Saying A Bad Word

Something I learned long ago is our little ones look up to us as role models and they do mimic the things we say and do.

I am not a person who uses curse words, well very little anyway. I don’t drop the “F” word ever, I don’t say “S#!@” but on occasion I do say “Damn it”. Funny thing is Luke has taught me to say “barnacles” because he says that often and it is a Sponge Bob phrase.

I should have learned years ago. When Luke was two I said “Damn it” often. Sure enough at the age of two Luke started saying “damn it” and he said it often. I felt very bad about teaching my child to use this word. From that point on I became very conscious about what I said and really made an effort not to say these things.

However I am human (not perfect) and it is one of those things that slip’s out when I get really frustrated. Typically occurs at times when my child has decided to dump the dog’s water bowl all over the floor for the third time. Yes, it is these times when the “Damn it” flies from my tong and it comes across in a very frustrated tone.

Wouldn’t you know it, at the age of two, Thomas dropped the word “damn it”. He was getting mad about something and sure enough in his moment of anger he yelled it out. I instantly corrected Thomas and this has only encouraged him to say it more. At that point I ignored him and he stopped saying it.

It is just funny to me (OK not funny) how both my boys have learned this word from me and at the very young age of two. My efforts are good but obviously not good enough and I must try harder.

I grew up in a house with parents who cursed all the time but we were not allowed to say those words. I always thought that was a double standard and I still to this day feel like it is a double standard. Because I feel this way, I need to set an example and not use this type of language in front of my kids. Good news is my parents have grown with age and also curb their words especially around the kids.

Have your kids ever picked up a behavior from you that you wished they had not?

Playing Soccer

Luke has played soccer since he was three years old.

We thought it would be something fun for him to do.
We quickly learned soccer wasn't really his thing.

OK, at 3 it isn't really any child's thing but they are learning.

At 4 he would sit down in the middle of the field or was off picking dandelions.

At the age of 5 we put him on a team with one of his friends.
Big mistake as these two would run around the field holding hands,
trying to do cart wheels and anything else but play soccer.

After that fall season we decided it was time to give soccer a rest.
Luke's dad coached a few times and his dad was really starting to lose his patients.

This fall Luke wanted to play again.
Of course what parent can say no when their child wants to play.
No really big hope for him playing but we signed him up anyway.

Well guess what?
At the age of 6 he has figured out that he can play soccer
and he does it very well.

My little all star played so well this year and we were so proud of him.

I guess this is why they say never give up.

Visit Angie at 7 Clown Circus for more great Wordful Wednesday post.

Happy Halloween 2009

Saturday was a big day with all the
Halloween activities taking place in our house.
We started our day off with a little pumpkin carving.
Notice my kitchen gloves on Luke.
He did not want to clean out the pumpkin unless he wore gloves.

I was a nervous wreck watching this child carve a pumpkin with a knife.
He is just growing up way to fast.

Thomas thinks he is carving on Luke's finished pumpkin.
He was funny!

On Mickey Mouse carved pumpkin. Thanks to me!
Oh and excuse this childs shirt and face.
I don't remember him being such a mess.

Luke's finished pumpkin he carved all by himself.

Our finished products all lit up.

Now it is time to go Trick-or-treating.

One Indiana Jones &

one little puppy.

His little puppy costume was almost two small.
Notice the feet?

And what event out wouldn't be complete
with out a full blown temper tantrum.
He did not take a nap today & is now tired.

If only you could hear him singing the Indiana theme song. Funny!

A couple outside shots before we drive into town.

Let's go!
Thomas was hooked once he new he was getting candy.

This was the first year we were having to keep up
with Luke instead of the other way around.

Remember that nap we missed?
It caught up to us.

Happy Halloween!
I hope you all had as much fun as we did.

Ladybug I am So Sorry

I am sitting here catching up on blogs and Thomas starts beating his train table with a toy hammer. He is beating it and beating it! Then he comes to me holding out his hand to give me something. My child has decided to beat an innocent little ladybug into a flat pancake.

So I ask him, did you smash the bug with your hammer. He just gives me this huge smile like, I took care of the problem.

I guess the ladybugs currently hanging out in my house need to take note that they are not allowed to crawl around on the train table.

Party Time!

We had a great birthday party for Thomas on Sunday. It was a great party even with all the stress we had before the party began. I was up at 7 AM Sunday morning, skipped Church to try and get everything done I needed to do before the party at 4. Top priority was the cake and second on the list was keeping the house clean and finish someone of the cleaning things I had not done on Saturday. Let me just say nothing ever goes as planned especially with kids. But even with all the craziness before the party we did it and were putting the final touches on when everyone arrived.

An here is the cake, the cake that I am so proud of yet it took me 8 hours to put it together but Thomas loved it. Once we stuck the ears on he knew it was Mickey Mouse.
Dad was in charge of the pictures so I have no real great pictures of Thomas's huge smile's. But trust me they were their.
He loved trying to blow out his candles. He made me so nervous as he leaned in so close to try and blow them out. I had to help!
I should have taken an after picture of my cake all cut up. It was hard to put that much time and effort into something to watch it get chopped up in 5 minutes. Everyone did say it was very yummy! My cake was from a box mix but I made my icing from scratch and loved it. My husband even thought it was good and he is a cake snob so it is hard to get his approval but we did.

Now onto presents. Thomas wasn't to interested in opening gifts. The kids had a couple character balloons they were using to smack my brother with. They were having more fun doing that than opening presents.
This years big gift was a train set. I spent very little on Thomas's Birthday. The table is actually a train table we bought for Luke years ago. It has been in the garage for probably three years now, so it was brand new to Thomas. I then bought a new wooden train set, 70 pieces for $27 at Target. It was a great deal and fit the table perfect. Then other people bought a few trains and add on pieces to make it a great set. We had wooded trains from before but over the years my dogs have enjoyed them as chew toys so I only had a few things left. Plus when Luke was big into Thomas the Train we had a lot of motorized and die cast ones and only a few wood ones.
Finally the train set is open and Thomas got about 2 minutes of play before all the party kids were around the table playing and having a good time.

Interstingly enough Thomas's older brother who hasn't played with Trains for years is really enjoying this train table. I see several fights over this thing in the near future.

I look back and find it funny that both my boys at the age of two were big into Thomas the Train. Luke's big birthday present when he turned two was a Thomas the Train Toddler bed. I just recently sold that Thomas bed to someone else because we couldn't use it because we have bunk beds in the boys room. Thomas was so upset when someone drove off with that bed.