Rhythm

Today we tried to get back into some sort of rhythm, although by the time it was over I wondered why I even tried. MB is in town, out of town, in town and then we will all be out of town. It is hard on everyone, although she really is having some wonderful experience and I also am able to get larger projects done while she is gone.

After her first trip when she came back everyone was refreshed and ready to go again. Her attitude was good and my frame of mind was very positive. This last trip I really concentrated on getting a number of projects done or at least a good start made while she was away. We worked on the projects through the weekend, but still spent some time individually with the girls, including MB. But I noticed today that she was really clingy with me. The constant touching and incessant talking. All signs that she is craving my attention and that she has a little too much undivided attention and just a little spoiling recently.

It has totally blown the rhythm that I thought we were achieving out of the water. Correction again is being met with tantrums and she believes that she can argue with me. All while my attention is still being divided with K still recuperating (cranky) from her recent cold, some household issues that have to be dealt with this week and the bible study I am under the gun for right now.

All that being the case I can say that today went well enough. Again, I am so very happy to have my laptop back. Otherwise I believe that I would have run screaming to my room at some point today.

This morning I managed to wake up before the girls and was able to actually read my morning devotion in quiet reflection while sitting outside on our clean deck. After breakfast MB helped me start some laundry while I hopped on the computer to fix some of the damage to my blog from yesterday. Then we all got dressed since I had someone come by to give us an estimate on painting our house.

While the guy was here I totally came across as one of those mothers one might see on SuperNanny. The big girls were playing in the driveway while he and I spoke about what DH and I wanted to do. MB left K in the driveway alone and came over to see what we were doing. When I turned around I saw K's tricycle but no K. So the hunt for K began. I first glanced in the van since that is often the place she will try to head for first but didn't see anything so MB and I headed over to the neighbors to see if K had gone visiting. The gentleman was working up my estimate in his truck and I heard him honk his horn, he pointed at the back of my van and I saw something move. It was K, she was "play hide seek" from me. After locking the van I dragged all the girls back inside and again went over the rules for playing outside and how the van is a no-no (especially now that it is getting hot).

Once I was done with the painter we tried to actually get our day going. After EM went down for her nap I sat down with the big girls to play some dice games. This was kind of a on-the-spur game but it worked for our math for the day. I gave MB and K each two dice. Then worked up a sheet of paper with 2-12 listed, the first person to roll all 11 numbers would win. MB had to add her two dice together to come up with how many she rolled, then she could count to check her answer. K counted her dots to determine how many she rolled. We had fun playing it together.

After "math" we went outside in the backyard to play without waking EM up. I sat on the deck and worked on the bible study to prepare for the meeting I have tomorrow morning and could watch the girls run around at the same time.

After lunch MB and I worked on her 'Map Skills' something I will count as geography and her reading for today as she really worked at reading the directions by herself. Then she went outside to check on the mole family that we found last night while K and I read a little bit before K's nap.

I sent MB off for some free time - something I guess MB did not really want today, but mommy needed. So that I could work on the bible study a little more, but gave up after only a few minutes because MB was in and out constantly and eventually woke EM.

The afternoon was spent yo-yo-ing between MB, EM and the laundry. I finally got back to the study late this afternoon when I took all the girls back outside to play.

Tonight we read a couple more chapters in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. MB is so funny, halfway through the first chapter for the night she was soooo bored and didn't like the book. But when we finished the chapter we just had to read the next chapter because, "I can't possibly sleep not knowing."

Then all the girls were asleep in their own beds. Quiet, peace and quiet. And you know what the day really was fairly productive.

Peace

Amy