Ok, so at what age do children stop believing in the tooth fairy? I mean, Jackson is 9, and I don't really think he still believes. I think he just likes to get the money. Can you blame him? But at what point can I just say, "Hand over the tooth. Here's a few dollars." Done.
Besides, it's not like the tooth fairy even does her (his?) job right. Nowadays, it can be several nights before she stops by. And when she finally does get around to it, she never has any cash. She hasn't gone as far as leaving an I.O.U., but I'm certain she's thought of it. Last night, however, I think she reached her lowest point. She actually borrowed some of Jackson's own money to pay for his tooth. I mean, she fully intends to repay him. But, when she can't even remember to come for the tooth, can she be trusted to remember to reimburse him? Lucky for her, I don't know that Jackson will notice. He has a small sandwich bag of money (from the tooth fairy - kids lost a lot of teeth lately) in his nightstand drawer, and I don't know if he remembers that it's there. This is the kid that never spends his money. I guess it's a good thing that he is so frugal. He definitely knows (and appreciates) the value of a dollar. But he will hold onto it for so long, that he forgets he even has it. Plus, the tooth fairy is getting a little bold these days. It's like she's not too concerned about being seen or getting caught making the exchange. Maybe she's just burnt out and over it. And the going rate for a tooth these days! Long gone are the days when you used to get a quarter or two. My kids have gotten as much as $10 for a tooth. (To explain, that was only because that was all she had on hand.) I just need to remind her that there will come a time when there will be no more teeth to lose, and she will be forced to retire. And she will miss sneaking into their bedrooms at night, stealthily hunting in the dark using only her hands searching under their pillow for a tiny tooth, all the while trying not to disturb the sleeping child who would be so confused should he/she wake up and catch her with one hand under his pillow and the other hand holding a few dollar bills. And she will try to remember all those sweet little baby teeth and how excited they were to wake up the next morning to check under their pillow to see if the tooth fairy had indeed visited them during the night. And of course there are a few stories that will make her chuckle - recalling bumping into furniture, knocking over toys, or the teeth that she paid for but never recovered. It's a thankless job. Someday, they won't care anymore about the tooth fairy and some will even doubt she ever existed. That is, until they have children of their own. Only then might they appreciate her hard work and they might cut her some slack for all those times she forgot. Because she really does love her job. And those swet babAnd just like any job, sometimes you just have to take a step back and remember why you do it in the first place. In case anyone was wondering, kids will lose all 20 of their baby teeth. With 3 kids, 60 teeth at $5-$10 a pop. Yikes.
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The 12 “Life in Loud” founders would like to extend an invitation to other photographers to “join” our vision of inspiring and supporting artist photographers to shoot from their heart and for themselves. Block out the loud or rise above it, listen to your own intuition and make a photo just for you. "She may be the reason I survive
The why and wherefore I'm alive The one I'll care for through the rough in many years Me, I'll take her laughter and her tears And make them all my souvenirs For where she goes I've got to be The meaning of my life is she" Elvis Costello (And yes, I realize it is Saturday). On Fridays a bunch of brave writers gather here to all spend 5 collective minutes writing on a single prompt. The short version is: Write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word. (On your blog or in the comments). - See more here. This week's word.....Ordinary. There is nothing ordinary about my children. They are truly extraordinary. Everything about them still amazes me. I still look at them and think... I made that. From scratch. And I look at Bella sometimes and still have to remind myself that I have a daughter. My boys have a sister.
And yet, I am so much harder on myself. I doubt. I doubt my parenting. I doubt my ability as a nurse. I doubt myself as a wife, daughter, sister, friend. I set the bar too high. I want to photograph. But, I am not as good as every other photographer. My pictures are ordinary. There is nothing special about my pictures. This is my biggest hurdle. I cannot be proud of myself. I can be so proud of my children. But I don't cut myself any slack. And I definitely do not see myself as different. Or extraordinary. I need to trust myself. To give myself the credit I deserve. I look at my children every day, and I am so proud. Proud of them. I need to be proud of myself because I am their parent. And they are the product of my upbringing. STOP. My sweet husband let me sleep in til 10:00 a.m. this morning. He made breakfast - bacon, eggs & biscuits with orange juice. And now, it's almost noon, and I'm still sitting on the couch, enjoying my coffee. Josh is on the computer playing old Nintendo games and the boys are playing flag football in the street. Bella is running around in her diaper (typical) and toys are everywhere. It has literally rained every day this week, and baseball was canceled today. It is still yucky outside - dreary and drizzling. Needless to say, I can't get motivated. This is the kind of day we've needed for a while. A free weekend to get some much needed things done around the house. And all I want to do is sit here. And maybe take a nap. Ha! We are leaving next weekend to go Michigan for the football game. Just Josh & I. So there is all kinds of things I could be doing to get ready for that. And tomorrow is Josh's mom's birthday and he asks, "Have you thought about anything I could get for my mom?"
So, it's time to put some Luke Bryan on Pandora radio and get up and get moving. I'm taking Bella for her two-year check up today, and I'm dreading the shots. Thinking about the shots, I am reminded of last year, when I took both the boys in for a flu shot. The doctor told them they could either have the shot or the mist (he was actually joking, because I had already said they could get the mist, but if given the choice, what kid would choose the shot, right?). Jackson, thinking they had only one shot & one mist and would need to decide who was getting what, stepped up to the plate and responded, "I'll take the shot, so Cameron can get the mist." Sweetest thing ever. He was willing to take the shot so his little brother didn't have to. These are such important little things to remember. It tells me that they truly do love each other (which I question daily). It also tells me that I am doing something right. And I need these constant reminders. There are times when I have to tell myself, "There are worse things I could be doing...". For example, "There are worse things I could be doing than letting my kids occasionally sleep in my bed" despite all the people that will tell you you should never let your kids share your bed. "There are worse things than being a little slack with bed time, even on a school night". My kids have set bed times, but most nights, they get 10 or 15 minute extensions. Mainly because I forget. Or because I feel bad that we didn't get home from baseball until 8:00 and by the time we've had dinner & baths, well it just doesn't seem fair. So not only do they like each other, but Jack's a pretty great kid. I see that side of Cameron, too. And it makes me so proud. They are loud and obnoxious, not always appreciative, and not always nice to each other. But they love each other. And that makes my heart so happy. Oh, and did I mention how much they love this little girl? P.S. Bella rocked her shots. And since they shared Jack's bed a few nights ago, Jack doesn't want Cameron in his bed anymore. Because he barely got any sleep since Cameron kicked him all night.
School has started (well we're a month into it - I'm behind). Jackson is in fourth grade; Cameron is in first grade. I don't feel old enough to have kids this big. I have been wanting to put these pictures side by side so I can truly see how much they've grown in a years' time. Wow.
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November 2018
AuthorMy name is Kaci. I am a working mom of 3. Wife to Josh. Mom to Jackson, Cameron & Isabella. My life is dinner, homework, baseball, basketball, grocery lists, laundry, middle school, wine, video games, and schedules. I started this blog because I love taking pictures, and I needed a place to document our life. I wanted a place to write it all down, to remember little details so easily forgotten in the mad rush that is the life of a family of 5. Through my photos and words, I endeavor to capture our story. Categories
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