One of the goals I have for my kids is to be polite. It's not the top priority but it is something I strive for them to adopt as a first instinct and way of life. It seems to involve constant reminders at this stage. Maybe because we're all unbelievably sleep deprived, or it may just be an age and stage thing. Either way I'm not worried about it, it just seems that I do a lot of reminding.
What do you say? what's missing? or just the look of 'really lets re-think how we're asking for that' is almost always followed by the appropriate and correct addition tack on token 'please, thank you or whatever is appropriate'...usually.
Other times it plays out a bit differently.
Ryan: Mom get me some juice.
Me: 'get me some juice???' (with a blank left for him to add the most obvious...)
Ryan: ...Today.
Me: Ya today was definitely what I was waiting for
Ryan: Ok great.
Sometimes my sarcasm seems to backfire, but it keeps my mood light in the face of constantly repeating myself.
I also have been striving to teach the kids to clean up after themselves. THIS is a work in progress and truthfully 99% of people I talk to tell me the same thing. It's a work in progress until the children leave home and then eventually it's their work in progress with their own children. Well there you have it. I've been assured by 1% that it is possible to get them to clean up after themselves, however I spend a great deal of time cleaning up after him too so...maybe I'll cut us all a bit of slack and just go with the majority rules on this one (kidding honey and luv you) :)
Another thing that reliably backfires for me is the times that I choose to fib to my kids to prevent a question bomb. I normally don't mind playing 20 questions, even if it is more like 200 questions, but every now and then I find myself in a scenario where I realize we're about to embark on a question bomb and I'm probably loading kids and groceries into the suburban in the -40' cold, having been mildly frazzled by the grocery shopping with the peeps experience in the first place and at THAT point if I sense we're on the helms of a question bomb I probably fib to the kids in order to wrap that up as quickly as possible.
For example when loading post groceries in the above outlined scenario
Nadine (noting a car alarm going off): Mom why is that car beeping over and over
Me (not wanting to discuss alarms, security, and all the other places that would go): They're just trying to tell us to have a good day.
Nadine (thinks then bellars): YOU TOO!! (horn keeps honking) Why is she still beeping I said you too!?!
Me: I dunno.
I dunno can often wrap up a question bomb but not often enough. Therein lies the foundation for a quick fib. But now when we've heard car alarms of beeping since then, we smile and say "Mom they want us to have a nice day too" and I think, 'ya I should really remember to explain that sometime'.
I have have have to figure out how to get some photos of Braeden doing yoga. I just have to. It's really something to see. Fact is other than the number of times he falls over he's actually pretty darn good at it. I've tried adding yoga to the strength and stretching portion of the 1/2 marathon training plan I started at the beginning of the month. The idea I've always had about yoga is that it's really hard work but somehow also kind of peaceful. Well not at my house. I enjoy the workout part and ultimately I also enjoy the cars being driven on my back, the kids army crawling under whatever pose is "woohoo mom you're making a tunnel". I'm not sure I can say I enjoyed having the remote control fire truck lurch past my face but oh well no harm no foul. The kids and I like doing "extrasizes" together and even if they are literally underfoot it's awesome to have them participate with me and they continue to be a great encouragement.
People often ask if I've photoshopped these, I don't actually own photoshop so, well, no I didn't But they were sure fun to take. People often also ask 'what is it?' It's oil and water on a colored background.
What do you say? what's missing? or just the look of 'really lets re-think how we're asking for that' is almost always followed by the appropriate and correct addition tack on token 'please, thank you or whatever is appropriate'...usually.
Other times it plays out a bit differently.
Ryan: Mom get me some juice.
Me: 'get me some juice???' (with a blank left for him to add the most obvious...)
Ryan: ...Today.
Me: Ya today was definitely what I was waiting for
Ryan: Ok great.
Sometimes my sarcasm seems to backfire, but it keeps my mood light in the face of constantly repeating myself.
I also have been striving to teach the kids to clean up after themselves. THIS is a work in progress and truthfully 99% of people I talk to tell me the same thing. It's a work in progress until the children leave home and then eventually it's their work in progress with their own children. Well there you have it. I've been assured by 1% that it is possible to get them to clean up after themselves, however I spend a great deal of time cleaning up after him too so...maybe I'll cut us all a bit of slack and just go with the majority rules on this one (kidding honey and luv you) :)
Another thing that reliably backfires for me is the times that I choose to fib to my kids to prevent a question bomb. I normally don't mind playing 20 questions, even if it is more like 200 questions, but every now and then I find myself in a scenario where I realize we're about to embark on a question bomb and I'm probably loading kids and groceries into the suburban in the -40' cold, having been mildly frazzled by the grocery shopping with the peeps experience in the first place and at THAT point if I sense we're on the helms of a question bomb I probably fib to the kids in order to wrap that up as quickly as possible.
For example when loading post groceries in the above outlined scenario
Nadine (noting a car alarm going off): Mom why is that car beeping over and over
Me (not wanting to discuss alarms, security, and all the other places that would go): They're just trying to tell us to have a good day.
Nadine (thinks then bellars): YOU TOO!! (horn keeps honking) Why is she still beeping I said you too!?!
Me: I dunno.
I dunno can often wrap up a question bomb but not often enough. Therein lies the foundation for a quick fib. But now when we've heard car alarms of beeping since then, we smile and say "Mom they want us to have a nice day too" and I think, 'ya I should really remember to explain that sometime'.
I have have have to figure out how to get some photos of Braeden doing yoga. I just have to. It's really something to see. Fact is other than the number of times he falls over he's actually pretty darn good at it. I've tried adding yoga to the strength and stretching portion of the 1/2 marathon training plan I started at the beginning of the month. The idea I've always had about yoga is that it's really hard work but somehow also kind of peaceful. Well not at my house. I enjoy the workout part and ultimately I also enjoy the cars being driven on my back, the kids army crawling under whatever pose is "woohoo mom you're making a tunnel". I'm not sure I can say I enjoyed having the remote control fire truck lurch past my face but oh well no harm no foul. The kids and I like doing "extrasizes" together and even if they are literally underfoot it's awesome to have them participate with me and they continue to be a great encouragement.
People often ask if I've photoshopped these, I don't actually own photoshop so, well, no I didn't But they were sure fun to take. People often also ask 'what is it?' It's oil and water on a colored background.
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