I think?
I hope.
Not going to going into a complain-ery post here but today in retrospect seems like all I have done is say "no" to this, that, and the other. I don't want to be that parent {nor does Lee for that matter} that reprimands their children more than praises them. Today was a need-for-improvment day in that depart-ta-ment-o.
Breakfast was great - eggs and bacon courteous of Papa. And a few loads of wash sprinkled in… Then off to our final swim class of the month. Nothing major.
Then we got in the good ole' van. Lee had to stop at the store and then it began. M was howling over being in her carseat. E and R were statues in the back because they know there is nothing more that grinds on my smallest little nerve endings than listening to a poor inconsolable, cannot-do-anything-to-help-your-cause-in-this-moment baby cry.
Home again, home again jig-a-de-jig. Snack. Painless.
Get M fed. Not asleep
Hustle E out the door and listen to R wail at our departure. E and I head to get my nails done… I indulge in this activity twice a year, maybe? Only because I think painted nails and makeup are necessary for out-of-the-office work activities…
Nails. Check.
Get home. M is still awake. Not horribly agitated. Feed her. Now she's asleep.
Lunch with Papa and E. R has been asleep since we made our dramatic exit - she fell asleep in Lee's arm and I'm trying not to be jealous of this fact.
Then all afternoon E was up and down and this way and that way. I am doing wash. Trying to get ready everything ready for our trip. She keeps on with her loud questioning, won't sit still antics.
M gets up. R gets up and insert just about everything under the sun.
E and R both do a puzzle which was probably the least stressful point of the afternoon. It was R's first real attempts at putting a puzzle together on her own and she totally rocked it out.
But every time I turned around I was saying don't do this and Lee was saying don't do that. Example… E was getting a pair of shoes out and literally emptied the box basket we have and left the shoes EVERYWHERE. Not a big deal, right? Right. However she knows NOT do to that and it was just one of those kind of days.
Maybe its a full moon or maybe Lee and I just have to fight the rest time with E so that we can have 90 minutes of peace around the house. I don't know, nor does it really matter now.
Takeaway point - Not only will children feel better about being praised but parents feel better praising their children.
Subpoints:
1. I really, truly believe that all these trials in parenting will be worth it.
2. When I am a grandmama one day, I vow to be as helpful to my children just like my parents and MIL are cannot-live-without-them-helpful.
3. I wonder what my kids would play with if there were half or a quarter of the toys in the house. Because today I am pretty sure they touched all of 1/20 of the toys.
4. I would love to have less stuff. Take a more, sell-everything-you-have and follow me approach to our house and lifestyle because that means there would be infinitely less stuff to clean up, right?
5. Silence is sweet. Silence is as sweet as a breathe of fresh air. Between the crying and the fighting the the running and the howling and the dryer going and the water running and the oven vent blasting and the EVERYTHING-ing… It makes me want to just get up at 5 am every morning so I can have my 90 minutes of interrupted silence… and ENJOY it and LISTEN to it.
