Reunited

Over the past month and a half, Gillian has been having some problems at school and aftercare. She has been misbehaving and acting out. Our first response was to take away her favorite thing, her blanket (aka Manket). This didn't make a difference in her attitude. So we changed strategies. We opted for a reward system. She gets stars on the calendar when she behaves and frowning face when she is bad. She then earns privileges for a certain number of stars in a row. Today was her 10th good day in a row! She earned Manket back! She was so excited. This morning she woke up and said "If I'm good today, I get Manket! Almost ten stars!" When I picked her up from school she was grinning from ear to ear. She knew it was a good day and she would get Manket. I let her have her blanket as soon as we got home. She is so happy! Let's hope this good streak continues. 

Fire Safety

Tonight at dinner, Gillian told us about Health Class and how they practiced "stop, drop and roll." She also told us "If there's smoke then you gotta crawl. And if there's a fire then you don't go back to get your toys." I said "That's right, no matter what we don't go back in the house to get anything. Even Manket." I know. I shouldn't have said anything. She immediately started crying. I said "Don't worry, first it isn't going to happen and second if anything happened to Manket Grandma can always make you another one." This didn't seem to make her feel better. She continued to cry. So I said "Should we call Grandma?" She nodded and we called Grandma. Gillian asked "Can you make the same blanket?" Grandma didn't understand why she was asking this question. So I explained about the possibility of a fire and how Gillian was told to not go back for toys or anything. Grandma understood all the tears and told Gillian "Don't worry, if anything happens I will make you another blanket. I have the pattern and I will make sure we get the same green yarn." This made Gillian very happy. 

At bedtime Gillian snuggled her Manket and asked "Does Grandma have a clueprint?" (Yes, clueprint. That's how she said it.) I asked "A clueprint? For what?" She said "A clueprint for another Manket!" I said "Yes. Don't worry Gramdma has everything she needs to make another Manket." 

Soccer Ball

Gillian's school had a Super Bowl party on Friday. Gillian was very excited to tell us all about it on Thursday night. She said "There's a party tomorrow. And there's a game and you gotta pick a color. I picked green cause my favorite manket is green. And it's the Soccer Ball and we gunna have hot dogs!" We explained to Gillian that it is the Super Bowl and they play football. But she continues to call it the Soccer Ball. 

'Cause

I snuggled up with Gillian tonight and watched her put her fingers through the loops on her manket (her favorite green blanket that Grandma crocheted). I don't even think she realizes she is doing it. It is just routine. I asked her "Why do you do that?" She said "'Cause, Grandma makes the loops. And my fingers fit." Hard to dispute that logic. 

Baby blanket - part 2

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Gillian and her little green baby doll blanket. Her baby blanket just fell apart and Gillian couldn't explain what happened. I washed the baby blanket and we showed Grandma. Grandma determined that it would be easier (and faster) to make a new blanket. Gillian got the new blanket on Friday. She was so excited, "Grandma made me a new baby manket! And I can use it for babies or stuffed animals. And it's blue. I always wanted a blue manket." She has been carrying around her pink fox with the blue blanket since Friday. I just checked on her. 

Notice her manket on her shoulder and new blue blanket covering her pink fox. I wouldn't be surprised to find pink fox on the floor in the morning and Gillian snuggled up with baby blue blanket. She loves a good blanket. 

The fortune

Tonight I gave the kids a bath, John read books to Gillian, and I read a few pages of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Then the three of us snuggled in my bed with Gillian's manket. John decided to get his Grandma blanket so we could all get under it. After about thirty seconds, the kids got bored. John said "I wish we could build a fort." I said "Go for it." They went running to John's room. They were working for awhile when Daddy got home. Gillian heard the front door open and she greeted Daddy when he walked upstairs. "We're building a fortune!" she said proudly. Daddy questioned her "A fortune?" Gilly nodded and said "Yup. We're building a fortune in Johnny's room." Daddy said "Oh a fort, go help John." She ran away and about two minutes later they both were standing in our doorway. John said "You know what? We need some help building our fort." Daddy went to John's room to help out. 

Soon all I heard was giggles. I checked on them. Gillian proudly said "Daddy made our fortune! And we can watch movies in here!"

They played in their fort until bedtime. When I tucked John in bed, he was telling me "I want to make it so it's taller. That way we can bothe sit up in it." When I tucked Gillian in bed, she said "I wish I could have a fort in my room." I love that a simple fort made them use their imagination.  

Afraid of the dark

We put the kids to bed tonight. About ten minutes after being tucked in, we heard Gillian calling for Mommy. I went to check on her. I asked "What's wrong?" She said "I scared of the dark." She has never been scared of the dark before. I know this is just a delay tactic. She just wanted me to stay with her or invite her to our room. So I went into John's room and got his stuffed dragon. I brought Scorch to Gillian and said "This is John's brave, tough, dragon and he isn't afraid of the dark. He will protect you." She grinned and grabbed the dragon. I kissed her good night and went into John's room. I thanked him for giving one of his stuffed animals to his sister. He said "Well I have four!" 

I just checked on the kids. Gillian was sleeping soundly with Scorch tucked under her manket. I guess he helped her. 

Big cousins

Now that Aunt Missy and Uncle T have let everyone know that they are expecting their first baby in August, I can finally blog about it!

We found out on Christmas morning that John and Gillian were going to be big cousins. I tried to tell John. I said "John, did you hear? Aunt Missy has a baby in her belly! You are going to be a big cousin!" John was super distracted and said "But Mom! There's a big box in the other room!" I said "But Aunt Missy is going to have a baby!" John said "But Mom! There's a door on the box!" He was too distracted to listen to me. I told Gillian, "Aunt Missy has a baby in her belly!" Gillian said "Why her eat the baby?" Not exactly Gilly. 

We talk to the kids a lot about the baby. About how they are going to be big cousins for the first time. One night, I asked Gillian, "Are you going to help Aunt Missy with the baby?" She said "I going to feed the baby bottles!" I asked "Are you going to change the baby's diapers?" She said "No! Stinky diapers!" That same night, John asked "How does the baby come out?" Daddy told him "The doctor takes the baby out." That didn't satisfy John. He asked "How?" Daddy said "Carefully!" John again asked "How?" Daddy said "Sometimes they have to cut the belly to get the baby out." Cutting the belly must have scared John, because he stopped asking questions after that. I asked John, "What kind of baby should Aunt Miss have?" John said "A boy or a girl maybe." Daddy said "What about a baby dinosaur?" John said "Is that even possible?"

One night when I was tucking Gillian into bed, we talked about the baby. She said "Aunt Missy eat a baby. We don't eat babies, but she find a baby and eat it!" I asked her "What should Aunt Missy and Uncle T name the baby?" Gillian said "Baby!"

Last night at dinner, Gillian said "The baby needs a manket! The baby likes green. Grandma can make her a green manket like mine!" Oh, did I mention, Gillian insists that the baby is a girl! 

I asked the kids "What should Aunt Missy and Uncle T name the baby?" Gillian said "The baby is a girl. We name her Gillian!" John said "I know. Name the baby Travis. Cause there is only one Travis!" He was referring to Travis the turtle that his Uncle T gave him when he was born. Daddy and I reminded John that Travis the turtle was named after John's Uncle T (who's name is Travis). John said "Oh yeah, I forgot, but they could still name the baby Travis." I asked John, "What about a girl's name?" John said "How about I come up with boy name and Gill comes up with girl names?" 

One day I showed John a sonogram picture of the baby. John asked "How did they get a picture of the baby?" I explained to him that they have special machines that can show you inside of someone's body. He said "Wow! That's really cool!" 

John and Gillian are super excited to be big cousins! They have wonderful big cousins so they have some big shoes to fill!

The scarf

Grandma made Gillian and I new infinity scarves. Grandpa gave them to me at work yesterday. I picked up Gillian and she saw that I was wearing my new scarf and she asked "New scarf?" I said "Yes. Yours is in the car." I gave her the new scarf and she said "I can put my fingers thru it. Like my manket!" I put it on her and she immediately put her fingers through the loops of the stitches. 

She loves her new scarf. Today we were leavin school and one of the teachers stopped us and said "Gilly, I love your scarf is it new?" Gilly nodded. I said "Grandma made us some new scarves." The teacher asked me "Is it one of those infinity scarves? It is beautiful." I tried to answer her, but Gillian talked louder than me. She said to me "You know who Grandma is? Grandma is your Mom!" We talked to the teacher for a few more minutes. And Gillian proudly walked out of school telling me "Everyone loves my scarf!" 

morning snuggles

I woke up this morning and there was a little girl in our bed.  I'm not sure when she joined us, but there she was snuggling Daddy and I.  I got up to get in the shower and told her "Don't worry, Daddy is here with you."  But she started to cry.  I asked her what was the matter.  She said "I want Mommy!"  Daddy tried to comfort her, but she cried.  I picked her up and hugged her and told her again "I have to get in the shower, but you can snuggle with Daddy."  She said "I go to my bed."  I brought her to her bed.  I got in the shower and got ready for work.  I went to get Gillian ready for school and she was sound asleep.  I'm sure she was exhausted from all of her late night adventures.  Daddy got her dressed and he asked her "Why did you come into our room?"  She said "There was something on manket."  "What was on your manket?"  She said "A starfish."  We are still not sure when she climbed into our bed or why she climbed into our bed.  But it was nice to get some early morning snuggles with our favorite little girl.