Translate

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Red Dye does what?!

Ya know before becoming a mom I always thought people were making excuses for bad behavior when they claimed food dyes affected kids behavior.
Now I realize I was wrong.
Holy hell was I wrong!
I don't admit that often lol 


For a while we were trying to figure out why some days Kai was fine, happy, helpful and lovable but other days she was mouthy, naughty and almost bat shit crazy.
I know everyone has off days but hers were EXTREME.
We tried everything we could think of to figure out what was causing these manic days.
Then we noticed on her bad days it was always after she had red juice like Hawaiian Punch or red Bug Juice or like red gummies.
We cut out EVERYTHING red from Juice to fruit snacks.
Suddenly 90% of the manic days are gone. Nailed it!

Yesterday she had a red Freeze Pop and she was fine.
I was surprised and decided to 2nd guess myself.
Never should have done that.
Always listen to your gut!
We let her have red Zoo Juice this afternoon.
Jesus Christ on Cracker it wasn't 20 minutes later she was a little whirling dervish of Lunacy.
She was mouthy, wouldn't listen, and couldn't seem to sit still to save her life.
I know the sugar wasn't an issue because she has had Zoo Juice before but other flavors like Blue Raspberry and she was fine.
She didn't stop for 2 hours and then passed out on the couch for an hour.
So when in doubt start looking at what is in what you eat!

I can't believe I just said that!


I felt like this before but after today OY!
Kai says some of the strangest things but whats worse is some of the things I end up having to say to her or tell her to quit doing!
For a while she was going through a "licking" phase to where I actually had to say the following things to her... 


"Stop licking your Grandmother!"
"Don't lick your Grandpa in the face!"
"No you cannot lick the dog!" <face palm>

"KAI! Why are you licking that tree?!" 
"Stop licking Hello Kitty"
Those are just the top ones lol
Lately Kai has been playing in a large box that my Dad has. He had bought a Miter Saw and saved the box for something else but then Kai claimed it lol
The other day she was running around like a mad woman and kept getting in the way while I was cooking dinner.
Finally out of frustration without even thinking I said "For Pete's sake go get in your box!"
My Dad just started roaring with laughter because apparently Kai went sprinting into the livingroom and jumped into the box and closed the FLAPS!


Some days just make me face palm because I can't believe I had to say that to her.
A couple weeks ago Kai was running around my Dad's apartment playing with a rubber chicken.
My Dad took it from her and started making it cluck and poke her in the tummy. She tipped over giggling on the couch.
The next thing I know we're in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner and Kai comes running in there with the chicken clucking non stop!
The tallest part she can reach is my Dad's behind so she starts poking him in the behind with the chicken while clucking.
My Dad starts laughing and telling her to quit it.
Without even thinking I say "Kai stop trying to stick that chicken up Grandpop's A$$"
I immediatly clap my hand over my mouth and start laughing so hard I have tears running down my cheeks.

What is some ridiculous things you've ended up saying to your LO's?

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Bring on 4k!


So HB and I went to Kai's 4k Parent's orientation this evening.
She will be attending a local Montessori preschool.
We very impressed but a little surprised at that same time.
At the beginning of the meeting they handed all the parents a manilla folder with a butt-load of paperwork in it.
Amongst all the stuff was the Student/Parent handbook.
We were early so we decided to flip through the book just to get an idea of things.
Inside there was a sheet just labeled... 4 Year-old Learner Expectation.

The way its worded we thought it was what they wanted the kids to already know. There are things on the list under different headings such as...
Under Health and Physical Development
  • Dress myself 
  • Cut shapes (Kai can't do this because I never trusted her with scissors lol)
  • Move safely 
Social Emotional Development...
  • Follow directions
  • Be a good friend and help others
  • make good choices (like what they're 4?)
Language Development & communication
  • Have conversation with others
  • Ask and answer questions (what 4 year old doesn't?)
  • Use pictures to tell a story (we've never tried this so not sure if Kai can)
  • Enjoy books
Approaches to learning
  • Try new activities
  • Pretend (don't all kids do this?)
  • Be flexible
 Cognition and General Knowledge
  • Count ten objects
  • count out loud to twenty
  • put together a 15 piece puzzle (Kai loves puzzles though she doesn't always put them back together right)
  • Explore my world
We were like "Oh wow well Kai can do most of these hopefully that's not a problem"
Turns out that's what they plan to learn this year!
We're suddenly like "Oh no! What if they don't want Kai because she is too advanced?"
Thankfully we've learned that the Montessori method means individualizing the teaching method for each child so hopefully Kai won't get bored with things.

Has anyone else encountered this? What's everyone's thought on Montessori teaching?

(I know all kids are different but looking at things from Kai's development we were surprised. I'm not ripping on kids that aren't as advanced or that are more so then she is.)

Letting Go.


At 4:30 this morning my Grandfather was finally reunited with my Grandma after a long battle with brain cancer.
In all honesty I am relieved that he is no longer suffering and isn't trapped in his body anymore.
When we saw him Labor day week he wasn't my Grandpa anymore. It was his body but he wasn't really there.
He had gone completely blind in one eye and was losing it in the other eye as well. He had lost most of the ability to talk plus he was mostly deaf. He also had to start using a walker which I know irked him to no end.
He didn't seem to recongize me, Kai or HB. Later I heard from cousin that he didn't recongize him the day before either. He couldn't enjoy the most basic things in life at that point. He couldn't watch tv (he loved the Packers), he couldn't read (history books) or even speak to his girl friend on the phone.


My Grandfather was always a hard worker and fiercly independent.
He was one of the few living WWII vets in WI.
He enjoyed bowling, Golfing, throwing horseshoes and doing work with the VFW.
He would actually walk the golf course all 18 holes while his clubs rode in the cart with his friends!
He was a rough yet sweet man that loved to watch cartoons with me and always shared his Werther Originals with me :)

I am honored to say that I am his granddaughter and that I couldn't be prouder of the man he was.

Cancer is such a terrible thing. It seems if the actual diseases doesn't claim you difficulties from the procedures to treat it will.

This cancer seems to have touched more lives then I can remember.
Next spring I am going to start participating in some of the local runs to help fund research.
If our generation doesn't do something things will not change for our children either.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Why is this so bleeding complicated!

Sweet baby Jeebus!! Why is wedding planning so such a freaking pain and so damn difficult?!
I'm not asking that much.
All we want is to get married. To join our families. To celebrate our Love. AND not go bankrupt trying to do it!

I guess that is asking too much because holy hell is everything associated with getting married is ridiculously expensive!
I read a while back that mentioning the word "Wedding" was saying a dirty word. They weren't kidding!
I swear before I figured it out I would say either "getting married" or "Wedding" and dollar signs would appear in their eyes!

The biggest problem I've encountered is trying to find an officiant that is willing to work with us.
The comments we've encountered are so archaic I never thought I'd hear them.
I don't belong to a church.
HB kinda belongs to his parents church (he was confirmed there) however they cannot keep a pastor for more than 6 months it seems. They (pastors) either get arrested, are forced to leave, voluntarily leave because of adultery or they die.
All of the non-denominational churches around here have crazy hoops they want you to jump through for them to even consider marrying you.
Here is what one church told me...


1. We would have to live apart. (they didn't care that we have a child that wouldn't understand what was happening)
2. We would have to attend classes (fine, no problem)
3. Since we have a child together we would need extra classes on the evils of premarital sex (WTH?)
4. Would have to attend church there for six months or more before they would consider us
5. We would have to join the mens and womens groups AND be active in them for 6 months.
Plus they're groups have a 6 week waiting list to even be approved to join them. (I'm sorry wtf?)

I asked the church rep how we were suppose to find time for that while raising a 3 year old, going to school and working. Her response was "Figure it out. Not my problem" Gee thanks.
They pretty much have things set up to deter any non members from wanting to get married there which I think is pretty sad when their credo on the door is that "Everyone is Welcome in the House of the Lord" 
Which pretty much translates to "You're Welcomed but Fuck Off if your not a member"

I contacted some independent Officiants here in town and one wanted $500 to marry us and that was for the very basic service where we couldn't even write our own vows!
The other person I contacted quoted $300 but that was basic service and to add anything even music was $50 here $30 there to where even the minimum of what we wanted was an extra almost $300.

If I can't find someone in the next 6 months I am going to make my cousin get ordained online to marry us!

Has anyone else had problems like this while trying to get married?

WTF Elmo?! (swearing)


Now don't get me wrong I love watching educational shows with Kai but Sweet Hell some of that stuff is maddening!
The shows that really get me is Elmo's world on Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and Dragon Tales.
I <3 Sesame Street in general. I grew up with it but some of the new changes are total WTF moments.
Like seriously Mr.Noodle... Seriously how many times can you not follow basic directions like Wash your damn hands or Put the shoes on your feet or the best one Put the hat on your fucking head!
I want to reach through the screen and throttle the piss out of that man!
The one actor (Michael Jeter)  that played Mr.Noodle I actually enjoyed his movies but the other dude Bill Irwin not a fan at all and whats worse is that he's a former clown! I HATE clowns!

I think Kai finds my irritation funnier than what Mr.Noodle is actually doing!

I really love the fact that Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood was created to carry on part of Mr.Roger's Neighborhood legacy but Jesus on a Cracker he's soooo annoying.
I wish that they would just play reruns of Mr.Roger's Neighborhood. They do it with Zaboomafoo even though the Kratt brothers have moved onto a different show.
The show teaches great messages about friendship and expressing your feelings but Daniel is such a whiner!
I keep waiting for his Mom to be like "Oh for Fuck's sake Daniel What the Hell is your problem now?"
(No I don't talk to Kai like that though at times I have to bite my tongue but I'm sure all moms have moments like that!)

Last one is an oldy but a goody that we found on Netflix.
I was excited to find it at first because I remember it being fun when I was little.
Boy was I wrong!
Between Ord being a humongous cry baby and Zach a selfish hypochondriac I spend half the time she's watching it wanting to reach in there with duct tape and the other half telling Kai that its not ok to act like them.
 

Going Old School!


So I decided to go a little old school and play some God of War :)
Figured I should give my Borderlands obsession a break lol
I'm starting with the first one that they released for the PS2. I'm a little OCD that I don't like to start playing a game on the middle game if its part of a series.  (I'm the same way with books.) 
I plan on playing through all the games through out the winter.
Here in WI that gives me a pretty large window!
I'm sure my gaming will have to take a little break if HB gets the new Diablo 3 game though he wants to get a new XBox 360 first since all of his friends are playing on Live. We have a arcade 360 that I think is on its last legs.
I wish his friends would switch to the PS3. I don't quite understand what is so great about the 360.

Its ridiculous how well hidden somethings are hidden!
And Holy Boobies EVERYWHERE!
Kai just happened to come up behind me in the beginning where he's with the 2 women in bed for the button challenge to get more Red Orbs and she goes "LOOK Mommy! Boobies!!"
HB snorted Mountain Dew laughing at her.

Thankfully HB has played all but the latest GOW game so if I get stuck he can help me :DHe had to help me with the Main Hydra head and some of those damn Wraiths. Those things suck!
So far though I really like these games and find the story line very interesting.
I think they just gained a new fan!