Max loves Mia

I do believe that she has become his first love. He writes love letters to her and sends them through intermediaries, their fathers. He draws her pictures. He even did a crafty picture for her today. He loves to love and she seems to be his recipient at the moment. It started when she wrote him a letter so now he likes to send notes to her all the time. "mom, I need an envelope so I can send Mia a letter." I will need to take a picture of his latest creation.

The Third Day

So I did not take her to 'camp'. I decided that Krismon should have the pleasure of listening to her cries. He set her down and ran for it, was what he said. She cried for all of 5 minutes before getting into the swing of things.

I tried to get any busywork done before the kids left so that I would not have excuses getting in the way of work. Well, of course, I can take a personal call. And then I got a professional call that was good and originated some new ideas for both of us.

I jumped on my parent coaching bandwagon and decided to make a schedule so I spent a couple of hours on that. I have it pretty set in my mind how it will work and now I just need to create it on a big poster board or sheet of paper so the kids can see it and read it and know what will come next.

Hmm since I did not get it written out, that must be why they got up at 5am again today.

The second day

Max skipped off to kindergarten camp, leaving me with an increasingly separated anxiety ridden Maggie. We walk down to her classroom, which was Max's. She loved going to pick up her brother but the very idea that I would leave her there sends her into hysterics. I tried to stay and calm her down but no such luck. She was even able to get about 3 boys to cry as well. Hmmm does that bode well for the future if she already has them crying now?....

I went home, tra la la... Of course, I could not get right down to it and putzed around doing various things. I am happy to say that I am closer to done with my coach parenting course to add to my toolbox.

Of course, now if my kids or test subjects would follow my prescription for sleep, all would be well.....

The first day of summer camp

Yep so this was supposed to the big day. They would go to school and I would get to work..... As we know things sometimes don't turn out as planned. Regardless, I took the M&M show to school. They are in different classrooms. Max having graduated to the lower elementary and Maggie going into his old class at least for now.

She cried and had to be held so I could leave. Then I took Max to his class and he cried and didn't want me to leave. Let's just say I was practically running for the door.

When I came to pick them up, Maggie was still napping and glad to see me. Everytime they switched to a new activity she would cry for me. Did I mention that she has been having separation anxiety? Max didn't want to leave when I went in to get him. He had a good ole time.

The bunk bed

I hope my kids appreciate the effort that I have gone through so far today to build their bunk bed.... I have a blister on my hand and I am only halfway done.

Well I got most of it put together. We just need to lift it into place and add a few finishing touches and the kids can sleep in their own beds and hopefully stop driving us crazy. HAH! Like that will happen but a Mom can dream can't she.

I will post a pic soon.

TIGERS!!!!

So a on spur of the moment, we decided to go to the circus yesterday. Good thing they were here for us to visit. My parents are visiting so we all got in the car and headed over so we could interact in the preshow.

At first, Max was like I am not going down there. After a little popcorn (Maggie's treat for peeing in the potty there), he and I headed down to walk around. One of the elephants was painting. There was no way to get close. We saw a female clown and then we looked at the jugglers. All to soon, we had to go back to our seats so we could watch the greatest show on earth. We got cotton candy that came with a hat. We all enjoyed that treat, even the grown ups felt like kids eating that!

Right before the intermission, my mom scooped Maggie up and took to the restroom. Again, to our delight, she used the potty. Potty learning is not easy so when we get some public successes, we cheer.

The second act included the tigers and elephants. Maggie was so excited by the tigers. She just kept saying tigers and signing the word as well. I think we all enjoyed the elephants and cracked up by the amt of poop they can drop in one load....

It was definitely fun for the whole family...

Respect

Aretha sings about it... I played clips of it on youtube for older M. I still keep trying to figure out how to teach it to him and little M. I know modeling behavior is how they learn.... I don't put my feet on my toys or on the table. I say please and thank you. I really try to show my kids the respect that I think they deserve and expect the same in return. I know it is a learning process but how many times does it take before it gets through to them.

The sleep study continues and in that vein... how do you not feel disrespected when they laugh after discipline at night? Seriously, they think bed time is playtime. I am really starting to wonder if they will be able to continue sharing a room or if we will just have to put them in different rooms.

4:55am came all too early

I kind of wish I had a photo of what I looked like at that time of the day so you could witness my horror in having not one but two children come to me at that time of day but I will save you and me that indignity.

Now I am sure that you imagine that I am a pop out of bed, happy as can be to serve my children and make their lives as happy as possible at 5 am kind of woman. I hate to disillusion you but no.... This is all part of that sleep study that we have been conducting. The study is not supposed to end until 6am each day but for some reason unknown to me, my test subjects seem to like to get up before then. So need less to say, I do not do well being woken up so early in the day. I stumble to the coffee maker to make my 6 cups. Yes, it used to be 4 cups but that was back when my kids slept better.

Then they like to take the ultimate revenge for my less than stellar demeanor by falling asleep in the car so that they must be carried in for their naps. I guess at least it is good that I get that rest time today... No napfrontation! YEAH....

Krismon gets home today so we can again share the labcoat duties.

Boxes and bins will we ever be moved in

Or... is this the life with kids. I feel like I am forever packing boxes and bins to only unpack them again so that the kids can wear clothes that fit, rotate toys, try to make room in one place only to make less room in another. I really miss the basement I had growing up. It had 3 rooms with plenty of space, oh course, there was an ongoing battle of mildew because it wasn't really finished. Man was there storage space along with the attic. Our house in Iowa had so much storeage and my parents took advantage of that to collect and store 25 years worth of stuff with very little pruning.....
Okay so maybe it is good that I have a storage issue so that I continually can have boxes for safenest or boys and girls club. I guess I am off to move some boxes.

Momma, I want you to live forever

Sometimes kids say things that are so sweet that you remember you want to keep them around for a while at least.

Yesterday was one of those jam packed days full of discipline, parenting and learning experiences. I think what amazed me was when I put Maggie down for her nap and she refused, I got out of my own way. I would like to know how I did it so I could go to that place again where I didn't lose my temper and it was about showing Maggie that naptime was then. She doesn't tend to protest nap time so it was unusual. It took an hour but she finally settled down to sleep. It was a little heart rending to hear her say,' sorry momma' as she cried.

Max needs a nap about every 2-3 days. Yesterday was that day. He passed out while watching his favorite show, John and Kate plus 8. He went down around 6:45pm last night. He slept about 12 hours. So I am thinking today we will be able to avoid a napfrontation.

We, my mom and I, wanted to get dinner prepared and cooking around 5 pm yesterday. We made yummy sloppy joes. I made the mistake of letting Maggie know that we would watch said 'John and Kate plus 8' so the whole time we are trying to prepare dinner and let it simmer, she is whining to watch the show. I, even, turned on Diego but that wasn't good enough. lol! she just kept saying the name of the show over and over again. It is pretty funny to see how excited my 2 yo gets about that show.

Max said yesterday that Maggie wants a sister and he wants a brother. I didn't know that we were taking orders like at a restaurant. 'Give me one order of a sister and one of a brother.' I will just bake em in my belly for you two. Such a crack up. I just said that until that time, they could adopt our friends kids, Mia, Jackson and Brody. That way they even get an extra brother, or one each. lol!

Makes me wonder what is in store for today, given his earlier remark....

Krismon has not left the building

Kentucky here he comes, oh wait, he got bumped! YEAH say the kids, YEAH says the wife. Of course, now I will have to take him to the airport at 6am. No problem, given the kids propensity towards alertness at unseemly hours.

The sleep study continues. The subjects have been behaving in a less than acceptable manner. The littler one even went so far as to try and bite, well, I guess try is not the right word. Succeed in biting the older test subject. ARGH!

And yet it continues with our littlest wonder making a visit at 2am wanting to pee. This takes forever. She then went on to make me stay in the room with her and Big test subject. I am telling you this sleep study is tough.

Happy Fathers Day

It is still early yet but we are already delivering at least one of our gifts to Krismon. He is still asleep! My parents are visiting and my dad actually slept in until 6 so I guess he got his gift as well! The kids even provided me with the gift of sleep, letting me sleep til 5:50am. Ah so is the life of this mom of young kids...

Last night, Max wowed and amazed his grandparents and even his parents with his violin playing ability. He really shined for his audience. He played at tempo and pretty accurately. And then he went to bed with minimal fuss. What a great way to end the day...

Our little violin virtuoso

So Max has been taking lessons for over a year. Seriously, I wanted to pretend like it was all up to Kris to oversee this part of his education. Now after so many times taking him to class, probably like 5, possibly 6, I have jumped on the bandwagon.
This week, all of a sudden, he has started to practice at home. He even wants to teach me how to play his songs. I feel like I have to left hands holding a violin. Can we say, all I can play is hot cross buns?
It is actually exciting to hear him practice, see his confidence in his abilities and basically just watch him do his thing.
I keep telling him to be a rock star so he can buy his momma a house... I guess he is on his way...

Our never ending sleep study

So both my kids used to be simple when it came to bed time. We would go through our little routine, kiss them goodnight, lay them down and they would go to sleep with relatively little fuss. Now jump forward and we are struggling to get them to sleep before 9pm because they get the case of the giggles and won't go to sleep. It is a little more involved but I do not want to raise my blood pressure by divulging them. I am trying to figure out how to get buy in from Max to stop the behavior but all he does is sign the word good and then I end up melting down later when he is anything but.

I have this feeling that my kids were sent to me to lull me into thinking they would be fairly easy only to morph into these alien beings. I worry most that they will get overtired and that I will be left with so little me time that I will be overtired and cranky.

My saving grace at the moment is a certification I found in parent coaching. I am hoping that it will provide me with some ways for me to better communicate or at least brain storm for better ideas. Because lord knows my ideas so far aren't working.