Big Girl Bed...

So we got a free twin mattress through the hub's second (actually, third) job. So very suddenly (last night) she went from her crib to a twin mattress on the floor. We were somewhat concerned about how it would go. Well, let me report that it's going AWESOME!

Last night we kept them up a bit to help her be tired and hopefully not fight the bed too much. She got up once and went to the door. (Where Mr. Cop Moose came out and told on her.) Then she cried out maybe 3 other times after that, but from her bed. Usually, her pacifier was missing.  She woke up once or twice last night. I can't remember. But was easily put back to sleep.

For today's nap, she didn't even get out of bed once! It was so awesome! And when she woke up, she just got up and opened the door herself. It was so sweet! I praised her a ton and gave her a candy for sleeping like such a big girl.

Tonight I was out while the hubs put the kids down. He kept them up again, hoping to tire her out and facilitate going to bed. Apparently, she didn't get out of bed once. I can't wait to check on her and see exactly where on that mattress she is. :)

Soo happy to have such a great 4 1/2 year old who's such a good example to his little sister. This transition is (so far) going SO much easier than I thought it would. When we brought the mattress into their room (the crib was already re-assembled in my bedroom) she ran into her room and got on it, super excited. I asked her if it was her new bed and she said, "Uh huh."

Love it. :)

Threats...

Lately Monkey has been quite the stinker about going to bed. She now refuses to be put to bed by the hubs if I'm at home. And most recently she throws a fit whenever we close the door. Last night she was being a real tough cookie, and I was bothered. She eventually quieted down, but it was such a fuss. Today's naptime looked like she was trying the same tactic, and I had had it. So I went to her and said that if she didn't cut it out, I would take away her pacifier. That did the trick. I did it again tonight, and she didn't throw a single fit. Yay for that. We'll see how long it lasts. (And no, it's not an empty threat. I would take it away.)

We got out Christmas decorations today. Me and Moose put them out. We're doing the tree tomorrow. Which, by the way, we have a fake tree that we've had for a few years now. Great for apartments. But Moose went Christmas treeing with the fam and he picked out a perfect little tree for the kids room. He told my mother in law that it was the perfect tree. Too cute. So we're going to set it up in their room and let the kids put paper chains, strung popcorn, and painted styrofoam balls all over it. So long as they don't beat on it, it can stay in there. The hubs was actually for the idea, so I jumped on board. I think it'll be adorable. I guess we'll have to get them some lights too. I think Moose will just love it.

We're completely covered in snow here. It really makes it feel Christmasy. I'm actually really excited about all the countdowns we'll have going on. We have at least 2 advent calendars here at the house we'll be doing. Too fun. I just love how infectious the spirit of Christmas is! (Moose makes it even more so!)

Gold Digger...

As I was reading Monkey's book for bed tonight, she randomly put her finger in her nose. Not entirely unusual. When I told her not to do it and helped to take it out, she revealed one big booger sitting on the end of her finger. Based on her reaction, I think the discovery was entirely accidental, though she was quite intrigued with it while we waited for Moose to quickly grab us a tissue. (I refused to move, keeping my hand on hers so that boogie didn't end up somewhere other than in the tissue.)  Oh the joys of storytime with little kids. :)

Happy Thanksgiving...

A wonderful Thanksgiving to everyone! Today was a very laid back and relaxed Thanksgiving, and it was wonderful. I spent the morning with my two adorable kiddos playing with each other, happily, for such a long time while I made rolls. Then they took wonderful naps while me and the hubs got the rest of our food contributions ready and cleaned up. We had a fantastic meal with family (who also happen to be friends!) and just had a great time.  What an amazing way to spend a day.

Today I am amazingly thankful for my kids, the one who inspire me every day, and led me to write this little blog of ditties every day. (Well, mostly every day.)  I am supremely thankful for my husband. He cooks, he cleans, he gives unselfishly every day. He's my daily battery that keeps me going and is constantly reminding me why I do what I do, and that I'm actually good at it.  I am thankful for my family, all the crazy siblings I grew up with, my parents, my new family and their kids. I have been so blessed with family that a day can't go by that I don't think of it.  I have so many wonderful people in my life, many who read this little blog. As we've moved around many times in our 6 1/2 years together, we've been able to have a new family everywhere we go. It's been such a pick-me-up. I have so much to be thankful for everyday, and I truly do my best to remember. But on a day like this, you just have to say these things out loud. (Or well, publicly.)

I hope everyone was able to remember one good thing today, one blessing. Sometimes I feel so spoiled, because I have enough to share multiple times over. Hopefully my little thoughts are one way I can do that. I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving, and a huge *thank you* to everyone who reads my little thoughts on motherhood and life.

Snow Day...

Today was a good old snow day. We had tons of snow yesterday and last night, and it was uber cold today. Even I got a bit stir crazy, wanting to go out, but knowing the cold would stop the kids from enjoying the snow play. But fortunately the hubs won't be working a full day tomorrow, since he's not in school, so we might be able to  make a go of snow play, even though it's supposed to be even colder tomorrow than it was today.

I'm still working on Project 2, and started Project 3, which is for Moose. It's a little bag for him to carry his scriptures to church. It's pretty darn cute. It's the most simple project I'm doing for Christmas, so I thought I'd do it early on, to help me get my sewing mojo.
We still don't have a name for Baby 3. We recently looked at our family trees to try and find some fun and interesting names. There are a few. But mostly I've been pretty uninspired. I know it's going to be the same as last time, and it will hit us in one day and we'll get our creative flow and pick the first and middle name in one sitting.  I just don't have a list of girl's names in the back of my mind. If we were having a girl, the first name would be chosen. I've thought about using it for a girl's name (it's one of those that goes either way) but I think I'm going to wait and save it for a boy. I'm pretty sure we'll have at least one more baby, and it could be a boy. That's years away, but I really had my mind set on using the name for a boy.

Any name suggestions? We like traditional names that might be out of use. We dig scriptural names, or names with cool meanings. But we really have no clue what direction we're going in. We will certainly take any suggestions we can get. :)

Thanskgiving is coming. Hope you all enjoy the day with people you care about. We're having a huge gathering. It might hamper my posting over the next 2-3 days. But I will certainly have things to talk about, with around 20+ people coming for dinner. Should be interesting...

:)

Banshee...

Today was my day one for getting Christmas Projects done. I did pretty good. Although the project I worked on was actually not Christmas related. But I bought the rest of my pillow cover fabric at the same time, so I got it done first. Although I am starting to work on a cross-stitch project tonight, that is Christmas related, which I'll probably work on a bit every night.

Today was a super stormy snowy day. Moose was rather bummed out that we couldn't go play in the snow. It was just so darn windy, it would've been pretty miserable. Especially for little Monkey who is still so new to snow, since she doesn't remember her first winter in it.

So, Monkey might be unofficially named Banshee if I have anything to say about it.  Yesterday night she was sitting and playing with a toy. She was having a hard time with something and got frustrated, and so she dropped what was in her hands and screamed as loud as she could. It was really funny at the time because you could tell it was born of pure frustration, though I made myself keep a straight face, not wanting to encourage that type of screaming.

But she seemed to like something about it, because everytime she got frustrated today, or maybe even just for no real reason, she let out a scream that I associate with horror movies. She spent a large portion of the morning in time out. This is one of those things that was only cute the first time. Not a single time after.

And I can only imagine what our neighbors must be thinking. :)

Deep Fat Fryer...

So today was a pretty ordinary Sunday for us. The most unusual and exciting thing that happened was we inherited a bunch of kitchen appliances and tools from the hub's Grandma. Among those appliances is a deep fat fryer. I've been wanting one of these for a while now. I'm not a big fried food eater, but I have come across a number of recipes that use fryers. The foods on the menu tonight both happened to be things that could be fried. (Chicken strips and french fries.) I wasn't going to be frying them, since I wasn't anticipating having one, but we got one, so I fried!

So for dinner, we ate McDonald's at home. I thought it was super good. The hubs did too. The kids ate okay. Monkey doesn't eat that stuff very well anyhow. Moose liked my french fries. We also borrowed an apple peeler-corer-slicer and they did up a bunch of apples at the table. Moose absolutely loved doing this. It was better than playing at the park. He happily rinsed off apples, and then was able to turn the crank and eat his delicious creations. It was ultimately a super fun dinner. Most unexpected and wonderful.

That was the most exciting thing that happened today. We're currently dehydrating the apples that weren't eaten at dinner. (Another acquisition from Grandma.) Hope they turn out. We'll be snacking dried apples for the next few days.

Can't wait to see Grandma in a few days and tell her what an exciting dinner we had thanks to her! :)

Christmas Shopping...

So the hubs and I did a bunch of Christmas shopping yesterday. (Half of which is now wrapped.) This evening after he got home from work, I went off on my own to JoAnns to pick up materials for the homemade projects I have in mind. I was actually able to stay in budget (Yay!) and I'm super excited. Most of them are really easy, so they shouldn't take too long. I can't wait.

Moose saw the wrapped presents when he got up from his nap. He wanted to know who they were for and which were his. He's so excited. As we said good night he asked me when the new month would begin. I told him not until after Thanksgiving. Then he got excited and said something about, "That's when Christmas comes!" It's so cute.

I'm pretty eager for Thanksgiving to be over. Not that I'm not thankful. :)  I'm so excited to get out Christmas decorations, satisfy my urge to bake (won't have time til Thanksgiving is over for that.), and decorate the tree. I love the anticipation I get from Moose. Last year he was jazzed about opening the presents, but he didn't have the anticipation. Moose has been waiting for Christmas all year long. It's so cute. It just brings out the childhood excitement for me all over again. Only now I'm excited to watch my kids open their presents, not to open my own.

Oh, have I mentioned we're not teaching him about Santa? I don't remember ever believing in Santa and I was fine. I just can't lie to him about some fictional big guy going down chimneys and bringing him presents. (I don't think it's wrong to do so, I just can't bring myself to do it.) I'm very proud of the fact that we bought those presents with our hard-earned money. Not Santa. Anyway, what are your philosophies on Santa? Like I said, I'm not against him. But my kid might be the one who decides to tell your kid he's not real. :)

Movie Night...

Spent our date night Christmas shopping. Was actually quite fine. Makes me super excited to watch them open their Christmas presents. Now we're having movie night with MOose. We got How To Train Your Dragon in the mail today. So we're letting Moose stay up way late and watch it with me and the hubs, while we scarf down some dinner. Spent our whole eating time shopping. Can't wait to wrap it all! :)

On with the movie and popcorn!

Tears and Time out...

So the last few days, Moose has been particularly weepy. My only guess is because he's been waking up super early to go to the bathroom. He goes back to bed, but I'm sure it disrupts his sleep, and I don't know how much he sleeps when he goes back to bed. This morning, it was in the 5 o'clock hour. (Maybe even around 5:00) The smallest things set him off and he literally starts bawling. So I severely limited any liquid intake this evening to try and prevent a super early potty trip. We'll see what happens.

Monkey has been a semi-permanent fixture in time out today. Mostly for yelling. My father-in-law and I discussed this just recently. Girls have a thing for screaming. Some boys do too, but it's still not the same decibel level that girls have. Something about girls and screaming. Anyhow, so she spent time there for that. And for not sitting in her chair at dinner. Even if we buckle her into her high chair, she can still get onto her knees and turn around. (I admit, I hate the buckle on our high chair. Silly design.) She just can't sit still in that chair very long. (Which I know is normal.) So she spent much of dinner in time out for not sitting in her chair. Oh, and for throwing. I don't know if she understands exactly what throwing means. It wouldn't surprise me, but I try to give her some wiggle room. But she was sent there a few times for throwing legos too. Was a few inches away from taking out one of Moose's eyes.

Tomorrow starts the Christmas shopping for us. We're going to go out during our date night tomorrow and start looking/buying. Pretty exciting. :) This is the first year we've had a budget to spend Christmas money on our kids, and we're pretty jazzed about it. It's hard to decide what to get though. But I know they'll love whatever they get. And they're getting plenty spoiled from their grandparents too. Lucky kiddos. :)

Winter has begun...

So two days ago it started snowing. It didn't snow today, but it didn't melt either. We've already had to explain to Moose multiple times that snow does not mean it's Christmas. Only that it's winter. Guess that means we ought to get the kid's gear in order. They both need winter boots, and Monkey needs some thermals. She's actually old enough this year to be a part of the snow playing. We'll see if she likes it or not. I think she might enjoy sledding. As long as there are no wipe outs. Moose can't wait for snow ball fights, snow forts, igloos (I don't know why he thinks I can make one), snow angels, and more. He has a checklist he likes to rattle off every now and then.

At least when it's snowing, Monkey let me put a hat on her. I tried a month or so ago at a football game and she screamed til the hat came off.  This should be an interesting winter. :)

Daddy Date...

Today was the first Papa-Moose-time. The hubs decided he wanted to start doing this with the kids, so we picked one day a month for each kid. Today was Moose's turn. So after dinner, they went over to the mall (for those who know, it doesn't deserve the name mall) and walked around. He loves seeing the decorations and whatnot for Christmas. Then the hubs took him to the candy store and let him pick something out. They also (Moose was so jazzed) got to get a gumball from one of those big gumball machines that probably has a big slide on the bottom half so you can watch your gumball go down. They BOTH got blue ones! :)

So me and Monkey hung out at home together. She chose to take a bath, but that ended as soon as she pooped in the tub. (Yes, she still does this rather often. And she stares and freaks out, pointing at it until we remedy the situation.) Then we did puzzles, played ball, organized shapes, and played with her pop-up animal toy. All in all a bonding experience, I'm sure. :)

In other news today, Monkey was running through the house with her paci in her mouth, fell over, and it bonked her nose. She got her first bloody nose. At first I wasn't sure exactly how to handle it since she wouldn't let me pinch it. (That's what adults do. I was really hoping it would work for her too.) So I did my best to semi-pinch it and clean it up. Fortunately, it didn't bleed long. But Moose was a doll and gave her some of his Halloween candy to sweeten the deal since "she was so brave". (That's what he told the hubs.)

Then after our dates with the kids, we all cleaned the bathroom. Ahh, the family bonding. :)

Bed Time...

So last night was quite a night, which made today interesting. The hubs is sick, poor guy. He gets coughs like no other. It's so weird. Anyway, it keeps him up and he literally can't sleep. Nyquil and those types don't help a bit. So he was up til past 2 in the morning last night, trying to relax with our netflix. He finally fell asleep on the couch, thank goodness. Then, at 5:42 am, Moose came in. (Let me preface this story with "We are not early risers. Never have been. Period.") He went to the bathroom and then back to bed. He came back in at 6:00. I couldn't believe this. On a normal day he's up between 6:30 and 7, so I was not a happy camper. So I put him in my bed where the hubs would be and tried my best to sleep. Of course, he woke me up every 5 minutes or so. I did catch a few z's in there, but not nearly enough. Then at 7, the hubs was still sleeping, so I turned the light on in my bathroom, grabbed him some books and crayons and mostly closed the door. (This bathroom is in our bedroom, so it wasn't near the hubs on the couch.) This lasted for another hour. By 8, the hubs was up and around, having gotten maybe 5 hours of sleep. Poor guy was exhausted, and thanks to Moose, so was I. (Although I have to say Monkey stayed in her bed til after 8:30, bless that sweet girl. An early wake up from her could've done some serious damage this morning.)

So needless to say, today was a group nap day. The hubs still wasn't able to sleep really, since his codine had worn off, but it was too early to take another dose. (That's one of the only things that helps him.) But I rested, the kids sorta rested, and we all felt better after.

Then the hubs, bless his heart, took the kids out of the house while I had my piano student over. So it was peace and quiet, but for her sweet music.

Here's hoping we all sleep better tonight.

About Time...

Monkey finally slept in. She wasn't even asleep the whole time. We went in at 8:30 (to get to church on time. Otherwise I would've left her until she demanded to come out. She was happily laying in her bed when we went in.) to bring her out. She was noticeably less grouchy today, and in general much more happy than usual. It was awesome. It was so nice to have our sweet Monkey back instead of Grouchy McGee.

We had a program in church today with all the kids 12 and under. Moose had memorized his part, which he said at two different times. "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in his Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." He was so sweet. I was sitting at the piano helping out, and was super proud. After the second time, a few people gave him high-5's on his way back to his seat, and stopped and asked his aunt why they were doing that. :)

Ooh, best thing. Last night, we were laying in bed and I felt little Baby Girly kick twice. I thought to myself, maybe if I get the hubs to feel, he'll catch at least one. He was propped up in bed on his back, being kinda sick. But I grabbed his hand and put it on my belly. (His hand was super warm. It was kinda nice.) Once I put his hand on my belly, little baby Girly started doing jumping jacks. He got to feel tons of movement, on the first try. It was really great. So on our first try, Baby Girly had tons to say to her Papa.

Makes me smile everytime I think about it. :)

T.I.M.E...

Today managed to be another busy day. The hubs was working his Saturday job, then had a two hour meeting immediately afterwards. So me and the kiddos were flying solo. We ran over and I got fabric to cover the pillows to our new couch. That was kinda fun. Although two kids in a fabric store can be slightly stressful from time to time. But they did okay.

The rest of the day went pretty well. Naps happened. I worked on a day-project. A little diaper pouch. My darling friend shared her pattern for it, so I made it. Monkey hardly needs an entire diaper bag for our outings. Usually a diaper or two and some wipes, maybe diaper cream, and we're good. So I made that this afternoon, just for fun. Then dinner happened. Finally, the hubs came home. Yay.

Oh, and tons of laundry has been happening. But, after dinner, the hubs more or less commandeered  (probably spelled wrong, I know.) the kids and went to their room. They built a fort, played with the sheets, wrestled on the bed, and other exciting things. He mentioned as he was dragging a sheet down the hallway, with the kids clinging on for dear life and giggling uncontrollably, that he was giving them some quality T-I-M-E to show them how much he loves them.  I liked that.

Sometimes, as the parent who stays home all day, that concept is pretty much lost. For me, time is what they get no matter what. I suppose I should work on the quality aspect. But I loved that the hubs has been making an effort this past week to give them some time, though it may not be in large amounts due to his work schedule. But he gives them time, and I love that. I grew up with a dad who had an insane work schedule, who commuted multiple hours everyday, and didn't have a ton of time at home. But I have very specific memories of him making time for us. Whether there's a lot of it or not, making it special, setting it aside, makes all the difference. They probably won't recognize some of that til they're older, but eventually they will.

So glad my kiddos have such an awesome Papa. :)

Finally...

So yesterday was a big day. Super busy, yet again. Me and Monkey spent over an hour doing errands after Moose went to pre-school. Then we picked up the hubs early from work, ate dinner, and went out to get things ready for our new couch. Oh, and before dinner we loaded up and gave away the 2 couches we had in our apartment. The kids were real troopers throughout the whole thing. Especially Monkey, who spent half the day in the car. She wasn't necessarily very happy about it, but all things considered, she did pretty good.

So today was slightly restful, finally. I did take the kids to Target this morning to return a slipcover we bought and get a different one. But other than that, things were much less busy. Oh, and then we had to return the truck we had borrowed for yesterday's errands. Oh, and then watched a friend's little guy so they could have a date. He's such a doll, that wasn't really anything. The kiddos are finally in bed. And to think I wanted to have them in bed closer to 7 or 7:30 tonight. Nope. They've gotten to bed at around 8 or later all week because of our couch hunting escapades. Well, certainly tomorrow they should get to bed at a normal time.

Monkey's still trying to adjust from the time change. The kids nap normally, go to bed normally, but she still wakes up an hour earlier. I can see it in her everyday. She's been much grouchier and more tired. Today I put her down for her nap an hour earlier, to see if it would help. But it didn't really. She just woke up from her nap an hour earlier.

Oh well. The hubs is working tomorrow, so we probably won't do much at all. Possibly laundry. And Moose really wants to watch Mulan. Can't blame him. I love those songs. :)

Oh, and Baby 3 is now the length of a banana.

Busy Days...

The last few days, I have been super productive. I say this because, well, I'm pretty proud of myself. We've been going couch hunting, I had a choir practice tonight, and Monday night was ultrasound, etc. So it's been busy. Today we ran by the library, went to a playgroup, went couch shopping, and I had my practice. Dinner was ready in the oven when we got home. (Love those oven timers.) It's hard to say how long I can keep this up, but I must say it feels great. Not only have I been on top of dinner the last 3 days, but it's given me time to do lots on my to-do list, which is fun. I've done small tasks, fun stuff, boring stuff, but lots of it. I'm currently working on a quilt topper that I started when Moose was just a baby. I'm pretty excited about it. He decided it could be for the baby. It's made of tons of different purple squares.

Anyhow, here's to busy days, and using the time wisely. Hope I can keep it up for a while longer. :)

Adjusting...

Today has been a mental day to adjust to the new knowledge we have. Finding out the sex of a baby can take some time to settle in. At least for this one. With the first two, they were the first boy or first girl, so it had its own excitment aspect. But with this little one, it's more about adjusting to the idea of another little personality. I'm realizing that this girl is not going to be another Monkey. She'll be completely different (possibly) and her own little person. With the first two it was easy to expect differences because one was boy and one was girl. But this is a whole new ballgame in a way. But I'm completely okay with the fact that we're having a little girl. It feels strangely natural and expected. I guess, I feel strangely calm about it. It's hard to explain. I guess I know that this baby is meant to be in our family. I did tell Moose yesterday, when he was sad about not having a little brother, that we probably weren't done having kids, so we might have a boy after this one. Isn't it strange to know that we will probably have more kids? I know that time will tell, and who knows what will happen when this little one actually joins the family. But for now, my gut feeling tells me that 3 is not our final number.

Monkey's still working on those darn canines. She chewed a huge hole in one of her pacifiers. Her congestion is really bad and she's getting a cough. I hope those teeth come in the next day or two so she will be back to herself. She's been so dramatic and grouchy the last 2 days. But this is the same thing that happened with her last 2 molars, so I'm hoping that's all it is. We haven't had a cold yet, and I'd like to last as long as possible before we start passing one around.

Today when we were calling some family to tell them about the baby, Moose was doing the talking and when he told his Uncle about the baby being a girl, he said that he would be able to protect his sisters. Isn't he the sweetest thing? :)

Drumroll please...

We had the ultrasound this evening. We're having a little girl! It was not what I expected, well, not what I was hoping. But I knew that overall whatever we are having is what is meant to be in our family, so I'm pleased. It's going to take a while to sink into the idea, but we're happy. She's perfectly healthy and proportioned. She's approx. 12 oz. (which is a bit bigger than the average 8.5 oz at this stage). She measures a week earlier than my due date, but we're not changing anything. Moose and Monkey both measured big too. Moose was on his due date and Monkey was 5 days early.

When we came home and told Moose, he was sad. :(  He had told me earlier when I asked that he wanted a boy, so he could have a little brother. I don't know if I'd ever asked him before what he wanted the baby to be. I didn't follow up with, "Well, it might be a girl, so..." which I'm usually so careful to do. So he was a bit bummed out. But he quickly cheered up and is now perfectly okay with it. He has changed his name of choice to Suzy.

It was nice to finally see pictures of our little one. She was active and moving the whole time. We saw her smacking her lips, folding her hands, and tapping her feet.

20 more weeks to go. :)

Time change...

So last night we moved the clocks back. It was so great. We went to bed at "9" and I woke up at "7" feeling super rested. I even woke multiple times during the night (had to have a potty break, of course) and recall each time thinking how great I felt. Moose didn't wake up til around 6:30, which meant he slept in past 7! Monkey woke up around 8:30. Could've even been later, but I went in once I heard sounds, since we had to leave for church shortly afterwards. But it was so nice to not have to wake her up to go. I know tomorrow won't feel the same for me. It seems those things are a one-night deal for me, so I try to soak it up. Perhaps my body will slowly transition, but I usually snap right into the time I'm in. (Traveling can do that to you, which I did a bit after high school.)

It was also a nice Sunday. Me and the hubs took some nice reflection time, talked about goals, changes we want to make, and brainstormed some ideas for Moose. We want to help him learn that Sunday is a different day, it's not like Saturdays. He already knows this, but we wanted to help him find more appropriate Sunday activities. So we designated a tub, and printed out tons of things from The Friend website. (if you're interested in where it's at, let me know. Awesome resources!) So we have a stack of scripture-oriented coloring pages, mazes, and activity pages. I made a list for him of things he can do, to help him when he's getting bored. He gets to watch one Sunday show, which has been our habit for years now. He usually watches Veggie Tales. (I really love those things.)  But now he has all of his Sunday books and print-outs in one place. Also on his list are to write letters to family/friends, cook with the hubs or me, or play quiet games. This afternoon his post-nap was great. He was really jazzed up about the print-outs and we wrote a letter to a lucky family member. (Getting mailed tomorrow. Who will it be??) I imagine we'll probably end up writing a letter every Sunday. He really liked that part. It was nice to try and help him set apart Sunday as a special day and find things to do that will help us all to remember that.

A great day. I have some changes to implement into my daily routines tomorrow. Here's hoping it goes well. :)

Burnt out...

The hubs worked his Saturday job again today. And probably will be working Saturdays through December. Although I'm super grateful for this extra income, because we are grateful for every bit we can get, I'm afraid I was not prepared for his absence today. I missed a baby shower (though there are going to be many coming up, I was still excited about this one), and mostly spent the day at home with the kids. That wasn't so bad. I was really productive, trying to make the best of the day. I got lots of good things done. But by the time 4 rolled around, I was done with the day. Me and the hubs were trying to talk via phone the whole day, but they were having a huge sale, so it was real busy. It was really hard to even get through to the store, since apparently they set one line to "busy" all day and only had one functioning phone line. Then everytime we tried to talk, he'd have to get off and help a customer. It was no one's fault, but still ultimately frustrating. We were having a date night tonight. By the time it came around, we got some Dominos pizza and watched part of an episode of Numb3rs. (our current Netflix tv series we're finishing. Last season!) I think I was also bummed out because we were planning a big date night. A friday night, saturday morning deal. But with him working Saturdays the next 2 months, that will take some of the relax out of our "sleep-in have a nice big breakfast without rushing" motif. Ahh well. Maybe we'll be able to buy a new couch. (We really need one.) The hubs is completely fixated on a new tv. He wants to be able to stream Netflix to our tv. But without a Wii or other game console, we have to get a really expensive tv in order to do it. Anyway, lame details. Dominos made me feel much better, and after the hubs is back with the kids and they're quietly sleeping in their beds (The quiet is optional) I'm going to continue to self-medicate with the tub of Moose Tracks that's in our freezer.

Have a nice night everyone. :)

Teaching Life...

This is something I've been thinking about lately. As a parent, you literally have to teach your kids how to live. Sure, some things will come naturally, like eventually falling asleep when you're tired, or eventually eating when you're hungry. However, as we all know, kids rarely know what's best for them. With my short experience with my 2 kids, I've learned for a certainty that we parents are literally teaching them how to do everything, and it's GOOD we do, because if we don't, no one will.

~How to sleep. Sure, there are some babies who are fantastic sleepers right out of the womb, but I like to think those are more rare. They don't know how to fall asleep on their own, they don't know how to stay asleep once they get there, they don't know how much sleep they need to function for a day. All of these things must be learned, and we need not feel bad for teaching it. This is one area we've taken very seriously (since me and the hubs take our sleep very seriously) and I feel like it's been such an awesome investment.

~How to eat. Even as newborns, some can't figure out nursing alone. They need help. When it comes to solid foods, they definitely need help.  They don't know what's good for them, what keeps them healthy, what makes a balanced diet, what helps their poops keep coming. They know nothing. We are the teachers. Another area where we've taken a lot of care (at least with Moose. Monkey's still young, but I hope she'll come out as well as he did) and it's paid great rewards.

~How to obey. They definitely need to learn this. They need to learn that we know more, see more, and understand more than they do. I don't hesititate to tell Moose I don't know everything. It stops him from asking so many questions. But I most certainly know more than he does. He needs to listen up and do what I ask. Parents know more than their kids. Period. They need to learn, from us, how to obey and listen up. This one is such a super hard task, but so completely worth it. I'm still working on it everyday (and probably will til they move away) but it's worth it.

~How to disobey. Sadly, we teach them this too. When we make empty threats, tell them no and then ignore them, or a million other ways. When they're young (Monkey's in this stage now) they will test your boundaries. They want to know where they are.  If you let them think there are none, they will attempt to walk all over you. And they do. I witnessed it at the McD's play area today. Sad business. No kid should walk all over their parent. We are the adults, we know better. Again, a difficult one to make sure you don't do, but so important.

Along with a million other things we teach our kids. I read once that the people your children will become is mostly set in their minds by the age of 6. The big things, anyway, about who they are as people. I can see this. I've worked in preschools and it's so apparent the type of people they are becoming, even at such a young age. And if you are a parent who stays at home, even if only most of the day, their primary teacher and example is you. Unfortunately (I don't mean that really, but it's a huge responsibility) that means I'm the one teaching my kids all their good, and bad, habits.

I don't think of these to frighten myself (or you!) or lay out a heavy responsibility or burden. Just to keep us all aware. Sometimes I think they should know certain things. Common sense, right? But really, they're being molded and shaped by us. If we don't teach it first, by example or word, who knows if they'll learn it. I think the biggest change I've experienced since becoming a parent is that I've made myself become a better person. Not for any noble reason other than I didn't want my kids to learn my bad habits. There are certain words my kids cannot use, and I don't use them either. They were common place for about 20 years in my vocab, until I had kids. I wouldn't think of using them now, because I want my kids to behave better. There are still so many areas that I want to improve on, so I can be that example. I'm glad Moose is not yet aware of hypocrisy, because when he is, I might end up in trouble. But hopefully I'll have covered all my bases by then and changed any more of my lingering bad habits.

So buck up parents. We are the examples, we are the teachers. Teach well. Their behavior is most certainly a reflection of you and your environment at home. (I can't say this would apply evenly for kids who spend a large amount of their days in day care.) I sure hope the reflection my kids are giving out is a good one. :)

Just another day...

Today was a good day. We had preschool here at our place and it went great. (minus 2 bathroom incidents from separate kids) The kiddos napped great, and were overall sweeties. Monkey is definitely still teething, and chewing on her fingers throughout the day. I'm hoping once her top 2 canines come out a bit more, she'll be out of the woods. She is still so adorable when you ask her for eskimo kisses. She promptly puts her nose out and lets you rub it with yours. It's so sweet!

Tomorrow we'll likely head to a special lunch at McD's. He earns stickers when we do school at home and when he fills a page we go to McD's for lunch and play. It's like Disneyland to him. (Which he's never been to, but one day.) I actually look forward to not cooking. It takes him months to fill one up, especially now that he does preschool twice a week. So it's a real treat for us all. (And yes, ice cream is included.) :)

I'm feeling Baby 3 move more and more. Not regularly yet, but more frequently. I really do enjoy it. I look forward to the next few months as the baby will get just a bit bigger and everyone else will be able to feel its presence as well. I love sharing it. (With those who are invited, although I've never once had a stranger put their hands on my pregnant belly before.)

4 more days. He or she, he or she...

Not Yet...

So I was continuing in my desire to take away Monkey's paci today when I stumbled upon a small obstacle. I don't think she's done teething yet. Before her nap she was chewing on her thumb and pointer finger. I pulled it out of her mouth and the entire area was red. Then she cried for an hour after being put down and when I went in to her it was as though she had tried chewing on just about everything to try and soothe her need.

So I'm going to wait. But once those teeth finish coming in, the quest will be one once again. Can't having the girl chew her fingers off because I took away her pacifier, after all.

The Paci Saga Continues...

So this afternoon before Monkey's nap, I snipped the end of her pacifier. (I'd heard of this technique, but had forgotten about it for a while.) I have to say that it was absolutely hilarious watching her put it in her mouth the first time. It was absolute confusion. She would show it to me, stare at the broken part, put it in her mouth and point, and had a variety of facial expressions. She'd give it to me, want it back. It was really funny. She went to sleep fine, but Moose woke up after 1 1/2 hours and wasn't very quiet about opening or closing the door. She wouldn't go back to sleep after that, even though I tried giving her an unbroken paci. She stayed in bed for another 30 min. but I doubt she slept.

I didn't try it at bedtime. I'm going to slit another one tomorrow before her nap, and have Moose nap in the other room. It should be interesting. If it works, I'll do it again tomorrow night.

I was telling Monkey about the baby in my belly yesterday while she was looking at a picture of the baby Jesus. She stared at my belly real intently when I pointed to the picture of the baby and then pointed to my belly and said there was a baby in there. She wanted to look under my clothes to get a better look. I think she was curious. I mentioned it to her again tonight and rubbed my belly. She rubbed my belly too. It was so cute. She was in a rare cuddly mood, when she'd lean over and just give me a "cuddle" lean. After the belly rubbing, she'd lean onto the belly too. So sweet.

I told Moose yesterday about the ultrasound next Monday. He mentioned tonight that he's so excited to find out if it's a boy or girl. When I told him yesterday he mentioned again that if it's a boy we can call it Steve. Or Michael or Mike. I tried to pitch Micah, my current fave name. He thought it was a girl name and didn't like it. Go figure.

Less than a week. Can't wait!

The Paci...

In our house, a pacifier is called a paci (PASS-ee). Not a binky. (To me, that's a baby blanket.) Anyway, today at nap time, I felt so inspired, as it's been on my mind, to try and put Monkey down without it. I'm not completely ready to go cold turkey, all out on her. I might soon, but not yet. I have preschool Tuesday and Thursday and don't want to royally ruin the mood at the house with a cranky kid. Anyway, she went to sleep without it, but woke up 1 1/2 later (only half a nap) crying. So I went in and gave it to her. She's currently freaking out right now cause she doesn't have it. If she's still doing that when I'm done typing, I'll give it to her. I don't mind the crying really, but I feel awful for Moose, who shares her room. I know he can't fall asleep with her screaming banshee style.

But I can tell she's certainly ready for this. When she first realizes it's gone, she asks me for it (sign language) and I say it's all gone, or missing or something. Or "I don't know". (What an awful lie, right?) She didn't even cry for her nap at first. This time she was okay until I tried to shut the door. But until then she was sweet and charming and oh so generous with the eskimo kisses. (So darn cute, let me tell you.)

What do you think? Cold turkey? (That's how Moose did it.) Slow but surely? (I won't cave, that's for sure, so if I do get started, it will continue one way or another.) What's your experience?