I wonder....

I've been thinking a lot lately about how I am going to manage 4 kids. I mean, I try not to think of it really, but when I do I just try and tell myself that lots of people do it and make it through. Then I wonder. Do they have help? What do they let go of? Do they neglect certain things? Are they really good at listening to their kids scram when they can't tend to them? I'm not good at any of those things. I try and stay relaxed and say the kids will be fine but I end up getting them or I sit there exhuasted stareing at the mess so frsuterated that it is there and not having the energy to clean it up. I can't mentally let it go it just sits there in my head bugging me until I do it...which may not be for a while so that is a long time to hold on to frusteration. Some people are just so relaxed...or smart enough not to have 4 kids in 6 years. I know I`ll get through it, but as I get more tired in this pregnacy, the 3 I have have really taken their toll on me. I hired someone last week to mow the lawn and a lady to clean the house. I mean, we are also showing the home right now which is a huge added pressure. I guess if i didn`t feel the need to keep the house clean, I would feel much more relaxed. I just need someone I can get to do silly little things that sit there in my head. Right now, I`m thinking I should go to the store tonight to get a few things. Do I need toÉ No. I can totally do without those items....but i want them. I`m such a head case.

June

Well, I love to post pics of Adeline becuase she is so darn cute, but I often forget the others are cute too...well, to me anyways:)
And they have had some milestones recently too. Kayla can pump herself on a swing. A big 'yay' for me because I don't like standing there pushing her. Adeline likes to play in the sand/gravel, so I need to be right beside her making sure she is not eating it. She can also swim very well and will do sommersaults under the water. Clayton is not as confident to do that yet, but he has other strengths. He's been playing t-ball and though he is not that good, he is always there to back his teammates up. He will be playing 3rd base and a ball will be hit down the 1st base line, and he'll run for it anyways. Sometimes the other kids aren;t paying attention and he will actually be the first one to it! I don't think we will do t-ball next summer though. A lot of down time and the kids get antsy. They need to keep running at this age. Maybe soccer next year.
I am so glad that my mom has a pool and we have a hottub. The kids and Preston have been able to spend a lot of time together since being in Ontario. It's sometimes hard to create daddy/child activites...that they both enjoy(Preston struggles with getting down and playing kids games and stuff) but they all enjoy swimming. The would hop through the snow to get to the hottub in the winter(I refused) But they ahve been able to play and spend time together a lot. I went in the hottub with them tonight with Adeline(who also love the water) but they were splashing and having fun and I was just getting grouchy, so I got out. So, I'm glad the kids and Preston have their 'bond' and I am happy to leave them alone with it.
I'm still pregnant and hating it:) Not the baby, just the pregnancy. However, I am not having any problems...just bigger, uglier veins in my legs than last time. People keep telling me I am not gaining as much with this one though and I'm beginning to wonder just how fat I looked with Adeline. 14 more weeks. Adeline went to sleep tonight without too much screaming so hopefully we are on our way to happier evenings. I need to do what I can to free my arms for this new baby, so going to bed on her own is becoming more important.
I got rid of my 3 callings at church...for a new one. I am the enrichement councellor! Yay fun! I love planning activites. I'm not always excellent with frilly details, but I'll have help. I'm just happy to be out of primary...sorry kids:)

Baby names

Preston read bits of my blog for the first time yesterday and he saw some of your ideas on "P" names. So, he wanted to post the ones he likes and get some comments. Not that he really cares what peoples opinions are, but he would have fun reading your HONEST opinions. We haven't names her yet, and we have 16 weeks to go, so please, be brutal

Petra - is his number one so far. I don't like it.

Pepper - we both thought it was 'cute' but would be an exellent name to make fun of...and reminds me of a little dog. Lori and Debbie hate it.

Piper - help me make Preston realize it is not a boys name.

Thanks!

Too much

I am taking a class right now with CLayton at the hospital to help me be a more organized mom and help him better relate socially in school. I guess he has the odd outburst. I've never thought of him as a trouble kid, and his teacher says she has no problem handling him, she is just worried he will have toruble making friends as the years go on. So, we are taking a class, which I am finding a tad frusterating...since Preston is not. SO I come home all 'enlightened' on how to have a successful home and well adjusted children, and Preston ruins it with his dominant "I'm the parent, your the child' attitude. So, I have to tell him everthing I learn, hoping he is listening, and then correct him when he starts barking at them or teasing them?? ANyways, so I just made routine charts. I have to admit I am a bit of a nag, no help from the kids, so this hopefully will eliminate me from the situation. Our first chart is BEDTIME. I laminated it and it has 4 velcro stickies for toilet, teeth, washing hands and face and pyjamas. They get to move them to the "Done" velcro strip which is followed by a little red arrow that shows them they are ready for snack. So far, they have done great. They like to be independant but they get distracted if I just leave it to them. Hopefully they will feel like they have a goal now...and I can stop yelling. I also have a 3 strike chart for Kayla because she is a really mouthy, disobedient pain in the butt these days. So, 3 strikes and it's early bed. She has 1 today...so far. I'd like to make a 'clean room' chart. Preston likes to ask them to clean their rooms and then leave but a messy room is hard for them to process. They need to do it one task at a time so I want to make a velcro strip with 'pick up garbage' 'dirty clothes in hamper' 'make bed' 'toys on shelf' 'clean clotehs in drawers' for them to work with. We'll see how this all turns out as the weeks go on. We're taking the kids swimming today at my moms and then heading to Lobsterfest for a buffet of lobster(roastbeef for me) A night out!!

ADDY

My baby girl is 9 months old now. SHe loves has jam toast and yogurt for breakfast every morning. She loves cheese and tolerates chunks of brocolli and cauliflour on her tray at supper. SHe pretty much eats whatever I feed her. She will always open hoer mouth, even if she is getting full, but she starts to gag on the food when she doesn't want it anymore. Why she doesn't just refuse it, I don't know. We are working on getting her to go to sleep on her own, but she keeps throwing up. So, I'm torn between making sure she is full before bed, or that she can cry it out without throwing up. She has also had a snotty nose for 3 weeks so she may have some congestion that is gaging her when she gets too mad. She is not crawling yet but lvoes to try to move. The slower the better, we are not ready for a moving baby. Her and Preston have a good time together. She is very easy to play with. She is a very happy baby, a little high maintenance, as in she likes to be with us a lot, but easy to soothe and make laugh. Thats my girl.
We've been coming up with names for the next girl. Preston really wants it to start with a 'P' so the kids first initials can make 'PACK' which was the name of our electrical company in Calgary. He likes Petra...I want to scream. So I came up with Pacey. WHat do you think?

Pictures

I think the backsplash is the worst, but not as easy to replace as the paint. There is still some work that needs to be done on the backsplash, and I guess I could stain the grout a different colour. Preston picked the backsplash, so happily, I don't have to blame myself:)

Kitchen

So, we have this brand, new kitchen. We put it together all ourselves. Cabinets, then floor, then paint, then backsplash, then appliances. However, I've never really been a fan. It took me till today to realize its the colours.....way too much brown. Beige walls, beigeish countertops, brown cabinets, brown flooring, brown/beige backspalsh. I should love the kitchen...but I don't. So, when Preston is at work next week I am going to have some people over to paint with me, possibly green. It is the cheapest thing that can be changed, so I'm doing it. I like it when I finally realize something and I can do something about it. I'm not telling Preston though becuase he will say no. Too much still to do and he wont want to think about it. I'm a little nervous. Let me get some pics.