How Sweet It Is....

I had a meeting with Dylan's teacher this afternoon. He is having trouble completing assignments and getting out of his seat a little too much. I wanted to talk with his teacher to see if there were any other issues with him and to let her know we would be working with him at home to help with these issues as well. I expected to only hear negative comments and little tolerance for "trouble making" kids. I was soooo surprised and sooooo pleased to hear her only say positive things about Dylan. He really is an amazing kid. He is a helpful, sweet, and loving child. But like any kid, he does have his trouble areas. School in general seems to be one for him. We have been talking with him each night about what is expected and what we know he is capable of. Yesterday was the worst day so far since school has started. By some miracle, Trey and I were both able to handle the situation in a positive way. We spoke with him calmly and placed the responsibility of his actions on himself. He determines whether or not he will have a good day. AND IT WORKED!! His teacher told me today how he tried hard to keep up and finish his assignments, he stayed in his seat, and did not talk excessively today. She said it was the best day he has had so far. She went on to say how sweet and helpful he is. She agreed with me in saying that she thinks he can handle his own behavior and she will do whatever it takes to help him have a great school year. Teachers are really special people. I was really proud of Dylan today. It was a great feeling to hear her say so many wonderful things about him and to know, as parents, that we are having a positive impact on his life. My favorite part was when she told me how hard he tried today to improve in the areas we talked about with him the night before. I wanted him to know how proud I was so I did something that I rarely ever do...I stopped by the local bakery "How Sweet It Is" and bought the kids each a cupcake. (I was sure to let him know that I will not be buying cupcakes for every single good day at school) But that it really means alot to me that he was able to work really hard and have a good day at school. Even without the cupcake, I think he understood how rewarding it is to make good decisions for himself. We will continue to work on this daily I am sure, but at least it seems we are moving in the right direction.

The babies aren't babies anymore...

Laiken started preschool last week. I thought I would have a really hard time with this milestone because she has spent everyday since birth with me. She was so excited about going that I decided I could not be upset about this exciting new adventure for her. She is my Little Miss Independent. Laiken loves preschool. She is happy when I drop her off and happy when I pick her up. She tells me about her day in detail. She talks about everything she did and all of the children she interacted with. She is proud to have so many friends. I am proud that she is able to remember the names of books the teacher reads, games she played, and every other small detail of her day. When she is describing her friends, she always names them by name first. Next, she will describe their hair, what they wore that day, and always adds whether or not they wore glasses. I love hearing about her day.

Today she walked in the living room, playing "teacher", and we had this conversation...

L-Who can read? Raise your hand.

Me-(raised my hand)

L-Do we talk when the teacher is talking?

Me-No.

L-Good answer. Do we talk when the teacher is reading?

Me-No.

L-Good answer. Do we mess with the lights while the teacher is reading?

Me-No (with a giggle)

L-Good answer. Do we talk when we are in line?

Me-No.

L-Good answer.

And honestly, this went on and on for about 30 min. Her voice was very stern and serious. And I was seriously cracking up.

Laiken also started ballet classes 3 weeks ago. We have had 3 classes and are on our 3rd pair of tights. My little princess absolutely adores dancing. She is the only little girl in class who cannot take her eyes off of the mirror. She makes my heart smile.

Jack is having a hard time with preschool. He wants to go with Laiken so bad. I think he is sad without her. I bought him a Thomas train and tracks on Laiken's first day of school to ease his separation anxiety. It worked for a few days. Today Trey came home from work around lunch time due to rain, and the three of us went to a catfish house for lunch. It was really special to spend time with just the three of us. With 3 kids it is rare to have one on one time with any of them, so when ever the opportunity arrives, it is definitely special.

It's the little things in life that matter most.

Bananas are one of those things that if I buy a few, the kids eat them all in two days. If I buy more than just a few, nobody wants to eat them. This week no one wanted bananas and I had at least 16 in the fruit basket. So I decided to try my mom's recipe for homemade banana pudding. It was around 4 o'clock and I was standing at the stove stirring pudding. The kids were playing with a loud, annoying dirtbike toy and Trey was listening to country music videos on the tv, very loudly as well. I called to him to please turn it down and please move the kids to the back bedroom. I was tired and a little grumpy. With a little less noise and chaos, I finished the banana pudding and placed it in the fridge. Travis Tritt's "Drift Off To Dream" came on tv. I asked Trey to turn it up. I love that song and haven't heard it in awhile. At that moment, there was silence from the kids in the room, or maybe I tuned them out. :) Trey took my hand, put his arm around my waist, and we danced in the kitchen. He sang the song to me and it reminded me of our first dance on our wedding day. Laiken was watching and screamed to Jack and Dylan, "Come quick, mommy and daddy are dancing like they are married!" And we danced while the kids laughed at us. It's times like this that matter the most in my life.