*mommy disclaimer- I love all of my children equally, fully, and whole heartedly. I would in no way ever trade them for anything in this world. They are my life and I love them, and thank God for them.*
The other three kids came back home on Friday. I wasn't here when they got here, and when I got home they were all sleeping. So the house was still the quiet, peaceful almost serene place it was when I'd left. It was that way because it was just Dallas here. And he's had to take it easy, and rest. He can't get up and take out toys. He can't run ragged in the house creating a rukus. He HAS to lay still, and relax. Its been oddly relaxing. Its eerily quiet when two of more kids are gone from the house. Its just so different. There isn't the usual hum of activity. There isn't the usual buzz of constant noise that follows a 7, almost 6, and two almost 3 year olds around. And I've felt HORRIBLE about feeling so relaxed with it that quiet. I guess I really did need the break more than I'd thought I did. I just didn't expect it to feel that good. Don't get me wrong. I missed my kids terribly, and cried the second night as I walked past their empty beds. I hate it when they're not here. . .but this time, this time it was a little different.
So today was the first day with them back full force. And I have to admit its been a little overwhelming. Its been a constant barrage of questions about Dallas's eye, and its been NON STOP of having to tell them to GET AWAY FROM DALLAS!!! Its not that I don't want them to be near Dallas at all. Its that they get near him, and then they start to get wild, like siblings tend to do, and his eye is SO fragile now. She said this next week the healing is SO crucial. He can't bump it wrong, he can't rub it, he can't ANYTHING with it. And then on top of it all they've been with grandma for the weekend. And while I love my mother in law dearly there are different rules there. And no matter what we do, that never changes. We can lay ground work, lay boundaries, but NOTHING helps. And when they come home, we pay for it. They're rowdy, they're unruly, they back talk, they look at me like I have three heads when I remind them of the rules. Its just hard.
And we then get into the fact of the mess, the noise, and the constant PESTERING. These kids seem to think they can leave a trail of toys, and that someone will just magically pick them up. And when they're reminded to pick them up NOTHING gets done. Its to the point that I have to threaten a punishment to get them to do ANYTHING. And its just not sitting right. It is so much more work in the long run to have someone else watch my kids because then I spend the next two weeks getting them back on track, and into our rules again.
Sigh. I love my children dearly, but today, its just a little overwhelming.
3 comments:
Oh Jamie, I so understand where you are coming from! My kids have never been away overnight without us, but we go to my grandparents' house in PA about every 2-3 weeks or so. I keep them contained at home in their playroom if they want to truly make a mess of it, fine, its contained to one 16x16 area. There is none of that at Gram's, they listen to her if she ever tells them no (I don't think she does but she says she does lol). Last time they didn't want to sleep in their room (once again, "their" room at their great grandparents' house!), so she picked them both up and the three of them sat in the rocking recliner rocking all night long. I'm not complaining because I actually got a full night of sleep for once, but still. You are totally spot on- coming back to "normal" is TOUGH STUFF!
We are pretty crappy discipliners (read: no one wants to be the bad parent so instead we both pay for it). I have started making them help pick up their blocks which I think might be going somewhere :)
Hang in there, hopefully they'll be back on track sooner rather than later. Otherwise, turn on some Mickey or Elmo for the little ones to keep the calm for Dallas til his eye heals.
I can only imagine the roller coaster of all you've been through, still worry about Dallas and then juggling the other 3 with everything else! Hang in there...hopefully the other 3 will settle down and get back to 'normal' (whatever that is! ha!) soon and things will calm down some.
Hope Dallas is hanging in there, too!
Girl.. I only got out for a few hours(ok, maybe several) last Friday and, seriously, we were all having so much fun just being US again, that we didn't want to go home! As much as we love our kids, we do need time for ourselves and I'm sure that after all of that quiet for a couple of days, it was rough to be thrown right back into full-on mommy mode.
NOW...call me back.
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