Kennesaw Mountain

While Taylor and I were in Florida visiting Aunt Chris, Daddy and Joshua hiked Kennesaw and Daddy got some beautiful pictures of Joshua...so...I have to post Daddy's artwork of our sweet son on this blog.

Joshua's revelation

Yesterday, we went for a walk on the Silver Comet Trail and we probably walked 3 miles total. I am not sure if it was the distance or the shoes I was wearing, but my foot was very sore that evening and this morning which was causing me a lot of pain and discomfort. Later on today, right as we were getting ready to go biking, I put my hands on the handle bars and my skin was really dry and cracked from the Winter weather and so I ran inside to put lotion on before we headed out. Joshua walked inside with me and side, "Mommy, when I grow up, I think that I want to be more like Daddy and some like you, too, but more like Daddy". I said, "Is it because of all of my problems?" and he said "Yeah"...Honest little boy! I said, "Well, I hope that you are more like your Daddy, too, because he does have less health problems"...with no arguments from Joshua on that one. Too funny! I guess that I need to keep my aches and pains to myself so that my son doesn't think that his mom is old and frail!!

Doughnuts for Dads...without Daddy

This morning was Doughnuts for Dads at Joshua's school and this year, Daddy was home sick with a cold/fever. We told Joshua that Daddy would not be able to make it b/c he was sick and Joshua took it well. I felt awful for him, and wished that I could go instead, but I had to register Taylor for preschool at First Baptist of Mableton at the same time. He told me when I picked him up from school that he sat with Patrick and his dad instead. He said that he was a little sad and got tears in his eyes once, but he said that no one saw his tears...broke my heart!!! He said that he enjoyed it overall, though. I had emailed a picture of he and Daddy (which is with this blog entry)to put up for the slide show and he said that he saw the picture about three times. This is the questionnaire that each child had to fill out for their dad.

"Why God Made Dads by Joshua Harding"
1. Why did God make Dads? Joshua: "Because kids need dads"
2. How did God make Dads? Joshua: "I don't know about that one."
3. What kind of little boy was your Dad? Joshua: "funny"
4. What does your Dad do in his spare time? Joshua: "watch TV, play with me"
5. If you could change one thing about your Dad, what would it be? Joshua: "I don't want him to work a lot."

The only answer I helped him with was the number 4. Joshua said "watch TV" and I knew that that would not sit too well with Daddy, so I said "What about that he plays with you?" and he agreed on that answer, too. When Doug read these answers, Doug commented on the watching TV part. He said "I don't watch TV when he's awake". Poor guy...he was worried that the school would think that he was a deadbeat dad...which he's not. He doesn't watch much TV while the kids are awake. Joshua, on the other hand, likes to get his TV time in...you never know what kids will say!

As far as Taylor's preschool, we decided to send her to a different school than Joshua (who went to Golden Start Preschool in Smyrna) mainly do to the price. They are both great preschools, but Golden Start now only has a 3 day program (9-1pm) and so does Mableton First Baptist (9-12) MWF. The price was lower due to less hours of the kids being in school, which I preferred, so we went with the latter program. I have heard really great things about the school and two of Taylor's playgroup friends will be going there, although in different classes and felt good about the staff there and the facilities, so that's where we are going! I can't believe that my little girl is going to be in school next year!!

Not quite ready for gymnastics...

Rough morning at gymnastics today. Taylor loves to go to gymnastics, but wants to do her own thing and has no interest in following what the rest of the class is working on. I was chasing after her most of the time in the class this morning, and had to take her out into the hall a couple of times today for a time out as she would whine and carry on when she was not able to do what she wanted to do. At the end of the class, the teacher told the kids that it was time for stickers...Taylor immediately yelled out, "Stickers". The teacher said that it was up to me if Taylor could get a sticker. She hands out stickers to the kids for good behavior and I got the hint from the teacher that she didn't believe that Taylor had earned a sticker today. That was kind of the straw that broke the camels back. I gathered up our things and took Taylor to the car without letting her get a sticker or stamp on her hand. When I got her to the car, I explained to her that she did not receive a sticker because she did not behave and a temper tantrum ensued. I felt bad for her because she just wanted to have fun and run and do the things that were her favorite in the class, including the foam wedge that she can do somersaults, but she was the only one disobeying and trying to take off and do what she wanted to do. I was really frustrated and decided that maybe she just isn't ready for an organized class like this yet. She seems to do better in music class where we are in a smaller room, and she has only so much freedom at one time. With such a large facility in the gymnastics class, she just feels that the world is her oyster and she has no desire to stick with the class. I will definitely keep her out of the class this next week and then decide where to go with the class from there. I think that she will be able to follow directions as she gets a bit older and I didn't put Joshua in a class like this at age 2, so maybe she just needs a little bit more time to mature and learn a bit more self control. It has been a lesson for mommy, too, that I need to work with her more on listening and obeying the first time. Oh, life's lessons can be hard!