thoughts on a sunday

• Got to be quick tonight, it's time for bed.

• This week my little Ellie girl turned five!  She was so excited and can't even believe how big she is.  We had a Fancy Nancy themed party. . .I may have tried to sway her towards this a bit.  I just didn't think throwing a Muppets party or Dinosaur Train party was the right thing to do.  I just didn't.

• However, I will admit when I am wrong and say that Fancy Nancy might have been a lot more fun for an older age.  But Dinosaur Train?  I just couldn't do it.

• Of course Ellery had no idea that the party was a little premature.  She loved it and had so much fun and really, for a kid, if you throw them a party that is pretty much all you have to do for them to love it.  

• She looked really cute and happy on her birthday.

• I love her.  All week she has been saying to me, "Mom, I used to be like this (bending her knees a bit) and now I'm like this!" (standing up as tall as can be)  

• A couple things I heard in the car tonight on the way to Grammy and Poppy's:  From McKay "Mom, I'm going to marry a girl who loves video games, and we're going to name our kids all video game names. . .like Mario and Bowser."

• Layla got wind of the hot new catchphrase that all the kids are saying these days.  She was screaming, "That's so epic!" all the way there.

• Speaking of what the kids are saying, have we talked about the abbreviating that is going on?  I am all for a good abbreviation, really I am.  But I cannot get used to the "tot awk" phrase that is being thrown around.  It's just totally awkward, in my opinion.  

• Yes, McKay says this from time to time.  When he's not saying epic.

• This was Brian's first weekend on call.  McKay was very confused about this and was quite shocked that dad was working on Sunday.  He was actually very judgmental about the whole thing.  We had to explain about the medical field and Sundays, but I still don't think he got it.  Maybe that's why he threw the hugest ever fit about not playing nintendo at Grammy's tonight.  Break one Sunday rule, might as well break them all.  

• Speaking of McKay, I am noticing a change in him lately.  He is getting older.  He is getting way more sensitive.  I didn't expect this at this age from a boy.  His feelings are more tender and I'm finding that when we raise our voices at him (it hardly ever happens, hehe) what once was kind of ignored/accepted is now taken right to his broken heart and I can just see it on his face.  Our words and tones are noticed and felt by him and that has made me try to be more sensitive to him and that way I say things to him.  But this is really hard because I am not one of those moms who can say everything sweetly and the kids obey and are all nice to happy.  Sometimes I have to raise my voice and sometimes I have to call them out on their ridiculous behavior.  Basically, what I'm saying is that I don't know what I'm doing and sad for McKay.

• He is still playing flag football and now that their coaching situation is improving, so is the team. Brian has been helping when he can, and I think McKay does much better when Brian is out on the field with him.  He's having fun though, and that's all I care about.

• Okay, I forgot I was talking about Brian being on call this weekend.  We have gotten a small taste of the uncertain, up-in-the-air, plan-shifting life of being in the call group.  I know it will take some adjusting for us.  I missed him when Layla stuck her hand in her diaper (again) and again when McKay was throwing a fit about the Nintendo, and it would have been nice to have him around when I was trying to wrestle Layla into a pair of footed pajamas due to the poo incident.  But, we survived, and I've done much worse than a weekend, so I can do this.  It's just kind of blah to know that it will always be this way- a weekend a month, indefinitely.

• So Layla.  She is so naughty with her diapers lately.  I have never had to deal with this before and I don't know what to do with her.  I really hope I think of something brilliant or that she quickly grows out of this phase.

• Ellery got a cash register for her birthday and I have to say it was a big hit for all three of the kids.  

• We spent Saturday helping Brian's family make apple juice.  I remember being sad last Fall when we were in Oregon, knowing about all the delicious apples we were missing out on.  It was fun to be part of the apple-fest this year.  We have lots of apples.

• I think that's all I've got.  Too late to add pics.  I'll do it another time.

Happy Sunday!

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