Growing Up So Fast!

The last two weeks have been weeks of major milestones for our two little ones. They are growing up so fast! Soon they will be children not, a toddler and a baby. I don't know what I will do without babies in the house anymore! It sure is fun to watch them grow. Oh, but how fast they are growing! We need to make them, especially the baby, just slow down a notch or two! :)

Kiddo #3 here has suddenly made leaps and bounds in his speech. He went from talking gibberish that hardly anybody could understand to almost conversational in a matter of days. He has been slow in his speech development, mostly because he just didn't want to, and it is just amazing to hear understandable words come from his cute little mouth. :) On top of that, he has decided that using the potty rather than a diaper really is a good idea and has given up diapers completely during the day. He still wears a pull up at night for sleeping but, I suspect that won't last too much longer. What a big boy!


Kiddo #4 is 9 months old now. She has decided that she can and will walk. She walks everywhere and only crawls if she wants to get somewhere REALLY fast. Walking! Big girl! I keep telling her that she is only 9 months old and she is the last one so, she needs to just slow it down and let me enjoy her "babiness" just a little longer but, she must think I am just being silly or something because she will not listen to reason. Then just two days ago she sees her very favorite daddy and gives him the biggest grin and says "hi, daddy!" Clear as day, there was no mistaking what she said or that it was what she meant to say. Talking?! Really, this is just getting out of hand!

Quiet! Is it really possible?

Seriously, is it really possible to have the house quiet during naptime? Am I asking too much? Are my expectations too high?

Here's the situation. Kiddos #1 and #2 no longer take a nap during the day. Kiddo #2 really still needs one but, he has figured out how to keep himself awake so it's just not worth the battle anymore. Kiddos #3 and #4 still really need a nap. Naptime is at about the same time everyday. I give plenty of warnings and plan for what we will do while the little ones are napping. The time comes and the little ones go to bed, it's a pretty easy process at this point, not much of a battle to get them down. Then the problems start.
I try to do school time during naptime because it's easier for the older two to concentrate on their studies when the two little ones are not there bugging them. It seems to me that it should be fairly easy to be nice and quiet while we work. We move to the back of the house where the playroom is and close the doors behind us creating a sound buffer. Should be nice and quiet for the sleeping ones, right? Yet, it never fails kiddo #2 ALWAYS wakes his brother and sister before they are ready. EVERY day. He also wakes them up in the mornings if he gets up before them. He just CANNOT be quiet.
WHY!? Why can't he manage to keep quiet for just a short time? How can I teach him to be quiet? How can I make this important to him? Is it just not possible? Should I give up the fight?
You would think that a kid who has a father who worked nights and slept days all of his life would understand about being quiet while someone is sleeping. No, sir! Not a chance! He yells, he bangs things around, he slams doors, he runs through the house, etc, etc, etc.
I made him stay back in the playroom today because he just would not calm down. I told him that he could only come out if he had to potty, until the little ones woke up. He still managed to wake them up. Now, I have two tired and grouchy little ones and I am tired and grouchy. GROWL!

He's such a sweet kid. He has a lot of energy and gets excited about so many things. He is a joy to be around, most of the time. I just wish he could be quiet for an hour or two in the afternoon!

It's Playoff Time!!!

Monday Blues

What is it about Mondays? Yesterday was Monday and it was just not a very good day. In fact, the last three or four Mondays have just been...well, bad days. I can't figure out why that is. There is nothing particularly special about Mondays at our house. I don't have a Monday thru Friday job so, I am not doing the stereotypical get up and go to work Monday thing. We homeschool so, I don't have to do the get the kids up and ready Monday thing. So, why is it that Mondays have been so extra chaotic and just downright bad days? What is it about Mondays? The husband does go back to work Monday mornings after the weekend off but, it just doesn't seem like that should be a deal breaker for the day to me. Maybe that is what it is but, I am skeptical.
What is it about Mondays? The kids have been extra grouchy, whiny, and uncooperative. And the mom has been extra low on patience. Put these things together and it makes for a bad day for all of us. To top off this particular Monday, ants have decided to invade our master bathroom. Ants. In the bathroom. I HATE ants. Why ants? Why the bathroom?
It's strange because Monday should be a fun and easy day because it is music class with Gram day and mini-church for the mom and dad day. Things that we all enjoy.
I need to come up with a plan to make this day somehow better for all of us.