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Thursday, 30 July 2009

Bedtime routine....

I used to try to tackle the project of getting the kids ready for bed as quickly as possible to have it over with. I would send them all to use the potties, then have them line up in the bathroom, take turns getting their teeth brushed, then go to bed. Sounds simple right? Ha! It was a rather stressful situation because 3 little boys together cause quite a commotion. They would fight over who could use the potty first (2 potties for 3 boys), something would almost always go wrong and cause a delay (potty is clogged, someone made a mess all over, someone needs a diaper change before they use the potty). When I was brushing their teeth they had a hard time standing still, they're very noisy and it's amplified in the bathroom, and they like to get into everything. Even when I had them line up with their backs on the wall they would do things like thumping their head on the wall, making loud noises, etc. so I would have to work to calm them down and be quiet. I was always very irritable and dreaded bedtime because I knew it was so much work.

Then I decided to try something new -- I put them straight to bed, then once they were in bed I would take them out one by one and go through everything that child needed for bedtime. The change in stress levels was so drastic I actually started looking forward to bedtime prep. It resulted in a quiet, one-on-one interaction time. I also started using the time brushing their teeth to lavish the praises and positive talk on them, which I believe is essential to building up their character, yet is often overlooked during the day. I also allowed them a couple of minutes to talk. I'd ask them how their day was, let them tell me their story they're itching to tell, or ask me a question (one last time today). The whole bedtime prep process was actually done more quickly since I was able to get through each child without stressful distractions.

Last night while I was brushing Lex's teeth, he said through his mouthful of toothbrush and toothpaste, "I like family time." I said quizzically, "Family time?" He nodded with a little smile. "When is that?" I asked, trying to think of when we had family time recently, then I realized he was referring to right now. "Is this family time, Lex?" He nodded with a grin. Wow. Yay!!!

Thursday, 19 February 2009

Darndest Things....

A couple of days ago I was feeling pretty run down and wanted the kids to go to bed early. I told them to pick up the toys downstairs and on the stairway then get in bed. Alexei came to me and said cheerfully, "Mama, I'm going to pick up all the toys downstairs, AND all the toys on the stairway AND all the toys in our room!" I couldn't refuse his eagerness to do good so I praised him and told him if they do it all really fast and well, I would give them candy. About half way through it they forgot and were lost in Play Land again. So I had to tell them that they couldn't have candy. I was feeling even more tired by then so I told them to just go to bed and finish tomorrow. As they were being good little boys and obeying me, I came in with Jake to put him in his swing. I tripped over a toy and almost landed on my face while holding the baby -- he jolted awake of course, and of course being as tired as I was I immediately became very irritated and angry and kicked the toy across the room. I was about to let something come out of my mouth... not sure what but it wouldn't have been pretty..... when Aidan said with a matter-of-fact attitude,"Well, Mama, that's just what happens when you tell us to NOT clean our room!" I stood there for a moment with my mouth open in shock. I got an attitude adjustment from my five year old, lol.

Friday, 06 February 2009

In the past
Alexei broke out a front tooth and chipped another = trip to Urgent Care and Dentist;

Tristan busted his lip and needed stitches and had to have a tooth removed that was shoved all the way into his gum and was infected= Two Trips to E.R. and one to Dentist (see last post)

So today...
Aidan swallowed a quarter -- the second time he has swallowed a coin, mind you -- but this time it was lodged in his throat. He started crying and gagging and told me he swallowed the money with a guitar on it (Tennessee quarter). We tried to get it out ourselves by him coughing & gagging but it wasn't budging. Thank God it wasn't face down, it wasn't blocking his air passage. It was sideways and we could feel it poking out on his throat.
I took him to Urgent Care and of course, just like several other trips to an Urgent Care Center, they sent me to the E.R. because they couldn't handle it.... what CAN they handle, anyway??!!??? As I was checking in at the E.R. Aidan threw it up... Thank God! We could go home!!! So now, HOPEFULLY he's learned to stop putting coins in his mouth. The nurses in the E.R. washed off the quarter and gave it back to us as a souvenir. lol I think he still has the coin he swallowed last time.... sanitized of course.

Sunday, 07 December 2008

fun stuff

this morning while I was in my room getting ready for the day (you know, ideas of just how my day was going to go), I heard a very loud thud from the boys room... louder than the usual falling down kind of thuds, followed by very loud crying -- the kind where you just know it's bad.
Tristan had been running around pretending to ride a motorcycle, but apparently his 'motorcycle' crashed against the dresser and busted his lip bad enough for stitches.
A few hours of waiting in the ER and three stitches later he was a happy camper again and very excited about showing his owie to Daddy.

We celebrated my twen****venth birthday (j/k, I feel older but it's not that bad) today instead of tomorrow. Josh and Ben B gave me 2 beautiful parakeets, male and female. I also got a big cozy oh-so-soft robe that I'm not gonna want to take off, lol, some jewelry, sweater, makeup and perfume. It was a very nice birthday. :)

oh, and my house is clean again! that's one of the many benefits of having people over... we clean like mad before hand! lol

Monday, 01 December 2008

Please help......

I've had 2 home births after 2 hospital births (first one being a c-section). The home birth experiences were much more pleasant and safe with no complications whatsoever.

I was being pressured, and would have been forced to have a c-section with my 4th baby 2 months ago by the hospital doctors because I had a c-section with my first -- even though I've delivered 2 other babies vaginally after with no complications. Thanks to my kind, generous and caring midwife who helped me, I was able to give birth vaginally again and avoid the dangerous and painful c-section.

Midwives in Idaho are being threatened by the AMA and ACOG's efforts to outlaw midwifery.

All mothers rights to choices in where and how they want to give birth will be stripped away.

If midwifery had already been outlawed prior to my last birth I would have been left with the choice of either a fight with the doctors to deliver naturally, have a c-section or deliver the baby unassisted at home (Josh and I would catch).

Midwives provide safety for many parents who choose to birth at home. Some people would still deliver at home regardless of the legality of midwifery, so allowing midwives to practice makes it much safer for them.

Midwives provide safety for many people who CANNOT get to a hospital, because in some areas the hospital is just too far away.

There are many other reasons midwifery is safe and beneficial and should be kept legal.

Idahoans for Midwives is working hard to keep midwifery legal.

I'M ASKING YOU TO HELP ME HELP THEM... AND IN DOING SO YOU'LL HELP THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AND LIKELY SAVE LIVES.

Please send a donation of whatever amount you want, so IFM can hire professional lobbyists to work on the bills and keep the midwives work legal.

My PayPal account is bigyellowhat02@yahoo.com, or if you don't have paypal ask me for my address and I'll give the info.

Any and all money I get from you will go straight to Idahoans for Midwifery.

Thanks!!!!