I thought I had posted this… found it in the draft pile!
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We had a nice and unassuming weekend. No big plans, other than the Back To School Bash at Fae’s school on Friday night. We got there early, and wondered if we were in the Twilight Zone when the deejay kicked off the proceedings with by playing AC/DC’s Back in Black. Um, isn’t this an elementary school? It wasn’t as if anyone requested it… that started soon after, with lots of hair metal and bubble gum pop songs. Yes, a very odd mix. But I’ve always been able to tune background noise out, and tune out I did!
It was really fun to see Fae so proud of her school, and so excited to be there. They had a blow up obstacle course that she just HAD to try. She did well til she got to the last GIANT climb and slide. That thing was high. I was waiting at the end for her, and I saw the little shocked look on her face as she crested the top. She did slide down, but she didn’t want to go back on! We bought a couple “school spirit” shirts. One we kept original, and the other we headed over to the tie-dye booth. I proceeded to show her how to put rubber bands all over the thing, put plastic gloves on her, then sent her over to the vats of dye. I wasn’t sure how well it would come out, but when we got home, I impatiently took off the rubber bands, and was happily surprised at how cool it looks. Now I want to tie-dye. Everything. A friend suggested Dharma Trading, and I’ve been browsing their site making a mental list of everything I want… they even sell undyed yarn! Ooh… I could drop alot of cash there! Anyway!
We hung around for a bit more. We actually was waiting for the dunking booth to be set up, since Fae wanted a chance to dunk one of the teachers (this woman always is stationed where we drop off our car-rider’s every morning, and she truly seems thrilled to see each and every kid. So, of course the kids would want to dunk her!) Unfortunately, the dunking seat wouldn’t latch, and they were trying to fix it when we gave up waiting. We headed over to the Bubble Truck… this guy tricked out his old pick up truck to blow bubbles… lots of bubbles. He also sets out lots of big buckets with bubble solution and all sorts of wands so the kids can go at it. The air was FULL of bubbles. It was really cool. Bill was thinking of asking him how much he’d charge to come to Liam’s birthday. I thought it would be fun if Liam was a few years older, since he really doesn’t know many kids to invite right now!
Saturday, we drove out to Bardstown to tour the Maker’s Mark bourbon distillery. The kids were awake the entire time, but as we came within a mile of the place, they both passed out simultaneously. We sat for a while, figuring let them sleep, but we just gave up. I know it may seem weird to take kids on a tour of a bourbon distillery, but apparently, there’s stuff for kids to see, too. Kentucky is proud of it’s bourbon… enough so that they want to teach the kids about it too!
Saturday night, Bill helped his neighbor brew beer. It’ll be fun to taste it!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Flush
While we were in Indy this weekend, Liam had found something he truly loved doing. It wasn’t the museum, or running after the chickens. No. It was playing with the toilet in the hotel room.
I’m still not sure why he did it, because he doesn’t do it at home. He BETTER NOT do it at home.
We’d be sitting on the beds or something, and he’d disappear. Then you’d hear the toilet lid bang, then the toilet would flush. OVER and OVER again. I kept calling to him, going after him, trying to make him stop. He would for about 3 minutes. Then he’d disappear again.
Well, at one point, I had to go. So I got up and walked over to the bathroom door. I looked in. He didn’t see me. He had his butt to the toilet, pantomimed pushing down his diaper, leaned his butt into the front of the toilet, turn around, close the lid, and flush the toilet. When he started to do it again, he heard me start laughing hysterically, and he jumped about 4 feet into the air! He was very intent on what he was doing! It was HILARIOUS!
Maybe he’s ready for potty training?
I’m still not sure why he did it, because he doesn’t do it at home. He BETTER NOT do it at home.
We’d be sitting on the beds or something, and he’d disappear. Then you’d hear the toilet lid bang, then the toilet would flush. OVER and OVER again. I kept calling to him, going after him, trying to make him stop. He would for about 3 minutes. Then he’d disappear again.
Well, at one point, I had to go. So I got up and walked over to the bathroom door. I looked in. He didn’t see me. He had his butt to the toilet, pantomimed pushing down his diaper, leaned his butt into the front of the toilet, turn around, close the lid, and flush the toilet. When he started to do it again, he heard me start laughing hysterically, and he jumped about 4 feet into the air! He was very intent on what he was doing! It was HILARIOUS!
Maybe he’s ready for potty training?
Indy Again
We went to Indianapolis this weekend. Bill used Priceline again, and got a great deal at a downtown hotel. It was the Hyatt. It had a very cool open atrium… you could see from ground level to the top floor… and it had four glass enclosed elevators for the “thrill” elevator ride. Fae LOVED it.
We had no set agenda since this was a spur of the moment thing, but we ended up using our membership to the Children’s Museum two days in a row. First day was fun but stressful. Liam doesn’t take kindly to you telling him we have to move on to the next exhibit… even when you try to convince him the next exhibit is even better than this one. There’s alot of arching of the back and screeching at the top of his lungs involved. But we managed to have a fun time for all. We walked around the city that evening, and ended up having dinner at Buca di Beppo… a first for me. I loved it. We got a gnocchi dish that was so good that I would have just eaten a bowl of the sauce. Seriously, Bill and I were fighting over who could lick the dish!
Sunday morning, we went out to Trader Point Creamery for brunch. It was out of this world. They make their own cheese, and I got some cottage cheese for Liam for part of his meal. I never had cottage cheese taste so good… I’m used to that store bought stuff, and now I’m totally spoiled. I had an omelette with chorizo and their own spicy cheese, which was yummy delicious. Bill had a peach covered French toast which Fae tried to steal from him! (she always wants to eat whatever Daddy’s eating!)
When we were done eating, the fun began. You can tour the farm. We decided to do a self-guided tour. I’m a sucker for old barns, and I love exploring them. They had one huge barn… used to be an Amish barn that was set for demolition until the creamery owner bought it and had it moved to the farm piece by piece. We went into the top which was wide open. Liam ran all over in there… I almost had to drag him out! We walked down the side, and discovered under the barn was about 30 calves. Of course, Fae and I headed in there… cow pies be darned! I looked back to see Bill and Liam. They both hung back, looking suspiciously at the dark stains on the concrete floor. Liam ran recklessly into the barn with Fae and I, and you could see Bill, moving cautiously with a pained expression on his face! Poor guy! He doesn’t do well with poop. This was a big deal for him to even come near the cows!
The farmer was there, and he asked Fae and Liam if they wanted to help him get the cows outside. Liam will do anything Fae does… at least once. He followed her over to the gates, and pulled or pushed when they were told to do so. Liam was surprised to see all the cows running past him into the pasture. After that, he tried to open and close every gate on the property!
We moved on to the chickens. They had three little wooden coops set up, and the chickens roamed freely. We had fun peeking in the coops and searching for chickens (some were roosting in the oddest of places). After a while, Fae started to pretend she was a chicken! I wish we lived were we could have a few chickens. I know they are probably alot of work, but the idea of fresh eggs daily is a good one!
It was drizzling all morning, and we weren’t sure what we were going to do. The zoo was out, since as we got closer to the city, it rained even heavier. Also, Liam also fell asleep as we were getting back into the town. He never sleeps in the car, so he must have truly been tired. We decided to go back to the Children’s Museum. Of course, that place was a madhouse because of the holiday weekend and the rain. The signs were up that the parking garage was full, but we were one of the last to get in… lucky that someone was just backing out of a ground floor spot as we pulled in. Bill decided to stay in the car, napping or reading while Liam napped. Fae and I quietly got out of the car, and headed in.
It was so crazy busy. I sent Bill a text suggestion that if/when Liam wakes up, don’t bring him in because it would be very easy to lose him in the crowd. I gave Fae the option of going anywhere she wanted. She said she was going to take me on a tour. We headed into the dinosaur exhibit. This kid LOVES dinosaurs, and we took our time exploring that spot! She even wanted to go into the dinosaur/dragon art gallery (which was quiet) and did a few treasure hunts in there. We then headed to “Egypt”. That place was insane, but we managed to have fun. She made faux silver cuff jewelry. She pretended that they were superhero bracelets (a la Wonderwoman) that gave her the special powers! They had a little cafe set up. Parents sit down, and the kids “serve” us “drinks”. They had traditional Egyption coffee pots and stuff, and Fae had a ball. She made me about 15 drinks and danced around with the tray in her hand. She loved it. She commented more than once how nice it was to explore without Liam. This was good for her.
We hit one more spot before we headed out. They had over-sized Legos and blocks, and she kept building stuff and knocking them down (you know, with the power her bracelets gave her). She even got some boys involved, and they had a good time!
I love this Museum. I can’t wait to bring the kids again. There is still so much we haven’t seen, and the exhibits change all the time!
It was a fun getaway weekend and a good way to spend the Labor Day weekend!
We had no set agenda since this was a spur of the moment thing, but we ended up using our membership to the Children’s Museum two days in a row. First day was fun but stressful. Liam doesn’t take kindly to you telling him we have to move on to the next exhibit… even when you try to convince him the next exhibit is even better than this one. There’s alot of arching of the back and screeching at the top of his lungs involved. But we managed to have a fun time for all. We walked around the city that evening, and ended up having dinner at Buca di Beppo… a first for me. I loved it. We got a gnocchi dish that was so good that I would have just eaten a bowl of the sauce. Seriously, Bill and I were fighting over who could lick the dish!
Sunday morning, we went out to Trader Point Creamery for brunch. It was out of this world. They make their own cheese, and I got some cottage cheese for Liam for part of his meal. I never had cottage cheese taste so good… I’m used to that store bought stuff, and now I’m totally spoiled. I had an omelette with chorizo and their own spicy cheese, which was yummy delicious. Bill had a peach covered French toast which Fae tried to steal from him! (she always wants to eat whatever Daddy’s eating!)
When we were done eating, the fun began. You can tour the farm. We decided to do a self-guided tour. I’m a sucker for old barns, and I love exploring them. They had one huge barn… used to be an Amish barn that was set for demolition until the creamery owner bought it and had it moved to the farm piece by piece. We went into the top which was wide open. Liam ran all over in there… I almost had to drag him out! We walked down the side, and discovered under the barn was about 30 calves. Of course, Fae and I headed in there… cow pies be darned! I looked back to see Bill and Liam. They both hung back, looking suspiciously at the dark stains on the concrete floor. Liam ran recklessly into the barn with Fae and I, and you could see Bill, moving cautiously with a pained expression on his face! Poor guy! He doesn’t do well with poop. This was a big deal for him to even come near the cows!
The farmer was there, and he asked Fae and Liam if they wanted to help him get the cows outside. Liam will do anything Fae does… at least once. He followed her over to the gates, and pulled or pushed when they were told to do so. Liam was surprised to see all the cows running past him into the pasture. After that, he tried to open and close every gate on the property!
We moved on to the chickens. They had three little wooden coops set up, and the chickens roamed freely. We had fun peeking in the coops and searching for chickens (some were roosting in the oddest of places). After a while, Fae started to pretend she was a chicken! I wish we lived were we could have a few chickens. I know they are probably alot of work, but the idea of fresh eggs daily is a good one!
It was drizzling all morning, and we weren’t sure what we were going to do. The zoo was out, since as we got closer to the city, it rained even heavier. Also, Liam also fell asleep as we were getting back into the town. He never sleeps in the car, so he must have truly been tired. We decided to go back to the Children’s Museum. Of course, that place was a madhouse because of the holiday weekend and the rain. The signs were up that the parking garage was full, but we were one of the last to get in… lucky that someone was just backing out of a ground floor spot as we pulled in. Bill decided to stay in the car, napping or reading while Liam napped. Fae and I quietly got out of the car, and headed in.
It was so crazy busy. I sent Bill a text suggestion that if/when Liam wakes up, don’t bring him in because it would be very easy to lose him in the crowd. I gave Fae the option of going anywhere she wanted. She said she was going to take me on a tour. We headed into the dinosaur exhibit. This kid LOVES dinosaurs, and we took our time exploring that spot! She even wanted to go into the dinosaur/dragon art gallery (which was quiet) and did a few treasure hunts in there. We then headed to “Egypt”. That place was insane, but we managed to have fun. She made faux silver cuff jewelry. She pretended that they were superhero bracelets (a la Wonderwoman) that gave her the special powers! They had a little cafe set up. Parents sit down, and the kids “serve” us “drinks”. They had traditional Egyption coffee pots and stuff, and Fae had a ball. She made me about 15 drinks and danced around with the tray in her hand. She loved it. She commented more than once how nice it was to explore without Liam. This was good for her.
We hit one more spot before we headed out. They had over-sized Legos and blocks, and she kept building stuff and knocking them down (you know, with the power her bracelets gave her). She even got some boys involved, and they had a good time!
I love this Museum. I can’t wait to bring the kids again. There is still so much we haven’t seen, and the exhibits change all the time!
It was a fun getaway weekend and a good way to spend the Labor Day weekend!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Making Friends
When I first moved here, I joined a Mom’s group. I left it because I didn’t like being limited to playgroups with the same 5 people once a week. I know for some that’s ideal so that the kids could become friends, but it didn’t fit how I like to do things. It also didn’t help that the playdates were set up at places like McD’s. That just ruined it for me.
I joined another, very active, group. They meet numerous times a week, and there’s always a fun option. Even if I just do one thing a week, it’s always something fun, and I get to see some new faces mixed in with the old. I was made an assistant organizer of the group. That didn’t mean much… I became the “muscle” by removing inactive members from the group (sounds tough, but it only involved a click of the mouse button!) and also approved new members.
I’m not getting the kinds of friends I got through my old PA Moms group. That was a very close knit group. But I still like meeting people, so this works fine.
Then my soft heart gets in the way. Once, in PA, I helped a group member get a job. I’m not going to say where, but it may or may not have something to do with the adult who lives with me. This adult pulled strings to get this person hired, since she didn’t score very high on the aptitude/psych tests required for employment. As it turned out, this person used the job as leverage to get another job, and never showed up for work. I should have known then that I should stay out of these kinds of things.
Well, it happened again. In a different, more important way. The person was hired, but now does not work for the company. This time, it wasn’t the employee, but the company this person worked for.
(I’m trying to purposely be vague here… sorry).
So now, I’m faced with having to leave the moms group. I have not been told I have to leave, but I feel very uncomfortable about the whole situation. I don’t think I could act normal if I am at an event with this person.
So, I’ve been a bit upset and sad for the past couple days. My biggest fear when moving here was not finding friends. I had established a few good friends in PA, and leaving them was hard. The Mom’s group has been my connection to things to do with the kids since moving here, but I am also realizing that things will be different with Fae in school. I joined the PTA. The open house is next week. I won’t be trolling for friends, but it does open doors for me since I want to be active in the organization. I also go to the park alot with Liam, and that gets me talking to moms (and dads). It’s funny that I had ran into ladies who were in the original Mom’s group, and they remembered me, though we weren’t in the same playgroup. They friended me on Facebook (doesn’t EVERYONE get friended on FB? Sheesh!) which was nice.
So, perhaps my worry of not having anyone besides my kids and hubby are for nothing. I do have a few friends in the neighborhood. So that’s good.
I thought about starting a knitting group. I looked on Meetup.com that there are 50-some people who would like to join a knitting group. I couldn’t figure out why they just don’t start one, til I started to make one and found out that there’s a monthly fee for using Meetup. I then went on Yahoogroups and learned that there’s already a StitchnBitch group, but there are only 7 members and there hasn’t been any activity on the group since 2008. THEN I posted on one of the Louisville Ravelry groups about meeting once a week (or even once a month) at a coffee shop of bookstore (like my knitting group in PA did). Only one person responded so far, and that was to tell me about a group that meets in a coffee shop across the river in Indiana. I’m welcome to join that, she said, but when I thought of it, I don’t know if I’d really like to drive a half hour to get there. There’s at least 5 coffee houses within 15 minutes of me. So that group depends on how desperate I get for companionship. There are two groups that meet at the local yarn stores, and only one of them are an option for me (I made a blood oath that I would never step foot in the other one again!) We shall see what happens.
I joined another, very active, group. They meet numerous times a week, and there’s always a fun option. Even if I just do one thing a week, it’s always something fun, and I get to see some new faces mixed in with the old. I was made an assistant organizer of the group. That didn’t mean much… I became the “muscle” by removing inactive members from the group (sounds tough, but it only involved a click of the mouse button!) and also approved new members.
I’m not getting the kinds of friends I got through my old PA Moms group. That was a very close knit group. But I still like meeting people, so this works fine.
Then my soft heart gets in the way. Once, in PA, I helped a group member get a job. I’m not going to say where, but it may or may not have something to do with the adult who lives with me. This adult pulled strings to get this person hired, since she didn’t score very high on the aptitude/psych tests required for employment. As it turned out, this person used the job as leverage to get another job, and never showed up for work. I should have known then that I should stay out of these kinds of things.
Well, it happened again. In a different, more important way. The person was hired, but now does not work for the company. This time, it wasn’t the employee, but the company this person worked for.
(I’m trying to purposely be vague here… sorry).
So now, I’m faced with having to leave the moms group. I have not been told I have to leave, but I feel very uncomfortable about the whole situation. I don’t think I could act normal if I am at an event with this person.
So, I’ve been a bit upset and sad for the past couple days. My biggest fear when moving here was not finding friends. I had established a few good friends in PA, and leaving them was hard. The Mom’s group has been my connection to things to do with the kids since moving here, but I am also realizing that things will be different with Fae in school. I joined the PTA. The open house is next week. I won’t be trolling for friends, but it does open doors for me since I want to be active in the organization. I also go to the park alot with Liam, and that gets me talking to moms (and dads). It’s funny that I had ran into ladies who were in the original Mom’s group, and they remembered me, though we weren’t in the same playgroup. They friended me on Facebook (doesn’t EVERYONE get friended on FB? Sheesh!) which was nice.
So, perhaps my worry of not having anyone besides my kids and hubby are for nothing. I do have a few friends in the neighborhood. So that’s good.
I thought about starting a knitting group. I looked on Meetup.com that there are 50-some people who would like to join a knitting group. I couldn’t figure out why they just don’t start one, til I started to make one and found out that there’s a monthly fee for using Meetup. I then went on Yahoogroups and learned that there’s already a StitchnBitch group, but there are only 7 members and there hasn’t been any activity on the group since 2008. THEN I posted on one of the Louisville Ravelry groups about meeting once a week (or even once a month) at a coffee shop of bookstore (like my knitting group in PA did). Only one person responded so far, and that was to tell me about a group that meets in a coffee shop across the river in Indiana. I’m welcome to join that, she said, but when I thought of it, I don’t know if I’d really like to drive a half hour to get there. There’s at least 5 coffee houses within 15 minutes of me. So that group depends on how desperate I get for companionship. There are two groups that meet at the local yarn stores, and only one of them are an option for me (I made a blood oath that I would never step foot in the other one again!) We shall see what happens.
No Title
Another day fighting with Fae, trying to convince her she has to go to school. It’s VERY stressful. When she got out of the car this morning, she did the “death march” into the school. Even the teacher standing there caught my eye and smiled at me.
Maybe I should have put Fae in a 4 or 5 day a week preschool. Maybe I should have signed her up for sports or classes to take up the rest of the time when she wasn’t in preschool. I used to think that it would be better for her to spend time with me. But now, into her second full week of school, all that time with me may have worked to her disadvantage.
Honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing as to how I did things. And I will probably do the same with Liam, with a few adjustments. I knew Fae would have trouble with the all day kindergarten. One of her biggest complaints is how long she is there. She burns out in the afternoon. When she gets tired, she starts missing me, and it just goes downhill from there. It doesn’t help that since the first few days of school, she caught a cold that has now settled into her chest. Her nose is running, and she is coughing up a storm. That has to make her feel like crap, too. I bet if she was 100% healthy, she’d have a whole new outlook.
I know she’s not the only child who just started kindergarten who feels like this. She actually told me the other day that her friend Tori and her cried together in the afternoon, because they both missed their mommies.
She comes home not really wanting to talk about what she did, but then she shows us. Yesterday, for example, she started dancing and singing a song that her teacher taught her. She also was writing uppercase and lowercase letters, practicing and doing her homework. But when it’s time for bed, it’s one great big cry-fest.
I also got a comment on Facebook from a family member that kind of bothered me. I know the original intent of the comment wasn’t to upset me, but it did. Since Fae has gone to school, Liam and I have gone to the zoo, to a horse stable, and to the park. This is stuff I would do if Fae were here. I don’t flaunt what I do with Liam, and Liam can’t talk well enough to let Fae know what we did. I made the decision to not tell Fae about the horse stable, since I know it would make her sad that she wasn’t with us. I don’t want her to think she’s missing out when she is in school. I don’t play up ANYTHING. I know Fae. I can’t do that. But I also can’t stop doing things with Liam. I’ve never been one to stay home, though now with Liam’s need to sleep only in his crib for naptime, I’m home everyday after 12-1. I still need to do things with Liam, right? I know Fae misses being with us, but we just can’t stop. Heck, Fae would get jealous knowing Liam and I went to Tar-ghet today, just because she likes going there. I don’t make a big deal out of it.
I have all these conflicting emotions. It’s making me crazy. I want her to love school. I want her to tell me about her day. Yesterday, she was exasperated when she said that some kids didn’t stop talking when Mrs. T. was teaching them. “Can you believe it, Mom? They wouldn’t listen to her!?” Stuff like that makes me think she takes it seriously, and doesn’t want to do the “wrong thing”. That’s good, right?
Maybe I should have put Fae in a 4 or 5 day a week preschool. Maybe I should have signed her up for sports or classes to take up the rest of the time when she wasn’t in preschool. I used to think that it would be better for her to spend time with me. But now, into her second full week of school, all that time with me may have worked to her disadvantage.
Honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing as to how I did things. And I will probably do the same with Liam, with a few adjustments. I knew Fae would have trouble with the all day kindergarten. One of her biggest complaints is how long she is there. She burns out in the afternoon. When she gets tired, she starts missing me, and it just goes downhill from there. It doesn’t help that since the first few days of school, she caught a cold that has now settled into her chest. Her nose is running, and she is coughing up a storm. That has to make her feel like crap, too. I bet if she was 100% healthy, she’d have a whole new outlook.
I know she’s not the only child who just started kindergarten who feels like this. She actually told me the other day that her friend Tori and her cried together in the afternoon, because they both missed their mommies.
She comes home not really wanting to talk about what she did, but then she shows us. Yesterday, for example, she started dancing and singing a song that her teacher taught her. She also was writing uppercase and lowercase letters, practicing and doing her homework. But when it’s time for bed, it’s one great big cry-fest.
I also got a comment on Facebook from a family member that kind of bothered me. I know the original intent of the comment wasn’t to upset me, but it did. Since Fae has gone to school, Liam and I have gone to the zoo, to a horse stable, and to the park. This is stuff I would do if Fae were here. I don’t flaunt what I do with Liam, and Liam can’t talk well enough to let Fae know what we did. I made the decision to not tell Fae about the horse stable, since I know it would make her sad that she wasn’t with us. I don’t want her to think she’s missing out when she is in school. I don’t play up ANYTHING. I know Fae. I can’t do that. But I also can’t stop doing things with Liam. I’ve never been one to stay home, though now with Liam’s need to sleep only in his crib for naptime, I’m home everyday after 12-1. I still need to do things with Liam, right? I know Fae misses being with us, but we just can’t stop. Heck, Fae would get jealous knowing Liam and I went to Tar-ghet today, just because she likes going there. I don’t make a big deal out of it.
I have all these conflicting emotions. It’s making me crazy. I want her to love school. I want her to tell me about her day. Yesterday, she was exasperated when she said that some kids didn’t stop talking when Mrs. T. was teaching them. “Can you believe it, Mom? They wouldn’t listen to her!?” Stuff like that makes me think she takes it seriously, and doesn’t want to do the “wrong thing”. That’s good, right?
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
His First Time on a Horse!
I was deep in thought about how, now that Fae’s in school, it really gives me a chance to get to know Liam. Sure, I know him, but since he was born, everything we did, we did with Fae. That really helped Liam do things that older kids do, but the more I thought of it, the more I realized that he may have been missing something.
Every day that Fae’s in school, it gets a little easier. At first I found myself looking at him, as though for the first time. I didn’t know what to do with him. Bill laughed when he told me that he couldn’t remember Fae when she was Liam’s age, after I had asked him what we used to do.
Well now, it’s Liam’s time. But I’ll admit, after our playdate today, I felt a little guilty. We did something today that Fae would adore. I actually didn’t tell her about it, since I knew she definitely wouldn’t go to school if she knew.
We went to a riding stable. Imagine a bunch of toddler’s and preschoolers (and some babies!) at a riding stable. Some of them, even though this is Kentucky, had their first time ever seeing a horse close up! I was the first to arrive, and I talked to the stable manager. She told me all about the horses… most of them are rescues, and most of that group are from the track. She said they specialize in kid-safe horses. I told her we’d probably just be watching, since I didn’t think that Liam would get on a horse. Sure, when he sees horses he gets excited… when he sees the Gallopalooza horse statues he goes nuts!… but to actually get on a horse, well, I didn’t think he had it in him!
He went right to the fence to peer in at the horses. More mom’s group members started to arrive, and the stable workers came out to pull a few horses out of the paddock. Liam was sad because he thought the horses were going “bye bye”. The first horse they brought out was Tucker. Since I was the first one there, the manager asked if we’d put Liam on Tucker. I wasn’t sure if he’d do it, but… look at the photo! He sat there frozen like a stature for a few minutes. Then slowly, he relaxed. I held his leg, and he put one hand on the saddle horn, as we walked all over the grounds. Liam got an especially long ride. Maybe he thought he was going to stay on all day?! When it was time to get off to give someone else a turn, the tears started flowing!
We had a large turnout from the mom’s group. They originally saddled up only two horses, but eventually had to pull out two more. Liam only wanted Tucker. He actually recognized him! He rode Tucker a total of 5 times. He rode a mare named Lily, but didn’t like her and got off halfway around the barn. Not sure why! Tucker happened to be a rescued racehorse, and relatively new to pony rides. He was also the largest horse on the ride! His shoulders were above my nose level! Maybe Liam liked him because he was so high? I don’t know!
We got ready to leave, and I talked to the stable manager about my daughter. She wants me to bring Fae back because she had to miss it. I told her about my horses when I lived at home, and about how Fae loved the Horse Park over in Lexington. She said seeing how Liam took to it, both of my kids have horses in their blood, so she said she’d help me “feed the need!” I’ll probably set something up next week after Fae’s settled better in school. She’d LOVE that!
We got in the car, and Liam took a drink while we watched Tucker get a nice cool shower. Liam pointed and said “o-see!” I think I can get used to this “getting to know my little boy!”
Every day that Fae’s in school, it gets a little easier. At first I found myself looking at him, as though for the first time. I didn’t know what to do with him. Bill laughed when he told me that he couldn’t remember Fae when she was Liam’s age, after I had asked him what we used to do.
Well now, it’s Liam’s time. But I’ll admit, after our playdate today, I felt a little guilty. We did something today that Fae would adore. I actually didn’t tell her about it, since I knew she definitely wouldn’t go to school if she knew.
We went to a riding stable. Imagine a bunch of toddler’s and preschoolers (and some babies!) at a riding stable. Some of them, even though this is Kentucky, had their first time ever seeing a horse close up! I was the first to arrive, and I talked to the stable manager. She told me all about the horses… most of them are rescues, and most of that group are from the track. She said they specialize in kid-safe horses. I told her we’d probably just be watching, since I didn’t think that Liam would get on a horse. Sure, when he sees horses he gets excited… when he sees the Gallopalooza horse statues he goes nuts!… but to actually get on a horse, well, I didn’t think he had it in him!
He went right to the fence to peer in at the horses. More mom’s group members started to arrive, and the stable workers came out to pull a few horses out of the paddock. Liam was sad because he thought the horses were going “bye bye”. The first horse they brought out was Tucker. Since I was the first one there, the manager asked if we’d put Liam on Tucker. I wasn’t sure if he’d do it, but… look at the photo! He sat there frozen like a stature for a few minutes. Then slowly, he relaxed. I held his leg, and he put one hand on the saddle horn, as we walked all over the grounds. Liam got an especially long ride. Maybe he thought he was going to stay on all day?! When it was time to get off to give someone else a turn, the tears started flowing!
We had a large turnout from the mom’s group. They originally saddled up only two horses, but eventually had to pull out two more. Liam only wanted Tucker. He actually recognized him! He rode Tucker a total of 5 times. He rode a mare named Lily, but didn’t like her and got off halfway around the barn. Not sure why! Tucker happened to be a rescued racehorse, and relatively new to pony rides. He was also the largest horse on the ride! His shoulders were above my nose level! Maybe Liam liked him because he was so high? I don’t know!
We got ready to leave, and I talked to the stable manager about my daughter. She wants me to bring Fae back because she had to miss it. I told her about my horses when I lived at home, and about how Fae loved the Horse Park over in Lexington. She said seeing how Liam took to it, both of my kids have horses in their blood, so she said she’d help me “feed the need!” I’ll probably set something up next week after Fae’s settled better in school. She’d LOVE that!
We got in the car, and Liam took a drink while we watched Tucker get a nice cool shower. Liam pointed and said “o-see!” I think I can get used to this “getting to know my little boy!”
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Rumble at the Park
After dropping off an emotional Fae at kindergarten, I came home and decided to do something fun with Liam. Bill's off from work this week, so we headed out to a park. On the way, we stopped at Bowman Field. It's a small, very old airport. I don't know what they do in the way of security, but you can drive your car right up to the fence and watch the small prop planes and helicopters take off and land. They actually have benches set up just for that purpose! We stayed there for a bit, while Liam was mesmerized by the planes, then we headed for the park.
I've been to so many parks with my kids, that I'm really good with park etiquette. Fae knows to wait her turn, not to push or stay on the swing too long just in case someone else wants to try. I know how to talk to a bunch of woman, yet still keep an eye on my kid. I also know how to make small, unoffensive comments to kids who may be acting a little rough. Normally, that's enough to get the kid back on the right track. Today? Nah. Didn't work... AT ALL.
The park we were at was divided into two playsets... the big kid set, and the "babies" set. The kids can go on either set, but normally, the big kids stay away from the baby set. I noticed these two boys... they were friends... and they were running all over the playground. They looked to be older 4 year olds.
I had Liam on the baby set. He was just getting used to going down the slide again (he only forgets how to do it for the first 3 minutes, then he's a sliding fiend). He had to get his footing, so it was taking him a little longer than normal. Both boys came up by him, and said to me, "Your baby stinks". I replied, in a not so mature way, but caught myself and acted my age. I said to myself that I should have known better. I thought that would be the end of it. Liam goes down the slide, and he ambles around to climb the steps to go down again. As he was at the top of the slide, the boys were back, crowding around Liam, and sitting on the slide... not moving. I asked them politely to move so the little kids could go down. and they said that the little kids can go on another slide. Then they started taunting me, as though I was going to chase after them.
In the meantime, another Mom shows up. She had a newborn (whom she kept in her arms the whole time she was there... so her arms were literally full), a girl about Liams age, and a 3 year old son. Liam started playing around them... I wouldn't call what he does playing with another kid just yet. Her kids were very cute and respectful. While I was talking to her, the boys came up and pushed her son.
She didn't get too upset. She said her son can hold his own. Then the boys came back and started crowding on Liam again. I asked where their Moms were, and one boy said he's here with his friend. I looked around the park, trying to see if there were any moms either watching them, or looking like they could have been with them. Nothing. I got nervous for Liam, so I took him off the playset, and went over to the swings. I was still close enough to the action. The Mom was talking to me from where she was. I noticed two women on a bench in between the two sets, but they were deep in conversation, not paying attention to anything. While I was pushing Liam on the swing, the boys came up on the little girl and knocked her down, AND then they both ran directly into the boy, knocking him down hard. I had it. I was so mad, and I couldn't believe that these boys would be unsupervised like this. I ran over to the boy, trying to make sure he was ok since his Mom still had the baby. She told me that they said their Moms weren't here.
I went back over to Liam, and then he headed for the playset again. I heard the other mom say "tyrants", and then one of the women who were sitting on that bench got up and grabbed the boys arms. They were sitting there the whole time!
I was talking to the Mom when the woman came up to us with the boys. She was trying to make them apologize, but her son wouldn't. She didn't know how bad they were, and I wasn't about to let her get away without her knowing how they could have hurt these kids. THAT's how bullies are made. You could tell she was mad, and embarrassed, but SHE was responsible for them... she sat mere feet away from all the fuss, and she was oblivious. I'm always watching my kids.
One of the Moms who came upon us talking, said THAT's how kids get snatched right out from under a parent's nose. I never thought of that, but now that I saw what I saw... I believe it!
I've been to so many parks with my kids, that I'm really good with park etiquette. Fae knows to wait her turn, not to push or stay on the swing too long just in case someone else wants to try. I know how to talk to a bunch of woman, yet still keep an eye on my kid. I also know how to make small, unoffensive comments to kids who may be acting a little rough. Normally, that's enough to get the kid back on the right track. Today? Nah. Didn't work... AT ALL.
The park we were at was divided into two playsets... the big kid set, and the "babies" set. The kids can go on either set, but normally, the big kids stay away from the baby set. I noticed these two boys... they were friends... and they were running all over the playground. They looked to be older 4 year olds.
I had Liam on the baby set. He was just getting used to going down the slide again (he only forgets how to do it for the first 3 minutes, then he's a sliding fiend). He had to get his footing, so it was taking him a little longer than normal. Both boys came up by him, and said to me, "Your baby stinks". I replied, in a not so mature way, but caught myself and acted my age. I said to myself that I should have known better. I thought that would be the end of it. Liam goes down the slide, and he ambles around to climb the steps to go down again. As he was at the top of the slide, the boys were back, crowding around Liam, and sitting on the slide... not moving. I asked them politely to move so the little kids could go down. and they said that the little kids can go on another slide. Then they started taunting me, as though I was going to chase after them.
In the meantime, another Mom shows up. She had a newborn (whom she kept in her arms the whole time she was there... so her arms were literally full), a girl about Liams age, and a 3 year old son. Liam started playing around them... I wouldn't call what he does playing with another kid just yet. Her kids were very cute and respectful. While I was talking to her, the boys came up and pushed her son.
She didn't get too upset. She said her son can hold his own. Then the boys came back and started crowding on Liam again. I asked where their Moms were, and one boy said he's here with his friend. I looked around the park, trying to see if there were any moms either watching them, or looking like they could have been with them. Nothing. I got nervous for Liam, so I took him off the playset, and went over to the swings. I was still close enough to the action. The Mom was talking to me from where she was. I noticed two women on a bench in between the two sets, but they were deep in conversation, not paying attention to anything. While I was pushing Liam on the swing, the boys came up on the little girl and knocked her down, AND then they both ran directly into the boy, knocking him down hard. I had it. I was so mad, and I couldn't believe that these boys would be unsupervised like this. I ran over to the boy, trying to make sure he was ok since his Mom still had the baby. She told me that they said their Moms weren't here.
I went back over to Liam, and then he headed for the playset again. I heard the other mom say "tyrants", and then one of the women who were sitting on that bench got up and grabbed the boys arms. They were sitting there the whole time!
I was talking to the Mom when the woman came up to us with the boys. She was trying to make them apologize, but her son wouldn't. She didn't know how bad they were, and I wasn't about to let her get away without her knowing how they could have hurt these kids. THAT's how bullies are made. You could tell she was mad, and embarrassed, but SHE was responsible for them... she sat mere feet away from all the fuss, and she was oblivious. I'm always watching my kids.
One of the Moms who came upon us talking, said THAT's how kids get snatched right out from under a parent's nose. I never thought of that, but now that I saw what I saw... I believe it!
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