When Children Use Logic

I was told in my childhood education and development classes at KU that children do not have the mental abilities to use reason and logic until around the age of seven.

I agree.

You can debate me all you want with arguments about how you got little Becky to use the potty with bribes of Skittles, or how spanking your child the first time they did something 'wrong' so that they will remember the punishment and avoid the incident at a later time.

That isn't reasoning or logic. That is incentive. Incentive works across the board. Especially on adults. Work = Paycheck.  Well, it used to be that way. The government has re-wrote the book on that one. But I won't go into that debate here.

Reasoning and logic are deeper.

Reasoning and logic apply to more of a problem solving set of skills. It is the process of figuring out how to get from one situation to another.  Examining causes and effects.  How to add eggs to a batter that has already been set to bake. Remember that story? Sheesh. (Click here for Rewind!Rewind!)

My cousin, Dub is how I will refer to him for his privacy, was about two and a half years old at the time. We had met his family at the Pizza Hut in Fredonia, Ks.  While we were waiting for the pies to arrive, we were all chatting about everything under the sun. We are very close to their family, so, naturally, there was some ribbing going on. But, Dub and his older brother were playing with their sodas. The older, by about 18 months, was trying to suck it up the straw, then quickly place his finger over the top to keep it from receding.  The goal was to see who could get the straw the fullest.  Dub didn't waste any time. He quickly filled his straw, then bent the tip down with his tongue. He pinched it with his teeth, then removed it with his finger and thumb. Voilá!

My dad was watching intently. He noticed how quickly Dub had figured that out. We asked his folks if they had shown him that trick before. They said they didn't. We asked Dub if someone had shown him that. He said, "No," as well.

That is a young child using reasoning and logic on a very basic level.

It also applies to wit.

A few days ago, I was folding laundry.  Madelyn was organizing some PetShopStory game on the iPad. I stopped and asked if she wanted to send an email to her dad on my iPhone. She thought that would be a good idea.

So there we were, punching letters in as fast as we could go. I made a comment at the end stating, "I must take after my mommy." I was referring to how well she was doing in school.  She asked what that meant. I told her that I was teasing Daddy, and explained how we get our characteristics from our parents.

We hit 'send' and went back to our tasks.

A few minutes later, I told Madelyn that if she helped me, I would be done sooner and would be able to help her get Snuggles, her bunny, out to play.

"Nah," she said.

"Seriously? You can help me, Madelyn!"

She smiled victoriously.

"I get that from my dad," she said, through her satisfied grin.

Oh boy!

So, later, we were outside having supper on the patio and Audrey started throwing a mega-fit.

Madelyn watched her for a bit, turned to me, and said, "Boy, she sure can be a pissy little girl, huh?"

I. was. speechless.

But, not for long!

Later that night, as I laid in bed reflecting on my day, I got the giggles. She was so innocent when she made that comment. She was clueless during her discipline. The thing that I laughed at the most was at how accurate her use of the word was.

I am counting down the days until school is out. I miss my Madelyn and can not wait to spend more time with her.


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Mid-Deployment Status

Every deployment is different.

Different lengths.  Different circumstances at home. Different strengths of relationship before deployment. Different number of children back home to care for!

I feel that I have matured dramatically for this time of separation.  My kids do keep things moving around here, that is for sure.  There is usually one crying at every given moment, one begging for something to eat, and one getting into mischief while I am trying to address the other two.  I am trying desperately to wait a beat before I react to anything the kids do, or ask, or say.  I have never had much patience, but that is the lesson for this deployment.

I've been told by a dear, dear friend that I am so much better now with three children than I was with just one.  I took that as a compliment. I did not look at it as saying, "Man, Stac, you were a psycho mom when Madelyn was a baby!" Honestly, I thought I was much worse, with patience, now.

And those who say, "Well, you are staying with your mom, so you have all the help in the world. Life is easy for you." Well, prepare yourself for an earful if that is your thought, as well. My mom does not sit around all day with nothing to do. She does have a job, volunteers at the hospital, and has a yard, garden, and cattle to tend to.

Yes! My mom is a blessing. Her David is a Godsend. They are glorious together, and do help me immensely.  But, I am not sitting here all day while they are taking care of my children. I am still their mother. I am just not paying for groceries at the moment. :)

I have tremendous guilt, living here, however. Any grown adult would, if you think about it. Our lifestyle has led me to living with my folks at the ripe age of thirty-two.  I lived with Jay's folks for three months last year. I feel like we live out of boxes, and are practically nomads. I miss my bed, and my life with my family. It was my 'normal'. I like to think that anyone gets antsy to 'go home' even after a few weeks of being away.  I just didn't feel safe there, being alone with the girls.

The guilt stems from the feeling that people are starting to look at me like I am a free-loader.  I do my best to earn my keep. I had kept the dishes washed and put away. I had made sure the laundry hamper was never full. I vacuumed, swept, and mopped the floors on a regular basis. I had even dusted the house a few times.  I am using the verb 'had' heavily.  Now that the sun has been shining and the temps are above seventy degrees, I have been spending more time outside than I have on chores.  But, I still have the best of intentions.

I feel guilt over bitterness that I harbor.  I see parents working as a team, as a single unit. I see them at Wal-Mart with their kids shopping for groceries. I see one buckling the children into the vehicle as the other loads their bags into the back. I run into them in the aisle debating a purchase of a carseat, or in the grocery section talking about what to have for supper. I hate to admit that it makes me turn around and go another way when I see that. What makes me feel even worse is the fact that I am aware of the behavior that I am exhibiting. I am not in denial. I should be able to fix it, and move on.  But, I can't.

I miss hugs from my husband. My brother gives great hugs. I always run up to him for one when I see him.  My step-brothers are generous with them, too. And, so is David. But, I miss that special hug that only your spouse can give you.  I miss that human contact. I know, in my heart, that Jay misses it, too.  It is just something that can not be duplicated.

Jay has a PS3 available to him, now. So I know he is feeling better at his camp than his last one.  But, I have our three girls. So, I think that I win on that one. I am hoping that I can contain the sense of urgency I have about going home.  Jay will not be there just because I will be. Me loading up the girls, and driving all the way back, will not speed his re-deployment up. So I will just have to enjoy this luscious green grass, the spring thunderstorms, and time with my family for a few more weeks.

Twelve.

Twelve more weeks.

Oh, and by the way, do not be sensitive about making a comment about missing a loved one around me. I will not come back with, "Oh, really? Hmm. Try having them be half-way around the world for months at a time. Then tell me how much you miss them." That will not be a reply you get from me. My husband's decision to join the military was made before we had even met.  I knew he was a soldier the day we married. This is the lifestyle that we accepted as our duty years ago. And missing someone is missing someone. I miss my man when he is just at work for the day! It is okay to miss someone. Just don't let it consume your life. That isn't healthy.

And we all can listen to only so much...

(Yes, I am ending this post with the irony of whining, since that is all I have done today.)
(I still need a sense of humor, right?)

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If you have any questions or comments you would like to share directly with me, please email thearmymommy@gmail.com

Washcloth Thief

Boy are we enjoying the new time change. I understand that daylights savings time is now 'on', and I am appreciating that terrible thievery of my sleeping hour on that dreaded Sunday more as the girls grow.

Time does tend to get away from me. Madelyn has been a great student and finished her homework as soon as we get home. We rip open the back door and race outside. We play with a little kitchen, have picnics with snacks and juice, and we even go hunting for neat fossils in the limestone rocks and gravel that is our driveway. It is not until someone's tummy rumbles that we realize that we need to go inside for supper.

And baths.

I hate giving the girls their baths.

We hurried and ate left-overs last night. Then Audrey and Madelyn took a dip in the tub. After much squealing about washing hair, shampoo in ears, and water in eyes, they were out, dry, and roaming around in their jammys.

Then it was Hannah's turn. Hannah was alone this time. She usually goes with Audrey, but this time I wanted to see what Aud would do with Maddy in the tub. It wasn't as eventful as I had hoped.

So, this situation left Audrey roaming the house while I was busy with Hannah.

Are you ready?

Hannah hates having the water poured over her head. Really, what kid does?!? But, after every rinse, I have to have a dry washcloth there to dry her face off entirely. It is a lengthy process, but it gets the job done.

This time, I used the washcloth, and laid it beside me. I repeated the process. Dump water, grab cloth, wipe face. Dump water, grab cloth, wipe face.

Only this time, the cloth wasn't there. I thought I had dropped it in the tub and it had settled under the bubbles to a shallow grave.

No problem. I just reached in the cabinet behind me and grabbed another one.

Dump water, grab cloth, wipe face.

Dump water, grab clo...what?!? Where is my cloth? What did I do with it this time?!?

Hannah giggled.

"Mommy, you lost it!"

"Yep. I sure did! I have lost it in so many ways!"

I grabbed another cloth.

Wipe face. Dump water. grab cloth, wipe face. Dump water, grab clo...

Seriously?!?

I stood up. I took a step back and I knocked Audrey over.

"Oh, sweetie! I had no idea you were here! You were so quiet and...OH AUDREY! I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE HERE!"

I knew what happened to my washcloths now! I knew they had been hauled off by my stealthy toddler.

Audrey chuckled. She has moved beyond the giggle of a baby. It was a full blown chuckle.

I looked at her suspiciously. Why was she laughing like that?

Then I got a sinking feeling in my stomach. I know exactly where I needed to look for those three washcloths.

Do you?

I will give you a moment.

No, I can't wait.

In the toilet were three lovely washcloths, waiting to be fished out.

What is it with my kids and toilets?!?

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If you have any questions or comments you would like to share directly with me, please email thearmymommy@gmail.com

Beating Spring Break

This week, Jay and I traded in our beloved truck. I loved that truck since the day we took it for a test drive. It was a GMC Yukon XL. We had three full rows of seating, plus the biggest cargo area in the back. We could haul anything and everything, and we did!

But, the miles were getting up there. We needed new tires, again. (yes, I drive that much!) There were various other reasons to trade now.

It sure was fun doing it with Jay deployed. We had a lot of email conversations. But, in the end, it all worked out. I now have a 2011 Chrysler Town and Country. I hope it holds up as good as the truck did.

So, I drove the van home Thursday evening. Friday, we had scheduled a day trip to Wichita, Ks with the girls. Madelyn didn't have school, so we figured we would try to beat the Spring Break rush on the attractions.

Five miles down the road, a gravel-hauler met me on the highway going full speed and threw a rock.

Yep.

Exactly!

Chipped my windshield at eye level just in front of the diver.  I was so mad I was seeing purple.

Seriously!?!?

I had to get over it quickly. It was supposed to be a fun day with my girls. Just let it go.

I phoned my insurance company, and they are sending Safelite Autoglass out to my house on Tuesday to seal it before it cracks. It is covered, without me using my deductible. But the idea of it is just sickening.

We made it to Wichita and pulled in to Old Town around eleven-thirty. We decided to eat lunch at some restaurant called The Loft.

We had a great meal, but I had struggled with Audrey staying in her high chair the entire time. She kept standing up, and I kept sitting her down. Other than that, it was an easy thirty minutes.

I turned to grab the key out of my purse and we heard a thump.

I looked up at mom, and she looked at me. We scanned the room trying to figure out what the noise was. We didn't notice anything. Then I figured it out.

The high chair was empty.

I got up, and gazed over it and saw a spread-eagle Audrey on her belly on the floor.

Whoops!

She didn't cry until I picked her up. Everyone was staring. At least she didn't cry long. We were up and out of there as fast as we could go!

We ventured across the street to the Museum of World Treasures. It was awesome! It had something of everything, yet had complete exhibits.  If you want to see what few pictures I could take, then go to my Photos: Museum of World Treasures blog entry.  I didn't write in that blog. I just posted the pictures. You can click on the images and they will enlarge for you.

Anyway, here are a few shots of the girls from inside.

Hannah was the one who had a melt-down first. I thought it would be Audrey. So we had to leave and get the rest of our errands done.  We stopped at Sam's Club, and then Quick Trip. We love Quick Trips. Can't pass one up!

The trip home was easy. Girls watched DVD while Audrey napped.

I kept blinking thinking that the chip on windshield was a blur in my contact.

Sadly, it wasn't. It stayed right there in the center.

We shall see if it can be repaired.

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If you have any questions or comments you would like to share directly with me, please email thearmymommy@gmail.com

Photos: Museum of World Treasures

Old Town, Wichita, Ks

Sir Walter Scott's Handwriting

Charles Dickens

Johanne Strauss, Sr.

Aunt Bea's Suitcase from The Andy Griffith Show

The Scarecrow's Pitch Fork

M.A.S.H. #4077 Col. Potter's Hat

France's King Louis 14th Handwriting and Seal

Nazi Flag captured by U.S. Soldiers. It was autographed by them, and one was from Joplin, Mo

Actual T-Rex. Not a cast. One of just seven in the world.
Smithsonian wants to buy it for $15 Million because they do
not have one in any of their museums.

Mummified Cobra Snakes from Egyptian Room

Mummified Ibis Bird from Egyptian Room

One of two mummies. The lips and hair amazed me.

Mummy #2 had swaddling off. Still had skin on ribs!

Mummy #1 had hand crossed across abdomen. Look at skin
and meat left on the fingers!

Actual nail used during the days of crucifixion in Jesus' time.

Examples of the pieces of silver that Judas traded for
betraying Jesus

Peruvian Trophy Head
Kept in remembrance of great leaders, or beloved ancestors 

Real-life shrunken head!
That beard was very thick. Nasty!

Fun with Otto

My hubby bought me an iPhone last September. I wasn't ready for the smartphone craze. My LG phone was a slider that had a qwerty keyboard that allowed me to feel the keys as I pressed them. I liked that feature. Plus, the battery life was about six days, under heavy usage.

But my phone was sold during the 'Alltel' days.  They were bought out by Verizon while I was in Oklahoma, which means it was over a year and a half ago.  The programming on it was supported by Verizon for 'an undetermined amount of time'. That was how it was worded to me.  I was allowed an upgrade at no charge, but I wasn't interested. I loved my little blue phone.

However, the programming did start to have hiccups.  My texts started to do weird things. They weren't sending on days, and some days I couldn't receive. That is my lifeline on busy days with kids. I don't have time to hold a phone to my ear for a conversation. But, it was super convenient to be able to just read a message, quickly respond, and lay phone down to get back to work.

Since my man had given me an iPad2 for Mother's Day, and had replaced my frail iMac with a new one in July, it was only obvious that I had to go with an iPhone.

So, off I went, with my three kids in tow, to the Verizon Store in El Paso.

Best Verizon store EVER!

Thirty minutes later, I was surfing the net, texting my contacts, and listening to my iTunes music, all on the same device.

I love my iPhone.

There is only one feature that I have a love/hate relationship with. Auto-correct.

I am in a hurry a lot. So I don't take the time to really focus on touching the correct keys on the phone. I do miss having actual keys to strike on the keypad. But, Auto-correct is there to save me.

We got to be so close that I named him 'Otto'.

Sometimes Otto likes to insist that he knows what I am talking about.  Yes, he is usually right on the money. But, not always.

Example given: I was using a Yahoo Messenger app to tell Jay about Madelyn's trip to the doctor last week.

I was laughing so hard. My Madelyn just glared at me.

I couldn't help it. I got tickled.

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If you have any questions or comments you would like to share directly with me, please email thearmymommy@gmail.com