Friday, November 30, 2012

At My Wits' End

I am truly there. Some of it may be because of me, my personality, my expectations etc., but I know that some of it is my children as well. Now along with them being a little crazy, so am I.

Crazy 1 has attitude galore. I honestly believe that she is 4 1/2 going on 14. She talks back, she purposefully does things she knows are wrong, she tries to get Crazy 2 to do things she knows he shouldn't and just generally doesn't listen to a word I say. We also have a medical issue with her that involves the potty. It is frustrating for me, not so much because of the accident itself but because she either lies about it or doesn't tell us right away. We had been doing really well for a couple of months, but then a couple of weeks ago, things started to regress. I still believe that the issue might not be just medical, but behavioural as well.

Crazy 2 is obnoxious. I mean, really obnoxious. He is loud, over the top loud and we have yet to find a volume control on him. I would think it was a hearing issue except he can hear us whisper, he can whisper, he just chooses to be loud most of the time. I have tried the inside voice conversation, I have tried time outs, I am at a loss. He also is crazy busy. He runs most of the time, he climbs anything and he gets into everything. He also is at the Terrible Two phase where he is testing his boundaries and doesn't listen or ignores most of what I say.

Lastly there is Crazy 3. He has no control over the things that drive me crazy as he is only 7 months, but there are a few things. His sleeping patterns are definitely not something I am dealing with easily. He wakes up anywhere between 2-5 times a night. My definition of night is from when we put him to bed (7:30 PM) and 6:00 AM.
Sometimes it is as easy as replacing his soother, sometimes it is a quick nurse, but other times I am up for at least 30 minutes and then it's harder for me to get back to sleep. He also does not nap well. That just adds to the craziness around this house. The other frustration I have with him is he spits his food all over me. Every time I feed him, I add food decor to whatever I am wearing. He tends to do it the first couple of bites and then at the end when he is done. The frustrating part is that he doesn't do it to The Husband.

I really do love my children. More than anything. I try to provide them with an exciting, loving and caring environment. I try to look past their idiosyncrasies and not get too flustered.

I have good children. They don't fight much amongst themselves, they use their manners most of the time, they listen fairly well when we are out and about. Most of these issues are when we are at home. I just don't really know where to go from here and I don't think I can handle much more at status quo.

For now I just needed a good vent. Somewhere to lay it all out and be able to look at it reflectively. Here's hoping that today gets better, I don't really know if I can handle it if it gets much worse.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Never Ending Laundry

Anyone else out there feel like all they do, day in and day out, is laundry?

I know I have three children, all under 5, so there only stands to reason that I have a fair amount, but I mean come on. I feel like I could do laundry all day, every day and never really be caught up.

I am so thankful that Crazy 3 never spat up all that much. It definitely saved me on at least some laundry, maybe a load a week. I feel bad for all the parents out there that have little ones with reflux. Not only would it be difficult to deal with, but I am sure the dirty clothes just pile up.

Sometimes I wonder if I just buy more clothes for all of us, if that would mean less laundry. I don't actually think that would work. Running out of socks or underwear forces me to get it done. If we had more, I think I really would need to run the washer and dryer constantly.

Soon enough, I will have the crazies help me. Crazy 1 already helps put her clothes away in her room, I just need to teach her to fold. I wonder if when she turns 5 that would be too soon?

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Worst Housekeeper Award

So yesterday, Crazy 2 was feeling fine, but had an episode of runny poop in his pull up. He came up the stairs from the playroom dripping poop out of the legs of his jeans. After getting him all sorted out, cleaned up and in bed for a nap, I had to tackle the carpet in the playroom.

Silly me, grabbed the fullest bottle of Fantastic, which just happens to contain bleach. Needless to say, the carpet in the playroom now has lovely bleach markings as well as some staining. The sad part is, I didn't notice right away so the damage was already done.

The Husband always bugs me about not being the greatest Housekeeper and unfortunately I just proved him right. Yes, I said it, The Husband was right about this one thing.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Full Moon Rising

What is it about the lead up to the full moon that has my children acting crazier than normal? I mean really, the full moon isn't until Wednesday night, but my children are acting as though it is tonight.

Crazy 1 was fairly well behaved all day today, that is until dinner time. She didn't want to eat anything and then wanted her bedtime snack an hour and a half before bedtime. The sad part about that is the rule around here is if you eat your bedtime snack early, you go to bed early.

Crazy 2 has volume issues at the best of times but tonight took the cake. He was off the chart loud and pretty much constant at that level.

Crazy 3 is just really cuddly and is a total Momma's Boy. The saving grace to that is he went to bed without any issue. Let's just hope he sleeps the night.

All in all, I am not looking forward to the next couple of evenings. It seems to get worse the closer the full moon gets, but then once it is here things get back to our normal with the snap of a finger. It is a little disturbing.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Good Behaviour or Just Better....

I find myself judging my crazies behaviour when we are out in public based on how other children are acting. I am sure most of us parents do this, we are thankful when it is not our children having a meltdown at the playground when it is time to leave, when it is not our children throwing food and utensils at a restaurant or when it is not our children kicking and screaming out the door of a venue.

Overall, even though my children are a little crazy, they are loud and full of energy, I do usually feel my children are well behaved when we are out. I have been very lucky that all three of them are extremely good natured but they do have their moments. I have been the mom that has thrown Crazy 1 over her shoulder to leave a store when she decided to lay on the floor and kick and scream. I have been the mom that has picked up Crazy 2 and hauled him out of the pool kicking and crying. Crazy 3 gets away with a little more crying and screaming because, well, he is only just over 6 months.

When we are out somewhere and all I have to do is remind them to stay with me and the stroller, even if it is a hundred times, and there are no tears and no shrieks, I feel like we have had a good behaviour day. Especially when we are out and there are other parents hauling their screaming, crying, kicking children out the doors, or off the playground.

Is it wrong of me to decide that the day was a success just based on how other children behave or should I look at how my children normally behave and base it on that? All I know is that to me any day where we can leave somewhere without a meltdown from either Crazy 1 or Crazy 2 is successful to me!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Day From Hell

So yesterday in my books was a day from HELL!

Crazy 1 and Crazy 2 both had school, so I thought it would be a decent day, even with the lack of sleep due to Crazy 3. Boy was I ever wrong.

When I picked Crazy 2 up from play school, he was great. Wasn't even crying like he normally is. We drove home looking for school buses but once he got into the house, major meltdown! On the floor, crying, just plain not happy. Put him to bed 20 minutes earlier than normal and he woke up after just an hour and half, not the standard two and a half hours.

Crazy 1 is in talk back mode pretty much all the time and yesterday was no different. To go along with that, we had a potty accident and got a nose bleed. Both of course happened while I was trying to nurse Crazy 3.

Crazy 3 decided that he needed to eat every 45 minutes and that napping was optional.

I had self motivated myself to believe that I would actually accomplish something yesterday, anything would have been nice. I just barely got dinner made for 5:30 PM and I started it at 1:00 PM.

These days are the exception to the rule, but man did I feel overwhelmed yesterday. Good thing The Husband came home with coffee and chocolate!

Sunday, November 18, 2012

The Oxymoron of a Mandatory Gratuity

So lately The Husband has been quite annoyed with how gratuities are now expected when we are out and about.

Depending on the level of service, both The Husband and I will usually leave between 15% and 20%, but what gets us is that if you leave less because of the level of service you are considered stingy.

The Husband is currently working on booking his Christmas party for work and while doing so, because the group is more than 8 people, is finding that most places are informing him that there will be an automatic 18% gratuity added to the bill.

Just for reference, here are some definitions as per Merriam-Webster:

MANDATORY

1: required by a law or rule : obligatory
2: of, by, relating to, or holding a League of Nations mandate

GRATUITY

something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service

I do believe that by the definitions above, adding a automatic gratuity then makes it mandatory, which in my opinion, completely negates the purpose of a gratuity. To me, it should be optional to represent my level of satisfaction of the service I received. My question is if the gratuity is automatic, but the service is atrocious, do I have an option not to pay it?

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Where Are Your Manners?

So, lately, I have been having some issues with Crazy 1 and her manners. It seems she has forgotten all that I have tried to teach her about saying Please and Thank You, but Excuse Me is still in use for appropriate situations.

It is hard for me because I am in the middle of getting Crazy 2 to understand about this and when Crazy 1 chooses to ignore it, then Crazy 2 follows suit.

The other hard part is when we are out in public, like at the mall, and it's busy. I get so annoyed when adults bump my stroller, or cut me off from the rest of my family with no I'm Sorry, no Excuse Me, they just go about their own business like we don't even exist.

How am I supposed to teach my own children the value and importance of manners when out in the world having manners is becoming obsolete. As a parent, it is my job to teach them, to have them learn by example, but I still believe that it takes a village and that society has a certain responsibility as well. We should all be more respectful so that future generations can be as well.

Friday, November 16, 2012

My Fourth Child

I tend to write my posts about my lovely children or The Husband, but in effect I do have a 4th child. The Dog.

The reason I am posting about him today is because I feel a bit bad lately about my pet parenting.

I love The Dog, The Husband and I actually adopted him before we were even married. He was technically our first child. We used to take him to the off leash parks, walked him and let him sleep in our room.

With Crazy 1, I would still take him to the off leash park occasionally, The Husband and I would walk him sometimes and he was still allowed upstairs in our room.

Since Crazy 2 I don't think he has ever been to the off leash park, walks have been few and far between and he isn't even allowed upstairs. I will qualify that the reason he is not allowed upstairs is because of the gates for the crazies.

I love The Dog and he has been amazing with all our children. He is a big dog and puts up with the kids trying to ride him, sitting on him, pulling his hair and all the rest of the craziness.

I am hoping that some of the craziness with subside soon and that at least we can least get walks back on the program. Even if it is just me with The Dog it might help with my sanity to get 20 minutes a night to myself. Just a thought.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Should You Always Like Your Children?

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE my children. More than anything in the world. I would cross the ocean, move mountains, pretty much do anything for them. The issue I have is sometimes I feel like I don't really like them.

I should qualify that it's more because of things they are doing, and if anyone was doing these things I wouldn't like them at that moment either.

Example 1 is when the phone rings. The crazies will all be playing nicely, or watching a show and then BOOM, the phone rings and all HELL breaks loose. Crazy 1 usually needs something at that exact moment, Crazy 2 decides to run around the island singing his ABC's at the top of his lungs, and Crazy 3 of course starts to cry and scream. At this moment, I don't really like any of my children.

Example 2 is when I am making dinner. This only really affects Crazy 1 and Crazy 2 as the rule of the house is to stay out of the kitchen when I am cooking. It never fails, just as I am about to open the oven, they decide to start running through the kitchen playing some sort of game of tag. Again, at this moment I don't really like them.

I could go on and on with examples of situations and instances where I might not like 1, 2 or all 3 of my children. I am coming to the realization that it's OK not to like the things they do, that it's OK to not always even like them at a given moment. I would never tell them this, I usually just tell them I don't like their actions or not say anything at all.

All I really do know is I do LOVE my children. Even through all the craziness, there is always laughter and lots of love in our house and in the end that is what matters!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

My Apologies for Being MIA

I have come to the realization that being Missing In Action is going to be a regular occurrence with this blog. I will send out my heart felt apologies for the past few days as well as any instances in the future.

Life got the better of me this week between lack of sleep, evening activities and well just plain laziness.

I have found some solace in getting out my little rants and venting what I feel are injustices. I do plan to continue to keep this up as much as I can as I see some of my sanity returning amongst the craziness I have created as my life.

Thanks to those of you out there that are reading this blog, hopefully some of you are repeat offenders. Even if this is mostly for me, I am confident that this lapses will not be too often.

Remember to take it one day at a time, and most things are not life or death, especially if I miss posting for a few days.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Happy Six Years

All I have to say today is Happy Anniversary to The Husband.

Love you more and more each and everyday.

We have accomplished a lot in the past 6 years, and we will accomplish a lot more in the years to come.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Clothes Designed by Baby Food

Crazy 3 is now eating 'solids' as in purees of fruits and vegetables.

My clothing looks new and abstract with all the baby food splatter. It's almost as though I need a bib for me more than I need one for him.

He has taken to blowing raspberries as soon as his mouth is full of food. I get it all over my hair, my face, my glasses, my shirt. It's like I get a new wardrobe every time I sit down to feed him.

The funniest part is he seems to really only do it for me. When The Husband goes to feed him, there is way less mess.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Second Guessing the Busing Decision

It's mornings like this where I debate within my head whether or not I made the right decision on not busing Crazy 1 to school.

The reasons I decided against it was because she is only 4 1/2 years old, it's only kindergarten and The Husband was able to drive her every morning as his route to the office goes right by the school which means I only have to pick her up.

The reason I am second guessing my decision is because there is snow on the ground and the temperatures are supposed to drop considerably over the next few days. For Crazy 1 that is a good thing we are driving her. No waiting at the bus stop in the cold. For me it means I have to bundle Crazy 2 and Crazy 3 up every day to pick her up.

I should be thankful that I only have the pick up duties. It means I have all morning to get myself and the boys ready. To be honest it is nice to talk to some of the other parents and be able to see her teacher every day. Really, I should be honest and admit, it's not the snow that is getting me down but the cold. I hate the cold, I hate taking the kids out in the cold. If I had my way, we would just hunker down and never leave the house if it is below -5 Celcius.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

The Spanking Debate

I am not ashamed to admit that I have spanked Crazy 1 and Crazy 2. I am not proud of this fact, but I am not ashamed either.

The definition of spank from Merriam-Webster is:
to strike especially on the buttocks with the open hand.

The only place I have spanked my children is on the buttocks, and only with an open hand, and usually through clothing and diapers. I do not spank my children to cause harm, but more to get their attention. I find just the threat of a spanking can easily change the behaviour of both Crazy 1 and Crazy 2. It only takes a couple of times to follow through with the threat for them to know that I am serious.

Some people say that by spanking them, I am teaching them that hitting is OK. I argue that if you teach them the difference between spanking and hitting that is not the case. Neither Crazy 1 nor Crazy 2 have been hitters, kickers or biters. Not to say they don't have tantrums, they can scream and cry with the best of them, they just really have never been overly physical in their demonstrations.

I don't believe that anyone else has the right to spank my child. I feel that this type of punishment should be solely at the discretion of a parent. I don't believe that I am harming my children. I know that many people out there do believe that and they are entitled to that opinion.

I think that discipline in general is something that is lacking with many children nowadays. I think every parent should find what works for them and stick with it and follow through. We use a combination of count downs, time outs, loosing privileges and spankings (most commonly used punishment is first). I also believe that every child reacts differently to different punishments and as the child gets older, the punishments need to change.

In the end, all I know is that the times that I have spanked my children, response from them is immediate and behaviour is corrected at once. More often than not, the behaviour is not repeated for a fair amount of time, if at all.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Daylight Savings Time SUCKS

This weekend is Daylight Savings Time so last night we had to move the clocks back an hour.

I remember, prechildren, when this was an amazing thing! We got an extra hour to sleep, to party or to just do whatever when this would happen. Now that I have children, it SUCKS!

My crazies are early risers to begin with so this morning was not pleasant to say the least. We couldn't even keep them up late last night as yesterday was a busy day and Crazy 2 missed his nap. The wake ups started around 4:00 AM.

The Husband, thank goodness, got up with Crazy 1 and Crazy 2 just after 5:00 AM and let me and Crazy 3 sleep until 7:00 AM. Not that Crazy 3 helped matters last night. He was up and down from 2:00 AM on (which was really 1:00 AM as that's when the clocks go back).

I have decided that Daylight Savings Time just reeks havoc with scheduling and sleeping patterns for all my children and that to me just SUCKS.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Has Cabin Fever Already Set In?

I am thinking this is going to be a VERY long winter. Cabin fever has already begun to set in with Crazy 1 and Crazy 2, either that or they are completely insane today. I don't really get it as today is the first day we haven't gone anywhere in almost a week.

I would have loved to go out, but the sickness has now infected Crazy 3 and myself so we are definitely more limited on excursions for now.

All I know is the lack of sleep and the illness is starting to make me a little crazy and the behaviour of Crazy 1 and Crazy 2 are not helping matters today. They are so loud and rambunctious that I am tempted to lock myself in a room to get away from them.

At least I will get some reprieve when Crazy 2 has his nap. I am hoping Crazy 3 will nap at the same time and then I can throw a movie in for Crazy 1 to watch so I can nap on the couch. I might even bribe her with popcorn or extra Halloween candy. That's right, I am not below bribing my children to get a few minutes (or maybe an hour) of peace and quiet.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Movember

November represents 'Movember' where men around the world let their moustaches grow for the month to raise money for prostate cancer.

I am proud to say that The Husband is participating in this not only to raise the money, but to support a co-worker that just got diagnosed with breast cancer. I always knew The Husband was a good man, and this just confirms it.

I plan to bug the crap out of all my friends and family to sponsor him. I think it is a great cause and a great way to raise awareness. The only downside is I hate facial hair and I have to deal with him having the 'stache for a whole month!