I'm not sure who loved getting to play with Parker more - Kevin or Grady!
Friday, March 24, 2023
Five on Friday - Mills, Egg Painting, Girl's Night, Grady
I'm not sure who loved getting to play with Parker more - Kevin or Grady!
Thursday, March 23, 2023
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
A 7 Year Old Girl
Listen, it's not all roses over here so please don't assume it is like most of social media portrays. I'm having a tough time with a little girl that lives with me. She's okay but whew she's testing my parenting in a big way!
The lack of listening is mind blowing. She thinks she can do everything her way and not listen to us (zero clue who else is like that!!!). It's one thing to not listen to us at home, it's another thing to not listen or pay attention at school. And honestly I don't know what to do about it. Well I'm working on it and have some good ideas but it's zapping me, I'll be honest.
I think there are two types of children - ones that change their ways with praise/rewards and ones that change their ways with punishment. Also, giving them more one on one attention.
I've always gone the more praise route with both of my kids. I've taken stuff away here and there but nothing substantial that really mattered. Oh, cleaning our base boards was one impactful item that assisted us with cleaning too! ;) Taking screens away isn't that big of a deal to them because they don't watch much, if any, during the week. And I'm not going to take away after school activities because I do think those are important and to be honest - she doesn't LOVE every thing about those all of the time so it wouldn't be a punishment.
So we have a couple of things going on this week:
One, I'm taking them to a play this weekend and if she looks at one screen or isn't in bed by her bedtime every day this week, she doesn't get to go. And I will stick to that to a T and she knows it. And she REALLY wants to go to this play. I'm hoping this instills more structure into her evenings. I'll probably pick something else next week that I can take Grady to and she'd not be happy if she can't go...even if it's to a new playground.
Two, we talked about options (putting a bit of control into her world) and she asked if we could do a $5 reward (not food) at the end of this week if she paid attention and did everything right in class. This is a struggle that I don't want to get too into but I'm really stressed about all of the things with school. She's a girl and at 7 she is starting to find her way. I think it's a touchy situation and there are multiple layers to this. But yes we are doing the $5 reward and she is very excited about it so maybe it'll work! I hope so!
She has always gotten plenty of one on one attention but I'm being a bit more intentional with it - especially with our special journal and taking her to run errands with me even though she may not want to go. She told me last night that she enjoyed going to pick up Wal-Mart with me! It's the little things yall.
Anyway, I almost feel better after writing this. Maybe you're in the same place? Maybe you've been here and done that? I can only imagine what age 13 will be like. We hear the older they get the bigger the problems get. Yikes. Hoping to build a solid foundation that she can always talk to us and we expect to hear the truth then we can help. Learning one day at a time yall! Us girls are not easy!
Monday, March 20, 2023
St Patty’s in OIB
We met our neighbors from home for dinner at Wing and Fish in Shallotte for dinner. It was fun for something different. Check out this view on our way back over the bridge.
Friday morning we met with a guy to talk about redoing our back porch and stairs. Hopefully that happens in late April. Also going to install a new garage door and maybe redo the bathrooms. We will see on the last one. That may move to next year when we repaint the inside. These are the exciting parts of owning a beach house - the repairs and maintenance! Each year we are trying to do a big project there to keep it up!
I took the kids on a field trip midday to a marsh that you can walk out on to the intracoastal waterway. It was gorgeous and quiet out there.
Oh yes Friday was St. Pattys day and the eight of us had big plans to go out but after some other stuff, we decided to hang at our house. Nachos it was! Easy.
At least one chugged a Gatorade!
Kevin and Drew ran up to the Perch for a drink then Hilary and I went and roamed around when they got back! That’s good parenting haha!!
Greer stayed the night with us and we all went to Causeway the next morning then to the arcade. These two are nuts together!!
Molly Anne went to their house and Drew took the girls to the arcade and to get their nails done. These kids are spoiled! Kevin and I got to have only grady for the day and it was so nice (and easy ha!). Anytime you’re down a kid no matter how many kids you have, it’s always easier I think! I never want to forget how much Grady loves grocery shopping and getting one of these carts! It’s super cute.
Monster truck!
We headed to Sharkys for lunch. Showing off their nails!
Saturday night we went to their house for dinner - smash burgers on the blackstone! So good! Grady pondering life..!
We got up and headed back early to Charlotte because Grady had a friends birthday party!
Hayden is one of his best buddies at school! They hosted at their CrossFit gym and it was so great for the kiddos!
Thursday, March 16, 2023
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Random Wednesday
I've been a busy bee this week. Running from one thing to the next.
Had a day trip for work yesterday then ended up having to play tennis even though I was only a sub last night. Thankfully we won for the third week in a row! Oh and Grady had teeball in between all of that.
This morning I had a physical...only took 22 minutes start to finish with bloodwork. Thankfully I don't have much to talk about but I highly recommend having a Primary Care Physician keeping watch over you!
Kids have a short week of school so that's going to be a treat for all of us!
Mills has his second round of chemo today although he has an infected leg right now where they did the radiation so we are unsure if the chemo will actually happen or not. Grady and I dropped him off at 7:15am and Grady told the lady to please rub his ear during and after his treatment. It was ADORABLE!
The pollen here in Charlotte was a lot last week but then the rain came and washed it all away. I'm looking forward to cleaning up our porch for the Spring. I want to get some flowers out there in the next few weeks.
How is everyone doing?
Monday, March 13, 2023
Maggie’s birthday and Sports
Greer spent the night while Maggie had some of her friends spend the night. We watched a movie then they stayed up until midnight ish. Crazy girlies.
Saturday was tennis for both, lacrosse for Molly Anne and teeball for Grady. Allll of the sports. Molly Anne also had swim but we skipped that given only 5 hours of sleep ha!
Saturday night we had butchers market that Kevin had gotten with some neighborhood friends. It was a last minute easy thing.
Friday, March 10, 2023
Five on Friday
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Grady made art at school this week that had one of Mills' goodies on it. He loved showing it to him!
With his speech teacher he made a leprachaun hat! It was so adorable and he loved it. Yeah he probably doesn't 100% need to be in speech but I'm a big fan of early intervention! He's talking so well now.
Thursday, March 9, 2023
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