100 ways to be kind to your child.

Some really good advice.. I didn't write this, got it from pinterest.

Tell to your child:

1. I love you.
2. love you no matter what.
3. I love you even when you are angry at me.
4. I love you even when I am angry with you.
5. I love you when you are far way. My love for you can reach you wherever you are.
6. If I could pick any 4 year old (5 year old, 6 year old…) in the whole wide world, I’d pick you.
7. I love you to the moon and then around the stars and back again.
8. Thank you.
9. I enjoyed playing with you today.
10. My favorite part of the day was when I was with you and we were _______.

Tell them:
11. The story of their birth or adoption.
12. About how you cuddled them when they were a baby.
13. The story of how you chose their name.
14. A story about yourself when you were their age.
15. A story about how their grandparents met.
16. What your favorite color is.
17. That sometimes you struggle too.
18. That when you’re holding hands and you give three squeezes, it’s a secret code that means, “I love you”.
19. What the plan is.
20. What you’re doing right now.

Play:
21. Freeze Tag
22. Uno
23. Crazy 8s
24. Gin Rummy
25. Memory
26. Go Fish
27. I Spy- especially when you’re tired of driving and feel snappish
28. Catch

Pretend:
29. To catch their kiss and put it on your cheek.
30. That their tickle tank is empty and you have to fill it.
31. That their high five is so powerful it nearly knocks you over.
32. That you are super ticklish.
33. That you are explorers in the amazing new world of your backyard.
34. That it’s party day! Decorate for no reason!

Try:
35. To get enough sleep.
36. To drink enough water.
37. To eat decent food.
38. Wearing earrings, or whatever makes you feel pretty.
39. Calling a friend the next time you feel like you are about to lose it with the kids.
40. Giving a gentle touch to show approval, rather than saying something.
41. Dancing in the kitchen.
42. To get your kids to bop to the music with you in the car.
43. Showing your kids that you can do a somersault or handstand or a cartwheel.
44. Keeping that sigh to yourself. Just jump in and help clean up cheerfully.
45. Using a kind voice, even if you have to fake it.

Read:
46. A book of silly poems.
47. A book and then act it out. (Like “I’m going on a Bear Hunt”)
48. Your favorite childhood book to them.
49. When the afternoon is starting to go astray.
50. Outside under a tree.
51. In the library kids corner.
52. The comic book they love that you’re not so hot on.
53. About age appropriate behavior so you can keep your expectations realistic.

Listen:
54. To your child in the car.
55. To that Lego description, and think how important it is to your child.
56. For that question that indicates your child really needs your input.
57. One second longer than you think you have patience for.
58. For the feelings behind your child’s words.

Ask:
59. Why do you think that happens?
60. What do you think would happen if______?
61. How shall we find out?
62. What are you thinking about?
63. What was your favorite part of the day?
64. What do you think this tastes like?

Show:
65. Your child how to do something instead of banning them from it.
66. How to whistle with a blade of grass.
67. How to shuffle cards- make a bridge if you can!
68. How to cut food.
69. How to fold laundry.
70. How to look up information when you don’t know the answer.
71. Affection to your spouse.
72. That taking care of yourself is important.

Take Time:
73. To watch construction sites.
74. To look at the birds.
75. To allow your child to help you dump ingredients in the bowl.
76. To walk places together.
77. To dig in the dirt together.
78. To do a task at your child’s pace.
79. To just sit with you child while they play.

Trust:
80. That your child is capable.
81. That you are the right parent for your child.
82. That you are enough.
83. That you can do what is right for your family.

Delight your child:
84. Clean your child’s room as a surprise.
85. Put chocolate chips in the pancakes.
86. Put a love note in their lunch.
87. Make their snack into a smile face shape.
88. Make sounds effects while you help them do something.
89. Sit on the floor with them to play.

Let Go:
90. Of the guilt.
91. Of how you thought it was going to be.
92. Of your need to be right.

Give:
93. A look with Kind Eyes to your child.
94. A smile when your child walks into the room.
95. A kind touch back when your child touches you.
96. The chance to connect before you correct so that your child can actually hear your words.
97. Your child a chance to work out their frustrations before helping them.
98. A bath when the day feels long.
99. A hug.
100. You get to choose the next one! What is your favorite way to be kind to your child?

Dreaming

I'm dreaming of the day when Ian has a real set schedule and when I can know that he will be off that day or he will be home at this time. Since we've been married, the 2 jobs he's had have both not had set schedules. When he was doing concrete work, it was whenever they got work and then the job could last 1 hour or it could last 3. While I am thankful that he has had a job, it still just gets old. The never knowing, the trying to plan, the planning and then him not being able to be there. It goes on and on.. Not to mention the fact that even if he is with us the job doesn't quit.. (I'm having a major pity party bear with me here) I am so ready for him to just be a employee and be done. To do his job and come home and be done. I don't know if we are really cut out for this business owner responsibility. Especially in CA, the liability of owning a business and having anyone work for you or even with you is so high. From what I've read basically anyone can sue you at any time if they get hurt or die. As the employer we will almost always lose. Plus the 5million rules and laws that seem to change weekly. It seems like you have to have an attorney on hand at all times just to attempt to be legal. It just stresses me out, I feel like we are just setting ourselves up for something bad. We don't make enough money to have a attorney on hand yet can't risk not having legal advice. It's ridiculous! Whatever happened to just working and giving people jobs and thats it. Oh no, now it's how can we sue our employer to get money so I don't have to work the rest of my life? There is no shame in the lawsuits, no morals. It's just everyone out to get money from someone whether it was their fault or not. Drives me nuts. I understand there is a time and a place for lawsuits but seems to me 90% of them are just little hissy fits thrown by someone. And they almost always win.

Anyway 21 days till baby comes. I'm soooo ready! :)

My first baby

My dear Camilla-

You are already 5 years old and this mommy has no idea where the time went. I hope that you have had a good five years. I know for me these past 5 years have been life changing! I love your excitement, your happiness, your willingness to help, your ability to make Daddy and I laugh when we need it! Your fierce independence and stubbornness is something that I don't always appreciate but I know it will help you a lot as you start school this year! I know you will be a strong woman since even in the womb you refused to turn the right way and then refused the bassinett! What a big girl you are, already ready for school.

You are quick to tell me when you think I look pretty or when I have a pretty dress on. Just the other day you told me that "my belly sure was a beauty!" You are generous with your I love you's, that make my heart melt. The love you have for me is so apparent and special to me.

You love my little pony and anything pink, purple and sparkly. But you also will go outside and get dirty and pick up worms. You love your puppy and spend hours playing with her, chasing her around and bossing her even though she doesn't listen most of the time! You love going to your Grandma's house in Weaverville and often would rather stay there instead of coming home!

When the new baby comes, Mommy won't have as much time for you. But I will still love you just as much and love seeing you grow up into an amazing girl!

Happy 5th Birthday my first baby!

I love you,

Mommy

Ian wrote a song for her and it is so sweet. Here is part of it.

My sweet baby, our lives changed today.

No words can I say, to explain how my heart can feel this way.

Rolling along on life's train

From now on it won't be the same

Most beautiful thing in the world,

My own baby girl

Look in my eyes

You can see

All the love you have given me.

I'll be there day and night

To make sure you will be alright.

Rolling along you have grown so fast

Being this little girl just won't last

Out on your own to learn and play

Coming from the heart I need to say.

Look in my eyes

You can see

All the love you have given me.

I'll be there day and night

To make sure you will be alright.

She is a Daddy's girl too. Loves him wrestling with her and tickling her. It is going to be so fun to watch her with the new baby. She has waited so long and just doesn't think he will ever be here!

Growing

35 weeks

Unless the baby is early I have a scheduled C-section on March 22! Because Camilla was breech I had to have a C-section with her and at my hospital once you have one C-section you have to have it for every baby you have after that. Or the only other option is having it at home which I am no where near brave enough for that! Another dumb rule because of malpractice lawsuits. So go in bright and early on a Thursday! Little less then a month away! :) YAY!

Oh my

Camilla is already worrying about if she's going to have the money to pay to have kids. Couldn't believe it that she is even thinking about that. She asked me today if you had to pay to have kids, so I told her that you have to pay the Dr. and hospital bills. She says, what if I don't have enough money to pay the Dr.? Will they not give me my baby? I said no, they would still give you your baby but you really don't need to be worrying about that yet Camilla! She goes, well what would happen if I don't have any money? Wow, I'm not sure where it all has come from since so far we really haven't had that many Dr bills and I don't think we have been complaining about the cost of another child.. So who knows. Anyway I got a good laugh out of that. :)

Whitney

“No one makes me do anything I don’t want to do. It’s my decision, so the biggest devil is me. I’m either my best friend or my worst enemy. And that’s how I have to deal with it."- Whitney Houston

Isn't that the truth, we are our own worst enemy. Of course she is talking about doing drugs and which one was the biggest devil to her, but still in so many ways this is the truth. No one forces us into doing anything we don't want to do, it is our own decisions. We have to take responsibility for our actions and our words. Unfortunately it doesn't work this way anymore, quite sad actually. Also quite sad that Whitney's great talent was wasted and ruined by her drug use. I listened to her back in 1991 when she sang the National Anthem at the Super Bowl and it is one of the best versions I have ever heard. She had a huge range and such power in her voice!

Have a listen if you like.

I thought it was going to be much harder to quit facebook but it really has been a lot easier than I thought! I have a lot more free time and spend less time on the computer! With my pregnancy hormones raging, it was really what I needed to do! It is so easy for people to write stuff and not really stop and think how the person is going to take it. I'm sure I've done the same thing, it is easy to do. Anyway I highly recommend quitting if you have been thinking about it. I never realized how much time I wasted on there till I quit.

Speaking of time, it sure does seem like these last weeks are going to take a long time! I am ready for him to be here! I have felt so good the whole time and now my feet, legs and hands are swelling and hurting really bad. I went to 2 stores today and was about ready to get one of those motorized carts! Doesn't feel good at all and my fatigue is back! I have been reading about a lot of women having insomnia at this stage. Not me, I hit the bed and am done! Camilla is really just wondering about this baby business, seems like we're never going to get this baby! I'm not ready for him at all when it comes to a car seat or place to sleep or really even clothes! Waiting on a dresser, (thanks Dad!) and then I can wash the clothes I do have. My cousins Katlyn and Britna are doing a shower for me later this month so I'm excited to see all the cute things from people! It still feels funny shopping in the boy section! I'm so used to looking at pink things and catch myself looking at little tiny pink things! :) Anyway enough rambling!

Funny mirror! I'm really not that big!

Feeding birds

Ian had a rare day off and so we went to a place here in Redding called Turtle Bay. It's a park that has some exhibits and animals. They have an aviary there where you can go in and feed the birds. I thought Camilla might enjoy it but she was terrified of the birds and just spent the whole time holding on to me wanting to go! Anyway, Ian and I enjoyed it!

She did like to look at the fish!

So did Daddy, he was dreaming of having the big one on his hook!

Eating Ian's shirt

We didn't even get pooped on!