Sunday, April 10, 2016

Girls

When I was a kid, I remember our dog, Cookie, doing something naughty. I told her she was a "bad girl." My mom told me not to say that. Cookie was not a bad girl, she just made a poor choice. It was such a brief moment, but it really stuck with me. Never again did I say someone was a bad boy or girl. And I cringe when I hear someone else say it.

Fast forward many years. Now I am the mom. I am sitting in my room hoping my kids will eventually go to sleep when I hear Z tell W he is a bad boy. W is devastated. I go in to their room. I tell Z, W is not a bad boy. I then ask Z to say something he likes about W.

Z thinks for several moments, then retorts, "I like that he bees nice to me and not S (his older sister)."

Not exactly what I was thinking.

I bite my lip. I can't even remember what I said back. Hopefully it was something coming to S's rescue.

I'm not sure why, but W has decided that he does NOT like girls. Not only that, he has decided that everything is assigned a gender: movies, music, cups and plates, toys, even sides of the van and the accompanying door. Heaven forbid I turn on a "girl song' or have S get out on the "boy side" of the van. This is not okay with him. I am often telling him different things are for boys AND girls, not one or the other. I also have to often tell him to be nice to sisters.

Of course, it drives me crazy. But it also makes for funny anecdotes.

I was putting W to bed the other night and, while his arms are around my neck, he says, "I only like boys, I don't like girls."

I respond, "Do you like me?"

W: "Are you a girl?"

Me: "Yes."

W: ....

Me: ....

W: "Well, I almost like you."


Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Our Year in Maryland

Shame on me! It has been 11 months since we moved to Maryland, and 11 months since I wrote a blog post! I've been really missing writing lately, so here we go again. Ironically, we are moving in a month to Washington state. For that reason, I decided to keep this "catch up post" simply pictures of our time in Maryland. WARNING: Picture overload is about to happen.
 Visiting the Air and Space Museum our first trip into DC
Van and truck loaded to the gills with stuff and kids, headed to Maryland and our new house!
National Zoo



Florida Trip!!!


 First DC Temple trip
 Trip to Illinois to say goodbye to Grandma Robbins

  




First Metro ride and DC date night








Wizard of Oz park

First grade and home school!





CoCo Sala for our anniversary
Hershey, PA
Hill Camorah, The Whitmer farm, Palmyra, NY, and the Sacred Grove



We've seen so many sights and done so many things in past year. I'm so thankful we've had a year to live in such a historic place!