Teaching Nonen

One of my favorite things about our house location is surprisingly NOT the fact that it is close to a Planned Parenthood and their crazed abortion protesters.  We get to live less than a mile from my brother and his family, so it is easy for me to pop over there whenever I want or need.  Monday night, I got to go hang with the kiddos for awhile so my brother could run some errands, and Haley was in class.

I always have such a good time with Mia, Kennedy and Riley.  They are great kids, and surprisingly do not serve their purpose of "birth control."  Every time I leave there, I get that sense of wanting to start a family.  I typically try to use my time with them as learning experiences for when Ryan and I do decide to start our family.

Here's a recap of what I learned on this Monday night...

• I microwave a mean can of chili

(Mia, 9)

• Mia does not enjoy working on multiplication homework.  Nor does she find it funny when I tell her that math is everywhere and she cannot run or hide from it.
• Mia really wants me to come volunteer in her classroom.  That was until I threatened to dance around her classroom with my arms in the shape of an "X," quizzing her on multiplication unless she focused and finished her homework.  That got her attention, alright. 

• Apparently, I am embarrassing (see above)

• Mia thought it was super cool that I knew exactly where to find Riley's diapers and baby wipes, the can opener, and how to use the microwave.  Does this nullify me being embarrassing?

        (Kennedy, 3)

• Kennedy bombards me (in a good way, of course) as soon as I walk through the door.  She gives the best hugs and melts my heart when she says, "I love you, Nonen."
• Kennedy immediately follows up with her immense joy for seeing me by asking "Where's Ryan?  Is Ryan at work?" and then saying, "I hold you!" which actually means: she wants me to hold her.
• Kennedy introduced me to a new counting method.  It went something like, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 14, 16, 16, 13..."  I hear its all the rage with 3-year olds
• She is a sneaky devil and has no qualms snatching up a pacifier that is laying around... Or one that is in her brother's mouth.

(Riley, 1)

• Riley is a miniature monkey-man who likes to climb on the furniture, especially the kitchen table.
• Riley does not particularly care for chili.
• Riley likes to stand up in the bathtub.  Can you say DANGER?
• Riley is just starting to talk and apparently "Lauren" just has too many vowels.

• I do not know how Haley has the time (or the energy) to do much else than chase after these critters all day.

Overall, I would say it was a very educational experience.

Take Luck,

LP