We’ve had a bird in our attic. I don’t really know if you can call it an attic, it’s more of a crawl space padded with insulation. But there has been a bird up there for a few days now, and he has been VERY unhappy about it. He sits on the hatch to the attic and yells. He wakes my children. He almost makes me want to go up there and get him out myself. Almost.
Yesterday morning I was out on a date with Grace and Chad sent me a text saying the bird was sitting on the … Read the rest
It’s no secret that I struggle with Eli and his outbursts towards his sisters. One day last week when I was in carpool line, I pulled up to find him standing right next to the teacher. Uh-oh. She informs me that he punched Grace. Again. So they get in the car and he immediately asks me what his consequence will be. I told him I didn’t know yet. He asked if it would be the Wii. I decided no, because we have a deal. If he gets a green (in our day it would be like not getting your … Read the rest
Or at least fake it til you make it, right moms?
This is who I’m trying to be while parenting… calm and confident. You want to throw a fit about the fact that it’s time to do homework? Awesome. You are free to do so in your room. I will not be joining you in your fit. I am calm and confident. No, you may not stomp on every stair along the way. No, you may not grunt like an animal along the way. No, you may not punch the wall along the way. Downstairs we are calm. We are … Read the rest
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| Ada – 17 months |
Ada: Look at my scrape.
Me: Ouch! That’s a big scrape! Did you cry?
Ada: Not at all.
Me: Wow, you’re a pretty tough girl.
Ada: Yeah, I’m almost as tough as you.
Ada: Grace, don’t talk to me, you’re making my head dizzy.
She had just woken up from a car-nap.
Ada: Daddy, I’m going to give you one of my bestest hugs.
Chad: Oh, that was a good one!
Ada: Yeah, that was all squishy!
Ada: Mom, feel my head.
Me: Nope, no fever.… Read the rest
Ada: I wish these geese would poop in their own place. Where nobody is. Like the forest.
Agreed.
I sent the kids to their rooms to clean, and said in 30 minutes if they weren’t making progress I would start taking toys away.
Grace: (sobbing) I can’t do it with this time pressure! I just can’t do it!
Eli: Mom, I’m doing a good job listening. I’m working really hard, and I’m only playing a little bit.
Ada: I’m not tattling. I’m not!
Me: Yes, you are.
Ada: That’s true.
Ada: Daddy, … Read the rest
Chad is an incredible husband. When he gets home from work, he changes his clothes then immediately jumps into family mode. He does homework with the kids, or helps with supper, or does dishes – whatever needs to be done. My teammate is home, and we are fully functioning. THIS is what I have needed for a long time, and THIS is one way he shows his love for me day after day. I needed to know we were a team, and that I didn’t have to bear this burden alone. Then something terrible happened…. my needs changed.
I hate … Read the rest
Eli has been in three different soccer programs over the past couple years, and they’ve all been learning experiences for us to say the least. Our exposure to soccer parents has been… interesting. As Eli gets older, we notice more and more the varying ability from one boy to the next. The atmosphere at the 4-6 year old game was much different than at the 6-8 year old game. At this morning’s game, Chad and I were discussing how important it is to remember that Eli is only six. He’s SIX. He needs a lot of grace at soccer practices … Read the rest
Me: Ada, aren’t you cold?
Grace: You mean ORANGE you cold?!?
Me: This Hello Kitty Journal is scented.
Chad: Does it smell like dirty cats?
Me: Strawberries.
Eli working outside with Grandpa, using hedge trimmers
Eli: This is more fun than I thought!!
Chad: Maybe someday you’ll be an author.
Grace: Or maybe even a writer.
Ada: Is that the church where… ABCDEFG, HIJKLMNOP…
Me: I don’t know anyone as stubborn as Ada.
Chad: Really? You don’t know anyone?
Chad helping Ada finish her prayer…
Chad: Thank … Read the rest
Allow me to paint you a little picture… my three darling children are happy, healthy, playing in the living room at my parents’ house. Grace is 2 1/2, Eli is 1 1/2, and Ada is three months old. I am in the kitchen pacing, moving my hands back and forth uncontrollably, having a panic attack, unable to deal with the magnitude of raising these three darling children who depend on me for every single need in their lives. This is the moment when I thought, “Hmm… I wonder if this is postpartum depression?” So I made a few calls, someone … Read the rest