I realize it's been quite a while since I've posted an update to my blog. For that, I'm sorry to those of you who read it (all 6 of you, including me). However, if you are a parent, and more importantly, a single parent - I'm sure you will understand.
Have you ever woken up in the morning feeling like you've been run over by a fleet of Mac Trucks? Have you ever pondered the notion of eating your own young. (Hey, some animals do it so it can't be all that wrong...can it?) Have you ever watched a sweet and innocent, beautiful little 2 year old girl sleep while secretly plotting a move to a foreign country before she wakes up? Have you ever wondered how teenagers survive their teen years? Or have you ever wondered if your 6 year old son will ever quit trying to snap your spine by jumping off of increasingly higher pieces of furniture? I certainly hope at least one of you have. That way, I'm not alone in this war.
What war you say? Trust me, raising kids is much like combat. Everything from brushing teeth and getting dressed in the morning, to baths at night, brushing teeth, and getting dressed for bed. It's one long series of battles. Some you win, most you loose. Now I know what General Custer must have felt like at Little Big Horn. I'll even bet the sound my daughter made last night as I brushed her hair before bed resembled the crys of all those indians that took him out. I think all the small animals in my neighborhood are now deaf...I certainly am. I was unaware humans could reach a pitch that high and for that long. I nearly ran out of breath just watching her.
The good news...Our furniture arrives on Wednesday. YAY, No more sleeping on blow up mattresses or eating in lawn chairs with plasticware on a card table. I'm really hoping this helps to settle the kids in a bit more as well. Most of their toys and bicycles will be here so now they will have more to do that use dad's head as a jungle gym or punching bag. Oh, and the biggest bonus of this week.....wait for it.....SCHOOL STARTS ON FRIDAY. I'm so excited I could cry. I feel like a squirl on acid most days. Running around here and there just trying to keep the house from burning down and my 6 year old off the roof. The cute little 2 year old secretly plotting against me, and the 15 year old eyeing my keys to the car pretty much keep me pegged to the ground. I need about 4 arms, 6 eyes, and a bullet proof vest...and that's just at dinner time.
Our schedule mitigates most pain in that I don't really give them an option. I wake them all up at 0515 and before they are fully aware of whats going on, I have their teeth brushed and they are all dressed. It's like watching a coma patient wake up. One minute they are sleeping and the next they are all lined up in the living room staring blankly into their cereal bowls wondering what the heck happened and how they got there. It's quite funny. Have you ever watched a 6 year old try to brush his teeth with his eyes closed. His chin is so white and shinny. I'll bet he never gets a cavity there!
Well, it's been a fun few weeks and I still feel like I'm teetering on the edge of insanity but I have more tricks in store for these three little beasts that rule my every waking moment. The two boys are now signed up for music lessons and as soon as I find a certified monkey trainer, the baby will be going to gymnastics, ballet, or cheer lessons. We're getting as involved in our church as much as they will let us, and I'm hiding all electronic games as of Friday.
I may loose many of the battles, but I REFUSE TO LOOSE THE WAR!
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Monday, August 15, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Getting Ready for life!
We're finally settled in a bit at Ft. Sill. The furniture won't be here for a few more weeks but we picked up some air mattresses and other odds and ends that make "camping out" more comfortable. We live on post (thank God) but the house is tiny which does have the benefit of making it easier to keep clean and track the kids. Fortunately it's very close to everything and I found a great daycare provider. I can't believe how expensive that is. I'm paying over $750 a month for full time for the baby and before/after care for my 1st grader. My oldest has really stepped up to help too. We did a dry run (rehearsal) for next week this morning. (You know us Army guys, we rehearse everything) I ran through the entire routine starting at 0520 and even drove to the babysitter's house. We all got up, brushed our teeth, got dressed, did our hair (mine and the boys are easy, the baby - not so much), and left on time. Now all I have to do is back off my time about 20 minutes and the timing will be perfect. Of course, this was just a rehearsal and I'm sure when the pressure is on, all hell will break loose!
I did learn several key lessons this morning.
1. I must get out of bed when the alarm goes off. The snooze button is your enemy when you have small children to get ready.
2. The baby is the last one to wake up. If she gets up before the boys, I end up carrying her the whole morning and that just slows down the process. Cuddle time is great, but when you are rushed, it just doesn't seem that special.
3. I must go to bed when it's time. Staying up past 11pm is a really bad idea, no matter how good the movie, TV show, or song is - turn it off and go to sleep. Hey, there's always the option to use the DVR and watch it later.
4. Prior planning, prior planning, prior planning. Get as much done the night before as possible. It's hard to match clothes, find socks or shoes, and pack lunches at 0530 in the morning. Especially when your eyes are stil half closed and a 2.5 year old girl is yelling in your ear.
5. Finally - I'm good enough, smart enough, and dog gone it - people like me. Self affirmation is critical. Your kids will never tell you that you are doing a good job. The only feed back they seem capable of at this point in their lives (or in the early morning at least) is negative. They may not tell you that they appreciate your help in the morning but you can bet your butt they will tell you what you did wrong, forgot, or overlooked.
Kids are great, aren't they?
I did learn several key lessons this morning.
1. I must get out of bed when the alarm goes off. The snooze button is your enemy when you have small children to get ready.
2. The baby is the last one to wake up. If she gets up before the boys, I end up carrying her the whole morning and that just slows down the process. Cuddle time is great, but when you are rushed, it just doesn't seem that special.
3. I must go to bed when it's time. Staying up past 11pm is a really bad idea, no matter how good the movie, TV show, or song is - turn it off and go to sleep. Hey, there's always the option to use the DVR and watch it later.
4. Prior planning, prior planning, prior planning. Get as much done the night before as possible. It's hard to match clothes, find socks or shoes, and pack lunches at 0530 in the morning. Especially when your eyes are stil half closed and a 2.5 year old girl is yelling in your ear.
5. Finally - I'm good enough, smart enough, and dog gone it - people like me. Self affirmation is critical. Your kids will never tell you that you are doing a good job. The only feed back they seem capable of at this point in their lives (or in the early morning at least) is negative. They may not tell you that they appreciate your help in the morning but you can bet your butt they will tell you what you did wrong, forgot, or overlooked.
Kids are great, aren't they?
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Busy few days
It's been a few days since I last posted. I've been a bit busy traveling from my dad's house in Illinois to the new house in Lawton, Oklahoma. We arrived Saturday night and stayed in a hotel until Monday morning. Moving is an incredibly painful and expensive venture with three children. If it were just me, I could do with a simple mat on the floor, two cups, a bowl, can opener, industrial size coffee pot, and a small microwave. Not so with the kiddos. But it's ok. There's this great place in Lawton where you can get everything you need. In fact, there are two of them. Some of you may not be familiar with this store but I'm telling you, they have everything. They are called Super Wal-Marts. I'd highly recommend you visit one soon. You'd be amazed to find all the things you've been doing without that you never knew you needed.
Our trip out here was fairly easy, considering the circumstances. The kids were exceptionally well behaved as well (Thank God for small favors there). I looked the trip up on line and discovered it was a 603 mile, Ten and a half hour trip. Oh good grief. Can you imagine toting three kids (2.5, 6.5, and 15.5 years old) by yourself that far in 100plus degree heat? Some of you mom's out there may have done that, but this was my first. I had it planned out from start to finish, to include potty breaks and meals. I had even started the prep work the night before. My plan had us departing at 0730 and arriving in Lawton around 1800 (6pm). As an experienced Soldier, I know that no plan ever survives the first shot and this trip was no exception. It all started at wake up, 0600. I had planned to get up and drink a pot of coffee (yea, I said pot of coffee), pack the car, and then wake the kids, get them bathed, fed, dressed, and loaded. I will refer you back to my previous posting about people under 4 feet tall. Getting them out of the house in less than an hour is impossible. I don't care how much you threaten, cajole, or bribe. It just ain't happening.
So, I get up, start on my coffee and the baby wakes up early and decides she doesn't want to do anything but sit in my lap and cuddle. How can you say no to that? Her look could stop a war for a hug. So we sat there cuddling and talking until I could convince her to let me get some stuff done. She normally sleeps in until around 0730 but not this day. The boys...I had no fear of them waking up early. I had to drag them out of bed and then spend the bulk of my prep time kicking them in the butt just to keep them moving. Finally at around 0830 we are all loaded in the car and pulling out of my dad's driveway. That's when it hit me. I knew I didn't want to leave any later than 0900 so technically I was 30 minutes ahead of schedule. (that's some fancy daddy justification there).
The drive...not much to say. Have you ever traveled from Illinois across Missouri and into/across Oklahoma. There is a whole lot of nothing to see. Here is where my experience kicked in. The night before we departed, I installed a two screen DVD player in the back seat of the car and packed several DVDs I knew the two little ones would like. The unfortunate side effect is having to listen to 4 hours of Sponge Bob Square Pants, 4 hours of Dora the Explorer, 1.5 hours of Open Season 2, and 1.5 hours of Gnomeo and Juliet. But hey, I'll take that over crying kids any day. My youngest cried all of about a minute and a half the whole trip. I couldn't have asked for a smoother trip...really! The kids were great. We only had to stop four times. Twice for food and twice for gas, and the little one only wet her pull-up twice. I sure hope the rest of this year goes this smoothly.
Now we've been in the house for two days and are figuring out how some things are going to have to start working. I'm grateful for living on post, everything is so convenient from the house. My office is exactly one mile, daycare is 1.6 miles, the elementary school is 1.3 miles, and the bus stop for my highschooler is at the end of my drive way. Oh, and the golf course is only 800 meters away. Can you say Walking Distance? The house is very small - which translates to easier to keep clean, and centrally located. I can see the commissary parking lot from my front yard and there are two large play grounds, one out the front door and one out the back door just outside my fence. All in all, I'm very pleased with our current living conditions.
I want to vent a bit so bare with me here. I realize daycare is costly but my current fee is bordering on criminal. I learned today that for full time care for the baby and before/after school care for my 1st grader is going to run me $844 a month. That's $211 a week. How the hell (excuse my language) do they get away with fees that high? And it's not like I have a choice either. I can't just tell the baby, "Here's some juice and crackers, daddy will be home for lunch...don't burn the house down." That's a small house payment for crying out loud. Of course I'm going to pay it, I want my kids taken care of but geez, cut a guy some slack.
Which brings me to my next gripe. While I appreciate helpful hints and advice from family and friends on the right and wrong ways to raise my kids, I get very aggrivated when people get mad at me for not taking said advice. I've been in combat three times, commanded a battery of about 135 men in combat, and served in numerous leadership positions in the US Army for the past 17 plus years. I'm pretty sure I'm capable of making my own decisions. This rant isn't directed at any one person so quit thinking I'm talking about you...this is a generalized whining session so deal with it. I have decided to continue to listen to the advice because frankly most of it is very good and worthy of taking. But if at some point I hear your advice and don't take it, don't get offended. I'm a grown man and am perfectly capable of screwing things up on my own. I know I'm bound to make some really boneheaded decisions and mistakes, but God willing, none of them will be fatal.
Whining over. All in all, I expect these next few months to be quite interesting as I dive deeper and deeper into the everyday life of a single dad. I hope you all continue to read my blog as I am sure the best of the comedy is yet to come. And don't forget to share it with your friends. I'd like to have 100 or more followers by Christmas. In my next blog, I'll relate my latest gaff at the PX that my oldest reminds me of daily now.
Our trip out here was fairly easy, considering the circumstances. The kids were exceptionally well behaved as well (Thank God for small favors there). I looked the trip up on line and discovered it was a 603 mile, Ten and a half hour trip. Oh good grief. Can you imagine toting three kids (2.5, 6.5, and 15.5 years old) by yourself that far in 100plus degree heat? Some of you mom's out there may have done that, but this was my first. I had it planned out from start to finish, to include potty breaks and meals. I had even started the prep work the night before. My plan had us departing at 0730 and arriving in Lawton around 1800 (6pm). As an experienced Soldier, I know that no plan ever survives the first shot and this trip was no exception. It all started at wake up, 0600. I had planned to get up and drink a pot of coffee (yea, I said pot of coffee), pack the car, and then wake the kids, get them bathed, fed, dressed, and loaded. I will refer you back to my previous posting about people under 4 feet tall. Getting them out of the house in less than an hour is impossible. I don't care how much you threaten, cajole, or bribe. It just ain't happening.
So, I get up, start on my coffee and the baby wakes up early and decides she doesn't want to do anything but sit in my lap and cuddle. How can you say no to that? Her look could stop a war for a hug. So we sat there cuddling and talking until I could convince her to let me get some stuff done. She normally sleeps in until around 0730 but not this day. The boys...I had no fear of them waking up early. I had to drag them out of bed and then spend the bulk of my prep time kicking them in the butt just to keep them moving. Finally at around 0830 we are all loaded in the car and pulling out of my dad's driveway. That's when it hit me. I knew I didn't want to leave any later than 0900 so technically I was 30 minutes ahead of schedule. (that's some fancy daddy justification there).
The drive...not much to say. Have you ever traveled from Illinois across Missouri and into/across Oklahoma. There is a whole lot of nothing to see. Here is where my experience kicked in. The night before we departed, I installed a two screen DVD player in the back seat of the car and packed several DVDs I knew the two little ones would like. The unfortunate side effect is having to listen to 4 hours of Sponge Bob Square Pants, 4 hours of Dora the Explorer, 1.5 hours of Open Season 2, and 1.5 hours of Gnomeo and Juliet. But hey, I'll take that over crying kids any day. My youngest cried all of about a minute and a half the whole trip. I couldn't have asked for a smoother trip...really! The kids were great. We only had to stop four times. Twice for food and twice for gas, and the little one only wet her pull-up twice. I sure hope the rest of this year goes this smoothly.
Now we've been in the house for two days and are figuring out how some things are going to have to start working. I'm grateful for living on post, everything is so convenient from the house. My office is exactly one mile, daycare is 1.6 miles, the elementary school is 1.3 miles, and the bus stop for my highschooler is at the end of my drive way. Oh, and the golf course is only 800 meters away. Can you say Walking Distance? The house is very small - which translates to easier to keep clean, and centrally located. I can see the commissary parking lot from my front yard and there are two large play grounds, one out the front door and one out the back door just outside my fence. All in all, I'm very pleased with our current living conditions.
I want to vent a bit so bare with me here. I realize daycare is costly but my current fee is bordering on criminal. I learned today that for full time care for the baby and before/after school care for my 1st grader is going to run me $844 a month. That's $211 a week. How the hell (excuse my language) do they get away with fees that high? And it's not like I have a choice either. I can't just tell the baby, "Here's some juice and crackers, daddy will be home for lunch...don't burn the house down." That's a small house payment for crying out loud. Of course I'm going to pay it, I want my kids taken care of but geez, cut a guy some slack.
Which brings me to my next gripe. While I appreciate helpful hints and advice from family and friends on the right and wrong ways to raise my kids, I get very aggrivated when people get mad at me for not taking said advice. I've been in combat three times, commanded a battery of about 135 men in combat, and served in numerous leadership positions in the US Army for the past 17 plus years. I'm pretty sure I'm capable of making my own decisions. This rant isn't directed at any one person so quit thinking I'm talking about you...this is a generalized whining session so deal with it. I have decided to continue to listen to the advice because frankly most of it is very good and worthy of taking. But if at some point I hear your advice and don't take it, don't get offended. I'm a grown man and am perfectly capable of screwing things up on my own. I know I'm bound to make some really boneheaded decisions and mistakes, but God willing, none of them will be fatal.
Whining over. All in all, I expect these next few months to be quite interesting as I dive deeper and deeper into the everyday life of a single dad. I hope you all continue to read my blog as I am sure the best of the comedy is yet to come. And don't forget to share it with your friends. I'd like to have 100 or more followers by Christmas. In my next blog, I'll relate my latest gaff at the PX that my oldest reminds me of daily now.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Spending Time
I know there are only 24 hours in a day. We learn that very early on in school. Somehow, as we get older and busier, that just doesn't seem to be enough. When I was in Iraq with the 101st Abn(AASLT) during my second tour, I had an S-3 (Battalion Operations Officer) who used to say that all the time. I can't really remember the circumstances under which he would use it, all I remember was it used to infuriate the staff. But he was teaching all of us a very valuable life lesson. The truth that there is only 24 hours in the day was lost on us then. But now, as a parent of 3 very lively and active children, that fact has come home.
Let me explain. When you watch a one hour TV show, you dedicate that one hour to the actors, station, and sponsors of that TV show. You have made a conscious decision to use that one hour of your life for that specific purpose. Sure, you may fold laundry while watching it, or you may do some other minor chore (laundry for three kids is no minor chore...just a side thought) but you have essentially given that hour of your life to someone else. You can never get that hour back. Have you ever done something that you later thought was a total waste of time? How may hours have you "wasted" by doing things that are unimportant in the grand scheme of things. I recently received an email of lesson learned from a 100 year old woman. One of the points that really stuck out to me was the idea that time is the only thing you can't get back. The way she put it was very simple, "will this matter in 5 years?" That really struck me. My 15 year old will be 20 in 5 years and I wonder if what I just scolded him for will be significant in 5 years.
Lets take this one step further. What will be more important in 5 years, catching the season finally of "insert your favorite TV show name here" or having a tea party with your eager 2 year old daughter? What will be more important in 5 years, having coffee with a friend during lunch or surprising your 1st grader at school with McDonalds? What will be more important in 5 years, getting your teen to bed by 10 or staying up until 1am talking about life and the girl that just broke his heart? I know what will be more important in 5 years for me...do you?
I hadn't intended to make this a serious post but I just spent 3 hours talking with my dad and it dawned on me that although I'm going to be very tired in about 4 hours when the baby wakes up, in 5 years I'll still have this memory, his guidance, and the knowledge that I spent quality time with my father which I may not be able to do then. We all walk this earth for such a short time. Take a little time after you read this to make sure you are spending yours in such a way that you won't ever have to say "I wish I would have....." Live for the sheer joy of living. Spend time with your kids so that in 5 years they will have memories they will carry with them for 50 more. Life is to short to stop having fun and just because you get older it doesn't mean you have to grow up.
I mean really, I'm over 35 (and under 45) and still haven't decided what I want to be when I grow up. Hopefully I'll be a rock star or professional baseball player.
Let me explain. When you watch a one hour TV show, you dedicate that one hour to the actors, station, and sponsors of that TV show. You have made a conscious decision to use that one hour of your life for that specific purpose. Sure, you may fold laundry while watching it, or you may do some other minor chore (laundry for three kids is no minor chore...just a side thought) but you have essentially given that hour of your life to someone else. You can never get that hour back. Have you ever done something that you later thought was a total waste of time? How may hours have you "wasted" by doing things that are unimportant in the grand scheme of things. I recently received an email of lesson learned from a 100 year old woman. One of the points that really stuck out to me was the idea that time is the only thing you can't get back. The way she put it was very simple, "will this matter in 5 years?" That really struck me. My 15 year old will be 20 in 5 years and I wonder if what I just scolded him for will be significant in 5 years.
Lets take this one step further. What will be more important in 5 years, catching the season finally of "insert your favorite TV show name here" or having a tea party with your eager 2 year old daughter? What will be more important in 5 years, having coffee with a friend during lunch or surprising your 1st grader at school with McDonalds? What will be more important in 5 years, getting your teen to bed by 10 or staying up until 1am talking about life and the girl that just broke his heart? I know what will be more important in 5 years for me...do you?
I hadn't intended to make this a serious post but I just spent 3 hours talking with my dad and it dawned on me that although I'm going to be very tired in about 4 hours when the baby wakes up, in 5 years I'll still have this memory, his guidance, and the knowledge that I spent quality time with my father which I may not be able to do then. We all walk this earth for such a short time. Take a little time after you read this to make sure you are spending yours in such a way that you won't ever have to say "I wish I would have....." Live for the sheer joy of living. Spend time with your kids so that in 5 years they will have memories they will carry with them for 50 more. Life is to short to stop having fun and just because you get older it doesn't mean you have to grow up.
I mean really, I'm over 35 (and under 45) and still haven't decided what I want to be when I grow up. Hopefully I'll be a rock star or professional baseball player.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Random thoughts and Teens.
So today my parents took me and the kids to the St. Louis Science Center for a little entertainment. If you are ever in the St. Louis area and you have kids, I highly recommend taking them. There are attractions for all ages and personality types. And the really cool thing is that there are even things there for Dads and Moms. My oldest got to ride a Segue (yea, I probably misspelled that horribly), the middle one got to conduct some actual science experiments, and the baby was captivated by an interactive floor display that reacted to her movements. Dad was pretty entertained just watching the kids running around each interactive display and the huge two story T-Rex. BONUS - the two little ones slept the entire trip home.
Now for the entertaining parts of the day. If you ever taken a teenaged boy into a public place, I'm sure you will find this next part very entertaining. My oldest son can be shy at times and although he is very intelligent, funny, and not unattractive (I'm a bit partial here...deal with it), he some times prefers to just hang out and observe. Well today, he was quite observant and kept telling me all the "things" he was observing. There must have been a model agency touring the center because on more than one occasion he had to de-fog his glasses. I'd hear him gasp from time to time and would turn just in time to catch him trying to avert his eyes from yet another teen beauty. It really was quite funny and entertaining. But I think my favorite part of this whole event was the very sweet older black lady with the blond beehive hairdo that he just couldn't take his eyes off of. So, being the wonderful father that I am, I had my dad and step-mom pose with the baby in a strategic place so I could steal a picture. That just made my son's day. He laughed at that all the way home and has probably looked at that picture half a dozen times. So now he can't ever say that I didn't do anything cool for him. The rest of our day was fairly uneventful. We came home and had my step-moms world famous pot roast, which by the way, she taught me to make so there's one more meal I can cook for the kids. So now that makes 2. Unless you count Papa John's Pizza, McDonalds, and every Buffet restaurant in Lawton. Once the two little ones woke up, we ate dinner and then proceeded strait into their favorite activities...attack and tickle daddy until someone pees their pants. Fortunately, the baby is still wearing pull ups. The end of the day arrived and it was time to put the babies to bed so I read to both of them and then laid down with the littlest one while she ripped at my ear so she could fall asleep. What is it with the playing with the ears? I'll save that for a later blog but my oldest did the same thing when he was a baby. Strange.
Here is where I get to relate my most favorite thing about being a parent. The pay check. What pay check you ask? Well, I don't get any more money for having the children but I get paid in ways money could never compensate for. Let's start with the hugs. Some of them are so tight I nearly choke and others are so sweet, well, I still nearly choke. Then there's the looks of admiration, surprise, excitement, and joy when they "win" during just about any competition against daddy. But my favorite part is at night when they look up from their bed, say good night and "I love you daddy" with that sweet little smile they always give me followed by the smell of apple juice breath. These are just a few of the "payments" I've received so I'm sure I'll post more. Feel free to add your own by making comments.
Kids are so cool.
And No - You can't have mine, go get your own.
Now for the entertaining parts of the day. If you ever taken a teenaged boy into a public place, I'm sure you will find this next part very entertaining. My oldest son can be shy at times and although he is very intelligent, funny, and not unattractive (I'm a bit partial here...deal with it), he some times prefers to just hang out and observe. Well today, he was quite observant and kept telling me all the "things" he was observing. There must have been a model agency touring the center because on more than one occasion he had to de-fog his glasses. I'd hear him gasp from time to time and would turn just in time to catch him trying to avert his eyes from yet another teen beauty. It really was quite funny and entertaining. But I think my favorite part of this whole event was the very sweet older black lady with the blond beehive hairdo that he just couldn't take his eyes off of. So, being the wonderful father that I am, I had my dad and step-mom pose with the baby in a strategic place so I could steal a picture. That just made my son's day. He laughed at that all the way home and has probably looked at that picture half a dozen times. So now he can't ever say that I didn't do anything cool for him. The rest of our day was fairly uneventful. We came home and had my step-moms world famous pot roast, which by the way, she taught me to make so there's one more meal I can cook for the kids. So now that makes 2. Unless you count Papa John's Pizza, McDonalds, and every Buffet restaurant in Lawton. Once the two little ones woke up, we ate dinner and then proceeded strait into their favorite activities...attack and tickle daddy until someone pees their pants. Fortunately, the baby is still wearing pull ups. The end of the day arrived and it was time to put the babies to bed so I read to both of them and then laid down with the littlest one while she ripped at my ear so she could fall asleep. What is it with the playing with the ears? I'll save that for a later blog but my oldest did the same thing when he was a baby. Strange.
Here is where I get to relate my most favorite thing about being a parent. The pay check. What pay check you ask? Well, I don't get any more money for having the children but I get paid in ways money could never compensate for. Let's start with the hugs. Some of them are so tight I nearly choke and others are so sweet, well, I still nearly choke. Then there's the looks of admiration, surprise, excitement, and joy when they "win" during just about any competition against daddy. But my favorite part is at night when they look up from their bed, say good night and "I love you daddy" with that sweet little smile they always give me followed by the smell of apple juice breath. These are just a few of the "payments" I've received so I'm sure I'll post more. Feel free to add your own by making comments.
Kids are so cool.
And No - You can't have mine, go get your own.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Is sleep really over rated
Ok, I know beds are designed for sleeping. And the size and firmness of the bed makes a big difference in the quality of sleep one gets. I'll bet the manufacturers never took into account the amount of room a 2.5 year old girl needs when they designed the queen sized bed. I'm sure there is a mathematical formula out there somewhere that explains the exponential expansion of a toddler at rest. Let me explain. I got my daughter to sleep fairly quickly last night and then got up to visit some more with my dad and step-mom. The cool thing about that was that she had decided it was time for daddy to go to bed and she wanted to help me go to sleep. So off we went and she proceeded to play with one of my ears and rub my face while constantly checking on me to see if I was asleep. I'm not sure if this is cute or creepy. Was she trying to lull me into a false sense of security so I'd fall asleep and then she could pounce on me? Or was she just being cute and taking care of her daddy? I guess that boils down to the question of whether she is a devious or dedicated child. Time will tell. But now back to my original thought.
When I left that cute little fairy princess she was sleeping soundly with her head at the top of the bed and feet pointing toward the foot of the bed. When I returned about an hour later, she had expanded to about 3 times her normal size and had turned sideways, completely taking up the whole bed. I figured I could just turn her back to her original position, slide her over just a bit, and ease into bed on my side. Yea, right!!! That went over about as well as a screen door on a submarine. Oh, just a note...2.5 year olds that are suddenly awaken in the middle of the night can scream so loud squirrels drop dead for 3 blocks. So, after I got her banshi like screaming under control (only lasted about 5 seconds) she fell back to sleep and once again resumed her innocent, princess like appearance. I, on the other hand, had to get a glass of warm milk to calm my shaking. The rest of the night, my cute little princess kept crawling over to my side and slapping me in the face, planting both feet firmly in the middle of my back, or just laying on top of me like a super charged heating blanket. So, now I have learned two lessons yet again.
1. Children expand exponentially when in a state of rest. But that expansion only occurs if they are in bed with you.
2. If you get them to sleep, it's probably best to just stay in bed and get as much as you can before the expansion begins. You may find 3 hours is sufficient if it occurs before the real party begins and the night time baby dance begins.
I love my kids dearly and wouldn't trade my life with them for anything. However, I wasn't aware I had traded my sanity in when they were born. I guess it's better that way, then you don't realize whats really happening to you.
Disclaimer: No children were harmed in the writing of this blog, however one dad was slightly damaged but I'm sure the bruises will heal in time.
When I left that cute little fairy princess she was sleeping soundly with her head at the top of the bed and feet pointing toward the foot of the bed. When I returned about an hour later, she had expanded to about 3 times her normal size and had turned sideways, completely taking up the whole bed. I figured I could just turn her back to her original position, slide her over just a bit, and ease into bed on my side. Yea, right!!! That went over about as well as a screen door on a submarine. Oh, just a note...2.5 year olds that are suddenly awaken in the middle of the night can scream so loud squirrels drop dead for 3 blocks. So, after I got her banshi like screaming under control (only lasted about 5 seconds) she fell back to sleep and once again resumed her innocent, princess like appearance. I, on the other hand, had to get a glass of warm milk to calm my shaking. The rest of the night, my cute little princess kept crawling over to my side and slapping me in the face, planting both feet firmly in the middle of my back, or just laying on top of me like a super charged heating blanket. So, now I have learned two lessons yet again.
1. Children expand exponentially when in a state of rest. But that expansion only occurs if they are in bed with you.
2. If you get them to sleep, it's probably best to just stay in bed and get as much as you can before the expansion begins. You may find 3 hours is sufficient if it occurs before the real party begins and the night time baby dance begins.
I love my kids dearly and wouldn't trade my life with them for anything. However, I wasn't aware I had traded my sanity in when they were born. I guess it's better that way, then you don't realize whats really happening to you.
Disclaimer: No children were harmed in the writing of this blog, however one dad was slightly damaged but I'm sure the bruises will heal in time.
Day 1 of the Adventures of Dadman04
Well, as most of my friends know, I am now a single Army dad of three pretty cool kids. My oldest son is 15, followed by my middle son who is 6, and a daughter that is 2 and a half (I'm withholding their names to keep from embarrassing them too much). They will all celebrate a birthday yet this year so we are in for some fun times. Today was my first go at managing all three from wake up to bed time. Now, I must admit, I'm visiting with my Dad and Step-Mom but they subscribe to a sort of "You have to learn by doing" mentality which is really the best way...I guess. The day started with my parents heading out to Sunday school leaving me home to get the kids out of bed and ready to leave for church. I had about an hour and a half to accomplish this and a full carafe of coffee to assist. (I love you Juan Valdez)! Here is where I learned my first valuable lesson. Always conduct your PCCs and PCIs the night before. Did I mention I was in the Army? PCC = pre-combat checks and PCI= pre-combat inspection. If you don't get as much ready the night before as you can, you are only setting yourself up for total mission failure the next day. Which brings me to my next point. Humans under the height of 4 feet can rarely get ready to exit the house in less than an hour. This may be an unfair statement to little people around the world, but as the only little people in my life are my kids, it's a fair statement regarding them. I have learned volumes about human nature from my kids and they have taught me one very valuable lesson today. The key to a long, happy, and legal conviction free life is flexibility. I will attempt to post updates frequently to this site as the Adventures of Dadman04 unfold. They will undoubtedly provide some of you with a good laugh at my expense. And frankly, I'm cool with that.
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