Memorial Day Discipline

We had an invite to go to our neighbor's yesterday for dinner.  We were all excited to just relax, play and visit.  Everything was going well, dinner was lovely (pigs in a blanket for the kids and pork steaks and an Asian salad for the adults, yummy) and the kids were playing very nicely together.  Something took a turn for the worse somewhere between brownies and sunset. 

Jac and Mia were playing with our neighbor's five year old, we are very close with them and they know each other quite well.  Jac is perhaps, a little too comfortable at their house.  Comfortable enough to throw a five year old sized fit in their backyard.  It involved turn taking, which was merely the beginning of the poor choices that Jac made.  After he had spent a good ten minutes in their Fred Flinstone car with the girls hanging onto the outside and Jac driving them around, he was asked by Mia nicely if she could have a turn.  Much to her credit she was very patient and didn't through a fit herself.  I asked him to give Mia a turn and then Jeff in a much sterner voice asked him.  He started to negotiate, which was his first poor choice. 

When I got up from the table he knew that his negotiation wouldn't work.  So he ran, this was his second poor choice.  Never run away from your mother!  So, I told him we would go home if he didn't come to me.  He came.  Then he had to sit on my lap, but since he was being a bit too noisy (screaming his head off, third poor choice) to stay within company we moved inside for a discussion.  I thought for sure I could calm the situation down.  But to no avail, he tried, he really did but he was so frustrated and I was frustrated.  When we tried to walk back outside he continued to show his frustration, the final poor choice, so I decided I should take the opportunity I had.  I left with him and Jeff and Mia stayed at the party. 

Oh my.  This was quite a lesson.  He wasn't entirely positive that he wouldn't get to go back.  He held out hope for the longest time, probably up until I had his jammies on, then he knew.  He would not be allowed to go back and continue to play. 

I have to admit, I was very pleased by the whole situation.  Jac has been five going on fifteen lately, with a bit of an attitude and a healthy dose of defiance.  This was the perfect punishment at the perfect time.  Sometimes it is hard to make this choice and end a lovely evening for both yourself and your child, but I do believe that we had bottomed out.  This punishment will ring loudly in his memory for a long time, something for Jac to remember on Memorial Day.

Thank you to all the veterans out there, for your time and devotion and commitment.  A special thank you to my two Grandfathers, both whom have passed, for their service to their country in World War II.  I love you! 

Wedding

Jeff and I haven't been to a wedding since Jac was a baby.  We all went to the ceremony, which was gorgeous at the St Louis Basilica under the Arch on the waterfront.  Then Jeff and I headed out to the reception and left the kiddos with the sitter.  Lots of fun!

Random Stuff on a Thursday

I am 15 weeks and a couple of days, which is kind of crazy.  With my track record I could be approaching the halfway mark in a few weeks.  I can only expect the rest of the summer to fly by and be looking at October with some disbelief.  I am truly a grown-up.  I am going to be the mother of three, how in the world did that happen? 

Jeff and I took the kids today to my doctor's appointment so that they could hear the baby's heartbeat.  I was just a little nervous.  (What if they couldn't find a heartbeat?)  I know, I know, everything is fine.  But I think all moms go through the first trimester pretty well aware that they feel awful, therefore a baby must be brewing.  But then you hit the ooooh, I feel great period!  Lots of energy, appetite decrease a little, no more nausea, less tummy trouble and other than the big boobs and increasing belly you really don't know what is going on in there anymore.  I haven't felt the baby move yet, which is normal.  Most people feel the baby around week 18 if they have had kids before, it can be a lot later than that if it is your first pregnancy.  But I felt Mia at week 14, so this last week I have really been trying to concentrate on it.  But nothing really, every once in awhile I feel like there is a little hamster in there twirling, but it could be gas.  Anyway, Nurse Hilde (love her German accent) found the heartbeat immediately, 155ish beats per minute.  The doctor surprised me with another blood test.  The kids got see their mom be brave!  I hate giving blood.  But all was good, they got a lollipop and were very good.  In three weeks, I will have the big ultrasound and hopefully see a perfectly healthy baby in there! 

I said this would be random and all I have talked about is baby.  So here is some more news.  For those of you interested; the fawn has been around the house again.  Not in our yard, thankfully.  But it was in my neighbors yard for a day and then in my other neighbors yard yesterday.  Right out in the open, just curled up in the grass.  We had a heat induced thunderstorm yesterday evening.  Around 5:30 it started to blow and get dark, sprinkled at first and then it was a pretty crazy storm in a matter of ten minutes or so.  I didn't see it, but my neighbor said that the fawn moved under the trees when in started raining.  And then came the cavalry, mama came running up the valley to collect baby before it got nasty.  She nursed for a couple of minutes in the rain and then scooted baby off to the woods for a little more shelter.  I did go out and look for baby after the rain cleared, I mean, it really rained!  So it was nice to hear that mama was doing her job so well!

Last but not least.  I don't think it is entirely fair to invite a pregnant woman to a wedding.  It could be worse, it could be my wedding and I could be prego - I guess that would be the worst case scenario.  Or, I could be in the wedding party, more likely and definitely more uncomfortable than just having to go out and shop for a maternity dress that is appropriate for a wedding.  The one I was going to wear, made me look like a stuffed sausage, really not good.  If I was brave I would post the picture I made Jeff take of me, but I am a total chicken.  I will post a picture of the two of us all decked out on Saturday.  Even though I feel huge, I am sure I will have a lot of fun, and am glad we are going.  It is just really hard to feel attractive when you are a couple of sizes out of everything you own!

Summer Co-op

Summer is officially here in all of its glory.  We started up our neighborhood co-op which gives all the moms a three hour respite once a week during the summer.  We rotate from house to house and it is a lovely messy fun time.  Jac and Mia are growing up in a neighborhood with a great bunch of friends.