Feeling Better...

Luke seemed to be feeling better today.  He slept really well last night, only getting up once.  It was a huge improvement over the previous night, so I will take it!  He is still stuffed up, but his demeanor was greatly improved today and he woke up a happier boy from the start!  Made me feel like I could go to work and leave him with his Nana and Papa today. 

That's a good thing, because I am off tomorrow to go to Chicago! Ally and I are going to try to get going pretty early in the morning!  I always start out with high hopes that we will leave by like 9 or so... but that never really happens. I have not even begun to pack for either one of us.  Nor have I cleaned out my disaster of a car.... so, we shall see what time we actually hit the road!  I would like to be in town by lunch time... but it will likely be a late lunch, if we do make it!

Ally got her haircut today!  I wish I had taken a picture, but I did not.  She looks absolutely adorable with her short locks again! She refused to let us have it cut for SO LONG and it was just really overgrown and unkempt looking.  I had been trimming her bangs while it grew out. But, now, she has a fabulous PROFESSIONAL cut and looks great!  She is ready for our big girls' weekend and even more importantly - ready for school - which starts in one week from Tuesday!  WOW!

Ally went to bed without ANY trouble this evening.  What a gift! We usually have such horrid battles at bedtime, and tonight was just so peaceful and wonderful. Gives me hope!!!!

Speaking of which - I want to REALLY respond to your post about discipline when I have more time Nicole.  GREAT POST!  We have had such problems with Ally recently, that we actually went and got some "external" help.  We are looking at taking a parenting class, to learn some techniques to help us with her.  The time outs, taking things away and things like that do not work with her.  She pushes and pushes those limits... and had begun to ask us "what are you going to do to me if I don't do this."  Anyway... it just reached a point where we said we needed some help and we are getting it!  

Sometimes, you just can't do it alone.  Parenting is HARD WORK and when you care enough - you do what you have to do to make your home a more peaceful place.  It's one thing when a 2 year old acts out... it's another thing when you have those problems really escalate into the teenage years.  We really want to have a handle on things before we hit those years of acting out really being SCARY!

Man... I don't want to think about being a mom to a teenager yet...

Okay, I wrote more than I planned.  I am exhausted and need to get packin'!

Have GREAT weekends everyone.  "Talk" to you next week!