Kids

Separation

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

This weekend was a big shake up at our pad.  The kids decided on Sunday that they wanted their own rooms.  Well, not really kids–more like kid.  Zoë decided she was ready to move into her room.  Her room had been the playroom while her and Noah shared a bedroom.  So, we spent Sunday morning taking apart beds, separating toys and moving furniture around.  It was fun and I love Zoë’s room (I’ll post a pics later this week).  Zoë loves her room and it makes getting the kids to clean up and take ownership of their room a little easier.  This morning–neither complained about making their bed.

I was worried that they weren’t ready to have their own room–okay maybe I wasn’t ready for this next stage of growing up.  I know it sounds funny that they are growing up–they are only 5 and almost 4.  But they are growing and changing and developing their independence.  I know this means that someday they’ll need/want/crave/have their independence from me as well.  And while I accept that as a natural progress, it scare me because I love them so much and the unknown is hard.

Noah loves having his own room–he has slept in his bed all night the past two nights and goes to sleep on his own without us sitting with him.  He’s getting so big.

Zoë has done pretty good going to sleep–we still sit with her as she SLOWLY drifts off to sleep and she has stayed in her bed until about 3am.  I know she’ll adjust and be back to staying in her bed all night.

They are truly happy to have their own room and their own space.   A place that is theirs.  A place that they can be themselves and explore their things.  It’s pretty nice to see that develop.  I know it means they are growing up.  But it also shows me that we are doing our job of raising them to be independent.  Ah–what a double-edged sword that is.

Another Stark Reminder That He Needs To Get Fixed

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

I love my kids to death–both of them.  I am no longer (and haven’t been for a while) sad that I didn’t get to carry them in my womb.  I’m actually totally okay with the whole never been pregnant thing.  Bill and I talk all the time that he should just get fixed.  We have no reason to believe that I would/could ever get pregnant.  BUT.  But, at our age, we know we don’t want to be dealing with any more babies or kids for that matter.  This does not mean that at some future point, we won’t consider adding more children–but right now? So not in the frickin’ cards.

We have lived in our house for 11 years.  There is a family across the street whose residence in the neighborhood predates ours.  This family has 5 boys (I think).  They had twin boys approximately two years after we moved in–so they are close to 9-years-old (I could be totally off on this by two years and they could be 7–but I don’t know).  Anyway–that so isn’t the point of my story.  Their oldest is in college and the other two high school age-ish.

Last weekend we went to the Catholic church’s carnival up the street from our house.  We saw our neighbor, who is sporting what looks like a baby bump–and a sizeable one at that.  WHAT????  I’m pretty sure they are older than we are–late 40’s.  I know that they are Catholic and maybe birth control, etc. is not part of their ideology.  Hey, live and let live.  But WOW.  Was all I could think. Then Holy Shit was my next thought.  I joked that they probably thought they were too old to get pregnant and resumed having sex again, after not having it for fear of…I don’t know–HAVING MORE CHILDREN.  I know I shouldn’t be judgy, and hey I know she loves kids–she runs an in-home daycare.  But I could not imagine for a second–getting pregnant at my age or having even one more child for that matter.

It’s time to make that appointment.

Yeah, Santa Is My Cousin

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

No joke.  Really. Okay, he’s really my first cousin once removed–but a cousin just the same.

No, I didn’t tell my kids that Santa is our cousin–that would just really confuse all of his friends at school and they’d be all like “how come Santa isn’t my cousin?”  And then all the parents would hate me, so we keep our kinship to Santa on the DL.

The skating rink that my mom runs, has a skate with Santa day at the rink and it’s quite popular.  We go every year because it’s nice to see family and where else do you get to really hang with Santa? I worked really hard to keep my kids from monopolizing Santa’s time.  It was really hard work to keep Noah from photo bombing all the nice families pictures with the big guy.  This has been the first year that the kids have really grasped the gravity of the situation.  Santa was there and they could talk to him.  And I could use my relationship with Santa–“did you see how much mommy talked to Santa?” to scare the children into submission.  Often it just made them cry. Especially since they KNOW that I know Santa.

The kids got to have quite a bit of one on one time with Santa and it was pretty awesome.  They played and played–Santa is the best.  He has such a jolly spirit and loves kids.  We are working on having Santa come and deliver presents on Christmas eve to the kids–How incredible would that be.  It would certainly be a Christmas they would remember for the rest of their lives. Santa has quite a busy night on Christmas eve, so we are hoping he can fit it into his schedule.  It’s awesome to have relatives in “high” places.

The Light

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 2 Comments

Showing off her ballet moves


Isn’t he handsome?


Family Pyrimad

It has been a busy weekend–who am I kidding it’s been a busy 5 months or so.  As the holiday season approaches that means things are getting ready to settle down-two weeks off work, no classes or homework.  Just good old family time.  I’m really looking forward to it.  Because I get to spend the days with the two most amazing kids in the world (I might be biased–but it’s true :)).  Hope your holidays are as bright as mine.

The Lists

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

It’s that time of year. The kids wrote their Christmas lists today.

Noah’s
Batman Motorcycle (that he can ride on)–NO
Star Wars legos–yes
A stuffed Yoda-probably
Drum Pads-yes
Sonic Hedgehog game for his Leapster-yes
Toy Story Video Game-probably not

Zoë’s
Barbie microphone-yes
Ariel and Belle dresses-one
The little Mermad 2 movie–probably not
A leapster-yes
Leapster princess game-maybe
An Ariel toy castle-probably not
Pink guitar-no
Princess scooter-maybe from grandma Anne

The kids know that Santa brings one “big” present and one little present and that mom and dad get them a couple things. I’m trying to keep it simple this year so that simple becomes the norm. Well see how I do, but I am pretty committed to keeping it simple. If only the grandparents could.

Edited to add: ONLY 3 MORE DAYS OF POSTING EVERYDAY!!!