Hi !
I came back from vacations 3 weeks ago. Before leaving home 6 weeks ago, I promised myself to blog EVERY DAY during the vacations. Unfortunately, my internet connection didn't work out as well as I thought so I couldn't do it. It was already a struggle to send some emails...and besides, it costed $1 for 10 minutes !!
I wanted to reconnect as soon as I landed but unpacking, laundry, million things to do WITH the kids at home ALL THE TIME, prevented me to do so !
Anyway, here I am, ready to post MORE OFTEN than I did the past 3 months !
I have 2 very good news to share with you :
My husband finally agreed having a third child but at one non negotiable condition : my going back to work first...and I totally agree with that so we are in phase.
The other good news is that we signed for a great land, our land, the one we, I mean "I" was looking for months. It's the first step in the whole process of building a house so I am not completely overexcited but still, it gives me time to do something else (like real work !) and it takes me off my shoulder the weight of the task. I was desperate we would ever find what we wanted, to be honest with you ! ;-D
Ok, first time in months, I make it short. Mister Son is just falling asleep in the next room and I NEED his naptime so I'll be back later certainly to check on others'blogs and get back in touch with some of my readers !
See you very soon !
2008-08-11
2008-05-29
A Horrible Nightmare...
I've been obsessed for 3 full days now by this nightmare. It's not easy for me to talk about it but I have the feeling I need to do it so here I am.
For the first night in 3 weeks nobody, kitten, children or snoring/tv-addict husband, was waking me up. But then, I had this nightmare.
I have to explain you first how Mr Son takes his baths usually.
I set the right temperature then put him in the tub as the water flows. I usually go for 5 minutes or so across the corridor to check my emails or sort some papers while I keep a (good) "ear" on him. As soon as I don't hear a noise, I check on him. I don't go anywhere else, don't answer the phone or the door.
My dream starts the same except that I see myself going downstairs to talk with my husband in the kitchen. After a while, I remember Mr Son and go quicly upstairs....
Mr Son is floating in a more than full bathtub, face towards its bottom...I scream like crazy, calling my husband while I try to do CPR on Mr Son. I wake up at that very moment..
I told you, A NIGHTMARE...certainly the worst one.
It took me 2 hours to get back to sleep...
Since then, I can't do anything that has any small detail similar to that nightmare.
I am hugging him much much more than usual (and usually it's still a lot !)
I am scared to lose him.
Since then, he is scared to go to bed at night. It's not something new, it's periodical but this time, I see it in a different way. Maybe he's feeling my fears, feeling that I am nervous...maybe I am wrong. I don't know.
Then, as we were driving between Miss Daughter's school and Mr Son's daycare today, we saw an ambulance making its way through the traffic.
I say "Jeez, that makes me think I forgot my cell. It's ok now I picked you up but if anything happens to Mr Son, I won't know it until we get there". (why didn't I keep that thought for myself !)
She says "Mommy, what if he was in that ambulance ?", she paused a few seconds that adds "you'll be devastated if anything happens to your favorite son".
Here we are, it's not the first time she complains to me about him being my favorite (she says) but today, it has a different color...(and this will be the subject of a different post)
I am not good at looking for special meaning to dreams (and I don't have time for that) but this one is so scary...Mr Son wasn't alone for more than 1 minute during his last 3 baths and I still have that horrible dream in my eyes...
For the first night in 3 weeks nobody, kitten, children or snoring/tv-addict husband, was waking me up. But then, I had this nightmare.
I have to explain you first how Mr Son takes his baths usually.
I set the right temperature then put him in the tub as the water flows. I usually go for 5 minutes or so across the corridor to check my emails or sort some papers while I keep a (good) "ear" on him. As soon as I don't hear a noise, I check on him. I don't go anywhere else, don't answer the phone or the door.
My dream starts the same except that I see myself going downstairs to talk with my husband in the kitchen. After a while, I remember Mr Son and go quicly upstairs....
Mr Son is floating in a more than full bathtub, face towards its bottom...I scream like crazy, calling my husband while I try to do CPR on Mr Son. I wake up at that very moment..
I told you, A NIGHTMARE...certainly the worst one.
It took me 2 hours to get back to sleep...
Since then, I can't do anything that has any small detail similar to that nightmare.
I am hugging him much much more than usual (and usually it's still a lot !)
I am scared to lose him.
Since then, he is scared to go to bed at night. It's not something new, it's periodical but this time, I see it in a different way. Maybe he's feeling my fears, feeling that I am nervous...maybe I am wrong. I don't know.
Then, as we were driving between Miss Daughter's school and Mr Son's daycare today, we saw an ambulance making its way through the traffic.
I say "Jeez, that makes me think I forgot my cell. It's ok now I picked you up but if anything happens to Mr Son, I won't know it until we get there". (why didn't I keep that thought for myself !)
She says "Mommy, what if he was in that ambulance ?", she paused a few seconds that adds "you'll be devastated if anything happens to your favorite son".
Here we are, it's not the first time she complains to me about him being my favorite (she says) but today, it has a different color...(and this will be the subject of a different post)
I am not good at looking for special meaning to dreams (and I don't have time for that) but this one is so scary...Mr Son wasn't alone for more than 1 minute during his last 3 baths and I still have that horrible dream in my eyes...
2008-05-19
Can we take a break sometimes ?
Last week-end, without even telling (nor asking), my husband put himself in front of the tv and watched one of these documentaries he's fond of. I thought this wasn't fair as I was automatically supposed to watch the kids. On the other hand, he was entitled to this small break. So I was thinking, is there any etiquette of the "me-time on week-ends ?" .
It's tricky for SAHM because when the kids are @ school, we are supposed to be on break until we pick them up...are we ??
Personally, I don't feel I am in break, except for the I-do-it-when-I-feel-it-part but what do I do ? Errands, cleaning the house, balancing check-book(s), doing tax returns (one a year), preparing the next vacations (twice a year), taking care of an 4-person-family laundry (million times a week !!), doing the grocery shopping, taking dentist/hairdressers appointments, dropping off books at the library, etc...
Anyway, I didn't like the idea of "feeling like I am the nanny" while my husband takes some me-time, on a one-way decision. Why should I be the one in charge when they have their dinner before us (so we can chat together while they read books upstairs) ? Ok, I know exactly what they are supposed to eat and how much but how about sharing with Daddy !! My opinion is that we put too much on our plate, thinking that we are the only one we could do it (better). So I started this week-end :
- on Saturday night, my husband brushed the teeth of Mr Son and tucked the kids in bed while I read a magazine on the couch.
- on Sunday night, he gave them their dinner (that I prepared, of course) while I was ironing a few (of his) shirts.
I know lots of men don't like the idea of having anything to do with the kids that involves feeding, brushing, cleaning and eating but why should we be the only ones ? When can we take a break from house chores and taking care of the kids ? So I started this pattern, sharing chores or switching once in the week-end...It's great !! I LOVE IT !!
How do you take a break during your week-end ?
It's tricky for SAHM because when the kids are @ school, we are supposed to be on break until we pick them up...are we ??
Personally, I don't feel I am in break, except for the I-do-it-when-I-feel-it-part but what do I do ? Errands, cleaning the house, balancing check-book(s), doing tax returns (one a year), preparing the next vacations (twice a year), taking care of an 4-person-family laundry (million times a week !!), doing the grocery shopping, taking dentist/hairdressers appointments, dropping off books at the library, etc...
Anyway, I didn't like the idea of "feeling like I am the nanny" while my husband takes some me-time, on a one-way decision. Why should I be the one in charge when they have their dinner before us (so we can chat together while they read books upstairs) ? Ok, I know exactly what they are supposed to eat and how much but how about sharing with Daddy !! My opinion is that we put too much on our plate, thinking that we are the only one we could do it (better). So I started this week-end :
- on Saturday night, my husband brushed the teeth of Mr Son and tucked the kids in bed while I read a magazine on the couch.
- on Sunday night, he gave them their dinner (that I prepared, of course) while I was ironing a few (of his) shirts.
I know lots of men don't like the idea of having anything to do with the kids that involves feeding, brushing, cleaning and eating but why should we be the only ones ? When can we take a break from house chores and taking care of the kids ? So I started this pattern, sharing chores or switching once in the week-end...It's great !! I LOVE IT !!
How do you take a break during your week-end ?
2008-05-11
Updates
I am so upset not to be able to blog every day...or at least every other day. There is no single day ending without me thinking about a post for my blog. I desperatly need TIME !!
My Declaration of Independance is on its way but I already announced casually to my daughter and husband that I will nicely put their folded clothes in a big basket. Now they are free to move them to where they belong.
The second element is the "picking-up". It's very time and patience-consuming but I think it's worth it : everytime my daughter leaves something on the floor or out of its spot, I'll call her to pick it up, whatever she is doing at this time and regardless of the time it'll cost me to wait for her to do it. My idea is when she will be tired of doing it, she'll be more careful with her things. Honestly, I like the idea knowing that I really don't want to clean up after anybody than myself.
I would love having just a few things to do @ home : the laundry (up to the folding part), preparing dinners and breakfast and grocery shopping. I think my time is better used at :
- me time : putting some polish on, relaxing, reading, exercising, blogging, working our business project.
- quality time with the kids : as an example, I spent an hour this morning with Mr Son, drawing, play-dooing and cutting shapes in a magazine. My daughter knows she needs to take care of herself without me reminding her if she wants to do something exciting on her day-off. So she will clean-up after her breakfast, get dressed, wash her teeth and brush her hair. She''ll pick her clothes and make her bed.
It's SO relaxing for me and it's nothing, just deciding that everybody has to take care of his/her own person and her/his own mess if needed. Ok, it''ll take her double the time to do it but I think it's worth it, especially if I can do something else (or nothing) in the meantime...
What do you think ?
My Declaration of Independance is on its way but I already announced casually to my daughter and husband that I will nicely put their folded clothes in a big basket. Now they are free to move them to where they belong.
The second element is the "picking-up". It's very time and patience-consuming but I think it's worth it : everytime my daughter leaves something on the floor or out of its spot, I'll call her to pick it up, whatever she is doing at this time and regardless of the time it'll cost me to wait for her to do it. My idea is when she will be tired of doing it, she'll be more careful with her things. Honestly, I like the idea knowing that I really don't want to clean up after anybody than myself.
I would love having just a few things to do @ home : the laundry (up to the folding part), preparing dinners and breakfast and grocery shopping. I think my time is better used at :
- me time : putting some polish on, relaxing, reading, exercising, blogging, working our business project.
- quality time with the kids : as an example, I spent an hour this morning with Mr Son, drawing, play-dooing and cutting shapes in a magazine. My daughter knows she needs to take care of herself without me reminding her if she wants to do something exciting on her day-off. So she will clean-up after her breakfast, get dressed, wash her teeth and brush her hair. She''ll pick her clothes and make her bed.
It's SO relaxing for me and it's nothing, just deciding that everybody has to take care of his/her own person and her/his own mess if needed. Ok, it''ll take her double the time to do it but I think it's worth it, especially if I can do something else (or nothing) in the meantime...
What do you think ?
2008-04-29
Not a Good Day
Today is Not A Good Day but I realized I haven't post in ages so here I am.
I am quite sleep-deprived so I make it short.
I am dealing with the joy of potty-training (still working, good results so far) but it's positive. The only drawback is that it takes lot of time, patience and laundry !! And it's a huge step for Mr Son and he is just realizing it. He now feels proud and it's quite charming to see a child proud of himself. That makes me wondering, why shouldn't we be proud of something ? Miss Daughter also had her moment of glory : she finally can ride her bicycle without the little wheels helping her keeping her balance. She was really really happy...and I was too, like her dad. I told him that our children were lucky to be children so they could learn new things and be proud of new skills for years to come. We should also be proud of ourselves from time to time, it will certainly boost our self-esteem and encourage us to explore "new lands" !
It tool Mister Son so much energy and involvement that he became afraid of the dark again. It's been almost a week now and he can't go to sleep without an outside help. I know we have all been there but I know I am not doing the right thing. I stay by his side until he falls asleep. Not good...worse : if he wakes up in the middle of the night, I do it again !! Bad bad, I know.
I think I'll keep his bedroom light on all night, like my mom did with me and like my MIL did with my husband. I'd prefer a night-light, for the more-soft-light kind but Mr Son is beeging for having his bedroom completely under control. So I'll try it for a few days. Any ideas ?
I rebelled myself against the worst sides of being a SAHM and will soon make my Declaratuon of Independence during our next and first family meeting. My first point will be laundry. My second point will be "blame yourself if you are late in the morning" (and that will also include forgetting your credit card @ home or your gym bag). I think the third will be about "learn to make your bed" and the fourth " help clean the table". I am still working on the 3 remaining points. As 7 is a special number, that'll fit perfectly with my Declaration. Maybe I'll have my husband do half of the weekly cleaning of the house and the grocery shopping every other week...and it's not a joke, I'll make it print of a very nice paper and stick it to one of the kitchen walls !! Anyway, I am just asking a legitimate contribution, some sort of team work @ home so I can enjoy more free time (and read, and blog, and shave my legs, and do exercice 3 time-a week, have lunch with a friend....). I'll keep you posted. Any suggestion for the last 3 points will be greatly appreciated !
I am quite sleep-deprived so I make it short.
I am dealing with the joy of potty-training (still working, good results so far) but it's positive. The only drawback is that it takes lot of time, patience and laundry !! And it's a huge step for Mr Son and he is just realizing it. He now feels proud and it's quite charming to see a child proud of himself. That makes me wondering, why shouldn't we be proud of something ? Miss Daughter also had her moment of glory : she finally can ride her bicycle without the little wheels helping her keeping her balance. She was really really happy...and I was too, like her dad. I told him that our children were lucky to be children so they could learn new things and be proud of new skills for years to come. We should also be proud of ourselves from time to time, it will certainly boost our self-esteem and encourage us to explore "new lands" !
It tool Mister Son so much energy and involvement that he became afraid of the dark again. It's been almost a week now and he can't go to sleep without an outside help. I know we have all been there but I know I am not doing the right thing. I stay by his side until he falls asleep. Not good...worse : if he wakes up in the middle of the night, I do it again !! Bad bad, I know.
I think I'll keep his bedroom light on all night, like my mom did with me and like my MIL did with my husband. I'd prefer a night-light, for the more-soft-light kind but Mr Son is beeging for having his bedroom completely under control. So I'll try it for a few days. Any ideas ?
I rebelled myself against the worst sides of being a SAHM and will soon make my Declaratuon of Independence during our next and first family meeting. My first point will be laundry. My second point will be "blame yourself if you are late in the morning" (and that will also include forgetting your credit card @ home or your gym bag). I think the third will be about "learn to make your bed" and the fourth " help clean the table". I am still working on the 3 remaining points. As 7 is a special number, that'll fit perfectly with my Declaration. Maybe I'll have my husband do half of the weekly cleaning of the house and the grocery shopping every other week...and it's not a joke, I'll make it print of a very nice paper and stick it to one of the kitchen walls !! Anyway, I am just asking a legitimate contribution, some sort of team work @ home so I can enjoy more free time (and read, and blog, and shave my legs, and do exercice 3 time-a week, have lunch with a friend....). I'll keep you posted. Any suggestion for the last 3 points will be greatly appreciated !
2008-04-16
The letter of the day is P
P as...
Potty-training
I don't know if it's what I explained to him or just a step further he took but it looks like we are doing good (after a month or so). I won't get too excited but I feel confident this time and I hope he does too. We decorated the bathroom with a few printings of Mr Son with his beloved Sesame Street characters. I also made a special potty-training chart where he gets to put special Sesame Street stickers...we should make it on time (for September's Preschool).
Pacifier
We took his pacifier away at night, cold-turkey. So far so good...next step, naptime !
Patience
I haven't been a star in this field but as I tried daily to be a better parent, I realized it was one of the most important quality a parent need to have, if not the most important. It's tough, especially with more than one child, especially with toddlers or preschoolers. But I might need a special chart too. Why can't I be patient a whole day ? Do I put too much pressure on myself about schedules ? Do I have too much pressure from my husband about getting many things done in a day ? How do you feel about your patience ?
Pilates
I was so worried about not exercising in more than a year that I decided to have a 40-minute pilates workout on Sunday morning. It wasn't the best time because Mr Son was around. he showed me he was jealous, I was taking a me-time right in front of him but at least I started. I felt so good that I have to do it again even if it was painful for a few days ! Tomorrow, I'll try the Yoga workout...while he naps !
Promise
I promise to post again tomorrow !
Potty-training
I don't know if it's what I explained to him or just a step further he took but it looks like we are doing good (after a month or so). I won't get too excited but I feel confident this time and I hope he does too. We decorated the bathroom with a few printings of Mr Son with his beloved Sesame Street characters. I also made a special potty-training chart where he gets to put special Sesame Street stickers...we should make it on time (for September's Preschool).
Pacifier
We took his pacifier away at night, cold-turkey. So far so good...next step, naptime !
Patience
I haven't been a star in this field but as I tried daily to be a better parent, I realized it was one of the most important quality a parent need to have, if not the most important. It's tough, especially with more than one child, especially with toddlers or preschoolers. But I might need a special chart too. Why can't I be patient a whole day ? Do I put too much pressure on myself about schedules ? Do I have too much pressure from my husband about getting many things done in a day ? How do you feel about your patience ?
Pilates
I was so worried about not exercising in more than a year that I decided to have a 40-minute pilates workout on Sunday morning. It wasn't the best time because Mr Son was around. he showed me he was jealous, I was taking a me-time right in front of him but at least I started. I felt so good that I have to do it again even if it was painful for a few days ! Tomorrow, I'll try the Yoga workout...while he naps !
Promise
I promise to post again tomorrow !
2008-04-07
A Different Life
Sometimes like the last 3 weeks, I wish I had a different life than "staying at home" (although I am most of the time outside home, looking for the famous Magical Land !). I wish I had a great job so I imagine my day.
Morning starts with a pretty early wake-up, a quick shower and nice working clothes : ideal outfit, a bit classical but trendy. Light make-up and nice perfume.
Good breakfast with hubby then we prepare the kids together, stress-free. I leave home early and drop-off the kids at school.
My job keeps me busy and happy until lunch time. I enjoy 1-hour break, shopping or just relaxing.
Another sift until 6 then I drive home where a great nanny is caring for my children. When I arrive home, it's bath time so I can have a 20-minute break.
She'll give them dinner while I sort out the mail and listen to the news.
She'll leave shortly after and we will have story time with hubby.
We'll share a nice dinner our wonderful nanny would have prepared then talk about our day before watching a movie or reading a book.
I'd enjoy 3 different lives in one, the mother, the working woman and the wife...
How about that ?
Morning starts with a pretty early wake-up, a quick shower and nice working clothes : ideal outfit, a bit classical but trendy. Light make-up and nice perfume.
Good breakfast with hubby then we prepare the kids together, stress-free. I leave home early and drop-off the kids at school.
My job keeps me busy and happy until lunch time. I enjoy 1-hour break, shopping or just relaxing.
Another sift until 6 then I drive home where a great nanny is caring for my children. When I arrive home, it's bath time so I can have a 20-minute break.
She'll give them dinner while I sort out the mail and listen to the news.
She'll leave shortly after and we will have story time with hubby.
We'll share a nice dinner our wonderful nanny would have prepared then talk about our day before watching a movie or reading a book.
I'd enjoy 3 different lives in one, the mother, the working woman and the wife...
How about that ?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)