Joey is our oldest. At 7 years old, he is a very bright boy that never stops thinking. He is less interested in sports, and more interested in how things work. Our middle child is Sarah, age 4 1/2. Sarah is a very sweet-natured child. She has a strong mothering instinct and spends most of her time competing for our attention. Sydney is the baby of the family. She is 14 months old and has entered the toddler phase.
My husband and I, along with the children, have had some major changes this year. I have spent the last year at home full-time with the kids, and he working and traveling for work. Over the summer, we made a complete role reversal, and I decided to rejoin the workforce (let's face it - one year off was just a taste of being a SAHM) and he is now home with the girls, playing chauffer driver, chef, nurse, and housekeeper.
It's been different. Good, but different. We are all adjusting. I am enjoying my new job immensely, as a full time Education Coach in Pre-K. This role allows me to move between nine different *wonderful and amazing* classrooms, and support the teachers, keeping them on their A-game, and always on top of the curriculum. It's a fantastic program, with some really incredible teachers, children and families. I really can't say enough good things.
We are also very involved with our church family, and with the Children's Ministry and Preschool programs there. Again, wonderful programs. With all of these experiences, I spend a LOT of time with young children, and have developed the following list of requirements necessary in order to work with/live with young children:
- Have a sense of humor. If you don't have a sense of humor, then you will need #2.
- A box of Kleenex. Just in case you forget to have a sense of humor, you will undoubtedly end up in tears, thus requiring a tissue. :)
- A pre-paid card to Starbucks. AKA "Refeuling". Caffeine is a must. Their energy is everlasting. Yours must be too, or you will be trampled.
- A change of clothes. Boogers, paint, spit, food, drinks, vomit, pee...you name it, and it will end up on your clothes. Which leads me to #5.
- The stomach of steel. You will witness, see, smell, touch, and possibly even taste (eewwww!) the aforementioned bodily fluids. You can't join in the fun. Be ready to clean it up. HAHA!
- Baby wipes. Nuff said. These things should come with a belt attachment.
- The understanding that while you think you are in charge, you are actually not in charge. ;)
- Be flexible. Plans are going to change.
- Keep it short & sweet, and be CLEAR! Young children cannot comprehend negative commands (ex. "Don't run!"), and will stop listening past 7 words, (ex."Please don't hit your sister in the face with your sticky hands and then wipe them all over my carpet, because I will now have to call for a carpet cleaning service and your sister needs a bath, and you are...blah blah blah!" They lost you.)
- Be a good LISTENER. Kids are people, too. ASK them why they are doing something. ASK them if they want a red popsicle or an orange popsicle. ASK them if they would like to help you by carrying a bag. ASK ASK ASK.
Which leads me to...my guilty pleasures. Okay, I admit it. I'm a Facebook addict. And most of my posts consist of funny things my kids have said or done. At the request of many FB friends...I've decided to blog. Not only because I want to share, but I don't want to forget anything! Life is hectic, and there's no way I'll ever write it all down. Even if I did, I can guaran-damn-tee you I'd lose the notebook within a week! (That's why I have Sarah - she can find anything for me, including my purse LOL- which I lose on a daily basis.) And I have a TERRIBLE memory. Terrible. Simply terrible. I can't remember what I had for dinner last night. LOL. So, this way, I will (hopefully) be able to capture some of those memories and funny stories of our family during this crazy-hectic-upside down-amazing-wonderful-tiring time of my life.
Enjoy!
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