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No Time

I apologize for the lack of posts - I have started a couple, but haven't had time to finish them and things are a bit busy now with April 15 quickly approaching.  I happen to be on a lunch break for a seminar right now, so I have a few minutes.

Monday I had a great day with the kids.  The weather was nice, and I just wonder if that had something to do with it.  The kids woke at 7am and we were dressed, fed and out of the house by 9am (usually its hard for me to get anywhere at 9am w/out waking up early - 10am is a better time for us).  Anyway, since we had the time, I went to the gym and worked out while the kids played.  My workout was not interrupted by a call back to childcare - the call came when I was on my way there (Sebastian was hungry - first time call for him).

Next stop was the pet store - since having kids my poor cat, zu-zu, has fallen to the bottom of the importance/attention list (have I mentioned previously that BC I had plants?   I don't now, all have expired.)  Zu-zu was in dire need of food and cat litter.  I have been trying to go to the pet store for weeks and finally just got the chance (I actually bought her a small bag of grocery store brand cat food - that is how crunched I have been for time).   Going to the pet store is actually a nice activity to do with the kids since there are often dogs they can pet and they enjoy seeing the animals - birds, fish, reptiles, etc.  I allowed Mazie to "run free" during this trip and she did quite well - stayed with us the whole time and wasn't too handsy with the inventory.  Since Mazie wasn't in the cart, I gave PJ the cart option and he took it - he was happy to be pushed around.  Mazie got a kick out of petting a little dog (she likes dogs, but can be easily scared by them, so the smaller the better).  PJ didn't care to get out of the cart to pet the dog.  I think Mazie is my key to getting a dog in the future ;)

We then stopped at the grocery store.  PJ asked me in the morning to go to the store for mini wheats and I thought - "heck, I probably need to go to the store, but am not desperate to, so I could make it a quick and hopefully stress free trip."  I forgot PJ's cart at home.  I thought this was going to be a problem.  It turned out not so since, again I gave Mazie the option to "run free" and she took it and PJ sat in the cart.  Again, Mazie was pretty good and not too handsy in the store.  We started in the produce section and she picked up items here and there, but it didn't bother me so much especially since, I was like "ok, we can buy that sweet potato or sure you can eat that apple."   PJ requested yellow cheese from the deli which I gave him.  It was noon when we went to the store and I intended that they snack during the trip on healthy store purchases - makes for happy, occupied children.  I ended having a grocery trip longer than I intended and tired out my little girl by going up and down several isles -- she isn't yet two - so its a lot of walking for her, but she was a trooper.  By the end of the trip Mazie wanted in the cart -- I didn't have room in the cart at this point and although I could have carried her for the last five minutes, I didn't want to set the precedent.  Fortunatly, I was able to get her to walk till I was finished.  (It also helped that I had a box of goldfish opened and used those as treats to get her to follow me and keep up -- have I mentioned how children are like dogs?) At the end of the trip Sebastian had had enough of his carseat, but he had been so good considering he had been in it for over an hour.

After the grocery store we went home (it was about 1pm) and I let the kids play and eat lunch outside.  Putting them down for nap for their nap at 2pm went relatively well.  Next thing I know its time to make dinner.  I expected K home later than usual, but since I was having such a good day with the kids I decided that I would attempt to make dinner (mashed potatoes, steaks, & broccoli) and not use the TV as babysitter, but let them go outside and play instead.  PJ took me up on playing outside and Mazie stayed close by and played in the sink and with her stuffed elmo while I prepared the food.  K came home and everything was done and I wasn't going crazy chasing children and cleaning up messes.

I mentioned to my husband that I had such a wonderful day with the kids.  And some of the things (besides what I mentioned above) that made it so nice were - PJ only threw three fits - one upon arriving at the gym (he didn't want to go), another at naptime when I changed his diaper and wouldn't put butt cream on him since he was just stalling, didn't need it, and the cream wasn't easily accessible, and a third in the tub, for a reason I can't recall.  Mazie wasn't into everything.  Mazie only threw a fit when we were walking across the grocery store parking lot b/c I made her hold my hand.  PJ sat on the potty for me while I was already in the bathroom at the gym changing Mazie and Sebastian's diapers -- which is a bonus to get it all done at the same time - nothing so obnoxious as changing one diaper, getting the things needed - wipes, cream, diaper, washing your hands, putting stuff away, to discover that you have another diaper to change and have to go through the whole routine over.  I hate it when this happens and I end up washing my hands three times in a row - my poor hands have no chance at being soft and moist with three kids in diapers!

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Chuck E Cheese

Sleep Deprivation

Its Saturday night, K and I just get settled down to watch a movie after putting the kids to bed and then.... wa, wa, waa, waa, waaaaa!, waaaaa!  little bit has decided that he is not going to continue sleeping.  I know that if I take 20 minutes and feed him he'll go back down, but I think he should be sleeping longer stretches at a time.  I make the decision to let K feed him a bottle - give him the enjoyment of feeding the baby and give myself a break.  The night goes on and he wakes up every 2.5 hours or so - it is SO tiring.  His last wakeup tends to be around 5am - makes it really difficult for me to get up since I know it will be 530 or later after I get to go back to sleep and its like what's the point of going back to sleep and the bed is SO comfy.  I go grab the baby and bring him into bed with me so he can eat and I can snooze, figuring just a morning snooze with mom won't turn into a habit.  Well, after last night, I'm not so sure - baby was back to his tricks waking every 2.5 hours and last wake up at 5am  - this time I decide to stay in his room.  I feed him for 25min - he eats and falls to sleep, and I put him back in bed and he starts crying loudly.  I swear the little bugger expected me to bring him in bed with me and was protesting.  K keeps telling me Sebastian is too young to be sleep trained - but I have a hard time believing a four month 16lb baby can't make it 6 hours without waking up (he did manage to do this for me once last week - so I know he has it in him, somewhere).  PJ was the same way, and I remember he wasn't sleeping through the night until he was 8months - but he was a bit on the light side, so my doctor advised me not to cut back on the feedings and even so, it took some major training to get him there.  Mazie wasn't so difficult.  (Of course the two have flip-flopped now they are older, PJ is the better sleeper and Mazie is my early riser).  So the question is to sleep train or not?  I may wait another month or so, but I could really use a solid night of sleep.

Escapee

My husband and I were watching some TV during naptime and we heard some noise from PJ and Mazie's room and what sounded like a child playing out of bed.  Kevin mentioned that this morning he found PJ on the steps to his bed and he said "I just sitting on the steps Da"... yeah right.  So I go upstairs and expect to catch PJ out of bed.  When I open the door who is staying right before me?  My little Mazie Rose - out of her crib, out of her sack and a big smile on her face.  I couldn't help but laugh.  PJ was still in bed and said "Mazie got out of her crib"  K and I have known that Mazie was ready for a big bed, but were trying to hold off because we weren't so sure she'd be as trainable to stay in bed as PJ.  Well, I guess she made the decision for us - down went her crib (and back into the babies room - who happens to be growing so quickly he was almost too big for the bassinet), and out came the twin for her.  After putting PJ and Mazie to bed tonight the first 45 min went well - no pitter patter of little feet (it helps that our living room is directly below the kids room) but then I hear PJ call out "Mazie out of her bed".  Kevin went up and gave her a good woopin' hoping to scare her into staying into her bed - I hope it works.  Sometimes its nice to have a tattle tale.

Puppy Love

I have a childless friend that I frequently talk to about my children and she often makes comparisons with my children’s behavior and training to that of her dog. She generally prefaces her statements, with “I know people hate it when I do this, but I had a similar issue with my dog….” In truth, her analogies don’t bother me at all. And actually, I have found children to be quite similar to dogs, up till as certain age, at which point, I would say they become better than dogs. Those of you that gasp in disbelief that I say this I suspect are either 1. Not animal lovers or 2. Have not fully looked at the similarities. Let’s start with newborns and babies – they would be akin to puppies – all newborns can do is cry, sleep, eat and crap – they haven’t learned any tricks and are more/less fully dependent on their mom/caregiver. Although this complete dependence quickly fades both baby and dog remain puppies for quite a bit. The puppy must be taught everything and much patience is required for training as are babies. Babies use diapers, puppies aren’t housebroken, puppies get into everything and require close watching, babies also require constant watching so as not to harm themselves or ones property, both babies and puppies are starting to learn “tricks” – such as how to sit, roll over, walk (walk on lease), learning the word “no” – in teaching these tricks we can use positive reinforcement – giving puppy or baby praise, a treat (biscuit, cookie, etc), negative reinforcement – letting a child continue to play with a new toy if he/she puts away the old toy (taking off the shock collar when the dog stops barking) or punishment – spanking or yelling at for doing wrong. Your puppy then becomes a dog as a child becomes a toddler. They can both do “tricks” on command, they are quick learners, and both can follow simple directions. At about age 4 (I am surmising, since I would say that none of my children are quite to this “Better than a dog” stage, although PJ is daily gaining ground) I would say the child begins to surpass the dog. The child starts to converse intelligently, learns to read and write, is more independent in dressing and feeding.


And in case you didn’t know, I used to have a dog, and I loved my dog, and I miss her greatly and I would love to get another dog. When I look at all the crumbs on the ground from my children’s meals, I think, the dog would clean that up.  But with three very young children I know now is not that time to get a dog. I don’t have the time or energy to look after a puppy and begin to train her. When I get the urge for another baby I will start looking at breeders – planning on having four legged fourth child, and hopefully by that time one of my children is begging for a dog, since I can’t “officially” get on until the kids want one. However, one of the benefits of being the Mama is convincing the kids that dogs are awesome and they need to tell their Da they want one.