Testy times three

All three of my boys are going through a testy stage at the same time! Yeah me....

Examples;

Exhibit A- A few days ago Atty scaled our 5 foot fence that is surrounding the pond in 2.2 seconds...After I ran around the house to get to the gate (barefoot on gravel with my heart pounding, screaming at him like a mad women) he needless to say got in big trouble. Which apparently didn't faze him, because he tried it again the very same day! He has been determined to scale that fence since the day he saw it.

Exhibit B- Bubu has picked up the word Damn it...again (from his father) and has been slipping it in to his vocabulary randomly and in increasing dosages during this pass week. Just last night he said "Move it Damn it" to his brother. I feel like the best mom in the world.

Exhibit C- Spike is starting to throw the most horrendous fits I have ever witnessed, worse then the ones Atty throws that I thought were going to drive me bonkers. I've never seen anything like it. And it's over random little things, that I would never dream would bring on an hour long scream fest. We are talking screaming, crying, shaking, no reasoning, nothing I can do but put him in his room (over and over again) kind of fits.

Let me continue...

Exhibit D- I am making another diaper cake for someone who is having a baby shower soon. I was working on it the other night and had placed three bottles down on the table, one lotion, one bubble bath, and one oil. I made a point of telling the boys to leave the stuff on the table alone and go play. I walked away for one second assuming that my husband was watching the boys like he said he would, and the babies got into the lotion and bubble bath got the lids off and spilt them on the table in the blink of an eye. I scrapped up the contents (you do what you need to do to get the job done) and finished the majority of the cake and then very responsibly put the diaper cake safety in my room. Last night I got to take a bath for the first time in a long time. While I was in there Atty got into my room (Again while my husband was suppose to be watching him, see a pattern anyone?) got his hands on the bottle of oil that was perched on the top of the cake and spilt the WHOLE contents onto my carpet. Oil...on my carpet. The only bottle they didn't get there hands on the first time. Can't scrap that up, can't even get it out of the carpet with my carpet cleaner. So after taking a relaxing bath I went into a screaming tizzy and then got to clean my carpets before bed.

Exhibit E- I planted a bunch of tomato plants in containers on the porch, right now the boys love tomatoes to I thought it would be nice to grow some for them to eat. Plus I love fresh straight from the garden cherry tomatoes, yummy yum. After I got them all planted Atty pulled up over half of them before I had any idea what was going on. I'm serious people he is that quick.

Need I go on, or do you get the idea? On top of the big stuff, there has been a none stop flow of talking back, from all of them. Fighting with each other on a way bigger scale now. Screaming and squawking and climbing all over everything and trashing the house. Play fighting and turning everything into a gun, which I don't permit in this family, and don't allow in the daycare. I don't even know where Bubu picked it up from but he's got his brothers copying him now and they run around the house Pish, Pishing each other using anything from a toy drill to a tinker toy as a weapon. When I tell him to stop he says, we're just Pish, Pishing mom. What?

I haven't the energy for it right now. I was managing when the boys were taking turns testing me, but now they have ganged up on me and are coming at me from all angles and I totally can't handle it. Bubu was my big helper, always has been, but now he is going through some late terrible two phase (the one he skipped that I was so thankful for) and he is almost four. I thought I was in the clear, boy was I wrong. Atty and Spike have definitely decided not to skip the terrible two's phase and are diving right in.

As I said, Yeah Me!

In the woods with wolves

I am so not liking my monthly visits to the midwife.

It's not that I don't like the midwives, it's just such a hassle, and uneventful and really just ends up seeming like a waste of time. It takes me about an hour to get to the midwife's clinic, and most of that is freeway driving which I hate. I guess since this is my third pregnancy it's all just not as exciting this time as I remember it being before. I use to look forward to each and every visit, all the changes and listening to the baby's heartbeat, but now, I'm just thinking about how far behind the visit is making me and all the rushed work I am going to have to do when I get back home before I can plop my weary bum in bed. Plus I hate the scale, I don't have one at home, because, I Hate The Scale! Oh and I usually have to bring all three boys with me, alone, and that is just not fun. The appointments are at the end of the day, because I can't leave until after hours with my daycare, so by the time I get to the clinic I am burnt out and tired and quite frankly grumpy mommy. The mean one. The one that's had enough and just wants to go to sleep. I'm sure the midwives probably think I could take the prize for meanest mom in the world. I wish I could just skip the rest of the appointments and see them when I'm pushing, that's really when I will need them anyways. I just don't feel like anyone bothering me during this pregnancy, I am almost ready to run away and have this baby alone in the woods with the wolves people.

Now that I have said that, my having a home birth doesn't sound nearly as bad, puts things in perspective! I am looking forward to that part. I hope I will be able to have a home birth, especially since I seriously can't go anywhere with my boys, they get into everything, a forty minute visit at the clinic seems like it takes hours, and I can't go by that clock when I am in labor, 12 hours is long enough with out making it seem like 24.

What a ride...

OMGoodness, I was gone from Wednesday evening until Saturday morning! Away from my darling hubby and boys for way to long, I was starting to fall apart! I have never been away from them for that long before. The reason for the separation...my bestest friend in the whole world was working on having her baby, forever! It was overwhelming, and emotional and really practically indescribable.

Her water broke Wednesday morning, and her contractions got going pretty good that night, but when her midwife checked her she was still only two centimeters dilated. She was having a home birth so we were all hanging out at her place. The contractions continued on and off again all night and she tried all sorts of horribly uncomfortable things to get those contractions going. The next day was the same thing, on again off again contractions. Thursday night she was getting pretty burnt out, and the midwifes were worried about the fact that the contractions weren't staying consistent and she wasn't dilating and her water had been broken for a while by then, so we all talked about it and my friend and her husband decided that if the baby wasn't born by the morning time, we would go to the hospital. She tried everything, she was such a trooper, but Friday morning she still hadn't dilated any further and her contractions had stopped so they packed for the hospital. I stayed behind with their daughter until later and got to the hospital around 10 am. They started pitosen and we all started helping her deal with the contractions and encouraging her again, hoping that this would be it. She took no pain medication so that she could be as mobile as possible and try different positions and do lunges and squats to help move the baby down. Then the baby's heart rate started to fluctuate a bit. So they backed off of the pitosen and it went back to normal. They tried two more times to get contractions going with pitosen, then at around 3:30 am the doctors came in and said that there had been three serious heart fluctuations and that they could not longer continue to allow her to labor and that she would need to have a C-section. They gave her 20 minutes to prepare! It was so sad and stressful. She had tried so hard and she was so frightened to go into surgery. We cried and prayed together and then watch her be wheeled out of the room and then waited. And waited. And waited. The room was so eerily quiet after she left it was nerve wracking. Finally she was wheeled back into the room around 6:30 in the morning, with a beautiful baby girl and a husband who could barely breath, because of everything that he had witnessed in those two long hours. She had complications during the C-section because of a fibroid in her uterus the size of her baby's head! That might have been why she wasn't dilating because the baby couldn't get around the fibroid, and the fibroid was pushing her cervix to the side. She lost so much blood when they were trying to sew her back up, because of the fibroid, that she had to get a blood transfusion. It was terrifying. It was also hard to see her in so much pain and so sad, because I had to have a C-section with my first baby and I know how hard it is, and how much you hurt afterward. It's also really hard to accept that you weren't able to have the birth that you wanted. I am so thankful though that her and the baby are okay now, and she will heal, and she now has that baby that she worked so hard for. I am so proud of her, and amazed by her strength!

All of this happening while I am pregnant though...a little terrifying to say the least...trying not to get myself to freaked out about it. After that experience I feel like I could sleep a week and still not feel rested, so drained!

Fun in the sun, April style.

We had an awesome day at the beach on Sunday. It was nice out, and the boys really enjoyed exploring in the sunshine. Our favorite thing to do as a family is go exploring out in the great outdoors. We had a picnic and spent hours combing the beach for cool rocks, climbing on logs, looking for sea creatures, throwing rocks in the water and J's personal favorite, seeing who can hit the most seashells off of a log with rocks...my arm was actually sore from throwing so many rocks, we haven't played this game in a while (and I am a wimp). It was so wonderful to relax on the beach with my boys. I am a lucky girl. ~Daddy funny~ as Atty would say.

Come on Daddy, lets go exploring...

Look mommy there's an airplane in the sky.

Atty bravely walked up and down this log, sometimes he can seems so clumsy, and other times he amazes me with his balance.

Ewwwww...

Hanging out in a cool fort someone made on the beach out of drift wood.

Log climbing.

Brave little critter.

Bubu loves throwing rocks in the water, they all do. The bigger the rock, the larger the splash!

Daddy love.

Sunshine snuggles.

What did you find Uncle J?

Exploring the beach.

Atty decided that climbing on top of the fort was so much cooler then playing inside the fort.

So much fun in the sun!

Spring Shearing

It was time. Shaggy hair be gone. Bubu being the oldest and bravest went first. In his own words he was ready for his "ho-hawk" ...and boy does he sport a good fro-hawk! Technically not an actual mo-hawk, because I only spike the top, and the rest is shaved. I like it better that way on my boys. The orange on their faces is from the carrot juice my husband just made for them. That stuff stains!

Then there was Atty ready to go.

Ta-da! Red head fro-hawks are the best!

Then on to the littlest. Shaggiest of all!

Oh yeah! Spike of course had to have the tallest fro-hawk to live up to his nickname.

So there you have it, fro-hawk everywhere around here. If I end up having a girl this time around she might have to hide when mommy gets the itch to shave heads in the spring, or she might end up looking like the rest...ha, ha! Even my hubby got shaved, but no mo-hawk, maybe next time.

face as red as his hair

So I have come to the point in time with my boys were it is sometimes necessary to correct their behavior in public. Especially with Atty who seems to think that public embarrassment by way of tantrum is awesome. I being the mean mom I am do not give in to public displays of nastiness, and instead react the same way I would at home and follow through with what ever discipline is necessary. I'm fully aware that if I give in and allow them to act up in public, they will capitalize on this, and being as I am out numbered, the idea strikes terror to my core. That being said, there is something so awkward about correcting your child's behavior in public. The stares, and whispers. The murmured comments, I've even seen people pointing. We were at a home improvement store last weekend and right when we walked in and started putting the little boys in carts, Atty freaked out and decided he wasn't riding in a cart. Being as he is heavy carrying him wasn't an option for me. Letting him walk is a disaster with him at this point. So I needed him to sit in the cart. I tried to reason with him a couple times and then told him if he didn't sit in the cart he would get a time out. He didn't care, so I gave him a time out right then and there, and sent my hubby and the other boys to start there shopping. Now I know it's not pleasant to listen to a child throw a tantrum, and I myself defiantly wasn't enjoying it, as evident by the darkening red shade of my face, but I seriously don't need to be stared at during it all. It's so irritating. I looked up and the closest clerk was just full on staring at us, disapproving look and all, didn't even bother to look away when I glanced over at her. Atty continued to throw his fit for a moment then stopped and I asked him if he was ready to get in the cart, were as he said yes. The whole time this lady and anyone who happens to pass by is getting an eye full. So I attempt to put him back in the cart, and sure enough he starts pitching a fit again. So I tell him he will take a time out in the van if he doesn't stop (mostly because I want to run away and hide at this point) and he could care less. So then I have to carry him kicking and screaming, red faced to match his hair through the store, because the exit is located conveniently on the other side of the store. With everyone staring at me, and making comments. I truly know why people just give in, because it's absolutely humiliating to deal with the aftermath when requesting appropriate behavior. We made it out to the van, away from prying eyes, I buckled him into his car seat, shut the door and stood outside for a few minutes. He got the point, I got him into a cart out in the parking lot away from the audience, gave him a snack, went back in and all was good. He ended up falling asleep in the cart, which was probably half of the reason why he threw a fit in the first place being as he was tired. Although he has always caused problems when in a cart, he just hates being strapped in because he is such an active explorer.

The point of this post, if there is a point, is why do people feel the need to stare and criticize when a parent is only trying to get there child to behave. Obviously if a person is beating their child, or screaming degrading remarks at their child they should be stared at and hopefully someone would intervene for the sake of the child. I've overheard situations were I felt the parent wasn't dealing with things appropriately. I still don't make comments though, nor do I stare, in fact when I notice a parent reprimanding a child I look the other way. I give them as much privacy as being in a public place can afford. Nobody likes a wild undisciplined child running free in a store, so why stare and make the parent uncomfortable when they end up being in the position of having to enforce rules in public. Give the parent a break for trying to do there part. For trying to raise a well behaved child. Stop staring, and making mumbled comments, even if you think you can do it better.

Have any of you been in this situation, and what do you do to deal with it? Does it get to you, or do you let it roll off your back, and let it go unnoticed?

nakie time...no not for me...

My oldest is a nudist. I have lost all hope of this being a passing faze. Just keeping him in underwear is an on going struggle. I am afraid he will be answering the door in his undies as a teenager! He will be dressed one moment and streaking the next. We had a talk about modesty a while ago and how when you get older you have to learn modesty and wear clothes like mommy and daddy and just about everyone of your friends that don't feel the need to strip down on a regular basis. He seemed okay with this and would proudly tell people he was learning about modesty. It was really cute, and I though we were making some head way. Then for no reason I can understand it all came crashing down. He follows me around asking if he can be nakie. I say no. He asks why. I tell him. He asks why again. I firmly tell him it is not nakie time, (after bath I let the boys run around nakie, it might be there favorite time of day.) maybe later. He bursts into tears. Not throwing a fit crying, the kind of crying were I have destroyed his life and broken his heart. He runs to his room and bawls his eyes out, when he is done he will come out with his eyes all red and look at me with a reproachful look, sad to the core. Some days he will start in again with a sad lip trembling "why I can't be nakie?" I will remind him about modesty, and he will run back to his room to cry all over again. Then I just feel awful. I don't guilt easy. I'm a pretty tough mommy. It's just that I've always loved that he feels so comfortable with his body, and I hate to see him so confused and sad about why he can no longer have that freedom of running around in naked bliss. But he's almost four! All good things have to end some time. The other problem is that I have been potty training the younger ones and I let them be nakie cause it's easier that way and they potty train faster, and so he gets jealous of the little ones. Spike didn't run around nakie for long though because he's already figured out the potty thing and likes to wear underwear for the most part, thank goodness! Plus I have been more insistent with him that it is undies or diaper, because I can't handle another full time nudist. Atty, well I went back to diapers with him, because the potty training was getting frustrating and he has stomach issues he can't help right now, so I gave up for the time being. So there really are currently no naked babies running around and my oldest is still pining over his naked days. He admittedly spent the majority of him baby days naked, potty training days naked, little toddler days naked, he's just always wanted to be naked. Most of my pictures of him from his first couple years I can't show to many people, cause he's naked. I guess we just go use to it, and barely noticed he had no clothes on. Now I look back and think my goodness the child was never dressed! He just doesn't seem to feel comfortable in clothes. He still makes me cut all the tags off his clothes because they drive him crazy. If he has to be in clothes he would prefer pj's or his spiderman outfit. Nothing restricting. I seriously don't know what to do, I think I will have to resign myself to the fact that there is a very good chance my son with grow up and start a nudist colony.