Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Christmas Lights and Santa

Kaitlyn had an especially hard day at school yesterday. She has been really temperamental, bossy, and moody lately at home, so I sort of expected this to happen at school. My precious, beautiful, smart, funny girl was sent to the office yesterday. Twice. She was sitting in there when James went to go pick her up. Apparently she had a problem with scratching other kids AND her teacher. This is the worst feeling as a parent. This is when I hate having to work the most. How am I supposed to discipline her consistently and get her on the right track if I only see her for 3-4 hours a day? My heart is seriously heavy about this and I just cried and cried this morning when we were getting her ready to go. Any full time working moms out there with any advice???? I could really use some.

ANYWAY... since she had a such a hard day, we decided to go do something fun. We drove around and looked at a bunch of Christmas lights and then we drove out to Celebration Park. This is about 10 minutes outside of Abilene. It's like $15 per car load and you drive through literally a million Xmas lights. It's really fun to look at. They added something new this year - the Igloos. One of the enormous igloos is a fun gift shop and snack area. Outside of it is a big fire pit and you can buy the stuff to roast marshmallows. Also, Santa is there. This Santa looked so real! The real beard and everything. Kaitlyn was pretty shy at first and would not go near him, but once she saw other kids do it, she was a little more brave. (Especially when she noticed that you get a toy if you go sit on his lap) She sat there with her head down most of the time, acting totally shy. He guessed that she wanted a baby doll and that made her perk up a little bit. That is ALL she has asked for so far - a pink baby doll with pink hair. She lifted her head up and smiled long enough for a picture. It turned out pretty cute - but not worth the $7.50 we had to pay for it. Rip Off!!!!! She was also pretty proud that Santa had a beard "just like Pappy!" (I'll scan the picture in when I get home - so check back)

The other igloo was a lazer show. It was pretty fun too. Again, she seemed terrified at first going into this huge dome that was dark, but she warmed up to it. The lazers were just pictures of angels, Mary and Jesus, stars, wise men, etc. You could buy the 3D glasses, but we didn't and it was just as neat. It was so sweet to hear her little voice say over and over, "There is Mary and Baby Jesus!"

We spent about $25 bucks - but we were there for well over an hour and she had a great time.

It is FREEZING today!!!! Yikes! Too bad it is supposed to be like 60 degrees again by the weekend. No wonder everyone is getting sick.

Have a great Wednesday! And if you think about it, say a prayer for Kaitlyn, Rainbow School, and her frustrated Mommy. Thanks!

12 comments:

courtney said...

I wish I had some words of advice for you, being a working mom myself. I struggle with the same thing, though. It's hard! It's hard when they act up at school and you don't know how to discipline them, and it's hard when they ask you to stay home and "just let daddy go to work." Heartbreak! Sorry I couldn't say anything to make you feel better, just know you're not alone!!

Jacinda said...

Hang in there! Parenting is soooo hard! I have been frustrated with Katie lately, too. It's so hard to know what to do! PRAY! I have to believe that helps us!

hollyfouts said...

Kaitlyn is such a sweet girl with such a sweet little heart....But, she's just a kid. It happens to the best of them. I'm sure it's just a phase (hopefully a short one). Just remember what a sweet little blessing she really is!
And I know that I don't work, but I feel your frustration (Miller has entered that fun "tantrum every 5 minutes" stage). I am ALWAYS wondering if I am doing the very best that I can for my kids. I guess all we can do is do the best we can and pray for the rest.
She really is a sweetie! I can't imagine her being shy though.

swatterson said...

sounds like the lights were fun! i bet Kaitlyn liked it. :) maybe it's just what she needed. :)

BTW - I like the red, green, red, green text you got going on. :)

Shanta said...

Leslie- Cheer up dear heart. Kaitlyn has a GREAT set of parents to guide her through these tough times. She knows you love her and want the best for her. She will learn to feel secure and hopefully learn from her mistakes. I'm sorry you guys have had some tough days. I'm sure all our moms said the same things about us once upon a time..

Susan said...

I have loved getting to catch up with you through your blog! I can't believe that Kaitlyn is already so big! Is she as tall as me yet?

-susan

Melissa said...

Hi - read your blog often and enjoy. I know your frustration about working and I work at HOME. My 5 year old constantly asks me why I have to be in my office. I have no advice because it is a struggle here too but I think our love and concern for them will certainly pay-off.

Kristen OQ said...

I agree with everyone else...Kaitlyn is a sweet girl with parents that adore her, love her, and are teaching her how to grow up to be a Christian young lady. There is a reason the phrase is coined..."This too shall pass." I think a mother said it the first time when dealing with her 2 year old (or 3 year old, or 5 year old, or 10, or 17, etc.) You and James keep up the good work!

Erica said...

Do not worry too much about Kaitlyn...I would say not at all but I know you would worry a little anyway. I think this is just a phase most children go through whether you work or not. Kaylee did it to and I was not working at the time. I think these things have no rhyme or reason to them...they are just phases. You are great parents and Kaitlyn knows that you love her and are there for her. She is a lucky little girl!!
About the light we will have to check that out next year!

mcjacobsjournal said...

Leslie,
You are such a sweet mommy and I completely understand the worry...we've all been there, working or not! Just like some of the other moms said, the fact that you work isn't what causes Kaitlyn to have a bad day here and there. It's the AGE and STAGE she's in!! And, I don't really know when they leave it! We still deal with bad days with Kendyll at school and at home. (I guess we even have those days as adults too! We just don't get sent to the office for it...)

This is definitely toddler-wide, so don't get too down on yourself. We all work in some way or another, and feel separated from our kids at times. You are such a good parent and Kaitlyn is so blessed to have a mommy who longs for time with her like you do.

God will bless you for that!

leslie said...

Thank you for all of your comments about this! They have been very encouraging! I am so blessed with wonderful, caring friends.

Unknown said...

I am sure that you are the best mom out there! It is obvious from your blogs how much you love your precious girl, and I know that this is a stage she is going through. You are going to look back on this and laugh so soon...probably about the time that I am blogging about the same topic with Jackson!