It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

I don't even know where this quote came from but it fits perfectly for the subject of nap time/bedtime. When your children are infants and don't sleep at night- or in the day for that matter, and then cry (and by cry I mean SCREAM) for at least 3 hours EVERY NIGHT- (this was Carter for the first month and Bryce for the first 10 months...yes, ten) and you are SOOOO sleep deprived you can't see straight and so nauseous because you are so exhausted you want to die; I would say it's the worst of times. Then, they start napping on a schedule and sleeping through the night and finally you can count on that couple hour break in the day, and having your own time to regroup and maintain a bit or sanity at the end of the day, is the best of times. However... when you are trying to get a child to transition from a crib to a toddler bed, we have again entered the worst of times stage. Of course not as bad as the infant worst of time stage, so I'll call it the 2nd worst of times stage.
I don't know what to do with my sweet, cute, smart (too much for his own good), inventive, curious, energetic, full of life Brycie. We have been transitioning for about two weeks now trying different things. The whole super nanny idea of waiting outside their door, and when they come out, you do not say a word, pick them up and put them back in bed did not work. It backfired. Bryce thinks this is a great game and opens the door with a huge smile on his face, reaches his arms up knowing he'll be picked up, laughs when we do so and put him back in bed... repeat for 2 hours. Okay, so I'm tired. I need sleep. I'm done with super nanny. Next great idea: put a child-proof door handle on the inside of his door so he can't open it. Backfired: He can figure out the child-proof lock by just dumb luck and persistence.
Next greater idea: Lock the door from the inside AND put a child-proof handle on- so even if he can twist the child proof handle, it's locked and can't reach his little fingers in the child-proof handle to unlock it. Backfired: He now needs to entertain himself in his room which would be fine, but he does it by taking off his PJ's AND diaper. So when we check on him before we go to bed he has 3 pairs of different urine soaked PJ's in his drawer (nice of him to put them away), a squishy carpet spot and a naked Bryce finally asleep before midnight.
Next bigger and better idea: Put his PJ's on backward with the zipper in the back and just twist the little feet around in the front so he can't take off his PJ's and diaper. Backfired: Now that he can't entertain himself by peeing on things, so he rips up books, smears desitin and A&D cream on the carpet and himself, turns the rocking chair upside down to climb on and jump from, attempts to climb the dresser/changing table by pulling all the clothes out of the drawers and climbing in and up them to get to the top of the dresser. (Can anyone else see another broken limb in this child's future???) I know these things only when I hear a loud crash sound and Bryce starts crying. I run upstairs and my 'greater idea' of locking the door from the inside AND putting the child proof handle on backfires against me as now I'm struggling to fit this stupid little pin in the hole of the doorknob to unlock it to see if Bryce is okay. I get in, and hold Bryce making sure he is okay (he is, although miffed at the dresser for throwing him off) and notice the tornado called Bryce that has attacked the room. The middle dresser drawer metal is bent and broken-(yet to be fixed if it even can be), desitin stains the floor, rocking chair tipped over, and we are short a few more books.
Okay, so here is the new battle plan because seriously, did I mention I'm tired? We do this at nap time AND bed time. The struggle for at least 2 hours and by that time, nap time is over and then he falls asleep at 5:00pm exhausted because he didn't nap and stays up later to do the bed time struggle. Oh, and as a bonus, he gets into our bed in the middle of the night (which at this point I allow because I don't have the strength and energy to put him back in his own bed worried he won't go back to sleep, and then I won't get sleep either. So, I just scoot over and in comes Bryce man.
Back to the battle plan...
1- Turn the knobs the other way around so I can just lock it if the "firm warning" he gets first doesn't work. This way, it's easier for me to then unlock it should he need me quickly like when tornado Bryce struck.
2- Continue to put PJ's on backwards
3- Remove EVERYTHING from his room other than his bed.
4- Pad the room.
Okay, maybe not number 4, but the other 3 I'll try. Then at least I know he is safe (although who knows what he'll come up with). And hopefully slowly, I can put back books, clothes, diapers, sheets, etc. once he gets that he needs to stay put and does.
I realize this is extreme. I'm open for suggestions. And please, super nanny if you are reading this and have Bryce-proofed your technique, please, please, please, give me a call. We need to talk. I'm SO ready for the best of times again!
(Good thing he is so dang cute!)

Pilates faux pas

So in my class tonight, I am preparing them to do shoulder bridge, an exercise where most your weight is on your heels boosted up to the ceiling. There was a new student in the class and I said to her "you'll want to take your socks off so you don't slip" and looked right at her. She still didn't take off her socks. I go over to her and say it again and she says, "I can't, I have a fungus on my foot." I say (without thinking), "oh yeah, leave them on then" inserting my non-fungus foot into my mouth. People start kind of snickering and chuckling. Think I'll see her next week? Not betting on it...

Random pics of the past few weeks

(For whatever reason, Carter decided he wanted to wear underwear as a hat on the way to school).
(Bryce:"hello? Papa dare? Hi papa, oh, okay, bye.") Check out those froggy rain boots:)
(Carter learning how to eat with a fork and knife)
(tucking sheepie in for a nap and reading him a bedtime story)
(making cookies with my little helpers. Unfortunately Carter turned on the mixer at high speed just after I added all the flour. They both got covered - especially Bryce and had it in his eyes. This is him still not happy even after I cleaned him up).
(messy cookie helpers giving hugs)
(evidence of that hug).
(Bryce has been ripping books lately which has cost me $15 so far at the library).

Who will I marry?

The previous post reminded me of something that happened a few months ago. Carter and I were snuggling and talking. The conversations went something like this:
Carter: Who am I going to marry when I get big?
Me: Whomever you chose. - I give him some adjectives of what that person may be like (ex. kind to others, happy, funny, has a testimony, someone who shares...)
Carter: I want to marry you.
Me: That's sweet but I'm already married to daddy.
Carter: Then I'll just steal you from him.

Wedding video blues

Today while I was at a church meeting, Brady showed the boys our wedding video. Brady said Carter was really into it and even said, "this is so sad, it makes me want to cry." When Brady asked why, Carter said, "it's so sweet. I'm glad you married mommy."
But then later tonight I was talking to Carter about it and told him, sometimes we are so happy we feel like crying and he said, "It was sweet, but sad. I wanted to cry because I was really sad." I asked him why and he said, "because you have to leave your mom and dad!" He asked me if he had to get married and leave me, and of course I told him no. He said, "but what about my mission?" I told him I'd write him letters and send him packages in the mail. I told him I'd even put in bubble-gum. He asked me to make him a blanket out of rocket ships for his mission, which of course I agreed to. I also told him I'd send him mentos (my mom send my brother tons of those who is currently serving a mission in MN). Suddenly he didn't seem quite as sad.

Bye bye baby...

Well, it's happened, my baby is now officially a "big boy." Last night he spent the night in a toddler bed. I knew it wouldn't be much longer for my little monkey boy to figure out how to climb in and out of the crib himself. So, instead of risking another broken appendage, we decided to switch him over to a "big boy bed." At least it's not a twin size, that might really be too much for me. For whatever reason, the crib is the hardest thing for me to let go of. As if the next step is college. Maybe it's just one less thing that he needs me for. I feel like at least with Carter I got some time to mourn the "loss of my baby" because I had another one on the way and the transition from crib to big bed (although he went right to a twin) was over a period of months. Bryce just up and decided without consulting me that he had moved on. Sigh. So our night have been long and consist of me sitting outside his door waiting for him (every 10 seconds) to come open it and try to get out of his room. I saw this approach on supernanny and it worked. You know put the child right back in bed without saying a word and in a few days all is good. I'll let you know how super she really is in a few days.
(Starts out innocently enough)
The climbing out process begins... NOTE: No Bryce's were injured in the taping of this event.



((Just before 11pm...FINALLY!)

Weekly update

So, I'm going to try to blog at least once a week for journaling sake for myself, but mostly for my children since they can't journal themselves, so it'll be a summary and some pics.
Carter this past Sunday had the opening prayer for Primary in sharing time. He was so cute, up there in his little shirt and tie folding his arms, bowing his head and closing his eyes. He said, "...thank you for this day, and for primary. Thank you for my Christmas presents..."
The other thing he did this week was go to a batman birthday party which was really cute. They got masks and capes and for the entire day after he wore it.(making "a muscle" as batman)
(playing with his monorail as batman)
Carter has a great imagination and is so creative. He has been making "books" for the past month or so, drawing pictures or writing random letters on pages and stapling them together. He decided to open his own library and send out invitations for people to come. On the way home from the library this week Carter says, "mommy, when you and daddy save enough money to buy a bigger house, can I just keep our old one and turn it into a library? You can come visit if you want." He is collecting boxes to organize his books. One for "sad" books. (He's been drawing Dumbo pictures when Jumbo, Dumbo's mom gets locked up). He draws tears on the cover to distinguish that it belongs in the "sad" box. Happy faces for the happy box, and black for the "scary" books like ghosts and monsters. He is a bit distressed because I won't let him have the entire basement to put his boxes of books. He constantly goes around looking and observing different things to write/draw books about. Potatoes, light switches, bushes, trains, shadows... anything and everything.
Bryce spent the week getting into things and jumping off of things. (Why do I get the sneaky suspicion that all of Bryce's weekly updates will begin that same way?)
(caught in the act)
(yummy!)
(at least he is willing to share...)
We have a stamp pad stain on our couch, marker on the floor, half a gallon of milk spilled because "me do it" and he now jumps from our coffee table on to the couch and off the windowsill onto the floor (instead of the softer, not quite as far down couch). If they made padded houses, I'd buy one. In fact, at occupational therapy this past week with Ms. Tracey, he moved into the "big room" with the cheese mat to climb up, the ball pit, tubes and rope to exercise and strengthen his arm. When Ms. Tracey asks me with a bit of sweat on her brow, "is he always this active?" My response is a calm, "yes." I stand there watching her chase after him and feel validated that I am allowed to be exhausted at the end of the morning and so ready for nap time each afternoon. And again at the end of the day so ready for bed. Watching Ms. Tracey chase him up the cheese mat mountain but not being able to grab him in time before he jumps into the pit of plastic balls and climbs out head first onto the trampoline, I hear her say, "oh, you'll be back won't you?!" as she give him a hug. I joke with her and say, "yeah, we just want to keep you in business in this tough economy." She says something like, "I'm sure with this one you will." Validated again, I smile, hug and kiss my little Brycie, throw his shoes in my purse b/c I know he won't hold still long enough for me to put them back on and even if he did, they'd be off as soon we got in the car. We wave goodbye and head home for a nap for both him and I. Something tells me, Ms. Tracey might need one too. :)

"I'm really sorry..."

We're making cookies for FHE tonight and I gave Carter the beaters to eat. I went upstairs to record American Idol to watch it when the kids are in bed. (I know, I'm a teeny bopper at heart). I come back downstairs with Carter getting out his crayons and notepad. He looks up at me with sad eyes and says, "mommy, I'm really sorry." He looks like he is going to cry. I kneel next to him and say, "what for?" He says, "I'm really sorry. I was going to write you an I'm sorry note, but since you're here, I'm just telling you." "Ok..." I say. He goes on, "when you were upstairs, I ate two bites of the dough without asking you and I'm really sorry." I rub his back, give him a hug and kiss, and tell him I forgive him and it's okay. I appreciate his honesty, but it's fine. What a sweetheart. He's got quite the conscience!
So funny how I can go from ups (like now) feelings so much love and admiration for my kids from the downs (previous post a few hrs ago). This parenting thing is quite the emotional roller-coaster ride! But I love it and feel so blessed to be the mommy- even when my kids drive me nuts at times.

Bad mom?

Is it wrong that I sent my boys to their rooms because they were not listening to me (repeatedly)or staying on time out when placed there? No, not that part of it, but the part that I am listening to them open their doors which are next to each other, laugh to one another and slam their own doors, and then repeat the action? (Now screaming happily and laughing to one another) and I don't care? That I don't go up there and do anything about it because they are out of my hair so I can fix dinner? Entertaining themselves in ONE place, not jumping onto or off anything, getting into toothpaste, opening medicine cabinets... They are actually getting along with each other at my expense? Is it bad I'm fine with that for now? I've already said, "time out doesn't start until you are in your own rooms quiet..."
Ok, now it's getting annoying, they are coming to the top of the stairs yelling down, at me (just loud monotone sound), laughing and closing their respective doors (loudly). Now they are at the stair landing and yelled and just ran up. I just screamed up, "stop screaming! go to your rooms!"
Ok, fine. I just answered my own question. I'll go reinforce now. You win, whatever. Is it bed time yet?

25 Random Things...

I got tagged with this on Facebook and I don't quite get how to post things yet, so thought I'd do it on my blog. :) So, 25 random things about little ole me....

1. I drink a LOT of water. Everyday. I always have a water jug with me. I drink about 32 cups a day. Just a little more than the recommended 8. What can I say, I'm thirsty!

2. I love my fleece robe and where it whenever I'm at home. I hate to be cold!

3. I love spring and fall.

4. I am a perfectionist and am trying hard not to be although not perfected that yet. lol.

5. I am a very loyal,compassionate and caring person. I become a mama bear when it comes to my family and friends. Sometimes I end up getting hurt because I care too much, but just learn and grow from those experiences.

6. I used to be a runway and print model. I have been in several magazines and even on a few covers.

7. I love naps.

8. I have to floss every night and think it's gross that some people don't.

9. I love to sing and dance.

10. I played varsity basketball in high school and even won a trophy or two.

11. Sometimes I get my kids out of bed after they are sleeping to hold, rock and kiss them.

12. I like it when people tell me how they feel even if they think it will hurt my feelings. SO much better to talk than to wonder...

13. I am good at baking. I make awesome brownies, cookies and cakes but I'm somewhat lacking in the cooking department.

14. I have the best husband. How did I get so lucky? Sometimes I think I don't deserve him...

15. My favorite sound are my children laughing.

16. My least favorite sound are my children whining and crying.

17. I am an optimist.

18. I love being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and for the meaning, knowledge, direction, and comfort that it brings into my life. I am so blessed!

19. I tend to 'plan' too much and want to live in the moment more.

20. I teach pilates 4-5 times a week and really enjoy it (most days).

21. I wish I had red/auburn hair and a few freckles.

22. I love to clean and organize things in my house. Furniture, toys, clothes, shoes... I am constantly doing and re-doing it. I love home improvement projects.

23. I have my masters degree in social work and graduated with a 4.00 from UMB.

24. I love my family more than anything, but for me, girlfriends and time away are a must to re-group and rejuvenate myself.

25. I hate spending money on food, I think it's a waste. I think I'd like to cook if I didn't have to pay for the food or clean up afterwards.

There you have it folks, more info about my than you ever wanted. :)

Jesus loves you!

I was reading Bryce books before bed and we finished with "I feel my Saviors love" by Greg Olsen. I said to Bryce as I was laying him down, "Jesus loves you huh?" Bryce replied, "Je-Shush lubs me BERRY MUSH!" (while pointing to himself).