Back to work?

Well, the economic downturn, among other things, has hit our family. There is a good possibility that today is Stephen's last day at work. We've talked about a lot of options and have to make a decision. Our options include the possibility of me going back to work, while he collects unemployment and figures out the next step for him. It just makes sense for me to go to work if the union doesn't get him a job in the meantime. Over and above that, I am still working Debt Freedom on a part-time basis. So what does this mean for our kids? Well, if Stephen is on EI, and not in a training program then he will be home with the kids and I will work. *gulp* Maybe this is a two-fold lesson. He will see what it is like to be at home with the kids by himself on a regular day, and I will get a refresher on what it is like to work full time for a boss. *SUPER GULP* What I am wondering is how the kids will react to this. Many times when I have gone out for part of a day and when I get home, the kids are bent right out of shape and sometimes, it's like I never left. I guess all I can do is take the plunge and see what happens.

Where did he go?

My son is two and an half. For the longest time I counted myself lucky that he didn't throw temper tantrums when we went out, that he would eat whatever I gave him and he was generally a good boy. I think I jinxed myself by telling someone and now he is a little monster. I am now the mom marching through the mall pushing the stroller and carrying a kicking, screaming, flailing toddler, with a huge grin on my face. I grin because I dare someone to say something. This kid is just unreal. If he is told not to jump on the couch, he'll continue to do it, even after I have exhausted every avenue of discipline and resorted to the very last effort: spanking. I never wanted to spank my kids, I vaguely remember being spanked and I definitely remember being terrified when I knew I was going to be spanked. The thing is, it doesn't really achieve much. My kid will still scream and kick at me when he wants his own way. He'll slap me in the face, push his sister down, refuse to sit in his chair to eat dinner etc. So what's a parent to do? I'm actually getting to the point where I don't want to take him anywhere which means I'll be house bound with three kids under 2 and will probably end up depressed. Oh, I forgot to mention that I made the insane decision to babysit a little boy. He's pretty good, other than he is the pickiest eater I have ever met and can be whiny and follows me around like a shadow. I really want my good boy back, I know he will get through this phase, but WHEN?!?!?!

been a while...

We had the assessment for Grace and as I thought, we will be needing next to nothing! They are just going to do Infant Development assessments for her from month to month. I wish that I had taken advantage of all this stuff for Zander. He's doing well now, after having completed two cycles of speech therapy. It is amazing how much he is mimicking and just saying on his own. My favourite is when he walks around saying "Hum?!?!" What he is trying to say is hun. Cuz Stephen and I usually call each other that. Or I love it when I hear him say "Mama where are you?" It's not clear but it so cute! We are a bit busier around here. I decided to help out a friend and babysit her little boy. So I have a 2.5 year old, a 17 month old and a 10 month old. Max is pretty funny. He likes to talk to himself a lot, he's a great napper but a very picky eater. I am trying to make sure that Grace does not turn out the same by making all her food. This past weekend, I made a couple of different dishes for her which were actually very tasty. She seems to love the one, and tolerate the other. So far there isn't really anything that she won't eat. She only seems to turn her nose up to raspberries. This week I am going to make her some more strawberry applesauce and we are going to try black berries.
On top of all this stuff with the kids, my hubby is starting up his own business. He is going through some rough times with his job and it would be great if we could get something going so that he can get out of construction. I am sure that it is something that will do well, it's just getting started!!! We could use some extra money so me taking on a babysitting job and him doing this is helping. Well, Im going to take the little ones down to see if anything fun is on tv or read to them while Zander naps.... til next time!!!

They're going to think we're crazy!

This coming week, a lady from a local children's centre is coming to our house to do a speech and physio assessment on Grace. Why? You ask? Well at her last check up, she wasn't crawling, rolling, or babbling, which at 8 months she should be doing. Two days later, she was rolling, within a few days she was crawling and of course, she started babbling. So when the assessor gets here, she is going to see this little girl who is almost 9 months old, and is doing everything she should be and almost more! I forgot to mention that not only is she crawling at lightspeed, but last week she started pulling herself up to standing at the coffee table and has attempted a few steps. On the downside, she's still NOT sleeping through the night. I am so envious of these moms who have little darlings that sleep for at least 8 hours, without waking for a feeding. Last night Stephen and I lept from a dead sleep to a child screaming. I thought it was Zander but it was Grace! She scared us half to death, as she never does that. Usually she wakes up and starts to cry a little and I hear her before she hits the crescendo and wakes up the entire house. Not last night. Last night she started at top volume. As soon as I put her into our bed, she quieted right down and within minutes was back to sleep. I guess I can't complain too much, that was at 12:30 or so and she didn't wake back up until 7am. That is VERY unusual for her. I am just so thankful that Zander didn't wake up. He has become such a good sleeper! He used to wake up at every noise, but now, I think Iggle-piggle and Upsy-daisy could do a song and dance next to his bed and he wouldn't wake up. I'll have to post after the assessment to verify how crazy we really are! :)

A night out...

It isn't too often that Stephen and I get to go out without the kids so this weekend was a treat! We had tickets to see Casting Crowns in Toronto with some friends that we met through church. It was amazing! What a phenomenal show... so inspiring and uplifting. The one thing that was a real relief was that the kids were good for Grandma and Grandpa. Zander ate all his supper, which has been a real challenge for us lately because he's playing the picky card. Grace did ok too considering that she is not used to being bottle fed. It took her an hour and a half to drink 7 oz, whereas when she usually feeds, it takes about 15 minutes. I guess that I should have listened to my mother when she said that I should get her used to taking one bottle a day. OOPS! Grace is almost 8 months old now and I am thinking that because she is so curious (read NOSEY!) that she will be weaning in the not too distant future. Zander was ten months old when he began to wean. We ended up supplimenting him with a bottle and giving him formula. Not sure why I didn't pump... probably laziness! ;) Anyway, we've been a pretty healthy household lately. The Alpha Marriage course is going very well. I would recommend it to any married couple. This weekend coming should be interesting. I am taking Grace to retreat with me over the weekend and Stephen and Zander are having a boys weekend. I'm a little worried about how I will manage to keep Grace entertained during seminars, and getting her to go to sleep at night. Hopefully she will just go to sleep when I go. I am going to co-sleep that weekend. Thankfully, she is still in her infant carseat and she has no issues sleeping in it so that will help for napping during the day. I'll have to let you know how it all goes. Hopefully I will return spiritually refreshed and not too tired!

a crazy month?

Well, it's been a while and with good reason! We've been a bit crazed around here, but thankfully things have slowed down to a more manageable pace. Zander got pretty sick after my last post and ended up in the hospital, but he is ok now. He was so dehydrated, poor guy. I also had a minor car accident so I was in a rental car for a week or so, which I did not want to give back! We've been participating in the Alpha Marriage course and it's going really well. We've only had two sessions but they've been pretty good. As far as the kids go, they are great! Grace is on her way to crawling and I'm sure it will happen really soon. At her last check up she was 18 lb 8 oz! It's so much fun to look at the pictures of her when she first came home, and compairing them to the recent ones. She's changed in some ways but not the way that Zander did. Looking at some of his baby pictures, you wouldn't know it's the same kid! He had the bluest eyes for a long time... I think he was six months old before they started to change. We're back in speech therapy with him and Grace has been referred because she isn't doing the babbling she should be. She squeals and growls and grunts but doesnt' really make and sounds. We'll see how long it takes to get her in. Anyway, I'm keeping it short, gotta go cook dinner! Thanks for stopping by.

germs...

I hate winter. The season where germs seem to thrive and all you can do is stay home. Our household has been hostage to a host of germs over the last few weeks. Somehow Zander picked up a bug and it has gone through the family like wildfire. He started out with a fever on Sunday and by the next day we were running him to the clinic for a prescription to fight pink eye. I couldn't figure out how he would have gotten it until the doc told Stephen that he likely wiped his nose with his hand and then rubbed his eye. EW! By Monday night, I was down with a fever and then a nasty headache and sore throat, which has lasted for a week or so. Stephen came down with it on Wednesday and so far Grace has been OK, except that she now has pink eye too. So, my plan of attack is to bomb those nasty germs with come chemical warfare. Look out nasties, the Lysol wipes are being brought out of retirement for one appearance only. Now I know that Lysol wipes are not the best product to use with little ones around, but vinegar won't quite cut it this time! It's going to be a challenge for Stephen to not worry about it, but I am sure that in time, he will appreciate the annihilation of the bacteria that causes pink eye. The alternative is just to live with it and the kids will pass it back and forth indefinitely.

In other news, we have a speech update for Zander. He had his follow up with the pathologist on Tuesday and they have determined that he needs another two months of therapy. Apparently he is still behind in his speech. This is news to me! I thought he was doing so well but I guess not. It's funny to me that a kid who can say so much, can be so far behind. But, what do I know? I was talking with my "mommy" friends and we were laughing about how we don't realize how much we say something until our kids start saying it. Case in point, Zander's latest favourite thing to say if I do something he doesn't want me to is "Don't doooo daaat" which is something I find myself saying at least a hundred times a day it seems. I am sure any mom of a boy can relate to this. Whether it's taking all the diapers out of the bag and stretching them out, sneaking into the washroom to flush lots of paper, colouring on the floor instead of on his colouring book, pushing his sister in ther swing (enthusiasticly) or just throwing things in general, I feel like I am constantly after this little guy to "Don't do that!" He's also mastered "don't touch" and "No" which he says just about as much as he says "Don't do that".

Grace is growing and changing so fast it is unreal. She's able to sit up by herself for extended periods of time and has been eating all kinds of new food. I've yet to find anything that she doesn't like. She's also changed he sleep patterns again! For a few days there, I would get in a six hour stretch at night but now she is back to three or four hour stretches. Is it just habit? could be. One of these nights she'll just get some warm water and see if that holds her over a bit longer. According to the pediatrician, she should be sleeping at least six hours straight through the night and doesn't really need a middle of the night feed. Ideally I should be able to feed her at 10pm and not have to feed her again until at least 4am. That's not happening. Oh well, at least we don't have to sleep train her the way we did with Zander. We can put her in the crib awake and she'll go to sleep on her own, without screaming, which Zander never did. Oh, and she seems to be weaning herself off the soother too. It used to be that she would take it, if we were in the car or she was in her swing but lately it seems like she spits it out more often than not. I am sure not complaining about that! I've heard of parents struggling to get their kids to give them up so if Grace wants to do that on her own, I have no problem with that!

Happy New Year!!!

Ok, so I am a little late. In my defense, we did have a busy holiday season. Christmas wasn't as hectic as in past years, which was great especially because we have two little ones now. So, before Christmas I was totally not in the spirit of it at all, but waking up on Christmas morning with the kids was so fun this year. We didn't go overboard this year, the kids got a couple of toys from us but nothing over the top and we only bought a few things for each other. To me the most important part of the Christmas season is spending time with family and we did a lot of that! On Christmas eve, we spent the day with my family at my brother's house. We had a great meal, and the kids got spoiled by Nanny and Poppy as usual! Grace had her first taste of veggies, green beans that I made just for her, and she really seemed to like them! On Christmas morning we spent some time at home and then headed out to Grandma and Grandpa's in Hamilton. It was a fun day of gifts and food, even though for some reason the turkey didn't cook all the way through. I'll have to continue on tomorrow as both kids have woke up early from their naps and aren't too happy!