Kid Ventures

We came back in time for me to focus on a huge work deadline. In addition, my mom & step-dad decided to put their house on the market, which is tough because we are living in a house that has to stay immaculate and we need to leave every time someone wants to see it. Their realtor scheduled an open-house for other realtors on Wednesday, right before my work deadline. I needed to take the kids to a place where I could work & they could have fun. I found Kid Ventures online and decided to try it. They have a bunch of different play areas surrounding a cafe with free wireless. I took the kids & Paige there. It was a little pricey, but perfect. It is a nice option for those crazy deadline days that happen about once a month.

Kid Fears

A few nights ago, I heard Lexi crying. I went into her room to see what was wrong. She was half awake and complaining that the “black lady” was going to get her. Since she doesn’t know any terms for racial differences, I knew she didn’t mean African American. I’ve heard her describe them as brown before. So, I asked her which black lady. She told me the one in Sleeping Beauty. Since then, she is scared of her dark room and it is my fault.


As a teenager, I babysat a lot of kids so I know that the Disney Princess movies can be scary. That is why I planned to wait until Lexi was at least 5 to let her watch them. Last week, I broke my own rule. Lexi wanted to watch a movie, Jordan was taking a nap, and I had a LOT of work to do. I rationalized that she is advanced for her young age and that she really likes the princesses. Besides, she doesn’t seem to be afraid of anything. …blah, blah, blah. Of course at the end of the movie, she talked about Aurora and the fairies and everything nice. I didn’t think much of it until I heard about the “black lady.”Back to the rule about waiting until she is FIVE.

Playground Incident

Yesterday, when I went to pick Lexi up from school, her teacher pulled me to the side to let me know there had been an incident on the playground. Apparently, Lexi's class got to go to the big kids' playground. Some older girls (3 - 4 year olds) wanted to play house and decided Lexi would make a great baby and they would be her mommies. When Lexi tried to leave the club house, they blocked her. She suddenly began screaming hysterically. The teacher was about 10 feet away and was able to get the story out of Lexi once she stopped hyperventilating/sobbing. The girls were shocked and were quick to apologize as well as hug Lexi, but she wanted nothing to do with them.

Of course, Lexi told me the story many times yesterday afternoon and evening. Her eyes would tear up and she said “the girls scared me.” She also told me that they wanted her to be a baby, but that she is a “big girl.” We’ve talked about how people don’t like to be “blocked” from going places, which is something she constantly does to Jordan. We have also talked about how the girls just wanted to play with her and that they were sorry for scaring her.

This is her first playground incident. I am sure there will be more. There are two things that I am rather pleased about:

1. That her first incident wasn’t a malicious act just a silly misunderstanding.
2. That she screamed bloody murder when she was uncomfortable with a situation. I hope that she has the same reaction if an adult ever tries something with her.

Saterday Night Switcharoo

We have made a deal with a couple to take care of each others' kids once a month in order have date night. Last night, it was our turn to have fun with the kids. Lexi and Jordan really enjoyed entertaining the kids. I couldn't believe how much they both got into it. Perhaps, once a month is not enough. We'll have to make plans with other couples.

Pump It Up

This morning, we went to Pump-It-Up with Ms. Amy (one of my old high school friends) and her sons Joshua & Samuel. Joshua & Lexi climbed, jumped, laughed and played while Samuel & Jordan were just held by the moms. I wish I could have joined in because these places are fun! Lexi agrees. She runs around proclaiming, "That was fun!"