1. I have had to stop and double check that it is in fact Tuesday like 27 times today. I am still not sure that it's Tuesday. I will probably discover it's not....actually in 55 minutes it won't be....well that is assuming it IS actually Tuesday right now.
2. This is the last week of Baseball....but also the first week of the very busiest month in all of time for this family.
3. I would say that I need to see June roll in pretty quick...but Gavin is scheduled for a tonsillectomy June 3rd and while I know he will do fine it is still surgery and just thinking about it makes my stomach in knots. And also June means Jakeb is officially done with elementary school...and that also knots my stomach a wee bit.
4. ALSO...because also is my favorite word...also Gavin turns SEVEN in like a day. And what how is he 7?! He is so excited to be 7 and I am so excited to be done with birthday's for a little while.
5. I am also excited to be done worrying that I forgot to send in some form or that the boys had a test we didn't study for AGAIN or a library book or lunch money I forgot or a ball game or SOMETHING...so yes summer please get here.
6. Just for the record we haven't forgotten a ball game and fortunately they are allowed to charge lunch sometimes.
7. BUT a big thing?! Nolan the great sleep issue baby is actually sleeping...still not thru the night BUT like going to sleep on his own in his own bed in his own room and not crying. Like a happy baby chatting to himself til he falls asleep sleeping...on.his.own. I am beside myself about this. We rock and we snuggle in the chair and he nurses a bit and then he gets all squirmy to get down so I put him in bed give kisses and cover him up and he just like goes to sleep. Like that's it. AMAZING.
8. I go Thursday for a tour and orientation of the middle school...nervous? Yes....but also trying to remember I survived middle school. In fact 6th and 7th grades were probably my better years now that I think about it. He will be fine.
9. Did I mention Nolan is going to sleep on.his.own now? I would miss snuggling with him if we didn't snuggle all the time and I would miss him sleeping with me if he didn't end up in our bed every night anyway....
10. Zachary really seems to be enjoying baseball and we are really enjoying watching him play and grow as a player. He's getting there!
11. Bailey has been a little off the last couple days. We are a little worried about him. :( He is fast approaching 13. Bay dog.
12. It's late and I am going to sleep now. And when I wake up it will be Wednesday...I think.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Tuesday twelve
1. I have a birthday soon....eek! And yay because I still love birthdays.
2. Zman gets his braces off soon...super stoked for him about that!
3. Jakeb is really jonesing for a cell phone...I am waffling on my no cell phone til your at least 13 stance. I am seeing more and more times when it would be a nice for him to have one. But still I need to see him balancing his electronic device use a bit better before I cave on that one.
4. I should probably work on balancing my electronic usage as well...if I am being honest. I kinda love my iPhone.
5. I finally finished the pillowcases I was making the boys for Valentines day....I could list a dozen excuses as to why they just got done. None matter...the boys love them.
6. Gavin turns 7 in just 2 short weeks. How did that time sneak up on me!?
7. I feel like I am managing household tasks a bit better these days...still haven't figured out how to email people back in a timely fashion. Baby steps right?
8. Downside to the lack of carpet downstairs? And old dog with gnarly toe nails that tick tick all over the floor. oy annoying.
9. I am trying to hold off on the a/c usage but tomorrow we may cave again with 80 degree temps.
10. I finally broke down and bought banister guard stuff for the upstairs. Nolan can fit his entire head/body thru the rails around the banisters upstairs...as in the ones that drop 20 feet into the foyer or onto the stairwell....the joy of dashing out into the hallway every few seconds when we are upstairs was getting to me. It's basically a giant piece of plexiglass type stuff...it's real fancy.
11. My friend Angela had her eensy weensy little guy last week @ 33 weeks. Super thrilled for her and her husband Nick and their little boy Sam. Baby Drew is doing wonderful!
12. Nolan is talking a lot more lately. His newest is attempting to say all of his brothers names...I haven't been able to figure out exactly how he is saying each one but he is definitely trying. And each one sounds different. He sure loves his big bros!
2. Zman gets his braces off soon...super stoked for him about that!
3. Jakeb is really jonesing for a cell phone...I am waffling on my no cell phone til your at least 13 stance. I am seeing more and more times when it would be a nice for him to have one. But still I need to see him balancing his electronic device use a bit better before I cave on that one.
4. I should probably work on balancing my electronic usage as well...if I am being honest. I kinda love my iPhone.
5. I finally finished the pillowcases I was making the boys for Valentines day....I could list a dozen excuses as to why they just got done. None matter...the boys love them.
6. Gavin turns 7 in just 2 short weeks. How did that time sneak up on me!?
7. I feel like I am managing household tasks a bit better these days...still haven't figured out how to email people back in a timely fashion. Baby steps right?
8. Downside to the lack of carpet downstairs? And old dog with gnarly toe nails that tick tick all over the floor. oy annoying.
9. I am trying to hold off on the a/c usage but tomorrow we may cave again with 80 degree temps.
10. I finally broke down and bought banister guard stuff for the upstairs. Nolan can fit his entire head/body thru the rails around the banisters upstairs...as in the ones that drop 20 feet into the foyer or onto the stairwell....the joy of dashing out into the hallway every few seconds when we are upstairs was getting to me. It's basically a giant piece of plexiglass type stuff...it's real fancy.
11. My friend Angela had her eensy weensy little guy last week @ 33 weeks. Super thrilled for her and her husband Nick and their little boy Sam. Baby Drew is doing wonderful!
12. Nolan is talking a lot more lately. His newest is attempting to say all of his brothers names...I haven't been able to figure out exactly how he is saying each one but he is definitely trying. And each one sounds different. He sure loves his big bros!
Monday, April 15, 2013
Spring!
So it's spring....and has been for a couple weeks now...for almost a month in fact. But outside it's very obviously spring. True to southern weather form we are being blessed with multiple perfect weather days and having a few cold ones tossed at us. I have been working on swapping clothes and packing clothes, passing clothes onto friends and goodwill and clothes, clothes, clothes! Anyone that knows me long knows that I tend to go a bit overboard on clothes....what!? You only have 7 pairs of shorts....crazy...let's go buy 245 more so you can't shut your drawers and I have mountains of laundry every week. So I am trying TRYING to keep it simple...but that's hard for me! So far so good....swapping clothes out for 6 people is a lot. Trying to store boxes of clothes for the next kiddo is also a lot because there are LOTS of boxes!
The leaves on the trees are green and our azaleas are blooming like crazy...the weeds in the back yard are trying to take over our house is covered in pollen because I just have to have the windows open...it's spring and we are loving it.
We had a home study visit this past week but don't anticipate being officially licensed til roughly June'ish. Which is GOOD....May is a crazy busy month and the older Nolan gets the better. We are slowly but surely working out his sleep issues. For the past week or so he has been sleeping in his twin bed in his room and doing awesome! In fact I have stopped laying with him to get him to sleep and now sit at the foot of his bed in the rocking chair until his falls asleep. My goal of having him weaned from nursing by 18 months is not going to happen but now that we aren't traveling out of the country the urgency with that is gone so I am not going to rush that along too much. I think however that weaning him at night may fix the night time waking but for now it's ok...most nights.
We are fast approaching the end of the school year which blows my mind! I am very much looking forward to summer and hopefully a beach vacation of some sort.
One of these days I will get pictures of the stairway remodel up...once I get the darn steps repainted that is...it will get done! Enjoy your spring day :)
The leaves on the trees are green and our azaleas are blooming like crazy...the weeds in the back yard are trying to take over our house is covered in pollen because I just have to have the windows open...it's spring and we are loving it.
We had a home study visit this past week but don't anticipate being officially licensed til roughly June'ish. Which is GOOD....May is a crazy busy month and the older Nolan gets the better. We are slowly but surely working out his sleep issues. For the past week or so he has been sleeping in his twin bed in his room and doing awesome! In fact I have stopped laying with him to get him to sleep and now sit at the foot of his bed in the rocking chair until his falls asleep. My goal of having him weaned from nursing by 18 months is not going to happen but now that we aren't traveling out of the country the urgency with that is gone so I am not going to rush that along too much. I think however that weaning him at night may fix the night time waking but for now it's ok...most nights.
We are fast approaching the end of the school year which blows my mind! I am very much looking forward to summer and hopefully a beach vacation of some sort.
One of these days I will get pictures of the stairway remodel up...once I get the darn steps repainted that is...it will get done! Enjoy your spring day :)
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Parenting...Just do it.
This morning I am sitting down to do something I rarely do and often advise against. I am looking up parenting advice. Not advice as a general "How to be a great parent" but the kind about a specific issue.
I am not really one for parenting books or parenting columns...I love a good funny real parenting blog or story. But those parenting books or articles or movies or what have you's that basically make you feel like a terrible parent? Me no likey. Because here's the thing with parenting...you just do it. And sure there are some people that really need a good book about positive parenting or not spanking or goodness probably more that need a good book about how to not ruin your kid with TOO MUCh positive parenting...because hello WORLD. Not so positive. Anyway...Parenting is hard and some advice and help is totally good and totally needed but most of the time you just need to go with your gut. It's there that spot in your head and heart telling you what to do....we just start over thinking it way too often or just ignoring it all together.
One thing I have learned over the course of my 11+ year parenting stint and also in my 32+ years of life...90% of the time everyone turns out ok despite it all. In fact it was just talked about in our foster care classes....these kids have been thru hell and yet are still amazing and resilient little people who just keep on truckin'. And they will...even if you lose your temper and yell or even if you never punish them for being mouthy or never punish them at all. If you spank them or don't spank them...they will be ok. Despite the research saying they will be in therapy or that their brain stress levels are slightly elevated--mine are often VERY elevated and thank you hectic childhood because now I handle it better than most...they will be OK. Because they just are...it's a catch 22 all day long. Too much "coddling" and they aren't ready for the world...too much discipline and they rebel. But basically you have to find what works and what you think works and hope for the best. Because now matter how you slice it and dice it that's just how it is. You could do it all perfect and by the book and then low and behold they get caught up with the wrong crowd at 16 and go downhill from there or they don't and wake up one day and decide they aren't down with you because they just aren't. So we do the best we can with what we know and also with what feels right for us. I read so many parenting articles by chance or by quick glance that are so judgy and don't do this and do that and it's so frustrating. The lack of just general every one do their thing and we get a long is so tough in the parenting world...the MOM world. Because hello Dad's do not have these issues...they are like oh dude it's cool whatevs. Because it is cool and whatevs...it just is.
Zachary and I are butting heads lately...something we will likely always do. We are a like that boy and I....stubborn, a little mischievous and devious, and a lot of heart. That and we like to argue...a lot...and lately with each other. So I am looking up some advice on dealing with a arguer (hello self..don't argue...duh) and a know it all and a middle kid. *I* not being a middle kid don't know the issues the middle kid feels. I was an oldest and a demanding little booger at that...I may or may not still be a demanding booger but that's not the issue. So we try to be aware and fair and all that jazz but juggling it all is just hard. One needs this and the other needs that and oh my goodness this one needs something completely different. SO yes, Zachary needs some special love and special attention to know that he is just that...special. Because he is and maybe we aren't telling him enough. But maybe we are he just isn't hearing and we need to be louder...cool I am good with being louder. We will keep in truckin' and do what we do to make it work and hope in the end we are happy and all talk to each other. Relationships FTW!
I am not really one for parenting books or parenting columns...I love a good funny real parenting blog or story. But those parenting books or articles or movies or what have you's that basically make you feel like a terrible parent? Me no likey. Because here's the thing with parenting...you just do it. And sure there are some people that really need a good book about positive parenting or not spanking or goodness probably more that need a good book about how to not ruin your kid with TOO MUCh positive parenting...because hello WORLD. Not so positive. Anyway...Parenting is hard and some advice and help is totally good and totally needed but most of the time you just need to go with your gut. It's there that spot in your head and heart telling you what to do....we just start over thinking it way too often or just ignoring it all together.
One thing I have learned over the course of my 11+ year parenting stint and also in my 32+ years of life...90% of the time everyone turns out ok despite it all. In fact it was just talked about in our foster care classes....these kids have been thru hell and yet are still amazing and resilient little people who just keep on truckin'. And they will...even if you lose your temper and yell or even if you never punish them for being mouthy or never punish them at all. If you spank them or don't spank them...they will be ok. Despite the research saying they will be in therapy or that their brain stress levels are slightly elevated--mine are often VERY elevated and thank you hectic childhood because now I handle it better than most...they will be OK. Because they just are...it's a catch 22 all day long. Too much "coddling" and they aren't ready for the world...too much discipline and they rebel. But basically you have to find what works and what you think works and hope for the best. Because now matter how you slice it and dice it that's just how it is. You could do it all perfect and by the book and then low and behold they get caught up with the wrong crowd at 16 and go downhill from there or they don't and wake up one day and decide they aren't down with you because they just aren't. So we do the best we can with what we know and also with what feels right for us. I read so many parenting articles by chance or by quick glance that are so judgy and don't do this and do that and it's so frustrating. The lack of just general every one do their thing and we get a long is so tough in the parenting world...the MOM world. Because hello Dad's do not have these issues...they are like oh dude it's cool whatevs. Because it is cool and whatevs...it just is.
Zachary and I are butting heads lately...something we will likely always do. We are a like that boy and I....stubborn, a little mischievous and devious, and a lot of heart. That and we like to argue...a lot...and lately with each other. So I am looking up some advice on dealing with a arguer (hello self..don't argue...duh) and a know it all and a middle kid. *I* not being a middle kid don't know the issues the middle kid feels. I was an oldest and a demanding little booger at that...I may or may not still be a demanding booger but that's not the issue. So we try to be aware and fair and all that jazz but juggling it all is just hard. One needs this and the other needs that and oh my goodness this one needs something completely different. SO yes, Zachary needs some special love and special attention to know that he is just that...special. Because he is and maybe we aren't telling him enough. But maybe we are he just isn't hearing and we need to be louder...cool I am good with being louder. We will keep in truckin' and do what we do to make it work and hope in the end we are happy and all talk to each other. Relationships FTW!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Tuesday Twelve.
1. I haven't been here much lately....4 kids, busy-ness...same ole' song and dance of excuses. Basically Life.
2. Warmer weather is slowly creeping in and we are very much welcoming it.
3. We are 1 month away from Gavin's 7 birthday. And he has lost 4 teeth and is mighty proud of it...when I want to take a picture of him he stops and says "wait my teeth" and smiles trying to proudly show off his lack of teeth.
4. We had a good Easter weekend...nothing exciting, some yard work, house work and just hanging out.
5. We are into baseball full force...Zachary and Gavin have games tonight. We are enjoying it all very much.
6. Jakeb starts swimming at the end of the month. Looking forward to that as well!
7. Also how is the school year fast approaching the end?!
8. We finished up our foster care classes last week...now we wait for home visits and our home study to be written. We "should" be licensed in a couple months and will just be waiting for a call.
9. We will accept kids under age 3...up to 2 at a time and would like to eventually adopt but haven't put ourselves down as "adopt only". We will see...nervous about the kiddo's leaving and how we will all deal with that but we won't know until we try. That's the motto right now.
10. Nolan is napping in the twin bed in his room...he hasn't slept in his crib in over a month. For whatever reason a couple months ago he started flipping out whenever I tried to put him in the crib so he's been sleeping in our bed both for naps and at night. I set up a twin bed in his room and finally put him down in it TODAY for nap. I have been nervous to because he naps so well in our bed and I just don't want to mess up something that has taken so long to get to! The crib has been moved to the "new kids room"
11. I need to go get sheets on the big boys beds before Nolan wakes up...I also should attempt a shower really quick but we will see what I can squeeze in. Nap time is always a race against the clock!
12. Off to make beds!
2. Warmer weather is slowly creeping in and we are very much welcoming it.
3. We are 1 month away from Gavin's 7 birthday. And he has lost 4 teeth and is mighty proud of it...when I want to take a picture of him he stops and says "wait my teeth" and smiles trying to proudly show off his lack of teeth.
4. We had a good Easter weekend...nothing exciting, some yard work, house work and just hanging out.
5. We are into baseball full force...Zachary and Gavin have games tonight. We are enjoying it all very much.
6. Jakeb starts swimming at the end of the month. Looking forward to that as well!
7. Also how is the school year fast approaching the end?!
8. We finished up our foster care classes last week...now we wait for home visits and our home study to be written. We "should" be licensed in a couple months and will just be waiting for a call.
9. We will accept kids under age 3...up to 2 at a time and would like to eventually adopt but haven't put ourselves down as "adopt only". We will see...nervous about the kiddo's leaving and how we will all deal with that but we won't know until we try. That's the motto right now.
10. Nolan is napping in the twin bed in his room...he hasn't slept in his crib in over a month. For whatever reason a couple months ago he started flipping out whenever I tried to put him in the crib so he's been sleeping in our bed both for naps and at night. I set up a twin bed in his room and finally put him down in it TODAY for nap. I have been nervous to because he naps so well in our bed and I just don't want to mess up something that has taken so long to get to! The crib has been moved to the "new kids room"
11. I need to go get sheets on the big boys beds before Nolan wakes up...I also should attempt a shower really quick but we will see what I can squeeze in. Nap time is always a race against the clock!
12. Off to make beds!
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