This morning Kayla got a hold of the phone and started pushing buttons. I took the phone away as quick as I could amid her indignant screechs. A minute later the phone rings and a man asks me if we had called 911. Caller ID says he is from the City of [S].
Me:No, sorry, my daughter had the phone and started dialing before I could get it away from her.
911: Everything is all right then? No one is hurt? (I'm sure this was prompted by Abri crying hysterically in the background because she wanted the blanket that Emma was using.)
Me: Yes, I'm really sorry about that.
911: Are you in the city of [X] or [S]?
Me: No, we're actually outside of [X] in [J]
911: Oh. What's your name?
Me: Leanne [H]
911: Okay. Have a good day.
Me: Thanks again. Bye.
Few concerns here:
1. The guy probably thought I was lying since Abri was screaming. How much time do you take to explain that your toddler is just having a fit so he knows you're actually an honest person?
2. The guy was probably thinking I wasn't being open about our location since we have a VOIP line that is linked to another city and we were already warned when signing up for it that 911 calls become a bit problematic because they can't pin point your physical location from the VOIP, only calls from physical phone lines.
3. Am I going to get on a list somewhere of suspected child abusers because my 1 yr old can now make phone calls and my three yr old still has temper tantrums????
Oh well.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Life is Hard as a First Grader
Wednesday class lists were posted at the elementary school for the forthcoming school year. Yesterday I took the girls up there to see, hoping to alleviate some of Emma's anxiety about who her teacher is and who will be in her class. She had informed me on Tuesday of this week that there were two kids she really hoped wouldn't be in her class--Elijah and Juli because they were so mean last year. We started going down the list and came to Elijah. She emitted a large sigh and said dejectedly, "I have to have him in my class again??!!" Then, further down the list, we read Juli's name. With that her patience ran out and she screamed a bit schrilly, "AAGGHH! Life is so hard."
Sadly, the only two kids from her kindergarten class are the two that she didn't want to have in her 1st grade class. You would think that with 120 1st graders and 20 from her kindergarten class, she would have better odds of getting a couple of good friends in the class with her, go figure. Thankfully, she hasn't been too preoccupied with the disappointment over classmates since the initial reading of the list. She still has the excitement of meeting her teacher this evening to look forward to.
Speaking of a girl named Skyler that will now be in her class, she remarked, "She was in Olivia's class. Some people think she's funny but she isn't my kind of funny." I asked her what she meant. She said, "they think she's funny but I don't." Hmm. I guess even 6 yr olds have their own developed sense of humor.
Sadly, the only two kids from her kindergarten class are the two that she didn't want to have in her 1st grade class. You would think that with 120 1st graders and 20 from her kindergarten class, she would have better odds of getting a couple of good friends in the class with her, go figure. Thankfully, she hasn't been too preoccupied with the disappointment over classmates since the initial reading of the list. She still has the excitement of meeting her teacher this evening to look forward to.
Speaking of a girl named Skyler that will now be in her class, she remarked, "She was in Olivia's class. Some people think she's funny but she isn't my kind of funny." I asked her what she meant. She said, "they think she's funny but I don't." Hmm. I guess even 6 yr olds have their own developed sense of humor.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Emma's Choir aspirations
Emma loves to sing. Throughout the day I hear her singing random songs. Sometimes it's primary songs, other times it's songs from movies like High School Musical. Lately she's been singing the song "What I like about You" which she picked up when I was watching the syndicated show on CW a while ago.
Unfortunately, she doesn't always get the right words with funny results. She was singing "What I like about You" and said "you really know how to dance, when you go up down, jump around, talk about your old man" (instead of the "true romance" it uses at the end.) She sang this one afternoon and Abri, listening, indignantly said, "I'm not an old man!!" I couldn't contain a smile at that one.
Unfortunately, she doesn't always get the right words with funny results. She was singing "What I like about You" and said "you really know how to dance, when you go up down, jump around, talk about your old man" (instead of the "true romance" it uses at the end.) She sang this one afternoon and Abri, listening, indignantly said, "I'm not an old man!!" I couldn't contain a smile at that one.
Kayla's Communication methods
Is anyone else as amazed as me about how kids communicate, especially ones as young as Kayla at 1 yr? There have been so many times this past month that we've said something and I am almost positive she's repeating what I've said or replying to what I've said.
Case in point: Last night Todd gave Emma and Abrianna baths. (Kayla loves baths. She will dive right in, clothes, diaper, and all--has on two different occasions. . .) She decided she had to be part of the fun, but since Todd was using our large garden tub/whirlpool she couldn't get over the side like she can with their bathroom tub. She took all the bath products I keep on the ledge and started throwing them into the water.
When I got home later that night, they were recounting the incident to me. I asked Kayla: "Did you help the big girls take baths?" She got this huge grin on her face, started kicking her legs and pushing up her body (since I was holding her against my hip) and said, "ye." No joke. I asked a second time to see if she was consistent, and sure enough, I got the same excited and happy reaction, as if to say, "I'm so proud of my accomplishment."
Last Friday I asked Kayla if she was stinky and if I don't mistake, I sure heard "stee."
The shot above is characteristic of her funny grin with those big blue eyes smiling.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Sun talk--Emma's funny phrases #3
We were applying sunscreen the other day in preparation for water fun last week. Emma said how she hates the feel of sunscreen. I told her we have to be grateful for it since it keeps us from getting sunburned. Her reply:"I think the sun says, 'Oh boy, you must not have sunscreen on so you can be sunburned.'"
Confessions of an HGTV-holic
Designer's Challenge, Curb Appeal, Designed to Sell--A few months ago I discovered HGTV and its shows (mostly after I realized no other shows were on other channels) and I have to control just how long I watch it on the days I do turn the TV on. Not only is it enthralling for me, but Emma now asks, "Can we watch the Home shows?" (Bye bye Little Bear and Witch, her previous fav shows--here comes Designer Emma.) She loves giving her opinion of the designs and changes made to the houses and what she wants in our house.
That being said, we've lived in our house for three yrs and still have the same offwhite walls that the builders painted it originally, except for the lovely Crayola masterpieces that Abri has made in multiple areas. The cost of paint and time commitment have deterred us from making any changes, a decision that isn't ok with Emma.
Today, she emphatically informed me, "I--am ready--to be rid--of the white," with pauses to make sure I got the idea. Then, she revealed her plan for her bedroom. "I want one wall pink, one wall purple, one wall pink, one wall purple, [alternating walls] and the ceiling blue like the sky. We need to add flowers so it will be like a garden." I was floored. Not only that, but the flowers were supposed to be about 3 inches each in diameter on the walls, gauged by the hand gestures she made to show me.
We talked about the fact that usually on the shows they paint a room one color, sometimes one wall a different color than the rest, but not usually two different colors that alternate. She conceded to that a bit reluctantly. It was quite the shocker for me to see just how much she's embraced the idea of home decorating.
So, now its certain--I need to figure out a way to decorate her room as a Christmas present. Hopefully she'll give me the present of no longer comparing our house's shortcomings in decor with all the others on shows she sees.
That being said, we've lived in our house for three yrs and still have the same offwhite walls that the builders painted it originally, except for the lovely Crayola masterpieces that Abri has made in multiple areas. The cost of paint and time commitment have deterred us from making any changes, a decision that isn't ok with Emma.
Today, she emphatically informed me, "I--am ready--to be rid--of the white," with pauses to make sure I got the idea. Then, she revealed her plan for her bedroom. "I want one wall pink, one wall purple, one wall pink, one wall purple, [alternating walls] and the ceiling blue like the sky. We need to add flowers so it will be like a garden." I was floored. Not only that, but the flowers were supposed to be about 3 inches each in diameter on the walls, gauged by the hand gestures she made to show me.
We talked about the fact that usually on the shows they paint a room one color, sometimes one wall a different color than the rest, but not usually two different colors that alternate. She conceded to that a bit reluctantly. It was quite the shocker for me to see just how much she's embraced the idea of home decorating.
So, now its certain--I need to figure out a way to decorate her room as a Christmas present. Hopefully she'll give me the present of no longer comparing our house's shortcomings in decor with all the others on shows she sees.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Baywatch here we come
Just after school let out, the girls and I headed to Houston for a 6 day trip to see my parents and other friends that still live there. We took a day trip to Galveston and the girls had a very fun afternoon playing in the sand and water. They didn't need the pristine blue waters or white sands of the Carribbean to have a great time.
Abri would run into the waves as the water receded, then turn around and run back to shore as the tide came back in, and laughed with abandon as she called, "water tickles!" At one point, I walked with Emma and Abri into the water until the water got up to Abri's shoulders. A wave came in and about toppled her over, filling her mouth and she sputtered a bit in shock but I was impressed when she recovered very quickly and didn't get frightened by the experience.
Emma loved sharing the sand castle toys another little girl had brought, and the feel of the water. She didn't like the algae that occasionally caught against her limbs, but it didn't stop her from getting in the water, which I worried might happen since she hates sand at the playground here at home.
Abri would run into the waves as the water receded, then turn around and run back to shore as the tide came back in, and laughed with abandon as she called, "water tickles!" At one point, I walked with Emma and Abri into the water until the water got up to Abri's shoulders. A wave came in and about toppled her over, filling her mouth and she sputtered a bit in shock but I was impressed when she recovered very quickly and didn't get frightened by the experience.
Emma loved sharing the sand castle toys another little girl had brought, and the feel of the water. She didn't like the algae that occasionally caught against her limbs, but it didn't stop her from getting in the water, which I worried might happen since she hates sand at the playground here at home.
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