Lego Kidsfest Fun

Getting eaten by a Lego shark, Scooby and the gang Lego models, building at the Lego friends booth, Lego Friends Participation Prize, Adding designs to a Lego wall, our family Lego creations, a Lego Friends Model

Last Friday I drove myself and my daughter to Charlotte and we attended the Lego Kidsfest with my mom and my aunt. We had been talking about and looking forward to the show since Christmas and despite the long drive, we were excited. The tickets were reasonably priced and thanks to free participation prizes we were able to recoup the cost of K's ticket.

We started in the model museum near the front of the venue but quickly figured out it was too busy for picture taking at the beginning of the show so we left and circled back close to the end. Next we made our way to the big block pile where we also only spent end up spending enough time to grab a few pictures of Little K in the pile before she was ready for something else.

Little K was most excited about the Lego Friends area so that's where we headed next, it was a participation prize area so after Little K was done building her park she turned it into the booth monitor and was given a free Lego Friends set to build when she got home.

We spent the next 3 hours floating around from specialized area to specialized area building and playing, there were a lot of people but since they limit the number of tickets sold the crowds weren't overwhelming. We didn't wait in line for anything Little K wanted to do although we did have to wait to turn in her creation at the Creation Nation station.

We skipped the Lego store because we don't need $100+ Lego sets when it's not a birthday or Christmas, we did check out the Lego Kidsfest souvenir store where I picked up a Catwoman flashlight, a shirt, and a Lego pen for my sister all for under $30.

Little K ended up with 3 participation prize Lego sets and a Lego Kids Club magazine plus a ton of great pictures and memories to last a lifetime. If you have kids or know a kid who loves Legos I highly recommend the Lego Kidsfest experience and don't wait to get those tickets they sell out fast!

Times They Are A Changin'

So here I am another weekend past and no words were read, not even in a magazine. One me knows I need to sit myself down with a book and not let myself get up until I've read at least 50 pages. On the other hand there's the me that says there is lots of time to read books but your kid only has 2 sleeps left until school starts so spend time with her because times they are a changin'.

Even after she is asleep I am planning schedule changes for all, we are getting up every morning at 6:30 AM so there will be no fights about it come Thursday. That means an earlier bed time for everyone too, even though Little K very logically wants to know why she has to get up before the sun and go to sleep before it's dark.

I'm thinking of lunch ideas and planning the morning and afternoon routines. I am talking to Little K about school constantly and preparing her for what is sure to be quite a shock. Apparently they don't do a kindergarten orientation, just an open house tonight. I'm hoping I get a little more information about drop off and pick up, lunch time hours, snack time foods, school rules, and upcoming events if there are any.

This is one of the times parenting feels like a job. Let's face it I have to get up before 8 AM every day and put pants on, I haven't done that in the 2.5 years since I started working from home. There will be no sunrise watching, no impromptu sunsets if they fall after bedtime, no more morning dog walks before the world wakes up.

We're all going to adjust but it's going to take a week or so to get into the swing of things. Once I do maybe I can get some words read but until then I'm returning another book from my wait list to the library unread and returning it to my "to-read" list.

What keeps you from reading books? How do you get back into the swing of things after a major schedule change?

Sh!t My Kid Says - Vol 2

The conversations I have with my 5 year old keep me endlessly entertained. I look forward to and am scared of seeing what she comes up with once school starts.

K: Where is Daddy? All the cars are here but I can't find him.

Me: I don't know, where do you think he is?

K: Maybe somebody killed him and drug him away.

Me: What?? I don't think so.

K: You're right because there's no blood. Maybe he's Santa Claus and had to go to the North Pole.

K: J says cousin L is our dad.

Me: Cousin L is your dad, he's my boyfriend.

K:You can' be mom and dad if you're a boyfriend can you?

Me: Well yes.

K: This world is crazy.

In my head: You have no idea.

*Tyson's Uncle calls him by his middle name hence the L.

Me: Put on your new cover up so we can go to the beach.

K: That's not a cover up it's pajamas.

Me: No it's not it has a hood and is made of towel material. Put it on.

K: I'll look like a fool and everyone will laugh at me!

In my head: She's so dramatic

K: I'm a girl.

Me: How do you know?

K: I have girl hair and girl toes.

Me: I don't think you can play outside tonight it's going to storm. You can play outside tomorrow night.

K: Let me just check my schedule

(Looks a wrist where I assume her fake watch scheduler lives)

K: Okay I'm free.

Me: Good to know.

After showing K a picture on FB of an old swim class friend.

K: I thought he was gone?

Me: Gone where?

K: To China.

Me: Okaaayyyy

Have any interesting conversations lately?

Kid Related Happiness

Last week I wrote a post about what happiness was to me, conspicuously absent were things to do with Little K other than one that was really about reading. I started to add things about Little K that made me happy, I realized what makes me happy is that I like who she is as a person right now.

I could write that in a post and you'd be like all oh good for you whatever. Fine for you but there's more to it for me than that.

It makes me happy that she cares about the environment, she'll calls someone out in a second for littering. Young or old no one is off limits. She asks intelligent questions related to the Earth and our environment and she listens and cares about the answers.

It makes me happy that she recently started watching more grown up shows on the Disney Channel. She still watches animated shows but lately she's added things like Jessie and Dog With A Blog (shows with non-animated characters all you non parent people who are not forced to watch the Disney channel). Is it weird this makes me happy? Maybe. It's not a milestone moment but still mark on life's chart that she's growing up.

It makes me happy she is counting down the time until she starts school. Days are still measured in sleeps for her right now and months mean little other than it's time to change the calendar. She knows that it's "3 more calendars until school starts". (June, July, and August). She's going to be the kid that walks away with no tears and comes home with a bunch of new friends.

It makes me happy that she's outgoing and friendly in social situations. While I have a love/hate relationship with tourists she never has a problem finding a friend at the beach. She makes a new friend each new session of swim class and she never lacks for anyone to chat with at karate. Don't get me wrong she has her moments of bratiness but some things you can't teach without the help of siblings or same age friends.

It makes me happy that she challenges the rules sometimes (sometimes it just pisses me off). Some rules need to be challenged, a few months ago she was adamant she was old enough to cross through parking lots and cross to the stores with no hand holding. After thinking about it and watching her do it a couple of times she was right, but I would have kept holding her hand out of habit had she not pointed out to me the rule was silly for her.

There are a million other little things that make me happy with who she is as a person. Raising a good kid isn't an easy job but so far I think I'm holding my own.

Interview With Little K

One of my Facebook friends posted the kid interview below, so I decided to ask Little K the questions and see what her answers were. My comments are in italics.

// What is something your mom always says to you? Clean you room.

// What makes your mom happy? A laugh (ummm not sure what this means but I went with it)

// What makes your mom sad? When I disappoint you.

// How does your mom make you laugh? You do funny things. (It's true I act goofy a lot)

// What was your mom like as a child? I have no idea.

// How old is your mom? 68 (What the fuck?!?)

// How tall is your mom? 10 (She determined this after counting from my toes to my head, very scientific).

// What is your mom's favorite thing to do? Go to the beach.

// What does your mom do when you're not around? Plays with her her sister and reads books.

// If your mom becomes famous what will it be for? Reading books, because you love books, literally.

// What is your mom really good at? Taking care of me. (In other words she's still alive after 5 1/2 years.)

// What is your mom not very good at? Not making messes. (I am the least messy person in this house but okay.)

//  What does your mom do at work? I have no idea. (She likes this answer a lot)

// What is your mom's favorite food? Casserole, right? (I never eat casserole).

// What makes you proud of your mom? That you love me.

// If your mom was a character, who would she be? Bugs Bunny.

// What do you and your mom do together? Swim.

// How are you and your mom the same? We both have noses. (Yes, yes we do. Very insightful).

// How are you and your mom different? You don't have the same color eyes as I do.

// How do you know your mom loves you? Because I do a good job.

// What does your mom like most about your dad? How he cooks. (Hahahahahaha that's it some days.)

// Where is your mom's favorite place to go? The beach.

// How old was your mom when you were born? 10 (Not quiet).

Filed under more shit my kid says.

Screen Time Be Gone

Last Friday I thought it would be fun to spend an hour or so at the beach after work, when is it not fun to spend an hour at the beach? It's not fun when you're kid turns into some crazed lunatic that you barely recognize. In the end she lost seven days of screen time. That's right I took her TV and computer time away for S-E-V-E-N days.

At first I thought these are going to be the worst seven days of my life. As a work from home mom it's easy and sometimes necessary to put on a movie or give her a little computer time when I need to make an important call or finish a report. This week that wasn't going to be an option, I may have been a little bit panicked.

Saturday and Sunday of no screen time went by pleasantly as did Monday afternoon. Here it is Tuesday and I'm trying to think of reasons to never give her screen time back although I know that isn't possible in this day and age. I don't want to have a technology illiterate child but the wonderful changes in her since loss of screen time still have me scheming.

Her attitude is a lot less snotty, she picks up her dirty clothes and takes them to the laundry without being reminded, she's much quieter, she's asleep by 8:30 and when she wakes up between 7:30 and 8 she grabs her OJ from the fridge and heads off to her room to play by herself. The list continues with very little talking back, listening when told to do something without having to be yelled at, and even eating better. I'm sure if I sat here and thought about it long enough I could come up with more.

Well I love technology I think sometimes it's to much for all of us. So in the 3 sleeps left before screen time returns I'm going to be setting up some screen time limitations. I like hanging out with this screen free kid, something I wouldn't have told you on Friday evening.

Kelli

Shit My Kid Says

Some of my most favorite blog posts are when Amanda, Steph, and Jana share shit they're men say during everyday conversations. Lately Little K is getting much better at the conversation and much better at inference. Some of our conversations just recently have left Tyson and I in tears. I should not keep joy like this to myself so I hope you enjoy shit my kids says as much as I do.

After losing her best friend and main blankie. 

   Her: I guess I can use the other one's but their names are not blankie, their names are Peter.

   Me: Who's Peter?

   Her: You know Peter Pan

After picking up books at the library:

   Her: Mamma is your new book called "The History of Eyebrows?

   Me: No

   Her: Maybe you can get that book next time.

Random daily conversation:

    Her: Mamma did you know some toots are silent so you don't know who did it. 

    Me: I did know that

    Her: So how do we figure out who silent tooted

    Me: You don't

As I'm planting my garden tubs and she's sitting in a chair watching:

    Her: I love helping you garden

    Me: You're not doing anything

    Her: My legs are exhausted

Yelling from the bathroom:

   Her: Mamma are elephants weightless?

   Me: No

   Her: They must be weighted then.

Had any interesting conversations lately?

Kelli

Kid Free Time Comin' Your Way

School is going to start in August and while I'm nervous and worried I'm also over the moon excited to get some me time back during the day. I've been making lists of awesome things I can do kid free in my head while she is at school and I am working from home.

// Walk myself and the dogs at lunch, if you've ever tried to walk two dogs and a five year old around the neighborhood streets you know it's not fun. While I abhor the use of leashes for children I often think if I could add her to the "pack" I'd know she wasn't running in front of a car.

// Kid free lunches with my stay at home mom friend. Yes I can do this now if Tyson is not working but what I could do it any day regardless of Tyson's schedule?

// Days off with no kid activities in the plans. What if I took a day off to do nothing but nothing?? I can do it when school is in without worrying about finding someone to watch my kid.

// Before work beach visit. I've got to be up and dressed with my kid at the school three or so blocks from the ocean by 7:30. Who says I can't stop off for a little ocean meditation on the way home?

// Speaking of meditation. I love it BUT I have a five year old, I'm not good enough yet to tune out the constant chatter and clatter of a kid. Imagine having no chatter or clatter in which to meditate?

// Work phone calls during which I am NOT worried a five year old will scream she needs more toilet paper or some equally unprofessional thing while I am trying to talk.

// A quick trip to ______. If you have kids you know there is no such thing as a quick trip anywhere. During school days I can take a quick trip to the store, the farmer's market, the library, the post office, or to pick up something delicious for lunch.

// Nothing for someone else. No can you get me a drink, fix me a meal, fix this toy, watch this dance, the dog did, come look at.

I know school is going to be a huge adjustment in our schedules since we currently have more of a night focused schedule but I'm ready for the change.

Kelli

Books, Clothes, and Buses Oh My!

I think of 2015 as the year of school, not the year of the wood sheep, what the hell is a wood sheep anyway? Anyway being the the person I am I'm already researching and planning all things school related. So far I'm unimpressed with what I've found.

First and most importantly the class start bell for Little K's elementary school is 7:30 AM,  I'm not even out of bed at 7:30 AM and neither is she these people have go to be fucking kidding me! Getting her up for a 9 AM swim class last fall was like pulling teeth. This means my work from home ass will now have to get up at 6 AM every single weekday just to get a kid ready and off to school. No wonder parents look forward to school breaks as much as kids do.

Next since I live close to two outlet malls I'm already thinking about school clothes, I know if I shop now I can get great deals on fall/winter clothes but what do I need and in what sizes? How many pairs of pants, shirts, dresses, shoes does this kid have to have? I don't want her to have the best and the most but I don't want her to have the worst and the least either. It seems like every day is some kind of spirit day. PJ's no nightgowns, footballs jerseys, dress like an old person day. Do I need outfits for all this shit too!?! Is there a pre-planned schedule I can get now so I don't have to run around last minute trying to find something?

The school lunch menu is full of shit my picky eater wants nothing to do with (including chicken rings??), I know what I can pack that she will eat but at some point someone's going to want to know why my kid is eat fruit, veggies, and nuts most days. Maybe I can show up some days with warm scrambled eggs or a fresh baked batch of fish sticks, yum!

If the school has 6 kindergarten teachers each with an aide how many damn kids are there and where do they come from? On average in my weekly kid routine I run into maybe 10 other mom's with kids my age so where is everyone else hiding!?! My pool of potential friends should be much bigger based on the number of kindergarten teachers.

Since I work from home and Tyson works a lot of nights we don't plan on having a bus rider, any excuse to leave my house on a weekday is an excuse I'll take. However, just in case she ever needs to ride the bus I have to fill out a special form and then they issue her a bus card. No bus card no bus ride, seems pretty complicated to me. All I ever did was show up at the bus stop and get on the bus. Also car riders are not allowed to have their parents exit the vehicle to help them buckle up at the end of the day. Guess I'll be teaching her to buckle that impossible seat belt all summer long.

Last on my list of ohmygodwhatihaveigotteninto is school supplies, the school supply list seems simple enough but what kind of backpack does she need, no one covers that? Does the first of the year list cover the entire year or will she need random things throughout the year too.

I just want to know what happened to easy kindergarten you know with naps and cookies and milk for a snack later? If you have kids and/or nieces and nephews what was your first year of school like?

Kelli