No wonder I've been feeling somewhat depressed lately...all I ever do, it seems, is tell 3 of my four children "no" on a regular basis (Chance usually is able to escape the "no"s somehow). I am constantly pulling Carson away from things that were "Kendall-proofed" when she was an infant...but are apparently not Carson proofed. It is amazing how independent he is trying to be...and how quickly he is picking up on the walking bit. Not to mention the reach of the kid. I mean...we can move things to a point that we figure only an adult can reach...and next thing you know - he has it in his pudgy little hands. He is obsessed with getting either one of the cordless phones or the remote control...and when he finally achieves his goal...he promptly comes to show me and then giggles as he tries to run/waddle/crawl away from me knowing I'm going to take it from him...then launches into a crying fit when I do take it from him.
I am constantly trying not to pull my hair out over a 2 1/2 year old that has suddenly learned independence and wants to do everything "myseff" - "I do it!" From not wanting to hold my hand as we cross a street (not an option in my mind...but it is in hers...) to not wanting my help in taking off shoes and socks...to brushing her own teeth...to pouring water on her head in the bath. ANYTHING that she thinks she might be able to do...she must do it by herself. She is definitely in the tantrum stage as well...because we have at least a minor one at least once a day now...with a total meltdown, complete with ear piercing screams, at least once a week...and those always seem to happen in public - whether at a pool as we are trying to take her away or in a restaurant when it is time to go and we take away the food that has sat untouched in front of her for over 30 minutes.
Then there is Rally. Dear, sweet, misunderstood, Rally. The poor dog never catches a break. Either I'm telling him "no" that he can't eat the kids toys...or one of the kids is trying to take one of his toys away from him...or Chance is asserting his dominance over him...or he thinks he is just playing with one of his litter mates (Kendall and Carson) and does the play-biting...not realizing that their skin isn't as tough as his...and they launch into screams and tears (no real injuries, of course, but his little baby teeth are VERY sharp) which of course prompts me to tell him "No, Rally!"
I really do feel like I'm in a cloud of negativity all day long...so that by the time Jeff gets home from work...I'm exhausted...tired of disciplining four children...tired of trying to keep up with the endless battle of keeping the house somewhat picked up so that it isn't a disaster when Jeff walks in the door...and wondering when the "fun" part of having two kids and two dogs actually begins. Sure there are snippets of time during the day that the kids and I roll around and giggle and play and read and play with blocks and with "little people" and sing and dance...and there are snippets of time during the day when Rally and I play fetch and he rests as I pet his soft head. But overall...I feel like all I do all day long is say "No."
On a brighter note, however, my dear friend Kelly and two of her four children, Lily (she will be 4 in August) and Ty (turned two in March) came over for a play date on Wednesday morning. (Her other two - James and Isabella, 2 1/2 month old twins - were home with a babysitter). Here are a few pictures of the kid's fun.
Bet you didn't know that you could fit four children and a Labrador in a sandbox huh???
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