Summer

How is it August 4th already?  Didn't the summer just get started?  I have tried to fill our weekends with things to do, spending time with family and creating memories.  Rhea said to me this week "when are we just going to stay home?"  I was taken aback at first thinking to myself we are always home during the week.  But I realized we are not really home during the week. We rush out in the morning and rush through the nightly routine of dinner, baths, books, and bed.  So for the rest of the summer I am just going to take the days as they come and let the kids be home to chill out a bit.  Maybe skip a bath during the week, pending how clean they are. (side note- my kids get filthy at daycare. covered in paint, food, dirt on a daily basis) I know they have enjoyed camping and cookouts but I think this weekend we will just let them enjoy their toys, their yard.  And create some good memories in our home.  Sometimes I spend all this time and effort to make things good for them that I forget that spending time with Mom and Dad is good enough.  I need to remember that more.

Hug it out

Rhea is at that age where I am pretty sure she understands everything I am saying to her.  And I am pretty sure she knows exactly what she should and should not do.  So last weekend she hit me really hard in the face.  I yelled at her that hitting is not nice and that she hurt Mommy.   I asked her to apologize to me and give me a hug.  With tear rimmed eyes she came over to me, gently touched my face and hugged me.  Nice right?  Well now that she knows what an apology is she is trying to use it to her advantage.  Like on Sunday when she bit me and I told her "no biting"  She leans into me and says "hugs, hugs" which was very nice.  But she proceeded to bite me again.   So it seems to me that every time we tell her "no" now she just smiles, yells "hugs",  gives hugs and kisses and continues to do what she was doing.  That somehow the cute little way she is apologizing will make you forget what you were mad about in the first place.  And I will tell you what.  It is working.