Oh to be a three year old

Meltdowns.

These pictures are from TWO years ago when Austin was 18 months old. Now he is 3 and still pulling that face?

That is what Austin has been doing non stop for over a week now.

Where is my sweet, independent, talkative and curious bicho?

Thank goodness he is not doing them in public or else I might not ever leave my house! I think that between his overload of Easter candies, going to be later at night (b/c he is having fun catching up with Jared and his bedtime stories), and being a middle child...he just breaks down everyday just after lunch...and it lasts until bedtime.

Today for example:

Come home from the gym. He is pouting b/c he is hungry. At the gym I had to claw him off of me and bribe him with bubble gum just to go inside. He is a snotty nosed mess with red eyes. Pobrecito. He did the same thing yesterday at preschool. Since when did he get so attached? Is it b/c he misses Jared too?

We get home and I immediately start up on lunch (delicious frozen fish sticks, doesn't get much better than that! Yuck!). I have a repair man here as well to look at the damages from our move. Austin wants his sticks cut up. No problem. I do it and then he decides that he wanted them not cut up. Too late son!

Meltdown begins. Crying. Slamming doors shut. Even the repair man is feeling uncomfortable.

I have to juggle feeding Isaac (nursing with strangers is not so fun), get Wesley his food, try and discipline Austin, and talk with the repair man about the furniture. I need just one more hand (or boob in this case!) I put him in his room b/c it seemed like he needed a nap...he had a different idea. After I pulled the blinds down, opened up his bed and "tucked" (more like fought) him in, he continued to scream it all out. 10 minutes later he was still screaming and so I opened up the door. He had made his bed, picked up his clothes and opened up those blinds. Very independent my son! So, I decided to just give him a hug, ask if he was ready to leave and let him out.

Discipline is a whole other subject:

What is my method of discipline you ask? I just discovered it last night when Austin refused to eat dinner b/c he wanted a gogurt instead....no way son. You are skinny as it is, I won't let you just eat a gogurt and call it good. I don't spank and I don't scream. I give COLD BATHS. Yep, that worked out great! It took him two times in that tub until he finally caught onto my mood. Why can't every day be a smiley day for him like this picture over Easter?


Bring on the meltdowns Austin! Your mama is ready with cold water!

To blog about before I forget

Here are some random thoughts I have wanted to sit down and write about before I forget:

My Shark Steam mop: This thing is amazing! Never again will I go back to a sloppy, soggy and smelly mop. I feel like I dry cleaned my tile. I have a lot of tile too, so that thing was a great work out. I dirtied up three pads, went through a lot of water (we have a reverse osmosis system now too b/c we are on a well out here in the boonies...yummy drinking water again for me!), and it was a great feeling to finally walk barefoot without black feet. 

Carpooling. Never done this before and it is stressful!~ If you know me at all, you know that I naturally run 5 minutes late almost always. This doesn't work when you are picking up another child that is not your own. I love having the priviledge of not driving twice, but I need to become better at being on time and being courteous to the other child!  I somehow got lost this week while coming home from Hobby Lobby and it was the most stressful thing speeding in those surburbs, waiting at red lights and hitting traffic to go pick up for preschool....ugh!

Sprouts: Took my three boys in tote to the local Sprouts farmers market on a doubl ad Wednesday. 

What does that mean? Lots of SNOWBIRDS! Either they love little kids, or they hate them...especially when they are in the way of their wheelchair. Do they forget what it is like to have young kids? I had Isaac in the Bjorn, and Wesley 

and Austin did a fairly good job at staying with me. Who can resist touching kiwis, the bulk candy or tomatoes? As a consequence, Wesley broke a jar of Cocktail sauce by the meat dept. The guy was totally cool about it, which made me feel less frustrated at my preschooler.  I always LOVE a well stocked fridge with fresh produce. I get motivated to eat healthier when I have the asparagus, green beans, broccoli 

and strawberries on hand. If only Jared was here to eat it with me! ( I love how chunky Isaac looks!)

Aerobics: Started back up at the gym today. I am happy to say that I am FINALLY shedding off those baby po

unds. Did it take me moving back to AZ to do it? Maybe I am sweating them off, or my scale is just wrong. I don't feel it in my clothing, or in the mirror, but my scale has been good to me lately. I won't complain. I went to THREE classes today b/c I have no life. I love those endorphins. I am sure my kids won't be so easy going next time to let mama have those hours all to herself, but I sure did appreciate it and pushed myself hard. I am not used to "endurance" in a cycling class anymore, so I want to build that back up. I also miss my stretching in Yoga. All good goals for my gym. I am working towards getting certified again so I can start teaching asap. 

Padre Celestial: Austin went to time out last week by papa. He was found on his bed, laying on his side with his hands under his cheek. Conversation went like this (in Spanish):

J: What are you doing?

A: Thinking:

J: About what?
A: Heavenly Father (Padre celestial)

J: Why?
A: I miss him

J: He doesn't put you in time out?
A: NO

J: He loves you?

A: Yes

Isn't that the saddest and cutest thing ever? Who knew my three year old was soo deep. 

Easter: I am hosting it this year at my house and I am excited! I really want my decor to be up and I want my house to look like it is put together. I have been working on it all week, but today I ran out of motivation. Hopefully it finds me again tomorrow b/c those bathrooms will not clean themselves and there is plenty of little boy pee all over.  I hope the ham gets cooked okay, and we are doing a potato bar with salad and jello jigglers. I feel like such a true MOM now that I am doing things like this. Things that I 

always thought mothers did. I especially felt old this week when my handyman (a young, single guy) was working on our sky light and I came in with my Wal Mart bags, talking to my kids about how they need to eat, and helping Wesley with letter recognition. I can only imagine through his eyes how he must see me as a wife/mom.  I do love being a homemaker, just don't like how old I feel as the years and kids come! 

room by room

I still feel like I haven't caught my breath. My house continues to be a project, room by room. Today I tackled the toy room (thanks Arianne for your help!), and hung up a few pictures (thanks Leslie!). Yesterday it was the laundry room and my closet. Still to be organized is my bathroom, boys' room, more cleaning (I have not vacummed, done bathrooms or floors since we moved in), and fold/hang up Isaac's clothing. This move has been very challenging. Whether it is having more kids to take care of, a bigger home, Jared gone to California, more house projects incomplete, or I am burnt out...this task seems to be taking much longer than usual. 

I think I actually CARE about this home, versus my last rental. I want to take time to decorate, pick out the right areas to put things, and declutter as much as possible.  I enjoyed browsing at Hobby Lobby today. There are so many different

 genres for decor, especially in the kitchen. Do I do something with red accents? Roosters? Fat chefs? Grapes? Vases? I also need a new bedding for our bedroom. The Pottery Barn Serape duvet makes me want to vomit now. I am so sick of looking at it! I need something fresh. I am thinking green tones. Or, is it b/c we are enjoying a spring/summer season that green appeals? My

 back hurts from holding my chunky Isaac all night long. My dishes are still waiting for me, and I have yet to talk to Jared all day long b/c of conflicting schedules! His schedule is: leave Tuesday morning, fly back Sat night. My goal is to have this house picked up, a bit more decor put up, and clean by Saturday! I can do it! 

Here are some pics to finally post: 

My kitchen BEFORE and DURING unpacking:

Today: (we got in a new skylight to brighten up the room up top)

The packers from our move in Maryland used SO MUCH packing paper....6-10 sheets per shoe, or how about these sippy cup lids or beanie? Those do not require packing paper! Boxes and boxes full of that paper...out of control. So, how did my piano break from all this precaution?

Isaac is standing up with my hands when he gets upset. I love to see those legs wobble. He looks so much like Wesley at this age. He is not rolling over yet, which is perfect for plopping him down on the couch or chair. We are still figuring out the sleeping thing at night.  I love this stage where he is finding his fist to suck on, or sleeps soundly in his carseat while shopping. 

To be continued...it's midnight and Austin is running a fever, so it may be a long night for mama!

Three days later...

We moved into our house this last Sunday...how glorious it was to see that huge orange ALLIED truck pull up finally and unload our stuff. Besides my piano, everything else came in just fine. I will have to get a piano man over soon to check out what is wrong with my precious baby grand.
We have been unpacking, cleaning, unboxing, storing, taking care of kids, setting new house rules, grocery shopping and light fixture changing NON stop for three days. I still feel like our house got hit by a tornado. Room by room is what I need to focus on. The task seems so daunting if I think about it.

I have had some wonderful help here from my girlfriends. How do people move across the country (or even across the street) without help from good neighbors! I have needed help with entertaining my kids, eating some quesadillas here and there, and special eyes to help organize. I feel very blessed to receive such service. Seriously, we are both so SICK of moving! This better be our last move for a VERY long time b/c I can't deal with any more boxes or unpacking.

We have done several improvements this time around, which also involves having sub contractors around. I am so happy with how the house is coming along with the fresh paint, new countertops, appliances, carpet and soon to be landscape. You would think we live in the dust bowl with how much dust gets kicked up in our un-landscaped backyard. Dirt devils are our neighbors, as are the many tumbleweeds. All the dust really brings on the allergies for me.

The boys are very happy here with the sunshine and their long lost friends (me too!) Isaac continues to not sleep, but he is such a chunky and beautiful baby. He is 2 1/2 months old and weighs over 13 lbs. I love his rolls in his thighs and I love to stretch them out:) At four months, watch out b/c I will make him cry out the night. I need more sleep! Wesley has taken to hiding his favorite "things" under his bed: toothbrush, nightlights, Ike stuffed animal, pillows and spiderman rings. So darn creative! Austin is over coming some sweet tooth bug that had him throwing up two nights ago. He doesn't eat enough as it is, and to have him puke it up! No good! Jared has only a few more days with us and then he is officially back on the stress band wagon of work called DirectBuy. We will go out with him to Cali for a few days to help him get settled in. I am already so sad about it. Gone will be the days when I can have his helping hand with the kids, or a couch to snuggle up on with a good movie, or a meal to share in the kitchen. I am grateful that we have a job, just sad that we will be apart. He is nervous too.

So, I will post pics as soon as I get internet set up next week. We are VERY happy here in the sunny state of AZ. This city of Surprise has totally grown since we last lived here. I have Super Walmart's nearby, lots of colorful bushes and trees that have matured, bright blue skies to look at, and wider streets with more shops. It is fun to be exposed all of it. I will have a few more weeks of gorgeous weather, and then the heat will hit. Bring it on!

4 out of 5

The top 5 things that cause major stress in a person's life:

#1. Moving
#2. New Job
#3. New baby
#4. Remodeling
#5. Death

We have hit numbers 1-4, heaven forbid that we have number 5 come our way! No wonder Jared is having cold sores these days and I have been sick in bed with chills and vomiting...we are stress balls!

#1. Moving across the country
#2. Jared starts a new job in Cali (and I have my new job as homemaker)
#3. New baby....only 9 weeks old
#4. Remodeling our home here in AZ after our renters left: new carpet, tile, paint, plumbing fixtures, termite damage and landscaping
#5....Please no!

It is now Saturday...our things should be arriving early evening. We have loved staying here with Leslie and having 7 boys under one roof has been entertaining to say the least (all under age 8). Let the unpacking, madness and exhaustion begin!

Waiting Game

We are all back together as a family here in AZ. Jared, Wesley, Wrangler and Glenn (with cousin Joshua in tote) all arrived from their LONG 2.5 days journey across the USA. If you ask me, that is great timing for so many miles! Over 1000 a day.

Thanks to my dear friends Arianne and Leslie, we have been able to have a place to lay our heads down at night...not to mention share meals together and catch up. Our things should be arriving on Saturday, so almost a full week later after having arrived here! I am very anxious to unpack, organize and set up home.

Jared will be leaving in just one short week for his new job in Cali. The thought of it makes my heart ache, and I am nervous for the transition without having papa around. For now though, my boys are enjoying their little friends and sunshine. We even tried getting them to take a dip in Leslie's pool, but the 65 degree water was not too enticing.

Soon I will be moved into our home! A long awaited journey.

So far so good

I made it to Arizona. Left Maryland yesterday after a lovely day in DC. I scouted out the Holocaust museum with Isaac in my Bjorn, while my dear friend Elsje took Austin and her boys to a nearby park. The museum was very graphic, somber, touching and insightful. I can't begin to understand what any of those people went through, or how they have recovered from such horrible circumstances. I am grateful to know that most of them have gone to heaven by now, away from any nightmares that they may have experienced here. They had an actual boxcar that the Jews rode in for days, pieces of hair that had been shorn, their leather shoes that survived the cremation, videos of their liberation and stories of heroes.

The movers loaded up the big Allied truck on Friday. Isaac and I stayed there the entire time, and thank goodness for good neighbors who took my boys for a few hours. It got to be SO COLD INSIDE MY HOUSE with the doors open and the movers in and out. Inside it was 50 degrees, outside was a warm 40!!! Isaac was so cold, and b/c we had packed up our "cold" clothing to come to the desert, it was pretty miserable. I did my best to wrap him up, but he was very fussy.

Jared left early Saturday morning with his dad (who arrived from AZ to caravan with Jared). So, in tote are Wesley and Wrangler. Jared is still driving...was crossing through OK and TX today. We packed up a fun backpack for Wesley for his long drive across the USA. So far so good. I am so glad that I don't have to make that looooon drive. I don't do well on long road trips.

I had my own adventures in the airport. Austin had fallen asleep on the way, so naturally he was a MESS when we arrived. The double stroller accidently got packed up by the movers, so I was definitely short handed to carry in my luggage + kids.

So, this was the scene: one woman, a screaming and crying 3 year old on the floor, a baby in a bjorn crying, one large luggage and two carry ons. I dragged Austin around from line to line, explaining to him what we were doing. He kept crying that he wanted to go home. Asking him to take off his shoes at the security gate was another challenge, and putting the shoes back on...forget it! It was more difficult b/c I had a baby strapped on my chest, so I couldn't carry Austin around or help him out much.

We made the FULL flight to AZ. I am grateful it had no layovers. 5 hours in the plane was long enough. There was not one empty seat, so the air got mucky really quick with all the people. I was in the middle seat with Isaac and Austin was an energetic and figety toddler by the window. Isaac slept the entire time (what a joy that was!!) and Austin moved from floor, to bathroom, to seat, back to floor. He finally fell asleep the last 20 minutes of the flight (of course it was near midnight DC time). He refused to walk off the plane, but was just crying. Poor guy. As a result, I used a wheelchair to get to the baggage claim section! I loaded up with my boys, carry ons, and they wheeled me out of there:)

I met up with my best girls Arianne and Leslie. Having them welcome me in was what I needed. This big transition to AZ is a bit scary at times, especially now that Jared will be gone. But, knowing that I have their support really builds up my own strength.

We of course stayed up painting toe nails, drinking Sonic limeades, and watching American Idol. I got to bed by 3:30am (DC time). Austin also stayed up super late, and today fell asleep on the floor during Primary at church. I hope to get him back on a schedule soon enough!

So, here I am in AZ. The weather is sunny and warm. I will miss the green forests of Maryland, the deer, the fireflies, friends and the many cultures. I loved working with so many different types of people and educating myself more about our nation's capital and the history it has. It was also very refreshing going through an East Coast winter! New experiences and adventures are coming here in AZ...I will post pics of our house as soon as our camera arrives. I do love that it was a delightful 80 degrees today. I was sweating in my "winter" dress at church...it's been so long since I have walked around barefoot or turned on a ceiling fan.

I hope that Jared, Wesley and Wrangler arrive safely!