Hello Again

Split day.

The first half of the day I spent with Joce. We played a lot on the swing set. Playing Peter Pan, Joce was Wendy. I was Hook and Peter Pan. We got out a ball and played throw for a bit. Then we were called in for lunch.

Flower Joce gave me for making a goal with the ball.

After lunch Joce had to go home and Kenleigh came to play. Kenleigh and I colored for a good while. We talked about Kindergarten and she recited me a poem about creation she had to memorize for school.

Kenleigh and I also pretended to be looking for bears. Here's our basket to attract the bear. We were going to set it out and make a trail so the bear would follow the food.

It was so cool to see how much they had grown in just a few months. I missed them so much, it was so good to see them!

Uno

Today I got to babysit for the first time in, I guess, a month and a half. It feels like forever! I had no idea how much I missed the kids I babysit. Of course I think about them while there at school but I was so excited to get to see them and play with them!
Tonight I babysat the family of 3 little girls! The baby played with us for about an hour. Watching the older sisters play with a stage made out of a milk carton. So clever! Then it was my turn to perform on the stage then Chloe, the baby kept messing it up. But that was ok. It was time to put her to bed anyway. I hadn't put her to bed with her new routine. I turned on her rain music and the second I did, she started crying. I though Aww! she was having so much fun that she didn't want to go to sleep. But I put her in her bed and closed the door after 2 minutes, she was out. I was really impressed at how fast she fell asleep.
I walked into the other room to play with the girls for another hour and the younger sister who's 3 wanted to play Uno. I looked at the box and it had never been opened also it said 7+ so I was a little worried she would be good at playing. Honestly it wasn't that bad, the 3 year old can play Uno now. Although I did tell her what to play but I would let her choose which card to play.

So we opened the deck I shuffled and delt the cards. I didn't do a very good job shuffling because at times we would draw several cards of the same color so someone would have to draw 5+ cards before they got a usable card sometimes. Oops.

7yr old's hand at one point she had 13 cards

3yr olds hand, this is how she played. We laid them out and
it was easy for her to see them too.

My hand. Unfortunatly this is when I had a handful of 12 cards.
I should be glad I never had 13.

 So we had the deck I would tell the 3 year old "Play your blue one now." "Oh you have a 3 play that." "Use your wild and say what card." It was lots of fun and the time flew by really fast. I let them stay up a little past their bed time finish the game. I ended with 3 cards, the 7 year old won, and the 3 year old came in second place. I could have let her come in 1st but I wanted to give the 7 year old a chance, I didn't know what card she had. But it was lots of fun!

What are the chances of this ever happening? Well it did between the 3yr old and 7yr old.
I got to watch. Although I was helping the 3yr old so I was a part of it.

Sticky Situation

Today I had double duty with children's church in both services and then I observed a kindergarten class during sunday school. The first Children's Church went well, we had three kids. 2 boys and a girl. We talked about the burning bush. And the color sheet to me instead of a burning bush looked to me like cotton candy. And when asked what it looked like I blurted out my response and after that the two boys wanted cotton candy and everything to them was cotton candy. It was so funny!
The second Children's Church came around. We had one little boy who is 3 in the class. I sat down and talked to some of the other kids. We had 10 kids total I think. It was a handful! The three year old, I had him in his seat with the other kids during story time but then he wanted to get up and move from his seat. After story time, he was running around the room and I saw him going around the tables. I knew he was heading to the door so I quickly maneuvered my way around the kids and got to the front of the door the door before he could make his exit. I grabbed him and swooped him up. He said, "Whoa!" Oh yeah! I was so good, he was a bit shocked that I stopped him from making it out the door. Also I was running around in heels which to me made it even more impressing. I had to pick him up a couple of more times to keep him from playing with things he shouldn't be messing with. After I put him under someone else watch I was able to visit with some of the other kids. One boy, I don't know what it was but he just loved glue and markers. I caught him gluing a marker. Yeah! Weird! I took the marker away from him and he was rubbing the glue all over his hands. I said, "Ok, I think it's time you go to the bathroom and wash your hands." So I went with him to the bathroom making sure he washed every bit off. I know sad day when we have to clean-up. Anyway once he was clean I walked him back to the classroom. Only to get back and find another boy whom I had to escort to the bathroom for clean-up duty. Boys! By the time I was done with clean-up duty it was just about time for the kids to go home. It was good and kids definitely keep you on your feet. That 3 year old had me and a helper chasing him around the room. Goodness! But I wouldn't change the chaos for anything. :) I miss hanging out with kids!

Fitness Guru's

I went to the gym with my friend and there were these two boy on the sidelines.

 

While the parents were exercising the little boy yells out "Da! Da! He took my phone. I wanna have it!" Well it wasn't his phone. The dad had given his son the phone when they got there to keep him entertained. Which I find really interesting.

Once everyone was done exercising, the instructor asks the youngest little boy. "Are you proud of mommy and daddy?"

"YES!" was his response. The coach was telling everybody how he thought it was funny that whenever he asked the boy a question it is always yes.

Then he asked the boy "Do you like bootcamp?"

The boy responded "No!"

Then his brother six year old brother came up to him and said. "Do you like me?"

"NO!"

"You don't like me? You sure you want to go with that?"

 

Later they were trying some of the cool down exercises.

 



Down Dog

Plank



When I grow up...

I find it so interesting to watch kids grow up. It happens very quickly and can be a little sad. But I love thinking about them growing in to the wonderful people they will be and it is so cool! I like finding out what they want to do and even as their idea of who they want to be changes.
So I asked a few of the kids I watch "What do you want to do when you grow up?" and here were some of their responses...

I want to be a pink dinosaur when I grow up.
...a librarian.
... a babysitter just like you.
... a truck.
... a cook/ baker.
... ballet excerise girl
... a daddy, mommy, and a sister. I wanna eat gum. Be Big! (yes, that was one girls response.)

One of the girls I watch told me she wanted to grow her hair out when she gets older and she is going to give her hair away just like I did. So cute!

Bunheads

Today I went and volunteered at a local shelter which sent me and my group to a little apartment center. We passed out fliers and picked up trash. Then they had us play with some neighborhood kids.
I sat down to talk to one boy as he was playing with puzzles. I saw that he had a different kind of rescue hero vehicle puzzle and asked which one was his favorite. He responded with the firetruck. Of course, should have guessed that one. Then he leaned over and hugged me. I was a bit surprised that he hugged me but it was really sweet. He played with the puzzles for a few more minutes then said. "I'm going to play football outside." I told him "Ok, have fun!" Then turned to talk to one of my friends.

A few minutes later this girl walks up to me, I would guess she's around 7 or 8 years old. She asks "Can I play with your hair?" I wanted to say no because I had it in a ponytail and thought it looked awful. Plus I knew it would have a major ponytail crease. But instead I said yes. So I took out my ponytail and bobbie pins.
She kept asking what she should do. She would put it in a high pony tail then into a bun, she would braid it. She put her bow in my hair and I was just hoping that she didn't have lice! Don't want to have to go through that!
After she fixed up my hair, she went over to one of my friends who sat across the table and asked if she could play with her hair. My friend said no. The little girl said, "She has softer hair than you." She was referring to me having softer hair. We all thought that was funny. After being turned down she asked my friend sitting next to me if she could do her hair. My friend said no but then gave in and let her. She gave her a bun then came back to play with my hair and put both our hair in buns. The friend who had said no laughed and said "You're bunheads." Which then we all laughed because I knew she was referring to that new show called Bunheads.

After a while it was time for us to go eat lunch so we had to leave. The kids were sad. They kept asking "Are you going to be back?" one of the boys little boys tried to pick me up. Some gave goodbye hugs. It was really sweet and a fun mission.

Last Evening,

On our way to the pool, we didn't go in the stroller, we walked. So the stopping and looking at things was more frequent than if we had the stroller. But Kenleigh had us stop and look at this little birds nest. It really fascinated Kenleigh.

Once we got to the pool we had a blast! Although I kept thinking how it will be the last time I'll see them for a while we all had a great time. Jocelyn is turning into quiet a little swimmer for a 3 year old! Kenleigh was doing really well too. I had to swim out to her once because she was doing laps with a girl she had met at the pool and she looked like she couldn't swim any more. So I swam out to help her. As I turn around I see Joce swimming out towards me, by herself, she wasn't wearing her floaties. I assumed she would stay on the step. It freaked me out! I had just rescued Kenleigh in the deep end and was now trying to keep both of us afloat to rescue Jocelyn. So I was swimming with all my might to save little joce. Which I grabbed her and swam for the steps. When we got there I told Joce to stay on the steps. It had worried me. I told them "I just saved you and I don't want to be in that position again." It scared me. Perhaps my scared response came off like I was upset at them because Joce started crying. Which after having time to really think about it. I think I she was fine but it frightened me that she wouldn't be able to swim when in reality she was ok and my reaction scared her. After a while she calmed down. But I was still traumatized by the incident.

Then on our way back, almost the second we got out of the gate, Jocelyn trips and scrapped her knee. So I end up carrying her. My hands were full with the pool bag and now her. Thank goodness we didn't bring a long noodles. We were halfway to the house when my flip-flop gave out on me. So I ended up with Jocelyn on one side, with me still carrying her, Kenleigh walking next to me, the pool bag on draped across my body, and now carrying my shoe. All while looking like a drenched homeless person with one shoe on and the other off. I'm sure it was quiet a site to see. And definitely a story to remember! I will never forget today!

Crazy Morning

Adalynne practiced her flip off the furniture.

1  =>

2 midflip

3 flip in landing

Then she started running around the living room. So, I made up a song to cheer her on. I figured it would get out all her energy.
(to the tune of row row row your boat.)
Run run run around
Run in a circle
Keep on running round till you turn purple.

Time to pick out a movie. I couldn't find the kids movies. So she was telling me what all she had.
"We have Sawhourse." In my mind I was running through if there even was a movie named Sawhourse. Couldn't think of one but thought maybe she means Sea biscuit but she's to young for that.
"Sawhourse?"I question. She pulls out a DVD case. It takes me a while to figure out the picture because it looks like an astronaut landing on the moon. "Oh! Star Wars!" I finally say. Yay! I figured it out.

Finally after turning down Star Wars. I find The Lion King. As I am putting the DVD in on TV is this little turtle doing a song and dance. Adalynne has a stuffed turtle.
"There's turtle!" She tells me. Turtle isn't with her, he is in the other room.
"Ohh turtle." I say in astonishment. "Aww turtle! I miss turtle." I say sadly because he isn't with us.
"He's ok!" Adalynne says reassuring me.

Watching the movie, Scar appears on the screen.
She asks, "That's scar?"
"Yeah." I say.
"I like him, I like scar."
"Why?" I said a bit surprised. Usually kids don't like the villain in the movie.
"Cuz he's a guy."

In the movie after eating a bug, Pumba burped I said "Sounds like you!"
"Yeah!" she says in agreement. I was expecting her to say no it does not! Then she burps. Well that just confirms it...

To Many Boys!

Tonight I babysat for an event at church. I watched five boys. It was only supposed to be three boys and one girl but some how I ended up getting five boys. And I must say it was a blast! Two of the boys were 3 years old, one was almost 6, and the other two were twins and they were 7.
They had lots of fun but as I will put it, I took a beating. I gave piggy back rides, played airplanes and G.I. Joe's, even had to use first aid on a bloody toe, and so much more...

I had found a really cool octopus that each of it's tentacles made noise. I would squeeze them all together, to me they sounded like a train, so I squeezed them twice and then would say "Choo Choo!" Some of the boys gave me weird looks and some thought I was funny. Then to one boy, that little octopus turned into a bunch of ice creams and would occasionally offer me one.
Later, I had a 3 year old on one foot and a 6 year old on the other, it was hard to walk, took a lot of strength to move just an inch.

Then I made a clever little train car that they all wanted to take turns riding. I had two different sized buckets, one could hold 3 of the kids the other could hold 2. Anyway, I tied them together with a purse and had the older kids in the bigger bucket hold onto the strap. It worked like a charm, they loved it. I pulled them several times in that.

Afterwards, I was walking out the same time as one of the little 3 year olds and his mom and grandmother. He comes running after me saying, "Wait! Wait!" I bend down expecting a hug but instead he says, "I want to kiss you." and he kisses me on the cheek. He was so cute! Then he runs to back to his grandma and says, "I'm riding with grandma!" I told him that sounded like fun!

Bible Reinactment

The moment I walked into the room I was designated being baby Moses. Which I'm ok with. Jocelyn was at first Moses' mom then was his wife (role later taken over by Kenleigh), later she became Pharaoh's daughter. Kenleigh was Moses' sister then became his wife, leaving behind the sister role. I, being moses, asked Pharaoh's daughter (we didn't have a Pharaoh) to let my people go. Of course she said no so God sent the plagues. My scarf being the staff turned into a snake and she still said no. Then Kenleigh and I were able to escape the land and traveled around in the desert. Joce, Pharaoh's daughter, tried to come to but we told her she wasn't a Jew. She had to be a Jew if she was going to come because Pharaoh and his people weren't allowed on the journey. I don't think she quiet understood.


locus lunch

Later, we found a toy from a kids meal. I remember playing with one of these when I was a kid. Of course it was my mom's. I can't believe the restaurant is bringing some of the old fashioned toys back.
It was funny to watch the girls play with it. Kenleigh would say, "Joce, let me show you how." which at first Kenleigh was having problems with starting the top but then she got it. Joce wanted to stop it from spinning and Kenleigh would get so mad. Then after telling Joce to stop trying to stop it. They both laid down on the floor and watched it spin.