Showing posts with label preschooler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label preschooler. Show all posts
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Memory Game for Preschoolers
Sometimes my daughter's memory really amazes me. She'll say, "Mommy, can I have a cookie? Remember that one time, when I was two, when we drove by this one store and you let me get a cookie? Since we're going by that store again, can I have a cookie again?"
So, I decided to put her memory really to the test. We gathered up about seven toys and I put them on the table. Then I told her to close her eyes and I took away one toy. She opened her eyes and was supposed to tell me what was missing. She was really good at it. She would yell right away, "The Pony!" I finally had to get some things that were more similar to make it harder. Even Little Buddy (2.5 years) enjoyed this game too, although he wasn't quite as good at it!
Sunday, July 8, 2012
The Worst $700 I Ever Spent
Nope, this is my three year old. Let me tell you what happened and then I'll tell you about how the money comes in. A few weeks ago, I was changing Little Buddy's diaper (poopy of course) when and Munchkin Girl was in the other room, looking out the front window, hoping her little friends were going to be coming out to play. I heard her fussing in there. Not crying, just almost like whining.
"What's wrong?" I yelled. "What are you fussing about in there?"
She came running in and honestly I expected something stupid. Like a dead fly on the floor or a hair in her mouth. Instead, her front tooth was sticking straight out all weird. She reached up and I yelled, "No!! Don't pull!!"
Yet my three year old yanked her own tooth out, right before my very eyes. Blood started gushing and I was elbow deep in a poopy diaper so you can only imagine the mass chaos that ensued.
Somehow she had knocked her tooth against the front door while looking out the window. Don't ask. I'm as confused as you are about what happened. Anyway, we had the tooth fairy come. We told her how cute looks and how grown up she is. We went to the dentist. He took X-rays and assured us that there was no permanent damage, but that it would likely take 3-4 years for the permanent tooth to come in. He did say that we could have a fake tooth made. He made it sound super easy...no anesthesia, nothing permanent, just quick and painless!
At first we didn't even consider it, but she kept looking up at me with sad eyes, and saying, "Mommy? I can't chew my food very well. I want my tooth back." So I finally talked to her about it. I explained that the doctor could make her a new tooth but it would take awhile and might hurt just a little bit. She agreed that it would be worth it and was so thrilled that ran around yelling for days, "Guess what?!? I'm getting a new tooth!!"
It wasn't a bad process to have it made, but then it came time to check out. As I've said before, I'm a bit of a dingbat. I started to walk out without paying or anything. I figured insurance would cover everything and they would bill us later for the difference.
"Ma'am?" they yelled. "We need to charge your card. That comes to $350."
"I'm sorry?" I sputtered. "That wasn't my understanding."
"Oh yes, you pay the other half when the tooth comes in a few weeks."
I about peed my pants. $700 for a new tooth??!?!? The dentist didn't mention that part. He made it sound sooo easy.
Fast forward again to two weeks later when the tooth finally arrived. Of course, by now Munchkin Girl is used to her missing tooth and she's telling me that she doesn't need a new one anymore. I figure she'll be happy when she sees the new one in her mouth and we head out for the dentist. We arrive and it is the scariest-looking contraption I've ever seen. Wires wrap around the back teeth and then a long wire goes along the back of the rest of her teeth to keep in the fake tooth. She looks terrified and I don't blame her.
I whisper in her ear that I'll buy her a new doll and a cookie if she's brave. She lays down, but clings to my hand. They struggle with getting stupid thing in her mouth and when it's done, she's like a caged animal. She's squirming and screaming, "Take it out! I don't want a new doll or a cookie! Just take it out!!" That's when I knew she meant business. Since when does she not want a new doll? Or a cookie for crying out loud?!? I've never seen her like this.
Now, what's a Mom to do? I've already spent $700 on the stupid thing. Yet, the only reason I even did it is because she said she wanted it. I honestly don't care. I think she looks kind of cute with a missing tooth. Yet now I'm torturing her and traumatizing her and she'll probably hate the dentist for life and frankly it doesn't look that good anyway. The color doesn't even match.
"Let's take it out," I said softly. "We're not putting it in. We'll call you if we change our mind."
And that's how I spent $700 on a fake tooth that is now sitting permanently at the dentist's office instead of in my daughter's mouth. Yet I know with 100% certainty that I made the right decision. Sometimes you just gotta trust your gut, even if everyone, the nurses, the dentist, everyone, thinks you're crazy. Plus, it makes a great story. And she looks cute as a button with her missing tooth...and just think how fun it will be when her new tooth comes in! It should only take about four years.
Of course, if I had to do over again, I would ask more questions. But you live and learn, right?
Don't forget to check out my new book! It will seriously help you save your sanity. If you have ever tried to cook dinner while your kid clings to your leg and cries, this is the book for you! It was released in July, 2012 and was co-written by me and Susan Case, a Kindergarten Teacher. We worked together to give a Mom's point of view and a teacher's point of view, so that we could give you activities that not only keep the kids busy, but also keep them motivated to learn and develop their natural curiosity. Kids behave better when they are given challenging projects to work on, which will in turn give you more free time to do the things you really need to do, like washing dishes, paying bills, and relaxing so that you can be a better Mom!
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Thursday, June 28, 2012
Making Jelly With Grandma
Sometimes I forget how fun the library is. It's been so hot lately (over 103 yesterday), so earlier this week we went to the library in the afternoon. While we were there, Munchkin Girl picked out several books, one of which was Berries to Jelly, which describes something this culinary-challenged Mom has never even considered doing: making home-made jelly.
Munchkin Girl was very intrigued by this book and we read it about 10 times that first day. That night, she was cuddled up in Daddy's lap reading it and she looked up at him and said, "I'm not super good at making jelly."
We had to try not to laugh because she looked so distraught and sad at her inability to make jelly. He replied, "Don't worry. I'm not super good at it either. But you know who is? Grandmother!"
I called Grandmother that night and invited ourselves over for a jelly-making party. My Mom went too, and once we got there, I couldn't believe how silly I was for not doing this kind of thing more often. I'm not usually the sentimental type, but there is something truly special about spending time with four generations of women, and doing something memorable, like making strawberry jelly.
Munchkin Girl helped us stir in all the ingredients and she was so thrilled to make jam after she had read about in her book so many times. We left Little Buddy at home so that we wouldn't risk him trying to tackle us while we cooked. (You laugh. It's happened before. He's a wild man.)
My Grandma's recipe is really easy and doesn't require any long cooking of strawberries, so if you want to make your own jelly, give this a shot:
Ingredients:
- One 20 ounce bag of frozen strawberries (My grandma says they stopped making 20 ounce bags, but you really need the 20 ounces so you might need to buy two bags)
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 package Sure Jell (you will find this by the canning section. Here is what it looks like)
- First, thaw the strawberries. You can try microwaving them on PL-5 for about 4-5 minutes
- Blend them in the blender until there are no chunks
- Mix with 4 cups of sugar, and then let sit for 10 minutes
- Now, in a small sauce pan, mix 3/4 cup water with the Sur Jell. Bring to a boil and then stir constantly for 1 minute
- Next, pour Sure Jell mixture into Strawberry mixture and stir for 3 minutes
- Pour into jars and let sit for 24 hours at room temperature to give time to set up
- Refrigerate or freeze as desired
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Wednesday, May 30, 2012
An Inspirational Cancer Story Involving a Newlywed, a Doctor's Wife, and a Birdhouse
Being married to a doctor sounds glamorous, but trust me, it isn't all it's cracked up to be. My husband and I have been together since college and it's been a very long road.
However, compared to my friend Colleen, my road seems like a short cul-de-sac. Colleen met her husband in college, and after college her husband moved to Omaha for medical school. She didn't know a soul there, but she wanted to be with him, so she enrolled in nursing school. Just when she was getting to know Omaha, they had to move again for residency. Colleen packed again and followed her husband to another city where she didn't know anyone. Things were going well until she started feeling sick. First, she got sore gums and didn't think much of it. Then she started feeling really tired, but again tried to ignore it. Eventually her gums started bleeding every time she brushed her teeth. Her parents finally convinced her to get blood work done and she was out running errands when she got the results back. The nurse on the other end of the phone told her she needed to go to the Emergency Room immediately. Colleen was confused.
"I can't go now," she told the nurse. "I'm just getting ready to walk into the grocery store."
The nurse replied, "Colleen, you don't understand. You need to drop what you're doing. You are in serious danger. Minutes will make a difference."
Collen was diagnosed with leukemia and her levels were so dangerous when she got that call, that the doctors told her she was incredibly lucky that she got there when she did. She began fighting for her life in a strange city, without her friends or her family. She spent lots of time in the hospital and at home, where she was quarantined and couldn't leave the house for fear of contracting a cold or worse. While she was stuck at home alone, she watched lots of TV and read books, but that got old fast. Eventually she started to just look out the windows and she noticed all the different birds. She bought a book and she became an avid bird watcher, and found that it was a very soothing way to pass the time.
Colleen battled through and when I met her, she had a full head of hair and a vivacious smile. I didn't even know she'd had cancer, because by this point, she'd been in remission for several months. Since she was a nurse at the hospital, my husband knew story and when he told me that she'd just gotten over cancer, I didn't believe him. This wonderful, energetic person didn't seem at all like a cancer patient to me, but it was true. She had lived through chemo, being quarantined to her house, and losing her hair as a twenty five year old newlywed. Yet she isn't bitter. On the contrary, she has flourished. She never complains about what she went through and she inspires me daily to look around and appreciate what I have. She has one year left here, before they will move yet again for her husband to complete his fellowship and will finally be done with all his training. She has made a full recovery and is 100% healthy today.
Colleen has become one of my dearest friends and my kids absolutely adore her. They talk about her constantly and Munchkin Girl told me one time, "Mommy, it's so nice of you to share your friends with me." Little Buddy definitely has a crush on her and every time he pulls out his pretend phone, I hear him saying, "Hi Coyeen. Coming soon?"
As a tribute to her, my kids painted a bird house for her. She isn't stuck at home anymore, but she still loves birds, and my kids love her, so I thought it was very appropriate. I bought a few birdhouses from Hobby Lobby for just a few dollars. Then I gave them some paint and let them go to work! Munchkin Girl is nearly four and she was very particular about the way she wanted it painted.
Little Buddy, on the other hand, had some trouble with his, so big sister jumped in to help him. They worked together on his.
When they were done, we kept one and gave the other to Colleen. She was thrilled with it and Munchkin Girl was so proud to give it to her. We put ours in the backyard and have even enjoyed watching the birds flock to the food!
I have written this story in connection with a project that was started by Mary Anne from a blog called, Mama Smiles. Mary Ann was diagnosed with cancer at age 22 months. She bounced back and is living a wonderful life with her husband and kids and this has inspired her to give back. She has formed a group of power bloggers to write about how cancer has touched their lives and all stories will be compiled for a book, which will be available to purchase. All proceeds will go toward Cancer Research. You can also donate below by clicking on the link. Thank you for your support!!
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