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Showing posts from March, 2014

Spring is here!

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I love evenings with perfect weather and time to play outside.  Spring is taking its time in getting here to us, but we are getting samplings of it.  

Fears

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Dear Sarah Graves, Last night you asked me to read you Bambi and I started to say no, but decided we couldn't avoid it forever.  To be honest, I started to get rid of the book the moment you received it just so I could avoid the conversation of Bambi losing his mother.  Sure, every Disney princess seems to lose a parent one way or another, but Bambi seems to focus on it.  As I expected, you asked me what happened to Bambi's mom and wanted to know why.  I simply don't have a good answer for why.  Bad things happen to good people who are still very much needed all the time.  I think that is why I wanted to avoid it.  Doesn't every child fear losing the person they depend on most?  I know that is what you were wondering about and wanted to be reassured that you wouldn't be left alone in the world.  I tried to reassure you that I would always want to be with you and try my hardest to do that.  I also reminded you that you are lucky to have a family with lots of people

Limits

I have posted before about  Hand in Hand Parenting  and particularly how helpful the notion of  staylistening  has been.  Another major component of their parenting method is setting healthy limits. Setting limits in their parenting style means limits are set reasonably and in a warm, loving way that offers the child connection.  It isn't done out of anger or with the intent to humiliate a child.  Rather, limits are intended to be a way to guide a child back onto the correct path.  A child who is feeling connected will be able to think well and accept the limit.  A child who is feeling very disconnected may have serious trouble thinking well and will respond with strong emotion to the smallest limit. Sometimes a child is off track and doing things to signal that he/she needs help.  In those times a limit being set may trigger the release of feelings that seem much larger than the situation would appear to require.  For instance, off track behavior for Sarah Graves looks like reas

Disney Bound!

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The Caldwell/Bourgeois clan is headed to Disney in mid September!  I know, I know that is 6 months away!  However, this trip requires advanced planning.  I feel like I am getting a PhD in Disney right now.   Disney knows how to build the excitement with the mailings and emails, too!  Our hotel is reserved along with the dining plan and park tickets.  There was a lot of deliberation as I made dining reservations.  We were able to plan breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table, princess breakfast at Akershus in Epcot, and Chef Mickey's in our hotel!  The Cinderella one can be tough to get, so I was really excited for that one.  Princesses are our primary focus this trip, so we looked for ways to work in visits with them! Next up will be scheduling Fast Passes and ordering Magic Bands!  Then, there is all the shopping to get them wardrobed for the trip!  I am having a ball researching and planning this one!

Letter Month Eighteen

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Dear Charlie, I just can't believe how fast the time flies!  You are becoming such a big boy and sometimes I like it and sometimes I wish we could just stay like we are right now.  My favorite moments are those holding you in the nursery and watching your beautiful face while you nurse.  It is by far the most rewarding time to be your momma.   The biggest event for you has been the surgery on your hand.  We decided it was the right thing to do and you have handled it so well.  You really haven't complained and adjusted to the cast so quickly.  I'm sure a full arm cast isn't comfortable and it has to be frustrating not being able to use that hand, but you have adapted and found ways to do what you wanted.  Sometimes the cast is like a crutch or a cane you can use to get leverage and other times it feels a bit like a weapon!  I think the hardest part of the whole thing may have been keeping you from nursing or eating before the surgery!  You signed to nurse and told

Warm Day at the Zoo

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We enjoyed our taste of spring watching the baby animals at the zoo.  The gorillas have babies, lions have cubs, and the baby pandas were playing. Watching the birds and Charlie signs to Aaron that he sees the birds. I love his determination as he crawls over a little bridge to get to the slide.  He loved the freedom of climbing up to the slide and ding it on his own! He would slide down and take off running and giggling to climb up again!   We thoroughly enjoyed our sunny afternoon at the zoo!  We hope the spring weather comes back soon!

Frozen Mania

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We have been non-stop Frozen mania since she saw the movie back in December.  When we downloaded the song, "Let It Go", the mania rose to new heights.  She saw it twice in the theater, owns the dolls, worships the soundtrack, wears the shirt anytime it's clean, has the Anna costume, and when the movie was available for download - sheer heaven.  The timing was actually perfect because she was home with a stomach virus that day and it was a great time to let her veg out and watch it as a continuous loop! She loves to act out scenes from the movie and pretend that she is Elsa.  She wears her Elmo blanket like the cape because it is long like Elsa's and of course she needs her tiara.  She will have me hold out objects for her to take and place the tiara on her head just like the coronation ceremony.  My favorite part is when she pretends to make the snow and ice and she steps out with her foot and does her hand out like Elsa.  She is already talking about plans for her

He Loves Her So...

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Sometimes it feels like Charlie is constantly antagonizing Sarah Graves, but he loves her!  The other night they were having ice-cream after dinner and he would only let her feed it to him.  He wouldn't feed himself and he didn't want me to do it - just Sissy!  She was so proud!  She would hop up and give him some bites and give him some advice on eating it before it melts or not letting it drip.  She was beaming as she fed him, too!  Seeing them love each other is just the sweetest.

Cooking with Gas

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The week before Charlie's hand surgery I was making dinner and complained to Aaron that the cooktop wasn't working well.  It was not great when we bought the house, but it worked and we have helped it limp along since.  Not long after my griping, I reached for a pot handle and received a big shock, literally!  It scared me bad and I screamed.  We quickly decided a replacement was in order. I called my favorite Home Depot designer (aka my sister) and she emailed us choices, including switching from electric to gas.  We decided gas would be nice and the cost to connect the gas wouldn't be that high since we have a gas hot water heater near that area.   The cooktop arrived on a Saturday and we checked it out to realize the old electric hookup wasn't compatible with the new electric starter.  We would need the electrician to. come out to change the wiring and install an outlet.  The electrician was able to come out the same day as the plumber and I figured we would be all s

Favorite Fun

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About a year ago, Aaron and I put our mattress on the floor to make co-sleeping with Charlie easier and safer.  He was getting mobile and we were worried about him falling out of bed during the night and now it's easier to let him get up by himself rather than worry he might wake up and fall while getting down.  So, we've left it that way.  Our bedroom is a little strange looking, but no one ever goes in there.  It's a little difficult to get out of bed because it's so low, but we can do it.  It kind of feels like I am on a perpetual camping trip, but the bed is quite comfy! During my journey with Hand in Hand parenting, I learned about the benefits to children and families of rough and tumble sort of play.  The kind of play that is like wrestling and becomes physical, but also evokes great laughter from lots of kissing.  This kind of play usually puts kids in the role of the leader and the parent is the one bumbling around and making mistakes. One afternoon when Sar

Happy Mardi Gras!

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Breakfast with my Mardi Gras princess!  She is in such a precious mood - the kind you wish you could bottle!

Hand Update

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We went for a postoperative appointment to see how Charlie's hand is healing and all looks excellent.  He was a complete doll throughout the experience!  They removed his old cast and checked that the incisions are healing as well as took an x-ray to be sure the bone is healing.  It must have felt good to have it off because he never stopped wiggling his fingers!  He was very curious about the incisions and wanted to check those out! The markings on his wrist are the surgeon's initials from the day of the surgery. The line on the image is the pin buried under the skin. He had a new cast put on, which I was nervous about.  He sat in my lap and never moved once.  I was amazed!  He has quickly learned to maneuver with the cast on, so I guess it didn't seem terrible to him.  His new cast is open on the end, so at least his fingers get some air.  We will have to get Sissy and Pops to sign this new one! He was friendly to everyone and they agreed he is the best patient.   We go b

Water Baby

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Sarah Graves has been dying for swim lessons.  It is not easy to find places offering lessons indoors and on the weekends.  This school focuses on teaching water safety as well as swimming and they do it in the pool in a local hotel.  She was seriously so excited and gave it her best.  The coach noted that she should make progress quickly since she is so eager.  She saw another kid her age able to swim on his own with no float and could hardly stand it.  We hope her competitive spirit serves her well!