Kienna woke up yesterday and said that she didn't want to go to school because she just never gets to see me anymore. Although I didn't feel like it was quite a good enough reason to actually miss school, I felt so touched that she misses me as much as I miss her. This summer went by so fast (with such moderate weather) that I just didn't really feel like I had the quality time that I had hoped for with my kids. Don't get me wrong, we did a lot of fun things, there just wasn't enough time to do it all. September came WAY too early and between school and lessons (which I try to keep very minimal) I just don't see enough of those girls.
This Friday the kids have off and I wanted to go do some really special Mommy/Daughter date, but I have piano lessons and parent/teacher interviews that will most surely fill the day. Sigh. How do you find time to really enjoy your kids with the few waking hours that they actually have at home? How can we possibly fit it all in? I've purposely limited my kids to 1 lesson each to avoid the daily crazies... but it just isn't enough. When they're home, I'm busy making dinner or changing diapers, or cleaning up the mess that's accumulated through the day. How can I make this time more well spent? Any ideas?
I've actually been so sad about this that I've even toyed with the idea of Home School. I know, crazy, right? The pros and cons certainly weigh out, but I think I've officially decided that with a baby coming this year and with all the changes that come with that, it'd be better that they stay in school - at least for this year. We'll just really have to live it up on Weekends and Holidays...
So, what have we been doing at home? Well, the fun stuff... we've been cleaning, organizing, laundering, scrubbing, sweeping, mopping.... you get the idea. Just put on some music (add a spoonful of sugar) and it becomes more fun. In fact, my kids ask to join in because when they see me dancing and singing while sweeping the floor, it becomes a game. (Thank heaven for Mary Poppins)
We've also been enjoying some good flicks. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has been the kids new favorite. I'm completely happy with this decision. Could you ask for better music to be on while you clean and they watch? Plus, they get up and dance to the music (I mean, how could you just sit through it?)
This picture reminds me quickly, Jaymeson has cried every single day when Kaia and Kienna leave. When we drop them off at the bus stop, school or when they go out the door with Jarett, he cries for "a guys...". It's getting better. Today was only about 30 seconds or so, but he just loves his sisters so much. It's really sweet. When Kaia and Kienna comes home, he's so excited and just plays and snuggles with them as much as he can.
On the baby front, we've been having an interesting ride. My hips have never been so horrible. I have days where I'm completely fine, but other days I look and feel completely crippled. I don't have morning sickness like so many others, and my emotions have been pretty steady this time around, but having my tailbone collapse and pinch all those nerves just isn't fun. I met up with my obstetrician for the first time last month (you have to go to the GP for the first while because OB's are just so busy here apparently), and she informed me that I'm measuring 7 weeks larger than I should be and that my baby is breech. She also told me that since I have successfully delivered other babies, if this baby stays breech until term, they'd just deliver that way. This, quite frankly, scares me out of my mind. Has anyone had a successful breech delivery that they want to tell me about?
During the Labour Day weekend, Jarett and the girls went camping (which apparently was a little chilly - snow and the works!) and I stayed home with Jaymeson. The lack of running around after the girls etc. must have paid off because I SWEAR that the baby turned. My hips stopped bothering me for about a week and my stomach looked about half the size. Unfortunately, I think that may have reversed yet again. Sigh. Doctor's appointment on Thursday and we'll find out then.
Well, that's all the thoughts for now... I'm impressed I have any thoughts left the way I've been forgetting things recently. Sigh. At least I'm remembering to blog too, right?
7 comments:
I have the exact same calendar. But mine isn't nearly as full. But I love that it is big so I don't forget anything.
Love the blog, can't wait to read on further. Good luck on the baby front. Being pregnant is really hard work.
Oh, I miss Jaymeson. He's sooo cute!
Ash, you think that baby pulled Kienna? Getting head down and hopes up only to reverse it all again? Man... hopefully another turn is in the future!
I LOVE writing in my calendar... unfortunately, I usually forget to check it! Ha... I can sooo relate.
As for one and one time... I'll check back to see what others say. That's a hard one!
I have the same struggle of course, but I find that things like my crock pot, rice maker and lasagna I assembled during the day go a long long long way toward simplifying my evenings.
Wow-I've never even heard of a breech delivery-am I missing something?
Hey Ashley, I know how you feel with the kids in school and not enough time... call me a bad mom ... But I gave Kaden 1 skip day a month when he was first starting school. I know Aunt Pam wasn't too impressed (being a teacher and all) but I figure there is more to life than school and sometimes a child just needs to stay home with mommy!! I was worried that it would back fire but Kaden is in grade 8 now and for the most part is fine with school and was 90 average or above last year so I dont think it hurt his academics at all. Good luck with everything. Thanks for inviting me to your blog!!
Ashley,
I got the message that you sent me, asking for advice. I must admit that while I am in a similar situation to you, I am FAR from perfect. That being said, however, I have made it a huge goal to spend as much time as a family as possible. Because I don't know exactly what your situation is, I will tell you what we have done in our family and hopefully something that I say will help you out. The things that we have made it a family goal to do are the following:
1 - At 8:00 pm, whomever is home will read scriptures together as a family and then have family prayer.
2 - We have FHE every week.
3 - I teach piano, but I have made it so that I only teach 2 days a week so that the rest of the week I can focus on my kids and their lessons and their lives. They know that when they come home from school on Mondays and Tuesdays that I am teaching until 6:15 and then after that I am theirs.
4 - We always have dinner together, no matter what. . . except on date nights. Sometimes we have to have dinner at 4:30 because of lessons and such, and sometimes it is at 7 pm, but we do everything that we can to sit down and have dinner together.
5 - My kids do chores. . . . and they have since they were 2. This is important because if everyone pitches in and puts away their own laundry, or tidys up the house, I can spend my days doing the things that they CAN'T do, like the deep cleaning and the dusting etc.
6 - In addition to FHE we also have time set aside that we call "Family Fun Night". This usually falls on a weekend (unless we find something during the week that qualifies) and it has sometimes been an evening, a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon, a weekend trip, it doesn't matter how long it is, but it is a time where we just go out and do something as a family. This has been everything from getting ice cream cones, to going bowling, to playing board games. . . it doesn't matter what we do and for how long, just that we do it and we call it Family Fun Night. Our goal with this is for the kids to like being with us now so that when they are older they will still want to hang out with us.
7 - Finally, I get all of my housework for the day done when the big kids are at school. That means that even if I am not finished my "to do" list when they get home from school, it doesn't matter. . . .I do not do housework when the kids get home. That is their time with me and it is more important than housework. . . that being said, I do have a 2 year old and we always read at least 1 book together every day, just the two of us and he loves helping me with the chores.
So, there you have it. Life, Megan style. I hope that this helps. Like I said, I am very far from being perfect, but I do love my kiddies and I do want to spend as much time with them as possible. Because of this and of all of the above items that I listed to you, I am not a very good "playdate" mom. I never have been, and that is something I feel bad about, but to me it is more important to have family time together than for me to have them spend time with other kids when we could be doing something as a family. I hope that this helps!
Megan
Ash! I think you are a great mom, and also I think it is important for kids also to see that there are jobs that have to be done and life isn't all play time. However, it is also good to have a balance of fun an work together.
Love to read your blog.
Gran has just said that giving them responsibilities is also a really good idea because it makes them feel a part of the family effort to help keep their home nice like they would always want it to be. Gran said she doesn't however agree that there should be a need to pay them for what they do, they should learn to unselfishly be part of the family home responsibilities.
Love you all!
Aunty Beryl
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