Things That Make Me Smile 5/30/14

Jake (8), Alyssa (6), Zac (4½), Tyler (2)

Happy weekend! This past week we went to Greenfield Village's Civil War Remembrance event, planted flowers and veggies and got some other yard work done, and enjoyed being together as a family. There are always many reasons to Smile.


1. Jake: "I think I can read hieroglyphics."

2. Zac: "Who's your favorite kid?"

Me: "I don't have a favorite kid."

Zac: "Well, now you do, 'cause it's me!"

3. Zac: "Mom, one day, can we go to the future?"

4. Tyler got into Alyssa's nail stuff and gave himself a princess pedicure.

5. Jake: "Do you know what I want to hear? Alvin and the Chipmunks singing 'Let It Go.' That would be funny!"

6. Zac: "I'm sweating. No, actually, my hair is sweating."

7. The Wordless Wednesday post this week. 

8. Zac: "I love you, by the way."

9. Zac was innocently sleeping when Tyler climbed up on the couch with a mischievous smile and a cup of water and was preparing to pour it on the unsuspecting boy. Mama saved the day--but spoiled the fun--just in time.

10. Zac: "They have pitatas at church!

Me: "What are pitatas?"

Zac: "You know, they're full of candy and covered in wrappers . . . "

Me: "Oh, piñatas!"

What made you Smile this week?

Wordless Wednesday 10/17/12

Wordless Wednesday 6/6/12

Wordless Wednesday 5/9/12

Things That Make Me Smile 11/25/11

1. Alyssa: "I was a princess once. A long, long time ago."

2. Jake: "I need blue, red, and yellow. Hey, Mom! Those are all the primary colors!"

3. Jake: "The first Thanksgiving was in the 1950's, right?"

4.

5. Alyssa, while driving at night: "Are we on planet Darkness?"

6. I looked in the living room and saw Zac "changing" a stuffed bunny's diaper. He told me "Bunny pee-you " as he cleaned it with a wipe.

7. 

8. Spending Thanksgiving with family and reflecting on our innumerable blessings.

Wordless Wednesday: 11/16/11

Wordless Wednesday 11/9/11

Wordless Wednesday: 6/22/11

I am breaking all rules of Wordless Wednesday, but this picture needs an explanation.

I heard Zac laughing and playing after he woke up from his nap. This is what I found when I walked into his room . . .

Ok, this isn't exactly what I saw, since my view was sans leaf. But this little Leaf had stripped all his clothes and all his bedding.

And was apparently quite proud of himself.

Who Needs A Nap Anyway?

Our schedule has changed recently. We used to start school when Zachy took his morning nap. He would wake up towards the end of school. The kids would eat lunch, play for a little, and Zac and Alyssa would take a nap. 

It was a nice schedule. It met our needs. Everyone was happy. But . . . 

Zac has gotten himself down to one nap a day recently. Don't get me wrong, it's a good nap, 3-4 hours. But, he doesn't go down until 12:00 pm or so. It changes everything. 

Now, we start school much later. Alyssa hasn't been wanting to nap because she doesn't want to miss school. She gets sleepy, clingy, and crabby and wants me to hold her. If I put her in bed, she finds her way back into the basement in our classroom. Once Zac wakes up, all thoughts of a nap are long gone. She tells me she's not tired, that she doesn't need a nap.

She may be right. Who needs a nap anyway?

Deja vu

I am tempted to repost what I wrote a week ago. Talk about deja vu. I went to bed just before midnight. Alyssa, my dear sweet Alyssa, came to bed with us at 12:30 am. Here we go again. She is wide awake and wanting water. Not a sip, mind you, but a gallon or so. She drank almost my entire glass. More. I got her own sippy cup full. More. Filled it again. More. I’m pretty sure she drank her weight in water. One-thirty rolls around and Zachary, who normally sleep until 7:30 am, wants to eat. I came back to find Alyssa wide awake and still playing. Finally, enough is enough at 2:44 am. She goes back to sleep in her own bed! Exactly five minutes later, Jake comes to our room. Why not? It’s a party in the Leaf household in the middle of the night. Zac eats again at 4:30 am and has soaked through his clothes. He eats and soaks through again at 7:30 am. (You’re starting to question my diapering abilities, aren’t you?)

These are not every day occurrences. I’m starting to think that it’s a Sunday night/Monday morning thing. Or maybe they just want to make sure I have something to write about. Well, they better come up with some new ways to drive me crazy because I really don’t want to say the same things next Monday. I’m sure they’ll think of something.

Beware the Ides of March

I should have seen it coming. I should have known. Shakespeare warned me. "Beware the Ides of March."

My day started a little after 2:00 am when Alyssa insisted on coming to bed with us. Surprisingly, she went back to sleep after a few minutes instead of playing like usual. Just after 4:00 am, Leighton's alarm went off. Instantly, Alyssa wakes up and says, "Mommy, loud." The alarm continues to go off. "Mommy, loud." Leighton, on the other hand, is sleeping through it all. I hit him. He hits snooze. Seven minutes later the scene repeats itself. And again. And again. It's a little ironic that the only person who is supposed to be awake at this point is the only one still sleeping.

For the next 2 1/2 hours, Alyssa is wide awake. Playing, laughing, singing. She gets up to go potty. Five times. Maybe six. I lost count. She wants to eat. She wants to go back to her bed. She wants to come back to ours. She wants to watch TV. She wants to do everything but sleep. She did cuddle with me for a little bit before she told me, "Mommy, room. Move." How is it that one tiny child can completely fill a king size bed?

Eventually, I took her back to her own bed, turned on her music, and listened to her cry for maybe 20 seconds. Silence. Ah, wonderful sleep. An hour later Jake's up. Apparently, sleep is overrated.

Even after Will's warning, even after the morning's escapades, I did not foresee the coming day. Things like Zac wetting through his clothes, Zac pooping through his clothes and all his bedding, Zac spitting up on everything and everybody, Alyssa refusing to obey all day, Jake antagonizing his sister all day, amongst many others were not on my agenda. Next time, I'll be prepared. March 15, 2011, I'll be ready for you.