At many times we parents think that we've got it tough and there are days when we certainly may, yet there's nothing quite so sobering as watching a show like 'Raising Sextuplets' to give you a fresh look at the truth of your reality. Even those of us with two or three children can be humbled by the mere thought of raising 6 at one time that are all the same age---hello,...Sextuplets!! These parents have got some serious skills that others of us didn't know existed. Feeling overburdened as a parent? Check out this family! http://www.wetv.com/raising-sextuplets/, or on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpEfUCQrn-U&feature=youtube_gdata
She knows that her birthday is right around the corner because her mom and I have been talking about how we want to arrange the celebration, ie. where to have it, and how to go about that, the sending of the invites, etcetera. It's pretty funny and so cute because every evening since then she's been asking us as we're tucking her in each night, "Is my birthday Tomorrow"?!!
We reply with soft, warm, velveteen words, "no honey,...not quite yet,..but Soon". She's such a sweet darling of a child. It's really an honor to be her dad. I remind her--'cause soon enough she'll get it (before I can say, "Well, I'll be....")--that her birthday is on the 25th of February, still a couple of weeks away.
She replies, "Ooh,...yeah". It's sooo cute. Like she's saying, "Well,......of course it is".
Her mom asked her yesterday what she wanted for her birthday this year and without any hesitation whatsoever she said, "A Computer"! "Of Course...of course she does", I'm thinking, with not a whif of surprise. She plays a computer game called 'Zuma' on it just about everyday, and she's actually starting to get the hang of it. Yes, she also plays her Fisher Price games on it too, but of late she's exceedingly enamored of the game 'Zuma' with all it's action and sounds. Plus, and this is a big one for her, Mommy and Daddy play it a lot too and have taken to playing it a lot with her either through putting our hand on top of her's on the mouse or just sitting with her and coaching her on the strategy of the game. She taken with the computers as she sees all this stuff that we do on them and how we each have one. It's a natural progression...., "Where's mine"? She 's asked for an iPhone too....of course. "Yeah right, kid", I say as I give her a big smile. "Haha. You're fuuunny".
It starts so young, doesn't it? "Hey slow down, you're just 3! Savor it"! .....(3 going on 10) Ha!
We reply with soft, warm, velveteen words, "no honey,...not quite yet,..but Soon". She's such a sweet darling of a child. It's really an honor to be her dad. I remind her--'cause soon enough she'll get it (before I can say, "Well, I'll be....")--that her birthday is on the 25th of February, still a couple of weeks away.
She replies, "Ooh,...yeah". It's sooo cute. Like she's saying, "Well,......of course it is".
Her mom asked her yesterday what she wanted for her birthday this year and without any hesitation whatsoever she said, "A Computer"! "Of Course...of course she does", I'm thinking, with not a whif of surprise. She plays a computer game called 'Zuma' on it just about everyday, and she's actually starting to get the hang of it. Yes, she also plays her Fisher Price games on it too, but of late she's exceedingly enamored of the game 'Zuma' with all it's action and sounds. Plus, and this is a big one for her, Mommy and Daddy play it a lot too and have taken to playing it a lot with her either through putting our hand on top of her's on the mouse or just sitting with her and coaching her on the strategy of the game. She taken with the computers as she sees all this stuff that we do on them and how we each have one. It's a natural progression...., "Where's mine"? She 's asked for an iPhone too....of course. "Yeah right, kid", I say as I give her a big smile. "Haha. You're fuuunny".
It starts so young, doesn't it? "Hey slow down, you're just 3! Savor it"! .....(3 going on 10) Ha!
Daddy Sneaking Up on Shayla
The attached video was created using Qik VideoCamera application for the iPhone.Sunday Morning Outside Our House :) http://qik.com/video/C1002E5C3EC646489504D6237E72CDC0
There's no more apt context (in my current reality) for the saying "You've Got to Pick Your Battles" than with a 3 yr. old. Our three year old. She's an incredibly interactive kiddo and, of course wants to be involved in Everything. We are happy about this. We would be genuinely concerned if she was naturally reclusive at this age. Who knows, that may come later on it's own as the survey says.
I can distinctly remember asking my mother why she let my younger brother 'push her around' as I saw it. At the time, I think I was 14 or 15 and my brother was 8 or 9. I remember her responding to the query by saying, "I don't have the energy, Sean". I used to think of it like he was 'getting away with it', whatever 'It' was at the time. I was thinking in terms of 'Justice' and 'Fairness'. "Mom, you have to Do Something about That", I'd assert!! I didn't consider it 'fair' to me, not because I wanted to do the same things, but because that wasn't 'justice' as justice goes. I guess I played older brother 'cop' sometimes, not entirely, but a little.
In hindsight, I don't know how my mom did it AND SURVIVED. The truth is that she did...Hallelujah! She is, and did, of course say the Loudest Hallelujah of the Three of us. Praises after the fact are nice, but the real Victory happened some years ago now. Thanks Mom!
I'm learning to 'pick my battles' similar to a canine that must realize that he just cannot have Every Bone There Is. He just doesn't have the energy for it, and truth be told I'm learning the same thing.
Peace is So Much More Important than Justice......and when you think about it, so much easier. Thanks Shayla for teaching me about striking a balance between Allowance, Peace, and Justice. :)
I can distinctly remember asking my mother why she let my younger brother 'push her around' as I saw it. At the time, I think I was 14 or 15 and my brother was 8 or 9. I remember her responding to the query by saying, "I don't have the energy, Sean". I used to think of it like he was 'getting away with it', whatever 'It' was at the time. I was thinking in terms of 'Justice' and 'Fairness'. "Mom, you have to Do Something about That", I'd assert!! I didn't consider it 'fair' to me, not because I wanted to do the same things, but because that wasn't 'justice' as justice goes. I guess I played older brother 'cop' sometimes, not entirely, but a little.
In hindsight, I don't know how my mom did it AND SURVIVED. The truth is that she did...Hallelujah! She is, and did, of course say the Loudest Hallelujah of the Three of us. Praises after the fact are nice, but the real Victory happened some years ago now. Thanks Mom!
I'm learning to 'pick my battles' similar to a canine that must realize that he just cannot have Every Bone There Is. He just doesn't have the energy for it, and truth be told I'm learning the same thing.
Peace is So Much More Important than Justice......and when you think about it, so much easier. Thanks Shayla for teaching me about striking a balance between Allowance, Peace, and Justice. :)