Sometimes I find myself getting frustrated with the kids. Mostly it's just them not listening the first time, or the second time. And so I get angry, and speak sharply to them, and with Jack it works, and with Kate sometimes she thinks it's all a joke, until she finally figures it out and either does what I want, or cries because I spoke sharply to her.
And I feel bad even as I'm doing it, because I know it's partly my fault. We do kid around, and we're not always firm, so when we ARE being firm, small wonder they think it's a joke sometimes.
At dinner tonight, I said I was sorry for yelling (some sort of situation where they weren't doing what I asked, so on and so forth). And then Kate said, "You not mad anymore?" And I said no, I'm not mad. And she said, "I not mad. I happy!"
So I said, let's see your mad face. And she gave me this "grrr" look that was totally goofy with her gap teeth. And we all cracked up. And then I asked Jack for his mad face, and his mad face was basically a lips-pursed smile, trying hard not to laugh, while he lowered his eyebrows and flared his nostrils. And we all laughed again.
Then I washed them up, read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, and put them both to bed.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Sports
- Jack and I are playing football a lot in the yard these days. He's kind of getting it. He can throw a spiral (er, it's not a regulation football). He can catch some. He used to kind of volleyball it away, and he still does with some, but he's gradually figuring out how to pull it in.
- After playing, we raked leaves. Or I raked leaves, and Jack got a shovel and laboriously lifted piles of them into the yard waste trash can. We finished the back and I was ready to knock off, and he said, "What about the front?" He's a little task master, he is.
- Jack picked up "rock, paper, scissors," from somebody, either his cousins or at school. He wants to play it a lot. Of course Kate's gotten into it, so when Jack and Emily were playing in the kitchen, she stood there eagerly: "Can I play? Can I play?" When they said yes, she said, "OK. I'm going to be scissors." Jack, wise to the game of course, made rock every time.
- Kate didn't listen to Mommy tonight, repeatedly, so she had to go to bed without stories. Naturally, this gross injustice made her cry. Jack soothed her: "It's OK, Kate. OK Kate. It's OK." He petted her hand reassuringly. As I was putting him to bed, he said, "Can I go hug Kate again?"
- After playing, we raked leaves. Or I raked leaves, and Jack got a shovel and laboriously lifted piles of them into the yard waste trash can. We finished the back and I was ready to knock off, and he said, "What about the front?" He's a little task master, he is.
- Jack picked up "rock, paper, scissors," from somebody, either his cousins or at school. He wants to play it a lot. Of course Kate's gotten into it, so when Jack and Emily were playing in the kitchen, she stood there eagerly: "Can I play? Can I play?" When they said yes, she said, "OK. I'm going to be scissors." Jack, wise to the game of course, made rock every time.
- Kate didn't listen to Mommy tonight, repeatedly, so she had to go to bed without stories. Naturally, this gross injustice made her cry. Jack soothed her: "It's OK, Kate. OK Kate. It's OK." He petted her hand reassuringly. As I was putting him to bed, he said, "Can I go hug Kate again?"
Friday, November 12, 2010
Friday today
A lot happened today.
- We met with Jack's teacher for Parent-Teacher conference. She said he's smart, bright, funny, competitive, kind, likes everyone, and is well-liked. After the meeting we met up with him in the auditorium, where he was waiting with his class, and hugged him goodbye, until I'd pick him up later.
- At the meeting, Kate sat at a desk and on paper we'd brought drew little pictures of faces. As she finished each one, she ran over to us with it, then ran back to draw another one.
- Kate and I went to the grocery store. She helped by pushing the cart, by which I mean hanging on it with her hands and letting her feet dangle. She was disappointed that the deli guy didn't give us a piece of turkey to taste.
- We read a book together, from Aunt Linda, where you make different faces by turning flaps of the book. She was really into it, it was nice to see her talk about each different page.
- We had lunch, she napped, I painted.
- I woke her up and we went to get Jack. She was groggy or cranky (not much difference) and clung to me the whole time. Jack was red-cheeked but happy looking; it was windy and a little cold.
- At home, we played football in the yard for about half an hour. We threw the football around, and when I had it both of them tackled me around the legs. Whenever Jack got the ball he talked about "and it's an interception! and Percy Harvin takes it in for a touchdown!" He's still learning the difference between offensive and defensive players.
- They had their apple and Pirate's Booty snack, then tried to recreated Backyardigan World, a big lego block world they built last year and put the stuffed Backyardigan characters all over. It showed up on the calendar this month. I noticed Jack bringing all the Legos up to the kitchen from the playroom. Um...what are you doing? I asked. Jack said, "We have to look at the picture." Of course.
- Kate ran by, heading upstairs. Where are you going? I asked. "I need to get something," she explained. Of course: her Backyardigans.
- They drew pictures. Jack drew all the NFL team names and logos he could think of. He asked me for some spellings, and I gave him them, and then I told him he could try on his own. I liked his spelling of Seahawks in particular: SEWHOKS.
- Kate drew a picture of a face, with squiggly hair, and the letter she knows how to draw: P. All over the page. She brought it to me and said, "You can keep it if you WANT to." There's only one answer.
- Emily came home, having picked up Kate's preschool formal pictures. Stunning. She's become a little girl almost overnight, it seems.
- We made pizzas for dinner. I shaped Jack's like Scooby-Doo, as requested, and Kate's like a kitty. Kind of. Hers looked like a sock and his looked like an alien or something. They covered them with cheese, and ate a whole lot of cheese and a whole lot of tomatoes.
- They ate. "I eat my whole dinner!" Kate said, as she took about her third bite. Great, Kate. "I'm going to eat my whole dinner," she said again. She didn't, but she did OK.
- They ran around the playroom throwing the toy football against the wall and jumping onto the futon. Over and over.
- I started reading Kate's book, What the Ladybird Heard, while she was still dawdling with her teeth getting brushed. She heard, and got serious. "Oh! Daddy is reading. Without me! Daddy, wait." She ran in. "You forgot ME," she said. Nope, I couldn't.
- Jack came down to say another good night.
Just another Friday today.
- We met with Jack's teacher for Parent-Teacher conference. She said he's smart, bright, funny, competitive, kind, likes everyone, and is well-liked. After the meeting we met up with him in the auditorium, where he was waiting with his class, and hugged him goodbye, until I'd pick him up later.
- At the meeting, Kate sat at a desk and on paper we'd brought drew little pictures of faces. As she finished each one, she ran over to us with it, then ran back to draw another one.
- Kate and I went to the grocery store. She helped by pushing the cart, by which I mean hanging on it with her hands and letting her feet dangle. She was disappointed that the deli guy didn't give us a piece of turkey to taste.
- We read a book together, from Aunt Linda, where you make different faces by turning flaps of the book. She was really into it, it was nice to see her talk about each different page.
- We had lunch, she napped, I painted.
- I woke her up and we went to get Jack. She was groggy or cranky (not much difference) and clung to me the whole time. Jack was red-cheeked but happy looking; it was windy and a little cold.
- At home, we played football in the yard for about half an hour. We threw the football around, and when I had it both of them tackled me around the legs. Whenever Jack got the ball he talked about "and it's an interception! and Percy Harvin takes it in for a touchdown!" He's still learning the difference between offensive and defensive players.
- They had their apple and Pirate's Booty snack, then tried to recreated Backyardigan World, a big lego block world they built last year and put the stuffed Backyardigan characters all over. It showed up on the calendar this month. I noticed Jack bringing all the Legos up to the kitchen from the playroom. Um...what are you doing? I asked. Jack said, "We have to look at the picture." Of course.
- Kate ran by, heading upstairs. Where are you going? I asked. "I need to get something," she explained. Of course: her Backyardigans.
- They drew pictures. Jack drew all the NFL team names and logos he could think of. He asked me for some spellings, and I gave him them, and then I told him he could try on his own. I liked his spelling of Seahawks in particular: SEWHOKS.
- Kate drew a picture of a face, with squiggly hair, and the letter she knows how to draw: P. All over the page. She brought it to me and said, "You can keep it if you WANT to." There's only one answer.
- Emily came home, having picked up Kate's preschool formal pictures. Stunning. She's become a little girl almost overnight, it seems.
- We made pizzas for dinner. I shaped Jack's like Scooby-Doo, as requested, and Kate's like a kitty. Kind of. Hers looked like a sock and his looked like an alien or something. They covered them with cheese, and ate a whole lot of cheese and a whole lot of tomatoes.
- They ate. "I eat my whole dinner!" Kate said, as she took about her third bite. Great, Kate. "I'm going to eat my whole dinner," she said again. She didn't, but she did OK.
- They ran around the playroom throwing the toy football against the wall and jumping onto the futon. Over and over.
- I started reading Kate's book, What the Ladybird Heard, while she was still dawdling with her teeth getting brushed. She heard, and got serious. "Oh! Daddy is reading. Without me! Daddy, wait." She ran in. "You forgot ME," she said. Nope, I couldn't.
- Jack came down to say another good night.
Just another Friday today.
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
playing together
Today I played some football in the backyard with Jack and Kate. I held the ball, and they took turns running up and kicking it. We've done it the last two days, it's become a routine now I like to think.
I went in after that, but they stayed outside. I checked on them every few minutes. At one point they were sitting, facing each other, holding their hands up. Patty-cake I think. I checked again a few minutes later, and they were standing up, pretending to fall down, laughing.
Then Jack was teaching her how to do animals. Arms over head, giraffe. Arms swinging low, elephant. Lion. Other animals.
They started singing bedtime songs to each other. Edelweiss, Mr. Sun, other staples. Sometimes Jack was louder, but Kate's voice would seep in every now and then.
Not aware I was watching them, they played and laughed and made up games and songs and dances for each other.
Half an hour later, maybe longer, they came in, their cheeks red and eyes bright. It was kind of cold out. "Daddy!" We lay on the rug together, catching our breath and being happy.
I went in after that, but they stayed outside. I checked on them every few minutes. At one point they were sitting, facing each other, holding their hands up. Patty-cake I think. I checked again a few minutes later, and they were standing up, pretending to fall down, laughing.
Then Jack was teaching her how to do animals. Arms over head, giraffe. Arms swinging low, elephant. Lion. Other animals.
They started singing bedtime songs to each other. Edelweiss, Mr. Sun, other staples. Sometimes Jack was louder, but Kate's voice would seep in every now and then.
Not aware I was watching them, they played and laughed and made up games and songs and dances for each other.
Half an hour later, maybe longer, they came in, their cheeks red and eyes bright. It was kind of cold out. "Daddy!" We lay on the rug together, catching our breath and being happy.
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