hi from Kentucky
Y'all, I am exhausted.
I'm having a very nice week here with my parents, but if you have two kids, you have two kids, and nothing really relieves you of that. Daniel is two, and while he is generally a sweet, even-tempered, delightful little boy, he still has his Moments. Given that we're in a rather unfamiliar place in a new time zone without Stuart, and since he just figured out how to climb out of his portable crib and has decided that naps are completely and totally optional...well, you can imagine. Yesterday it took me over an hour to get him to nap. I nearly gave up, but I think he inherited his stubbornness from me and I didn't want to give in, so even though it nearly sent me over the edge, I insisted and insisted and insisted that he at least lie down quietly, and I finally won. In between all of the Danimal antics, of course there's little Anya, too, and while her Opa is more than happy to walk her up and down the hallway when she's fussy, I'm still the only one who can nurse, change, and bathe her.
I'm learning that grandparents are really great for jiggling babies and reading stories and spoiling with TV time, but they're not so helpful with the actual parenting part. Which is okay. That's how it should be, I suppose. It's not my mom's job to put Daniel in bed for the 60th time (no exaggeration) for his nap. It's not my dad's job to give him a time-out for running away from a diaper change. Neither one of them can lie on the guest bed with both children squeezed into their sides at 4a.m. when Anya wakes up hungry and Daniel wakes up afraid of the dark.
I just keep telling myself that one day this will get easier. Maybe not tomorrow. But one day.
Enough of the complaining, though. Here's what we have been doing:
1. Cooking yummy food. You know this is something I like to do. I don't mind doing most of the cooking for my parents, especially when they can keep the kids occupied so they're not underfoot. Plus, my poor mom is recovering from a nasty case of shingles and isn't up to her usual level of energy.
2. Going to the library. Madison has a really great library system, but my hometown, my little town in Kentucky with its alarming teen pregnancy rate and scores of pick-up trucks sans mufflers and the charming mix of Baptists and rednecks (I might get in trouble for that, but I don't care), has a beautiful public library with one of the nicest children's sections I've ever seen. There is a little fake stone wall with a gate entrance to the kids' books, life-size statues of nursery rhyme characters, little nooks sized just for wee ones, a life-sized tree to play peek-a-boo behind, funky fun-house mirrors on the wall, listening stations with headphones and CD players, puzzles, and that's just the stuff I noticed. We're going to go to storytime tomorrow.
3. Knitting, or trying to; it's hard to find much down time for it, but I am doing my best. I finished a sweater for Anya and if it ever stops raining, I'll try to get a picture of her in it. I've also started a pair of socks. So far I have one toe. At this rate, the pair will be done just in time for sandals weather.
4. Checking out the local yarn shop scene. I won't mention specific names, but I'l tell you that the eclectic closet-sized artisan shop next door to the old-fashioned barber has a way more friendly staff than the beautiful, airy place in downtown Lexington. Even though the latter has enough Rowan in stock to make a knitter weak in the knees, I was not impressed with the attitude there. (Yes, I had Daniel with me, and yes, that was the cause of the snootiness but he didn't touch the yarn any more than a knitter would have, and he never pulled any off the shelves, and I swear his fingers weren't sticky. Honest.)
5. Playing outside when it's not raining. This is basically just me following Daniel around in a bit of a daze while he bangs sticks on the ground and pulls up the grass. He clearly enjoys himself and clearly needs the fresh air, so it's all good.
I'm having a very nice week here with my parents, but if you have two kids, you have two kids, and nothing really relieves you of that. Daniel is two, and while he is generally a sweet, even-tempered, delightful little boy, he still has his Moments. Given that we're in a rather unfamiliar place in a new time zone without Stuart, and since he just figured out how to climb out of his portable crib and has decided that naps are completely and totally optional...well, you can imagine. Yesterday it took me over an hour to get him to nap. I nearly gave up, but I think he inherited his stubbornness from me and I didn't want to give in, so even though it nearly sent me over the edge, I insisted and insisted and insisted that he at least lie down quietly, and I finally won. In between all of the Danimal antics, of course there's little Anya, too, and while her Opa is more than happy to walk her up and down the hallway when she's fussy, I'm still the only one who can nurse, change, and bathe her.
I'm learning that grandparents are really great for jiggling babies and reading stories and spoiling with TV time, but they're not so helpful with the actual parenting part. Which is okay. That's how it should be, I suppose. It's not my mom's job to put Daniel in bed for the 60th time (no exaggeration) for his nap. It's not my dad's job to give him a time-out for running away from a diaper change. Neither one of them can lie on the guest bed with both children squeezed into their sides at 4a.m. when Anya wakes up hungry and Daniel wakes up afraid of the dark.
I just keep telling myself that one day this will get easier. Maybe not tomorrow. But one day.
Enough of the complaining, though. Here's what we have been doing:
1. Cooking yummy food. You know this is something I like to do. I don't mind doing most of the cooking for my parents, especially when they can keep the kids occupied so they're not underfoot. Plus, my poor mom is recovering from a nasty case of shingles and isn't up to her usual level of energy.
2. Going to the library. Madison has a really great library system, but my hometown, my little town in Kentucky with its alarming teen pregnancy rate and scores of pick-up trucks sans mufflers and the charming mix of Baptists and rednecks (I might get in trouble for that, but I don't care), has a beautiful public library with one of the nicest children's sections I've ever seen. There is a little fake stone wall with a gate entrance to the kids' books, life-size statues of nursery rhyme characters, little nooks sized just for wee ones, a life-sized tree to play peek-a-boo behind, funky fun-house mirrors on the wall, listening stations with headphones and CD players, puzzles, and that's just the stuff I noticed. We're going to go to storytime tomorrow.
3. Knitting, or trying to; it's hard to find much down time for it, but I am doing my best. I finished a sweater for Anya and if it ever stops raining, I'll try to get a picture of her in it. I've also started a pair of socks. So far I have one toe. At this rate, the pair will be done just in time for sandals weather.
4. Checking out the local yarn shop scene. I won't mention specific names, but I'l tell you that the eclectic closet-sized artisan shop next door to the old-fashioned barber has a way more friendly staff than the beautiful, airy place in downtown Lexington. Even though the latter has enough Rowan in stock to make a knitter weak in the knees, I was not impressed with the attitude there. (Yes, I had Daniel with me, and yes, that was the cause of the snootiness but he didn't touch the yarn any more than a knitter would have, and he never pulled any off the shelves, and I swear his fingers weren't sticky. Honest.)
5. Playing outside when it's not raining. This is basically just me following Daniel around in a bit of a daze while he bangs sticks on the ground and pulls up the grass. He clearly enjoys himself and clearly needs the fresh air, so it's all good.
Comments
all good things to you and family!