Proud Mama!

I took Alex to the park on Tuesday...very, very HOT day!  We played for a little while, then ate our lunch, then played some more.  While I found a spot in the shade, Alex continued to play.  Eventually, he found 3 friends to play with, all boys.  One of the little boys was "not very nice", according to Alex.  He had yelled at his mother earlier, sparking Alex's comment.  But, Alex continued to play with the 3 boys, including this one.  I was fine with that, until this one little boy decided to lead the others to water, and not in a good way.  There is a creek that runs beside the park.  It's not very deep, but I have always told Alex that he can only go down there with me or Daddy.  As I watched the boys start to run off to the creek, I made a decision.  I decided not to say anything to Alex.  Instead, I watched to see what he would do.  At first, he took off running with them.  Then, just outide the line of the playground, I saw him stop, look at the boys, look to the side toward the playground, and then back at the boys.  Then, the pivotal moment came...he yelled for them to come back!  He not only chose to stay put, but he also chose to try to encourage them to do the right thing as well.  What a moment!

Poetry & Art Day!

It was Poetry Day today at Alex’s school.  Parents were invited.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew that they were presenting in the big auditorium with a microphone.  Knowing Alex’s obsession with my Jazzercise microphone, I felt this was sure to be entertaining.  Boy, was I correct! 

All the kids lined up on the stage behind the microphone.  There was one child primarily in front of the microphone.  Alex was 2 children down from him.  Halfway through the poem, Alex got excited, leaned in toward the microphone, and recited the poem at the top of his lungs!  I laughed so hard!  He is so funny, and loves performing.  Maybe he will be a performer when he gets older.  I could definitely see drama in his future!

Bye, bye, birdie!

So, things have gone really well the past few days...until today!  We had been doing activities all morning.  He was happy, and following instructions.  He always does well and has a good time doing activities.  Then, it was time to go outside and play on a beautiful day!  I stayed out there for a few minutes, but then I decided I needed to get some work done.  I left Alex outside playing under Daddy's supervision.  I went around the house opening the windows to let some air in.  When I got to the upstairs window, I looked out and noticed Alex putting something in his mouth.  His response...it was a bird egg!!!!!!  I raced down the stairs and out the door, horrified!  I made him come in and wash his hands and wash his mouth out and brushed his teeth.

And, I may be a horrible parent, but I decided to describe to him what salmonella is and also told him that the baby bird that could have come out of that egg is now never going to exist because of him.  Ugh!!!!!!!!!!!!  He is 4 years old.  When is he going to stop putting crap in his mouth????

Zipes, the Zany Zebra

So, Alex got to bring home Zipes, the Zany Zebra from school this weekend, and we had to write a sentence or two about what all Alex did with Zipes.  Alex had to color a picture.  So, this is what my crazy husband (with the really wicked sense of humor) decided to write in the Zipes journal:


"On Friday, I went to stay with Alex Kee.  He is a likeable fellow, if somewhat mischievous.  On Saturday, Alex and his family went to the “Kid Expo”.  I was invited to go.  Although the invitation felt somewhat obligatory, I still enjoyed myself.  I watched Alex going in and out of bounce houses and other kid activities.  That night the family watched the movie, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”  The excitement waned from there.  Most of the rest of my time was spent just sitting on the couch, watching the world go by. Alex’s bond with “Bunny” and “Bear” didn’t allow any room for a similar bond to develop between us. Such is the life of a drifter.  All in all, it was a good time. I look forward to going home with the next child."

Cracking me up!  Hopefully, as Alex gets older, he won't be too embarrassed by his dad's quirky ways :)

Success!

Alex made it through the day without getting into anything or getting into trouble.  He earned his book back.  Tomorrow, he has the opportunity to earn another book back.  After that, he can possibly earn back a few more books and toys.

Ahhh....tomorrow is a new day!

4/19/2011

Today, Alex has agreed to go the whole day without getting into trouble, in order to get ONE book back.  I hate taking his books away, but I had to figure out a way to "hit him where it hurts".  Nothing else was getting through to him, and he LOVES his books.

So far, so good!  We'll see...

2 days of chaos

Last night, I rounded the corner from the kitchen and was talking to Alex in his room, when I noticed he was chewing on something.  When I asked him about it, he promptly ran and hid behind his door, but I could see that he was fishing something out of his mouth.  I kept asking him what it was, and I would either get "nothing" or no answer at all.  I could tell that he had hidden it in his little kitchen, but I wanted to give him the opportunity to admit to it.  He never did.

I told him playtime was over and made him go to the bathroom to get ready for bed.  While he was out of the room, I discovered 3 pieces of chewed up gum, and one piece of yet unchewed gum hidden in his kitchen.  We then took away all of his toys and books.

Today, he was told to leave a plant alone outside.  When his dad turned his back, he caught him sneaking 2 bites of the "chocolate mint" plant.  He put him in timeout.

Later, he was caught sipping on a juicebox he had smuggled into his room and hidden in his kitchen.  The kitchen is now GONE!

Morning snack

Once again, he raided the pantry...a few weeks ago, we were taking out the trash and discovered 3 empty fruit cup containers as well as an empty "Happy Tot" squeezie in the trash.  When asked why these were in his trash, he simply responded, "I was hungry".

So, we've been putting juice in the fridge for him and a banana on the table so that when he gets up ahead of us in the morning, he can take care of himself...since he seems obsessed with doing things himself.

Lovely!