Kids in Church

Someone shared this article today and it was just what I needed to hear.

If you are a parent of small kids this is a special read.

To  You Who Bring Small Children. . .

A 5 year old's Prank

One fine day our 5 year old son informed us he was going to mow. He told me he needed his rubber boots on and I was assuming he was going to pretend to mow the weeds by our garage.

When calling him for supper we could not get a response from him and Daddy found him "mowing" the hostas. We were shocked, and disappointed seeing as they were looking so pretty now. And mostly because he never gets into this kind of mischief.

So this is one of the biggest pranks he has paid us yet :)

Whiny Kids- HELP

My kids are 5, 3 and 1. And let me tell you, we have been going through some major whining lately.

Their whining voices have the effect on my nerves of someone pulling fingernails across a chalkboard. Bad, I know!

These whiny meltdowns seem to happen especially often at meal times, when everyone thinks that what they are being offered to eat isn't what they really want. Or when the other kid has the book the other needs RIGHT now. Or it is time to go to bed, etc.

I have tried saying, "I can't hear you when you talk like that. Use a happy voice." I have tried saying, "Ask nicely." These sometimes work, but rarely.

Our three old's newest trick is saying at meal times,
"I can't eat" (She wants us to feed her. But I am feeding our one year old while trying to eat).
I say, "Ok, if you don't want to eat you can go play." 
She says, "No, I want to eat." I
say, "Good, then eat." 
She says in her most whiny voice, "I caaaan't."

What are your tips for dealing with whiny kids?

My hope is that this is the tail end of their illness over the last weeks and that with the return of better healthy they will also be less whiny and more optimistic.

A Year Ago

A year ago our baby boy was born.

The most peaceful of my three births.

He entered this world in water, which to me is now the best form of birth. (Smile)

He has been the most peaceful of our babies as well. Content to sit and watch and be with us.

Lately he has realized he has a voice, and loves shrilly screaming, LOUDLY!

He has also learned to sit and loves scooting around and sitting down to play. Cute.

Happy birthday our sweet boy!

A Good Pediatrician- Top 10

As a Mom of 3 little ones I have come to some conclusions about what separates an ideal pediatrician from a mediocre one. And as a Mom raising my kids in a foreign country I highly value a doctor I can trust. Here is my top 10 list in describing a good pediatrician.

1. Has a Way with Kids.
   
   • Anyone can be a pediatrician- but not all pediatricians are good with kids. To me a kid's doctor MUST know how to understand a kid. Our doctor waits on the child to be ready for her touch him/her. Taking the time for the child to become accustomed to her and talking to the child and parent. If the child senses that this doctor is someone who cares about them and can feel that their parent trusts the doctor the child will also feel more at ease. 
2. Respects the Parent's Fears, Opinions and Choices
• Having read a lot about vaccines I was not willing to vaccinate according to the government plan. Our first pediatrician gave us a rather hard time about this and I am continually meeting up with doctors who just "don't get it" when it comes to understanding the parent's concerns on this matter. Thankfully the doctor we now have not only respects our opinion, but even supports it! A good doctor is worth searching around for. 
3. Doesn't Act Like a Know it All
• You know the feeling you get when you see a doctor is huffy, proud and impossible to talk to. A pediatrician MUST be approachable. Parents need someone they can talk to and ask questions to about their concerns for their child's health. A doctor who scares away questions by their attitude is not the doctor you are looking for. 
4. Child over Schedule: 
• A good doctor is willing to set aside the planned vaccine or procedure if they see the child isn't as healthy as they should be. The child's well being is more important than rushing it and a vaccine can wait a week, a month, even more so that the child can be 100% healthy.
5. Follows Up: 
• A good doctor in this country ( I don't know about in the US) is concerned enough about the child that they will call you at home to make sure the child is doing alright.
6. Home Visits: 
• Here in Latvia all doctors can be expected to pay home visits. If a child is too sick to go to school why should they be going to a public waiting room. I am so thankful for the willingness of doctors to pay home visits in Latvia.
7. What's Best for the Child. 
• A good pediatrician will try no matter what to get every child healthy, even if it means inconvenience to the parents. Staying home from kindergarten, hiring a babysitter, and helping kids skip the sick season is ok- if it means health for the child. Encouraging parents to skip vaccines, or wait for another day or see a specialist. A good pediatrician knows their stuff and does it well.
8. Child Friendly Environment: 
• The doctor's office, not just their waiting room should make a child feel welcome. Our doctor has toys in her office that make my kids happy to go there. There are cars, and other toys that make them look forward to entering her office. 
9. Employs Good Nurses: 
• A good doctor's entire reputation can be tainted by a poor nurse. A nurse should be just as child centered as the doctor so that the first impressions and the details which are taken care of by the nurse are not a torture to the child. A good nurse is positive and knows how to talk to the child to help set them at ease. 
10. Attitude: 
• The first time I met our current pediatrician I knew she was a special doctor- she was down to earth, easy to talk to and willing to consider both my child's feelings and mine. Since the day we started seeing her I have been happy and every time my child is sick I rejoice that we have such a great doctor who REALLY cares about my kids and will call me day after day to make sure they are on the mend. A good doctor shows it by who they are not just in the office but even during their off hours. 

The End of Me

It's another one of those days when nothing gets done and no one naps. When Mom is fed up to her ears in noise, toys and squished blueberries.

The kids are worn out from long summer evenings. My toddler has a snotty nose and she is crabbier than any two year old has a right to be. The baby is an angel and naps like a dream. But yet nothing seems to get done.

I feel I run circles wiping up messes, putting toys back, trying to harvest our bounty from the garden, keep meals on the table and keep my head afloat. It is no wonder I caught a cold.

I find myself at times stepping aside and looking at my life through the eyes of another me. One who can see things from the side and in perspective rather than in the frenzy of the moment.

I desire peace. I desire greater love. I desire to be an ideal Mommy and a great wife. 

Yet I run around grouchy, feelings of guilt crowding out my joy at all the unfinished and half accomplished tasks of my daily life.

It is quiet moments when I look at my life that I realize that what I am doing NOW is the life I am to live. My purpose and joy needs to come from doing a job well done in the little tasks I do every day.

The ME screams out that I am getting nothing done, that I must pursue MY business and write MY  stories. That I must have time for ME and MY hobbies and MY desires.

But these little persons in my care are in fact very needy folks. They are the ones I must give MYSELF to now. If I have everything in this life and yet my little people were to go down the wrong path in life I would always regret not having given more of me.

It is I who can influence them now and lay the foundations for a solid future. It is my husband and I who must teach them values and discipline and strength of character. It is I who must teach them when to lend a kind hand and when to be firm.

Only when I set aside the selfish ME am I able to be the person I was intended to be just now. The invisible Mommy. 

In the Lion's Den

Daniel will be four June 18. He wants a lion cake, and lions are the theme of the party. I only later realized that perhaps this was because of the story from the Bible.

Yesterday we were inviting our nanny for the celebration and Daniel proceeded to tell her that when he was big he was in the lions den.

We then both laughed realizing that he thinks that man in the Bible stories is him- when he was big.

Cute-the way kids think.

One Month

K B just turned one month. This month he has learned about nursing and is great at that. He has gained one kilogram. He has started keeping his eyes open more and turning towards lights. He likes sleeping in his buggy and sleeps well on long walks. 

Here he is pictured in his bouncy chair which was given to us by our church family. Thank you! 

He is very much looking forward to meeting grandma and grandpa next week!