Gavin's 6th Birthday Party

We got a little crazy planning for Gavin's birthday party this year.  Once we found out about the impending deployment, we were able to justify the insanity a little bit more :).  Here are some pictures of his special day--many thanks to Tía Roni for giving us some amazing decorations.

XOXO,

Sleep Training Success!

We have had some sleep training trials this summer.  Kailee really fought going to bed in her bed with all her might until recently...  By recently, I mean since we returned from our vacation on July 21st, so less than 2 weeks.

One night, when I put Kailee in her bed, I offered to "snuggle-bug" her (tuck her big blanket around her to make her feel bundled up tight) and told her I'd be back in 10 minutes to check on her.  She did not complain, I shut the door, and she went right to sleep--I never had to go back in.  The next day at nap time, I did the exact same thing, though at 10 minutes she began fussing.  I went back in, held her to comfort her for about a minute and then repeated the process--she went to sleep without another peep.  Ever since this started, this system has worked beautifully.  Sometimes she fusses at the 10 minute mark, but usually, she just goes right to sleep on her own.  IT'S FABULOUS!

The only problem we still face is the middle of the night wake-up and freak-out.  Lately, I've become a night owl so when she first fusses, I go in, comfort her, and promise to return in 10 minutes.  Usually, I even leave her door open at this point and she does not try to get up.  However, at some other point during the night, she wakes again and ends up in our bed.  We may just have to accept compromise at this point.

As for Gavin, he's still an amazing sleeper.  Last night, I told him he could lie down in his bed without the TV or in my bed with the TV.  He said, "I guess I'll go to my bed."  What kid does that?  What 5 year old chooses to go to his bed in the dark?  Mine!  Of course, I convinced him he needed to snuggle with Mommy for a bit but he agreed with reservations.  What a crazy child!

XOXO,

Cruising into Kindergarten!

Last week Gavin turned 5 and this week he graduated from Preschool!  Mommy, Daddy, YaYa and Poppa attended the family program.  Poor Gavin got scared in front of everyone--especially, to perform in front of us.  My poor baby covered his face during most of the ceremony and had tears running down his face.  We are sooooo proud that he stayed up there the entire time despite how scared and embarrassed he was.  He was very upset afterwards and disappointed in himself.  I felt so bad for my baby boy!  We told him over and over again how proud we were and I made sure someone would comfort him if he got upset during the second performance--the one performed for the entire school and teachers.

Here is the video of his special moment and when he received his certificate:

My worries for the second performance were completely unnecessary!  Gavin got over his stage fright and had fun performing for the school.  The wonderful director of the school saw how great he was doing in the second performance so she filmed it in short clips for us!  I was so touched that she went out of her way to do this for us!  It was a great surprise that made me cry.   Now we not only got to see him at his best, but we also have nice videos to show him!

Please do not mention the first performance to Gavin.  We are trying to focus on the positive experience he had the second time around.  Here are the great videos from his second performance:

XOXO, 

Oh Gavin

Brady (in a firm but nice voice): Gavin, go potty.

Gavin (nonchalantly): I haven't even drank anything.

Brady: Yes you have.

Gavin (pointedly): Well you have too!

Brady (chuckling): Don't worry, I'll go later.


Okay, it doesn't read as funny as it was to witness, but I still felt it necessary to share.  You just never know where a conversation with Gavin is gonna go.  Can't wait to see if Kailee is as funny as Gavin is!

My favorite song about having kids

This song, Let them be Little by Billy Dean always made me tear up when I was pregnant with Kailee.  I had such a hard time believing I could possibly love another child as much as I loved Gavin.  I made him this video to commemorate his 3rd year of life.  The lyrics follow the video.

I can remember when you fit in the palm of my hand.

You felt so good in it; no bigger than a minute.

How it amazes me you're changin' with every blink.

Faster than a flower blooms, they grow up all too soon. 

So let them be little,

'Cause they're only that way for a while.

Give 'em hope, give them praise,

Give them love every day.

Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,

Let 'em sleep in the middle,

Oh, but let them be little. 

I never felt so much in one little tender touch.

I live for those kisses, your prayers an' your wishes.

An' now you're teachin' me how only a child can see.

Tonight, while we're on our knees, all I ask is: 

Please, let them be little,

'Cause they're only that way for a while.

Give them hope, give them praise,

Give them love every day.

Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,

Let 'em sleep in the middle,

Oh, but let them be little. 

The so innocent, precious soul:

You turn around, an' it's time to let them go. 

So let them be little,

'Cause they're only that way for a while.

Give them hope, give 'em praise,

Give them love every day.

Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,

Let them sleep in the middle,

Oh, but let them be little. 

Let them be little.

"You're not in char." & "You're not the bost."

Yes, Gavin has found what might be the most ANNOYING way to talk back.  Here's an example of what we are dealing with at Casa Barber these days:

Me: Gavin, you need to go pick up your toy off the floor or else Sadie might chew it up.

Gavin: You're not in char of me.

Me: Don't talk to me like that unless you want a consequence*,

Gavin: I said "char" not "charge," I didn't say what you said not to!

He's only 4!  Isn't he too young to figure out something THIS annoying????

*A consequence in our house means a drop of mild salsa on his tongue.  It's not even spicy but he's scared of it!  Interestingly enough, he sometimes eats chips and salsa a Chuys and that's not mild.

Open House with my 2 kids

Before the official night began, Gavin, Kailee and I were eating dinner with my department.  I was talking about something to do with another teacher at another school named Jillian.  I couldn't remember her last name so Gavin leaned in and whispered, "Mommy, her last name is Michaels."  So cute, so helpful, but not the same Jillian! :)


Highlights:

~Kailee finding a peanut and almost eating it (she's allergic)

~Gavin being obsessed with a co-worker who he practically would not let out of his sight

~Kailee requesting that a young, male janitor pick her up and then blowing him kisses goodbye

~Gavin refusing to leave aforementioned colleague's classroom while she tried to talk to her students' parents

~Kailee requesting to be picked up by one of my student's dad

~Gavin farting something silent-but-deadly before slipping out of my classroom while a parent was trying to talk to me

~Kailee waving and saying "Hi!" to all the parents in the hallway

~Gavin taking my Peruvian flute/recorder/thingy into the aforementioned colleagues classroom and beginning to play it while she was talking to parents

Thankfully Brady arrived at that time and whisked the kids home.  As for my experience with the parents, I had 8 total.  8!  I have 158 students and only 8 came.  Oh well.  What can ya do?

Discussing God with a 4-year-old

Gavin has so many questions about God right now and sometimes his questions stump me.  The reason I find his questions difficult is that my answers do not always satisfy him.  For example, today in the car he asked me if there was one God or a lot of gods.  I told him there was one. He then asked me if God was in my heart.  I said, "yes," and then I asked him the same.  He said, "No."  I asked him why he said that, and he had a logical answer for a four-year-old: "Because if God's in your heart, he can't be in mine because he can't be in two places at the same time."

I then tried to explain how God is everywhere and with us all, but his four-year-old brain could not understand my explanation.  In his mind, no one can be in two places at the same time, and I totally get where he's coming from.  He kept telling me that I was wrong, and that he was right.  He told me over and over again that there are lots of gods.  I even got my mom on the phone to tell him that God is huge and is everywhere with us.  I don't know that we ever completely resolved the issue at hand...

I told Brady about our conversation to prepare him in case Gavin came to him about it.  We do not agree on religion these days, but thankfully he has agreed to answer that there's one God who's great enough to be with all of us.  His initial response was, "Well that depends on your belief system."  Yeah, that's not exactly what I'd say to our four-year-old!

On the positive side, I love that Gavin is talking about God with us.  I want him to grow up knowing God's love and feeling comfortable talking about Him with us.

Oh Gavin 2/12/11

Gavin streaks by.

Me: Gavin!  Put on some pants right now!

Gavin: All right, if you insist!

Where does he get this big vocabulary?!?!

Oh Gavin 2/6/11

Me to Brady: I have heartburn from the pizza.  I guess that's when you know you're getting old.

Gavin: Are you about to die?

Me: No!  What?

Gavin: When you get old, you die.

I am going to miss this literal phase.  It's so entertaining!

Oh Gavin 2/4/11

Gavin: There's enough snow to eat!

Mommy: We don't eat snow!

Gavin: Yes we do!  When we eat it it turns to pee so it's okay!

Oh Gavin

I'm going to start documenting the funny conversations I have with the kids.

Here's one from yesterday:

(I had just found out we were going to have snow day number 3)
Me: You and Kailee are gonna drive me crazy tomorrow aren't ya?
Gavin: Kailee and I can't drive, Mommy!

Here's one from tonight:

(Gavin is teasing Kailee with a huge pink fish stuffed animal)

Gavin: You can't always get what you want!  Remember in Yo Gabba Gabba New Friends.

Me: I'm glad you are trying to teach Kailee a lesson but I have a feeling if the shoe were on the other foot, you would not like Kailee teaching you that lesson.

Gavin: Yeah, well Kailee doesn't know how to put on her shoes.