Monday, April 25, 2011

Things they forget to tell you about motherhood...

Your children will embarrass you.  Not later, though I'm sure then too, but right from the beginning.  I had such a wonderful day today, that all three of mine managed to do it within a half an hour.  The first day back to a regular schedule after the weekends is always a trial, the day after a three day holiday is even worse.  Therefore, I was already a little worried about taking the kids to their normal Monday outing for story time at the local library.  Especially after Kai received his first time out by 9am.  I should have followed my instincts and stayed home, but I needed books for Kai's school week and I had a few things on hold at the desk, so I got everyone together and went as planned.  We had only been at the library for about two seconds when Kai tells me he has to pee.  Now, this may seem mundane to you, but gathering all three children to go to a public restroom and making sure no one touches anything as I help Kai on and off the ridiculously high toilet is not something  I relish.  In fact, he's suppose to go before we leave home for that very reason.  But, I had forgotten to have him go, so off we went to the bathroom.  We had only been back in the play area of the library for about ten minutes (which was enough time to find the weeks' school books thank goodness) when I see Lake standing on a chair which is slowly tipping backwards.  Of course I reach him too late and he lets out a loud scream.  I quickly quiet him and have a talk about not standing on chairs.  Next, Kai and a little girl decide to talk to Reece, who's in her car seat, and the little girl pokes her in the eye.  I calmly tell the little girl not to touch Reece, who takes it pretty calmly, until Lake walks by and throws a large plastic ring on her head.  She let's  out with a blood curdling scream that makes EVERYONE in the room turn and stare at us.  Yup, embarrassment number one (up until now is pretty much a normal day).  It takes me a while to get her quiet.  By the time she calms the library lady is inviting us all in for story time.  Yeah, we made it right?  I wish.  Story time is always a battle.  Sometimes they are quiet, sometimes they sit still, other times they don't.  While I'm pretty relaxed on whether or not they sit still, I do require quiet so as not to disturb the other children, and some basic respect for the story teller.  Well.... Lake was not in a respectful mood.  He had brought his ring toy in with him and kept throwing it on the ground, so I had to take that... then he decides to lay on the floor and roll around.  Then he climbs on top of Kai which means Kai has to push him which makes Lake laugh and do it again.  So I grab Lake up and tell him if he can't sit up and be quiet we will have to leave.  To which he yells, "no mama" and slithers off my lap to lay prone on the floor and kick himself away from my hand (I had one arm full with Reece of course).  Embarrassment number two... I mean seriously, can't this woman control her own child?  So I tell him we have to leave and tell Kai to get up and head toward the door.  Kai of course loudly says, "but I haven't done the craft yet".  So the lady stops reading, everyone is staring at me, I'm ushering out my children while Kai is repeatedly saying...loudly.... that he doesn't want to go yet.  Yup. embarrassment number three.... in under thirty minutes.  So, needless to say, I was not in a good mood by the time I managed to get everyone in the car.  I turned on the radio and told them all that Mommy didn't want to talk to anyone and I stewed about it until I got home.  Then, of course, life must resume and now I'm bitching about it in my blog that only one or two people will read.  But I feel purged and ready to resume my day.  I hope yours is going better than mine!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

water water everywhere....

So a couple of weeks ago I officially started Lake's potty training.  Now, being the middle child, the amount of attention I can pay him is scant compared to what I was able to give to Kai.  So the going is slow.  We have progressed just this week from running around the house naked, to having a max of three pairs of underwear a day.  Once they are all wet, we return to running around the house naked.  The problem is that he can't pull the underwear up and down yet, so I have to run over, pull them down, help him sit, then pull them back up when he's finished.  After which, of course, he demands his "emenimenem".  I feel like I'm always holding a nursing or sleeping baby when he is in need of this service.  HOWEVER, I felt like we were getting somewhere when he made it three full hours in one pair of undies yesterday evening.  He was doing well enough today that I put him up for lunch in his underwear instead of switching him to a diaper before eating.  I had just locked him in and turned to the microwave to retrieve his chicken chunks when I hear the unmistakable sound of running water.  Yup, not just a drip, a full on deluge of pee running down his booster and under his chair.  He sheepishly says, "pee pee eminemenenm?"  Ah well, back to diapers for meal times.