Which Story Do you Want to hear?

I wrote two blog posts.  Both are true.  If you're a glass half full person - read the first one.  If you are a glass half empty person - read the second.  

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POST 1

The kids and I have been staying super busy to keep our minds off Ben being gone so much.  

In the mornings I try to do something educational with the kids.  Usually that means reading, puzzles, or crafts.   

Playing with play dough is the absolute favorite activity in our house these days.  

Around 10AM McKay wakes up from his morning nap and then we try to go somewhere or have outdoors time.  We've gone to the park with Cricchio and Tickner, ward park play dates, walks around the neighborhood, and to a few stores.  The kids are really enjoying our outings these days.  

McKay sitting happily outback while the kids jump on the trampoline.

Jax swinging down a slide at Veteran's park on Tuesday's play date.

Jax was collecting acorns and putting them in the stroller during our walk.

On Wednesdays we have Joy School so we spend the whole day down at my parents' house and leave at bedtime.  They LOVE their Mimi!

He's always running or jumping off something these days.

I asked Sadie to pose for a picture.  This is what I got.

He pulled out a clump of my hair during the taking of this picture.

Do you think we look alike?

Sadie helping my mom make wheat bread.

Ben is gone until late each evening so we've also been doing more outings in the late afternoons.  We've gone to Green Key Park three times in the last week.  It's a park that sits along the ocean.  The beach isn't great but the views are pretty and the kids always have a fun time.

We've been taking baths most nights.  It's a sure way to keep them happy for a half hour and always relaxes them for bed.  On this night I caught Sadie washing Jax's feet so I grabbed my camera to capture the moment.  They sure love each other!

Only one more week and busy season will end.  We'll be happy for things to return to normal!

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POST 2

I'm still alive but just barely.  These have been the longest and hardest couple of weeks in my mothering life.  Here's why:

• It's Ben's busy season.  That means I'm pretty much a single parent.  Sometimes he makes it home by 8 to help me get the kids in bed but it's never a sure thing.  Most of the day goes smoothly but from 4 - 8PM it's pure chaos.  Also, all three have the same bed time yet slightly different bedtime routines, so it can be challenging to get them all down by myself.  
• The boys have sprouted 8 new teeth in the past two weeks (3 for Jax and 5 for McKay).  McKay especially has been so fussy.  His top teeth just finally broke through two days ago.  I hope that means we're through the worst of it.  
• We're transitioning, meaning, Jax is still getting adjusted to sleeping in a big boy bed and McKay has decided to drop his third nap so he's pretty cranky by late afternoon.  
• Sadie is extremely overly tired because of Jax waking her up early every morning.  She doesn't nap during the day and has been SO emotional.     
• Major behavioral problems with the two older kids.  I could go on and on about this subject.  I'll spare you.  Or maybe I'll make it a post in and of it's own, but the older two have been behaving embarrassingly awful.  Jax is starting to hit and disobey and Sadie is becoming defiant.  We've had so many time outs and talks this week that I feel like that's all I do anymore.  My kids were really pretty good a few months ago, but now they're little terrors.  At least with me they are.  Where have I gone wrong???? 
• I've been sick.  I had allergies or a cold or something and just couldn't shake it for almost three weeks. Probably because I never have restful sleep at night.  McKay was sleeping more at night (meaning going 3 or 4 hours) but because of my illness my milk supply dropped and he's been starving.  So, he's up more at night and I feel like I need to let him nurse as often as he can so that my milk will return (which it did two days ago).  Anyways, my coping mechanisms have been down because I've just not been feeling good and I'm tired because McKay has been getting up so often.  So, poor McKay has been teething, tired, and starving.  Not a fun combination!  

Needless to say, it's been a little stressful.  On Tuesday Sadie was behaving terribly, Jax kept hitting, McKay wouldn't let me set him down, and I felt exhausted and yucky.  I'm not a big crier but I just cried my eyes out (right along with two of the three kids who were crying also).  It wasn't a fun day.  Ben did show up with a pizza and flowers around 8:30 and that made me quite happy again.  And things have been improving since that day.  My milk is back, teething has slightly subsided, I'm feeling healthier, and only one more week of intense busy season.  Let's hope we survive!