School of Hard Knocks

Those parents out there know the importance of consistency and follow through with kids. The first time you don't do what you say you're going to do you've opened the flood gates to a heap of other troubles. Greg and I strive to be consistent and I think we have nice kids to show for it. But sometimes it is SO STINKIN' TOUGH to do it. Enter stage right, "Aubrey and the Case of the Ridiculously Awful Fit."

After dinner this evening we planned a family trip to Fred Meyer for some last minute Halloween costume needs. This was a fun outing and the kids were excited to go. I worked on prepping Nathan while Greg told Aubrey to put on her socks and shoes. She flitted around, prancing up and down the stairs, all blue eyes and flying curls. Cute, but not productive.

"Aubrey, please put on your socks."

She disappeared into her room and reappeared with a pair of tights.

"I want to wear these." Aubrey was currently wearing jeans and a sweater.

"Hon (notice we are still using terms of endearment), you can't wear those with jeans. Please just put on some socks so we can get your shoes and go."

"No. I want to wear tights."

"AUBREY."

But alas, it was already too late. The look was in her eyes, the look that said she would try to knock us cold before this battle was over.

"I DON'T WANT TO WEAR SOCKS, I WANT TO WEAR TIGHTS! SOCKS ARE ITCHY! AND COLD! I DON'T LIKE SOCKS, I LIKE TIGHTS! WWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

It was at this point that Greg and I sealed our fates. Without really thinking it through I said, "Aubrey, you can put your socks on RIGHT NOW or you will not be going to the store."

I was greeted with the cold, hard stare of my little daughter, just daring me to follow through. What could I do? I had said it, so it had to be done. After a hushed conference we decided that she had one last chance and if that didn't work I would go with Nathan and Greg would stay with Aubrey and Dane. It didn't seem fair to punish Nathan for Aubrey's behavior. Still, this was no fun for anyone. What started out as a fun family outing was unraveling into an awful, tear, filled power struggle. Just what any parent wants out of their family night together.

"Last chance Aubrey. Socks or you're staying."

She stayed.

SCREAMING in her room, legs flailing, "I WANT TO GO, I WANT MOMMY, I WANT TO GO!!!!!!!" Our walls nearly rattled from her screams. She was a child gone mad and we just put her in our room and told her she could come out when she was a human child again. This is how Nathan and I left her, wailing herself hoarse and pounding the floor in anguish. It was unreal.

When we came home, Nathan having relished his one on one mommy time, I found Aubrey downstairs, huddled under a blanket, face blotchy and red, eating a yogurt. After many hugs I asked her if she understood what happened.

"Yes. It wasn't fair that you left me."

"Aubrey, it was fair. You were not obeying and you were disrespectful and threw a fit. You didn't deserve to come. I know, it was bad but next time I bet you'll get to go."

"Yes, it was bad. It was bad of you to leave me."

Sigh.

The great pumpkin and a tribute

The Jones Family rang in the fall season with our annual pumpkin carving evening. When you have three little children there are new things that occur with each holiday. For one, we have our Dane this year, who likes his pumpkin best raw and straight off the vine . Grandma Marian joined us this year and lent her elbow grease to the scooping out of pumpkin guts. Aubrey gave her daddy SPECIFIC instructions on how her pumpkin was to be done (carved happy face followed by her marker art all over the remaining sides) while Nathan happily did whatever his sister was doing. Greg and I marvel at how much fun it is to do all these things again with our children, it's getting to be a kid again. We ended the night with popcorn and hot chocolate, which is about as good as it gets.




Are you wondering how a sister's picture fits in to all of this? I was reminded at Bible study today about how blessed I am to have my sisters. This may be news to you, but some people don't have sisters. Some people have sisters and don't enjoy that relationship. And here I am, with three sisters of my very own, all whom I love and adore. It is a constant, unearned blessing that I know I take for granted. Thank you to KayLynn, Lianna, and Hannah for being funnier, kinder, more thoughtful, more generous, more loyal, more fun, and a whole lot cuter than any other trio of sisters out there.

Dance Party 2008

Tonight the Jones family rocked out to "Fire" by the Pointer Sisters, "Callin' Baton Rouge" by Garth Brooks, and "Zoot Suit Riot" by Cherry Poppin' Daddies. (When did the name of that group become common vernacular. It's so gross!) Dane was snoozin' so the four of us went crazy, shaking our heads, jumping, swinging kids around, singing loudly, and being generally insane.

When we were cooling down to Bob Dylan Aubrey said very softly to me, "I like being a little person." I gave her the "you-rock-my-world-oh-lovely-child" face and she said, with a knowing expression on her face, "Did that break your heart?" Who is this person in my house? She is hilarious!

Accountability

The past two morning I have pulled my unwilling body out of bed and gone to the gym. At 5:30 a.m.

Let's begin by giving credit where credit is due . I am only entertaining this idea because exercise goddess, Angela Baerlocher, has been doing it for months. Yep, months. With three kids. And no sleep. And refusing to entertain her laundry list of excuses, as I have been doing. So, I am attempting to copy her and become a harder, firmer, more rock tight abs version of myself. You know, in two days.

Go ahead and ask me. Say, "Sara, are you still hitting the gym or does your stomach remain a flabby waste (waist, hahahhaha) land?" Or, "Sara, I thought you were going to the gym, how come your triceps continue to sway in the breeze?" Or, "Sara, if you intend to blog about something then you'd better follow up with a hot body and a rockin' success story. Otherwise, what a waste of my reading time!"

Make me 'fess up. I don't care if you say it from your couch, eating a bag of potato chips. I am ENCOURAGING YOU to nag me, pester me, and make a general nuisance of yourself. My gluts will thank you for it.

Credit Crisis/Mortgage backed securities explained

If you'd like an easy to understand explanation of some of the current credit woes these videos are a useful tool.  They come from an NPR (National Public Radio) show called "Marketplace".  I don't know about the rest of you but economic and credit conversations have become a topic of great interest in the Jones household.

Crisis explainer: Uncorking CDOs from Marketplace on Vimeo.

Untangling credit default swaps from Marketplace on Vimeo.

Nothing to fear but fear itself

Today at gymnastics Aubrey did three somersaults. Her coach helped her with the mechanics but she conquered her biggest fear, being upside down. There are so many surprising things about being a parent. There are challenges you never expected but also rewards of the same nature. Watching the look on Aubrey's face when she did it, the high fives to her coach, her anxious determination the next time around, it was awesome. Having a front row seat to watch your little person look a fear in the eye and over come it is so cool. I was bursting with pride.

One Fine Day

It is a sunny Friday afternoon and you'd be lucky to be a Jones today. Here's what you're missing.

We have bedazzled our house for Halloween. You can do a lot for a mood with a $2 bag of fake webbing and "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" blaring in the background. Plus, there is a batch of Halloween cookies waiting to be frosted after nap time.
The Jones/Montgomery/Brandon Families are all gathering here this weekend in honor of Hannah's 20th birthday. We will have a celebratory shot of tequila in honor of the missing Sackmanns. Pounds of food promise to make a rockin' party.
It's Friday and that means Greg is home for the next two days. Contrary to common belief you can indeed be married for 8 years, have three kids, and still want to kiss all day.
I let Aubrey wear her bride costume to the grocery store today. She was a star! She couldn't stop smiling and no one could stop smiling at her. The photo lady at Albertsons took pictures of her for their Halloween display. She also took a picture of Nathan when he hung his head and leaked out a tear. Women from the bank gathered around her and gasped and gushed and refused to stop touching her hair. Aubrey told everyone, "I am 4 and I'm going to marry Nathan."


Nathan told me this morning, after a rousing b-ball session that he "starts with two hands and ends with one" when shooting his basketball. Greg has been showing him the ropes and that kid is listening. The comment necessitated a work phone call to daddy who wept with pride into the phone.


Dane loves his mommy best. You want to hold him? NOT A CHANCE! He will burrow his little head onto his mama's shoulder, grinning away. You think I'm gonna give him up? NOT A CHANCE!

Happy trails to you!

Math

plus


equals



Where on earth was his mother???

Stockings, take two

Since you all have flattered my vanity I will answer some of the stocking questions you have thrown my way.

A. The stockings are a kit and are relatively easy to do. I have used the same brand my mom used when making ours and KayLynn just bought a kit for Claire. If you look up Bucilla Stockings you can find MANY different styles to choose from. Be warned though, it will take you a long time to pick the one you want from all the ridiculously cute options.

B. Yes, I will post pictures of all of them but I won't be able to do it until I unpack my Christmas decorations. Because I have an unhealthy love of the Christmas season this usually happens sometime late November.

C. If you can thread a needle and pull it through fabric you can make one of these. They are not difficult, just time consuming. My biased opinion is that they are worth it because your kids will love it, they are the cutest things to hang on the wall, and they will be around for years. I still look forward to pulling mine out, it's so beautiful. Plus, seeing them all on the wall screams "family" and what is better than that?

Here comes Santa Claus

After working on it intermittently all year long, I finally finished Dane's stocking. I won't lie, I love it. I have now made stocking for Greg and all of the kids. I use the one my mommy made for me. As my dear brother-in-law David would say, I heart Christmas.

If it looks like puke and is on Dane than it's...

...an M&M. After ignoring the orange mess on Dane's chin while I finished vacuuming (looked like any number of baby foods he had ingested) I realized he was still chewing. Next I thought it was some sort of compound that was leaking orange synthetic coloring all down his chin. Negatory. It was in fact the remains of his first chocolate candy, a lone M&M that he had managed to find despite the fact that I was actually in the process of vacuuming. In true Montgomery fashion he seemed to enjoy it immensely. He did not enjoy the process of me trying to pry it from his tightly clenched jaws. All good people love chocolate.

Kid Quotes, Part XXI

Would you like to know Nathan a bit better? Here are some glimpses into his mind.

Nathan has woke up the last three nights wailing about something. He is clearly not awake and goes back to sleep when escorted to bed. This is what he has cried about.

Night 1: "I NEED A SNACK, WHERE IS MY SNACK, SOMEBODY TOOK MY SNACK!"

Night 2: "I NEED MY BINKY, WHERE I MY BINKY???" (Hey, don't judge, he only uses it while sleeping.)

Night 3 (last night): "I NEED CHICKEN NUGGETS, GET ME SOME CHICKEN NUGGETS, WHO TOOK MY CHICKEN NUGGETS?!?!"

Another conversation with Nathan:

A few nights ago while getting ready for bed he was sitting naked on our stairs while Dane was crawling around around on the floor below him. In his most polite, sincere voice he asked, "Mommy, can I jump on Dane?" When I declined this proposition he looked down at his naked self and said, "I pointed my pee pee into the potty." Yeah Nathan. Then, he looked back at me and said, "Mama, PLEASE can I jump on Dane?"


Now it's Aubrey's turn.

Aubrey has been taking gymnastics and is afraid to do a somersault. Nathan can turn one somersault after another because he has no thought to personal safety. After he tried to show Aubrey how to do them she got annoyed and said, "I do not want to talk about my somersaults anymore!" Later she said, "I'm so done with talking about my somersaults."

Aubrey is currently fixated on gender. She asks me all the time what gender animals are, all her stuffed animals are girls, and grows indignant about stories where everyone is always a "he". I switch the words into female pronouns to satisfy her frustration. So, imagine my surprise when yesterday she was playing with two stuffed dogs and I realized one was a boy and one was a girl. I asked her if they were friends and she said, "No, the girl puppy just bites the boy puppy." Poor guy, that was his only role the whole time she played with them. I think this is subconscious frustration with her brothers coming out.

In parting:

I asked Aubrey and Nathan yesterday what they wanted to be when they grow up. Aubrey said she wants to cook. Nathan said he wants to play with lions.