Ramblings and Thoughts on Our Routine
My precious babies.
You might have had the day from hell with your children. You might be ready to toss them out the window with the next "eep" that comes forth from their mouths. You might be ready to run away from home and never see their screaming, crying, fighting little faces ever again.
And then, you go in to check on them before you go to bed, and they look like this.
You might have had the day from hell with your children. You might be ready to toss them out the window with the next "eep" that comes forth from their mouths. You might be ready to run away from home and never see their screaming, crying, fighting little faces ever again.
And then, you go in to check on them before you go to bed, and they look like this.
Precious angels. And you fall in love all over again and remember why you don't just throw them in the compost bin. ;o)
I don't have a lot of moments when I'm ready to throw in the towel and run away, but I do have them. You know that witching hour you experience (or witching two hours or so) between 4:00 and 6:00 when your children are infants? That witching hour doesn't go away. It simply morphs and evolves into something that is slightly easier to manage (no more wearing babies around hot stoves and sharp knives). It's still there, though. It's that two hour time period when I'm trying to get dinner cooked and on the table and "help" (read: prod) Lil with her homework and keep Bean from bothering her as she works and the fighting starts and the playing distracts from the homeworking and I feel like I'm going to lose my ever lovin' mind. GAH!
I'm fairly certain this is a universal condition around most homes in the U.S. (please tell me I'm not alone here!) during the school year, and I'm just grateful we don't have a jam-packed activities schedule to go with it.
Lil has expressed no interest in any activities other than chess club and summer swim team, and I'm okay with that. I'm selfish, you see. I wish to protect our family time and family dinner as best I can, not to mention, I'm lazy and I loathe being frazzled by crazy scheduling.
This isn't to say that should Bean (or Bitty for that matter) express an interest in soccer or gymnastics or what have you that I wouldn't be all for it. I would. I'd totally support her, but I think I would limit it to one activity at a time. Or try to at any rate. If I've learned nothing else through the years, I know that you cannot know how you will act/react to a situation until you're presented with it.
I not only long to protect family dinner (we do three good things from the day, three good things that happened to somebody else, and then three bad things--Tami calls it "Sweet and Suck"), but I long to protect our bedtime and bedtime routine as well. Sleep has been a hard won battle around these parts. Bitty was a beautiful sleeper as an infant and even in her toddler years. But, sometime around three or so she started struggling with sleep. She still does on occasion, but not like she once did.
Beanie? That child and sleep have NEVER mixed. She is as extroverted as the day is long and she doesn't want to sleep for fear of missing out on something. I also think, quite simply, she needs far less sleep than either of her sisters ever needed. It can happen. The child didn't consistently sleep through the night until she weaned at 15 months. Then, there was the going to bed dance of "up and down" where she would get up and we would put her back down. I'm sure much of that was due to the fact we had to transition her to a big girl bed way earlier than I would have liked because she was an escape artist...
But, now we have routines in place for both girls. It's simple, but it's the same thing every night and most nights they're both in bed by 7:30 (Lil because she needs MORE sleep than you can imagine and Bean, because well, she's younger) and wind down until they're asleep typically before 8:00.
And then, sweet glory, then it's my time.
Brien and I had a long discussion awhile back about our identities as people and he talked about how once the kids came I was immediately "mom"--even my username some many places came to reflect that--but that he was still "Brien".
Yes, I am "mom", but I need for "Rachael" to be in the mix. I need for her to come out and play and hang around for awhile, even if it is for just a brief period between 8:00 and 9:30 (I have my "housekeeper" hat on while I clean the kitchen, then I can be me). It's a time for B and me to reconnect as a couple and for us to have some downtime.
So, yes, I'm a bit selfish and covetous of my time. I don't feel as if I'm denying my children anything, nor do I feel they are missing out. As soon as either one expresses an interest in something, I'll make it work for us. But, for now, I'm just as happy to keep things as they are.
Parenthood and childhood have changed so much from when I was a kid. I want my girls to have the same carefree, free-play childhood I did for as long as possible. Good things happen when boredom strikes--creativity rears its head and amazing things are born. I want my kids to just be kids.
As I'm typing this, I realize it could be construed that I'm judging others for the choices they make for their children, and I'm not. Truly.
Parenting (as I've written so often) is the hardest job in the world. We need to build each other up and support one another, not judge and cast stones because somebody doesn't see things the same way we do or chooses to parent differently. I tell my girlfriends all the time, "You have to make the best choices for your family. That's what's most important." Each family is different and has different values and goals and just because something "fits" my family, doesn't mean it would "fit" Jessie's or vice versa.
All this to say, this is how we're rollin' around these parts right now, at this moment in time (and since this is my journal and record for my girls for the future, I feel it is important to record it). This is what works for us. Other families have routines that work for them and I think it's wonderful.
Ultimately, we all want the same thing, right? Happy, healthy, well-adjusted adults who are contributing members of society.
****************************
Sparklies:
1.
I don't have a lot of moments when I'm ready to throw in the towel and run away, but I do have them. You know that witching hour you experience (or witching two hours or so) between 4:00 and 6:00 when your children are infants? That witching hour doesn't go away. It simply morphs and evolves into something that is slightly easier to manage (no more wearing babies around hot stoves and sharp knives). It's still there, though. It's that two hour time period when I'm trying to get dinner cooked and on the table and "help" (read: prod) Lil with her homework and keep Bean from bothering her as she works and the fighting starts and the playing distracts from the homeworking and I feel like I'm going to lose my ever lovin' mind. GAH!
I'm fairly certain this is a universal condition around most homes in the U.S. (please tell me I'm not alone here!) during the school year, and I'm just grateful we don't have a jam-packed activities schedule to go with it.
Lil has expressed no interest in any activities other than chess club and summer swim team, and I'm okay with that. I'm selfish, you see. I wish to protect our family time and family dinner as best I can, not to mention, I'm lazy and I loathe being frazzled by crazy scheduling.
This isn't to say that should Bean (or Bitty for that matter) express an interest in soccer or gymnastics or what have you that I wouldn't be all for it. I would. I'd totally support her, but I think I would limit it to one activity at a time. Or try to at any rate. If I've learned nothing else through the years, I know that you cannot know how you will act/react to a situation until you're presented with it.
I not only long to protect family dinner (we do three good things from the day, three good things that happened to somebody else, and then three bad things--Tami calls it "Sweet and Suck"), but I long to protect our bedtime and bedtime routine as well. Sleep has been a hard won battle around these parts. Bitty was a beautiful sleeper as an infant and even in her toddler years. But, sometime around three or so she started struggling with sleep. She still does on occasion, but not like she once did.
Beanie? That child and sleep have NEVER mixed. She is as extroverted as the day is long and she doesn't want to sleep for fear of missing out on something. I also think, quite simply, she needs far less sleep than either of her sisters ever needed. It can happen. The child didn't consistently sleep through the night until she weaned at 15 months. Then, there was the going to bed dance of "up and down" where she would get up and we would put her back down. I'm sure much of that was due to the fact we had to transition her to a big girl bed way earlier than I would have liked because she was an escape artist...
But, now we have routines in place for both girls. It's simple, but it's the same thing every night and most nights they're both in bed by 7:30 (Lil because she needs MORE sleep than you can imagine and Bean, because well, she's younger) and wind down until they're asleep typically before 8:00.
And then, sweet glory, then it's my time.
Brien and I had a long discussion awhile back about our identities as people and he talked about how once the kids came I was immediately "mom"--even my username some many places came to reflect that--but that he was still "Brien".
Yes, I am "mom", but I need for "Rachael" to be in the mix. I need for her to come out and play and hang around for awhile, even if it is for just a brief period between 8:00 and 9:30 (I have my "housekeeper" hat on while I clean the kitchen, then I can be me). It's a time for B and me to reconnect as a couple and for us to have some downtime.
So, yes, I'm a bit selfish and covetous of my time. I don't feel as if I'm denying my children anything, nor do I feel they are missing out. As soon as either one expresses an interest in something, I'll make it work for us. But, for now, I'm just as happy to keep things as they are.
Parenthood and childhood have changed so much from when I was a kid. I want my girls to have the same carefree, free-play childhood I did for as long as possible. Good things happen when boredom strikes--creativity rears its head and amazing things are born. I want my kids to just be kids.
As I'm typing this, I realize it could be construed that I'm judging others for the choices they make for their children, and I'm not. Truly.
Parenting (as I've written so often) is the hardest job in the world. We need to build each other up and support one another, not judge and cast stones because somebody doesn't see things the same way we do or chooses to parent differently. I tell my girlfriends all the time, "You have to make the best choices for your family. That's what's most important." Each family is different and has different values and goals and just because something "fits" my family, doesn't mean it would "fit" Jessie's or vice versa.
All this to say, this is how we're rollin' around these parts right now, at this moment in time (and since this is my journal and record for my girls for the future, I feel it is important to record it). This is what works for us. Other families have routines that work for them and I think it's wonderful.
Ultimately, we all want the same thing, right? Happy, healthy, well-adjusted adults who are contributing members of society.
****************************
Sparklies:
1.
Remember that Elliston flour from a couple of posts back? Here are the biscuits that are made with it. YUM!
2. My off-set spatulas.
2. My off-set spatulas.
I do not claim to be at all talented when it comes to cake decorating, but things greatly improved for me when I stopped using a butter/table knife to frost cakes and invested in those two darlings on the right. If you don't have one, you might ought to consider getting one--it was truly life changing for me. :oP
3. Isaac is such a darling, easy-going baby. Thank goodness.
4. Ellie has become the most delight almost-four-year-old ever. I loved each of my girls at this age, but the truth is, Ellie is the eagerest to please and most willing to roll with things of my girls. We had a deadish battery at CW this morning and had to wait for a friend to arrive to give us a jump and both kids stayed buckled in their seats and waited. And waited. And waited and neither ever complained. It was rather amazing.
5. I see the sun! It's weak and fighting with the clouds, but it's there!
6.
3. Isaac is such a darling, easy-going baby. Thank goodness.
4. Ellie has become the most delight almost-four-year-old ever. I loved each of my girls at this age, but the truth is, Ellie is the eagerest to please and most willing to roll with things of my girls. We had a deadish battery at CW this morning and had to wait for a friend to arrive to give us a jump and both kids stayed buckled in their seats and waited. And waited. And waited and neither ever complained. It was rather amazing.
5. I see the sun! It's weak and fighting with the clouds, but it's there!
6.
I think the daffys may make it yet! :o) Of course, there is more vile weather forecast for next Tuesday, so we'll see...
No milestones.
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No milestones.
*****Comments have been disabled for this post.*****
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