The blog is new and its been over a month since I've been here. Truth be told, I hadn't quite decided if I was going to really continue to blog. I was never going to be a blogger anyway. I enjoy reading other people's blogs... but really, up until recently, I hadn't given coming back here another try.
And then I read a comic in the paper the other day... I can't tell you what comic, or what day, but I can tell you the jist. Two women sitting at a table. A tells B "We're going to have a 5 minute conversation with no complaining." The second frame they two are staring at one another. Holy Moly did that strike home.
I am 28 years old, and I have realized that I spend most of my life complaining. This person cut me off when I was driving, so I'll spend 10 minutes being angry about it and letting it spill into my work. The 7 year old that I nanny always has some comment to make towards me that directly implies that I might be an uneducated waif, so I'm crabby as I make dinner. I text or call my friends and its "venting" about this or that. All in all, it all comes down to complaining and finding fault in all situations...
So, in light of the upcoming holiday season and being inspired by someone I know, I am going to try to blog each night before going to bed. Each post will be dedicated to what I am most THANKFUL for that day. More and more I hope that this will turn into a real blog with real people who read it (because, let's be honest, at this point in my blogging adventure, no one but me is reading these posts...).
Today I am thankful for the creativity of my son and my enjoyment of creating new things with him.
After a rough morning, following a rough bedtime, The Little Gentleman and I were at odds. We had been battling eachother all morning, mainly over his wanting to watch a movie and me holding strong to the fact that his unacceptable bedtime behavior lost him a morning movie and he could have another chance after dinner. To ease his frustration, I asked him to suggest something we could do instead of watching a movie. He asked for art and was at the table waiting before I could take the three steps to get his art supplies.
Having worked for 5 years at a day care, I was able to aquire a massive number of art patterns - all arranged according to subject and holiday. We had already made turkeys,
and a cornocopia was primed and ready for The Little Gentleman to make. As he glued his fruit on, I sifted looking for the Boy and Girl Pilgrim that I thought I had. Instead, I found a Native American Girl and it was claimed quickly to color.
Still wanting to do art, I asked if we should "write a book". Page 1: Buddy (his favorite and only male cousin) had a little lamb - to which The Little Gentleman turned to me, giggled and said, "Get it Momma? He had a little lamb?" Peals of giggles. Much better than the screams from 15 minutes ago. So I drew his cousin and The Little Gentleman started coloring. Then I asked what the second page was. He told me I could write it, so I decided that my goddaughter (and potential future niece) would be a princess, and I drew her picture. Naturally, because there was a princess, the cousin was converted to a prince and they needed a horse to ride.
Can I interject for a moment? I can't draw. Never could. But how do you explain that to a 3 year old?
And then I read a comic in the paper the other day... I can't tell you what comic, or what day, but I can tell you the jist. Two women sitting at a table. A tells B "We're going to have a 5 minute conversation with no complaining." The second frame they two are staring at one another. Holy Moly did that strike home.
I am 28 years old, and I have realized that I spend most of my life complaining. This person cut me off when I was driving, so I'll spend 10 minutes being angry about it and letting it spill into my work. The 7 year old that I nanny always has some comment to make towards me that directly implies that I might be an uneducated waif, so I'm crabby as I make dinner. I text or call my friends and its "venting" about this or that. All in all, it all comes down to complaining and finding fault in all situations...
So, in light of the upcoming holiday season and being inspired by someone I know, I am going to try to blog each night before going to bed. Each post will be dedicated to what I am most THANKFUL for that day. More and more I hope that this will turn into a real blog with real people who read it (because, let's be honest, at this point in my blogging adventure, no one but me is reading these posts...).
Today I am thankful for the creativity of my son and my enjoyment of creating new things with him.
After a rough morning, following a rough bedtime, The Little Gentleman and I were at odds. We had been battling eachother all morning, mainly over his wanting to watch a movie and me holding strong to the fact that his unacceptable bedtime behavior lost him a morning movie and he could have another chance after dinner. To ease his frustration, I asked him to suggest something we could do instead of watching a movie. He asked for art and was at the table waiting before I could take the three steps to get his art supplies.
Having worked for 5 years at a day care, I was able to aquire a massive number of art patterns - all arranged according to subject and holiday. We had already made turkeys,
and a cornocopia was primed and ready for The Little Gentleman to make. As he glued his fruit on, I sifted looking for the Boy and Girl Pilgrim that I thought I had. Instead, I found a Native American Girl and it was claimed quickly to color.Still wanting to do art, I asked if we should "write a book". Page 1: Buddy (his favorite and only male cousin) had a little lamb - to which The Little Gentleman turned to me, giggled and said, "Get it Momma? He had a little lamb?" Peals of giggles. Much better than the screams from 15 minutes ago. So I drew his cousin and The Little Gentleman started coloring. Then I asked what the second page was. He told me I could write it, so I decided that my goddaughter (and potential future niece) would be a princess, and I drew her picture. Naturally, because there was a princess, the cousin was converted to a prince and they needed a horse to ride.
Can I interject for a moment? I can't draw. Never could. But how do you explain that to a 3 year old?
Back to the horse. Attempt #1 - horse nose looks like a duck-billed platypus. Destroy. Attempt #2 - horse looks nothing like a horse. Destroy. Attempt #3 - The Little Gentleman proclaims that he wants a horse not that. Destroy. Attempt #4 - I have brought one of the horses in from his pile and am using it as a reference. The Little Gentleman decides that The Prince should ride the horse that I am using for reference. Picture worthy, so picture I took. : ) 
Managed to finish the horse well enough that The Little Gentleman saw it was infact, a horse.
Managed to finish the horse well enough that The Little Gentleman saw it was infact, a horse.Content with drawing a corral for the horse (a big circle), I asked what else he wanted. He told me a dinosaur, and I about gave up when I started. Instead, I went directly for one of the dinosaurs that was in previously mentioned pile, and used it as a reference. Incase you are curious, and I know you are, it was an apatasaurus. I think. I'm 98% positive. I'll inquire tomorrow, The Little Gentleman will be glad to set me straight.
With the dinosaur drawn to a decent liking on the first try, I asked what else needed to be done. The Little Gentleman told me the dinosaur was a Christmas Dinosaur. He should wear a Santa suit. Man Alive. How was I going to pull that off? Within an instant, however, the vision was there and suddenly the dinosaur was all mine. I informed The Little Gentleman, who graciously accepted that I would share but it belonged to me. I LOVE my Santa Dinosaur. I am so proud of it that I could faint.
And that 30 - 45 minutes sitting down, distraction from everything, was enough for The Little Gentleman to forget he had even wanted to watch a movie and out came his dinosaur floor puzzle with matching his plastic play dinosaurs to the ones on the picture.
On a sillier note, I'm also thankful for the pigs in a blanket and baked beans for dinner tonight. They were so good, so easy and filled me to the brim! I love meals like that. : )
So, It's 1:30 a.m. 2 hours past my bedtime, but an hour less than I usually have between The Little Gentleman going to sleep and my own bedtime (his is 9:00 - 9:30, mine is 11:30 - 12:00a.m.). We won't discuss how he was up until 11:30 tonight. I hope the croupy undertones I heard this morning and my dad and I heard this late eve were due to his over tiredness and not to actual croup. If he has it again, it will be time #5. So, I'm off to bed to hopefully sleep in a little bit tomorrow morning... I have to prepare for a potential napless day... no way is he getting away with 11:30 p.m. a second night in a row!!!
~Peace.
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