Stubborn

Chloe can be so stubborn. I am currently pulled off on the side of the road. I told her we would not move until she buckles her seat belt. I already took away her electronics. Now we're just sitting here in stale mate. It's a good thing I have a book because we've been sitting here 10 minutes thus far. She can't have toys and I've told her I can't "hear" her till she puts on her seat belt. She seems quite content to wait it out. We'll see how long this takes. I'm not sure what my other options are except yell...and sometimes I am just not in the mood to yell.

She tried to negotiate. "I'll only put it on if you give me back electronics." I told her that's not the way it works. She's tried to talk to me 4 times now.

Oh man. She is so cute and so loving...and also so stubborn.

Post Script added 2/28.
The other day she wanted hot lunch but I had already made her lunch so I told her no. When I wasn't looking, she took the lunch box out of her back pack (twice). She was kicking and screaming about it as we left for school. She said "I'm just not going to take my lunch out of my bag."

Well her teacher must get lunches out. Chloe sat at lunch with her lunch box on front of her and refused to eat. She sat in silent protest for 30 minutes while everyone else ate. It's not like I was there...not sure who she's proving a point to. It's just a matter of principle I guess. So in the afternoon she was starving and her teacher let her eat her lunch.

I am TERRIFIED of this girl as a teenager. She is going to be one I have to "suggest" things to and then hope she makes the right choice.

Another example. It was a "dress up like it's a rainy day" day at school. She wore her rain boots. I tried to put her tennis shoes in her backpack. She freaked out and took them out. I explained she didn't have to wear them, they were just there in case she got tired of wearing her rain boots during the day. It was an ongoing argument (escalating...I need to remember to let her learn lessons the hard way). I finally took them out of her bag. As she's leaving she says she wants them in her bag again...so we put them back. 

At the end of the day I pick her up and ask if she ever used them. She says she did! I say "oh great, well then you're probably really glad you kept them in your bag." She says, "no, I still wish I hadn't." There is no winning with this one!

Couple Things

Carson was looking at my drivers license a few days ago. He started uncomfortably giggling. I asked what was funny. He said "Your license says 'sex' on it." I told him that was asking what gender I was, male or female. Then he started laughing more. He saw the "F" next to sex and thought it meant I had tried to have sex and had failed. I laughed pretty hard at that.  Not sure who would have been doing the grading in that scenario.

The other day I was helping Camille go to the bathroom. She was sitting there for some time, nothing happening.  Then she said "Poop...takes awhile." Cracked me up!

Stamps

Camille saw a man with several tatoos at Costco the other day. She said "Mom, that man have stamps!" I looked at who she was talking about and then laughed. I don't think he heard or at least he didn't react. Then she said "Him got stamps from him mom." Lol. Then she told me she wanted stamps. Let's hope for just real stamps.

Mini Me

Today I told the kids to go get in the car and I'd be out in a minute. Camille said "Me stay with you, you not alone in the house." It was so sweet that she didn't want to leave me alone.

It reminded me of when I was little. Anytime we left my mom at home and went and did something, I was always so worried she would feel lonely and sad.

Any mom knows, a little time alone is welcome!

Choir Carson

Carson tried out for and made his Elementary Ensemble Choir. He had to sing two songs (solo) for his try out. He sang Fight Song and My Country Tis of Thee. He is a decent singer, but the choir is for 4th and 5th graders with preference given to 5th graders. I just assumed he wouldn't make it. I kept preparing him for failure by reminding him that even if he didn't make it, it was great practice for next year's try out. Well, he made it and then I felt like a schmuck.

That was a few months ago. Right now they have several Christmas performances. They took 2nd place in a Radio K-8 Choir competition and won $2000 for the school's music program. Today they sang at a retirement center. I was able to watch and felt so blessed to be there. The kids loved it and the elderly residents really enjoyed it as well. I loved watching it.

Their first performance was a few weeks ago at the town tree lighting. Carson was pretty nervous when he say the huge crowd. Afterwards he told me "I think I did the best." I started to tell him that everyone did a good job and it wasn't a competition but then he further explained. He meant he did HIS best. The best he could ever do. Totally different meaning and yes, totally wonderful for a child to feel that way after a performance. We had sparkling cider afterwards to celebrate his first performance.

This choir has really helped Carson to build some confidence and he seems to really enjoy it.

Clever Chloe

Chloe is very clever. She figures things out and thinks them through. Two examples from yesterday.

We were listening to "He's making a list, checking it twice. Gonna find out who's naughty or nice." Chloe piped up "Santa must use a pencil." I asked her why she thought that. She explained that if he is always having to move kids from the naughty to nice list, and vice versa, he probably would want a pencil so he can erase. I would have to agree.

I was talking to her about her Strep germs. I was being funny and told her that the bacteria had moved into her tonsils and made themselves comfortable. They liked how warm it was in there, etc. She started shaking her head which I assumed meant she didn't like my story. So I stopped talking but she kept going. I asked her what she was doing. She told me she was trying to shake the germs out of her tonsils. They couldn't get comfortable if she kept shaking their home. Lol! Her logic is amazing.

Strep

Poor Chloe is on her second round of Strep throat in a row. Two weeks ago she had a positive Strep test, did antibiotics, got her healthy. 4 days after the antibiotics ended she felt sick again. I took her in today (exactly 2 weeks from the last appointment) and she's got it again! Poor thing is miserable. Her tonsils get so huge they're basically touching. She gags ask the time because she's having a hard time swallowing.

The doctor recommended we see an ENT specialist if she gets this a third time. Her tonsils get abnormally large. I hope she doesn't have to.

This means she's missed a lot of school. It's a bummer all around. Hoping she gets better and stays better.