Monday, June 29, 2009

no naps

So we decided to bite the bullet and take out Zoe's nap completely. She just was not going to sleep at a reasonable hour at night, and we were sick of going in her room countless times to put her back down. So after five days of no naps I am happy to report that she has been going to bed in about 5 minutes or under. It's been so great. sigh. What happened to my babies?
Oh, and I tried the no diaper route for about 3-4 hours the other day and decided it's just not going to happen as soon as I'd like...my patience is extra thin, and I got really lucky with Lily potty-training in a day...Why push it when it's just going to make us both frustrated (well, me at least)?
On to a hot fourth of July week...

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

earning money the slimy way

With Lily's birthday fast approaching she has been more and more excited about the prospect of the new princess bike she has been asking for. For the past year or so we have told her to save her pennies to help pay for the bike, and she has. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find too many things for her to do to earn money, but yesterday she scored and scored big (for a 3 year old).
At our old house we never got snails so I never knew that she'd be fascinated by the grotesquely slimy creatures. Since being at my mom's though, Grandma has gone out weekly to put out snail bait with Lily at her heels. The following day they'll go out and pick the snails up to throw in the garbage...she's not grossed-out at all. So when my mom suggested they go over to Great-Grandma's to check out the snails after baiting the day before, Lily and her cousin Abbie readily agreed. Great-Grandma said she'd pay a penny a snail....little did she know it'd break the bank.
They set out on their expedition with my mom towing a yellow newspaper bag. They counted as they walked around from plant to plant and bush to bush. Zoe, not wanting to be left but not quite ready to touch the snails, would supervise and say, "Get it, Abbie!" When all was said and done the girls had collected 252! snails. That was $1.25 apiece, and Lily was ecstatic. My mom then figured with all the days Lily had helped her at her own house over the past few weeks, she owed her at least a dollar. So I guess it pays to be brave and non-slime-aphobic. With less than two months to her birthday, I guess she'll be looking for a lot more snails....and she'll be on her new bike in no time.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

underground

So I feel a little bit like we've gone underground. The past month (almost) has been a transition for us all. At first the girls treated it like it was a fun vacation and long-term sleepover at Grandma's house, but as we've had the usual meltdowns and cranky days it's become more apparent that they are missing 'home'. Lily especially has been asking if we can go home. It's hard to reason with an almost-four-year-old; And while it make more sense to an adult of how change is necessary with a means to an end, children definitely live in the moment, and it's been tough to see the emotion/loss of security that Lily harbors in the good memories of our first home. I don't blame her--I am not the kind of person who welcomes change very often. I definitely find that peace in everyday comforts and routine.
But I also know that evolution is necessary and unavoidable, so I must try to be as patient with Lily as I'd want someone to be with me when thrust into a big change. She really does do well on most days, and I'm proud of the way they've made the most of things. Our going-to-bed routine still seems some major fine-tuning as they just do not sleep nearly as well here, but all in good time....
And speaking of the avoidance of change, I've been putting off potty-training Zoe even though she has probably been ready for months now. While I give a toddler credit for learning such a big thing, I also duly recognize the training that the parent has to go through to help them accomplish such a feat. I'm just not feeling any motivation, although it sure would be nice to only have one diaper to change come October. sigh. Time to buck up and just do it.
We've also had other stuff to deal with. We've been awakened for the last two nights by one of the girls vomiting. We've been really lucky as they rarely get stomach sick, but with the swine flu going around, I am a little more anxious than I normally would be. Zoe seemed to be fine after about 24 hours and didn't exhibit any other symptoms besides throwing-up and tiredness; however, Lily was the sick one early this morning and seems to be running a little fever and now I am a little more paranoid.
Andrew has been working overtime like crazy, and I so appreciate his willingness to support us so that we can accomplish our goals. He's such a great husband and dad, and I couldn't ask for a better match. As I see our relationship evolve I am more grateful that we aren't trying to change each other but trying harder to change ourselves to be more compatible. That is a huge blessing and not always easy, but I am grateful to have been through enough hard knocks to coerce me to try and be more forgiving and more willing to communicate. I guess that's all I can ask for--someone who makes me want to be better as well as trying to better himself at the same time. And isn't it funny that there are those people placed in our lives that just 'fit'...somehow with all the billions of people on earth our Heavenly Father is able to intertwine just the right combination to give us the maximum potential for learning and growth. How grateful I am for that and for fathers who are willing to be more than just fathers...it definitely takes someone special to be a daddy...I've got one and so do my children, and I feel so blessed.