Happy Days are here again!

Wow.  I promise you, each and every time I get to my "breaking point", God reminds me of how good He is and how much He wants me happy in my life!

Great week.  I have decided being a one car family is only going to bring us closer.  It is not ideal, and I hope to have a solution come around soon.  HOWEVER, driving Shaun, aka "Daddy", to work every morning is kind of fun.  It gives us a reason to get up when the kids get up, get dressed, and get out the door at an actual designated time.  We made it to the park early on Tuesday and I enjoyed watching the four kids play together.  The weather has come around to being "nice" and we took full advantage!  Something about actually getting outdoors has equalled out to lots of napping this week...not so much with Zoe, but it's a process, I understand that. 

So, yes, Tuesday morning we hit up the park until the twins had to be at school at 9.  I took Conner and Zoe downtown to the library for story time and that was really fun.  In fact - the two kiddos were so good at storytime and afterwards, we headed up to Sweet CeCe's for a yummy treat! 

Now I can't figure out how to get it off "center alignment".  Grrr.

Sorry!  Anyway, Wednesday we played in the gym all morning and wore some little butts OUT!  Everyone took a nap that day, so we headed up to the park close to Shaun's work when they all woke up.  The kids are finally at that super fun age where they play with each other and they make friends at parks and play with them and I really don't have to do much, if any, referreeing.  I love it!  I can just sit back and laugh at their goofiness!  Well, and follow Zoe who is super good at climbing up things.

Yesterday and today were also great in the way of beautiful weather outside and happy kids.  As I mentioned, driving Shaun to work really hasn't been much of a bother.  All four kids have been home for the past three days and it has gone way better than I was expecting.  Always nice when that happens.

Zoe said what we are going to forever refer to as her first word.

"Hot. Rod."

That's right!  The boys' favorite book is a book about cars and last night they kept saying, "Hot Rod!  Hot Rod!"  All of a sudden, we hear Zoe say very loudly, "Hah Rah!!"  Now she will repeat everytime she hears anyone say it.  It is the most awesome thing you have ever heard.  She is so cute and it is a perfect first for her!  She also claps her hands quite a bit when she says it.  Adds to the cuteness.

This has led me to change her first birthday party theme - which was going to be "formal" - to some sort of Hot Rod theme.  I'll figure out something fabulous.  Memorable.  Something the other kids will talk about for years!  Or maybe just days.  Or minutes.  Either way...it'll be fun for me.  And isn't that who the first birthday party is truly all about?  Momma?  That's right.

I'm thinking the twins can have the formal theme.  Love it!

Talk soon.

Negative Post

Sorry, folks, it's been a rough few days.  ROUGH.  Shaun's car died on Friday.  One car for a family of six is kind of ridiculous.  I'm sure lots of people do it, but maybe those people don't have four small children.  Or maybe I'm just spoiled.  If so, fine, I will admit to it.  It's not even like Shaun drives his car all that much, but he was on call this weekend and actually got called in both Saturday AND Sunday.  Plus he got called out for a quick side job.  Add to this Zoe's extreme fussiness, the boys' extreme restlessness and wanting to get out of this house, MY extreme short temperedness coming off a long week.  Yeah, I'm sure you can "do the math". 

Today has been interesting.  I knew coming in to this day, that things would be a little off - we had to drop off Shaun at work by 8 and Zoe's doctor appointment wasn't until 9:15.  The boys were super good for these two things...well, "super" might be an overstatement.  The doctor's office was a little frustrating.  The thing is - the kids are really good, but only if they are getting 100% attention with everything centering around them.  Easy enough for a daycare to provide, but not so easy when I have to actually live my life at the same time.  The doctor wants to talk about Zoe, but I have three others tugging on my pant leg and trying to show me various things in the doctor's office.  Not anything important, of course.  Never is.  Sorry, but it's true!  They will "mommy, mommy, mommy" for thirty minutes all to say, "Hi."  Literally.  Or, "um, um, um.  What you doing?"  Annoying.  Not cute.

Anyway, after the doctor's visit including two shots for Zoe  :(  , I decided we would head to the YMCA.  Then Zoe fell asleep in the car, so I switched directions and went home.  Zoe stayed asleep and I set the boys up to paint with marshmallows!  That was fun.  Unfortunately, fun doesn't last long in this house.  30 minutes was great and then they were just making as big a mess as possible.  When I didn't get mad about this, they went to the bathroom to try to create some mess in there.  I swear they enjoy being in trouble.  SO, "paints" (condensed milk and food coloring) were cleaned up and the painting hung outside to dry.  Zoe was still sleeping, and the boys had eaten lunch, so I turned on a movie to see if they would fall asleep?  It was only 11 am, but early nap was sounding good to me!  Sigh.  No such luck.  Zoe woke up, I tried to nurse her back down, but no.  Since everyone was awake, I took them to the Y then.  At noon.  On the drive there they started telling me they were "tired".  Awesome.  Still went and I got in a good thirty minute workout and shower.  Feeling refreshed!  Ready to hang out with the kids!  Ready to get them to nap! 

Fast forward a little bit to now.  Conner is up.  Jack is up.  Zoe is up.  Sweet boy Henry is napping and has been since 2:30 (it's 3:30).  Zoe was nursing like a champ after a big lunch of ravioli, and she was totally asleep when Jack began yelling from the bathroom, "Uh-oh, mommy, it's spilling."  Yeah.  The toilet was spilling.  AKA overflowing.  Fantastic.  I jumped up, waking Zoe, ran into the bathroom and totally ruined the excitement of Jack pooping in the potty by himself (for the second time today!) by yelling at him for using about a quarter of a roll of toilet paper to "wipe".  I do have to admit, however, that he did a pretty good job of wiping.  Ha.  It's how I get through these moments.

Now I'm dealing with three crabby kids who are pretending to not be tired by running up and down the hallway and laughing.  They have told me they will NOT go with me to pick up daddy in an hour and they don't care if the tv is off because they will just go to my room and turn on that tv.  So, I unplugged all the televisions and am about ready to just set them outside...let them run free and move in with a new family. 

I am just so frustrated!!!!  People are forever telling me what great kids I have.  Yeah, sure, they're great.  Not to me.  They treat me AWFUL.  I'm sure some expert would say it's my fault.  Somehow I have "ruined" them and spoiled them and that is why they have an inability to speak to me with any amount of respect.  Thing is this - I use please and thank you all of the time when speaking to them.  I ask them to do things in a very nice tone, ask them several times in fact.  Always using "please".  Saying "thank you" when they (finally) do something I have asked of them.  This is what I get in return:

Conner yelling:  I'm hungry!!!!!
Ignoring...
Conner yelling:  MOM, I SAID I'M HUNGRY!
Me:  Conner, I heard you, I just don't appreciate your tone of voice.  You know the correct way to ask for something.
Time passes....
Conner:  Mom, I said you better get me something to eat!  I'm hungry!!!
Ignoring...

This goes on and on and on.  If I say (again, for the umpteenth time), "Conner, you need to ask me nicely."  He will very rudely huff a big sigh and yell, "PLEASE!"  Yeah, that doesn't count.  The kid is four years old.  He definitely knows better.  Not to mention his daycare teacher would never allow him to speak that way, so I know he doesn't say it that way to her. 

You know what?  Even typing this pisses me off.  These kids will be lucky to make it to 5.

Talk soon.

"Mommy's Issue"

As a native Nashvillian, the humidity lately is no surprise.  However, somehow the temperatures truly are ridiculous beyond belief this year?  I'm dying.  Could be the temps.  Could be the extra 60 pounds on my frame.  Could be the fact that my kids canNOT do anything at a normal pace.  They are s-l-o-w.  Quick to say a swear word in public!  Slow to get out of the car and into the air conditioned house.

I have started really trying to take a deep breath and mentally sort out different situations I encounter in my day to realize whether my frustrations are stemming from something the KIDS are doing or if it is my own issue.  "Mommy's Issue"  I am not shy to admit it is quite often a mommy issue.  For example, when I can't find anything to wear because all of my clothes are too small or too tight or have strange stains (spit-up?) on them, and one of the boys is trying to help me by putting the clothes away as I tear them off my body and throw them on the bed - when they inevitably get in my way and I feel ready to scream, this is mommy's issue.  See how that works?  Today, I had to pee SO bad, I am holding the 23 pound baby girl I affectionately have begun referring to as "Brutus", it is 96 degrees outside with a humidity of, like, 7,000%, and did I mention I was about to wet my pants?!?  Oh yes, and holding both of the boys' backpacks and their empty lunchbox and my heavy purse with all of the mail in it...Jack and Henry decide to fight over who gets to bring in the new box of toys the neighbor brought over this morning.  REALLY?!?  Please just get inside!  My gut reaction was to scream at them to, "Get your butts inside!  I will carry the toys!"  Nevermind my hands were already full, right?  So, deep breath.  Think it over.  Did I need to bring ALL of those things inside right now?  No.  Can Zoe sit on her bottom in the grass while I attempt to break up the fight?  Yes.  DEEEEEEEP breath.  "Boys, this is mommy's issue.  She has to pee very bad and is a little frustrated about the ridiculous fight you have gotten in to.  Please, can we just go inside, play with our new toys, and let mommy get into the bathroom?"  Guess what?  It worked!  We went inside and started a whole new fight about why we can't throw toys.  Still.  It's nice and cool in the house.  And there's a bathroom!

By the way - the word "why" is about to be banned in our house.  Fine, you are a curious toddler.  Sometimes, however, there is just not an answer to the question "why".  There just isn't.  Guess what answer comes at those times?  "Because I said so!"  Oh yes, thanks mom.  I swore I'd never say it.  Actually, I think I've kind of been waiting to use that line.  So, Henry's favorites are "why?" and "what?"  We're pretty sure the "what" comes from our inability to understand him for a long time...even know we're at about a 75% understanding of his speech.  So, conversations with Henry used to go as follows:

Henry:  "I'ma doodin lee fy-ny."
Me or Shaun:  "What?"
Henry:  "I'm A DOODIN FY-NY!"
Me or Shaun:  "Uh.  Yes?"

Conversations with Henry now go something like this:

Henry:  "I want some foo snacks."  (fruit snacks)
Me or Shaun:  "First, you need to eat your dinner."
Henry:  "What?"
Me or Shaun:  "Eat your dinner."
Henry:  "I'ma doodin fy-ny?"
Me or Shaun:  "What?  Is that a question?"
Henry:  "What?"
Me or Shaun:  "Dinner?"
Henry:  "Okay."

That is pretty much a direct quote.  Don't you wish you could hang at our house??

Talk soon!