I have always been a Thank You kind of girl. I was raised to be one, actually, but even now that I'm grown and on my own, I still believe in writing Thank Yous. For gifts, mostly, but thanks to reading 365 Thank Yous with my book club, I am hoping to write more in 2014 for the less tangible but still amazing "gifts" I have received from those around me. Even though it is not quite the new year yet, I come to you now with my first official post-holiday Thank You and I'm making it public because I have to.
We just got home this afternoon from a week of travel for Christmas celebrations with both the Welschs and the Moores. HD & RL have actually been gone for 9 days, so needless to say, we are one worn out little family. We had a great time seeing everyone and sharing gifts and meals and laughs and games and all those fun holiday things. Life with Littles makes the holidays extra special and, I'll be honest, extra exhausting. Think about it. You tell a 4-yr-old that some jolly old dude is going to come in the night and leave him presents and you really think that 4-yr-old is going to wait for a decent hour to start coming to your room to ask if you can all go downstairs to see if Santa came yet?!?! 4:13 a.m. my friends. That is when HD started asking for Santa on Christmas morning. Did the joy of watching him open his gifts make up for the bleary eyes later in the day? Absolutely - just a little note to self for Santa next year, though. She *ahem* he shouldn't get noisy toys via Amazon that she *ahem* he can't volume test before leaving for the children. Just saying.
When you take the general excitement of Christmas and holiday travel and you add in sharing a room with a very noisy 5 1/2 month old sleeper, you are really asking for it. I would have loved to stay longer at my parents' house but we absolutely had to come home today because I am so sleep deprived after the last week (Hello! Did you see the fb post about taking RL to the ER last Sat. night for what ended up being croup that has fortunately gotten better but still, what a way to start things off!). I don't think my body or my brain or my emotions could handle one more night of being away from home. We need our own beds and most importantly, our own bedrooms! Lincoln is my No.1 Little Dude, but man, he is a terrible roommate. Thank goodness that Ben has the next week off from school so we can just unpack and unwind and take it nice and easy as we roll into 2014.
Naturally, while we were gone, we had our mail held and came back to a nice little bundle of Christmas cards this afternoon. I started going through the stack while Ben put RL & LT down for naps which brings me back to the public nature of the Thank You that I'm in a roundabout way trying to write right here. The very first envelope I chose to open was addressed just to me and had no return address on it. I honestly thought it was a bill or junk mail of some sort which is why I opened it first, saving the obvious Christmas cards for later. Imagine my surprise when I found a typed, unsigned letter expressing someone's care and concern and appreciation for me and my family and my writing, saying that they wanted to do something to continue my growth and were including a way for me to do that with a punch card to my beloved local yoga studio. TEARS, my friends. Lots and lots of tears as I first read it, when I showed it to Ben and as I write this now.
Since you didn't sign your name but did say that you read this blog, this blog is how I know best to say Thank You. I am so blessed with an amazing support system and you are obviously part of that. Yoga is keeping me whole these days so you picked very well and I am touched to be on the receiving end of such kindness and generosity. Of course my curious mind wants to guess and to know who you are but I respect that you wanted to send some anonymous good out into the world. Know it is being received with heartfelt thanks and immense gratitude. And I will find ways in the immediate and long-term future to repay this, if not to you since you are unnamed, to others.
Believe there is good in the world. Be the good. When we show up for each other, we are the good. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Friday, December 27, 2013
Saturday, December 21, 2013
25 Things
My favorite students are the ones who teach me in return and I have been lucky enough to get to know some of those gems outside of the classroom, too. One student who happened to be in the very first class I ever taught at my very first job as a full-blown adult is still in contact via the beauty of the interwebs and I couldn't be more proud to know her. She's awesome. She's a writer among many things and recently she posted that during this time of year, every year, she and her hubby (and sometimes kids) make a list of 25 things they accomplished in the last 12 months. What an awesome idea was my reaction to that followed immediately by I totally want to steal that. So I am. And because I share so much with those of you who take the time to read these posts, I'm sharing my list. Maybe you'll make a list too? Share it with me if you'd like, or keep it for yourself as a memento of 2013. Even if you hate to journal, this could be a really cool and really easy* way to keep track of the simply amazing and amazingly simple accomplishments of your years.
*I'm retracting that this is easy. This actually took me a lot of time and thinking, but it was very much worthwhile in the end; so still do it, but don't expect it to be a breeze.
25 Things in 2013
1. I pushed out my third baby au natural. He is totally awesome. Every night as I dream feed him, I look at his sweet head covered in blond fuzz and I smile because my heart wants to burst with love for him.
2. I rekindled a love affair with yoga that has brought me great joy, physical strength, and an abundance of gratitude and awareness.
3. I learned to ask for help when I needed it most and have made great strides ever since.
4. I read 40 some books. That is so cool.
5. I joined a book club! Best decision ever!
6. I taught two night classes in one semester (and learned that I probably won't be doing that again any time soon).
7. I made the switch post-baby from regular coffee to decaf. It was brutal, but I've adjusted.
8. This blog post will make #75 for the year. HOT DANG!
9. I met/made new friends who felt like long-lost kindred souls.
10. I got really, really skilled in the deep, dark bowels of April at cleaning up sick kid messes. Dear Universe, I would prefer no more practice in that area for a very long time, thank you very much.
11. I parked our Chrysler in the garage stall without damaging it or the garage. And I pulled out of the garage in the Chrysler without damaging the house. I did each of these things exactly once (not that I did it other times and caused damage - that's just how rare a feat it really is). If you knew how wide that car is and how weird our driveway is, you would be very proud of me, too, I think. Amazingly simple things - they really do count!
12. My back has improved so much in recent months that I now only see my chiropractor once every three weeks.
13. I started taking photos of me nursing my baby. I'm sad I don't have images of doing so with the first two, but it's never too late to start something that matters to you.
14. I learned to trust a 20-month-old as she fed herself cereal every morning.
15. I cooked meals and actually included garlic and onion in some of the recipes that called for them. OK, like two, but progress is progress.
16. I learned that nothing beats seeing my four-yr-old's dimples as he tells me about school, or makes up stories or jokes, or squeezes my legs tight and says "thanks" for making his fave, Stromboli.
17. I didn't feel one single itch after celebrating my seventh wedding anniversary.
18. I edited my very first book manuscript. Wait - that's confusing. I edited a book manuscript for an author for the very first time. Perhaps that is more clear!
19. I survived (and even enjoyed) an out-of-state road trip with my family of five when our newest member was just three weeks old.
20. I did not freak out when one of my children required stitches for the very first time.
21. I painted two bedrooms in our house prior to Lincoln's arrival (w/ some help, of course).
22. I discovered that heels are still not my friend but wedges are. #shortgirlproblemsandsolutions
23. I was offered a job sight unseen that I could not take but was honored by it all the same.
24. I actually did 10-20 projects/recipes/etc. of the tons that I pinned this year. Yea, me!
25. I leaned that strong is better than skinny and I hope to keep that switch in "s" words permanent.
*I'm retracting that this is easy. This actually took me a lot of time and thinking, but it was very much worthwhile in the end; so still do it, but don't expect it to be a breeze.
25 Things in 2013
1. I pushed out my third baby au natural. He is totally awesome. Every night as I dream feed him, I look at his sweet head covered in blond fuzz and I smile because my heart wants to burst with love for him.
2. I rekindled a love affair with yoga that has brought me great joy, physical strength, and an abundance of gratitude and awareness.
3. I learned to ask for help when I needed it most and have made great strides ever since.
4. I read 40 some books. That is so cool.
5. I joined a book club! Best decision ever!
6. I taught two night classes in one semester (and learned that I probably won't be doing that again any time soon).
7. I made the switch post-baby from regular coffee to decaf. It was brutal, but I've adjusted.
8. This blog post will make #75 for the year. HOT DANG!
9. I met/made new friends who felt like long-lost kindred souls.
10. I got really, really skilled in the deep, dark bowels of April at cleaning up sick kid messes. Dear Universe, I would prefer no more practice in that area for a very long time, thank you very much.
11. I parked our Chrysler in the garage stall without damaging it or the garage. And I pulled out of the garage in the Chrysler without damaging the house. I did each of these things exactly once (not that I did it other times and caused damage - that's just how rare a feat it really is). If you knew how wide that car is and how weird our driveway is, you would be very proud of me, too, I think. Amazingly simple things - they really do count!
12. My back has improved so much in recent months that I now only see my chiropractor once every three weeks.
13. I started taking photos of me nursing my baby. I'm sad I don't have images of doing so with the first two, but it's never too late to start something that matters to you.
14. I learned to trust a 20-month-old as she fed herself cereal every morning.
15. I cooked meals and actually included garlic and onion in some of the recipes that called for them. OK, like two, but progress is progress.
16. I learned that nothing beats seeing my four-yr-old's dimples as he tells me about school, or makes up stories or jokes, or squeezes my legs tight and says "thanks" for making his fave, Stromboli.
17. I didn't feel one single itch after celebrating my seventh wedding anniversary.
18. I edited my very first book manuscript. Wait - that's confusing. I edited a book manuscript for an author for the very first time. Perhaps that is more clear!
19. I survived (and even enjoyed) an out-of-state road trip with my family of five when our newest member was just three weeks old.
20. I did not freak out when one of my children required stitches for the very first time.
21. I painted two bedrooms in our house prior to Lincoln's arrival (w/ some help, of course).
22. I discovered that heels are still not my friend but wedges are. #shortgirlproblemsandsolutions
23. I was offered a job sight unseen that I could not take but was honored by it all the same.
24. I actually did 10-20 projects/recipes/etc. of the tons that I pinned this year. Yea, me!
25. I leaned that strong is better than skinny and I hope to keep that switch in "s" words permanent.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Early Birds
Well, we are just steeped in descriptive cliches here in the Welsch residence these days. Not only are our kids movers and shakers, they are early wakers. But you already know this, right? The early wake up is part of our sleep story, as is the sleep training and the early bedtimes and the extreme adherence to naps (well, at least for the first two kids. sorry, Lincoln!). Our sleep story also includes shared rooms and we worried when we moved the big kids into together that we were going to have major problems with them waking each other up, but actually it has continued to be just been Ben and I who have taken the brunt of that.
To recap, until Baby Sis came along, Harrison was an awesome 7-7 sleeper. Sometimes 7:30 even, which to me, two years later, seems like it would be the best Christmas present EVER to get that even one day much less all. the. time! Once he was no longer in the crib, though, our problems began and while we eventually figured out how to keep him in his bed to go to sleep at night, potty training officially ruined our sleeping lives because how do you tell a kid, no you can't come out of your bed even if you have to pee? Kind of defeats the purpose, right? To his credit, he doesn't use the potty chip very often during the night (knock on wood) but there are plenty of early mornings when he comes in our room to use the upstairs bathroom that is, sadly, attached to our room. Technically he can get there through the hallway but what fun is there in that?
Enough of these early morning bathroom runs have occurred over the months that I now believe HD's internal alarm has reset itself. In the 5s! And not just 5:50. I can actually handle 5:50. But the 5:30s or 5:20s? Seriously, please, NO! Someone make it stop! Especially on the nights when Lincoln nurses in the 2s or 3s, this early wake up call seems just wrong.
The problem in the last month or so, is that in order to preserve RL's morning sleep, we started letting HD stay in our room, at least once the clock said 6. But then he started coming in every morning, half zombie-fied/sleep walking, not to pee but to see if the clock said 6. And crying loudly when it wasn't and he was sent back to his room. It didn't take long for me to realize that we had just created a new beast for our little problem and that something had to be done.
Earlier this year we bought a little nightlight thing called the Sleep Buddy from Amazon that is programmed to turn off (or in our cave-needing kids' case, turn on) when it is OK to get up out of bed. We tried it a few months ago and had a similar problem. Harrison kept coming in to ask when the blue light was going to come on (WTG?!). I'm sure it works for some people, so if you think your kid is one of them and you want ours, let me know because after three days of those shenanigans, we gave up on it.
This time we decided to try a trick I saw at a friend's house - a digital clock with dark tape over everything but the hour indicating number. For inquisitive little ones like Harrison, this is perfect because he knows his numbers but he thinks that if he sees a 6 anywhere in the clock readout, he's golden and good to go. So 3:06 or 4:26? Those would all be viable options if we left him with a whole clock to view. But thanks to LMZ (shout out!), we learned the tape over the clock trick and came up with this last Tuesday:
I know. You're wondering when I married MacGyver who decides to tape clocks to lamps, not to mention, where did we find that awesome lamp?! What can I say? Ben is handy like that and when you combine my soft spot for really unique lamps and Ben's Grandma Louise's skills at auctions, you just get awesomeness such as this.
Obviously we were hopeful that Night One of the awesomeness would be a success. It was not. Ben explained the whole concept to HD and he was totally on board, but then his bladder got in the way and he came in during the mid-5s to pee. And then again before 6 to say that the 6 wasn't there yet. Oh, child of mine! Really?! Unlike our Sleep Buddy attempt, we decided to keep going though (because, frankly, we had no other options/ideas).
Night Two was even worse. Ben had to leave the children unattended for a bit during bedtime to change LT's diaper and wouldn't you know it? They messed with the clock. At 12:20 a.m., HD came into our room to tell us, "The clock's making funny noises in my room" at which point, yes, we could hear the alarm going off and his sister crying! Oh, me. REALLY?!
We stayed the course, however, through the still-too-early risings of Night Three and Night Four and finally, finally! on Night Five we had success! Harrison did not come in until our clock read 6:02! Pardon me while I have a little dance party in honor of his accomplishment.........
Of course we have no idea where this will go from here or what holiday travel might to do our sleep in general, but this has me so hopeful that maybe we can retrain his body to wait for the 6s. And do I dare to dream? Perhaps, someday far, far away, a return to the 7s?!
To recap, until Baby Sis came along, Harrison was an awesome 7-7 sleeper. Sometimes 7:30 even, which to me, two years later, seems like it would be the best Christmas present EVER to get that even one day much less all. the. time! Once he was no longer in the crib, though, our problems began and while we eventually figured out how to keep him in his bed to go to sleep at night, potty training officially ruined our sleeping lives because how do you tell a kid, no you can't come out of your bed even if you have to pee? Kind of defeats the purpose, right? To his credit, he doesn't use the potty chip very often during the night (knock on wood) but there are plenty of early mornings when he comes in our room to use the upstairs bathroom that is, sadly, attached to our room. Technically he can get there through the hallway but what fun is there in that?
Enough of these early morning bathroom runs have occurred over the months that I now believe HD's internal alarm has reset itself. In the 5s! And not just 5:50. I can actually handle 5:50. But the 5:30s or 5:20s? Seriously, please, NO! Someone make it stop! Especially on the nights when Lincoln nurses in the 2s or 3s, this early wake up call seems just wrong.
The problem in the last month or so, is that in order to preserve RL's morning sleep, we started letting HD stay in our room, at least once the clock said 6. But then he started coming in every morning, half zombie-fied/sleep walking, not to pee but to see if the clock said 6. And crying loudly when it wasn't and he was sent back to his room. It didn't take long for me to realize that we had just created a new beast for our little problem and that something had to be done.
Earlier this year we bought a little nightlight thing called the Sleep Buddy from Amazon that is programmed to turn off (or in our cave-needing kids' case, turn on) when it is OK to get up out of bed. We tried it a few months ago and had a similar problem. Harrison kept coming in to ask when the blue light was going to come on (WTG?!). I'm sure it works for some people, so if you think your kid is one of them and you want ours, let me know because after three days of those shenanigans, we gave up on it.
This time we decided to try a trick I saw at a friend's house - a digital clock with dark tape over everything but the hour indicating number. For inquisitive little ones like Harrison, this is perfect because he knows his numbers but he thinks that if he sees a 6 anywhere in the clock readout, he's golden and good to go. So 3:06 or 4:26? Those would all be viable options if we left him with a whole clock to view. But thanks to LMZ (shout out!), we learned the tape over the clock trick and came up with this last Tuesday:
Obviously we were hopeful that Night One of the awesomeness would be a success. It was not. Ben explained the whole concept to HD and he was totally on board, but then his bladder got in the way and he came in during the mid-5s to pee. And then again before 6 to say that the 6 wasn't there yet. Oh, child of mine! Really?! Unlike our Sleep Buddy attempt, we decided to keep going though (because, frankly, we had no other options/ideas).
Night Two was even worse. Ben had to leave the children unattended for a bit during bedtime to change LT's diaper and wouldn't you know it? They messed with the clock. At 12:20 a.m., HD came into our room to tell us, "The clock's making funny noises in my room" at which point, yes, we could hear the alarm going off and his sister crying! Oh, me. REALLY?!
We stayed the course, however, through the still-too-early risings of Night Three and Night Four and finally, finally! on Night Five we had success! Harrison did not come in until our clock read 6:02! Pardon me while I have a little dance party in honor of his accomplishment.........
Of course we have no idea where this will go from here or what holiday travel might to do our sleep in general, but this has me so hopeful that maybe we can retrain his body to wait for the 6s. And do I dare to dream? Perhaps, someday far, far away, a return to the 7s?!
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Viparita Karani
Even if you don't think yoga is your thing or ever could be your thing, I want to challenge you to try something - one simple pose that might bring you just the health and well being (mental and physical) you need during this busy holiday season - Legs up the Wall, known formally as Viparita Karani. LutW was something I pinned a while ago because it claimed I could get two hours of sleep in twenty minutes (for seriously? yes, please! said the tired mama in me). While I still don't know if that claim is entirely true, I was still inclined to try it, especially after it was also done during a class at my local studio. During that practice, when we were actually focusing on shoulder stands, the instructor told us all about the benefits of getting the blood flowing in the opposite direction that become possible when you do inversions such as these. She also explained that LutW is said to be beneficial for fighting colds and congestion, so it would be great to pull out and practice at the first sign of exhaustion or sinus troubles. Again, my mama self is surrounded by Littles and their germs 24/7, and cold and flu season is here, so anything to get me feeling more rested and less likely to get sick seemed like a great idea.
Obviously, I'm no yoga teacher (yet!), so if you want a professional to explain this to you (and you might want to read it even if you do take my word for you, you kind, kind soul), read this. It's super and will help you get where you need to be with Viparita Karani. For our purposes here, I'll tell you a little bit about my approach and the results I'm seeing from it.
I started doing this pose on a regular basis a couple weeks ago. I still haven't fit it in daily, but on the days when I'm really dragging, I make an effort to find those 10-15 minutes to get my legs on the wall and my body refreshed. I think only once did I make it a full 20 minutes and that had to have been on a weekend when Ben was around to run herd on the herd.
Since we have hardwood floors in the majority of our main level, I take one of our thickest throw blankets and fold it up in quarters so it can support my upper body as I chill on the floor. The article linked above explains several ways to get into the pose and I take one of two approaches: I sit with one hip touching the wall (knees bent) and then rotate my body so my legs are vertical as my torso becomes horizontal on the blanket OR I get my back down first and then shimmy my way towards the wall until my sits bones reach it and my legs are straight up. Confession - I don't bolster or prop myself the way the article says I should but I figure, work with what you've got, so the blanket and the wall and I make do with just each other. In other words, don't feel like you have to have a bunch of yoga gear to give this a try!
From there I usually find that my hands fall to my belly which creates, for me, a nice grounding sensation as I relax into this. Your arms can also come out, palms up, at your sides. Easy peasy - whatever works for you. Because I still need so much (years perhaps of) practice at clearing my mind, I find it helps to turn on some calming music to help me focus and breathe and just slow down for a bit. My iTunes has exploded in activity since my return to yoga, mostly because I hear great songs at class and then have to have them for my own practice at home. The song that came from the studio to my house that I've been using the most for LutW is MC Yogi's "Shanti (Peace Out)" because it is long (almost 7 minutes) and super chill; it's even been known to (almost) drown out the sound of Angry Birds being played on the Kindle on the couch next to me while I throw my legs up the wall. Also, I know if I listen to it twice-ish, I'm good to go on time (without having to watch a clock) and can begin to work my way out of the pose.
Again, not an expert, but if you try this, take your time getting out of it. Your legs are going to feel funny shortly into it and are definitely going to need a minute to get the blood flowing down again as you bring your feet back to the floor. I like to draw my knees into my chest, hug my arms around my legs, and then rock side to side for a bit before getting up. That's actually a great thing to do for your back anyway, so even if you don't to LutW, give yourself a little backrub with the side-to-side roll once (or twice) a day.
In case you are a visual learner, this is what it all looks like for me. Again, the computer is there only for musical playing purposes.
Set your chill song to repeat and settle in, nice and slow with big deep breaths. If you can, focus on that breath, and if you can't (I'm often all over the place), just keep coming back to it, as many times as you need. My back always feel better after doing this and my legs feel alive and tingly once I'm back upright and walking around the house. And I have to say, it really does help rejuvenate my head, especially if it was an early morning with the kiddos (which is always). For these benefits alone, I'm drawn to continuing this practice.
What do you think? Does this sound like something you can do? Will do? I know this is a crazy busy time of year for pretty much all of us, so maybe you're thinking you don't have 10-15 minutes to sit with your feet up your wall, but that might just be exactly why you need to slow down and give it a shot. See if the reverse of blood flow or position helps you feel differently about life in general or a specific problem or maybe your overall health. Plus, it's free and (semi) painless, so how about it? Will you let me know what you think if you put your legs up the wall any time soon?
Obviously, I'm no yoga teacher (yet!), so if you want a professional to explain this to you (and you might want to read it even if you do take my word for you, you kind, kind soul), read this. It's super and will help you get where you need to be with Viparita Karani. For our purposes here, I'll tell you a little bit about my approach and the results I'm seeing from it.
I started doing this pose on a regular basis a couple weeks ago. I still haven't fit it in daily, but on the days when I'm really dragging, I make an effort to find those 10-15 minutes to get my legs on the wall and my body refreshed. I think only once did I make it a full 20 minutes and that had to have been on a weekend when Ben was around to run herd on the herd.
Since we have hardwood floors in the majority of our main level, I take one of our thickest throw blankets and fold it up in quarters so it can support my upper body as I chill on the floor. The article linked above explains several ways to get into the pose and I take one of two approaches: I sit with one hip touching the wall (knees bent) and then rotate my body so my legs are vertical as my torso becomes horizontal on the blanket OR I get my back down first and then shimmy my way towards the wall until my sits bones reach it and my legs are straight up. Confession - I don't bolster or prop myself the way the article says I should but I figure, work with what you've got, so the blanket and the wall and I make do with just each other. In other words, don't feel like you have to have a bunch of yoga gear to give this a try!
From there I usually find that my hands fall to my belly which creates, for me, a nice grounding sensation as I relax into this. Your arms can also come out, palms up, at your sides. Easy peasy - whatever works for you. Because I still need so much (years perhaps of) practice at clearing my mind, I find it helps to turn on some calming music to help me focus and breathe and just slow down for a bit. My iTunes has exploded in activity since my return to yoga, mostly because I hear great songs at class and then have to have them for my own practice at home. The song that came from the studio to my house that I've been using the most for LutW is MC Yogi's "Shanti (Peace Out)" because it is long (almost 7 minutes) and super chill; it's even been known to (almost) drown out the sound of Angry Birds being played on the Kindle on the couch next to me while I throw my legs up the wall. Also, I know if I listen to it twice-ish, I'm good to go on time (without having to watch a clock) and can begin to work my way out of the pose.
Again, not an expert, but if you try this, take your time getting out of it. Your legs are going to feel funny shortly into it and are definitely going to need a minute to get the blood flowing down again as you bring your feet back to the floor. I like to draw my knees into my chest, hug my arms around my legs, and then rock side to side for a bit before getting up. That's actually a great thing to do for your back anyway, so even if you don't to LutW, give yourself a little backrub with the side-to-side roll once (or twice) a day.
In case you are a visual learner, this is what it all looks like for me. Again, the computer is there only for musical playing purposes.
What do you think? Does this sound like something you can do? Will do? I know this is a crazy busy time of year for pretty much all of us, so maybe you're thinking you don't have 10-15 minutes to sit with your feet up your wall, but that might just be exactly why you need to slow down and give it a shot. See if the reverse of blood flow or position helps you feel differently about life in general or a specific problem or maybe your overall health. Plus, it's free and (semi) painless, so how about it? Will you let me know what you think if you put your legs up the wall any time soon?
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Wiggle Worms
While I realize this is no surprise to any of you, I feel the need to state (again) that I have active children. How active, you might ask? Well, from my decaffeinated point of view, VERY active! They are the products of my racing mind and my hubby's ever-tapping feet (no, really...the guy can't sit still to save his life), so how could our Littles be any other way? And why would I want them any other way? Well, fewer gray hairs and more time to read might be two reasons, but meh...gray hairs and time for books will come regardless, so I might as well embrace my current season of life which I think I shall dub The Wiggle Years (a.k.a The Sleepless Years but wiggling is so much more fun than not sleeping, so let's keep the focus light, shall we?).
The Wiggle Years began four years ago when Harrison was just about the same age as Lincoln is now. As a baby, Harrison loved to bounce and scoot and roll. Actually, as soon as he did this for the first time (he started on the blanket), I knew my freedom as a mama - as a person - was severely limited because I needed to keep an eye on him constantly to know where and into what he was getting:
Of course, it's not just my boys who are wiggly. Raegan was such a squirmer that I have to admit, I really don't have fond memories of nursing her. I mean, we did it and it was fine, great, and even lovely sometimes, but for the most part, breastfeeding her was always part wrestling match. She was all over the place with arms and legs moving even while on my lap, so it's no wonder that she's stayed such a little peanut what with all that simulataneous consumption and exertion of calories. She just a strong little monkey who has been pulling tricks like this since well before she was one:
And now the Wiggle Years continue with Mr. Lincoln. Good gracious, that child can move. Perhaps you remember me writing that he was my most active babe in the belly yet? Well, look out world, because I think that might be true out of the womb as well. Just under a week ago, when LT turned five months, he finally managed to achieve his long-sought-after goal of flipping from his back to his tummy. And in doing so, he seems to have flipped some switch in his brain that said, "YES! MOVEMENT! LOVE IT!" because my previously chill baby is now squirmy as all get out. Instead of hanging out in his swing or bassinet during the day, he much prefers to be on the floor where he can wiggle and flip. Just look at him!
And, suddenly, Lincoln's nursing sessions are starting to seem very similar to Raegan's in that I'm having a hard time keeping his head facing me and his arms and legs still. Last night, during our little dream feed before Ben and I go to bed, Lincoln's bottom arm stretched out behind my ribcage and his little fingers with his sharp little nails started wiggling all over the place. I noticed it and it wasn't pleasant, but I really didn't think much of it. That is, until this morning, as I was getting ready for the day, and Harrison came in to see me and said, "Mama! What's that?!" because I had scratch marks in a neat little cluster on my back. Not to worry, though; Dr. Harrison patched me right up with an Angry Birds Band Aid that he insisted I have because a kiss just would not be enough to heal me. Oh, my babies. You are so funny. And soooooo wiggly!
LT's pretty strong and pretty determined, so I would imagine it's only a matter of time before he's trying to keep up with the older two. Good thing I'm doing my yoga twice a week so I can get strong like all of them; I'm going to need the strength and stamina to keep up with this crew!
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Christmas Books Unwrapped
Well, we are one week in for the Countdown, and so far, so (pretty) good.
First off, my hubs is pretty smart. To keep things even, he came up with the idea last weekend to have one kid pick a book each morning and the other one open it (kind of like one kid cuts the cake and the other picks the first piece, right?). And then we just flip flop the order every other day. This really is brilliant because otherwise Harrison would be trying to pick and open every thing because, well, he's 4 and he just gets the notion of presents more so than Miss Raegan. But so far, as long as we can remember whose turn it is to do what, everyone seems satisfied with the "rules" of this new game. Harrison was quite encouraging on Day 1 when Raegan got to pick the book, saying, "You like the ones with snowflakes, right Raegs? Good job, Raegs! You picked the snowflakes!"
You see, there was one entire day of the books existing under the tree without any of them being opened and that was just a bit of holiday torture for my children. So Harrison decided he would sort the books by wrapping paper and since I used three different kinds, he made three different piles. And now he's making all kinds of plans on which pile will be depleted first and which paper will the be last one to open on the day Santa comes and all that. So far his sister is playing along nicely, but I have a feeling there may be some tears of frustration if/when she goes against the grain on book/paper selection. Oh, well. In everything, even a Christmas countdown, there is a lesson, eh?
The other thing we decided to do was to record the order in which we opened the books. Since we plan to use most/all of these titles year after year, we thought it would be fun to be able to look back at years past to compare opening order. Plus Harrison's young mind is sort of blown by the whole notion that this will happen year after year and that it won't always be the same, so I guess keeping a list is sort of like keeping proof for him. See below.
Day Three and we had our first incident. Ben and I were both out of the living room, getting ready for the day when I heard some commotion with the kids. Sure enough, a fourth book was unwrapped and in Raegan's hands when I came in although I can't be entirely sure she was at fault here. We put it up and said that will be their book for Day Four - no new wrapping and no new opening. *Sigh* I guess they are a little too little to really get the whole patience/waiting thing just yet. Good thing I don't have any real presents under the tree yet!!
So here's the list. I will keep updating this post with titles and commentary as we continue through the piles.
1) Home for Christmas by Jan Brett -- starting things off with one of the biggest books (go figure!).
2) Bear Stays up for Christmas by Karma Wilson -- cute little rhyming story.
3) The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear by Stan & Jan Berenstain -- the first that we've encountered a book with which the children are previously familiar. They were a bit thrown off by that, but we tried to play it up with "How cool! You already know this story!!" I'm not sure they were buying that but this will be the norm after this year - all the books will be (more) familiar.
4) The True Night before Christmas by Timothy Penland -- illustrations are by the author's granddaughter which is pretty awesome and sweet but the book talks about the king wanting to kill baby Jesus. Really?! Maybe it's just me, but shouldn't kids' books generally avoid words/ideas like killing? I don't care if it is relevant to the bible; that stuff just isn't necessary for youngens in this manner.
5) Olivia Helps with Christmas by Ian Falconer -- just as awesome and entertaining (for kids and adults) as all the other Olivia books.
6) Christmas Eve Good Night by Doug Cushman -- again, HD was not to be fooled by a book we previously owned (from a preK book order last year). "But Dad, I have that book on CD. I can just listen to it on CD!"
7) The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg -- I don't know how this whole tradition is going to go next year, as Harrison is slightly less than impressed each time we open a book he already knows, but I did note that even though RL brought this to me last night to read again, it was HD who sat by my side and listened to the whole darn thing.
8 ) The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore -- the kiddos loved this one, especially the naming of the reindeer and the illustrations by Christian Birmingham.
9) The Christmas Magic by Lauren Thompson -- this story really is as pretty as its cover!
10) The Twelve Days of Christmas illustrated by Jan Brett -- oh, my. The children never tire of reading/singing this one.
11) Christmas in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder -- bestill my Little House heart - I love this.
12) The Spirit of Christmas by Nancy Tillman -- AND the twelve days of Christmas page is the favorite (see above).
13) Merry Christmas, Curious George! by HA and Margret Rey -- Oh, Georgie! How we love you so. So much so that RL ripped a page she was so excited to be flipping through it again last night.
14) Jingle Bells - Little Golden book, vintage version. RL loves singing this song!
15) The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore
16) Thomas' Christmas Delivery by
17) How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Suess
18) The Legend of St. Nicholas by Dandi Daley Mackall
19) The Best Christmas Book Ever by Richard Scary
20) Stick Man by
21) Santa is Coming to Nebraska by Steve Smallman
22) A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (picture book)
23) Making a Friend by Marc Rosenthal
24) The Legend of the Candy Cane by
25) The Nutcracker by
First off, my hubs is pretty smart. To keep things even, he came up with the idea last weekend to have one kid pick a book each morning and the other one open it (kind of like one kid cuts the cake and the other picks the first piece, right?). And then we just flip flop the order every other day. This really is brilliant because otherwise Harrison would be trying to pick and open every thing because, well, he's 4 and he just gets the notion of presents more so than Miss Raegan. But so far, as long as we can remember whose turn it is to do what, everyone seems satisfied with the "rules" of this new game. Harrison was quite encouraging on Day 1 when Raegan got to pick the book, saying, "You like the ones with snowflakes, right Raegs? Good job, Raegs! You picked the snowflakes!"
You see, there was one entire day of the books existing under the tree without any of them being opened and that was just a bit of holiday torture for my children. So Harrison decided he would sort the books by wrapping paper and since I used three different kinds, he made three different piles. And now he's making all kinds of plans on which pile will be depleted first and which paper will the be last one to open on the day Santa comes and all that. So far his sister is playing along nicely, but I have a feeling there may be some tears of frustration if/when she goes against the grain on book/paper selection. Oh, well. In everything, even a Christmas countdown, there is a lesson, eh?
The other thing we decided to do was to record the order in which we opened the books. Since we plan to use most/all of these titles year after year, we thought it would be fun to be able to look back at years past to compare opening order. Plus Harrison's young mind is sort of blown by the whole notion that this will happen year after year and that it won't always be the same, so I guess keeping a list is sort of like keeping proof for him. See below.
Day Three and we had our first incident. Ben and I were both out of the living room, getting ready for the day when I heard some commotion with the kids. Sure enough, a fourth book was unwrapped and in Raegan's hands when I came in although I can't be entirely sure she was at fault here. We put it up and said that will be their book for Day Four - no new wrapping and no new opening. *Sigh* I guess they are a little too little to really get the whole patience/waiting thing just yet. Good thing I don't have any real presents under the tree yet!!
So here's the list. I will keep updating this post with titles and commentary as we continue through the piles.
1) Home for Christmas by Jan Brett -- starting things off with one of the biggest books (go figure!).
2) Bear Stays up for Christmas by Karma Wilson -- cute little rhyming story.
3) The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear by Stan & Jan Berenstain -- the first that we've encountered a book with which the children are previously familiar. They were a bit thrown off by that, but we tried to play it up with "How cool! You already know this story!!" I'm not sure they were buying that but this will be the norm after this year - all the books will be (more) familiar.
4) The True Night before Christmas by Timothy Penland -- illustrations are by the author's granddaughter which is pretty awesome and sweet but the book talks about the king wanting to kill baby Jesus. Really?! Maybe it's just me, but shouldn't kids' books generally avoid words/ideas like killing? I don't care if it is relevant to the bible; that stuff just isn't necessary for youngens in this manner.
5) Olivia Helps with Christmas by Ian Falconer -- just as awesome and entertaining (for kids and adults) as all the other Olivia books.
6) Christmas Eve Good Night by Doug Cushman -- again, HD was not to be fooled by a book we previously owned (from a preK book order last year). "But Dad, I have that book on CD. I can just listen to it on CD!"
7) The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg -- I don't know how this whole tradition is going to go next year, as Harrison is slightly less than impressed each time we open a book he already knows, but I did note that even though RL brought this to me last night to read again, it was HD who sat by my side and listened to the whole darn thing.
8 ) The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore -- the kiddos loved this one, especially the naming of the reindeer and the illustrations by Christian Birmingham.
9) The Christmas Magic by Lauren Thompson -- this story really is as pretty as its cover!
10) The Twelve Days of Christmas illustrated by Jan Brett -- oh, my. The children never tire of reading/singing this one.
11) Christmas in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder -- bestill my Little House heart - I love this.
12) The Spirit of Christmas by Nancy Tillman -- AND the twelve days of Christmas page is the favorite (see above).
13) Merry Christmas, Curious George! by HA and Margret Rey -- Oh, Georgie! How we love you so. So much so that RL ripped a page she was so excited to be flipping through it again last night.
14) Jingle Bells - Little Golden book, vintage version. RL loves singing this song!
15) The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore
16) Thomas' Christmas Delivery by
17) How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Suess
18) The Legend of St. Nicholas by Dandi Daley Mackall
19) The Best Christmas Book Ever by Richard Scary
20) Stick Man by
21) Santa is Coming to Nebraska by Steve Smallman
22) A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (picture book)
23) Making a Friend by Marc Rosenthal
24) The Legend of the Candy Cane by
25) The Nutcracker by
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