Bragger's Rights

writing names, staying
dry, sleeping through pain - my kids
are so amazing

It's been a very long week in our house. Cabin fever has set in, and my nerves are just about shot. When Erin sent me the Brag Book Blog Blast idea from the Parent Bloggers Network, all I could think about was how "deficient" my kids were. Thinking about their strengths made me dwell on the negatives. And then of course, I started feeling like a terrible Mom. Who needs that??? So I decided that I wasn't going to bother with this post. After this morning (full of yelling and tantrums - from the kids and myself), I realized that I had to think in a more positive way. So I checked out Jenifer Fox's site (her book Your Child's Strengths looks really intersting), and this is what I have come up with...

In no way, shape, or form are my kids at all "deficient". They can't possibly be "better" - they are already perfect. Yeah it would be GREAT if they would listen and stuff, but that doesn't make them bad - it just makes them kids. My kids. And my kids are the three brightest, funniest, most beautiful, amazing children that have ever graced the planet.

Gabriel will be 4 next week, and every day he manages to impress and amaze me with his "Gabriel-ness". He's huge, handsome, and far too bright for his own good. Today, he amazed me by writing his own name and the numbers 1-4. He's been writing letters for months now, but he usually needs dot-to-dots to help him make actual words.

Elliott is the sweetest and silliest 27 month old that ever lived. She amazes me every day just by being her little pixie-ish self. In the middle of melt-down hour this morning she looked at me and said, "Mom. I just wove you so much." Her favorite phrase is "wove you so much". Next time you see her, see how long it takes for her to say it to someone. Or something.

There really aren't enough words to express my amazement with Janna. I am in constant awe.

My children's greatest strengths are their ability to give me strength. The sounds of their belly laughs, the sight of their big (or in Janna's case HUGE) brown eyes, the smell of their hair, the feel of their hugs are the things that make my life worthwhile. I have earned my bragger's rights this week. How 'bout you? Are your kids as awesome as mine?

Attack of the Otitis Media

I had mentioned a few days ago that Janna was a little out of sorts. Yeah. She has another double ear infection. Last night when I went in to check on her before I went to bed I noticed that she was whimpering and rubbing her ear. In her sleep. Poor baby. So off to Dr. C.'s office we went this morning. My Googlie-bear has lost a half pound (she refuses to eat and she's been projectile puking on me), and her ears are a mess. Hopefully the magical meds will make her all better soon.

A Realization...

I know I already posted today, but I just wanted to add some useless Courtney Trivia. Today was "supposed" to have been Gabriel's 4th birthday. When I found out I was pregnant, February 26th was the date the docs gave me as my due date. The little turd decided to stay in there for an extra 11 days. So not important now, but 4 years ago I was in misery!!

Oh, and my day??? Got no better. It's still not going well.

Little Pissers

This morning started out like any other morning. Gabriel came into our bedroom at the crack of ass and insisted on either getting in bed with us or playing downstairs. Uh, Gabe, it's 5:20 in the morning - go back to bed. He did - reluctantly. And loudly. At 6:30 he came back in and Jon let him go downstairs. I am not a huge fan of the almost 4 year-old being alone in the living room. He ransacks the place, and I end up cleaning it all up. I am overruled every day in this matter. [He spent the morning trying (and succeeding) to annoy me. Thank goodness it's a preschool day.]

Then Elliott climbed into bed with me. SOAKED with pee. Up to her neck. Jon carried her into our room and didn't bother to notice that she had peed through herself. After showers (I hate showering with kids), I checked her bed. My husband "made" her bed - covered the soaking wet pee-pee sheets with all of her covers and dolls. This happens on a regular basis. I knew I had to wash the sheet and pad, but do I look like a friggin' laundry service?? I asked him if Janna had also peed through herself. Of course she had. Has for the last 4 days. Do ya think her sheets have been changed? NOPE! Not since I changed them last week. I keep a water-proof pad on top of the crib sheet to ease my annoyance with crib changing (heaven forbid Jon actually change the baby's bedding [or Gabe's or Elliott's] ). Has the pad been changed? Well, kind of. Jon just keeps folding and flipping, re-folding and re-flipping the thing. We have probably 15 of the damned things. CHANGE IT! Would you sleep in a pee-pee bed? Nopers. Why in the hell should the girls have to? So her day started out with peeing through herself, and so far, she's done a pretty good job of making sure it ends that way. [She's peed her pants twice today. On purpose. When I say "on purpose", I mean that she's been asked if she needs to go ("Nope, I don't"), and then put on the potty anyway. Nothing happens. Then she goes into the hallway and "hides" so she can pee her pants. Good times.]

My Janna is being a pisser today, too. Elliott kept her up last night turning the light in their room off and on. And she's cough-y. So, Baby Girl is a little out of sorts today. Fine. But her cry is like fingernails on a chalk board. My Mom says she sounds like a wounded duck. I agree. Nothing is to her liking today. She doesn't want to eat. Or drink. Or play. Or sit. Or lay. Or be held.

I really do love my life. I am so lucky that I get to stay home with my kids. I also have a husband who helps ALOT (bedding changes withstanding). But today has just been one of those days...and it's only 2pm.

The New Do!

I wanted to wait to post a picture of my little Schmootsie-poo (yes, that is what I call her - her favorite movie is "Monster's, Inc.") until her hair had been washed. So here she is!! Forgive the darkness of the pics. She looks so much like my Mommy in the bottom picture!!