Yes, after a few months of being quiet I suddenly feel like the fog is lifting and I want to talk again.  So if you’ve noticed that I’m suddenly blogging again…you aren’t mistaken.  I’m just doing it a bit differently and still kind of ‘going with the flow’ of whatever is on my mind, or when I have time. In other words I’m back but things might still look a little different.

I can’t say that the process of what I’ve been dealing with lately hasn’t been without side effects. My normally happy and optimistic nature has been…well…not so happy or optimistic much of the time.  The idea of sharing what I was going through was very difficult for me.

Honestly not because of pride, but because it felt wrong somehow that my normally encouraging and uplifting blog would be tarnished by difficulties beyond my ability to completely explain or handle in every day life.  To be in a place in my life where I didn’t feel like I had anything encouraging to offer was foreign and frustrating for me.

I’m not going to tell you that I’m back to “normal”, in a way I’m not sure if I ever will be. I don’t mean that in a negative way, but everything we go through in life will shape us and transform us just a little (or a lot). But the constant haze I was in seems to have faded a bit, the light at the end of the tunnel is finally visible and while I still have bad days, there are good ones now too.

Thank you all so much for standing by me through this…I have great friends, many of which simply email me when they read posts here and I appreciate you all.  I wish you all great blessings today!!!

Hugs…

As many of you know, we have had our fair share of sleep problems with the twins. They still end up in bed with us at some point in the night more often than not. I cringe to admit that because I honestly never thought that would be the case for me since my older children slept through the night so well.

The last few nights however, they have stayed in their bed through the night. But we are finding them to be particularly quirky. They don’t lay one way, they like to sprawl out all over the place. They share a full size bed which is plenty big for the two of them, but they do not want to go to sleep in it without a brother with them. Tater gets the privilege of joining them to sleep each night, but he does so happily and it works out for all concerned.

All of our children are very different of course, but several of them will have this or that similarity. Three of our children are particularly imaginative and have very interesting dreams. They are the most likely children to have nightmares as well, so much of the twins’ sleeping problems could likely be linked to if they are going through a fearful stage that’s being reflected in their dreams. Either way though, every morning the twins get up early and the first thing they want to do is tell us all about the dream they had the night before.

Sometimes these dreams are absolute doozies, sometimes they are fairly simple. But you can always expect a simple run down of a dream from Bug and a long drawn out step by step story from Monkey.

I love watching my kids sleep. They may drive me crazy sometimes, but watching them sleep is peaceful and quieting. Sometimes Monkey will cry a bit in his sleep before I go to bed and I’ll go in and stand near him to calm him. Then I’ll just watch a while.

So today it’s about finding the quiet peaceful sleepy moments that amaze me about my kids. And even though they cry in the night sometimes, or go wild during the day, each one is so uniquely amazing and wonderful.

Gone are the days where I carefully plan and schedule posts. Now I simply blog as I feel inspired by life. I have decided there is a time and a place for both.

I know I’m not alone as a mom who finds that the most joy can be brought about by the littlest things that happen each day. It can be a hug, a giggle, a story, a kind gesture or many other almost imperceptable things. But if you look close you’ll catch them.

This was clearly shown recently when CJ our oldest made a completely selfless sacrifice to try and benefit me. It was so kind, so completely loving that it brought me to tears.  I was amazed by this young man once again.  I’m so thankful for him in so many ways.

So today, I’m looking for the little things and praying that I can offer little things to everyone around me as well!

The conversations with the Twinks never cease to amaze me.

Waking up yesterday to Bugs insisting that everyone “Rise and Shine” as he turns on every light was mildly amusing.

Followed on his heels by Monkey announcing, “I don’t get an awwowance, and I don’t have a job!” *big Monkey sigh*

To which I replied, “well you are only 3 so it’s ok that you don’t have a job or get an allowance.”

Monkey: “Well, yeah, I’m 3-2 years old and don’t have a job or get an awwowance!” (he always says he’s 3-2 years old instead of 3 lol).

Well there’s no arguing with that I guess.

I have recently realized (though I have no idea why it took me so long) that my Twinkies talk non stop.  They are just little chatterboxes.

I could almost write a Dr. Seuss type book with their antics…something along the lines of “here, there and everywhere” would be involved because it doesn’t matter where we are going (or not going as the case may be) or what we are doing (again..or not doing) they will always have something to say about it.

I’m not sure exactly when they decided they know more than any of the rest of their family members…all of whom are older than them, but they are positive that they do.  Preschoolers that are unequivocally smarter than the rest of the world are a force to be reckoned with…or feared…or both.

This is the position I find myself in daily.  What crazy scheme will they try today?  Will they have a story to tell or someone to tell off?  Can I possibly keep up?

I have never questioned God’s sense of humor in blessing us with these two adorable little creatures, but that doesn’t mean that I always get it.  None of my other children were capable of getting ahead of me more quickly than these two.

And when there are two of them ahead of you, you are in trouble.

But I digress…

I talk a lot about their funny little sayings and their conversations.  Honestly though that is just a small portion of the interesting life with my twins.  There’s always the climbing of walls, seeing how quickly we can take something apart (or away from a brother) and the ever present search for anything artsy we aren’t supposed to touch without mom being right there to supervise.

These items include, but are not limited to: scissors, tape, crayons, markers, pencils, erasers, etc.

We recently had what I currently refer to as “the incident” with scissors.  Yes, the timeless tradition of cutting one’s hair was exacted by our loveable Bugs a little over a week ago.  Unlike most other children who participate in this ritual of preschoolerdom, my son decided to cut a perfect line, at scalp level, straight up the middle of his head instead of across the front.

He ended up with some sort of odd looking reverse mohawk…nothing short of hideous.  It took me far too long though to work up the nerve to whack it all off.  But I did and he is now a tough little soldier…still with a little baldish streak up the middle of his head lol.

Now the only thing left to do is take a picture and scrapbook it for posterity.  Because there is no way I’m letting him forget it when his son decides to do the same thing!  This is one of the beautiful things in parenting…I think I need to remember it more often!

My Twinks…they are silly, crazy, funny, ornery, cute, amazing, creative, imaginative and intelligent.  Watching them grow is both challenging and exciting.  They started talking much earlier than the other boys and the never stop talking now lol.  The things they come up with are often unexpected and always interesting, though much of it gets them into trouble.

Here’s a conversation with Monkey…

Monkey: “Mom, if somebody sends me to the moon I’ll be very very very mad”

Me: “honey, no one is going to send you to the moon”

Monkey: “Well, if they do I’ll be mad” (in his best warning voice)

Me: “duly noted dear”

Monkey: “Good”

At this point we will then transition into yet another conversation on a totally different topic.  But there’s a glimpse into the mind of a three year old.

Fall is here, with it are cooler, shorter days that tend to be darker.  Here in Washington, the rains are actually not as bad as normal, we’ve had a lot of sunny fall days…I actually do not remember having so many gorgeous fall days.

So this year, for me the fall gloomies are taking a little longer to set in, but for many the changing of the seasons means a definite change in attitude.

Focus, attitude, perspective and purpose are all ways to maintain…or lose…a great mood.   The choice is, ultimately, up to us.  The problem is that I don’t always feel like “making it work”.

As the weeks progress through fall and winter, I’m likely to offer a variety of suggestions.  Since I often know that a day may be gloomy as soon as I start getting up, today I want to make a few suggestions for starting your day.

Shower!

There’s nothing better than a nice warm shower on a cold gloomy fall morning.  Especially an uninterrupted one.  So many of us moms let this part of our day go a little, but if you have an opportunity to do this, spend a little extra time just letting the hot water wash over you.  Make sure you lock the door too.

We have only one bathroom, and honestly, I usually leave the door unlocked in case anyone has to use the toilet or sink while I’m showering.  We haven’t had any issues with privacy doing this, but when they open the door all the hot air rushes out and it totally kills the comforting affect of the shower.  So, on gloomy days, warn everyone that the door will be locked so they’d better get their business done before you go in.

Comfort Breakfast

Have a favorite breakfast?  Love cocoa or a great mocha in the morning?  Take time to make and really enjoy it on days when your mood is less than fabulous.  Going through a morning on an empty stomach is bad enough, but when you’re not in a great mood, it becomes even worse.

Forget the House

This may seem like the strangest suggestion of all.  I’m not telling you to get out of the house, though that may be exactly what some of you need.  But, go into the cleanest room (nonexistent in my world, but we’ll ignore that fact for a moment) and take the little ones with you.  Cuddle with them, read them a story, play blocks with them, watch a quiet kid movie.  You get the idea.  Lay low.  If you try to do laundry, dishes, clean house and more while entertaining your little ones, your mood is likely to just keep going downhill.  Save those activities for a little later, when your children are napping or having their quiet time.

Yes, there are a lot more suggestions I could make, but for now, I’ll leave it at that .  I think a surprise recipe for a magnificent mocha/cocoa is in order next week…be sure to come get that!

Remember the Naptime Dilemma Post from “yesterday” (yeah, it was supposed to go up on Thursday but I goofed)?  Well, one of the distractions they use to keep themselves from falling asleep (in addition to general naughtiness and getting out of bed) is singing.

I actually don’t mind the singing as long as they don’t get too loud and obnoxious about it, it’s kind of cute.  You really never know what they’re going to sing either.  The main singer out of the two of them is Monkey (definitely) for recognizeable songs.

I had to laugh out loud though when Monkey began singing the song from one of the Geico caveman commercials.  As “Let me be myself, let me be myself, let me be myself” started coming from the room, it was all I could do not to howl in laughter.

This is followed on the heels of, “I’ve got these chains on me” (from Phineas and Ferb on Disney).  Just another thing in life to inspire a good laugh!

What’s funny about all of this though is that his main song these days has been “Glowius”…er…Everything Glorious (by the David Crowder Band).  The way he sings it is so cute.

It’s not just the songs he sings…no…it’s the passion and gusto in which he sings them. So funny!

Everything Glorious – David Crowder Band

There comes a point in every child’s littlehood that they decide they shouldn’t take naps.   If I were content to leave it alone, none of my children would have continued to nap during the day into their third year.

The thing is, I’m not content to leave it alone.  That is the only time of the day where I get a few short minutes of quiet, rest and solid work time.  Even more though, I found right off the bat with boy number 1 is that although they may hit this “no nap” sometime when they are three, most of them weren’t truly ready to give it up permanently, it was merely a temporary thing.

Through all 6 of my boys they have been very varied in their napping.  Some of them nap until Kindergarten (and even then aren’t truly ready to give it up), others are definitely ready to move on to “rest time” at the age of 4.  None of them gave it up completely before that, though they may have tried.

The twins are now 3 1/2 and sometimes struggle with the nap thing…though sleeping has never been something they excel at (LOL).  My 6 year old (Sir Lion) on the other hand, who is in half day Kindergarten this year, still shows signs of definitely needing a nap a couple times per week.

Even if it seems like the end of napping is at hand, I really like everyone to have quiet time each day…even the bigger ones during summer break.  They don’t have to lay down of course, but I do ask that they keep their voices down, there will be absolutely no rough housing, and I encourage anything quiet: reading, games, playing quietly, etc.  They occasionally slip and get noisy, but for the most part, they reap the benefits of this arrangement too.  I really do believe that it is healthy for everyone to have some quiet in their day.

So the dilemma?  Like I mentioned the twins are terrible sleepers (Ok, so I put it nicely before, but let’s not be in denial here) and at 3 1/2 they are terribly difficult to get to nap.  Do they still need a nap?  Yes, all signs point to the fact that they are definitely not doing well without a nap.  So, as unruly as they are, I am trying now to teach them about “quiet time”.  You may play quietly or read quietly on your nap bed (they do NOT do well if they are in the same room at naptime), but you may not get up.

So, in the midst of my current dilemma which may or may not mean that my last children are done being nappers (sigh), here’s a little info I thought I’d share on the subject that I’ve learned over the years.

• Some children will go through stages of napping.  Just because they are having a difficult time napping right now, may not mean that they are done napping altogether, they may be ready again next week so keep up the routine.
• If your child is young and you don’t want them to give up napping completely, go into it like it’s a temporary thing, and continue with their routine.  They may simply lay in their crib hugging their cozy for the hour and a half they would normally nap, that’s fine.  This gives both you and the little one time to recouperate from the morning by having a little down time.  Some don’t go for this easily, and many a parent has given up after a few days thinking that there’s no hope.
• If you don’t want to continue trying to get your child to nap after a few days, that is entirely up to you.  But if you really do want to give it a fair shot, keep going every day and if nothing else, you will at least establish a routine.
• When do you know that your child needs to cut out or down on naptime?  If your child cannot get to sleep at night, they are restless when they do sleep or they wake up in the night unable to go back to sleep.
• When do you know that naptime is simply a challenge, but that your child still needs a nap?  For my children, it depended on the child.  But, by around 5 or 6pm (way too early), they would exhibit one or more of the following:  overly emotional (crying for no reason), mad at the world (crabby and angry at everyone about everything), rollercoaster emotions (laughing one minute, bawling the next – way more than usual even for the personality that does that), falling asleep in the car (especially if you go somewhere around dinnertime), bouncing off the walls (a couple of my kids get ultra hyper when they are tired – total oxymoron, I know, but they did).

I’m sure there are plenty of things I’m forgetting about, but that’s quite a bit for now.  Feel free to leave a comment with your naptime dilemmas, solutions or questions.  If you have a question, be sure to come back and check comments in a few days for an answer.

What’s Labor Day without a little nudge to all the new moms out there?  What!  That’s not what Labor Day is about.  Well, to most of the moms I know it is!  Seriously, say the word “labor” and what’s the first thing that pops into mind?  That’s right!  But I digress….

I recently found out about a great company called aden+anais (isn’t that a great name?). It was started by two mothers who both moved to the US from Australia in 1996 and they were stunned by the lack of great quality baby wraps here.  In Australia, babies are always wrapped in muslin, and the wraps are a lot larger than those available here.

These comfortable wraps are perfect for almost any baby use from swaddling and sleeping to a great stroller cover because of how large they are.   The more you wash these swaddling blankets, the softer they get and they are ultra breathable which makes them perfect for any season/climate!

In addition to their muslin wraps, aden + anais also carries towels and muslin cotton washcloths!  Be sure to check out their entire line.

One lucky commenter will have the privilege of receiving a set (4 pack) of aden + anais’ Mod Muslin Swaddling Blankets (value $44). In order to enter, visit aden + anais’ website and take a look at their products.  Then, come back here and tell me why you’d love to have these wraps!

Extra ways to enter…(be sure to leave a NEW comment for EACH extra entry!):

• Become a Facebook fan of aden + anais!
• Tweet It: Just tweet this giveaway with a link to this post and make sure your comment has your twitter handle in it.
• Blog It: Write a post about this giveaway (with a link to this post of course) on your own blog, make sure your comment has a link to your post.
• Stumble It, Kirtsy It, Digg It, Submit to Mommy Blips: Submit this giveaway to any of these sites and earn an extra entry for each one…and make sure your comment has your Username.

It is void where prohibited, be sure to read my giveaway policies here.  Be sure to enter by September 18, 2009.  This giveaway is open to US and Canadian Addresses!

Disclosure:  I always give honest and forthright reviews and will not present something that poses a conflict of interest &/or that I do not like.  I was sent a package of these swaddle blankets for Sis and Little Miss to try.  You can read my full disclosure policy here.