A Rough Patch

Today was rough. As much as I needed to blog it all out so I could settle down enough to sleep, I also needed to find a spring look for my blog. That took longer than anticipated. Did I mention I hate computers and I'm awful at everything having to do with them?? This wasn't the country meadow and wildflower look I was after, but I've searched far too long and now won't have much time to blog. Computers are a time-suck if ever there was one.

I bought Emily a new carseat, and after our homeschooling lessons today, Don and I went out to the van to install it. Oh, the HASSLE! I mean really frustrating, pull-your-hair-out hassle. She's a petite young lady, having just reached about 20 pounds and 31 inches. I've always been small as well, so it's genetic; she's doing fine. Nevertheless, finding pants to fit her narrow frame, and a carseat that would keep her comfortable in the still-safer rear-facing position, have both caused hassle lately. It would have taken us seasoned installers a mere fifteen minutes had we put it in the forward-facing position. The rear-facing scenario is always full of many more variables. We finally, after an hour-and-a-half, got it installed so that it doesn't move more than an inch.

I am the barely sane mother of three children in carseats! God help me. I am ashamed to admit that sometimes I stay home after contemplating the carseat/shopping cart hassles involved in solo-parent outings.

This spring we will spend a lot of time at our local parks, and I will do my utmost to make sure that the schooling, the morning chores, Emily's naptime, and our lunch are all orchestrated just right so that Daddy can accompany us to the park before he leaves for work at 2 pm. The fact that he's a second-shift employee often saves my daytime sanity. Of course, the whole dinner-bath-lotion- jammies-storytime-teethbrushing marathon is as difficult to do alone as solo outings, so I guess I'm not really ahead on the sanity thing. But - shhh - don't tell my kids. They might already suspect something is not quite right in that department. LOL

My husband and I are under a lot of stress. The vast majority of it has to do with the spacing of our children, and the fact that all of them are active, and the fact that one, Daniel, possibly might have ADHD. If he has it, he would be a mild to moderate case. However, even ADHD in the mild to moderate category can lead to excessive parental/family stress. We're having a rough patch right now. The hyperactivity and insatiable desire for attention are currently migraine inducing. Daniel desperately needs daily time outside, but the weather still hasn't cooperated. And our neighborhood roads, on which we walk and they ride their bikes, are pretty much ruined with rampant potholes - deep and wide ones. We live in a small township, so I don't know how quickly they will get repaired.

Enough of my whining for one night. I could go on about how Timmy, our middle child, drives us insane with his picky eating habits, but I'll spare you. Suffice it to say that his dislike of fruits and vegetables has me so concerned that it has become my daily prayer that God intervenes and miraculously gives Timmy a craving for vegetation. The other food groups aren't a problem, but will someone please convince that kid that it takes more than apples to keep the doctor away?

I know I said I was going to stop whining, but did I mention yet that Emily Rose is not only into everything, but can now almost climb up on the couches? And that, when standing on her tippy toes, she can reach the edge of counters and the dining room table? We are constantly having to rescue her from disaster as she reaches for everything and anything. I remember these months between 15 and 24 months well. Emily Rose, though, might just be the MOST curious of the bunch. I hate to admit it, but sometimes I wonder if she is a bit hyper as well. God help me! I hope it's just a passing toddler thing with her.

Oh, and to top it all off, I turned 42 yesterday. I am grateful for my hard-fought wisdom, small though it is. I am not grateful that I now have both wrinkles and pimples. The glorious complexion reprieve I always get from pregnancy and nursing has come to an end. Emily is only nursing about five times in twenty-four hours, so my cycles have returned, and along with them, my acne. I never used to get much PMS, but that might be changing. I barely know myself lately.