In many ways I feel like I'm caught up in a tornado of events - with my life spinning 'round & 'round, kind of out of control, at an incredibly high speed. I don't see things slowing down anytime soon, which leads me to believe that this has simply become my "new" life. And, quite strangely, I'm okay with that!
I've finally gotten into the routine of taking the kids to the library once a week. Like me, Kyle has a passion for books & truly enjoys to read. When we go to the library he'll take out 8-10 books & read them all within a few days. Typically he'll read for 2 hours (or more) per day! Lately he's become interested in reading "series" books, which is pretty neat. As soon as he finishes one book he's anxious to start the next!
Bella also loves books but when we go to the library she's much more interested in playing with all of the toys they have in their little "kids" play area. Savannah, on the other hand, tends to run around the place like she owns it. More often than not she tries to make a beeline for the front doors which just so happen to be automatic. Suffice to say, I have to keep an eagle eye on her at all times!
Taking the kids to the library is work. Every time we pull into the library parking lot I go over the rules, even though they've been drilled into the kids head. They know that they are not allowed to run or yell. They know that they need to use quiet voices. They know that they need to share the toys with other kids. Even still, Bella needs reminders. Especially lately.
Since Bella celebrated her 3rd Birthday her tantrums have been pretty extreme. She's very quick to scream, yell & cry when she doesn't get her way. Sharing is not one of her strong points. If she were an only child it probably wouldn't be a big issue but such is not the case. It's a huge problem right now. If she is playing with a toy & Savannah goes near her she pushes her down. As soon as Savannah cries she'll give her a kiss & say she's sorry, but it doesn't stop her from pushing her down again the next time. If Kyle goes near her she will scream at the top of her lungs & act like he's coming at her with a knife. It's more than a little stressful because Kyle refuses to just walk away. Instead he'll stand there until Bella's screaming escalates to the point where I have to get involved. It's so frustrating, because Kyle knows better. I'm constantly telling him to stay away from her when she yells at him & to play seperate but for whatever reason he feels the need to stand his ground until they both end up getting yelled at. There aren't very many ways to deal with Bella's tantrums. Time-Out's don't work with her & we do not believe in spanking our children. We tend to ignore her when she's in the middle of a tantrum & then speak to her calmly after she's cooled off, explaining "right from wrong" to her. Ignoring her is only an option when we're at home, though. When we're out in public I feel like I'm walking on egg shells with her, never knowing if she's going to freak out over the littlest of things. Every night before she goes to bed I talk to her about why it's important to share & to be nice to others, especially to her siblings. Hopefully those conversations will start to sink in. She's a handful...
And so is Savannah, but in a different way. Savannah has long since mastered the art of walking & is very close to being able to run at full speed ahead now. Her tiny feet move at lightning speeds now & her balance is really impressive! She is always on the go and is, quite possibly, one of the busiest babies I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Following in her brothers footsteps she has learned how to climb at a young age. She'll climb up on a chair, stand up & then clap..clearly proud of herself. Keeping an eye on her at all times has become a full time job in itself. Rarely am I able to sit down for more than 5-10 minutes at a time before I have to get her down off of a chair, or a table, or the steps. When we're inside things were a little easier because we keep her gated in the living room but that all changed today..
A few nights ago we went over to my friend Kim's house. Kim has an "open" floor plan - where each room flows into the next. Like a caged rat set free Savannah ran laps around Kim's house - over & over & over again. She just kept walking in one huge circle - through the dining area, kitchen, hallway & living room. Round & round & round she went...for almost 1 full hour straight! She was so incredibly happy to just be able to walk through the rooms & so, when we got home, I felt guilty gating her back into our small living room. I decided this morning to give her more freedom to walk through the house which, in turn, means less freedom for me. While she is enjoying being able to run through the house I am absolutely exhausted! How is it possible for such tiny feet to move so quickly, anyways?
I definately feel like things are crazy around here, but not in a bad way. The laughter, tears & screams all mean that my home is alive with children, which is a wonderful thing.
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