Dance parties ain't what they used to be

We hosted a dance party as a MOMS Club activity today. It was fun but amounted to us playing some They Might Be Giants kids music and letting the kids play with toys. Cole was the only boy and I am sure he didn't mind one bit. I was happy to keep my friend's daughter while she got some studying in and she stayed with us through lunch. It was so nice for Cole to have a friend over and he was glad that she stayed after the other children were gone. He always hates to see his friends leave.
I feel like we are making great strides with Rhys and his sleeping and with Cole and his potty training. He stays out of diapers when we are home and has gotten into the swing of things pretty well. Today, he even pooped on the potty. I only mention this here because we have struggled with getting him to do that and this is only the third time ever he has done it and he took himself upstairs and did it all on his own. I am proud of him and he was proud of himself. The funny thing is that he insists that it looked like a pine cone. He came down and said, "I pooped and made it a pine cone!" That is noteworthy because it just is.
As for Rhys, he only woke up once last night and it was just before 2am. He went down at 8pm and finally woke around 7am. This is also noteworthy because we have struggled so long to get him to do it. For both of these things, I have concluded that we did little to influence the behavior. Cole will be potty trained when he is ready and Rhys will sleep through the night when he is ready.
Admittedly, I am a control freak and leaving these milestones up to my children has been hard. We read loads of books and seek advice from "experts" and fellow moms but, at the end of the day, our children will lead us and they will do things in their own time. Our job is to make sure that when they are ready, they are given the guidance to do it right and to be safe. Being a parent is both a journey and a destination. I am enjoying my ride and the view is beautiful from where I sit.

Getting back into the groove

It is a windy day today and so cold outside. I was blessed with a remarkable amount of sleep last night. I drifted off around 9pm and fed Rhys at 11pm and then again just before 5am. We went for a play date at my friend Deb's house. Cole and Makenna played while Rhys sat on the floor and explored a few baby toys. Deb and I had a nice chat and we came home after almost 2 hours. Rhys and Cole both ate lunch and took naps.

I am truly struggling with tempting food. For some reason, my will power is failing and I am falling prey to chocolate and cookies more and more. Not walking yesterday is also weighing heavily on my mind. When the boys both woke up from their naps, I took them for a brisk walk in the blustery weather. I snuggled them both under blankets and packed them tightly into the stroller and off we went. I felt SO much better because of it and found my enthusiasm once more. Cole kept saying how much fun it was and that we all were getting exercise. I am sure I burned so many more calories fighting the wind with the double stroller loaded down with two children. I also managed to get out after Chris got home. I took Sasha for about a mile and a half.

We had a lovely surprise today when the florist delivered an adorable bouquet of fall flowers for Rhys and Cole (and me and Chris). Thanks, mom...they are beautiful!

In a haze and Motivation tip #4

I am so tired from the weekend and feel like I have been in a haze all day. It is just shy of 6:00pm and I am already wondering when I will be able to get in the bed. I have eaten as have Cole and Rhys and they both had a bath and are in their pajamas. Chris just came home from work so once he gets settled in, I will probably get ready for bed.
Chris was up with Rhys most of the times he woke last night but I fed him at 11 and then again at 3. He is miserable at night with the teething but as we all know: this too shall pass. It is a rainy day and we have stayed in all day. We did manage to get dressed in comfy clothes and just generally relax. I indulged in a candy bar but had salad for dinner. I am not planning on walking. I am just too wiped out today. I did some stretching and sit-ups today so that will count for something.
I will be eager to get out tomorrow after a good sleep.

Motivation Tip #4: Remember that you are doing this for yourself and there are probably too few things you can say that about. Don't deprive yourself of this too.

Full and Full

The day was full and so am I! We had an early start; much to our chagrin. Rhys is teething and was up at 12:30, 3:30 and finally at 6:30 which is when we all decided that it was just time to get up. I went for a walk (1.5 mile) and after Rhys had a nap, we went to BJs to stock up on the ever depleting supply of diapers and wipes. We put Cole down for an early nap and poor Rhys finally settled again. His little mouth must really be bothering him because he was really out of sorts. At 1:45, we got the boys up and headed to Pump It Up for a birthday party. Chris and Cole had a ball jumping around in the inflated "rooms" and sliding down the enormous slides. Rhys liked watching everyone and I enjoyed talking to my friends.
We left the party at 4 and went to one of Chris' co-worker's house for dinner. They have a 1-year old little girl and Cole played with her until she went to bed. He was a good boy and we all had a really nice time. Cole received a pair of sunglasses in the goody bag from the party and on the way home, he started caughing, I turned around to check on him and through the darkness, I could make out his face and saw that he was wearing his sunglasses...just chilling out in the backseat with his shades on. It was such a funny sight and he knew it. He just started laughing when he knew we saw him. He is so funny.
We are home now and I am stuffed full of good food and dessert. I will hit the road again tomorrow for a good long walk.

Monday, Monday and Motivation Tip #3

The day started off with a bang. Rhys was fussy from 2:40 until 4:00am. I let him try to sort himself out but I couldn't rest so I was exhausted by the time 6:00am rolled around and my walking alarm went off. I didn't even hear it for 2 minutes! Chris finally woke me up and I passed on the walk but Chris pushed through and went for a run himself. It was FREEZING at 35 degrees and I was happy to have stayed in bed.
With his early rise, he was out the door for work before 8 and we headed out to the "chemist" and grocery store after Rhys woke up. I was glad to get all of my list taken care of. I always feel better when the pantry and refrigerator are stocked up. I took the boys for a walk when we got back from the store. Rhys rode in the backpack baby carrier and Cole walked on his own. He had been so good in the grocery store and was a big helper so I was happy for him to walk independently and he listened well.
I managed to get the laundry done, the kitchen cleaned, baked an apple crisp, and did a slow cooker ale pork tenderloin with baby potatoes and carrots. Dinner tasted yummy but Cole was especially naughty and Rhys cried the entire time. Cole was ultimately sent to bed and Rhys finally calmed down. I went for another walk to clear my head and am finally settling down for a relaxing evening. This entry isn't entirely exciting but it is a reflection of our day.

Motivation Tip #3 Determine your distance or destination/turn-around area in your head before you leave the house. If you want to go further, do; but at least make your original destination - put your brain on autopilot.

TGIF and Motivation Tip #2

It is Friday and last night was a doozie! Rhys still isn't sleeping through the night and at midnight, he decided that he wanted ME! I kept getting him to sleep and as soon as I would make a move, he would wail. I finally resorted to laying on the floor with him until he completely drifted off and then put him in his crib. He came around again around 5:30 so I fed him and hit the road again. Cole came in the room and bunked with Chris as I was getting ready to head out. Sasha was happy that we were going but it really took a lot of mental encouragement to get me out the door. I was proud of myself for pushing through and doing it. Day 6!

Motivation Tip #2: Don't give yourself the option. Think of it like an appointment that you cannot break.