Well trained

The other day I showed Samantha the movie "Enchanted" that my folks are loaning us.  I told her that we might have a movie night that week and we could watch it. 

She adamantly refused, protesting, "I haven't read the book yet!!"

God's Payout

This is how we are being rewarded for listening to 4 years of Samantha's screaming. 

 

It's ok to be jealous.

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=606569034250&l=3053194625141389587

First week back and five weeks to go

Talk about a crazy week!  I have to say I've waiting for this time in teaching- where I don't feel like I have to spend hours each night working just to keep up with my students.  Granted I worked a good 3 hrs a day this summer to get prepared for the sub, but I'm reaping the benefits already!

HS was just thrown into the mix of the craziness, but he really has been a lifesaver.  Simple things like carrying stuff out to the car, buckling and unbuckling Samantha, playing with her in the evenings, taking over the vacuuming (we have lots of stairts) and making sure I don't stay too late at Pius (because he's ready to go home!)

So far the changes to our lives have been what we expected- the bathroom shuffle is different now that we have someone who can't be in there while everyone else is getting ready (and vice versa).  That and the grocery budget needed to be added to (close to doubled!).  There have only been a few unexpected adjustments, but they are blessings.  For example, we now have a piano in the living room, as HS was trying so hard to find one to practice on for 2-4 hours a day.  I'm also appreciating my mother more as I understand somewhat why she never gets her work done because there are always visitors or a teenager that needs help with something.  This has forced me to focus during the school day so I don't bring home work (as it just won't get done!)

He's had a learning curve, though, learning to deal with Samantha.  He said he heard on Friday what we mean say she has a frustrated scream and a hurt scream.  Poor guy went running any time she'd scream (she needed more TP, couldn't get her hair to work with her hat, couldn't run fast enough to the toilet- you know, reasons we should all have meltdowns).  We tried to tell him she was ok, but it wasn't until she cried because she was hurt that he "got it".  Now he just ignores it like we do :). 

He's also learning to say "no".  The first day it was when she threw a frisbee and told him to "go get it."  A few days later he was very proud of himself for telling her "no" when she tried to con him into giving her 5 oreos instead of the 2 I'd asked him to get for her.  And today he aaaaaaaaaalmost said "no" when she tried to put a very large butterfly tatoo on him (I had let him know it was ok to say "no").

Samantha VERY much needed to start the school routine again.  She had slipped into some very bad OCD habits this summer that simply can't be fixed with an 8 month pregnant mother and no siblings.  Having friends over helped some, but she kept finding ways to apply (and multiply) her controlling ticks.  A week into the school routine and she's finally sleeping through the night again (she'd climbed up to 5 times a night again), putting on shoes without screaming and getting into her car seat without flipping out which are all "symptoms" that she's not doing well with her anxiety. 

As far as starting a school year at 35 weeks pregnant- I wouldn't recommend it.  I'm terrified that she'll come before I finish up my sub-prep (I just need 2 more weeks!) and my feet hurt so bad.  Normally my feet hurt the first week back when I'm not pregnant.  This year it feels like I'm perpetually walking on blisters.  And when I sit to alleviate the pain, Charlotte goes NUTS and makes it too uncomfortable to sit. 

And finally, it may sound silly to anyone else, but I'm getting a CUSTOM MADE podium!!  I hate sitting when I'm working on the computer or grading.  I'm always in Jeremy's way trying to do stuff in the kitchen on the counter or filling up space on the shorter bookshelves we have. 

I've been asking the teachers at school but those things are very much coveted.  Craigslist hasn't had anything and forget buying one new- just the simple music stand that holds music books is $50, let alone a wooden one with shelves.  A priest at school told me to contact his dad, who is retired and needed a project.  His father is a master wood-worker.  As in, their whole house has custom made, wall to wall cabinetry, desks and fancy stuff that I don't know what it's called.  Anyway, my dad drew up something with the dimensions I wanted and it's.gonna.be.AWESOME! 

I'm only slightly more excited about Charlotte coming, if that gives any impression as to how ecstatic I am.

The end.  Sans pictures.  Because it's 4:30 and I need to get showered and dressed...for the day...

He's Here!

Big Bro is here and Samantha is just beside herself.  Or rather, always by his side.  It's weird that I don't have her hanging on ME all the time.  He's so sweet and Samantha is testing just how much he'll say "yes" to.  After telling him all morning it is ok to say "no" to her he finally took my advice when she threw a frisbee and told him to "go get it." 

He and his brother (staying with another family) arrived last night and I guess he wasn't able to fall asleep until 6am this morning.  Samantha decided to help and woke him up at 7:15am.  We went to mass at 8, stopped by my parents' and he and Lucy and Sam chased after Tess for quite a while, visited a friend in the hospital and now he's taking a nap.  Samantha is so confused as to why he would be tired and I tried explaining it with an apple and a flashlight, but I'm pretty sure she's still lost.  When we told her yesterday that it was time to go pick him up from the airport she panicked,  "How are we going to get across the big ocean?!"

So some of it sticks, but not necessarily in a logical manner...

Water bug

"Mommy can you play with me?"

My heart just tears to pieces when she says this.  However, I have had to spend a lot of time this summer getting plans ready for my maternity leave.  I'll be 35 weeks when school starts and basically need to be "ready to go" when the year begins (although St. Terese has us on her prayer list to get us to her feast day).

So between the never-ending play dates we've had to come up with other fun activities that she'll do on her own.  I can't believe it took me until late July to remember this one:

Note that she started out dressed.

and then she started playing like this

I couldn't get her to turn around and look at me...

It immediately bought back memories of this same activity in our kitchen, three years ago...

She's here!

Well, not my "she" but the other "she" in the family that was due.

Baby Olivia (seen here in-utero)

Sam was so excited...partially because she knows whose turn it is to come next!