Changes

Changing crib sheets is still one of my least favorite tasks. If you've never done this, it's quite an ordeal in itself and you usually end up sweating and thinking that you should invent something that would surely be more simple! ha! But today I had a flashback to just a little over 1 1/2 yrs ago, and realized how thankful I was to just have ONE crib to change the sheets on today!
I just had to laugh and shake my head when I remembered how just that short time ago I had TWO BABIES, both in cribs, both in diapers, neither could feed themeselves, etc, etc! Sometimes I think back and realize just how crazy it was. This picture is of Levi at 7 months old, and Wyatt at 21 months old. 21 months old...that's usually the age that the older sibling is when a new baby is born. And even then, people say that is "close in age". Well, for us, when the older sibling was 21 months old, we already had a 7 month old! C-R-A-Z-Y for sure! And belive me, when they are babies, a few months makes a HUGE difference. I really think that it's no so much the # of children that you have that make it "harder", it's how close in age they are and of course multiplied with each add'l child! I don't know how you mom's with 3 and 4 kids do it!

But in this picture, the AM started off w/ both boys leaking thru their diapers and both sets of crib sheets and mattress pads needing to be changed. So we were playing musical cribs along with the AM bottle feeding while I changed each set. Alot can happen during the time you are struggling to change crib sheets, so being confined to the other crib is a MUST. (I learned this the hard way)
We have made it thru alot of changes in the last year, so this summer has been much more enjoyable.

Here are some milestones that seemed HUGE for us and have made the summer in PA less stressful:
-They are both walking...WELL! For those of you know who have picked up my kids, you know how hard it would be to tote them around camp. This year, they enjoy to walk and run and don't ask to be carried hardly at all!
-They are both able to feed themselves! YAY! Now, I usually get to eat most meals myself.
-They both crawl up into their carseat! Huge timesaver and alot easier on my back!
-They are understanding the concept of danger for the most part. Again, a HUGE thing which you understand if you have young kids! It's so great to be able to say, "Stay in the back yard b/c the front yard is too close to the road" Before, they had no concept of distance or why roads are dangerous.
-There is only one child in diapers! And the other one can do the whole process by himself!
Man, I'm going to get really lazy and selfish w/o having to do all those things for them anymore. Guess I'll get bored...yeah right!! But it is much easier and more enjoyable! Praise the Lord!

Here is a picture of the boys and I with my Pop-pop (their great-Grandpa). He is a retired Dairy Farmer up here in PA.

(Trying to) Have Fun!!

Alot of this post comes from the following sources:
Professionalizing Motherhood by Jill Savage
Life as MOM blog (To Be More Joyful article)

I was really challenged by what I read in both of those places and wanted to post what I am trying to work on! I really want to have more fun with my kids and my family as whole. And just LAUGH more! I'm not sure what specific point it happened, but I either "grew up", got too busy, got to distracted with responsibilities, etc, etc, but I have stopped laughing like I used to! Please laugh along with me in understanding of the following points :-)

•Many times “fun” means “mess”. This is the first reality we have to come to grips with if we are going to have fun. If we don’t have the right perspective, this will feel like an interruption to our day. The right perspective, though, is that it is an ESSENTIAL part of our day. Having fun with our children is part of being a mom. And dealing with messes is sometimes a part of having fun.

•I am way too practical at times when I need to be spontaneous.

•Have the attitude of “sure, why not?”

•Life with kids is a life that is destined not to go as planned. You can react with anger or you can respond with grace, and even humor. Learning to respond with grace and humor is an act of replacing well-though-out plans with a bit of spontaneity.

•Cleaning your house [and, presumably, maintaining any other semblance of a normal life] while children are growing is like shoveling your driveway while it’s still snowing.

•If we don’t accept that life with children will include disorder, we will always be frustrated b/c we feel out of control. We can become obsessed with unrealistic expectations and allow them to steal our joy.

•There are some things I am trying to learn to accept (as a homemaker with more than 1 male under our roof):
1.It will always be noisy at our house.
2.The toilets and bathroom floors will rarely be spotless.
3.Physical activity is going to rule the day over quiet occupations.

Levi Singing

This video clip is special to me b/c I wasn't sure when I'd see the day that Levi would let me sing to him (let alone sing by himself). He used to say, "Mommy, no sing". He is our stubborn, strong-willed child. He was very hesistant and most times against me doing anything w/ him that was educational. "Mommy, no count. Mommy, no sing" But low and behold, one time when we were trying to play hide-n-seek, he closed his eyes and said "I count" (emphasis on I). He started counting. I figured he had heard Wyatt and I do it enough that he might make it to 5, but he counted all the way to TWELEVE!! Then just recently he started singing all by himself! Makes me happy! He just turned 2 in April. Here are some of his songs!

What should I do?

I having one of those times when I wish there was a handbook for specific situations that arise when raising children. It took me back to how I felt when the boys were on formula/bottles and I wanted a specific regimen how many ounces to feed them and how often! I'm sure my Type A, OCD personality has something to do w/ my desires of such a list :-)
anyway, the boys and sharing a room...
From when Levi was 4 months old to 11 months old, the boys shared a room (each in their own cribs). It was a bit stressful to me back then b/c of the crying out from the infant stage that occurs at anytime. But then we were blessed w/ being able to rent a bigger house and they each had their own for a year, and that was RESTFUL, PEACEFUL, QUIET, FULL NIGHT SLEEP, GREAT NAPS, etc, etc!!!
Now we are renting a smaller house and they are sharing a room. Now they both recently had a birthday and are 3 yrs old and 2 yrs old. Now they get each other hyper. Now they talk and laugh after lights out.
So, my question is, do I put them to bed an hour early and let them talk and laugh, so by the time they are quiet it's their normal bedtime? Or do I lay down the law and insist on absolute quiet when lights out?
oh and of course the other variable...Wyatt needs less sleep b/c he's older. So when I put him to bed at the same time at Levi, then Wyatt gets up really early in the AM. So the simple answer would seem, "Put Levi to bed first, then Wyatt an hour later". Oh if only if were that simple!
I've tried that. 50% of the time, it works great! But other times, Levi is not quite asleep when Wyatt comes in, so then I'm worse off b/c now it's an hour later and then are both still awake and take another hour to quiet down.
oh well, guess I'll just keep trying different things to something works!
some funnies:
~I asked the boys one night who we should pray for. They said Daddy (he was out at an activity w/ the campers). Then Levi wanted to pray first. All by himself, he said, "Please help Adam not to get lost" ha ha! (they don't usually call him by his first name and I'm not sure why L thought he was lost!)
~Wyatt started coming out of his room at the beginning of naptime to ask or tell me things. "Mommy, are we almost running of diapers?" and "Mommy, when we wake up, can we play tag?"
Here's a picture of Wyatt w/ my Grandpa up here in PA. He used to be a dairy farmer. Now this is his garden in his back yard! He grows everything from corn to potatoes to strawberries. It's like a mini-field in his back yard! And Wyatt has on his Amish hat!

Blessings

Due to the lack of internet access in our cabin (and close proximity in which I must remain to be the caregiver for 2 young children :-), the camp has allowed us to use the services of the camp "nanny". She is a 22 yr old girl from England with a Bachelor Degree in Pyschology. She has a twin sister and they were born on Feb. 29th on a Leap Year. How cool!
She babysits the kids form 9 to 11am, so I can go to the camp office w/ my laptop and log in to their internt and work!! Yippee! Praise the Lord! She has off on Thursdays, but all other days, I can work!
The boys seem to like her and Wyatt asked her why she was talking funny when she was reading them a book! She has a cool accent!
So, I guess I'll stay up at camp now, but still looking forward to visitng my parents' every week or so to have a bit of normalcy for the kids.