This motherhood thing is such a roller coaster. Seriously, one day child #1 is making you crazy and butting heads with you and you think there is no hope and child #2 makes you smile constantly. The next day, you are super concerned about child #2 and child #1 has gone into super sweet, loving mode. What people with more than two children do, I will never know? Heaven help us when I have to juggle the needs, personalities, and ups and downs of three children simultaneously.
The past few days, Preston has really been pushing my buttons. With everything...but especially bedtime. Dylan is an expert in stalling, but Preston is usually happy to hop in bed and go right to sleep, occasionally talking or giggling for a minute. But the last few days Preston has been getting in and out of bed, teasing Dylan, climbing on his bed, the dresser and changing table and just thinking it is a perfect time for him to play. This is the part where I solicit advice. If anyone has any bright ideas, let me know. The problem is, then Dylan thinks it's fine for him to stay up and play too. One being naughty usually becomes both being naughty. The only thing I could think of was to give Preston a timeout. So I take him out of bed (or his bedroom since wasn't really IN bed) and put him in the booster chair strapped in facing the front door. I was trying to make it dramatic but not have to check on him to see if he was leaving timeout or not. That way when he acts up at night, I can give him the choice between the timeout chair and his bed. Let me know if you have any better ideas.
But that's beside the point. I only mention it because this nonsense was going on when I got home from Relief Society tonight so I went to give the ultimatum to the children (or the choices so I was still following my newfound "Love and Logic" form of discipline) and Dylan said he needed me to lay by him for a minute. I knew he didn't need me to, but some part of me loves to be loved that much so I couldn't help myself. He usually just likes a little snuggle and then he's good. And truly it's easier snuggling up next to him in his twin bed than it is snuggling up next to Preston in the toddler bed. You should see how I have to fold myself up to get in there with him. :) Dylan was the sweetest thing in the world though so I couldn't help but blog about it. I know I will need to read this one day in either the near or distant future and remember how much I love this kid. So here's the way I remember our conversation.
D: Mommy, I love you! I missed you so much when you were gone. I'm not going to let you leave. I'm going to wrap my tape arms around your neck.
M: What are tape arms?
D: You know. Like tape holds things together. My arms are tape arms so you can't get away. (wrapping me in the tightest skinny-armed bear hug ever!)
M: Okay. I love you too, buddy. I always miss you when I'm gone.
D: I need you, Mommy. You are the best Mommy in the world (plastering my cheeks and forehead with hundreds of kisses while still bear hugging me-seriously a mother's DREAM!)
M: No, you're the best!
D: I love you the most.
M: I love you the mostest hostest patostest!
D: (Giggle) My love for you could fill 10 whole pots all the way to the top.
M: My love for you could fill 100 pots.
D: My love for you could fill 50,000 pots.
M: My love could fill a million pots.
D: Mom, what comes after a million?
M: A billion.
D: Oh yeah. My love for you could fill a billion pots.
M: Mine could fill a million billion trillion gazillion!
D: Mom, (staring at my eyes) I really like your eye makeup.
M: Thanks, bud.
D: (Feeling my eyelashes). I like how your eyelashes feel. They're fluffy.
M: Thanks, buddy.
D: What are these called again? (rubbing his finger along my eyebrow)
M: Eyebrows
D: Oh yeah. I remember. Eyebrows. Why do you have eyebrows?
M: Um, I don't know. I guess for decoration.
D: (Giggle) Why don't I have eyebrows? (feeling above his eye). Oh, I do, but they're just really little. I think maybe they're to block the sun. See how they poke out from your eyes a little.
M: Yeah, maybe that's it bud.
Now this moment of pure bliss and entertainment for me was interrupted yet again by Mr. Preston who then had to go to the booster facing the front door for a few minutes. It worked though. When I went to get him down I asked if he was ready to sleep in his bed or if he wanted to sit in the chair some more he said, "No, I stuck, Mommy." I replied, "So you want to go to bed." "Yes, bed, Mommy." It still feels counterproductive to take a kid from his bed to go to timeout, but it seems to be the only thing that works. I'll keep you posted though.
5 comments:
All three of my "kids" (Lilly, Will and Chris) need me to lay with them to fall asleep. I sure would like it if I could just go to my very own bed all by myself.
Another thing I have done to myself is no actual bed time ... I am a night person, plus with Chris driving home from Dixie now bed time is out in space. This is ok now but next year Lilly goes all day to kindergarten.
I am taking time tomorrow to blog. I need to start keeping record so I can maybe become sane again.
KIDS!!!!! What the heck was I thinking!!!
That really is the sweetest and funniest conversation ever. I read it to Noah and the only thing he said was, how did she remember the whole conversation? I told him that it's a mom thing.
So Sweet! I love the eybrow part. What are they really for?
Billy- How did I not notice you had a blog? Duh! I'm going to need to check it out. You guys have full day Kindergarten? What? And Lilly isn't in Kindergarten yet? Is it different down yonder?
Sarah- Tell Noah I came right down and blogged about it for that very reason. I knew I wouldn't remember the details for very long. But do you know what I do. I am such a lame-o. Because I know I want to remember the cute little things my kids say and it's not always easy to write them down, I actually call my home phone from my cell and leave myself messages and then every so often listen to them while I type a post about them to preserve them forever. It's the only way I remember anything.
Courtney- I know, right? Some of the questions he asks me puts me on the spot trying to figure out an answer really quickly. I end up winging it most of the time. :)
Duh me ... she is in kindergarten afternoon class. Next year will be 1st grade all day. Getting up at 7:30 will not be fun. We don't get up early ... between 8:30 and 10. It varies daily.
Also someday soon I will update my blog. After the DH is back to work for his next 3 days on.
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