Tuesday, November 30, 2010
High School Diets
This afternoon I had to run to the bank and it just so happened that the time that I was leaving for the bank was the same time as many of the local high schoolers were returning to school with their lunches in hand. Here in Littleton the high school campuses are open, unlike in San Diego. So as I was driving by the high school I saw many kids walking back to the campus with their hands full of their lunches. As I was driving I was in awe at what they were eating... I saw kids with Starbucks, donuts, McDonald's, Wendy's, large bags of chips oh and to top it all off cigarettes. Granted I am not condemning them for what they are eating as I was just as guilty, my high school menu consisted of breakfast of a bear claw at the local donut store, a bag of either purple or blue skittles for lunch and after school I would have a large plate of nachos and occasionally I would eat dinner. The one thing that struck me as I was watching the parade of poor eating habits, was I am amazed that kids actually grow up and are somewhat healthy... look at me, I am not four hundred pounds, and I choose to eat my veggies and fruits - it took living through the high school years to get me to this point, perhaps! Regardless of how we raise our kids they will get to high school and will eat crap! Even though in our house our boys rarely have sweets and usually eat fruit for snacks I know that there will come a time that they too will eat donuts for lunch and nachos for dinner - I guess until that happens hopefully I have filled their stomachs with enough "good" food that the "bad" food will just wash through them.
Monday, November 29, 2010
28 Years Old
Yep, that's right - I am now 28 years old. For my birthday I did nothing... and I loved it! I woke up later that usual because my boys let me sleep in. Zeke made me a noodle necklace that I wore all day. Ki had speech therapy. While Ki had ST Michael took Zeke to the mall to look at puppies and get me a little treat. When they got back we all shared me Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory caramel apple dipped in Oreo crumbs. Then the boys played outside while I sat and ate a quiet leftover lunch. Then the boys and I curled up on my bed read a few books and then took a huge nap. After nap we snuggled on the couch and watched movies. Yep - that is how a mommy brings in her 28th birthday. I feel silly telling people that ask how my birthday was, because I simply did the normal things in my daily life but just did then one year older... the nap being the highlight of my day. So here is to being twenty eight years old - cheers and snooze!
Friday, November 26, 2010
Words
This past week has been full of little word mile stones for Ki. Within the last week he has been a lot more vocal and has been making word noises that are understandable to myself and Michael. With in the last two days he has managed to say a few words and each time he says them I feel tears fill my eyes. The words themselves are not a huge deal, but the simple fact that my little Ki guy who is 19 months is now making noise and vocalizing words that I understand makes my mommy heart jump. Ki has just about mastered the words "Let go" which are very powerful words, he has used them in context correctly and when he says it he does so with an authority that makes me smile. Just today he said apple and turkey... not big deals but not only did I understand him but Michael did as well. He has also begun calling himself "Ki guy" which is really cute because he saw his reflection in the mirror and said his name. Another neat one for Michael was this afternoon I was taking Ki up stairs to get his diaper changed and Ki yelled out "Hi da-da" as we passed him. Little by little Ki is getting there and it is such a neat blessing to see. My baby is growing up and becoming his own little person and now with words it makes it all the more real!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Thankful
In this season of Thanksgiving I have found myself in a place of being totally thankful for my friends. In the two plus years that Michael and I have been living here in Colorado I have made some awesome friends. Without these people I am not sure I could have survived here. Colorado, not being my home state... no friends or family here, made the move a huge impossibility in my mind. God being the author of all things good has shown me that I am right where He wants me. The reason I know this truth in the bottom of my soul is because of the blessings that He has given to me in this season.
When Michael and I moved to Colorado in July of 2008 I came kicking and fighting. I felt like I was being taken from everything that was good and right to move to a foreign place and sequestered to a life of lonely motherhood. So not the truth! Within the last year I have made some awesome friends, through connections Michael had here with his friends from years past, through MOPS, through church and through playgroups. It took me stepping out of my comfort zone and putting myself out there, but it has truly paid off. After the first few months of living here in Colorado I realized that with Michael's crazy work schedule and my life surrounded around Zeke I needed to get out and meet other women. My conversations had to consist of more than, "No" Don't touch", with Zeke and I had to have my needs met because I was miserable. I joined MOPS as well as Mother's & More knowing that friends were not going to be knocking on my door to find me, so I was on the search for them.
A year of getting out paid off, this summer I felt like I had finally made connections. I have been blessed with a few women that I feel like I could call up and share my frustrations with and they totally get me. I have been blessed by the outpouring of donations for my boys in the clothing department. I have been blessed by a few women that I know are praying for me and are there to receive a text or a call of a needed prayer.
God truly is good! This year's MOPS theme is "Even there" taken from Psalm 139 and that rings so true in my heart. Even when I thought that the move to Colorado would destroy me, it has been the opposite. I have been more blessed than I could imagine. I have grown closer to my husband, blessed with two boys and one more to come, and blown away by the women that God has brought into my life... some for a short season and some for a lifetime.
When Michael and I moved to Colorado in July of 2008 I came kicking and fighting. I felt like I was being taken from everything that was good and right to move to a foreign place and sequestered to a life of lonely motherhood. So not the truth! Within the last year I have made some awesome friends, through connections Michael had here with his friends from years past, through MOPS, through church and through playgroups. It took me stepping out of my comfort zone and putting myself out there, but it has truly paid off. After the first few months of living here in Colorado I realized that with Michael's crazy work schedule and my life surrounded around Zeke I needed to get out and meet other women. My conversations had to consist of more than, "No" Don't touch", with Zeke and I had to have my needs met because I was miserable. I joined MOPS as well as Mother's & More knowing that friends were not going to be knocking on my door to find me, so I was on the search for them.
A year of getting out paid off, this summer I felt like I had finally made connections. I have been blessed with a few women that I feel like I could call up and share my frustrations with and they totally get me. I have been blessed by the outpouring of donations for my boys in the clothing department. I have been blessed by a few women that I know are praying for me and are there to receive a text or a call of a needed prayer.
God truly is good! This year's MOPS theme is "Even there" taken from Psalm 139 and that rings so true in my heart. Even when I thought that the move to Colorado would destroy me, it has been the opposite. I have been more blessed than I could imagine. I have grown closer to my husband, blessed with two boys and one more to come, and blown away by the women that God has brought into my life... some for a short season and some for a lifetime.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Score!
Two very cool things have just happened...
About a month ago my car was having battery troubles (don't know if you remember) I spent a few hours at the dealership getting it fixed. Thankfully it was under warranty so it was fixed free of charge to us, good thing too because the total bill was $210. Yesterday I went and checked the mail and there was a check from the dealership for $100 for our troubles in dealing with the recall. Michael said that I could have the money for my troubles of sitting in the dealership for a few hours during nap time with the boys. SCORE!
Last week I got a letter in the mail from Kaiser (the insurance that covers the boys) for a referral for Ki. The letter did not say what the referral was for. The letter got shuffled under another pile of papers and I didn't pay any attention to it. Today I was cleaning up a little and re-found the letter. I made a call to Kaiser to see what the letter was for and come to find out, Ki has been approved for Speech Therapy through insurance. So not only was Ki accepted for speech therapy through Child Find/Early Intervention but our insurance has said they too will pay for a therapist for him. I am so excited about this, my hope is that between the two therapists that we might be able to get Ki on track and therefore eliminating his need to attend a public preschool. SCORE!
About a month ago my car was having battery troubles (don't know if you remember) I spent a few hours at the dealership getting it fixed. Thankfully it was under warranty so it was fixed free of charge to us, good thing too because the total bill was $210. Yesterday I went and checked the mail and there was a check from the dealership for $100 for our troubles in dealing with the recall. Michael said that I could have the money for my troubles of sitting in the dealership for a few hours during nap time with the boys. SCORE!
Last week I got a letter in the mail from Kaiser (the insurance that covers the boys) for a referral for Ki. The letter did not say what the referral was for. The letter got shuffled under another pile of papers and I didn't pay any attention to it. Today I was cleaning up a little and re-found the letter. I made a call to Kaiser to see what the letter was for and come to find out, Ki has been approved for Speech Therapy through insurance. So not only was Ki accepted for speech therapy through Child Find/Early Intervention but our insurance has said they too will pay for a therapist for him. I am so excited about this, my hope is that between the two therapists that we might be able to get Ki on track and therefore eliminating his need to attend a public preschool. SCORE!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Discombobulated
I am not sure if discombobulated is a word or not but that is how I have been feeling lately. I think between the hormones and the early day darkness I have not been quite the same. Last week was the roughest, I felt like everything was out of whack and I could just not get myself normal. One thing that stuck with me from last week was something that a lady said at Bible study... live a life with zero expectations so that you don't spend your time being constantly disappointed. Being the person that I am that really rocked my world.
So Friday I thought I would give it a try. Friday was mine and Michael's anniversary and I had earlier in the week asked Michael if we could make plans to go out and spend some time together without the boys and he simply said no. I was super bummed about it and spend most of the week feeling bad for myself. With the comment that was made on Thursday at Bible study I tried to put on my big girl panties and get over it. Friday the boys and I spent the day as usual. When the boys napped that day I chose not to nap and take a shower and try and make the best of my time by myself. Once the boys woke up from their naps we had to leave so that I could make a chiropractic appointment. I got myself snapped, crackled and popped and then headed home to make dinner for the family on what I had hoped would be a special night out just me and my husband of four years. Upon my arrival home I see that Michael was home already and as I walk in the door I see Michael standing in the kitchen dressed nicely (differing from his usual night time attire of jammies) making dinner. He looks at me and tells me to go upstairs and get ready because the baby sitter would be there in a few minutes. As it turned out Michael had gotten a sitter for the boys and planned on taking me out to dinner. We had a very nice night, just the two of us at dinner (although the whole Friday night dinner thing was so foreign to us that we drove around for a while trying to find a place with a wait shorter than an hour).
Zero expectations I guess is something that maybe I should live by a little more often! My Saturday was spent with Ki in the emergency room. Sunday was spent recovering from Saturday. Monday was spent trying to clean up from the weekend. Finally Tuesday was one of those days where life seemed to have righted itself. The boys and I headed to a local park and we played for a few hours. We fed ducks, rode bikes, played on the playground and just had a great day. At one point as I sat on the grass watching Zeke and Ki play on the playground I was blessed to have the movements of number three to feel. This is a huge thing, because here I am 25 weeks along and have barely felt the movements of this little guy. So to sit at the park and watch Zeke and Ki and feel number three moving inside me made me feel like one of the most blessed ever.
So here I am nearing the end of another week and although I am still a little more weepy than I would like to admit I know that things are working out well and that life is not spinning out of control. So here is to another week down and another week on the horizon!
So Friday I thought I would give it a try. Friday was mine and Michael's anniversary and I had earlier in the week asked Michael if we could make plans to go out and spend some time together without the boys and he simply said no. I was super bummed about it and spend most of the week feeling bad for myself. With the comment that was made on Thursday at Bible study I tried to put on my big girl panties and get over it. Friday the boys and I spent the day as usual. When the boys napped that day I chose not to nap and take a shower and try and make the best of my time by myself. Once the boys woke up from their naps we had to leave so that I could make a chiropractic appointment. I got myself snapped, crackled and popped and then headed home to make dinner for the family on what I had hoped would be a special night out just me and my husband of four years. Upon my arrival home I see that Michael was home already and as I walk in the door I see Michael standing in the kitchen dressed nicely (differing from his usual night time attire of jammies) making dinner. He looks at me and tells me to go upstairs and get ready because the baby sitter would be there in a few minutes. As it turned out Michael had gotten a sitter for the boys and planned on taking me out to dinner. We had a very nice night, just the two of us at dinner (although the whole Friday night dinner thing was so foreign to us that we drove around for a while trying to find a place with a wait shorter than an hour).
Zero expectations I guess is something that maybe I should live by a little more often! My Saturday was spent with Ki in the emergency room. Sunday was spent recovering from Saturday. Monday was spent trying to clean up from the weekend. Finally Tuesday was one of those days where life seemed to have righted itself. The boys and I headed to a local park and we played for a few hours. We fed ducks, rode bikes, played on the playground and just had a great day. At one point as I sat on the grass watching Zeke and Ki play on the playground I was blessed to have the movements of number three to feel. This is a huge thing, because here I am 25 weeks along and have barely felt the movements of this little guy. So to sit at the park and watch Zeke and Ki and feel number three moving inside me made me feel like one of the most blessed ever.
So here I am nearing the end of another week and although I am still a little more weepy than I would like to admit I know that things are working out well and that life is not spinning out of control. So here is to another week down and another week on the horizon!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
How to, follow up...
One thing I love about the internet is having everything right at my finger tips... the one thing that I do not like is that everything is right at my finger tips and I am not sure of the validity of the information. So this is what I have found but then again I wish I knew if the information is the best out there and if it is tested and true...
How to
The last few days have been full of times that I have said to myself... "I wish I knew how to..." Thus that brings me to this post. Maybe you have some of the answers!
How to I clean my washing machine without using bleach? I have been trying to rid my house of bleach products and now need to know how to do that. I have heard of vinegar... but the amount and such still somewhat eludes me being that I have a front loading machine.
How do I strip my cloth diapers? After a horrible diaper rash phase with Ki I have completely put the cloth diapers on the shelf and am using disposables. Ki's little bottom erupts into a horrible red bumped up rash which leads to bleeding. After some researching I am realized that maybe I need to "strip" my cloth diapers. Hoping that stripping will help with the diaper rashes, the lack of absorbency and the ammonia smell that occurs after he urinates.
How do I clean my dryer? Yeah I know cleaning the lint trap with warm soapy water but how do I clean the inside of my dryer? (This has come about as a result of needing to strip my diapers... I was told that if I use fabric softeners for my other clothes that maybe the wax in my dryer is building up on my cloth diapers causing the previously mentioned issues.) I read somewhere that using heavy duty aluminum balled up will clean up the inside of the dryer from the waxy build up as well as I can use it on a regular basis to help rid my clothes of static cling... replacing the need to dryer sheets (granted that is going to take away the smell factor that drives my need to use liquid fabric softener and dryer sheets - not sure if I am ready for that one!).
How do I get those metal stretches off my white sink? Whenever I wash my cookie sheets they scratch my sink and leave a metal gray smear on it... I have tried scrubbing it but it just does not give.
I have looked things up on the internet but some of the stuff I am not sure if I want to be the first to try it and take the chance of ruining my household items!
How to I clean my washing machine without using bleach? I have been trying to rid my house of bleach products and now need to know how to do that. I have heard of vinegar... but the amount and such still somewhat eludes me being that I have a front loading machine.
How do I strip my cloth diapers? After a horrible diaper rash phase with Ki I have completely put the cloth diapers on the shelf and am using disposables. Ki's little bottom erupts into a horrible red bumped up rash which leads to bleeding. After some researching I am realized that maybe I need to "strip" my cloth diapers. Hoping that stripping will help with the diaper rashes, the lack of absorbency and the ammonia smell that occurs after he urinates.
How do I clean my dryer? Yeah I know cleaning the lint trap with warm soapy water but how do I clean the inside of my dryer? (This has come about as a result of needing to strip my diapers... I was told that if I use fabric softeners for my other clothes that maybe the wax in my dryer is building up on my cloth diapers causing the previously mentioned issues.) I read somewhere that using heavy duty aluminum balled up will clean up the inside of the dryer from the waxy build up as well as I can use it on a regular basis to help rid my clothes of static cling... replacing the need to dryer sheets (granted that is going to take away the smell factor that drives my need to use liquid fabric softener and dryer sheets - not sure if I am ready for that one!).
How do I get those metal stretches off my white sink? Whenever I wash my cookie sheets they scratch my sink and leave a metal gray smear on it... I have tried scrubbing it but it just does not give.
I have looked things up on the internet but some of the stuff I am not sure if I want to be the first to try it and take the chance of ruining my household items!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Wednesday's Mind Wonderings
Some thoughts that have been running through my mind today...
Why when I begin thinking about getting my hair cut do I begin having good hair days? Very frustrating! The last time my hair was cut was for my sister's wedding in December. It is in need of some grooming but I am afraid that someone will not know what they are doing and I will end up with a hack job.
My computer has been running really slow and so it led to this thought: If one year equals seven in dog years what is it for computers? I am thinking that it must be about the same! My computer will be four years old this Christmas but it sure acts a heck of a lot older.
I have been feeling the "pressure" to make Christmas cards. I know that must sound absurd and it probably is, but the thought will not leave me alone. I keep hoping that if I don't mind that little voice inside of me that time will pass and so will the thought!
So many of my friends have been making quilts and cute little sewn gifts and the more and more I see of their creations I am feeling the creative itch myself. I think the bottom line is I am in need of some creative outlet and I have not given myself the time or money for it - I am afraid if I keep ignoring it I will loose all sense of creativity that I know is inside of me... somewhere.
Today I had my 24 week doctor appointment and I asked about what a tubal would look like, as far as time for the actual surgery, recovery and such. This has been something that has been weighing on my mind for a while now and I am glad to finally have some answers. Twenty four hours post delivery I will be taken to OR for a surgery that will last no longer than an hour and I will most likely be put under for the surgery. My actual hospital stay will be a day longer and my recovery time will be one week. Not bad - but more than I was thinking... so I will spend the next fourteen weeks wrapping my head around that.
Last week was Ki's first speech therapy and today was his second. I am enjoying seeing my little man make some big strides toward a language world. This past week we have been working on the sign for "more" and he did a good job implementing that today. This week we are going to work on the signs for "help" and "open" as well as continue with "more". One thing the SLP said today is how amazed she is with Ki's ability to stick to a task and see it through. I simply laughed and said that is one task that he has inherited from both sides and it is also something that can be rather frustrating at times!
In the last two weeks I have become very lazy on making dinners... there are a few reasons playing in that - the first being that by the time dinner comes around I am not hungry and therefore the thought of cooking is draining to me as well as recently Ki has decided that he does not like dinner. Regardless of what I make it is a battle to get him to eat at dinner time. The battle begins with the first bite and by the time I get a handful of bites in him he has decided to vomit up whatever he has eaten. The first two times this happened I thought maybe he was feeling ill but since it has become almost a nightly routine I have realized that he just could care less for dinner. It is hard for me to recover from his vomiting to try and enjoy my meal which usually means that I spend my dinner time cleaning up the mess and getting him showered. So dinners are at this current time on hold in the Kulow house.
Well I think that just about covers all the mind wonderings for this Wednesday. Michael so graciously took Zeke with him this afternoon so that Ki could have his speech without any distractions which means that all I have in the house right now is a sleeping Ki... so I think I might go and try to join him for a little shut eye.
Why when I begin thinking about getting my hair cut do I begin having good hair days? Very frustrating! The last time my hair was cut was for my sister's wedding in December. It is in need of some grooming but I am afraid that someone will not know what they are doing and I will end up with a hack job.
My computer has been running really slow and so it led to this thought: If one year equals seven in dog years what is it for computers? I am thinking that it must be about the same! My computer will be four years old this Christmas but it sure acts a heck of a lot older.
I have been feeling the "pressure" to make Christmas cards. I know that must sound absurd and it probably is, but the thought will not leave me alone. I keep hoping that if I don't mind that little voice inside of me that time will pass and so will the thought!
So many of my friends have been making quilts and cute little sewn gifts and the more and more I see of their creations I am feeling the creative itch myself. I think the bottom line is I am in need of some creative outlet and I have not given myself the time or money for it - I am afraid if I keep ignoring it I will loose all sense of creativity that I know is inside of me... somewhere.
Today I had my 24 week doctor appointment and I asked about what a tubal would look like, as far as time for the actual surgery, recovery and such. This has been something that has been weighing on my mind for a while now and I am glad to finally have some answers. Twenty four hours post delivery I will be taken to OR for a surgery that will last no longer than an hour and I will most likely be put under for the surgery. My actual hospital stay will be a day longer and my recovery time will be one week. Not bad - but more than I was thinking... so I will spend the next fourteen weeks wrapping my head around that.
Last week was Ki's first speech therapy and today was his second. I am enjoying seeing my little man make some big strides toward a language world. This past week we have been working on the sign for "more" and he did a good job implementing that today. This week we are going to work on the signs for "help" and "open" as well as continue with "more". One thing the SLP said today is how amazed she is with Ki's ability to stick to a task and see it through. I simply laughed and said that is one task that he has inherited from both sides and it is also something that can be rather frustrating at times!
In the last two weeks I have become very lazy on making dinners... there are a few reasons playing in that - the first being that by the time dinner comes around I am not hungry and therefore the thought of cooking is draining to me as well as recently Ki has decided that he does not like dinner. Regardless of what I make it is a battle to get him to eat at dinner time. The battle begins with the first bite and by the time I get a handful of bites in him he has decided to vomit up whatever he has eaten. The first two times this happened I thought maybe he was feeling ill but since it has become almost a nightly routine I have realized that he just could care less for dinner. It is hard for me to recover from his vomiting to try and enjoy my meal which usually means that I spend my dinner time cleaning up the mess and getting him showered. So dinners are at this current time on hold in the Kulow house.
Well I think that just about covers all the mind wonderings for this Wednesday. Michael so graciously took Zeke with him this afternoon so that Ki could have his speech without any distractions which means that all I have in the house right now is a sleeping Ki... so I think I might go and try to join him for a little shut eye.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Feeling Blessed
Today was one of those days that I have been hit with how truly blessed I am! I love my life, my husband and my boys. I am married to a man that over our nearly four years of marriage has become my best friend. I have two wonderful boys, they know how to push me to the edge of insanity and then between their smiles and hugs remind me of why I love being a mom. I have the best job in the world, all because my husband works so hard to allow me this wonderful job. I have the awesome privilege to be a part of a great church with a group of women that truly have become my friends at a time when I thought I was all alone. We live in a nice home in a great neighborhood with good neighbors. Honestly what more could a woman ask for? Granted I know that my wish list of things grows on a regular basis but for today I will relish in the peace and gratefulness that I am feeling.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Convicted of Family Time
Today at MOPS one of the speakers was talking about a typical family week. After hearing what he had to say I found myself being very convicted. I realized that I am not taking full advantage of of week with my boys.
Philippians 2:12 "For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."
Deuteronomy 6:7 "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."
Psalm 78:5 "The Lord commanded our forefathers to teach their children the law, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children."
Now the question is what am I going to do with the information that I have been given. To be honest I am not sure, I pray that I begin making strides to bring about changes in the time that we as a family devote to spiritual things. I know the tools are out there for me so it is now a matter of me taking them, implementing them and then continuing to use them even when life gets busy and other things crowd my 168 hours a week.
There are 168 Hours in a week
A typical child watches 28 hours of television in a week
(My boys only watch maybe 6 hours a week)
A typical child is in school for 40 hours a week
(Zeke is in school for 5 hours a week)
A typical child plays with his/her friends 25 hours a week
(We are less at this point due to age, but if I count play groups, MOPS and Bible Study days we are at 8 hours a week)
A typical child (age 1-12) sleep about 77 hours a week
(My boys get about 80 hours a week of sleep, that is between naps and night time)
A church service lasts 1.5 hours
What are we as parents doing about our children's spiritual development with those remaining hours? Dropping them off at church once a week for 1.5 hours is not going to cut it.
A sickening statistic that of the children that grew up in the church (going on a weekly basis) once they have the choice to come or not 85% choose not.
Pretty startling numbers I thought, so I took some time this evening to actually look up the statistics and I found the same numbers that the guy quoted.
Here are some of the verses that the Family Time guy quoted:
Philippians 2:12 "For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."
Deuteronomy 6:7 "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."
Psalm 78:5 "The Lord commanded our forefathers to teach their children the law, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children."
Now the question is what am I going to do with the information that I have been given. To be honest I am not sure, I pray that I begin making strides to bring about changes in the time that we as a family devote to spiritual things. I know the tools are out there for me so it is now a matter of me taking them, implementing them and then continuing to use them even when life gets busy and other things crowd my 168 hours a week.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Schedule
Not that this is going to come as much as a surprise for anyone that knows me but I am a schedule person! I cannot function if my schedule is not fulfilled and in the manner in which I pre-planned it. So needless to say when things are off I find myself being very grumpy. I am not a minute by minute scheduler but I do have my morning routines and I have my afternoon routines followed by my night time routines. If one of those does not go as planned then I am off kilter.
My mornings are usually spent doing a variety of things, the contents of that time frame from wake up until noon varies from day to day. Around noon the house starts to calm down, lunch is made and eaten and then the boys and I head to my room for bathroom/diaper changes and then lay down for book time followed by nap time. The amount of time for any given nap day can range from an hour to three. The remaining of the afternoon is spent with the boys playing around the house (backyard, basement, or front living room) and I am usually getting emails done and preparing for dinner. It is my every day aim to have dinner ready between 5:30 and 6pm and we all sit down as a family for dinner. Dinner time is used for Michael and I try to catch up on our days and then talk with the boys about their days. After dinner is done I clean up the kitchen. Once dinner is cleaned up from (usually around 7pm) I take the boys upstairs and get them showered. From post shower time the boys play quietly while Michael finishes his daily paper and emails in his office and I get the house tidied up from the day. We will either all sit down as a family and watch some television or send the boys to bed and Michael and I will watch some of our recorded shows. And then the day begins all over again the next morning.
Predictable... yes, but I like it that way. It allows me some control over my life with two very rambunctious boys - I feel like there is something that I can always hold to. Having such a predictable day also helps me cope when Michael has to leave for work for a few days. Knowing that everything will still run... with or with out him gives me comfort as well.
Now with all of that said - on days that my boys buck my comfort schedule and think they run the house I find myself banging my head against the wall, I feel out of control and like they have taken hold of my helm! Today is one of those days!
Everything was fine until the decided that they were not going to nap. Granted everything was off a little to start off with... I had to run the rent check to the property managers office so our time that we would have been laying down post lunch was spent in the car. I thought that would still be fine, they could fall asleep in the car and then I would move them into the house post the drive - Um no! We got back from our drive and they were wound up. I took the upstairs to try and regain the control of our afternoon and it was lost. Five books read and twenty minutes of laying there trying to get them to go to sleep ended in me getting frustrated and calling it quits. I think in my admitting defeat in the nap portion of our day has given them the chance to run me ragged. I think they (both of them are in on it) realize that they got the best of me earlier and they are seeking to get the best of me for the remainder of the afternoon. I know that once Michael gets home he will make a comment about my lack of control on them and I can sense tears will be closely follow a possible comment - so let's hope that something changes in the next hour or two for me emotional well being. I am off to try and regain control... I am mom hear me roar (unfortunately our neighbors have been hearing my roars since two this afternoon!).
My mornings are usually spent doing a variety of things, the contents of that time frame from wake up until noon varies from day to day. Around noon the house starts to calm down, lunch is made and eaten and then the boys and I head to my room for bathroom/diaper changes and then lay down for book time followed by nap time. The amount of time for any given nap day can range from an hour to three. The remaining of the afternoon is spent with the boys playing around the house (backyard, basement, or front living room) and I am usually getting emails done and preparing for dinner. It is my every day aim to have dinner ready between 5:30 and 6pm and we all sit down as a family for dinner. Dinner time is used for Michael and I try to catch up on our days and then talk with the boys about their days. After dinner is done I clean up the kitchen. Once dinner is cleaned up from (usually around 7pm) I take the boys upstairs and get them showered. From post shower time the boys play quietly while Michael finishes his daily paper and emails in his office and I get the house tidied up from the day. We will either all sit down as a family and watch some television or send the boys to bed and Michael and I will watch some of our recorded shows. And then the day begins all over again the next morning.
Predictable... yes, but I like it that way. It allows me some control over my life with two very rambunctious boys - I feel like there is something that I can always hold to. Having such a predictable day also helps me cope when Michael has to leave for work for a few days. Knowing that everything will still run... with or with out him gives me comfort as well.
Now with all of that said - on days that my boys buck my comfort schedule and think they run the house I find myself banging my head against the wall, I feel out of control and like they have taken hold of my helm! Today is one of those days!
Everything was fine until the decided that they were not going to nap. Granted everything was off a little to start off with... I had to run the rent check to the property managers office so our time that we would have been laying down post lunch was spent in the car. I thought that would still be fine, they could fall asleep in the car and then I would move them into the house post the drive - Um no! We got back from our drive and they were wound up. I took the upstairs to try and regain the control of our afternoon and it was lost. Five books read and twenty minutes of laying there trying to get them to go to sleep ended in me getting frustrated and calling it quits. I think in my admitting defeat in the nap portion of our day has given them the chance to run me ragged. I think they (both of them are in on it) realize that they got the best of me earlier and they are seeking to get the best of me for the remainder of the afternoon. I know that once Michael gets home he will make a comment about my lack of control on them and I can sense tears will be closely follow a possible comment - so let's hope that something changes in the next hour or two for me emotional well being. I am off to try and regain control... I am mom hear me roar (unfortunately our neighbors have been hearing my roars since two this afternoon!).
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