This week we challenged Jackson to live without the Wii and me to keep the computer off while the kids were awake. I was hoping it would be the magic bullet for some attitude problems we've been having in our home. It didn't solve it but I suppose it helped. Technically, I'm cheating right now because Annabeth is not asleep, so I'm trying to be quick.
2) Making cookie brownie bars with Jackson.
These are so good! Jackson loves cracking eggs and he was bummed that it only required one. His favorite part of the process was telling me that the brownie batter looked like...well you can guess. That is the reality and joy of baking with a boy.
3) Spraying the kids with the water hose.
Early this week we were having a very long afternoon, so we went in the back yard and played with the water hose. Basically, I sat on the fort and sprayed the kids when they ran by. I wasn't sure Annabeth would like it but she rose to the occasion.
4) Finding a booger glued to the top of my hand and not knowing whose it was.
Gentle reader, I apologize if I have offended your sensibilities. This is my current reality.
5) Volunteering to help at an event at the kids' school and realizing I signed up to help decorate.
*Insert minor panic attack*
In order to atone for missing Jackson's Rodeo Day at preschool, I volunteered to help with an in-school field trip next week. I thought I would just have to be there to help. Well, it turned out that I signed myself up for the decorating committee. Someone get me one of the kids' lunch sacks! I'm hyperventilating!
I ended up getting to cut things out of construction paper in the work room on Tuesday and found it to be very pleasant and therapeutic. The conversation with other ladies was very enjoyable. I also feel utterly empowered having learned to use a die cut machine.
6) The last parent teacher conference of Pre-K.
Curtis and I met with Jackson's teacher yesterday. She had some sweet things to say about him and we were so grateful. The last year has not been without some significant challenges and it just means a lot to know he's doing well at preschool. In the beginning of the year we promised Jackson we would buy him the light-up tennis shoes he wanted if he did ________. His teacher had noticed a lot of improvement in this area, so off to the mall we went! Add "buying light-up shoes with great joy" to the list of things I swore I'd never do as a parent.
7) Mother-Son Date.
After the light-up shoe buying extravaganza, I had a couple of hours alone with Jackson. We went to McDonald's per his request, then we played video games at this place called Mountasia. I'd hoped to ride go-carts but they weren't running those. So then we were stuck in this crusty old arcade where some friends and I used to hang out in 9th grade. Jackson didn't notice the crustiness - only the flashing lights and small toys behind the ticket counter. He loved every minute of it.
After that we went to Dairy Queen for some ice cream. When we went in, Jackson said, "I've never done this before!" "What, buddy?" I asked. "I've never gotten to do everything I wanted to do!" Ha! I told Curtis about it later and he said that sometimes we all need a day like that.
When I put Jackson to bed last night I asked him what he wanted to pray for. "You," he said. He prayed and thanked God for his mommy and for getting to do "everything fun together."
Sometimes we all need a day and a prayer like that.
42 comments:
i want a day like that!
Great reminders of how are little one's hearts work. Great challenge with keeping the computer off while they are awake. I am going to make that my challenge next week.
So sweet! I need to do a day like that for my big girls.
So out of all of that, the only thing I can comment on is the booger. Because it brought a smile to my face and reminded me in a heartbeat of the day I was grocery shopping & saw someone from our Sunday School class. Talked to them for maybe 5-10 minutes and after they left, looked down to see a bright green booger on the top of my hand. So humbling.... :)
I have a six year old boy and a three year old girl. Your life sounds quite a bit like mine, especially the "boogers on your hand" bit! My son has had a pretty challenging kindergarten year. If you find the magic key please let me know!
It makes me happy to hear that you experienced a day and prayer like that with your boy. :) Our oldest son is 3 and we are experiencing some "significant challenges" right now with him. There are days I think "Lord, if I can just get to the other side of this, with my sanity, that would be great!" The act of parenting is definitely a sanctification process for me. You have given me hope, Amanda!
Is it totally wrong that I grinned like a goofy fool when I saw you wrote a new blog post? Getting giddy about updated blogs, along with dried-up boogers on various surfaces and not being able to determine their point of origin, is MY current reality. I got to do everything I wanted last weekend, and you can bet I prayed some major thanks about it! Didn't get new shoes out of the deal, but I did get a trip to Ikea and lunch at Steak 'n' Shake. Still dreaming about that mushroom swiss burger. O, happy day!
Such sweet times with your boy!
I am very familiar with that "list of things I would never do as a parent" :)
I don't even have kids yet, but I loved reading this blog on yalls sweet memories!:)
Amanda....life with these babies change so fast and I love seeing you enjoy the simplicity of life by having a blast with his sweet self. I still have one on one dates with my boys and I encourage you to keep this alive!
Have a beautiful weekend!
((hugs))
Fran
That is very sweet :)... Gosh the booger comment made me remember when my sister use to tell me mom "Mom I have a booger"... and by that she meant she meant she had one in her hand and was going to give it to my mom. I can't believe my mother, but she took them.. because it was her way of keeping my sister from eating them.. ya.. pretty gross.
This made me cry. Not that the post was sad. Not for a second. But I simply took a step back in time. My baby turns 21 next weekend. The memories of "days with mommy" and doing everything she wanted to do...well those are some of my favorite days as a mom. After drying up and pulling myself together, I think I'll get my young adult gal on the phone and schedule a play date. Thanks for sharing. You're a terrific mom. It's fun watching you do the mommy life thru your words!
The other day after a long morning with the kids, I looked in the mirror and noticed that there was a huge booger stuck to my forehead. Um...gross. No idea how long it had been there or how it came to be on my forehead. I'm glad I didn't leave the house that morning. The joys of parenthood.
Okay, tears for that last moment. Would LOVE for my son to one day pray the same thing! Priceless!
Amanda that was so sweet.
So glad you both had a "day like that" GO Jackson !
Amen!!! I could use a day and a prayer like that! I laugh at the gross stuff, cause I soooo remember those days. They sort of still exist with a 12-year-old boy and a 10-year-old tomboy. I called Jeremiah in here to read to him about that brownies and the booger. His reaction to the brownies looking like you know what, was "Amen!" (The things that boys amen!) and his reaction to the booger was "Glued?" I said, "Well, stuck." (He's so literal!) He said, "Oh." No apparently he found nothing gross about you having a booger stuck to the back of your hand and not knowing whose it was. There's a little glimpse into my world! How do you like it? And he's the only heir to the Paparazzo family throne (which doesn't really exist in case you're as literal as he is). Pray for our family. I'm scared! *grin*
By the way, I would have had more than a mini panic attack over the decorating thing. I'm proud of you, dear sister! You didn't freak out too bad! And you enjoyed it!
Okay, loved reading this post. Reminds me so much of my life rioght down to cutting out wii time due to attitude adjustments. And then the end of the prayer, well that was just so sweet! Little boys sure know how to melt their mommy's hearts i tell ya!
Awesome!!!
Precious prayer!!!
That makes my eyes water a little bit :) What a sweet memory for the two of you! Looking forward to having some days like that with my kids!
Love one on one time with my kids! Wish I could do it more often...but I always wind up with one heart-broken twin...because taking turns still means someone goes first.
And I have all girls...and my booger discovery was on their walls...and boogers on walls VERY hard to remove. ick.
we DO need a day like that... I wish I could give that to my husband. He is in between jobs and very discouraged... I wish I could make him smile...
Amanda, what a SWEET Mama you are to your kids! They will never ever forget the precious memories you are making with them from day to day!
God bless you dear one!
Marilyn...in Mississippi
This post makes me excited for the mommy days even though I have a couple years before that precious time! So sweet :)
How sweet! P.S. EVERYBODY should know how to use a die-cut machine! JK :)
Ahhh, sounds like a really sweet day. My favorite part was when Jackson wanted to pray for you. So tender.
Such a sweet post - I'm encouraged by your decisions to continually re-evaluate and unplug when needed :)
What an awesome young man you & Curtis are raising!! You Jones' had a special week...memories made to last a lifetime!
Amanda,
I love your post! How sweet about Jackson saying that about his day.
He noticed that he got to do exactly what he wanted to do that day. I agree with Curtis, sometimes we all need a day like Jackson's!!Have a wonderful weekend.
xo,
Melissa
Great moments. So happy for you. ;)
Number 1 reminds me...
I have read and heard of people actually removing their tv, or not watching the tv for extended periods of time for the sake of the family. I know I have read about it here. I always thought "pssh so unrealistic for us" But randomly I mentioned it to my husband and we did it already for 3 weeks now. WE DON'T MISS IT. We decided to watch one show on Thursday and when it was over we were like "That was IT". I will admit my 22 month old son watches movies during the day but we have 7 week old twins. I'm not an over achiever here. ;)
This was a sweet, sweet post! I gotta get some individual date time with my boys.
Wow, that's a lot in one day! My days don't look like that anymore. They are a little different now that mine are tweens and teens, but we still have booger incidents and boys that think everything looks like, well, brownie dough. These days are so precious!
Oh, Amanda, what a wonderful day with your boy!!! Hang onto that moment to get you through the next few hurdles...what a sweet memory you two made together!
That is precious!
When Shep was five he turned on me. Like overnight went from being my little love to blaming me for everything - EVERYTHING, if it rained, it was my fault - and just being an over all smart alec pill.
It was so drastic that I asked Dr. Google. Sure enough, the Dr said that five is the magic age when boys begin to turn from their moms and towards their dads (have I told you this? I can't remember.) And one of the main symptoms is blaming mom for everything. Ha! And being a smart alec pill.
It did make me feel better - it's normal development and part of him becoming a MAN.
But it was just the first of a thousand papercuts. The older he gets, the more dramatic our differences become. I miss being the center of his world, I admit. :(
I just stumbled on your blog the other day and I LOVE it! I'm right where you are with kids and it's so nice to know I'm not the only one who has "Those kinds of days"!
Blessings!
You're a good Mommy, doing a lot of things right. I love the booger thing, it just comes with the territory. Funny how we can handle that from the kids, but any adult booger would make me gag.
Ok. Wait. Mountasia still exists?!
Laughing so hard at the boogers and the die cut machine. Girl, I think you are one awesome mama - and I would pray for you too at the end of day like that. Yes indeed, we all need one of those from time to time!
That is a good day! Enjoy every stinking moment...they are so very fleeting. Take heart, the pre-school/diaper days don't last forever.
My son will be 20 this summer and some of my most precious memories are the ones we spent on Tuesday afternoons after school when we had a weekly date from grammar school to high school. When he would just let me in on his joys and his sorrows and just anything else that was on his mind. Laughing and talking and making memories. Love your blog especially when you say things we would love to say and felt like nobody ever felt that way.
I'm so lame just catching up on blogs! I just wanted to tell you that I think, from what you post on your blog about your life, that you're a great mom! :)
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