Jared asked me what to do with his plate from breakfast. It was a paper plate, so I said, “Put it in the trash please”. He then said “Mommy, I like you saying please”. If you read my post about the parenting seminar, you will know that he was giving me descriptive praise. I’ve been working hard at giving the kids descriptive praise since attending this seminar. It has had a big impact on their behavior and it must be sinking in!
Mommy, I drew a person!
I was uploading the soccer pictures to flickr while the boys were drawing at the table. Jared told me to look at his picture and informed me that he had drawn a person. I was stunned at how good it was! Prior to this, his drawings didn’t at all resemble what he told me they were.
A Tale of the Bob the Builder Hat
I was uploading old photos today, I archive old digital photos at the end of each month to flickr, when I came across this set of pictures. They show the story of what happened when Aidan shared his hat with Jared. I think it is hilarous. You can see it here.
Aidan Cut the Twins Hair
Yesterday afternoon while I was helping Kayli with her homework downstairs, Aidan was upstairs cutting the twins hair. He did a chop job on all the hair in the front of Riley’s head. I must have caught him right when he started on Jared’s since he only cut a bit out of the front of Jared’s head. I can comb Jared’s hair so that it is barely noticeable, but Riley’s is a mess! I don’t know what to do with it. Aidan now has no toys in his room and won’t be getting any back till the twins’ hair grows back. I have no idea where he got the scissors, probably out of the girls room. They have been confiscated and are now out of reach. Hopefully not having his beloved bionicles for a while will drive the point home with Aidan that he better not ever cut anyone’s hair again.
Much better day at preschool
Jared and Riley had a much better day at preschool today. One of teachers (they have 3), told me that Jared did great today and that Riley did much better. The kids in the class take turns bringing snack (you have to sign up each month) and yesterday it was Jared’s turn. Riley’s turn is Thursday. I know Riley had a bit of a problem with it being just Jared bringing snack and not both of them together. Jared got to be line leader for snack time (with Riley right behind him). Jared said it was lots of fun being line leader. They both say they love school and spend a lot of time playing “school” when at home. I hope this marks a turning point for them and they will continue to have good days at preschool from now on.
How to get play-doh out of a screen door
Today I learned how to get play-doh out of a screen door. Why would I want to know such an arcane piece of knowledge you ask? I’m sure you probably guessed it had something to do with the twins and you would be right. This morning I got the baby asleep and took out the play-doh for the twins to play with. I’ve told them more times than I can count that play-doh has to stay at the table. They’ve been really good about keeping it there lately so I though it would be safe not to sit right there with them the entire time. After getting them settled, I decided to plant the two plants that the twins got at the end of Sunday school last year which have grown so much that they are taking over my kitchen. It only took me a few minutes to plan them out front. During that time, both twins had flattened some play-doh and pressed it into the front screen door. They of course did this on the lower half of the screen which has a metal grate on the other side, further complicating matters. After trying to scrape it off in between the metal grate, I grabbed the vacuum cleaner. The combination of scraping and the vacuum cleaner was able to remove most of it and I got the rest by wiping it off with a wash cloth. The boys got a long time out – having to sit there until I got it all cleaned up. And, they don’t get to play with play-doh for the next few days. Hopefully, they will remember to never do that again.
Another Bad Day at Preschool
The twins had another bad day at preschool. Today they were screaming and throwing themselves on the ground whenever that had to switch stations. This is their third day. They go Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-11:30. They say they like it and they have fun, but yet they still behave badly. I really don’t know what to do about it. I’m trying the “treat method” where they only get a treat if they have been good. Let’s hope it works better next week.
Why is puppy on top of the door Jared?
This is Jared’s puppy. This is the puppy he sleeps with and carries around with him all day long. I had to laugh when I saw it on top of the front door like this. I asked Jared why he put his puppy there and he said because he wants to be there. Can’t argue with that!
Twins First Day of Preschool
Jared and Riley started preschool today. They were so excited to be going to “Aidan’s school”. I told them that is is now Jared and Riley’s school! They love their baskets and insisted on carrying them in themselves. Riley was crying a bit when I left, but I think he will be fine after a few minutes. I hope they have a good day! It felt so weird to get back in the car without them. I’ve been taking them to this school for the last two years to drop of Aidan. They have the same teachers Aidan had two years ago. They are great!
Happy 4th Birthday Jared and Riley!
Jared and Riley turned 4 today. It is hard to believe it has been 4 years since they were born! They’ve gone from those tiny little babies in the NICU to thriving preschoolers. Jared’s favorite color is blue and Riley’s favorite color is green. They both like Spongebob Squarepants and Krypto the Superdog. They now dress themselves and only sometimes dress alike. They play together really well, most of the time. Making up elaborate scenarios as they play. They are both very affectionate. They will often come up to me and give me a kiss and a hug and tell me that they love me. They are both so excited about starting preschool in a few weeks. They keep asking me if it is the end of summer yet so they can go to school. They were thrilled to get Superman Bikes for their birthday. They are big enough that they will be able to use them for several years.