We did manage a bit of a trip recently, because I’m still set on giving my children the experiences they deserve, no matter how exhausted I am. So we took our first trip to Vermont since F was born. The older two love running around outside and spending time with their grandparents, and look forward to the trip every summer. Baby F had an amazing time too, and I’m pretty sure was ready to become a country kid.
Mother's Day
I was having a conversation recently about Mother’s Day, and how I don’t feel like it’s for me. Which is weird. I obviously feel like a mom – I spend a good portion of every waking hour focused on doing mom things and thinking about my kids. I’m deep in all the mom stuff. I’m currently pregnant with our third child. So why does Mother’s day make me feel so odd? Is it all the commercials of breakfast in bed and specialness of the day? Is it seeing everyone else so focused on brunch reservations and fancy family photos that makes me feel like I should be doing something I’m not interested in? That I’m not living up to my Mother’s Day potential?
A Slow and Small Return to Normal(ish)
Not a ton of time has gone by, but the last post I made had snow on the ground. It’s slow, but things are changing, and for the better. After a year of stagnation, it’s both amazing and unsettling to witness change again.
The weather is definitely warmer, which means more time outside, and with that comes playground dates again. Such a simple thing that we’ve taken for granted in the past, but makes the kids so happy, and tires them out like nothing else. Combined with spending the rest of the day outside at home, they sleep so well too.
Our Weekend
Last weekend Tom was sick for most of the day, which left me solo with the kids. I realized that I’ve been orchestrating life lately to ensure that I’m not alone with both of them except for our normal night routine. I’m not sure why I see those two as different. Maybe because we have such a routine to our nights, I view that as normal and not hard. And it’s not like I haven’t been alone with them - over Christmas there were multiple days in a row where it was just me and both the tiny humans. And of course there’s been other random days here and there, but I always end the day exhausted and feeling like I failed both of them. So for whatever reason, we’ve just made it so that most of the time it’s either two on two, or one on one.
Still Here
My goal was to write a post about how tired I am, and explain that’s why I haven’t been posting much anywhere. But I’m so tired it seems overwhelming to do this?
That’s what happens. When I’m tired, overwhelmed, or haven’t had enough down time, my creative brain goes away. I can barely think or form sentences, let alone do anything additional.
Extra Mama Time
Here's what I believe about toddlers, at least two year old toddlers. They don't know how to misbehave, or how to do things to annoy you on purpose. They only know there are things that will get your attention, and things that won't.
And if they're doing something to get your attention, it's because they need you and don't know how to say so.
The Mystery Bananas
Language is powerful. Nothing reinforces that more than having children. Suddenly you’re watching what you say around them or how you say it. Aware that they’re taking in everything, and learning from you. Words can also dictate behavior. E learned a new word recently, and it’s completely changing how we spend our weekends.
The word? Outside.
No Fear
I never wanted E to be timid or afraid of life. So I’ve tried hard not to hover over him, and let him explore on his own. I’m aware that means he may get hurt from time to time in situations that I could have prevented, but the goal is/was to make him independent and confident. That’s what we’re supposed to do as parents, right?
Small Tales from Daycare
It's no secret that we love our daycare, and E especially loves it there. He learns new things all the time, and it's amazing. One weekend we noticed he had started bringing books over to us and then immediately sitting down on the ground and crossing his ankles like he's trying to sit cross legged. It's the cutest thing ever, and we definitely have circle time to thank for it.
E's first header
Books are dangerous. They can fill your head with all sorts of ideas and stories...or they can bruise your nose. In this case I'm talking about the latter.
E's too smart for his own good lately. He's getting bored of his usual toys and he's starting to figure out our routines. Part of that means that he knows his bedtime routine well enough that he knows bedtime stories are just the last thing keeping him from food before bed. So he cries while we read.