I had to take Bear to get some blood work done last week and I was feeling really proud of myself and the kids because they were both just sitting quietly in the waiting room. They waited quietly while the paperwork was done, they waited quietly while we had to go down the hall and sit in another waiting room. They were both playing with the little toys they had brought, and not getting into any trouble at all. The kindly looking older man sitting across from us kept smiling at them and Z kept smiling back. It was idyllic.
And then I got my fall.
All of the sudden Bear took it into his head to just bolt out the door and start running down the hallway to the right. Just as I went after him and managed to catch him I see Z bolt out the door start running to the left down the hallway I deposited it into the waiting room and ran after Z. As soon as I got Z back into the room, Bear bolted again once again to the right and Z bolted to the left. There I was, standing in the hallway, with a kid running in either direction not sure who I should grab first or what I should do. I finally went for the smallest one, because he's the slowest, scooped him up and then ran like the wind to grab the older one and drag him back to the waiting room. By the time they called Bear's name I was covered in sweat from my child wrangling. The older gentleman just smiled at me and chuckled a little bit as he said, "Wow, taking care of them is a full-time job isn't it?" I just smiled. "Yes, yes it is."
I dedicate this to everyone with more than two kids. You are my heroes.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Monday, January 16, 2017
We Survived the Holidays! Huzzah!
We ran the gauntlet and we emerged... victorious? Our holiday stats:
- Number of days away from home: 17
- Number of sleep situations: 6 (hotel, Grandparents B house, AirBNB, Grandparents Z house, back to the B house for one night, hotel, HOME)
- Number of family members seen: 12
- Number of friends seen: 0. Sorry people, I had such good intentions but I just couldn't make it happen.
- Number of Z meltdowns - too many to count but less than anticipated. He really only had one day that he was just not having it anymore and refused to leave the house without crying. He was basically saying, "I've put up with this nonsense for two weeks. Leave me alone. I will be playing with my dinosaurs when you're ready to either feed me or let me watch TV."
- Bear's feelings about the car started out okay but began to devolve to him literally yelling, "NO! NO CAR! NOOOO!"
Overall, a good time even though both of the kids had some major sleep struggles that we're still experiencing some aftershocks from. I'm so tired that it doesn't even register anymore. Give me all the coffee.
Some of my favorite highlights:
- Going to see the Christmas lights display at a botanical garden in NOVA. Z was obsessed with Christmas lights this year and this blew his mind. It was really impressive and I was really glad we got to go. The kids loved it!
- Getting to take the kids to the VT campus and Duck Pond.
- Dates with Joe while my parents watched the kids!
There were a lot of fun times. Z is finally old enough that he knows who his family are and gets really excited to see grandparents and uncles and aunts. He still got overwhelmed by presents at the first Christmas gathering, but at the second he not only opened his presents but everyone else's gifts as well (with their permission). Bear mostly enjoyed exploring a thousand new things and attempting to cut a path of destruction everywhere he went. Poor kid must have heard, "NO TOUCH!" a million times on this trip.
Bear is starting to talk so much, it's really amazing. He's not only typically developing, he's actually a bit advanced and has blown past two year old speech milestones, which is crazy for us since for Z every new word is a triumph. Bear is cutting his two year molars, which I'm guessing is the reason for his recent sleep woes. Ug. He's a little ham, always dancing around and making us laugh. Even though he keeps me on my toes, I am so thankful for the lightheartedness he brings to our family.
I had a bit of an epiphany about this during our trip. I have heard people say that they are stopping at one kid because #1 is so difficult that they can't handle another. I would definitely say that Z is a difficult kid. His communication delays and challenges combined with a very strong will make parenting him incredibly frustrating sometimes. He has volcanic tantrums and an intense desire to be in control of everything all the time. (Ex.: his latest thing is freaking out when I move the chairs away from the table to vacuum. He'll start crying and trying to drag them back to the table while keening, "OH NO! The table!! OH NO!!!") I'm glad that we went ahead and added Bear to the mix. He forces Z to adapt and makes everyone laugh.
Z, as always, has the highest highs and the lowest lows. I was really nervous about how he would do on this first trip sans diapers, especially during the long car rides, but he did wonderfully. He told us when he needed to use the bathroom, he didn't freak out about having to use a wide variety of bathrooms, I was really proud of him. He also handled all of the change and uncertainty during our trip much better than I had anticipated. He definitely had a few days that included huge meltdowns of epic proportions, but I was honestly expecting those daily, so I was pleasantly surprised. And, honestly, I felt like I hit a discipline wall and was able to climb over that sucker. He did very well at the Christmas Eve service, even though he was tired and it was a late night for him, and even participated in the kid's portion. Watching him delight in the candlelight portion of the service. be completely astounded by the lights at the botanical gardens, and have a ball swimming were the kinds of moments that I live for as a parents. His joy is so pure and abundant.
Here we are in the new year. Hi, 2017. I have to admit, this year was not at all what I had expected, nor really what I desired. Joe and I are still not feeling very settled here in Canton and we have been talking a lot about what we see in store for us next. However, in spite of the many disappointments of 2016, I emerge thankful for our numerous and abundant blessings: our sons, my partner, and the fact that our every need has been met and surpassed. Our home with the crooked floor is cozy and warm with a kind landlord. The unexpected move has given me precious time with my sons that I may not have had otherwise. We are blessed. Here's to new adventurous, new lessons, and new opportunities to be and raise the best humans we can possibly be. Cheers.
- Number of days away from home: 17
- Number of sleep situations: 6 (hotel, Grandparents B house, AirBNB, Grandparents Z house, back to the B house for one night, hotel, HOME)
- Number of family members seen: 12
- Number of friends seen: 0. Sorry people, I had such good intentions but I just couldn't make it happen.
- Number of Z meltdowns - too many to count but less than anticipated. He really only had one day that he was just not having it anymore and refused to leave the house without crying. He was basically saying, "I've put up with this nonsense for two weeks. Leave me alone. I will be playing with my dinosaurs when you're ready to either feed me or let me watch TV."
- Bear's feelings about the car started out okay but began to devolve to him literally yelling, "NO! NO CAR! NOOOO!"
Overall, a good time even though both of the kids had some major sleep struggles that we're still experiencing some aftershocks from. I'm so tired that it doesn't even register anymore. Give me all the coffee.
Some of my favorite highlights:
- Going to see the Christmas lights display at a botanical garden in NOVA. Z was obsessed with Christmas lights this year and this blew his mind. It was really impressive and I was really glad we got to go. The kids loved it!
- Getting to take the kids to the VT campus and Duck Pond.
- Dates with Joe while my parents watched the kids!
There were a lot of fun times. Z is finally old enough that he knows who his family are and gets really excited to see grandparents and uncles and aunts. He still got overwhelmed by presents at the first Christmas gathering, but at the second he not only opened his presents but everyone else's gifts as well (with their permission). Bear mostly enjoyed exploring a thousand new things and attempting to cut a path of destruction everywhere he went. Poor kid must have heard, "NO TOUCH!" a million times on this trip.
Bear is starting to talk so much, it's really amazing. He's not only typically developing, he's actually a bit advanced and has blown past two year old speech milestones, which is crazy for us since for Z every new word is a triumph. Bear is cutting his two year molars, which I'm guessing is the reason for his recent sleep woes. Ug. He's a little ham, always dancing around and making us laugh. Even though he keeps me on my toes, I am so thankful for the lightheartedness he brings to our family.
I had a bit of an epiphany about this during our trip. I have heard people say that they are stopping at one kid because #1 is so difficult that they can't handle another. I would definitely say that Z is a difficult kid. His communication delays and challenges combined with a very strong will make parenting him incredibly frustrating sometimes. He has volcanic tantrums and an intense desire to be in control of everything all the time. (Ex.: his latest thing is freaking out when I move the chairs away from the table to vacuum. He'll start crying and trying to drag them back to the table while keening, "OH NO! The table!! OH NO!!!") I'm glad that we went ahead and added Bear to the mix. He forces Z to adapt and makes everyone laugh.
Z, as always, has the highest highs and the lowest lows. I was really nervous about how he would do on this first trip sans diapers, especially during the long car rides, but he did wonderfully. He told us when he needed to use the bathroom, he didn't freak out about having to use a wide variety of bathrooms, I was really proud of him. He also handled all of the change and uncertainty during our trip much better than I had anticipated. He definitely had a few days that included huge meltdowns of epic proportions, but I was honestly expecting those daily, so I was pleasantly surprised. And, honestly, I felt like I hit a discipline wall and was able to climb over that sucker. He did very well at the Christmas Eve service, even though he was tired and it was a late night for him, and even participated in the kid's portion. Watching him delight in the candlelight portion of the service. be completely astounded by the lights at the botanical gardens, and have a ball swimming were the kinds of moments that I live for as a parents. His joy is so pure and abundant.
Here we are in the new year. Hi, 2017. I have to admit, this year was not at all what I had expected, nor really what I desired. Joe and I are still not feeling very settled here in Canton and we have been talking a lot about what we see in store for us next. However, in spite of the many disappointments of 2016, I emerge thankful for our numerous and abundant blessings: our sons, my partner, and the fact that our every need has been met and surpassed. Our home with the crooked floor is cozy and warm with a kind landlord. The unexpected move has given me precious time with my sons that I may not have had otherwise. We are blessed. Here's to new adventurous, new lessons, and new opportunities to be and raise the best humans we can possibly be. Cheers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)