Life Lately

So I follow far fewer bloggers now than I did when I was a new mom.  Probably because I have three kids and that means what I don't have is an overabundance of time.  I have 90sec breaks every now and again and I am with small people all day so that's why you see more on Insta than here because - well I have time for insta, and I do want to remember stuff.  I want to remember when she first started really trying to talk.  When he started being really mouthy, or what experiments G was into when.  I know it all seems like oversharing but 80% of that stuff ends up in my yearly shutterfly book and it makes it really nice to just go hit up my insta profile, look up what happened and smack that date into the book.  All clean and orderly like.

So if you ever think - dude, why is she sharing that?  It's probably because I want it in the book, or I think my mom is interested.  As she is the only one that is truly interested in what goes on in our day.

All that said - the few bloggers I do follow (read: one) do this thing called Life Lately and I really like it and it always inspires me to talk about our life lately.

 I started working out again.  I've worked out (if I go today - which I am) three times this week.  Twice last week I think, once the week before that?  Anyway.  I'm back at boot camp.  I've lost 4lbs and I can feel my abs again.  The 4lbs isn't much to write home about (I'm also rounding up, because it's my story folks).  But I gained 8-10lbs when I quite nursing so that 4 is a long way off from where I would ideally hope to be.  I am not complaining I am bragging because that scale is going down folks.  And that is a win.  I have no real number in mind for the end.  But I'm running a 10k next May and I'd like to sign up for some races here in town (all my friends have medal racks in their houses - pretty etsy things - and I have medal envy).  So feeling like I won't die while running is the goal.  And hopefully not having to buy a whole new wardrobe.  My goals are simple, really.

 This girl here.  Always been opinionated in her own way.  Now even more so that she is trying to effectively communicate.  When she was a wee babe it was "don't you dare put me down ever."  When she was a bigger babe it was "heck no I won't take that bottle."  Then it was "I hate all cups."  Now it's "I refuse to feed myself without a utensil" and "I will drink from the cup, but you have to hold it for me 75% of the time."  Or "don't take that toy from me or I will arch my back and throw my head against the floor violently."  Her tantrums are less emotional than D's but they are still fits of temper.  D would have fits and he just couldn't recover (still can't - teaching him coping skills is a work in progress - but that's a different part of this).

So for sweetie face here it's all about forks, knives, plates and talking.  She is cruising and furniture jumping (one step solo between objects but still holding on at all times pretty much).  She will walk if you hold at least one hand.  But solo she is not interested.

 This kid.  I can not keep him healthy to save my life.  He is one more round of meds from having his tonsils removed.  And actually I haven't made the appointment with the ENT yet (next week maybe) so we'll see what he recommends.  I am not enthusiastic about surgery (what parent is?) and I'm skeptical it will help him and I'm worried about his EE and how it would react and is the EE making this worse or is the meds to control the EE helping the strep just grow grow grow?

 I have talked to both pedi and specialist and neither thinks thats the case.  I have to trust their judgement.   Not easy for me.

 Oh this one.  He is doing so much better in the controlling himself department.  Maturity helps and having more language is the biggest helper.  He still has the biggest feels of all my kids, the lowest tolerance for discomfort (of any kind), and just the biggest heart.  He is most likely to give kisses or hugs for no reason.  Still voted most likely to cuddle any time.  And most likely to not give a darn about rules because eh - what could happen?

 I think we've found a hair style that I actually like.  She is the sweetest, happiest, most content, go-with-the-flow kid I have.  Bless her.

 We still take naps five days a week (he doesn't nap at school).  He sleeps about 3 out of those 5.  The others he reads his books and plays with toys.  My kids don't destroy their room because that sort of behavior just isn't tolerated.  I hope they don't read this.  It would jinx me.

 We love powdered sugar donuts.

"This is David in a box."  He said matter-of-factly.

 Two bottom teeth are loose.  He is extremely eager to lose teeth like all his friends.  He's heard you put them under your pillow and get $10.  [Seriously fing parent?  Seriously?  I am not giving him $200 for losing teeth.  Are you out of your gourd?  But this means my idea of $.25 is simply out of the question.  Inflation is brutal].  Lewis says we have about a week before one is gone.

This is not exciting for me.  I love how he looks.  When my kids looks change it takes me a bit to adjust.  And this is full-blown kid territory!  I mean geez he's 6 now.  About to big a big "grader".  The change from kinder to the grades is a big deal.  I really can't believe him.  He's fabulous.  I wish I could keep him healthy.  I wish I felt like I was a good mom for him.  I have so much anxiety and worry and fear for him.  Intellectually I can count my successes.  I can think of all the things I've done that help him that maybe a different mom wouldn't do.  I can look back in time and say - darn it all I deserve a medal!  But there is no medal.  Just a different day with a different challenge.  And I think about that meme that floats around ... you have a 100% success rate and getting through all your bad days.  And blessedly that's been true.  And he's done well.  I've found things that work.  He's helped himself.  Ultimately these are his obstacles, but while he's young I have to fight with him.

 D and Soccer.  Perfect world D wants to be on his brothers team.  But that's not possible.  So he does this after preschool.  Sometimes he hasn't wanted to play.  But his brother got a trophy.  And he really wants one of his own.  But I told him I wouldn't get it for him (pick it up) if he didn't participate.  So he started wanting to play again.

He cries when the kids get the ball and he doesn't.  D we can't cry when we don't get our way.  Get back out there and try again.  And I can't help if you just cry, tell me what you need.  Usually he says nothing because the feelings are too big for him to process and figure out what would help.  Do you need water?  A hug?  Usually a hug and then he'll go back out there, although his shoulders are slumped a bit lower.  But in weeks past he would just quit and puddle in the grass crying, not participating.  Now he's going back out there.  Because he really wants that trophy.

Now he's 3 (lets all remember that).  So I'm not huge on making him play a game he doesn't like.  But he likes this one.  He just doesn't like learning to play with others that don't just give him what he wants to keep him happy [read: like G will].  The coach has actively started reinforcing what I'm doing and two games ago when D started crying he picked him up and gave him a hug and carried him around kicking the ball.

The coach taking an interest in him has been huge.

And yesterday the coach pulled him aside after and said "D I really want you to get the big prize and the candy [special one time thing] next week.  Lets keep trying okay?"  And D didn't respond to him but he talked about it the whole way home.

I didn't involve the coach he just saw what I was trying and he's going with it (I think he agrees with me).  I thanked him.

 Still voted most likely to cuddle.

 He swears his teeth are loose too.  Though when he said it the first time he wiggled his nose!

You may notice fewer pics of G.  He is the least likely to want his picture taken.  So I respect that.  D will get there too and I'll respect that too.

And that's life lately.