthy, she screamed even before the shot was put in her arm.

Riding with No Training Wheels

While we were in Michigan Owen reached a milestone and successfully learned how to ride his bike with no training wheels! We noticed that he was fairly ready, when Grandma Sue took him for a ride on the bike, while Gavin was shopping for training wheels, but we put the training wheels on anyway so that he could keep up with his cousins.

The actual lesson to learn to ride was fairly spontaneous. I was sitting in my parents garage, relaxing after a fun-filled weekend with the whole family. Owen and Gavin were in the driveway playing. Owen came riding up the driveway on his bike, and with a second glance I realized there were no training wheels on his bike!

At first he could really only ride if someone got him started and he could only ride in one direction, but this didn't even last 24 hours.

The next day, I told Owen if he could ride the half mile or so to the ice cream shop we would buy him ice cream, so the next day he did it! After returning home from getting ice cream, Gavin got out my Dad's bike and took Owen for a bike ride to the Marina. When they got back Owen asked me to take him for another ride to the marnina.

The next day, I took Owen on a ride into Harbor Beach on the bike path. During this trip Owen got stopped by the Sheriff, no, he was not in trouble, he was caught being safe and received a coupon to McDonald's for wearing his helmet!

The following day, I needed to mail some things, so I took Owen for a ride to the Post Office. After completing our business there, Owen still wanted to go for a longer ride, so I took him through town and back home via the road just outside of town. This trip started to get a little long for him, but I explained we were making a big circle and that we were almost back and he made it! I was absolutely amazed at how fast he learned to ride and how fast he was able to take such long bike rides with us! Very proud moment for Mommy, Daddy, and Owen!

Let's Talk About it Now

As we were driving out of the church parking lot yesterday, Owen says to me, "Mommy, when I'm bigger, I am going to take the truck and Daddy can ride with Chris."

I replied, "oh really."

"Yes," he continued, "or I can drop Daddy off at his school and go to my school."

"mmmhmmm," is my response.

To this he says, "I will take the kids,"

"Who are the kids?" I asked.

"Well, I will take Max to school and you can take Lyla."

"Ok, well we can talk about this when you are 16," I suggest.

"No," he says, "let's talk about it now!"

And so the converstation continued for two more miles. I guess Owen has us figured out, we take a little while to get used to new ideas, so if he wants to use the car when he is 16 he better start discussing it now!

Shhh, Mommy's Sleeping!

Last night, we took the boys to the Port Hope Fireworks. It was about 11:00 when we arrived home, usually, we make sure Max is asleep before putting Owen to bed in the same room, but because it was so late, we needed them to both go to bed together. I opted to go to bed with them to ensure that they settle down and go to sleep instead of playing around until all hours of the night.

Owen was laying on a twin mattress on the floor listening to "Runaway," on the IPod, a song that both Owen and Max know all the words too even when the song is not playing, and Max was in the double bed with me, opposite where Owen laid. I had already sternly told them both multiple times to settle down and go to sleep, but the rowdiness was still in full swing. Both boys were singing at very high pitch to "Runaway" and no amount of nagging was going to stop the craziness. I decided the only way to get them to settle down was to lay very still myself and pretend I was sleeping, ok so I may actually have been the first to fall asleep in the end, but at that moment I was just pretending!

When Max realized that my eyes were closed and I hadn't said anything for a while, he tried to shush Owen. In a loud whisper, leaning over me, he said, "Owen, Owen, shhhh, Owen, Mommy's sleeping!"

Max in Time-Out

Max's new time-out spot is the stairs. When he is in trouble, it is usually because he is doing some obnoxious! Yes, sometimes it is also for hitting, but usually it's for running around at dinner time or screaming at the top of his lungs. When he is scolded, he doesn't laugh, but he gets this little twinkle in his eye, like he is trying not to laugh, as if saying, "I know I'm in trouble, but it was so worth it!
Here he is hanging out in time-out!


And here is the look I am trying to describe!

A Tear to my Eye

It came up in converstation the other night, when my mother-in-law was talking about the animals on her "funny farm," that the one eyed horse, named Kissie, had died. She was telling us how the pigme goats were pregnant and we were questioning her on how many animals there were total now. Her response to our teasing questioning was, "well you know Kissie died," I was shocked to hear this news.

Immediately, I told her that we had to tell Owen, because he was just talking about that particular horse the other day and I wanted him to know that she would not be there when he came to visit.

The following day, Sue worked it in to converstation with Owen, she told Owen that Kissie went to Horse Heaven and he responded, "well then she is with Papa Tommy!"

Back to Reality

And I'm back to the life of a working mommy! Monday was my first day back from being on maternity leave for 11 weeks. It went surprisingly well for my first day back. I left Max and Lyla in the hands of my mother-in-law and didn't shed a tear, until Owen to throw a fit when I dropped him off at preschool, which made me teary eyed. I got finally broke away from his tight grip on my thigh and drove to work. I was very thankful that "It Won't Be Like this For Long," or some other song that sings to a mother's emotions, didn't come on the radio!

I got to work and immediately had to stop in the office, because I realized I had forgotten my keys! I had to dig out my sub folder to get the spare key. Other than that, the rest of the day went very well. I was a little overwhelmed with how my desk looked with piles of papers that I weren't sure what they were, but throughout the week I started to sort and throw away and my room seems to be getting back in order!

Not only was it my first week back, but it was teacher appreciation week. Throughout the week LaPetite was having special things for their teachers. On Tuesday, it was flower day, we were supposed to bring on single flower. So, inorder to do this, Owen and I had to stop at Smith's on the way. Surprisingly, even with this stop, I made it to work early enough to sit in the parking lot and finish the last few sips of my coffee before heading in! But then on Wednesday, I decided to start feeding Lyla at 7:00, and was almost 20 minutes late for work!!! Luckily, we are supposed to be to school 45 minutes before we pick up any students! Thursday, we had to stop and pick up candy bars, and I made it to work ontime! Friday, I was within the time frame, too!

I started an exciting unit that I created in one of my Master's classes, which is fun along with all of the end of the year things going on it is sort of a no stress transition.

Lyla, has adjusted well, too. She seems to be getting into a three hour eating pattern, which is better than how she was when I was home with her, although, on Friday, she had a no napping day!

Max has not complained at all about not going to preschool, I think he is enjoying his time at home with his sister and Grandma!

I am fully aware that the true reality of being a working mommy of three will not set in until the start of the new school year in August, when my mother-in-law is not around and I have to get all three children out the door, but I am trying my best to practice now, by getting everyone dressed in the morning and fed breakfast, and I'll figure the rest out in August.