Milestones

Babies are born to learn. From day one they absorb all around them, they take it all in and they start learning. Baby discovers hands and feet, rolls over, says mama dada, sits up, crawls, walks, talks, there are so many milestones. Babies learn so fast and so much. Hang in there, this soon ties into my potty training adventure.

There are things that we can do to help our baby reach each milestone. I read with my kids, help them learn to use heir muscles, show them how to roll over, teach them to say words correctly, and give lots of encouragement. Kids for the most part follow this pattern, we will use Glen learning to walk. He learned to stand, then he took a step. But after his first step he didn't just take off and walk. He fell. He tried again later and here and there he took a step. Then a he took two or three steps at a time. I had no control over how much he walked or how fast he learned. He just did it.

Well I have come to realize that potty training is the same way. Eventually kids learn to use the toilet. I have no control over how fast he reaches this next mile stone. I can show him how to sit on the toilet, pull his pants up and down, wash his hands, and try to help and encourage him, but he will get it on his own. Glen learned to walk and speak very early, and some kids potty train early. Mile stones happen when they happen and all we can do is help prepare our children.

Parents being in control is an illusion really, more on that later, all I can do is give him encouragement and wait for him to reach that next milestone.

The never ending story

House work. Never ending. Not with kids.

I look at this picture, smile a little insanely and for just a moment contemplate blowing the house up instead of cleaning, follow with a little maniacal laughter, and then force myself out of a pleasant day dream and back to reality.

When I was a newly wed, I vacuumed once a week, did the dishes once a day *without* a dishwasher, and I dusted because I thought I aught to be doing *something* around the house. Oh and John and I both worked full time and still I was looking for things to do. I only wish that were the case now. Now it seems like there is never enough time to get all the house work done and things like dusting are so low on the list I have not made it there in a VERY long time.

The other day I spent all morning cleaning then left the kids with John during nap time. Glen had a few friends over and he was happy. So was I, I was going to the store without two kids in tow. This almost never happens. When I got back, I wished I had just stayed. The kitchen and living room I had just spent all morning cleaning looked like I hadn't cleaned in weeks. The floor was covered in crumbs from crackers and chips, the boys were playing while munching and I was down a whole bag of chips and package of crackers. "We're not hungry, we had lunch at home" the friends assured me.

They are still little kids, I tremble to think what the house and food will look like when the kids are teens bringing over friends that are not hungry, or worse, kids that are.

So here I sit in a house that *was* clean recently, but you can't tell. Even with kids that do chores I am still so outnumbered. "Why are you cleaning?" Glen often asks when he wants me to play with him instead of clean. I tell him because the house is dirty, I don't mention the fact that the house is ALWAYS dirty and that the laundry, dishes, crumbs, and toys never end. No, I just tell him the house is dirty then pretend to love cleaning. Then I go out to play with him as soon as I can.

If I could describe house work in one word I would use... endless. Is it any wonder I have little motivation to clean today?

Two boys

My two boys. Usually they are inseparable. They are silly, crazy, happy, loving boys. They are so used to each other they have a really hard time being apart during the day or at night. They look out or each other, they wrestle, they fight, they hug. They are mine.

Benjamin is even more stubborn them Glen, Heaven help me. It is very hard for me to get him to eat what he doesn't want to eat, do what he doesn't want to do, or just agree with me sometimes. His favorite word was and remains "no," but he is a good, happy boy.

Benjamin hero worships his older brother, Glen. He follows him almost everywhere, does what he does and says what he say. Sometime it really bugs me, like when I ask Benjamin to lay down for a diaper change and Glen whispers "Benjamin, run away and hide." But other times Glen can get Benjamin to do things no one else can. Like tonight. John was trying to get Benjamin to pray and he wouldn't. So I tried, still he wouldn't. I asked if he wanted mommy to help, "No!" Daddy? "No!" Glen? "Yes." So Glen went over and knelt down next to his crib and Benjmain immediately stopped fussing and sat down to fold his arms. So sometimes Glen's influence on his brother bugs me, but often he uses it for good. I am grateful for the close bond these two brother have. The love they have for each other makes my heart happy. And I am grateful for Glen;s help when Benjamin is being extra stubborn. I hope as Glen grows and progresses he will be able to use his influence to help his brother more and also to help those around him.

Benjamin seems to have switched from being a mamma's boy to being a brother's boy. I am happy with this, usually. :)