Ups and Downs...

I think that grandparents have selective memories. I can't believe that I was a perfectly well behaved 3 year old all the time. Not with the stories I've repeatedly heard about myself. Sometimes I will vent about M's behavior to my mom and she says "He's three." Well, DUH, I know that. I don't expect him to be perfect all of the time, but I do expect him to listen to me and be good MOST of the time. I think lowering your expectations and standards with behavior only leads to one thing -- worse behavior because there's nothing to reign them in.

I was talking to her the other day on the phone while I was filling the tub for him and was telling her about him having a COMPLETE meltdown leaving the park, dumping (not spilling) his milk all over the kitchen table, turning the sprinkler on FULL blast in the back yard, running down the sidewalk from dh (thinking it was a fun game) -- all that day. Oh -- I forgot -- that was also the day that he asked for a drink of water while I was making dinner (fish). I filled up his glass at the sink and when I turned around, he had the trash can lid open, a horribly pained look on his face, and was spitting something weird looking into the trash. When I was filling up his water glass, my child had reached up on the counter and taken a bite of RAW TILAPIA!!!! Are you kidding me?? In the 3-4 min. I was on the phone with my mom and filling the tub and gathering his pj's, he managed to turn on the tub in MY bathroom full blast, climb on his sister's crib, and pull the "screeching streaker" move. Gee -- wonder why I was frustrated with him that day?

I don't want to make him sound like a brat -- he's not. He's a really good boy, but that day is a good example of a day where they ONLY times he'd do what he was told were when we'd raise our voices or take toys away from him for the day. That makes me sad because those are the days where I feel like all I do is say "No", "Quit it", "Please stop", "Put that down", "Get back here", "Calm down", "Get off of there", "Don't touch that", etc. It's exhausting and just doesn't feel good in general.

What's the alternative? Let him go, touch, play with, climb on, throw, eat whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and for however long he wants. I don't think so.

Most days are NOT like that, but the days that are give me grey hairs and it seems like he just laughs all day long because he's just getting a kick out of pushing Mommy's buttons or something.

Okay -- as I type this -- he took a break from dancing with The Wiggles to come over and tell me "Mommy, I love you. Let's have hugs." **melt** See, not all days are like that! (Thankfully, or I'd be writing this on a coconut shell from Hawaii.)

Playing Catch Up...

My brother had to have emergency surgery to remove his appendix on Sunday and ended up having some more trouble after they released him from the hospital Monday night. He got readmitted on Tuesday, so all day Tues/Tues night/Wed I was over at their house helping watch my 2 nephews. I'm pooped and am so happy to have been able to help them, but now I'm swamped in at home. Laundry is piled up, housework is everywhere, phone calls and emails to be returned, etc. And where am I? Escaping it all --- hee hee.

Ugh -- back to the mountain of neverending "to do's".

Oh, Mitchell has a program at preschool tonight -- I hope he actually sings and doesn't pull the shy act on me. :)

Just curious...

If you actually read this thing, would you just post in the comments of this little one for me? I usually feel like I'm talking to myself and I only know of two people that have told me they read it -- Hi, Kim & Amanda! :) Other than that, I think it's like self-therapy or something. Hee hee.

Thanks! Just curious to see who all is keeping up with this. (Watch -- it will give me stage fright and I will come down with Bloggers Block or something.)

Happy Tuesday! Off to eat an Easter egg.

Easter weekend...

was INSANE. Seriously, I feel like all we did was drive, eat and change clothes. Over and over. And over and over.

Friday night we colored eggs, but Chris was so tired that he wasn't into it at all. Not that I think he would have been anyway - -but he and Georgia (sleeping on his chest) just kind of sat there waiting for us to be done so we could go to bed. Mitchell had a great time and asked to "cook" some more. That's all that matters, right? They did come out pretty good, actually.

Saturday we had my nephew's 3rd bday party way across town at 10:30. It was fun -- at the fire station and then the rec center -- but kid bday parties are always just loud and crazy. My parents kept Mitchell from there and we took Georgia to Barnes and Noble with us to shop for an anniversary gift for our friends. Came home, freshened up, fed her and out the door again we went. Got home a little after 9.

Up at 6 to get ready for 9:30 church. Had to pick my grandma up on the way -- met my parents and Mitchell there. Georgia and I had to cut out after communion (and I had to cut in line -- good thing my dad was an usher) because I was about 2 minutes away from running around with a wet shirt.Then we piled in the car, drove back across town for brunch at my IL's. We got there at about 11:30 and stayed until about 3. Georgia screamed the whole way home which means my shirt (through the pads and all) was soaked by the time we got back. She had pooped in the car and was just really mad and VERY pissed. So, we changed both of our clothes, and Mitchell's shirt -- he had chocolate on it. Pile back in the car and drive back across town to my mom and dad's for dinner. My brother ended up getting really sick and my sister in law had to take him to the ER in the middle of dinner. Turns out he had appendicitis and had emergency surgery to remove his appendix last night. Scary!!

I'm just totally wiped out today. I missed doing Easter Bunny stuff -- all because we were running around trying to make everyone else's day. Well, next year -- it's going to be less US rushing and more US relaxing. I think it just gets to be way too much. I am sure there will be some toes stepped on and feelings hurt when we don't see absolutely everyone but you know -- people need to understand what we go through with all of this. I felt exhausted and cranky at the end of the day -- so did Chris and the kids definitely did too.

I think the worst part is that I wasn't able to focus on the real meaning of it because we were so busy rushing around all day. Next year will be different -- I can't do that again. Can't wait for Mother's Day. Sigh.

Remember Ziggy?

The cartoon guy. I always remember the little guy sitting at his desk at work, buried under an overflowing inbox and a puny little pile of stuff he managed to get into his outbox.

I feel like Ziggy.

Between laundry, cleaning the house, feeding Georgia, potty training with Mitchell, cooking and dishes, pumping milk, cleaning that/bottles, and getting the three of us cleaned up and bathed every day -- I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle.

As soon as I clean something, all I have to do is turn around or blink and it's nasty again. I just did a mountain of laundry last week and I already have 3 loads waiting on me again. The floors are disgusting. I need to vacuum. Again. I still have to figure out when I can clean up Georgia's closet and our closet. Forget about some serious cleaning -- I'm convinced it's just NOT going to happen.

I'm sure this is how I'll feel till the end of having kids at home -- so maybe I should be thankful that this is the situation. It means I have a family to love and keep up with and that the house isn't going anywhere. I can take messy, I just can't take filthy. I guess I'll live with clutter and fight the dirt. My kids and my husband are more important -- I'm sure I'll get over it, it just feels overwhelming most days.

I'm torn about whether a bigger house would make it worse or better -- more house to clean, but more space to put stuff. That feels like half our problem -- no room for anything. Anyway -- that was my thought for the day.

Potty training...

is NOT my favorite thing in the world. I think it's just so frustrating. Not for him, but for us. We know he can do it, he just doesn't care.

I've also found that potty training is something that is REALLY hard not to feel that tug of peer pressure/wanting to keep up with other kids thing for me as a mom. I just feel like he's the LAST one potty trained out of all of our friends with kids his age and some kids have been diaper free for a year now! (Holy cow -- that's a lot of extra money!!) I also don't think it helps now that we have two in diapers -- extra frustration with trash, cost, actually changing them, etc.

I'm afraid to jinx myself but I think we might be close to turning a corner. The other night after his bath I had Mitchell all wrapped up in his towel and we were singing songs. All of a sudden he stands up and says "Mommy, I think I want an Elmo sticker." (He can pick a sticker if he pees in the potty. We have a little chart on the wall next to the toilet.) I said "Well, that means you have to sit on the potty and go pee." He says "Okay!" and jumps right on up there. Boom! Instant pee in the potty.

I about fell over. And cried. I was SOOOO proud of him!! I mean -- to not pee in the tub, to not get up there when prompted but to have this all be his idea because he felt like he had to go -- that was AMAZING. He's almost 3 and a half and he's NEVER sat on the potty on his own. Ever. It was really cool!! I made a HUGE deal out of it, we went downstairs so he could brag to Georgia and Daddy and he got his "pee pee chocolate".

The next morning I asked if he wanted to go pee on the potty and he said "Sure." His pull up was dry from overnight (this is the part where we know he can do it) and he hopped up there and boom! Instant pee in the potty again. He also went another time yesterday!

I think we might have BIG issues transitioning to other potties, but we'll just get him successful where he's at first and then branch out. I got a new video and two new books at the library for him this morning. We'll see if he cares about those.

Wish us luck!!! I'm SO ready for this to be done and I'm hoping he's one of those kids I keep hearing about. You know the ones that train themselves in a week when they decide they want to do it. That would be fantastic. And unbelievable. :)