In preparation for the big day, Finn has been channeling all things Sesame.

I made the tragic mistake of mentioning something about seeing his “favorite friends on the big stage,” so he’s been standing by the window…

thinking about this day in great detail.

The thought of seeing Elmo again has taken over his mind.

He’s asking daily when his friends will be close enough to hug.

I don’t think he quite grasps his friends won’t be close enough to touch…

This could be one crazy morning!

Pretending Evie’s hamper (formally Finn’s and formally mine from childhood) is Oscar’s can. Oh, and that blue-eyed boy will only respond if he’s called “Oscar.”

This is a helmet. Duh.

As he watches me draw, he gives me the thumbs-up. (Don’t mind the wild fashion sense. This is Finn’s creation!)

Not sure where this came from, but Justin refers to him as Johnny Appleseed when he wears his “pot.” Only makes for a wee bit of panic when Finn asks, “where’s my pot, Mommy?”

Uncle Chris’ future racketball doubles partner. In the meantime, a severe safety hazard in the house, particularly around Evie.  

See the boxes of new shoes by the wall? He refuses to try them on, but he’ll own the box they were sent in and “draw you, Mommy!”

Of all the fancy things in the world, you quickly realize kids don’t need millions of new toys or wild gadgets. Believe me, we have plenty. They need the freedom to be creative and explore. And boy, does this little dude do that!

Justin and I are often referred to as objects or animals. In our house, Finn is the spoon, I’m the fork and Daddy is the knife. Finn is the turtle, I’m the giraffe and Daddy is the lion. And don’t think about reverting back to your “real” self before Finn is ready! Whoa.

I love the creativity and exploration!  Reminds me to dream a little myself!

What will he come up with next?

I learned from several friends the true reason for the staff firings and kept watching Omaha news sources for the story to break. Finally, six days later, the story was out. Six days!

During a lesson in sandwich-making for special education students, staff knowingly exposed a peanut-allergic, non-verbal student to peanut butter. The staff knew the child was allergic and proceeded to give him the peanut butter. This poor child couldn’t indicate his allergy because of his non-verbal disorder, making this act even more offensive. As most peanut-allergic children would, he went into anaphylactic shock and 911 was called. What is worse? The staff went on to cover up what they had done by removing the peanut butter from the classroom and telling officials they weren’t sure why the child went into shock.

Having a peanut-allergic son, I’m simultaneously livid and saddened by this event. Parents trust school staff to care for their children. Certainly, I can understand if one staff member forgets a child has an allergy, but I have a hard time believing five staff would forgot. What makes this situation inexcusable is the cover-up that took place. In fact, this put the child at even greater risk because medics may not have been able to treat the child effectively.

Allergies, particularly peanut allergies, can be deadly. An allergy isn’t a sensitivity. It isn’t a nuisance. It isn’t something to take lightly or to ignore.

My hope is this situation would provide an opportunity for all Millard staff to be educated about food allergies: what to do, what not to do, how to handle a reaction.

My fear is this will be swept under the rug and not discussed again.

And if that’s the case, an even greater injustice has occurred.

I love little Evie’s noggin’ here… just peeking in!

Happy Friday, all! Have a great weekend!

My Grandma is in her 80s and, as most in that generation, is a saver and incredibly mindful of how her dollars (and cents) are spent. I think what I appreciate most about her care of money is the simplicity, although we all laugh when she drives 5 miles out of her way for 1 cent less per gallon fuel!

In addition to the coins Finn receives from his Great-Grandma, we’ve started giving Finn change for his piggy bank to help teach him about money and saving. Sometimes it’s a random surprise and sometimes it’s a reward for kindness or great behavior. Although I know he doesn’t yet fully understand what the coins are or where they go, he LOVES putting change in his bank. His eyes light up when we share a handful of coins, instantly bolting for the stairs saying, “for my penny bank!”

We talk about money while he counts the coins and one-by-one adds them to the bank. We talk about saving and we talk about giving. I’m sure one day it will all click, but in the meantime, I’m enjoying him love the sound of the “penny bank” CLANK!

How do you teach your kids about money?

Reminiscent of another classic Finnegan Fit, here is the latest.  I couldn’t help but laugh when the hands went straight to the eyes and rubbed.

Who feels bad for him?  :)

Any other parents have some “judgey” moments pre-kids only to discover it’s just the way it is post-kids? Happy Monday!

Finn was adamant he would hold Evie’s hand leaving the mall.  Why?  ”Well, because I don’t want my baby sister to fall out.”  Of course.  So much love…