Who are you, and what have you done with my child?

It's incredibly probable that Big Sis is experiencing some stress from the move...

Post-Traumatic Move Disorder, if you will....

But her behavior lately, it's troubling. She's like an angry, yelling, crabby, sleep deprived, raging, hormonal, PMS-ing 17 yr. old in a 4.7 year old little girl's body.

It's funny, almost, expect when it's really not.

Today she...

• lost privileges for her bike for the rest of today.
• lost privileges for her bike for tomorrow.
• lost privileges for books and toys during quiet time today.
• lost privileges for making our cookies this afternoon.
  
• is grounded to her room for the duration of the afternoon--until supper or when Daddy gets home--whichever comes first.

Grounded? A four year old??

I'm totally, completely lost. I'm at my wit's end. I'm afraid of being around her for fear I will get so frustrated with her I won't be able to control myself and do something so very "Bad Mommy" that I will definitely regret it and it won't be deserved because I am a grown-up and should know better, and she is child and is still learning self-control.

We generally subscribe to 1-2-3 Magic form of discipline. Usually I recommend this book/style. (Unless you've moved recently, in which case an exorcism might be in order). We've heard it's similar to Love and Logic, which we will promptly checking out from our public library today.

We are thinking we may need to offer more small, tangible rewards for when her behavior is 'good.' Like... she earned back her Bun-Bun and water bottle for quiet time once she'd stopped screaming and throwing things for ten consecutive minutes.... and after another twenty minutes, her pillow.

We hope, we pray, we wish it is just a phase. And with some new, positive discipline techniques, and after a couple weeks of new 'normal' life and preschool, she'll settle down.

Please keep your fingers, eyes and toes crossed for us.

Things That Cheer Me Up

Facebook much?
Well, after my crab fest yesterday (because it was such a crab fest) I needed to remind myself just how good I really have it. Take a little stock, view the situation with fresh perspective, and get over my crabby self, if you will.... When I checked onto my Facebook page tonight, I noticed a cute little "5 Things That Cheer Me Up" option, which I thought would be very fun and fitting.
Here is my "Things That Cheer Me Up" list, and only the superficial stuff is subject to change.
1) Lattes, french press coffee, cappuccinos, and other assorted beverages of the coffee variety. If it smells like coffee, it can hardly be bad. Well, no... I take that back... Instant Coffee {{shudder}}


2) Comfort Food. Now I'm not saying that emotional eating is healthy, per say, but every now and again a girl needs to just eat what sounds good, and not necessarily what is the healthiest option for her. This week? Onion rings. I like the oven baked Alexia Farms kind, with panko bread crumbs, baked extra crispy. Oh. My. Gosh. Serve 'em up with some room temperature ketchup with a little pepper mixed in.... YUM.

Now that's my kind of emotional eating.

3) Little pretty things, like a favorite pair of earrings or scarf.


4) My Hubby. He really is my best friend, and I do so love him. Eric is really good at giving me perspective, he makes me laugh at myself, at life in general... He is very good at not taking himself, or 'the little things,' too seriously. He compliments my high-strung attitude well.

(And don't tell him I said this, but I look forward to having him back so much that I don't care how much laundry I have to do with him home!)

5) Being a Mommy. It is, literally, a dream come true to be a mommy, and especially a stay-at-home mommy. DREAM COME TRUE.

And I get to be Mommy to these fabulous little ladies! Now, wiping butts is wiping butts... and I look forward to only worrying about my own someday, but my kids are GREAT. It makes the mundane, stinky stuff that much more bearable knowing what good kids we were blessed with. They are funny, silly, creative, loving, smart, kindhearted, ETC., and I look forward to watching them grow and blossom.



6) Crafting stuff. All kinds of stuff. Sewing, knitting, painting, staple gunning (!), re-purposing something old into something new and useful, cutting holes in fabric shapes, stabbing a brad through there and hot gluing a pin on to call it a broach, whatever!

A finished product, especially one that can be enjoyed by someone you love, is really warming to the heart.

Okay. I'm done with this tangent now, too.

Two Down, Four To Go

Weeks, that is. Until Eric comes home. That is with the new (totally awesome and unexpected surprise of an early graduation) 6 week time table.
Most of the time it's fine with him gone. I mean, we're used to him being at work from 8:30-5:00 ish, generally only Monday through Friday. So no problems there. Outside of the normal 'problems.' And with a large person gone there's a lot less laundry, fewer dirty dishes, and less cooking (since I'm basically catering to the children and they prefer simple meals where nothing has been cooked together--and God forbid it's touching!).
And, really, with swim lessons available, and 2 story times each week available, and the weather being mostly hospitable for outdoor exploration... it was the best time, if there is such a thing, for Eric to be gone for 1 1/2 months. We can remain as busy as we want to.
Plus, I have to remind myself, we are so very fortunate that he's not deployed. It was only going to be 8 weeks, and now it's down to six. It's only 6 weeks. I know how lucky we are.
But, inevitabley, you have that couple days where it feels like a small portion of the world is crumbling down. Like, when a little one is sick and miserable and not sleeping or eating well, you're attempting to pack up an entire house full of goods while still maintaining a sense of non-chaos in the house and participating in all the crafts and 'dance offs' your children can desire, and the dog jumped up and ate your emotionally soothing and delicious chocolate cookie bar while you were up comforting said sick child while she should be sleeping, so you anticipate being up with both sick babe and dog tonight..... Ahem...
This is when you just really miss your best friend, partner, etc., to share in the wallowing for a few minutes before saying something goofy and/or letting out a huge fart while making a funny face (these are just random examples I've heard that husbands do... erm...) to remind you that the world, not even a small portion, is crumbling, and that everything will indeed be okay.

Everything will indeed be okay.

So, to wrap this up, most of the time we're fine. I feel like these will be the hardest few days for us, honestly. I'm already geared up for our trip to a fave park tomorrow. The lawn can kiss my behind for two more days. And we will get through this adventure with, among many things, a newfound appreciation for single parents everywhere, families of deployed spouses (past, present and future), and ride-on lawn mowers.

And dogs who hate chocolate and know better than to eat their Pet's dessert.

Oh, Insomnia. Bless your flippin' heart.

At least, it only strikes like 3 days (nights) out of every other month. And it gives me quality time for useful stuff, like checking my email and fave blogs multiple times, online shopping without actual purchasing, having a cup of coffee, changing the bed sheets, showering, dressing, attempting to style my hair and organizing my closet's switch from winter to summer wardrobe, as well as putting together today's load of laundry, all before 8 am. Loverly.
At about 8:05 a.m. I came to this: a picture post of random fabulous stuff. Fabulous!
Let's begin, shall we?

This is Mexican Lasagna. It is awesome, and you should make it. I adapted the recipe by skipping the corn and beans (our kids prefer separate sides), using ground turkey and whole wheat tortillas (tossing in some milled flax seed while cooking meat), making a simple lime/cilantro style basmati, and basically halving the recipe. It was still quite yummy, and filled my 9x13 pan.

This is Baked French Toast. It is awesome, and you should make it. I adapted it by using my 9x9 stone (thanks again, Lisa!), using whole wheat bread with crusts intact (I refuse to decrust my bread for anything), using about half the butter/sugar and twice the cinnamon, and adding a little milled flax seed into the egg mixture (to substitute for 1 of them). Delicious!


This is from PB Kids. I heart the PB. But unless it's 90-cajillion percent off, I cannot justify purchasing it. I'm thinking this will be my inspiration for artwork for Hannah's future bedroom, once we get to AZ. Paint on canvas, or cutouts of fabric Mod Podge'd onto painted canvas. Perhaps both? She wants her walls pink and purple, and I want an eclectic mix of brightly colored polka dots, stripes and flowers. I'm also thinking I'd like to applique some fabric flowers onto her floor length curtains. Girlie, but hopefully it will grow with her for several years to come. You know, until she hits 13 and wants to either cover her walls in High School Musical 8 posters or paint her walls black. I vote black paint.


Isnt' this adorable?! Me likee. I drooled on it a lil' bit at Target the other day. It would be like carrying a bag of butta on your arm. Mmm... butta...

Ok, this is the neatest thing! That Williams-Sonoma, they sure know their stuff. It's a pineapple slicer/corer thingamadoobie! I kind of want this! We actually eat a lot of fresh pineapple in the warm months, and it is pesky to slice up. What are the chances I come across this thing at the Goodwill....

This is my inspiration for Amelia's future bedroom. Again, either paint on canvas or fabric cutouts Mod Podge'd onto painted canvas... or both... I want her room in a shabby chic style with light blue and lavendar colors. Less pink. And again, it's PB Kids, but their catalog serves as inspiration only.
PB, I heart you! But you are too expensive. But I heart you! Call me?

I Needed This

Not seven minutes prior I turned around from afternoon laundry and caught Big Sister administering a choke hold on Little Sister over sharing a Winnie the Pooh puzzle. Big Sister refused to go into time out, and I had to carry her kicking and screaming all the way up the stairs to her room. She tried to kick against the wall, almost resulting in a fall. I had to close the door on her and walk away. She was not happy.

I went to the sink to and started crying, because it has just been one of those days. And I kept on crying while riffling through the pantry trying to put together something suitable for supper. Could I combine creamy tomato soup with cooked basmati rice in it? A can of beans? *Sigh* I really wish I'd been able to go grocery shopping today.
And then I realized it had become a little too quiet. Where did Little Sister go? She was just here...

And then she wasn't... Then she was trying on a little Maybelline Natural Mauve....
I think it's more her color anyway.
I had to laugh!! And grab the camera, obviously.
Time to give two gorgeous and wonderful little girls a super-duper bubble bath, to be followed by a pancake dinner, I think.