Happy Shots

I made the kids a Dr appointment today.  Charlie needs to get school ready and Abbey needs her 3rd year checkup.  Why are shots always due on thier birthdays?  Happy birthday kid, here's a shot to celebrate.  Then all day they're sleepy and crabby.  In an effort to not make Abbey dred her birthday I made thier appointment for the day before.  Subtle, but it makes a difference to me.  I'm excited to see how much they have grown and what thier percents are.  I'm hoping Abbey has thrusted out of the 20 percent but I really doubt it.  I'm guessing she's at 20 percent for her height and 60 percent for her weight.  I'm guessing that Charlie is the opposite.  My tall skinny boy, I bet he's at 20 percent for his weight and 90 percent for his height.  Its funny how my kids mirror me and Brian. 

Punishments

The last three weeks, give or take, Charlie has been having a hard time making it to the bathroom when he has to poo.  I really think its because he's busy playing a game or with legos and he doesn't want to take a break so an accident happens.  Last night was the last straw, so I'm trying something new- he's grounded.  A bit harsh for a five year old?  Maybe.  But he's going to be in school in the fall and he has to be able to take care of this stuff on his own.
  Its bizarre going through the thinking of what punishment if any to do.  When you're a kid you think your parents have this set of rules and punishments in thier heads, that they always have the answer of what to do.  Its only when you become a parent that you realize thats not the case.  It has me wondering if my parents ever look back on thier punishments they instilled and thought, man this is crazy?  Like when I got a C in gym, I had to do a mile every night on the treadmill until I brought my grade up.  Kinda crazy, kinda not crazy.  I just know that I'm entering the cause and effect part of parenting and I really want to do the right thing.  Maybe I'm not strict enough?  I am the timeout queen. I wonder if they realize timeouts aren't that big of a deal.  Maybe they're onto me.

CareBears

The new CareBears tip on the annoying scale.  Abbey loves them so we must watch them.  I find it disturbing that there is a Me Bear who stares at herself in a mirror, shouldn't that make thier care meter plumit?  I need to refamiliarize myself with these Carebear rules.

Potty

Yesterday I got to go shopping by myself.  It was heaven.  I walked around Target in a daze trying to figure out why it takes so long with two kids to get one item.  This also got me thinking that I find myself hanging out in the bathroom for much longer than neccesary.  I do believe its because somedays its the only time I get to sit down.  Sometimes its because its the only time I get to myself.  Its rarely ever because I need to clean the bathroom.  I think if I were to go run errands by myself more I wouldn't lock myself in the bathroom as much.

home

Everytime when we go to my mom's hometown we drive around talking about whom lived where and what is different.  This last weekend I went home and found myself doing the same.  The funny thing was as mom and I were driving around she was giving me directions.  I had to remind her that I use to live there and that Knox isn't that hard to navigate through.  But much of nothing has changed in Knox and yet everything has.  Its still a place where on coming cars wave as you pass, not because they know you but because they just want to say hello.  I can still go into anywhere and know at least two people.  Now though people squint and pause.  They look at me as though they know me.  They think it through, and they finally - yeah, its that McDonald's girl.  Its funny being known as a McDonald's girl.  Thats the only place I'm known for what my dad and brother do and not for what I've done.  Sure yeah, there was a time when I was known for what I did there but that's all faded now.  I'm once again the daughter and sister of the McDonald's people.  One thing that hasn't changed, everytime I run into someone they tell me how much I look like my mother.  I do.  It catches people off guard when I say that its a good thing she's good looking. 

Waterfall

Today we found a waterfall and it was infact magical.  No leprechauns though, but Charlie searched high and low for them.  I don't know where he got the idea that on St Patricks day you have to capture leprechauns.  He had his mind set on getting one to grant him his wish of getting a new lego set.  A wish.  What would I wish for?  Happiness to spand an eternity.

Scewed Grading Scale

There are days when if I was grading myself in parenting I feel like a C, somedays a B.  I wonder if other parents feel this way.  Mainly I wonder if my neighbors consider themselves an A.  I wonder if they just don't realize being parents mean being responsible for your children.  Maybe they don't consider knowing where thier kids are a big deal so in essence they are an A.  I just know if there were five minutes of the day that I didn't know where my kids were I would give myself a F-.