Snow Day

Vader left the house at shortly before 5 am to go across the state for work. He won't return until late tomorrow night. He's the one who gets up with SkyWalker in the morning and gets him on the school bus at 6:50. Which meant I was going to have to do it this morning and tomorrow. But, luckily for us, we had a snow day. So instead of waiting for the bus at 6:50 I got to lay in bed awake wondering if Vader was in a ditch somewhere and if my dogs would EVER stop barking at the plow guy. I had contemplated getting up at 5 when I was wide awake, but I didn't and sure enough I fell back to sleep right around 6:30 and woke up at 6:45 when the dogs declared war on the plow guy (one of the best decisions we ever made was having someone plow our driveway. Totally worth the money.)

Everyone was excited that it was a snow day and happy to be together. I posted an article while we were all still in pajamas just after breakfast, we quickly got dressed and did math homework and the older two played a little and then we had lunch. Chewie slept okay, SkyWalker and the Princess played in his room and I had just enough time to run 3 miles and shower. Then I brought the laundry up there and without saying anything SkyWalker started to help me sort it and put his own clothes away. So the Princess put her clothes away--which fell short of making it into the dresser, so SkyWalker picked THOSE up and put them away too. Usually it takes me so long to put their stuff away because the three of them like to climb all over the clean clothes and me and cause a ruckus. But today it was done in no time. After that we made corn muffins and then we all went outside and played in the snow. They shoveled and fell down and jumped and I had to drag Chewie in crying. She would have stayed out much longer. We ate our corn muffins, had breakfast for dinner (french toast for them and an omelette for me), and then headed upstairs for bed.

It was an amazing day.

I take for granted, sometimes, how lucky I am that I have kids who get along so well with one another. SkyWalker has always played on the Princess's level, even when she was a baby, but now that she is older they've really become companions. It's so nice to see. They often giggle and laugh. I can leave them together to play outside in the snow and not worry. Not everyone can do that. I am so lucky that they are so good to each other.

But today was not all about luck. I worked hard when they were younger to set routines so that they have alone time and so do I. I remember when SkyWalker gave up his nap and I... just let him. It was so stupid of me, but he had been in daycare and now he was home and it was kind of nice having alone time with him while the Princess napped. It wasn't until I was pregnant with Chewie and couldn't physically keep up anymore that I started the Quiet Time Experiment--something that turned out to be a lifesaver. Because I enforced it with him, the Princess doesn't fight it. During the summer we had some struggles because they wanted to play together but they were too loud and would often wake Chewie. But now that SkyWalker is back at school the Princess has settled into her routine of being in her room quietly while Chewie is sleeping. Last week she played with her new doll house and then "got tired" and took a nap herself. On the weekends when Daddy is home I am not as vigilant about quiet time and it's okay. And on special days like today I let them play together and they are often so happy for the chance that it works out. And I am glad that Chewie sleeps in her crib giving me the freedom to run on the treadmill or take a shower or go out to the mailbox. I honestly do not know what I would do without that alone time. We're all so much better off because of it.

Today was one of those days when the little things clicked, like a sign saying "You did it right!" It's not often that one ever feels that way with parenting, so when it happens it's nice to have a record of it...

Two days? In a row?

That's not possible. We've had two really good days in a row. Shocking. Today was a stay home day, which can always go either way. Either I get a lot done, but the kids are whiny, or the kids are fine but I get nothing done. I think the difference today is that I've stopped trying to get A LOT done. Yesterday my goal was to get on the treadmill and I made it happen. Today my goal was to write an article. Since we were home I was able to get Chewie down for a morning nap. And because she woke up at 6:30 (she cooed in her crib for an hour until I got her at 7:30) she went down for that nap pretty easily. The Princess played with her lego people and entertained herself and I actually got an article written before 11 am! Madness! I played a game with the Princess, fed Chewie, we all had lunch, and then because I had gotten my one goal done, instead of putting the girls upstairs immediately after lunch so I could run around like a maniac, I took them outside and we enjoyed some "warm" spring-like weather. When we got back inside I got them down for naps. I only had a little bit of time before I needed to get SkyWalker, but it was okay. And once again, the Princess fell asleep after SkyWalker got home. And stayed asleep until almost 5:30! SkyWalker and I did some work on my next preschool playdate and did his homework and it was a relaxing afternoon. 

I always have such long lists of things I need to get done. There are the daily things like laundry and dishes and cooking and feeding children. But then I have other things I'm always working on--preschool playdates and articles and special projects. I try to get everything done at once and then I wind up getting stressed out because I haven't written anything or I have a flannelboard to cut out. I think focusing on getting just one thing done a day and accepting that the girls are going to nap later so I'm going to have to find other time to get that one thing done, will really help me in getting more done. 

Right now my goal is watching Lost in 7 minutes.

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Remarkable

I am up before the sun and all the children and dogs and husband are still sleeping and it is glorious. I was only tired for a few minutes and now I am awake and wondering why I couldn't drag my lazy butt out of bed for the last couple of weeks. We have had a rough patch-- Chewie has been eating like a fiend and SkyWalker spent a few days throwing up. And when you have 3 the odds of you being woken up in the middle of the night aren't 3 times as great it's a MILLION times as great. Throw in Scratchy the dog who likes to scratch his skin off or lick himself ad nauseum. Literally--he threw up this week too.

Yesterday was a remarkable day. 

We started with gymnastics in the morning in which the Princess wanted me to hold her the whole time and didn't warm up until half way through. It's always so embarrassing but I wonder if the moms with the kids who are doing stuff but just not what they are supposed to be doing are embarrassed too? Like if a kid is racing to jump on the trampoline instead of doing the bars like she's supposed to, is that Mom secretly thinking "if you're not going to do what you're told just do nothing like that little girl?" and I'm thinking "just do something instead of cling to me?" Perhaps we are all embarrassed of our children. Except the ones who do exactly what's asked of them. 

Anyway, we went to gymnastics and as expected Chewie only slept half an hour there. When we got home I was bursting, literally, to feed her, so I fed her at 10:45 instead of waiting until 11:30. The Princess and I had lunch and Chewie was clearly so tired that I put her down and she fell asleep at 12:30. I figured I was in for it since she would be waking up right when I have to get SkyWalker off the bus--provided she slept 2 hours which was no guarantee. The Princess went up at 1:30 and Chewie was still sleeping. Miraculous. The Princess fought her nap, getting up and playing with lotion and doing all sorts of things. I finally told her I didn't care if she slept but she had to stay in bed and have quiet time. I've been wondering what I'm going to do about quiet time for her if she starts giving up her nap and I think this is it. I'm going to make her have quiet time in her room when Chewie is sleeping. Real quiet time in her bed with just a book. Because guess what happened? She fell asleep around 2. Chewie was still sleeping which was simply amazing. I walked on the treadmill (I gave up couch to 5k. It just doesn't fit my life right now.) I got off the treadmill and both girls were sleeping and I didn't KNOW WHAT TO DO. It was crazy. I was so amazed that they were sleeping and I was alone that I kept checking the monitor and wasting time. I got some dishes done and Christmas presents wrapped. Chewie woke up right before I had to get SkyWalker off the bus but I couldn't get her. She never cried just woke up. And then put herself back to sleep! SkyWalker and I did his homework and the girls still slept. It was UNBELIEVABLE. I wasn't sure if I should wake Chewie since I did still need to feed her. She woke on her own at 3:30, as did the Princess--in a cheery mood, hugging her brother and acting like she hadn't seen him in weeks. 

It was truly remarkable. 

I have been up for an hour and the sun is still not up. This too is remarkable.

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Hermitude has its benefits

We've barely left the house at all this week since we've become victims to the kindergarten cold. It's actually worked out fantastically. I've defeated the 45 min napping demon in the house... on Monday I watched Chewie's cues closely, made sure she was well-fed and not overtired. I put her down and at 45 mins she started crying. I went upstairs and instead of picking her up I watched her. She had her eyes closed and was still sleeping! I continued to watch her and she went through a cycle of crying and not crying for the next 20 minutes. And that was it. She slept another hour and I woke her up! And after having a good first nap she continued to have good naps the rest of the day! Had I been unknowingly waking her up and disturbing her at the 45 min mark?? On Tuesday she let out one cry at 45 mins and that was it. Today she didn't even cry. She has been waking at night but I think that's from her cold and not from actually napping during the day. 

It's so exciting. I love when I figure out what's going on. I'm sure we'll have a different problem next week. But for today, I am excited. I'm also terrified of leaving the house on Friday for gymnastics! What if napping in her car seat and not her crib sets off the same 45 min pattern?? That would suck. But I don't want to be hermits forever. 

I've also gotten the Princess to nap with Chewie again. Still no 3 hour naps here, but I've been getting a good 1 1/2 hours of free time. I have not been running because I've been in observation mode with the naps and because I have a cold and I'm a big sissy. We'll see how leaving the house on Friday changes things... it may be that I will have to commit to 2 days at home each week so I can get good naps and run. And then do the 3rd day over the weekend. I hope to start up again next week. 

Once again I planned a huge post about parenting and what kind of parent I want--and don't want--to be (okay, aside, I have 30 mins before SkyWalker's bus. I just looked out the window and saw yellow and almost crapped myself and it was... a big yellow truck.), alas I am too tired and unmotivated for a huge blog post. 

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In case you are wondering

surgery still sucks. 

The Princess is recovering and jumping all around despite my admonitions but the part that sucks is her sleeping. She was doing SO well before surgery. She now screams and cries before every nap time and often falls asleep on the floor. I tried taking her outside this after lunch today to try to tire her out a little with a wagon ride. She has been screaming Mommy for almost 2 hours. I've gone up there once or twice and there is nothing wrong with her. She cries before bedtime every night too. Stands at the gate in her room and just screams. Vader goes up and puts her back in bed and she stays there. But she won't do the same for nap time. SkyWalker was in the toddler bed for about the same amount of time--a month--when he started screaming at the gate and falling asleep on the floor. But I think this has more to do with her damn surgery and the disruption to her routine.

So I repeat, surgery sucks.

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Naps

This preschool thing is killing me. 

I made lunch last night, we ate as soon as we got home, the Princess pooped, and then she went to nap. There is no reason why she should be screaming her head off just an hour later. This. Sucks. 

In addition to that, Vader thinks that if SkyWalker napped during the day he would sleep less deeply at night and then wake himself up when he needed to pee. I think he is wrong. Not only because I think SkyWalker is peeing when he is awake, but also because it's not like I can just flip a switch and make him nap. He's up in his bed right now crying and saying Mommy over and over again. (I put him up there after the Princess started her crying so he's not the one who woke her up.)

Rather than let me blather on about the screaming and crying in my house right now, please enjoy the following videos. They are too long, but I have adorable kids. 

Chairdancing

Shoes

And finally, for once, SkyWalker enjoys Happy Birthday!

Birthdaysong

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Open up and say Aaaahhhh

Unless of course you are my son.

The jedi went to the dentist this morning. I got my usual lecture about flossing my teeth and gave my usual response of "ehnhhhnn" because there was a water thingy in my mouth. I think the spin brush I got is working though because she said I was doing better with the plaque. Yay. The Princess was fascinated and sat in my lap and let them look in her mouth about as well as she lets me do it and that was just fine. She didn't enjoy it or cooperate but she didn't freak out.

Is it really any surprise who did?

Vader was with us so I thought things would go better than last time. Nope. He sat in my lap while the dentist tried to look at his teeth. The only way he saw them was while SkyWalker was screaming. Tears in his eyes. Then the hygienist tried to clean his teeth. She was a very nice pretty blond and he was a little distracted but not enough. He let her put some paste on one tooth and that was it. It was pretty embarrassing. We're going to try again in 6 months. Hopefully the Princess will be better by the time she is his age. Although if she keeps seeing him crying and screaming maybe she won't be!

We attempted to put the kitchen set together. We, meaning SkyWalker and I. They left out the instructions but luckily I am a child of the internet so I found them. Unfortunately the internet cannot produce the nuts and washers and screws that they also left out. SkyWalker was very disappointed, as was I, but secretly I would rather Vader do it anyway. I'm not so good with the following of directions and the putting together of things.

Five minutes before I had to leave for work SkyWalker decided to lock himself and his sister in my bedroom. He's been locking doors lately but he always unlocks them rather quickly. He did not do that tonight. Later he said that he was hiding on me. Vader came home to find me banging on the door. He finally unlocked it when he heard his Daddy's voice. We opened it, knocked down the Princess who had been standing on the other side of the door (oops) and Vader threw SkyWalker in time-out immediately. So I got to leave for work with the Princess crying, SkyWalker crying AND begging me to just stay home with him. Good times. Yes, I know some moms would be glad to leave the house but not me. Even in the middle of chaos and crying, I would rather be there to comfort them when it's over.

Tonight I get to clean the guest bathroom when I get home from work. I decided there was no sense in doing it before because SkyWalker would just pee all over the toilet again anyway. Actually since my playdate is at noon tomorrow (it's for babies) maybe I'll wait until tomorrow morning.

Last week the Princess was down to one nap. This week? Two. AND today she missed her morning nap because of the dentist so I thought I'd get a nice long one out of her. Nope. She slept an hour and a half and was cranky later on. I tried to put her back down at 3:30 but she pooped in her crib and then just didn't want to sleep. Of course she was rubbing her eyes at 5 when I was leaving. I guess she still does need her morning nap. Although the dentist did say that her molars are coming in, so it may not matter what I do, she'll still be a mess. She used to be so consistent--awake for 2 hours, nap, awake for 2 hours, nap. Now she's all over the place.

I am hoping that we get a call tomorrow from the couch place saying that our new couches are in and ready for deliver next week. The couch was out of stock and they were expecting a shipment on Friday. I'm also hoping that the wallpaper guy I've been playing phone tag with calls me tomorrow. Although the conservative side of me says that we should just do everything ourselves, there is a big part of me that wants this done now and not in 2 years. Which is how long it would take Vader to do anything.

It's been 6 months today since my FIL died. Time flies huh?

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Bedtime can't come fast enough

I have a million things on my to-do list today. I have already swept up Isaac's dead skin, so now I still need to do laundry. And then more laundry. And clean the pee off of the guest bathroom floor. And straighten up the kitchen. And pack. And drain the pool. 

The Princess is not cooperating. 

The past few days she has skipped her morning nap and taken a nice long 2 1/2 hour nap in the afternoon. Glorious. Not today, the day I need to get a million and one things done. She slept a tiny bit in the car this morning and I wonder if that has thrown her off. She only napped for about 45 minutes after lunch. I can't drain the pool with her at my side. And I don't want to let her crawl around outside since it just stopped raining. Which also means that there's more water in the pool for me to drain. Gah! 

Vader came home last night and looked at the pool. He's going to get some sand and help me set it up. In the meantime I need to drain it so it doesn't become a malaria breeding ground and get it back in the garage so it doesn't blow away. I'm not sure how I'm going to get that done today. 

In the loose thread section, I have stopped nursing the Princess. I made it to July and am very happy about that. July 1 was our last day. It was a little sad but I'm enjoying her 8 am wake ups. :-) (As long as big brother doesn't wake her up earlier by slamming the stair gate on his way to snuggle in bed with me).

SkyWalker is demanding that he be allowed to do his e-mail now. Let me leave you with this gem from my son after releasing gas from some part of his body: "People burp, fart, cough and say happy birthday to your HAIR! HAHAHA"

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My week

has actually been pretty damn good. Aside from some icky drama with Vader about going to North Carolina, this has been a great week. We had Bee and Boogie over for a playdate on Monday and the boys actually played *together* in the ball pit downstairs and got along well. SkyWalker hasn't been napping but he has been sleeping at night so I can't complain. The Princess is nursing better and has shocked the crap out of me by napping wonderfully! On Monday she took a good first nap, just over an hour, so I thought I was screwed. I put her down for her second nap and 30 mins in she started crying. But I was busy and irritated so I just let her cry. For all of 3-5 minutes and then she abruptly stopped, soothed herself and went back to sleep for another hour and a half! I went up there when I couldn't take it anymore. Same thing on Tuesday but just fussing no real crying. Yesterday she didn't even cry, just slept for 2 hours (after an hour and change in the morning). Today wasn't as good, but I'll take an hour and a half over the 45 minutes I was getting... she was a wee bit congested so maybe that's why she wasn't happy. It's amazing how a good nap for your kid can actually make YOU feel refreshed. It's too bad that SkyWalker won't nap anymore.

This crawling thing has actually helped a lot. I'd bet she's tiring herself out and that's why she's napping. But she's also keeping herself entertained in the living room so I can do dishes or cook and just peek in and make sure she's  not in trouble. SkyWalker is pretty good at watching her though.... the other day I paid him a dollar for a minute when I ran downstairs to the office and left them in the living room (the dogs were outside). The dogs have accepted the fact that she is now mobile and they have actually been retreating to the bedroom and napping ALL DAY. It's been so weird...so wonderfully weird.

She had grilled cheese for lunch yesterday and today and it was the greatest thing since... well... grilled cheese. I don't know how much past a year we'll be able to go with the nursing... she seems to LOVE her food so much. Who is this child?

SkyWalker has spent the last two days singing "This is the way to storytime... to storytime... to storytime." It is hilarious. He's also been singing This Old Man to himself. He's been very funny this week--the other day I said that Daddy was in the living room changing the princess's diaper and he didn't hear me say princess so he said "You're wrong Mommy." and told me what I just told him. Then I put his fork with his corn and his spoon with his chicken nuggets and he said "You're wrong Mommy!" Grrr... He's too young for that! But it's wicked funny.

And with that I am going to forage for a snack before I return to the outside working world.

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Progress

I've gotten up by 6 every day this week. I've managed to pump, eat, and shower before the 7 am wake up call. I've momentarily thought about exercising as well, but then laughed it off. I would love a treadmill. I think that's the only thing I could really do that early in the morning. There was a time when I used to get up at 5 and go to the gym. A long time ago...

SkyWalker is back to normal. Vader spent all day Sunday with us and then on Monday he played with SkyWalker ALL DAY while I cleaned the house. I think it's no coincidence that he's pooping like crazy again and telling me how happy he is. I understand that Vader needed to be with his parents, but he also has a tendency to stay late at work or go to work on the weekends. And doing BOTH pretty much left us all alone and SkyWalker must have felt it too. All day Monday he kept saying "You going to work? You staying home?!" to his Daddy.

My dishwasher is coming tomorrow. Yay! It was over $800. Boo!

The Princess took a lovely 2 hour nap this morning. She did wake up part way through and talked to herself but she never cried and went back to sleep. And then she took another nap in the afternoon for an hour and 40 minutes! So did SkyWalker! Unfortunately I was too busy getting ready for work to really enjoy it. But it was nice anyway.

The Princess is so close to crawling. She tries SO hard. She did make a couple of forward movements today instead of just going backwards, so I think she'll be there soon. SkyWalker did everything later, but quicker. He was 9 months when he sat up without support, but he went from that to crawling in  just a couple of weeks. The Princess has been earlier, sitting at  6 months, but slower. Of course when you have a big brother who runs to hand you toys... although he has told me not to pick her up when she's on her tummy because she "needs to figure out how to push herself up". Yes, that is what he said.

Which brings me to the latest edition of cute things he's saying: "figure out", "do me a favor," "what you thinking about?". The Princess has been saying: "Mom-mom" "ga-nu-na" and "wha??"

She's also been exploring my face a lot. She loves to stare at me with her face just inches from mine and "caress" my cheeks and stick her fingers in my mouth or up my nose. It is equally hilarious, sweet, and annoying.

I need me some snack foods in this office! Hear that people? Snack foods. Get on top of that will ya?

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Yawn

I think I mentioned the Princess was being weaned from her swaddle last week. After a week of 30-45 min naps I said "Screw that, yo" and promptly swaddled her back up and enjoyed 1 1/2 hour naps. I think the 2 hour naps of the past are gone just because she's older. Today did not go as well because... well... I overslept this morning. I started her out late and put her down for a nap at the same time and she is so clearly a textbook baby--if she needs 2 1/2 hours of activity time before a nap and she only gets 2 hours she will not nap longer than 45 mins. So then she was a mess the rest of the day. She's also becoming more aware of the world around her and waking when SkyWalker yells "Yes that's the cup I want" at the top of the stairs. SkyWalker has also not napped the last 2 days,  but he has stayed in his room and had "quiet-as quiet as he can be-time." The Princess is definitely getting older and sometimes I forget to stop and listen to her. She needs more awake time... but she also needs to be swaddled! She's moving SO much now that in the middle of her nap when she naturally stirs at the 45 min mark she wakes herself up and flips over and then she'll never fall back to sleep. She was in the pack n play before I left for work today and she was trying SO hard to get her little heiney in the air so she could crawl. She's been scooting backwards and sitting up (when I put her in that position) and playing with toys and just developing so much lately. I feel like I missed this stage with SkyWalker because I was at work. Sure I was home with him on the weekends, but weekends were full of laundry and chores and *stuff*. I love that I'm home now to witness all the firsts--to see her becoming this little person. And to see SkyWalker turning into a big talking boy who loves to be involved in anything even if it's cleaning the toilet.

Speaking of SkyWalker's talking... yesterday he was wearing just underwear and he pulls his pee-pee out of the side. He's ecstatic at the idea that he can have access without pulling down his underwear. Then he says that he's going to pee like that, like Daddy. Then he says "Daddy has a big pee-pee," shakes his head, "No, Daddy has a big penis." and I laughed and laughed and laughed. Which of course means that he will say it again, probably to his grandmother. Won't that be funny?

Bee and Boogie came for a playdate last week. She nicely ignored the fine layer of dust that covers everything in my house except for the children who move too much for it to settle on them... Boogie played SkyWalker's guitar and did really well and I had to laugh when his experience came from "Guitar Hero." He also recited his address and phone number. As paranoid as we are we have not taught SkyWalker this. He knows his town and state but that's it. We've been trying to rectify that this week. What have we taught him to say? "Bada bing bada boom" "Bababooey" "Prepare for the deluge" (I can't even explain that one).

It's a good thing I had a freezer full of milk... I am definitely pumping less than I used to. As I suspected when the Princess started cereal the stash has been reduced. I don't put anything new in anymore since it all goes to the cereal. So the freezer goes to her bottles when I'm at work. I think I'll be alright for another 6 months though. I think every breastfeeding mom just worries about supply.

Pumping break is over but I can't leave without the cat story... I looked out my back window today and saw something black in one of the trees. I thought it was a couple of birds or maybe a weird looking nest. I got out the binoculars and it was the pain in the ass cat who has been taunting my dogs! It was pretty high up. I kept watching it and waiting for nap time when I would do... I didn't know what. It was there for hours. It must have jumped from tree to tree and wound up on the other side of the yard, still in a tree. I brought the dogs out at naptime (so I can leave right when Vader gets home and not wait for him to take Isaac out like I used to) and the damn cat just walks right down the tree with no problem. I have no idea what it was doing up there for so long if it could get down or if it was just a coincidence that I brought the dogs out and it figured it out... It was the most exciting thing today. SkyWalker and I just watched it wondering what it would do. Good times. 

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