A Whole Lotta Nuthin...

I don't feel like I have anything too significant or earth-shattering to share... but I have a moment to write, so I thought I should cuz my last post was a downer!!!  I am feeling a lot better now.  I think our entire household was fighting some sort of bug for the last couple weeks. There were no obvious symptoms.... I, myself just felt SUPER run down, tired, couldn't wake up or focus at work, and it hurt a bit to breathe, but I had no real congestion to speak of.  Odd.  Luke ran a bit of a temp over the weekend, but no congestion or other signs of distress.... unless you consider he was a HUGE grump......

I worked myself into quite a fit last week, feeling not so great myself... and having a grumpy, touchy boy did not help my nerves... but I'm feeling a big more in control and fairly convinced my child is not anything other than crazy sensitive....... and a BOY. Boys are different. ;-)

I am still going to the doctor, but can't get in for a behavioral appointment until July 1st.  So, I think more than anything, we will go and set my mind at ease......... in the meantime, I am trying not to freak myself out by staying up all night and doing research on the internet. The internet can be a scary place I tell ya!  I am talking to friends and taking their advice...... and luckily I have some social worker friends, some teacher friends, and a lot of MOMs that just have experience and help me!!!! 

Luke is just a super sensitive guy.  Which should be no surprise cuz his big sister isn't exactly easy going either.  :-)  We did not get the easy going kids....... and I tend to beat myself up about it...... assuming that this is something I did wrong. Every day I question MY parenting..... should I have stayed home with them? Should I do more or less "things" with them?  Do I spoil them too much?  Do I not spoil them enough?  Good lord.... a girl can make herself crazy.........

But, through the wonderful world of "self help" books (hahaha!), I have found a voice that can help me navigate this place my children exist.  I am currently reading "The Highly Sensitive Child: Helping Our Children Thrive When the World Overwhelms Them."  Yup..... that's my kids......  ;-)  I got it for Luke, but Ally fits the bill too!

More than ANYTHING this book tells you that your kid is just born that way!!!!!  Woo hoo!!!! It's not my fault.  ;-)  Yesterday, Scott and I walked through the "questionairre" that helps you identify your child as sensitive.  They have to score like 13 out of 23....... after we both answered it, he was like "so..... what if you score 23 out of 23.....?????"  HAHA.  Yeah, that's our kids.......  The book talks about things we can do to help them...... and ways we can deal!!!

Right now, Luke is super afraid of all noise.  Cars going down the road freak him out.  Everything freaks him out and scares him.  We are afraid to get a babysitter anymore. And lately, I find myself just wanting to avoid taking him out cuz I feel judged by everyone when he freaks out.

Then, there's Ally who seems to feel everything at such a high level and sometimes, in such an adult way..... how do I help her be a kid and let go of some things?????

Ugh.... this whole parenting process can be rough..............  ;-)

So, Scott and I reading the book together so we can all work on this... and take a team approach to helping our kids and ourselves here!!!!! 

We are also going to put Luke in a "big boy bed" this weekend.  It might not go so well, but bed time is such a freakin' disaster lately that we need to do something!!!!!!!!  So, we are turning his convertible crib into the full bed.  We ordered new bedding for him from Company Kids.... and we are going to make a big deal out of transforming his room to a "big boy room."  We are even getting Ally into the act and having her paint the "Tractors and Trucks" that are in his bedding and framing them for his walls....... I think that will be super cute and she will enjoy being part of it.  As you can imagine, she's pretty bummed that he's getting a whole new room and she feels she's getting screwed.  ;-)  It doesn't matter that we did this for her years ago, it matters that Luke is getting all this new stuff NOW!  So, I'm trying to find ways to help her through... we shall see how it goes.

In other news - tomorrow is Ally's last day of school!  School's out for summer!!!!!!!!!  She is pretty excited..... and I am too for that matter!  My schedule will change as of next week... I will be working two full days and a half day each week.  I was going to alternate weeks, with 2 full days one week and 3 the next.... but apparently that is too difficult for some people to keep up with.  ;-)  HA!  So.... I think this will work fine..... and be consistent, so everyone knows when to expect me.  I am looking forward to long, four-plus day weekends every week!

We are going out to Duck Lake tomorrow after school... to celebrate the end of the year with friends and family and enjoy a fish fry!  We are pretty excited about that.... Ally can't wait to swim. That's all she ever wants to do I tell ya!  We shall see how Luke does.  ;-)

Other than that........ we're just sitting around waiting for those twins to arrive!!!!  ;-)  We are so excited and eagerly await their arrival.  I'm sure we're not as eager as Jane of course... hee... hee... but excited none-the-less.  Ally even took pictures of their ultrasounds to show for her final show and tell. She was supposed to bring something she's looking forward to this summer... and I think it's so sweet that she is most excited about that!  She can be such a good big cousin!!!!

So, everyone........... send good vibes to my sister-in-law and wish and pray those babies out of her. She's ready...........  :-)