So, this (all) happened...

Since I've been neglecting you so much lately, but am still a bit short on time, I wanted to at least give you a nutshell update of what's been going on in our world lately.

 

 

Valentine's Day lunch with my favorite little man.  McDonald's--mmm (for him).  I hope one day he knows better than to give a girl McD's on Valentine's Day--no matter how ridiculous of a Hallmark day we think it is.

 

As you know, Shanon has been a trusty sitter and family member since around the time Delaney was born.  Well, she decided to move on to bigger and better professional aspirations.  In Dallas.  So, we got together with the King family and had a little farewell dinner before she left.  What a blessing she has been to our family.  It's been a challenge adjusting to life without her.

We put our house on the market.  It is a pain keeping it "show ready" with two little ones, but I really like it much better now that we've decluttered and keep it orderly. 

No, not enough to keep it.

 

 

This dude had his first belt testing at Taekwondo.  He did awesome and moved up a rank!

 

We had Kindergarten Rodeo at the school.  He had a blast, and I enjoyed being able to volunteer for the activity.  Next event:  Kinder field trip in a couple of weeks.  That should be interesting.

 

 

Since a certain little girl I know doesn't seem the least bit bothered by a wet Pull-Up (don't get me started on what a racket I think those are!), I decided to kick it up a notch.  Her teachers are fully supportive, and were probably actually glad to see that I finally stepped it up.  She LOVES her new panties and insists on wearing them.  Now, if she will just get that she has to keep them dry (see above concern of keeping a clean house...). 

 

She got her first yearbook in the mail from Camp Mystic.  She looked at those pictures of the girls having fun at camp forever.  Then, Daddy pulled out one of my old yearbooks to show her me when I was at camp.  Apparently, that was not quite as interesting.  At least now she has reading material for her potty time. 

By spring break, the kids were missing Shanon and I needed a sitter since they were out of school and I had to work.  So, off they went to Camp Shanon for a few days.  We are still in the midst of this adventure and we miss them terribly but know they are having a blast.  It's the first time we've sent them off while we stayed home.  The house is eerily quiet.  And, I am amazed at the "free time" I have.  I have no idea how I managed to waste so much time before I had kids, thinking I was busy.

 

So, there you have it.  Pretty much all the major activities for the last month or so, mixed in with our daily crazy busy life.  Sorry you got it all at once, but I'm hoping to get back to regular posting soon.

Wednesday's Winning Words

I am without children for a few days, but fortunately I have a two-fer for you in the way of Winning Words.

Monday night, after Taekwondo, we went out to dinner.  As we are sitting there getting everyone everything they needed, Justus blurts out, "Mom....tell me what you want, what you really, really want." a la Spice Girls, circa late 1990s.  After I collected myself from the laughter, I said "I want to know where you heard that."  He said a friend he had played with a Spring Break camp that day had shared it with him.  It was a friend he's had for years (literally, since he was 1), so I texted the mom the next morning so we could share the laugh.  She said her son heard it from a cousin and swore the cousin made it up.  Thankfully for iTunes, she was able to quickly demonstrate that the key phrase was made famous by a great little girl group from the other side of the pond. 

I love when our kids take an interest in music that was meaningful to us at some point in our lives before kids.  We had a similar experience when Justus was VERY into Disney's Cars.  If you have kids, you know that Life is a Highway is the theme song.  I heard the Tom Cochrane gem at summer camp years ago and knew it well.  All of the sudden, here was my son begging me to play it over and over again in the car as he belted it out.  Old memories revisited, all the while making new ones.


Originally, this post was going to stop there.  Then yesterday happened.  Justus was riding to Taekwondo with a friend, so I needed to grab Delaney and get her there to meet them before it was over.  As you can tell, we spend quite a bit of time there.  Twice a week to be exact.  So, Delaney and I pull up to the building, and she immediately starts yelling and pointing "Justus go Hi-ya in there, Hi-ya, Hi-ya..." while simultaneously, throwing front punches and kicking her legs.  She was getting into it!!  Aaahh, my little ninja in the making.  She may be out on that floor before we know it.  Daddy couldn't have been happier---a daughter as a black belt?  Go ahead and try to make a move on her.

Wednesday's Winning Words: Parental Advisory Warning

Justus got his first "incident report" from Kids Klub (school district after school program) last Friday.  On the one hand, I am shocked and thrilled that it took him until March to obtain said report. On the other, I'm a little floored at the nature of the report.  It lends itself to both an opportunity to share a funny story and ask for input from my parent friends.

So, Friday, the Kids Klub counselor approached me with her duplicate form report and said, "Ms. Royal....we had a little incident today.  Justus said the word penis."  She practically whispered it.  I think my response was displeasing to her because when I simply said "ok," (as if to say, "and?") she said, even more hushed, "and other kids heard him." The horror.  I am certain my response at that point was displeasing because as I *kindly* took the report and signed it and gave her back her yellow copy while retaining my white one, I said "Here's the thing:  We teach actual names of body parts in our family because if someone were to, heaven help them, go all Jerry Sandusky on my kids, I want them to be able to report to the authorities what ACTUAL body part was impermissibly affected without using the cute-sy, less offensive, pet name for said body part.  Why did he say PENIS?  Was he injured there? Was it hurting him?  What would you prefer he call it?  Never mind, I will just teach him that at Kids Klub, he must point to it and call it his private part because that is deemed less offensive.  I'm sorry if other kids heard him, but they do in fact have them and I doubt they've never heard it before."  Visibly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken, she went on to nervously tell me that "It's not a Kids Klub-appropriate word."  Noted.  About that time, Justus walked up, and knowing that he had a playdate scheduled for that night, had a sad look on his face and asked me if he was in trouble.  I told him that no, he was not in trouble for calling a body part exactly what it is!

Now, before you get all worked up about us allowing our child to walk around saying "penis" at his discretion, we did discuss why he said it and that it was probably an unnecessary part of the conversation.  We also talked about the public's general sensitivity to the word and how, although he wasn't in trouble with us for using the word, we would prefer that he only use it when necessary.  Also, we clarified that he would be in trouble if it happened again at Kids Klub or school because now we know it is a rule that he should not say it there.  The trouble would be for not following the rules. 

And for the record, he does not go around just talking about it. 

But, this all raises a question--do you believe that young elementary-age kids (K-2nd) should have alternate names that are "more appropriate" for their "private" body parts or do you teach your kids the real name.  Either way, what is your reason?  Clearly, I have an opinion, but I definitely want to hear different people's perspectives on the issue.