This week we went to the carnival that is in town, and the kids had a blast. $60 for 3 arm bands, that is freaking high way robbery. However, the kids got their arm bands and by the time it was all said and done, as many times as they road rides we DEFINETELY got our money's worth out of those arm bands. The kids were exhausted and had a fantastic time. They enjoyed funnel cake, snow cones and nachos. Kamilah loved puppy ride (like the tilt o whirl but it was shaped like a giant puppy), Keegan loved riding the 4 wheelers, but he called them race cars. Marshall enjoyed the carousel the best.
I enjoyed watching my kids having so much fun. Watching their faces light up as they experienced the joy of the carnival and just spending time together as a family, I love the memories our family makes together it always makes my heart swell!
They won't be little forever, they grow up so quickly and in a flash they will be teenagers and then graduating and going off to college, and then getting married and having kids of their own. It doesn't seem possible for all of that to happen so quick, but it does!
I remember graduating high school and moving away for college, getting married at 22 and then several months later getting pregnant, finally after a year of trying. We didn't think it would ever happen. We were blessed with Kamilah. Suddenly I went from being just a regular person, to being something so much more, a MOM! Best part of my life ever was the days my children were born and placed into my arms.
I want my kids to look back at their child hood and be like "WOW we had a good childhood, mom and dad had a lot of fun with us, they were there for us, they loved us, were there for us, and always supported us when we needed it and disciplined us when we needed it to keep us on the straight and narrow." We're always their parents first and foremost. We always love them and want what is best for them. We don't have all the money in the world we can't buy them everything they want but we do our best to give them what we can, and they are happy and content with what they have, (well for now, and I hope it stays that way even as they get older)!
Now I get to watch Faith grow up too! I've been there since her mama was pregnant, and was holding her from the time she was 2 hours old. I've been a part of her life and I hope I always will be. She's a great little girl and my kids absolutely adore their cousin. They all treat her like she is their little sister, Marshall loves to help her and he babies her every chance he gets.
This morning Kamilah fed Faith her apple sauce while I got the kids their breakfast, Kamilah let Marshall and Keegan help and they did a very good job of feeding their little cousin, and Faith was very patient and did very well for them.
Later Faith hung out at the house with her Grandma and Marshall and Keegan and Uncle Kenny while I took Kams to the local library for a summer craft program. Kams is finally old enough to do this summer program and she is so excited! Today they made a paper bat that can "fly" and learned about bats. She was happy because a couple of her good friends were also in the program that she hasn't seen for awhile so we were able to set up some summer play dates with them!
The program lasts for an hour so the parents have some time to run errands and what not. So another mom and I hit up a yard sale and a 2nd hand shop. I am still on the prowl for some clothes for my niece since her mom sent her like literally 3 onsies that fit her and everything else was like two sizes too small. So my niece has a lovely collection of summer dresses, shorts, shirts, skirts, and sandals and a few pairs of jeans. I'm not starting to work on her fall clothes and winter clothes as well as I'm not feeling highly confident that her mom will do this. Someone needs to make sure the girl is clothed! There is no excuse for a child to not have clothes. Do not sit there and buy cigarettes every week and then bitch and complain that your child doesn't have clothes and how you can't afford them. Hitting up a 2nd hand store I spent $3 and got like 8 things for this child! I hit up the sales racks at Wal Mart and got her several things that were only $1 to $3 a piece. At another yard sale I spent $1 and got her 4 things! For the amount of money she spends on cigarettes a week her child could have plenty of clothes, instead she buys cigarettes (that her child is allergic to and it matts up her eyes badly). Since she has been at our house where NO SMOKING IS ALLOWED AT ALL her eyes are clear and mat free.
Anyway, sorry it just irritates me when kids have no clothes or their clothes are ratty. I'm by no means wealthy and we do a lot of 2nd hand clothing from yard sales, 2nd hand stores, and hand me downs from other friends kids but the only "shabby" clothes they have are their play clothes and I don't care what they look like because they are only wore at home when they are getting good and filthy in our own back yard digging in the sand box and the mud and rolling in the grass being kids, or painting or doing side walk chalk. My kids KNOW how to get good and dirty when it's time to get good and dirty! The rest of their clothes for church and school or going out somewhere are NICE clothes. They may be used but they are clean, stain free, fit properly, no missing buttons, no tears etc, and look new. Kids grow out of clothes so quickly it's nearly pointless to buy everything brand new they will out grow it as soon as you buy it. We pass on to others what my kids out grow. Sometimes I will re sell a few items at the local consignment store for store credit so I can go back and purchase items to fill in gaps in their wardrobes (this year it'll be snow boots and winter coats that we'll be getting there, these are normally items I buy brand new every year but this year we'll have to get them 2nd hand as it's just not in the budget to buy them all brand new for each child this year). Atleast the boys do not need snow pants this year they already have some that they got last year as a gift that will fit them this year as well. Kams however will need everything. A coat, boots, and snow pants, the boys will need coats and snow boots. Last winter all 3 kids went all winter with no boots thankfully we didn't have snow all the time, and when we DID have snow it was a TON of snow and it was too much for them to play in outside so they didn't need the boots. Every time I would go to buy them new snow boots, they would literally be sold out of their sizes everywhere I went. Then in the middle of winter the boys out grew their winter coats, go figure! So we had to go up a size, but they won't be able to wear them again THIS winter so I still have to buy yet ANOTHER winter coat for each of them this year. This time, I'm getting them plenty big! Not like so big the arms hang down to their toys, but long enough they will fit at least all winter!
I generally try to get ahead on clothes for my kids. In the summer I browse around for fall and winter clothes and get a good stock pile going on, and in the winter I get a good stock pile going on of spring and summer clothes. If you watch sales racks and thrift stores or have friends that go through THEIR kids clothes it all works out. Then by the time that next season comes around you only really need to purchase a few items for the kids. For Kams this year it was shorts that she really needed and a swim suite. Both are all taken care of. For the boys it was shorts, t shirts and sandals. They are all taken care of. Now on to the fall back to school stuff, back to school clothes shopping always stresses me out a bit! Not my favorite thing to shop for. I always worry they won't have enough clothes to get through the school year, I don't want the kids wearing the same clothes every week or anything so I try to buy plenty of stuff to mix and match and layer and plenty of jeans to choose from. Then the purchasing of tons of socks and undies of course! The dreaded back packs, tennis shoes and school supplies...I almost go into a fit just thinking about the price tag adding up. *faint* I know school just got out...but uuugh if you don't start buying it NOW it's insanity by the time school starts back up in August!
Now with the extra cost of also buying for my niece on top of it all, I'm not sure I'll survive this HA! Gonna have to tell my boss I need a raise, (hahahaha here is where I insert maniacal laughter because of course I know my boss will NEVER give anyone a raise, ha that's crazy talk).
So this week has been full of the carnival, the library (where my daughter got her very own library card! I've been waiting for this day since she was born! We used to practically live at the local library, so glad we've now gotten to go back after being carless for so long it was hard to get to the library). This week also entails an art festival at the local college, a car show, a dog show (that I'm assisting with as it is to benefit the local animal shelter where I volunteer and money goes to help the dogs in the HOUNDS Training Program). I'm excited to photograph this event!
Next week we'll be going to the pool and the kids can't stop talking about how much they want to swim. (Yep this ol gal will be dawning a swim suite, please, I apologize in advance for any therapy anyone may need by the time this is all over, HA!)
Still need to set up some more fun things to do with the kids this summer. They have a few playdates coming up, a few Build and Grow Programs at Lowes, some volunteer days at the animal shelter, the air show at the local air port (that's usually in July). Maybe a trip to the zoo this summer if we can swing it. It depends on if we still have Faith by then or not, or if we have a van by then. I'd love to take Faith to the zoo with us, but if we just have the car we can't all go, if we have a van we can all safely go to the zoo.
We had wanted to go to Des Moines, IA for the family reunion this year but it doesn't look like that will be happening, which is fine there is always next year. The kids really enjoyed getting to go a couple of years ago. They met some cousins that were their age and they just had a fantastic time.
I know one thing we will be doing this summer involves our OWN back yard! We'll be setting the kids tent up and camping out side! They also received as a gift, a really nice telescope. We can't wait to set it up outside next to the tent and watch the stars. I know in August there is always a nice meteor shower! The kids are excited to "camp out". We also plan on taking a day trip to the lake for some swimming in sand castle building. A friend of ours has a boat and we all talked about getting the kids together for some time on the lake in the boat, I think my kids would love that!
Lots of visiting the park too this summer! Thankfully we have a nice one right behind our hour neighborhood which is so nice in the summer time.
A big thing that Kams did today was get her very own, very first library card. I was so excited! I've been waiting for this day since she was born. No joke. I have ALWAYS loved the library. It's a beautiful magical place, and books are a beautiful marvelous magical item that can take you anywhere and let you be anyone you want. Books broaden your horizon and sharpen your mind. You can learn from books, be entertained from books, lose yourself in a book. Kams was so excited to get to sign her card like a big girl. When she walked into the kids library section she says "OH BOOKS MY BESTEST FRIENDS I LOVE YOU SO!" She's only MILDLY dramatic like that...ok so she's dramatic all the time. No idea where she gets. None. Whatsoever.
Here's a pic of little miss after we got home with her library card she was so excited to show Daddy, Grandma, and her brothers and even Faith.
Overheard my husband tonight while putting our sons to bed. He was talking to Keegan (who can be a little scrapper sometimes and we always have to watch that wirey little boy!) My husband was telling him how to "fight" He told him to say "You tell them I brought my mic, and my back up mic" (Mic 1 and mic 2 are your fists) As my husband was saying this he was holding up a fist. Keegan laughed, but I laughed harder. I was like...really? REALLY? He's supposed to use THAT line? What's he going to do beat them to death with laughter? Before or AFTER the dude pummels him? No more self defense lessons from Daddy. We don't encourage our kids to hit, or fight, but if they need to defend themselves or some little punk keeps getting away with bullying them, my kids have FULL permission to wail on the jerk. They get in trouble at school, fine. Maybe the school should have DONE something. We tell the kids to tell the person to stop, then move away from them, if it persists tell a teacher, if it still persists, tell the principal. (Always tell us about each event). If nothing ever happens and the kid keeps messing with them, that's when they are allowed to smack'em flat, but only in self defense and NEVER use a weapon against someone and always try to talk to them to get them to stop and see an adult first. That bullying is wrong. At the same time? We don't want our kids to be pushovers and get bullied we want others to know that they WILL stand up for themselves (and others) and they don't just back down or roll over to others trying to push them around and bully them. Thus far, it's going fine.
Kams has a thing with saying "I hope the other kids don't laugh at me" (When it comes to her clothes) I tell her, it shouldn't matter what they say, dress for YOU, wear what YOU like. If you like what you are wearing who CARES what anyone else thinks. There will always ALWAYS Be someone in this who doesn't like you or something you do or how you dress or how you look or what you say. You can't let those people control you and how you feel or what you like to do. It's better to stand alone and be happy with who you are then to blend into the crowd and be miserable with who you are.
She finally decided that if someone DOES laugh at her she's going to say, your welcome I'm glad I could make you happy and smile. I think that's a good way to approach that.
She gets a LOT of people asking why she wears PINK all the time. She really hates that question. She tells them, I like pink it's pretty so I wear it. So then we read "Purplelicious" which in that book, the little girl gets teased for wearing pink all of the time and the other little girls are into the color black, but the little girl doesn't like black and won't wear it. At the end of the book the little girl meets another little girl who loves pink because when you mixed the pink with a little bit of blue she got a gorgeous purple color and she loves purple because it's purplelicious. Kams says that is a good book and it makes her happy to wear pink.
I still am not sure why she loves that color so much though. I wasn't one of those moms who dressed their daughter in all pink all the time. She only had a few pink clothes honestly. I didn't do the whole Princess thing either, infact she didn't know who the Disney Princesses were till she was 3. She didn't really like any of them till she was four!
Thankfully she will mix up her wardrobe a bit, she'll wear blue, and purple, grays, black, browns, yellows, greens, she currently LOVES neon colors (I've noticed that's a trending thing here lately!) Neon is making a come back, my eyes can't take it! AH! I may go blind. Seriously. Gotta wear shades when you look at some of these kids dressed in miss matched neon from head to toe, literally!
I just want my kids to dress as themselves, dress in what makes them happy and helps them express themselves. I don't want them to worry about please others. Kams always asks me if she is pretty in some little cute outfit she puts on. I first ask her "How do YOU think you look?" She says "I think I am BEAUTIFUL and POSH!" I tell "YES you certainly BEAUTIFUL and POSH!" And I compliment some lovely aspects of her ensemble. I want her to be confident in who she is and how she dresses! My husband always makes sure to compliment how smart she is, or how kind she is, or how helpful, or how talented she is, and then he compliments her on her beautiful smile and beautiful outfit. We want her to learn that beauty is on the inside and brains are more important than beauty. Be kind inside and out and it shines through. We do the same for our sons too. We try our best to teach them to be gentle and kind yet to stand up for themselves and others (we teach Kams the same thing). It's a difficult task knowing if you are doing the right things, teaching them properly, and what not! Some days I wonder if they even hear a single word we say. Then they do something that shows that YES they DO listen and pay attention and all you've taught them since they were born is there in their mind.
They always say parents are great teachers and teach their kids so much. I think it's the other way around! Our CHILDREN are the greatest teachers and it is THEM that teach us!
