It’s been way too long since I've blogged – but I have some pretty good excuses. Three toddlers who just turned two – and as a lot of you know– this age is challenging to say the least. I also have an off-the-wall nine-month old French Mastiff – and if you don’t know what that means – think of a toddler that weighs almost 100 pounds! Oh, and he likes to nip at me because apparently he thinks it’s funny. His favorite spot is my butt (I’m not kidding!)
And… I decided this would be the best time to undertake my dream kitchen. Not a big deal except my house is a dust bowl and I may have taken on a BIT too much.
I’m not complaining (OK, maybe I am a little bit). But mostly, I’m over the moon about my new kitchen and my nippy dog and my three ridiculously cute, loving and sweet toddlers… But yikes… life can be overwhelming sometimes.
I never really imagined or realized toddlers could be so energy-sucking and (soul-sucking). Yes, I love every bit of them. But wow… they’re a handful. And why is it that they NEVER want to listen these days!!?? We started two-minute “time-outs” on the red couch in their playroom. They work sometimes and sometimes not. Let’s be honest. My kids, who are so cute, know it, and know how to use it. They flash a smile, blow a kiss, and think they can get away with anything – especially my little guy Attie. He's such a little monster when he wants to be!
My dad once stood across from me at our dinner table as we were struggling to have kids and said:
“I know it’s heartbreaking you can’t have kids right now, but what’s even more heartbreaking is having them. They will bring you to your highest highs and your lowest lows. Save yourself some sleep and some premature wrinkles and don’t have them… Or have them like me and your mother and know no greater joy.”
Those words aren't the exact ones my father, Gus, Spoke to me so many years ago – but close to it. They resonate with me now – just as they did back then.
Life is absolutely overwhelming, but at the same time, it can be so beautiful.
And now that I’m a parent, just like Gus said, I know no greater joy.
PS... updated pictures of the kids and the kitchen coming soon.
Showing posts with label infertility. Show all posts
Showing posts with label infertility. Show all posts
Monday, December 2, 2013
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Summer Trips and the Beginning of Tantrums
Where did the summer go? For us, it went by in a blur of two family beach vacations, road trips and one quick jaunt to London and Paris for some old-fashioned adult time.
Speaking of that trip, I am in full detox mode after binging on gastropub food, French baguettes, cheese, cheese and more cheese, and of course plenty of vino and spirits. I think I still have traces of foie gras and escargot in my system from our indulgent dinner at the famous Chez L'Ami Louis. (Thank you Marc and Bill for surprising us with that amazing trip!)
And while it was refreshing and incredibly fun to get away – I have to admit – I really missed my babies. OK, they are definitely not babies anymore. Honestly, they are huge and I could swear they grew in the 5 days while we were away. And yes, they were in the expert hands of our lovely nanny Meghan, but still, it was a long time to be away from them.
My big reward was picking them up the morning after we got home and snuggling with them in bed. Their giggles and squeals were music to my ears. But let’s be honest. That perfection lasted for about 30 minutes – and then full toddlerhood was upon me X’s 3!
Yes, the terrible twos are here. My sweet, sweet Emerson now has quite a temper. His younger brother Atticus not so much, but he loves to swipe everything and in the process land a few jabs here and there on his brother and sister. Don’t feel bad for Em or Nola Grace though. They give it right back to him in the form of tiny toy airplanes and cars crash landing on his head. And then the crocodile tears come flooding in after that.
And that was just in the first hour or so after our sweet snuggle time. Throw in the mix our 6-month-old puppy Blue, and I had quite a long first day home. Let’s just say a glass of red wine was in order after I fed all four of them dinner that night.
How is it that their personalities change overnight? “Sweet Emerson” turning into “Stubborn Emerson.” I really don’t want to be one of those moms dragging their toddler out of a store because they are in full tantrum mode. I mean, Em is not even close to that, but he’s showing signs. He’s showing his independence. We have this book, “The Happiest Toddler on the Block” that I pick up every once in a while, and in it, they have quite a section devoted to dealing with tantrums.
First off, they say tantrums are “normal but avoidable.” Tantrums “push our buttons” (yes they do!). And they say to stop a tantrum in under a minute, “connect with respect” (get down on their level), and if that doesn’t work, use “kind ignoring.”
Now, I am brand new at all of this. I have no idea if any of that will work on my kiddos. I will definitely try and see if these things will help. But, what do other moms out there think? Any tips to tame tantrums? I would love to hear them.
Honestly, I think this is just the universe (via my mom and dad) getting back at me for all of the shenanigans I pulled when I was little. I’ve been told I was quite a terror. Oh the stories my parents could tell you. But look at how good I turned out!
I guess it all works out in the end.
And in between all the tantrums and craziness, you take some much needed adult time, drink some really good wine and indulge in some delicious food. At least that’s my plan for now.
Until next time, here are some of the beautiful photos my photographer friend, Susan Baker, took at the beginning of the summer.
Speaking of that trip, I am in full detox mode after binging on gastropub food, French baguettes, cheese, cheese and more cheese, and of course plenty of vino and spirits. I think I still have traces of foie gras and escargot in my system from our indulgent dinner at the famous Chez L'Ami Louis. (Thank you Marc and Bill for surprising us with that amazing trip!)
And while it was refreshing and incredibly fun to get away – I have to admit – I really missed my babies. OK, they are definitely not babies anymore. Honestly, they are huge and I could swear they grew in the 5 days while we were away. And yes, they were in the expert hands of our lovely nanny Meghan, but still, it was a long time to be away from them.
My big reward was picking them up the morning after we got home and snuggling with them in bed. Their giggles and squeals were music to my ears. But let’s be honest. That perfection lasted for about 30 minutes – and then full toddlerhood was upon me X’s 3!
Yes, the terrible twos are here. My sweet, sweet Emerson now has quite a temper. His younger brother Atticus not so much, but he loves to swipe everything and in the process land a few jabs here and there on his brother and sister. Don’t feel bad for Em or Nola Grace though. They give it right back to him in the form of tiny toy airplanes and cars crash landing on his head. And then the crocodile tears come flooding in after that.
And that was just in the first hour or so after our sweet snuggle time. Throw in the mix our 6-month-old puppy Blue, and I had quite a long first day home. Let’s just say a glass of red wine was in order after I fed all four of them dinner that night.
How is it that their personalities change overnight? “Sweet Emerson” turning into “Stubborn Emerson.” I really don’t want to be one of those moms dragging their toddler out of a store because they are in full tantrum mode. I mean, Em is not even close to that, but he’s showing signs. He’s showing his independence. We have this book, “The Happiest Toddler on the Block” that I pick up every once in a while, and in it, they have quite a section devoted to dealing with tantrums.
First off, they say tantrums are “normal but avoidable.” Tantrums “push our buttons” (yes they do!). And they say to stop a tantrum in under a minute, “connect with respect” (get down on their level), and if that doesn’t work, use “kind ignoring.”
Now, I am brand new at all of this. I have no idea if any of that will work on my kiddos. I will definitely try and see if these things will help. But, what do other moms out there think? Any tips to tame tantrums? I would love to hear them.
Honestly, I think this is just the universe (via my mom and dad) getting back at me for all of the shenanigans I pulled when I was little. I’ve been told I was quite a terror. Oh the stories my parents could tell you. But look at how good I turned out!
I guess it all works out in the end.
And in between all the tantrums and craziness, you take some much needed adult time, drink some really good wine and indulge in some delicious food. At least that’s my plan for now.
Until next time, here are some of the beautiful photos my photographer friend, Susan Baker, took at the beginning of the summer.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
35 Minutes to Spare...
I have 35 minutes to spare before I have to get my little munchkins up from their nap – although they are not so little anymore. Full–blown toddlerhood is upon us!
Running in all different directions. Going up and down the stairs. Climbing up and over EVERYTHING. Climbing out of highchairs. (Thankfully not climbing out of cribs yet!) Self-feeding, which is always a festive time in our kitchen, although the cleanup that follows is not so great. Talking, talking, talking – and more talking.
My big man Emerson is like a little parrot who repeats everything that comes out of our mouths (hence the swear diet that my husband and I desperately need to go on). Case in point, Em recently said the infamous word that rhymes with truck. To fess up, that word happens to come out of my mouth on occasion (or more) when our nearly 5-month old pup, Blue, uses my legs like a chew toy. My husband likes to joke that he must love my blood. Little vamp!
And it’s so fun to see my peanuts not only repeat words… but point at something and know exactly what they’re talking about. Phone, shoes, teeth, knees, car, elbow, puppy, toes (Em loves to pull on our toes). We’ve also been counting a lot, doing our primary colors and of course animal noises. I love to see their little minds in motion.
My Attie talks like a machine, although most of the time it’s in his own language. I’m dying to know what’s going through his mind when he’s jabbering on because he is so intense when he says stuff. And he loves to wag his tiny little index finger while doing so. As far as moving around…watch out when he wants something.
He’s crazy quick and will plow over one of his toys (or his brother and sister) if he sees an object that catches his eye. He’s also becomes a little bit of a barnacle lately. Squeezes really hard and cries like a madman when I put him in the playroom for a minute while I run up to get the other two. Don’t get me wrong. I love the LOVE.
Smack in the middle is Nola Grace taking it all in. As I’ve said in the past, she’s so observant. My little girl doesn’t miss a thing. And like Attie, she too likes to wave her little index finger and say “No, no, no.” when the boys are doing something they aren’t supposed to do. It’s nice having a little back up from my pint-sized mama. She’s not as talkative as Em or Attie, but I think it’s because she’s a little stubborn – or maybe it’s just because she’s a girl.
They are all growing like weeds – so much so – that we got our first family photos taken a few weeks back, so we can capture these moments. Let’s be honest, before I know it – they will be going off to pre-school, kindergarten and then first grade.
Our talented friend and neighbor, Susan Baker, took the photos and I can’t wait to see them. I will share a few when I get the digital copies back.
These hot summer days have been flying by, and next week we head to the beach for a week in NH. I’ve been plotting at night about how I can get their choo-choo to fit in the Jeep so I can tote them around in it. So far, I’m not so confident I will be able to pull that off.
We’ll see though. I’m pretty persistent when I want something.
We’re staying at these little cottages overlooking the Isles of Shoals, which is an absolutely beautiful vista. And it’s not just us. We have lots of friends and family staying there that week as well. So it should be a blast. One of many summer vacations to come.
We’ll fiercely be missing one very dear person to all of us. But it’s too early and painful for me to talk about that right now. In time, I will.
Until then, we will enjoy the hazy, hot and humid days of July and relish in all things that is love and family. I hope you are having an amazing summer as well. Ciao!
Running in all different directions. Going up and down the stairs. Climbing up and over EVERYTHING. Climbing out of highchairs. (Thankfully not climbing out of cribs yet!) Self-feeding, which is always a festive time in our kitchen, although the cleanup that follows is not so great. Talking, talking, talking – and more talking.
My big man Emerson is like a little parrot who repeats everything that comes out of our mouths (hence the swear diet that my husband and I desperately need to go on). Case in point, Em recently said the infamous word that rhymes with truck. To fess up, that word happens to come out of my mouth on occasion (or more) when our nearly 5-month old pup, Blue, uses my legs like a chew toy. My husband likes to joke that he must love my blood. Little vamp!
And it’s so fun to see my peanuts not only repeat words… but point at something and know exactly what they’re talking about. Phone, shoes, teeth, knees, car, elbow, puppy, toes (Em loves to pull on our toes). We’ve also been counting a lot, doing our primary colors and of course animal noises. I love to see their little minds in motion.
My Attie talks like a machine, although most of the time it’s in his own language. I’m dying to know what’s going through his mind when he’s jabbering on because he is so intense when he says stuff. And he loves to wag his tiny little index finger while doing so. As far as moving around…watch out when he wants something.
He’s crazy quick and will plow over one of his toys (or his brother and sister) if he sees an object that catches his eye. He’s also becomes a little bit of a barnacle lately. Squeezes really hard and cries like a madman when I put him in the playroom for a minute while I run up to get the other two. Don’t get me wrong. I love the LOVE.
Smack in the middle is Nola Grace taking it all in. As I’ve said in the past, she’s so observant. My little girl doesn’t miss a thing. And like Attie, she too likes to wave her little index finger and say “No, no, no.” when the boys are doing something they aren’t supposed to do. It’s nice having a little back up from my pint-sized mama. She’s not as talkative as Em or Attie, but I think it’s because she’s a little stubborn – or maybe it’s just because she’s a girl.
They are all growing like weeds – so much so – that we got our first family photos taken a few weeks back, so we can capture these moments. Let’s be honest, before I know it – they will be going off to pre-school, kindergarten and then first grade.
Our talented friend and neighbor, Susan Baker, took the photos and I can’t wait to see them. I will share a few when I get the digital copies back.
These hot summer days have been flying by, and next week we head to the beach for a week in NH. I’ve been plotting at night about how I can get their choo-choo to fit in the Jeep so I can tote them around in it. So far, I’m not so confident I will be able to pull that off.
We’ll see though. I’m pretty persistent when I want something.
We’re staying at these little cottages overlooking the Isles of Shoals, which is an absolutely beautiful vista. And it’s not just us. We have lots of friends and family staying there that week as well. So it should be a blast. One of many summer vacations to come.
We’ll fiercely be missing one very dear person to all of us. But it’s too early and painful for me to talk about that right now. In time, I will.
Until then, we will enjoy the hazy, hot and humid days of July and relish in all things that is love and family. I hope you are having an amazing summer as well. Ciao!
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