What I Think!

I have an 8 year old son, Declan. Sometimes he is too nice for his own good. For years we have tried to teach him not to hit or hurt other people, the problem with this is that he is 8 and does not protect/defend himself. So now, I am wondering how to balance him but I am not sure how.

I Miss Them...

On Tuesday, I left my two older monster and my husband to fly down to Florida to be with my parents for what was supposed to be a six day trip(which was very long to begin without them) and now I have chosen to extend the trip to next Thursday. I know that the monsters are fine and in very good hands, but I still miss them. What makes it harder is that I am a control-freak at home, so turning it all over to Ben has really not been easy! What I can say it that my husband has been a CHAMP! He has not complained once about me being gone and was so incredibly supportive when I decided to stay a few extra days. I will admit that 8 years ago when Declan was born, I would have NEVER imagined ever leaving the monsters with him for any period of time longer than a quick errand:) Yet he sits there in VA with two monsters and a Newfie! Two monsters that he has gotten up and dressed for school all week, put to bed every night and organized for school everyday. All this and he has still gone to work everyday. He did have help from his parents after school and for dinner, but still he has shouldered the responsibility on his own!

I miss them though! I miss waking a happy Killi in the morning and a grouchy Declan:) I miss knowing what is happening at school(first-hand:) I just miss them. It has also been a good long time since Ben and I spent this much time apart and in the past it was always him leaving:)

On Thursday I will be home and order will be restored. Ben and the monsters will make sure I know how much they missed me and I will get more hugs and kisses than I will know what to do with:) I know they are fine without me and I am doing okay without them, but I still miss them!

Sleep...

I always promised myself that I would NOT play musical beds because of my children. For the most part, I have been able to stick to it, up until a few days/weeks ago(see it has been so long since I slept that I don't know how long she has been coming in:)Anyway, Maggie has decided now that she would like to start having nightmares. She falls asleep in her own bed, regular time(7pm), and then 4-6 hours later she is in my room crying and shaking! So, I pick her up and stick her in my bed. I make sure she is as close to me as possible, as to not disturb Ben and then she sleeps. I on the other hand, do not! I watch tv or look for another bed/couch to sleep on or I cough all night like I have been for the past 5 days!!!

Now what? On Tuesday Maggie and I head to FL for a week where we will share a bed. Then we have company for Thanksgiving, then we weekend in Pittsburgh, then FL for Christmas! My question is this, When do I have the fight about her sleeping alone? I think I need a break from this parenting thing, forget it the whole adult thing!

To Blog or Not to Blog?

To, won out. I am sure I will be sorry later or evasive now:)

Last week the girls and I had H1N1. It sucked, but we got through it. We still have a cough, but all-in-all we are well.

The in-laws came to visit this weekend. It was fine. They took the kids to get pumpkins on Saturday and I stayed home, that was nice.

Declan had two football games this weekend. They won the first, lost the second.

School sucked last week for me and the kids!

Killi is going to have some "testing" done through the school finally.

Maggie is enjoying school.

Ben had been a good husband(soon that will change;-)

Oh The Things I haven't Done...

-pictures are not being taken of the monsters

-after starting strong, lunches are not being made for school

-the budget has not been followed in a few weeks

-routines are not so strict

-never enough time for friends

-bathrooms are not cleaned enough

-not enough time spent on my marriage

-not patience enough with the monsters

-no walking on the treadmill


There are a few things I have done...

-hug and kiss my kids(too often if you ask them:)

-cut back on fast food

-work on not being crazy

-try to deal with less drama

-planned a trip to FL for Christmas

-worked out a budget(that I cannot:)


I know that my life is a struggle for me and that I try to do my best for myself and my family. I know that I can often do better, and I will. I am sure I will also do worse.

Flu Shots!

After much debate, and deciding NOT to get Flu Shots this year, Ben's doctor said we all HAD to have them:( So, with our day off yesterday, everyone got a Flu Shot except me:) Ben got his at the doctor in the morning and then I took the monsters after lunch to get shots! I had three very unhappy monsters, so what did I do? I blamed their father and took them to Target to pick a treat out of the dollar bin:) Killian went first and was awesome! No tears no fuss. They Declan. He was alright, no tears, just a little nervous. Now Margaret, that is another story! She started screaming before the nurse cleaned her arm and continued until I took her off the table...at which point she asked why she wasn't getting one. She screamed, but never felt ANYTHING! Good thing she ins't dramatic:)

Ben's doctor also said that everyone in the house needs a H1N1 shot. I hope we can get that done next week! So far the only way to get the H1N1 shot is through the Health Dept. They are holding clinics in at the local high schools next week...That should be fun:)

My Kids Will Never!

The only parenting advice my mother gave me, unsolicited, was never use the phrase "My Kids Will Never...". This is advice that I have followed pretty well for the past 8 years, but now I am wavering. Not so much in the behavior of my monsters, but in things I was never going to do as a parent! One of the things I swore I was not going to do was make my monsters conscious of their weight and now I have. Maggie, my littlest monster has chunked-up and I fear it is unhealthy. Understand that my other two come in different sizes as well, but neither is "unhealthy". The baby however, needs to eat more healthy and do more activity and as her mom and supplier of her food, this really falls on me and not her! I know that I need to lead by example and therefore need to exercise more myself and with her.

I feel that I have failed her as a mom and now am having to focus on what she is eating and how much. I am trying to do this without pushing it in her face. I have never told her that she needs to "diet" a word that is rarely used in our home. I have instead tried to focus on healthy eating and exercise.

I don't care what she looks like, that is not what this is about. It is about a healthy lifestyle and a good foundation for life. I hope I do it right and don't force her into a "weight" or "appearance" obsession for the rest of her life!

Any suggestions?