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Happy Tuesday Indeed!
I gave the big boys haircuts yesterday. Let’s just say it’s a good thing they’re two and four and don’t care about how they look. I just wanted them to look a little neater for our family pictures on Saturday without having a buzzcut – my signature hairstyle. But soon everyone will see the results of my labor. Luckily, the majority of the damage on Gavi is in the back where you won’t see. Caleb's is around his ears, which I’m hoping we’ll be far enough back to avoid! I’m so excited to get family pictures done! I wasn’t pleased with Declan’s first pictures because he looked like such a little frog. Now we’ll get a picture of ALL of us! Of course, I’m not all that psyched to get mine taken. Just crossing my fingers that my pride can take a backseat that day so that I can choose a picture based on how cute my boys look rather than how wonky I look! Declan has gone completely to bottles. *sob, sigh, sob* I’m chalking it up to a profound lack of sleep, but I’ve got nothing for him. He’s such a little peach, though! We still cuddle while I feed him, but I don’t have to feed him as often! HOORAY! My favorite time of the day with him is at night when the big boys have gone to bed. He’ll just sit there and grin and crack up with me. It’s my happy time. Of course, part of that is that Jonny is home and gets to spend time with him. I love my boys! Today is a red letter day, to quote Robin Hood. I was showered and dressed by the time the boys got up. Then we had breakfast, got dressed, teeth and (mangled) hair brushed, shoes and socks on, room cleaned and ALL our daily chores done by eight o’clock. Dex slept through it all, but still – two of them completely ready and my entire list of daily chores done by eight? Praise the Lord! There’s a reason God’s mercies are new every morning – that’s when we need it the most! (And thankfully, his grace extends throughout the afternoon!)
Many Thoughts
When I was three/four, I dumped all the fish food into my aunt's tank. She said, "Thanks a lot, Mandy." And being unfamiliar with the great idea of sarcasm, I responded enthusiastically, "You're welcome, Aunt Beth!" Gavi did the same thing a month ago. It was after Caleb's Christmas program, and Declan's cradle had been relocated to the kitchen, his normal spot being usurped by our Christmas tree. Unfortunately, the relocation meant it was close enough to the fish tank for Gavi to crawl into it and feed those poor, hungry fish. It meant a complete water change was necessary. To Jonathan's credit, he didn't even get angry. I just had to ask Gavi to be quiet for a while because his constant chatter was about to send Jonny's patience down the drain along with all the food-filled fish water. Caleb is so pleasant. Sometimes he gets a little whiny, but other times he really surprises me with a great attitude. He will not leave the table without being excused ~ even if it means screaming his head off to request permission. (Yes, sometimes I DO go to the bathroom, and mealtime is the only time I can have a little privacy. Sorry for the TMI. Moms, you understand.) Sometimes, when he asks to do something and I deny, he's well trained in saying, "Okay, mommy. {pause} Why?" Which is SO much more pleasant than Gavi's favorite phrase, "Why, Mommy, WHY?!" Which he uses for anything and everything, even when a question is not implicit. Or when I haven't asked him to do anything. No, no, it's just his favorite thing to say. He just walks around the house saying it. Our Declan actually lost a pound and a half last month, so he's being supplemented with formula, rice, and the milk our friend gave us. And he got SO much happier right away. Poor baby, I guess he was really hungry! It's pretty easy to beat myself down for not recognizing the hunger cues, but I'm trying not to dwell on it! It's just so wonderful for him to be pleasant and well fed again. What else? OH! I'm going to be a table leader at MOPS! It's something that terrifies me because I hate meeting new people - I hear you scoff, J - but I believe God is going to give me the ability to be an encouragement to these women like MY leaders have been to me! My big boys are beating each other down on the couch. Gotta go regulate. When is it okay to just let them fight it out?
Getting Brief!
A couple days ago, we went to the Cherry Creek Rez to run around since the weather is getting brutal around here. (Nothing like MN - in the twenties below. Insanity!) Anyway, we call it our "exploring park," and the boys take turns leading us along paths and trails. I hadn't accounted for the amount of snow on the ground, so I was pushing a stroller along paths and trails covered in two to three inches of snow, then Gavi got whooped after only a mile, so I was carrying him on my shoulders, too. Caleb was leading at that point, and I said, "How much farther?" "Only four more miles," replied he. "(unintelligible groaning)," says I, brilliantly. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's five now." That's what you get for complaining. Didn't I learn ANYTHING from the Israelites?!
Almost caught up!
My wonderful neighbor took my two older monkeys for an hour and a half this morning while Declan was taking his nap. During that time, I accomplished the following: - two batches of cookies baked - one bathroom cleaned (except for the floor, which I had to wait on because Dex woke up) - two loads of laundry washed, dried, folded and PUT AWAY - one dishwasher loaded and washed Seriously, if I can get away with not working when my kids go to school, I'm going to be the best housewife EVER! So since one of my resolves this year is to cut stress out of my life by getting things done quickly - read: no procrastinating - so that I don't constantly beat myself up over what needs to be done, I'm feeling pretty good! I've also vowed to give myself a little slack, and not make unreasonable lists of things to be done. In that spirit, I'm writing one to two thank you notes a day. I've written a list of all of them that need to be written and what day they will be done. It will take me almost all the way through January, but at least they'll get done. When Dex was born, my birthday was shortly after, followed immediately by Gavi's, then Caleb's - and I still have thank you notes from DECLAN'S birth that I haven't sent out. I'm tired of feeling guilty about stuff, so I'm going to get it DONE. Slowly, maybe, but at least I won't be so overwhelmed by everything that it never gets done. HA! Declan went in the johnny jumper for the first time this morning. Ohmigoodness, he LOVES it! I should have put him in a while back. That baby is teething, and having a rough time with life right now, but he smiled for a full half hour bouncing around in that thing! Hooray! Now I just need to get an exersaucer so he can stand up in other places around the house. The jumper only works on ONE doorway in my house. Silly random doorways! We've been doing a lot of painting, puzzle put-togethering and piano playing lately! (Letter of the day is not P!) I'm trying really hard to cut daytime television time out so I have it in case of emergencies. Or when Jonny and I want to play cribbage in the evenings. I love cribbage! I just need to learn to add! My other goals for the year, other than slow stress through realistically achieved lists are: (in parenting) - get more veggies in the boys. We finally broke down and bought vitamins because I realized that I'm not getting nearly enough of those mini-minerals into them. Spinach smoothies are tasty when you throw enough berries in there! - send more of the boys' artwork to grandparents, great-grandpa, and other assorted relatives that might appreciate them, however briefly. I'm just stockpiling then pitching EVERYTHING right now! And with church and MOPS crafts, too, well, let's just say that I've destroyed more potential masterpieces than I'd like to admit. (just for me) - communicate with my loved ones more. I've let myself get so frazzled this past year what with a lousy pregnancy and then the adjustment to three kids that I've lost touch with some of my favorite people. Facebook is awesome for keeping in contact, but sometimes it makes me forget that I haven't actually TALKED with my friends in a long time. - quit putting myself last. My family is not going to fall apart if I take time to put lotion on my legs, or heaven forbid, SHAVE those legs. It doesn't make me a bad mom to take my kids to the gym a couple times a week so I can have some time to take care of me. And my kids are not going to turn into cannibalistic weirdos if I ask them to play by themselves for a while because I need to clean up so that I can rest when they do. - blog more. Just so I can remember these years! Reading through some of my blogs from when Caleb was born, I can't even remember writing that stuff let alone the things that actually happened! Not altogether unrealistic goals, are they? If you know me and love me, help remind me of them when I start frizzing out on the world, okay?
Quickies
Caleb: "Can I play monster trucks?" (a wii driving game) me: "No, sweetie, you already watched two shows this morning." (our rule is an hour of screen time a day between tv, games and computer.) Caleb: "Mo-om! That was a hundred million years away!" (can you tell that's my kid? Hyperbole is the BEST THING EVER!) Declan is teething like a madman. It's the only time he's ever been cranky in his short life. I love that boy! Gavi is on a "why, mommy, why?" kick. I'm trying really, REALLY hard to keep from yelling on a minute-ly basis. I just took a Zumba class. I think I prefer Body Pump. We'll see after I do a couple more of both of them.
...continued from last time...
…television monitor for the kitchen and a docking station for the ipod. Both of which I required the husband to return immediately. (Actually, the docking station hasn’t been returned yet. Jonathan can’t find the receipt. What the CRAP?) I also got a new dishwasher from my parents! It was also overly generous, but I can't very well make them take it back. Especially since my Dad installed it for me. Aw, who am I kidding? They couldn't TAKE that sucker from me! I love practical gifts! The boys were great on Christmas morning! Stockings and presents were opened taking turns, and every time there was a dispute about who was next, Caleb would defer to Gavi. “It’s okay, it can be his turn, Mommy.” It was adorable! I can’t actually remember anything else cute, but we had a beautiful morning! Christmas was so fun! We had both sets of grandparents over, and I had a non-traditional luncheon of potato bar and antipasta salad ~ basically Italian lettuces with salami, provolone, black olives and other kinds of meat. Cookies rounded out the meal. It was a blast! With two sets of grandparents around, I never get to talk to my babies, though! Then Jonny and I went to celebrate our anniversary in Breckenridge while the Garmane grandparents took care of our monkeys. We had a lot of fun! When we went to Boo at the Zoo, we’d gotten an offer for a time-share presentation up there with a hugely reduced hotel rate. When we got there, they’d overbooked at the crummy little place they had us, so we got to go to an AWESOME resort! If we’d been skiers, we’d have been in heaven, since the lift was fifty yards from our exit. As it was, there was a giant bathtub, so I was still pretty much in heaven! As the new year dawns, I am reminded – by Terra – to make a list of things in the previous year I was most grateful for. Here goes: - My precious Declan’s birth. God has an awesome plan for families, because every child has made our family’s love grow. He is what our family was missing. - Jonathan and I having peace in our marriage – ten years together, nine married, and I still want to be with him as much as possible! - Caleb and Gavriel being the two sweetest big boys. They fought a lot during the end of my pregnancy when I couldn’t chase ‘em much, and even more once the baby came, but for the most part, I wouldn’t change a THING! They’re smart, sweet and teach me so much about God’s love for me. OH! That’s a good one! - God’s trying to get ahold of me on issues that have plagued me for EVER. I’m grateful that he doesn’t give up on me. - Parents! Both mine and Jonathan’s have been absolute blessings this year. My oldest son is four, and I’ve only bought him a few outfits his whole life. - Siblings ~ Alisa and Chris make us so happy, and they’ll have a baby in June. I’ll get to be an auntie! My sweet Meg was such a treasure this summer, helping me with the boys nearly every week even when I was a crankbait because pregnancy sucks. Speaking of which… - I’m grateful for the fact that I’m NEVER going to be pregnant again! (Jonny was NOT grateful for the snipping that took place to make that possible!) - Our home. It’s not ideal, honestly, to have a family with three little boys living in a two bedroom condo, but by golly, it’s a BLESSING! Some people don’t have homes. Also, we like each other in this small space. Less to clean. We were able to replace windows and our sliding glass door this year, so it’s warm. I guess what it comes down to is this: - I’m thankful for my FAMILY! I can’t think of another four people on the planet that I’d rather be in such close quarters with!
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I'm sorry that you can no longer breastfeed. I know how it is! At least though your body is all your own with no chance of "sharing" it again. I look forward to that day myself. Jack still nurses 3 times a day, but is slowly weaning. I think in a few months he'll be strickly on the bottle. Such is life.