Thursday, September 29, 2011

7 Claytonopolis Moments

1. Kristiana has nick-named our friends' new baby daughter, Foofa.  As in the character from the popular kid's show "Yo Gabba Gabba."  It was so funny when she first called the baby, Foofa.  She ran up to the baby and said, "It's okay, Foofa, don't cry." Foofa has stuck. Her Daddy now calls her, Foofa.  But really, aren't all kids a little, Foofa? Aren't they all a little Yo Gabba Gabba?

2.  One day I took the kids to the new park in our neighborhood (it's not totally completed--annoying) and Alex climbed to the top of a high structure.  He was looking off into the horizon and he said, "Mom, (pause) look at that booty."  Say what? Oh, he meant beauty. Well that's a profound thought from a four year old.  He was taken, for a moment, by how God's green earth met the blue heavens above. Yeah, I got a little choked up at the thought.  Life is "brutish and short," but also, life is Beautiful.  And that is what we strive for--to see God in everything and turn away that which is not.

3. Alex has been having anxiety and phobias about everything lately.  It drives us up the wall, because it is so frustratingly irrational.  He shuts down and starts crying and clinging and will not do what we ask.  He will not go into rooms by himself or darkened areas.  He had a total meltdown one day this week.  During the event he told me he wanted Daddy to come home, because he did not want to spend the day with me, because I was making it a bad day.  I finally put him in his room and told him he could go cry there until he was ready to get dressed and come have a haircut.  I called my husband and told him I thought we need to talk to a professional about this.  It's getting pretty serious.  Then I went back to Alex's room and he was still crying and talking about needing Daddy.  I told Alex that even if Daddy came home it would not be a good day, because only Alex can choose to have a good day. Daddy can't make you choose to have a good day.  Doing something you don't want to do, like have a haircut, does not make it a bad day.  You just do it and then choose to have a good day from then on.  A look came over his face and he stopped crying, got dressed, had a haircut and had a good day from there on.

Later when my husband came home, he took Alex around the house having him perform acts of bravery, like going into dark rooms by himself.  Alex was fine.  Alex was fine the rest of the day and went to bed well.  I asked my husband what we were going to do about his anxiety and Andrew said, "Nothing, he doesn't need help with it. He acts this way when he doesn't want to do something."  I disagreed. He was crying and shaking.  Andrew said, "He doesn't want to do it that bad."  Then I agreed.  Andrew tends to be right about such things.  So for now, my tactic is, "You choose to have a good day. You choose to not be afraid."  So far, so good.

4.  Why don't my kids sleep well anymore? My kids used to sleep well.  Now, we have the jack-in-the-box boy at bedtime (in, out, in, out); and the midnight screamer (Kristiana).  I'd like to say Annie sleeps well, but she insists on sleeping in my bed and I don't want her there anymore.  Then there is nap time.  No one naps.   Annie usually takes an hour long nap around noon and that is it.  She's too young to sleep so little.  I asked her doctor about it and his answer was, "Sorry, some kids aren't sleepers. She's within normal. She probably doesn't sleep as much because of having older siblings to keep up with."  Boo. I want all my kids to take two hour naps; go to bed at 8:00 p.m. and not wake up until 7:00 a.m. the next morning.  Is that too much to ask for? Yeah, maybe.  Why can't my kids fit MY paradigm? ;-)

5. I vented about the sleep issues on Facebook. I feel a little better--still sleep-deprived but better.  I think I am just going to put the girls in their rooms at nap times and let them scream and go find a quiet place to work with Alex.

6.  I feel so wiped out during the day with pregnancy fatigue.  But, then after the kids go to bed and I relax for a while I feel a lot better.  I don't feel near as tired and woozy.   I wonder to myself, is it the stress of chasing three small children?  I might need to work on this.  Perhaps, I need to get a little more organized to feel less stressed. Perhaps, I need Alex to stop jumping all over the furniture and antagonizing his middle sister…I'm a fixer. If something is not just right, if I am not 100%, I must figure out how to fix it, or make it even just a little better.  I could not possibly accept that I am just not going to feel 100% in the first trimester of pregnancy or any trimester.  ;-) Oh what will the Good Lord do with me.  Grant me patience and peace, Lord.

7.  Good news. Our new baby has a strong heart beat, looks healthy and the due date is May 11, which is my brother's birthday.  What a good day to be born.

How cute is this ultrasound? The midwife and I thought the baby looks like a gummy bear.

Baby 4

 

 

2 comments:

Kayleen said...

Lots of good stuff on here Renee. One great thing about you is you tell it like it is. Your are MUCH more honest on your blog than I am (I definitely overlook and tend to not write about the hard stuff!) But at the same time you have this strength and resolve about the way you do things that makes me feel that you are not complaining. Really! You probably don't believe me but I seriously see that you are trying everyday to become a stronger, more patient, more Christ-like mother. It makes me excited to see when "Claytonopolis" comes up on my Google Reader! You are an inspiration and you help me see what is a couple of kids ahead of me :) Of course I see that it's not all easy - but it sure is a blessed life.

Have you read Fulton Sheen's Three to Get Married? I was reading the chapters "Motherhood" and "The Role of Children" yesterday and I was completely bawling. It is SOO good. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Unknown said...

Thanks, Kayleen. I try to keep it real. I feel the same way about you. It's okay to always emphasize the positive. That is seeing God in all things.

Thank you for the book recommendation. You recs are the best...Still working on Journey to Pashca. I decided to finish next Great Fast.