How are the kids?

Payton is doing well in school. I just went to parent teacher conferences last week and when I asked "Is there anything she needs to work on?" The teacher looked at me like I was crazy and said "Are you kidding me, she is wonderful, I feel like I need to pick up the pace just for her. She is an absolute pleasure to have in class" As a mom, that made me proud. She really is a good girl. She is definitely getting some attitude that is for sure, but overall she is so sweet. Isn't it true that children are always better behaved when they are away from their parents? Payton is learning valuable lessons. Lesson #1 Modesty. Payton started discussing with me a few weeks ago how someone that she knew was being immodest. She was scooping her chest while she was explaining to me how this person was being immodest. I was trying to help her understand the lines of immodesty, and she turned to me and said "Mom, I'm not IN MODEST I am OUT MODEST." I started laughing and said "YOU SURE ARE." Lesson #2 Motherhood. It is a scary thing when you start to see your child mimic your parenting behavior. A good 85% of the time she is home now she is saying things to her brothers like "Was that a good choice?" "Do you want a time out?", "Do you need to have soap in your mouth? We don't say those words." (She even says that to both Austin and me.) "Do you need a spank?" "You make my heart very sad when you make choices like that" "or the most recent, "The ELVES are watching boys." Now I look at that and it becomes overwhelming to me the negative she must see come from me. And then she redeems my mothering in small moments when she says things like: "I am so proud of you honey." (speaking to her brothers) "Mom, we forgot to say our prayers." "Mom, who is my favorite mom in the world?" "Mom you are the bestest mom in the world." It makes for great self reflection when I see her mimic me like this. KIND OF SCARY!!! We were saying prayers last week before the kids went to bed and Payton asked to say the prayer. She said her regular prayer meaning her same routine, and in the middle of it she said "Please bless mom that she will be pretty when she comes and picks me up from school because I like it when mom is pretty." When she finished her prayer I asked her why she said that. (Wanting to know if I have already embarrassed her.) She said " I like it when you're pretty, and my friends like it, and my teachers like it." I still don't know the reason for the fervent prayer, but makes me try really hard to wear makeup when I take her to school. I am always together by 3pm, but the 7:50am thing is a little bit harder for me. Jaxon is changing every day!! This summer Austin was quite concerned that Jaxon would was behind and also needed speech therapy. Now granted, I have to give him credit. He mostly would see Jaxon at the end of the day during his melt downs. But, I didn't have the same concern. Yes, his speech isn't the greatest, but... I had a feeling he would start doing better when Payton left for school. And.... he is doing great. Even to other people they can understand him more. We are doing "SCHOOL" while Payton is at her school and while Ashton is sleeping. He calls it his "BATMAN AND SPIDERMAN SCHOOL." He tells his Daddy every day on the phone that he did good in BATMAN/SPIDERMAN SCHOOL. When we take Payton to school every morning Jaxon will wave goodbye and say "Bye Payton, I wub you. Hab a good day at school. I go to BATMAN/SPIDERMAN SCHOOL." Payton will then turn around and get down his throat telling him he doesn't go to school. Then the saga begins.... every day on the way home Jaxon cries, trying to convince me that he does go to school. Good thing it is only a five minute walk... once we are in the door, he is distracted by something else. Jaxon now is not only into Spiderman and Batman, but he also LOVES Superman, Ironman, Wolverine, Transformers, TMNT, and Power Rangers. He plays superheroes ALL DAY LONG!! He knows all of his basic shapes, and knows how to count to 10. Now... the letters are another story... we are still working on that. But he is making progress and he is a fabulous big brother. Him and Ashton are little pals. They wrestle all day. They are going through MONSTER withdrawals. (MONSTER is the name Payton made up for a game they play with their Daddy. MONSTER=WRESTLING.) Ashton....OHHHH BOY!!! HE IS A TURD!!!! At least he is a cute one though. He has officially become the child that will cause Austin and me to go gray very early in our life. With in the last month he has almost died 3 times and has been taken to the emergency room once. Story#1 We were at our friends the Sclaters. All of the kids were playing on the furniture in the front room and had managed to take off every cushion and pillow possible and throw them on the floor. It become a jumping pile. I turned over just in time to watch Ashton, (who doesn't know how to jump off of even a 1 inch step yet) jump off of a chair with his body horizontal in the air on to............... HARD WOOD FLOOR!!! As I stood there watching this all in slow motion all I could think was "What an idiot." I Know... horrible thought for a mother to have, but that was my thought. All I said was "OH MY GOSH, that hurt." When I picked him up he had blood gushing out of his mouth, only to find...... his bottom teeth had cut through his bottom lip almost to come through on the other side. I waited out to see if this would be the inevitable "FIRST TIME E.R. VISIT." The bleeding stopped, thanks to the binki and no E.R. was graced with his presence that day. Story#2 The day we were all getting ready to leave for Cleveland for my Girls Weekend, I was on the phone with my sister, and Austin was loading the car. I walked out of my room to find Ashton dumping an entire 150 fl oz. bottle of TIDE on his head. I yelled "OH MY GOSH I HAVE TO GO," and hung up the phone. Austin turned around and said " $#%@!&^$*&@"(ha ha ha) We rushed Ashton into the bath tub to save the poor pathetic child from my $20 Tide with Downy Laundry detergent from running into his eyes. Now I can't say it didn't miss his mouth, but we did reroute the flow to just barely running over his lips. After that experience... he smelled beautiful for days, and was very clean I might add. Poison control was not graced with our phone call on this day. Story#3 I decided to take the kids to the park. We picked up Pizza for dinner and met our friends. We were playing and were having a good time. I ran over to the tire swing to push Payton, Jaxon and their little friend Kailyn on the tire swing. I pushed a little to hard for little Kailyn and it scared the poor thing to death. While I was lifting her out and feeling terrible for scaring her, I heard a not so comforting sound. I turned around to see Ashton lying on the concrete floor. He had fallen off of the picnic table. He didn't cry until I got to him, so it knocked him out for a minute, but as soon as I picked him up he was crying. H started looking funny, and coughing and then..... HE PUKED all over me. That scared me!!! So thankfully Tamsyn was there to take my other two kids, and I ran to my car. I buckled him in and was off. Now a trip that should normally take 10 minutes took me no longer than 5. The entire 5 minutes in the car Ashton was trying to close his eyes and sleep. I got him into the E.R. and they got him in right away, only to make me wait 25 minutes before we actually saw the doctor.( But... oh well... at least he is ok now) He went in and had a CAT Scan and was strapped down to a Papoos.(basically a straight jacket for kids) Poor little guy was scared to death. The CAT Scan was clear and no bleeding. The diagnosis was a concussion. But he was soon to get over it. The next day... he was at it again. So.... I have basically come to the conclusion that Ashton will be the worst of them all. Payton we thought was bad, but I think Ashton will out do her. Ashton has just learned how to smile for the camera. I will post pictures later. He is a sweet boy, and loves giving Payton and Jaxon hugs and kisses. We sure love our little kiddies!!!