Happy New Year!

We couldn't find a sitter to go to the 'adult only' parties we were invited to, so we had a family night at my sister's house. We ate chili, meat, crackers, and all sorts of good stuff. Then the adults played "The 80s game." Ryan hung out with us, which I enjoyed. This also gave Kate and Grant a chance to bond which they did. The babies had a great time as well.
I hope you all had a good night & best of luck in the new year!

rt

Bedtime

I have to be honest. I dread bedtime. It's probably my least favorite time of day as a parent. Why you ask? Because it never runs as smoothly as I would like. First, there is the act of stalling. "Kids time to brush your teeth." No response. After about three more times of telling them to get going, they do. I try to put Olivia down during this time. If she crashes, it's a good night. Some nights she wants to cry, which keeps up the rest of the crew. I haven't even mentioned the "get out of bed to be with mom" routine. Or the excuses as to why they can't yet get into bed. Or the whining. Or the thirst and hunger. Or having to go potty. Or being scared.
As I began this, the kids were all tucked snugly into their beds. Now, Ryan is down here, Olivia is wandering around, and Kate has come down because her brother and sister are down here.

So I just put Olivia in her crib. She is now screaming. Ryan is mad because I won't let him sleep in Kate's bed (she shares with Olivia), and Kate is in the recliner with Thad.

I know what some of you are thinking...."and she says she wants more kids?!?!?" Hey, I love all this craziness!

A few observations...

Last night I decided that Olivia no longer needed her pacifier. So that was that. Was it that easy for her? Uh......no. But we made it through the night and nap time. Tonight will be a big test. Now if we could get her to sleep in her crib all night long....I have a feeling it will be a LONG time before that issue is dealt with!

Being home for Christmas break has allowed me to take the time to truly evaluate my children. Ryan remains very independent. I practically have to beg him to play a game with me. He has his own agenda and, unfortunately I don't fit into it. No matter what we ask/tell him to do, there is some sort of fight involved. If he were to go to bed the first time we told him, I might fall over!

Kate likes to complain. Nothing is fair, she can't "do it" (whatever "it" may be), and she "hates" everything. Ironically, she is still very easy to please, AND she does what we tell her. I hope this little complaining phase ends soon!

Olivia fascinates me. She is in a huge mommy phase. If she wants something, it's "Mommy, mommy, mommy, etc." Tonight Kate was sitting on me and boy did Olivia get angry. She has been territorial over me the last few days. Hopefully that won't last. Oh, and she still cries at the drop of a hat. I was a tough cookie as a child too, but it didn't take much to get me to cry. I am wondering if this is Olivia. You can barely tell her anything without a bawling session.

Even if no one is reading this, I guess it's at least theraputic for me! Happy New Year!

Did Santa Do the Right Thing?

I wasn't very thrilled that Santa got Ryan a PS2. (Ryan had one but broke it last spring. I was thrilled!) The photo sums up a good portion of my stress these last few days. I don't think Ryan should be on it for very long. I want to set time limits, etc. Thad thinks I should relax over Christmas break.

So far my restrictions are being honored, but I have a feeling that there will be many PS2 fights to come.

One year old woes

Olivia is normally treated like a princess by everyone. We are learning that when she feels she has been treated unfairly, she falls apart. This photo was taken during a game that Thad, Ryan, Kate, and I were playing. She was crawling across the board so we moved her. Is this just toddler behavior or a sign of things to come???

Merry Christmas!

I decided with so many friends and family living far away that this might be the best way to keep in touch. So, we are entering the wonderful world of technology....

Since today is Christmas day, I will give you a rundown of the gifts each kid received.

Ryan: PS2, shirt, Spud shirt, Spud pants, Battleship game, Sequence game, Batman boombox, Happy Feet Soundtrack, chapter books, lincoln logs, and a game boy game. I can't remember the rest. Sadly, he (& the others) has only opened gifts from my parents and us!

Kate: Bike, dance bag, figure skating bag, dance outfit, Dora game, 2 barbies, Aqua doodle, Little Mermaid DVD, and that's all I can think of....

Olivia: TMX Elmo, Elmo potty training book, Sesame street pop up toy, Baby Galileo, Vtech nursery rhyme toy, chair, Cinderella baby, bathtub baby, and more....

Ryan got us up very early (including our non morning baby). Olivia was very crabby so she fell asleep & we missed church. Now I am dealing with the "missing the true meaning of Christmas" guilt. We have talked about it at length, but I am feeling bad!