A perfect day

I needed a day like today...it was a perfect day as far as the children's behavior is concerned. They played well, ate every bite of every meal and snack, and are in bed by 8:00 without one complaint. I am by no means concluding that my children are perfect, because as noted from my previous posts we've had nothing of the sort around here lately. I am bragging on them a little though, because I am very proud of them. It truly would be a perfect day if the mounds of laundry were magically put away and the Oreos I'm eating were as nutritious as organic, locally grown broccoli. It would be even better if Jon wasn't working tonight and he was home dunking the Oreos with me, but I doubt he would enjoy the Hallmark movie that's playing in the background. I had many picturesque moments with Mae and Nate today. They truly admire, love and care for each other. I wish and pray they will always have affection and concern for one another. I'm doing my best to encourage and instill this in them, but a lot of it was natural between them. We have many years ahead of us though, so I'm careful not to get ahead of myself when I say they get along so well.
Now, onto another thought. Mae has been having a difficult time with bedtime lately. In dealing with the separation anxiety she's experiencing, she's been doing a little "night, night" role play with her dolls. I noticed she also has been doing a lot more role play lately where she is the Mommy and her dolls are her babies. She insists in giving her doll a bath with Nate instead of getting in the tub herself. She kneels down beside the tub with me and bathes her little one. Then, she reads a book to her doll and put her to bed (tonight it was on the kitchen floor where the doll was ordered to sleep). She told the baby, "Night, Night. Stay here." and left the baby to fall asleep on her own. I took this game a little further and told Mae how good her baby was sleeping and staying in her bed. Mae replied, "Yes!" with a smile. It's all very cute for now, but I can see what's coming next...she will most likely attempt to dethrone me as Mommy and Teacher. Oh well, we'll get to that when it hits!

"Babies have a wonderful way of teaching you how little sleep you really need."

I think there is only so much stress (topped with sleep deprivation) you can take before everything becomes funny. We've been having sleep issues with both babies this week, and at one point I finally lost it and was hysterical. I literally thought about getting out the video camera to capture the events that were making me so crazy. If I didn't have to walk past their bedrooms, which would cause even more mayhem if they saw me or heard my ever so slight footsteps, I would've definitely taped this moment in our household. I would've caught on film the mound of dirty laundry toppling as high as our dresser, baskets of clean laundry piled next to each other on the bed along with the lovely noise in the background of two screaming children who just wouldn't give in and go to sleep. I had not had more than two consecutive hours of sleep in about a week (and when I was sleeping, my ears never rested since I was attempting to stay alert to jump to a bedside if someone woke crying as to not wake the other one up.) I would title this home video as "Birth Control" and keep it on file for the teenage years in my children's' lives. Better yet, I would've posted it on YouTube to help other teenagers make the right decision (and some young married couples too!). I love my children and it's only this love that's getting me through this frustrating time. Well, love and the oversized coffee mug, filled to the brim, that my mom got me for Mother's Day. The mug reads, "Babies have a wonderful way of teaching you how little sleep you really need." I laugh inside when a childless person complains of only getting four or six hours of sleep. If they could only come experience our house this week with all that's going on with the kids on top of Jon staying up all night studying for a test. "I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me."

little tidbits

I just want to document a cute scenario from yesterday morning. Mae and I were playing in the living room when we both heard Nate squealing from his crib to let us know he was awake and ready to join us. We went back to his room and I lowered the crib railing and Mae climbed up to see him. They smiled at each other and Mae asked if she could hold him. She sat in his rocker and I placed him in her lap. Of course I didn't have my camera anywhere close by to have hard evidence that he is already almost bigger than she. I asked Mae, "Who's your brother?". She responded, "Nate!". Then I asked her about her name, "Mae!", she pronounced. "What's Daddy's name?", I asked. "Jon!", she responded. After a few minutes of this Nate became a little fussy because it was time for him to nurse. I told Mae it was time for Mommy to hold Nate because he needed his milk. "Mae do it!" she exclaimed as she preceded to lift up her shirt and find a way to give Nate a drink. I didn't let this advance much further, but she was still very insistent that she provide for Nate. So, I let her give him a few bites of his baby food at lunch. Mae is such a little mommy, and she will probably be totally embarrassed if she ever reads this in the future. I thought it was a hoot and I was thankful for the laugh!
Nate has a mission (besides eating his heart out, pooping in the middle of the night just to get a ticket out of the crib, and getting mommy soaking wet while taking a bath) to find every tag on every object. He searches frantically for tags and once he finds one you can literally see his excitement. He starts twirling his hands and feet and attacks that tag like there's no tomorrow! Sometimes he's able to rip off the "Do Not Remove Tag" tag and gets even more excited. Smart people, those that started the "Taggies" toy line. I can see where that idea stemmed from now. I just wish I had thought of it first!

Attitude of Gratitude

So I've been a few places, seen a few different cultures and there were some that had plenty and some that had next to nothing. It was amazing to me that it seemed like the less people had, the more thankfulness their hearts reflected. I once commented that I would rather not raise my children in the American culture. I remember watching my future father-in-law's eyebrows raise at this comment...I wonder what he was thinking? This was before Jon and I were dating, long before we were married and even longer before we had children. I am thankful that we live in America, and we have many freedoms and blessings that other nations and cultures will never experience. I am already beginning to see glimpses of a lack of appreciation in my two-year-old over the past few days especially. I see this ungrateful attitude when she refuses to wear a certain outfit, pushes a certain food off her plate, exclaims that two pieces of candy for sitting on the potty just isn't enough, etc... This is the beginning of the very behavior and attitude I was so against condoning in my children. It is quite possibly impossible to be full aware of all the blessings we have in our life. I suppose I should be thankful that my children have choices about which clean clothes they want to wear, and can make decisions about how much and what they want to eat, or about which toys they want to play with at the moment. I also realize that God looks at me, as His child, in the very same manner. He doesn't expect me to understand His grace and all that He has done for me. He doesn't require me to be thankful for His blessings on my family. He made me and understands that I am only human and will never be able to comprehend or realize all He does for me even on a day to day basis. He is always near, always present and always giving...even though I could never earn His love. I will try to live today in God's love and show this same kind of understanding and compassion to my children. However, I will make my best attempt at teaching my children to have an attitude of gratitude.

A real day in the life...

I thought I should lay out in realistic terms what a day in the life of Mae's (and Nate's) mommy is really like. So here goes...
Jon and I receive our first wake up call anywhere from 3am to 6am, anytime after 6 we give up trying to put anyone back to sleep. I turn over and alert Jon that Mae is awake and waiting for someone to rescue her from her room. He snoozes on the couch with her while she watches a show on PBS. I snooze in the bed for about 30 minutes to an hour when Nate wakes up for his first feeding. We join Mae and Jon in the living room. I start the coffee and give Mae a sippy of milk. We change diapers and start breakfast around 7:00 (usually homemade waffles with fruit or eggs). We all sit down to eat around 7:30 or 8:00 then get dressed for the day after we've finished. Jon leaves for school and I leave to take Mae to preschool by 9:00(Preschool only on Tuesday, Wed., and Thursday). I come home and put Nate down for a nap in his crib. After I tidy up from breakfast, make beds, start a load of laundry, empty the dishwasher, and then load the dishwasher, I pray that I have enough time for a devotional and shower before Nate wakes up. He usually naps until 10:30 or 11:00, then he's ready to nurse again. Once he's finished, I'll try to play a few minutes with him alone before it's time to pick up Mae. I've been trying to do a "Baby and Me" miniworkout with Nate...we both benefit from it! We leave at 11:45 to pick Mae up then come home and eat lunch together. They both go down for naps around 1:00 and are supposed to nap until 3:00. I try to get a half hour nap in for myself, especially if I know Jon won't be home to help with the next half of the day. I'll make/return phone calls, do a little housework, shuffle laundry, or do various chores or planning that might be necessary for that week. Mae wakes up for a snack, Nate wakes up for more milk. Thus begins the most difficult stretch of the day. If it's warm enough we'll go play outside and/or go for a walk (I love our double jogging stroller and our neighborhood!). I'll try to occupy them as much as I can without resorting to a video...this might include play dough, puzzles, finger painting, rolling the ball to each other, etc... Sometimes we'll run an errand or go the gym if it's too cold to go outside. If we have playdates, this is the time we schedule them. Some days Jon will come home around 3:00, but some days he's gone all day long. Nate goes down for a nap at 4:00 or 4:30 (a short 30 or 45 minute nap) and Mae and I will do Kindermusik activities or play on the computer together. Sometimes we'll play baby dolls, tea party or dollhouse, pretty much anything that is quiet. We both enjoy our time alone together, and if the weather is nice we'll go outside to play and I'll hook the baby monitor on my waistband. Once Nate wakes up, I will usually put in a video so I can get dinner started (I have 30 minutes max to get it on the table at this point, unless Jon is home to entertain them). We eat at 6:00, take baths, brush hair and teeth and read bedtime books together. I tuck in Mae along with a green bear named Boz at 7:00, then let Nate nurse as long as he likes. He usually won't fall asleep but will begin to squirm and let me know he's ready to get in his bed. (Note: If it happens to be a Wednesday we do all of the above except going to bed. After baths, we all have to get dressed appropriately for church and be out the door by 6:30! Jon doesn't come home until after church, so I'm on my own with this one.) After putting them to bed, I tidy the bathroom and kitchen. Wipe the table, sweep the floor, clean off two highchairs and rinse out clothes and bibs that took a beating from broccoli and baby food. THEN, I have my time. Around 8:00 I get my chance to watch TV, check email, blog, facebook, scrapbook, read, look through my stack of magazines, etc... I usually have a little more laundry lying around at this point too. I try to wait up for Jon to come home and talk with him about his day. Then it's time for my bedtime routine and I'm asleep before my head hits the pillow. Thankfully, Nate is sleeping through the night now! Mae, on the other hand, is regressing and waking up at night some. She does fine some nights, but other nights has a hard time getting back to sleep. We're working on finding out the problem and coming to a solution. All in all, I love my life as a mommy and I'm thankful I don't have to work outside the home on top of everything else!!

Sandbox therapy

I truly believe there are therapeutic elements in playing with sand. It was a warm, sunny day in January yesterday. We took advantage of the unusual weather and spent an afternoon outside. As noted in my last post we've had a rough few days around here. So, a day in the out of doors was just the ticket to cheer us all up! Everyone was quiet, peaceful and smiling while playing in the sandbox. Mae was able to run, jump and throw her ball with almost limitless boundaries. I love our backyard and I love the fact that Mae doesn't require me to follow directly behind her every step like she did last spring. I took lots of pictures of Nate's first real experience playing in the backyard. It looks like we're going to have a fun summer! I'll be busy running after him this time around! He grabbed at the sand to feel it run through his hands, tried to put the yucky sand toys in his mouth, and growled at the bubbles when they came near him. He's right on target in his development. :) I am truly enlightened to what Mae is really capable of doing on her own when I watch her play while under Jon's supervision. He lets her have way more Independence than I give her! I freaked out when I saw her at the top of the tree house all by herself. Mommy has strict rules about that, but Jon assured me that she has done it many times before under his watch and she does fine. I just had to take a deep breath, look the other way and pray. I know Jon loves and cares for her just as much as I do, but Daddy has a totally different way of "play" than Mommy. By giving her a little more freedom, I was able to watch her come up with her own little imaginative games and try different ways to play. It was a good day and everyone ate well at supper, slept well at bedtime and all through the night. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!!!! Bring on more warm weather, please??!!!
Note: Below you will find a video depicting my point of Daddy's way to play. I was at the store, Nate was taking a nap, and Jon was "helping" Mae clean up her blocks. There is a strict Mommy rule of "No throwing the blocks" but Jon doesn't think of it as throwing if it's going into the right bucket. I guess what I don't know/see won't hurt me, but Jon decided to make a video of the misdemeanor! For days I will be undoing the throwing blocks episode. But I will say that when I got home from my solo -Hallelujah!!! Thank you Jon!- trip to the grocery store, both babies were happy, fed and clean. Jon is a wonderful, involved, caring father and we're all thankful for him.

Reason for the Season

Tomorrow is another day, and hopefully it will be better than the past couple of days. For no particular reason the past two days have been rather difficult and trying. I guess I could put the blame on a handful of issues that combined have made the days long, tiring and frustrating. In the midst of sick babes, dirty dishes, busy schedules, no time for myself to rejuvinate and just keeping up with the day-to-day tasks it's easy to forget the Reason - the reason for this season in my life. God has called me to this season for a purpose. Jesus is recorded in Matthew saying, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." I need to remind myself of this verse often, especially when things aren't too happy around my house. I need to frame my mind into the knowledge that as a Christian, everything I do should bring honor and glory to God. When I just can't pour Mae's juice into her sippy cup fast enough, while I'm nursing Nate as he pulls my hair, even while I'm changing stinky diapers. Paul urges the Ephesus church to "serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men." He is specifically speaking to slaves here, and I'm not at all equating my parenting responisbilities to slavery! I just know there is something in this verse for me. Do EVERYTHING (diapers, being patient with a sometimes pushy toddler and a demanding infant) as if I am doing it for the Lord. Mae and Nate are simply doing what they have been designed and "called" to do in this season of their lives. Mae is just being a typical two year old (which can be quite fun and entertaining at times) and Nate is following his basic need and instincts at this phase in his life. I need to work more on holding up my end of the calling God has given me - to serve him wholeheartedly, even in the smallest ways. Hoping for a better day tomorrow with more oppurtunities to serve God in this capacity He's ordained to me. I am truly in a season of endearment, enchantment and endless possibilities as Jon and I attempt to raise two children in the way they should go.

A day for history

They said today would be one of those days in your life where you will always remember where you were when it happened...the inauguration of our 44th president, the first African American president in our country's history. My two little ones are two little to remember, so I'll record it for them. Mae, you were home sick from preschool, running a fever of 102 but feeling fine otherwise. Nate you were taking naps, drinking milk, eating baby cereal and putting everything you could find in your mouth to ease the pain from your teeth making their way out. I was at home taking care of the both of you. It seemed that during the hour we were watching the news there was a lot of scripture being recited, prayers being offered and God was being mentioned by everyone who took the podium. When the Bible was being carried out (the Bible in which one hand would be placed while taking oath of office) I pointed it out to Mae. This led into a song, "The B-I-B-L-E..." We prayed along with Rick Warren who led the invocation, and I added a few lines myself. I'm more nervous than excited about what is going to happen with this change of power. I was pondering these things (and grilling cheese sandwiches, mixing a bowl of baby cereal and buckling babies into high chairs for lunch)and searching for comfort and peace that everything will indeed turn out for good. While all this was going on, Mae blurted out her memory verse from Pioneer Club(our Wednesday night children's program at church) taking me by surprise she said, "God's words are true!" She even added the sign language gestures to the words that she had learned a few weeks ago. I agreed with her aloud that God's words are indeed true and that's why we can be happy today! God's words say that, "...we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." The Bible also tells us that "I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" I prayed this scripture for my children today. As we stare into such an unknown future, there is one thing we do know for sure. We know (and imagine this coming out of the mouth of a two year old)that "God's wurds awe twue."

And suddenly, she's a day older...

Today Mae was just one day older than she was yesterday, but it seemed like she had grown more than days past. All of a sudden she didn't argue with me about getting in (then about getting out) of the bathtub, she didn't fuss when it was time to wash her hair, she was drinking from a cup without a sippy spout, and sitting tall at the table without making a mess. This morning all four of us went to an inflatable indoor playground. It was cold, rainy and Jon had the day off so we decided to let Mae run off some of her energy. We hadn't been to "Pump It Up" since July so it was like a new experience all over again. At first, we just sat back to see how much climbing, jumping and sliding Mae could do on her own. I always like to test it out to see how much help she really needs before I jump in there and do it all for her myself. Also, it's a good way for me to determine if I can manage to come without Jon's help with both children. From what we saw out of Mae today, I feel pretty confident that once she's steered in the right direction she can manage any obstacle in that playzone. It's amazing how much more capable she has become since our last visit six months ago. It was a little glimpse of freedom, for both Me and for Mae. One day I'll loosen her rein even more, and I'll be running after Nate at "Pump It Up." Mae is inching closer and closer towards becoming a preschooler and farther and farther away from being a toddler. Today it seemed like she leaped a few feet into the future. In certain ways I'm excited about all of her new accomplishments, but in other ways I want to hold onto her toddlerhood longer. I am definitely enjoying Nate's first year and letting him "stay a baby" longer than I did with Mae. As we were sitting on the couch reading bedtime books, she insisted that SHE read the book to US. We've read "Lullaby, Lullaby Little One" many, many, many, many times. We found out that just like her singing skills, she has been memorizing every word to that book. She recited the book perfectly for us, and then for once WE asked HER to read it again! I've noticed with both babies that it seems one day they're just hitting milestone after milestone and the next day nothing seems to be quite the same. Today was one of those days for Mae. Nate has started sitting up now, so we know what's coming next{sigh}MOBILITY! It's so exciting to watch the kids grow, but it's going by much faster than I ever dreamed possible. When I see Mae doing something silly or doing something sweet and innocent, I remind myself (and remind Jon if he's there to witness whatever it is she's doing) to soak it up. Those little smiles, giggles and silly things she does won't always be so little. I want to have a lot of mental pictures to go back to when she's a teenager, getting married or having children of her own. I know it will go by much faster than I can ever dream possible.

Let her voice be heard!

While driving in the car I popped in a tape of Mae's children's songs to keep her entertained. We had not listened to those particular songs in a month or more, so Jon and I were surprised when she started singing along. "A,B,C,D,E,F,G..." she sang every word and hummed every note to every song. Jon and I looked over at each other, simply amazed and a little shocked. In my opinion, Mae has been a little slow to develop verbally. Finally she has decided that it is time for her to express aloud many of the words she has been learning silently for two years. She has been retaining all the information, and now she is finally singing and telling us stories. She is eager to learn and eager to give you her opinion on everything. She definitely has a mind of her own, and now she has a voice to go along with it!

Decisions, Decisions

Mae is truly a girl who knows what she wants, how she wants it and when she wants it (usually "Now!"). She is a complete opposite of myself when it comes to making simple decisions.
I planned an outing tonight to go choose her Valentine cards to give to her friends at school. I thought it would fun to stroll through the racks of various cards and mull over our choices. With Mae making the decision, it took aboout 30 seconds to pick out the Valentine cards. She picked them up, said "Elmo!" and tossed them in the shopping basket. She was on to the next phase of our trip before I could even put in my two cents worth on which cards would be best. When it came time to choose a special gift for her teacher, she insisted on the largest box of candy conversation hearts on display (Who really eats those anyway?!). I tried to persuade her towards the chocolate, but she had already reached her decision and wouldn't budge. In certain ways, I am thankful that she already has this type of assertiveness. I pray it will turn out to be a trait that will cause her to be strong and unwavering in faith, hope and love.
I also noted another "Mae-ism" today when her "Big Girl Bedding" arrived on our doorstep via UPS. She was soooo excited about the bedding until it was time to nap. She loved every minute helping me take the crib sheets off her toddler bed and putting on the new. But she didn't want to sleep on it one bit. Even the slightest change sets her off these days. She requires consistency and calmness in her surroundings. She didn't react terribly when Nate was born which was definately the biggest change in her environment ever. Instead, she welcomed him lovingly from day one. This uneasiness about change has only come about recently. Perhaps this trait is only part of her age. Either way I am enjoying getting to know Mae more and more everyday, watching her become her own little person.

One Day at a Time

I have attempted journaling before and I just don't have time or discipline to keep at it. I am going to do my best to record at least one moment of my day on this blog. My only concern is not having a hard copy of these moments to keep forever, but maybe I can learn how to remedy that later...
It's just that I type exceedinly faster than I write and I'm on the computer much more than I'm with pen and paper. In fact, when Mae and I are sitting at the computer desk and I'm only using the mouse she moves my hand over away from the mouse and towards the keyboard saying, "No, Mommy, No" wanting me to start typing. She loves to watch my fingers move quickly across the keys and hear the click, click, tap, tap sound.
Also, I thought it might be somewhat enjoyably for family and friends to read a bit about our day. Maybe it will help keep us a little more connected in our day to day lives.
So, let's get this started and see how it goes!

Thanksgiving in January

I was given many opportunities to give thanks yesterday. We discovered at the doctor's office that we indeed have a healthy and happy six-month old baby boy. He eats well, sleeps well, plays well and almost always smiles and laughs. As we were walking out of the doctor's office we noticed a wheel-chaired couple that had no legs. I gave thanks for my sore legs, arms and abs which are hidden under my post-baby (and pre-baby!) belly bulge from working out and walking this week. While in the grocery store, it was brought to my attention how polite Jon and I are to each other. We use please, thank you, I love yous, you're welcomes, etc... I realize that not all couples go even to those simple measures in their day-to-day lives with each other. I am thankful for our marriage, and for a considerate husband. Next, we traveled to my daughter's preschool to pick her up from after-school care. I am thankful for good, caring people to watch over my little girl while I am away from her. This was her first experience in after-school and she did great. The teachers were bragging how good she was and routine she was by eating well at lunch, going right to sleep at nap-time and having to be woken up from her nap after everyone else was up (she's accustomed to a two-hour nap-time at home - another reason to be thankful!) and I reinforced that she was indeed a good girl, giving her a big hug, and commenting about how blessed we are to have her in our family. Later that night, Nate kept waking up after we put him to bed. Through process of elimination, we discovered he was hot. I was thankful that on a night with freezing temperatures outside my baby was too warm. In short, I had an unexpected Thanksgiving in January yesterday. I did not set out that day to look for ways to be thankful, but God brought these things to mind and I give Him praise for all the goodness in my life. I pray that my family will be continual blessed throughout the new year and that we will not take these blessings for granted, but that we might give God all the glory, priaise and honor.

a funny note about genetics...

I'm ashamed to admit that on occassion I use a clorox wipe to clean our shoes. We don't wear our shoes in the house for many good reasons, but sometimes they get to yucky to wear even outside our home. It's one of those quirks you don't notice until it's brought to your attention. This particular clean-shoe-fettish was brought to my attetion this morning. I asked Mae to get her shoes while I was getting Nate ready. (The three of us were getting ready to go to storytime at the library.) When I walked into the kitchen I saw Mae standing on the step stool, which she had managed to carry to the sink, with the dish scrub-brush in one hand and her shoe in the other. She was diligently working to make her pink crocs squeeky clean. She may not have gotten her blue eyes and blonde hair from me, but I did manage to pass along a little bit of my quirkiness. As I think about it now, I seem to remember my mom wiping down Mae's glossy white keds with a baby wipe while we were visiting for Christmas. Mae doesn't seem to favor her left hand like my mom and me (and my mom's mom for that matter), but she did recieve at least one third-generational trait: a need for cleanliness, even among muddy crocs!

fun in the tub

The minute I plopped Nate into the bath-seat for the first time I realized I didn't have my camera to capture such a sweet moment. It was the first time I was attempting to bathe both babies at the same time. I had been waiting for this moment for six months while I was entertaining a two-year-old during the baby's bath and vice-versa... Since three or fivenights out of the week Jon is working and I'm a single mom it makes mealtime and bath-time that much more challenging. If I had remembered to bring my camera into the bathroom I probably would've sat it on the counter set to "record video" to capture Mae's joy at having Nate in the bathtub with her - she squealed with delight and sat down at his level, looked him in the eye and said, "Nate, take bath!" over and over again. We made it through bath-time and I had sorted out who to get out first and how to keep close supervision over who was left in the tub. I had decided to dry and dress Nate on a towel in the bathroom floor while Mae played a little longer in the bubbles. Everything was going along smoothly and I was congratulating myself on such a great plan and on the time and energy (and water!) I saved by giving them a bath at the same time. Then I hear an, "Uh, Oh!" and see Mae pause for a moment in the bath water. "Poopy!", she says. I command her to be still and not to move while I run Nate to his crib across the hall. Luckily he was dry and diapered and I topped him with a few blankets while I was rescuing Mae. She was so concerned about the poopy bath water that was sitting and waiting for me to clean up after I got everyone warm, dressed and into the bed. I'm just thankful that everyone was already clean and Nate was OUT of the tub! Lesson learned: always bathe first, then play (and poop) later! Also, never get to cocky about your great parenting skills, the kids will surely throw in a surprise to test your skills even farther!