I have a friend’s whose company is considering flexible work envrionments. They are having Sun’s OpenWork team do some consulting on best practices. It’s awesome that we can work from home or the beach, at 6am or midnight. We are productive, probably more so than being in the office 8-5. Especially since we are a global company and flexibility is a necessity for the way we do business.
I was driving home with my kid yesterday and noticed that the two kids in the car behind me did not have seat belts on. The little girl in the back could not have been more than 6. The little boy in the front was about 8. Both of them were bouncing around in the car while we waited for the light to turn green. I really wanted to get out of the car and yell at the mom. I should have had my 3 year old tell them the importance of seat belts and helmuts.
We had out first soccer game on Saturday. I have to say that my husband is a brilliant soccer coach. He had the kids engaged and actually running the right direction. He even got them to pass the ball to each other a couple of times.
My kid refused to play. She did get on the field once, but it was to ask my husband for an airplane ride.
You could totally tell the 3 yr olds from the 4 yr olds, though. The ones that just turned 3, like mine, just clung to their moms.
One funny thing was this kid from the other team was yelling, “Mom! Cheer for me!” Doesn’t that sum up what we all need, but never really ask for?
Oh, and our team name? White Gators. Our uniforms are white, black and red.
We were at a birthday party yesterday when I witnessed the mean girl syndrome. My 3 yr old hangs out with 2 little girls in my neighborhood, a 4 yr old and a 5yr old. We were at the 5 yr old’s birthday party. The 4 yr old was telling me how she was going to have a Pochahontas cake for her 5 yr birthday, just like the one they had that day. She then said that you could only go to her bday party if you were 5, looking at my 3 yr old. The 5 yr old girl then says that since she was 5 she could go, that it was because they didn’t want little kids there. My 3 yr old wasn’t paying attention, so I let it go.
We all then went down to the basement to continue the party. The mom had gotten a bunch of balloons for the party. My 3 yr old asks me if she could have one. I told her to ask the 5 yr old. It was her party and her balloons. My daughter asks, and she says no and snatches the balloon back. I tell my daughter that it was the little girl’s balloon and that she does not have to share, that I would get her one later. The little girl then thrusts the balloon into the 4 yr old’s hand and says to my daughter, “Some people can have a balloon and some people can’t.”
The 4 yr old’s mom witnessed this and said that if not everyone could have a balloon, then nobody should and told her daughter to give the balloon back to the 5 yr old.
My first impulse was to tell the 5 yr old off and that if she could not be nice, then my daughter does not have to play with her. But I stopped myself. The kids have to work these things out. But as a parent, how do I teach my daughter to deal with mean people? They will only get meaner as they get older. How do I teach her that it will hurt when people are mean, which is why she should not be, but that people being mean is their problem and no reflection on her?
I am getting my car fixed from a 3 month old accident where a lady hit my car in a parking lot. I rented a car from Enterprise as they had the cheapest cars which fit into my insurance company allotment of $30/day. Enterprise gave me a Saturn ION.
I have nothing nice to say about the car. Perhaps it is because I am used to my Volvo V70. Or perhaps I don’t like plastic cars. I can’t stand the handling. I can’t stand the buttons for the windows. And I can’t stand that the B column is right in blind spot. Drives me insane.
But my kid likes it. She is excited about sitting in a “new” car. She especially loves that there are cup holders in the backseat for her. Well, she gets to enjoy it for another couple of days. My car should be done on Friday.
I just finished calling all the parents to let them know about the org night for soccer. I found out the stores around here don’t carry cleats in kid size 8. So I called around and found someone who could order them. Do they need cleats at 3 years old?
I also started reading the rules and “coaching youth soccer” pamphlets. And I realize I have no idea what I am doing. Apparently, there are all these skills. Trapping? Dribbling? Wait, isn’t that basketball? And there is a template for the practice plan. What skill, how long. What skills do 3 year olds need? “Kick the ball with your feet.” “Nice hands, please. No grabbing.” “As goalie, you stop the ball from going into the goal.”
It is soccer season and my 3 year old is signed up. Turns out they don’t have enough coaches, so my husband and I volunteered to co-coach. Me, Mrs. Couch-Potato is coaching a soccer team. I don’t even know the rules. But do you need to know the rules for a 3-4 year old league? “Run that way! No, the other way!” “Hey! No hitting!” “Good job, your foot connected with the ball!” This should be fun.
Sometimes when I am taking a shower with my kid, she says she needs to potty. I ask her if it’s No 1 or No 2. She says No 1 and I say just pee into the drain. I don’t want her dripping water all over the floor and possibly slipping and falling on the way to the toilet, you see. Ok. It’s because I’m lazy and didn’t want to get out of the shower. Well, it is back firing.
My husband was taking a bath with her today and she says she needs to potty and wanted to go in the tub. He said, no, that she cannot pee in the tub. She gets out and heads for the shower instead of the toilet. My husband has to yell at her to go pee in the toilet.
BTW – I do not pee in the shower. And I will make sure to break her of the habit by the time she has to use a public shower.
My daughter has been saying that to my husband and me whenever we say “No” to her. Geez, the peer pressure concept really kicks in early. My response? That’s fine, but I am still your Mommy, so you need to do what I ask.
It’s been a month since my daughter mailed her collection of binkies to the Binky Fairy. And she has not asked for it once except for when she found the binky leash with no binky attached.
She’s a month early, actually. I was telling her that when she turns three and is a big girl, she needs to give up the binkies, so they can be passed on to littler babies. She agreed and then one day decided it was the day.
*Sob* She’s not a baby anymore.