Boy am I behind?

I have thought about blogging over the course of the last month and just haven't found the time to do it. It seems that there are always dishes to be done or another load of laundry. I've also been trying to do better about taking my C time after the kids leave for school. She has a list of books ready to read just about every day.

Christmas was really great this year. We couldn't believe how nice it was. There wasn't a bunch of fighting. Everyone seemed pleased with his or her stuff. DH and I just kept saying how surprised we were that it was so calm.

Of course, it didn't last as there was too much of a break in routine. And in our family routine means everything. But I'll treasure how nice that Christmas day was.

The update of the last month....

M- She turned 11. We had a birthday party were the girls all made bags out of duct tape. It was quite a fiasco. As you can imagine, duct tape was sticking to itself and then kept getting put into the junk pile. Thankfully we had a neighbor who had one extra 55 yd roll of black. He saved the day as we went through our 14 roles too quickly. M also auditioned for a ballet program that is in New England. We did it just for the experience never thinking she would get in. Today she got an acceptance letter. YIKES! I can't send my 11 year old to New England by herself for 2 weeks. And of course, it's super expensive as well. She also finally taped her submission for Suzuki graduation. She might have to redo the Vivaldi as she played it at 120 instead of 80 something. I don't know how she got her fingers moving that quickly as the song is already really fast. Her teacher really wants her to do a Suzuki program for a week in the summer. I'm thinking we'll try for a scholarship and see how it goes. I want her to have chances at so many things but I would like to do it without breaking the bank.

T- He's been a busy boy with both swimming and basketball. He's had two swim meets where he got faster times. Basketball has also been a learning experience for both of us. I am just so clueless and have done nothing to teach him about 'real' playing. Luckily, his coach, also a neighbor, is doing a good job and he is finally looking like he knows what he is doing part of the time. He's the team's tallest kid so it's his job to get rebounds. He's on a grade level team so he's also one of the youngest kids out there as he barely makes the deadline. He had a bit of a rough time getting his act together when he went back to school. Luckily he got motivated quickly by his piggy pillow pet to not mess around at school. Once again, we don't do well when our structure changes. One night this week I left to go to the store and gave him the get your spelling homework done lecture. He didn't want to do it and I was sick of trying to force him to do it at the end of the week. When I got home, he surprised me with a huge grin and the entire packet done. I was so proud of him.

D- He loved the break but I think he's happiest back in his school element. He's trying to write the longest fractured fairy tales in his class right now. He has really been loving scouts. He finished his bobcat tasks and should receive it next week. He's super thrilled about that. His reading has also taken off. He really likes to read now and is into any mystery book he can find. We are still trying to find a good close friend for D. He has one friend from school who he is always wanting to invite over. We tried twice during the break and he wasn't home either time. It's hard because there just isn't a ton of time during regular school time to invite friends over who don't live close. He's been doing a pretty good job of getting control over his meltdowns too. And as a mom, I am learning better how to deal with them. We have to cut these puppies off and get rid of the conversation quickly. Conversation does NOT help a tornado of a meltdown. It just fuels it. D is still super happy at dance and recently asked me when he can go on So You Think You Can Dance. I told him it's going to be a few years.

S- We've had a hard time keeping S stable since Christmas. That break in routine is just really hard on her. She has had some happy times but it seems like we are going back and forth a lot. She has been improving a bunch on her reading. She really surprises me sometimes with the things she figures out. She has been loving her 'American' girl doll and has taken her with us so many places. She went skiing once already and had a lesson. She is still liking that. Her teacher at school changed and that could also be contributing to some of the chaos in her mind. She likes her new teacher. But change and S don't go together very well without consequences. Her teacher was really struggling with her at first. One time she told her that if she didn't complete a task she was going to have to stay back from the first five minutes of PE. S said, "That's okay. I didn't really want to go to PE." But I've drilled it into her that she pretty much has to do her school work whether she want to or not. But she has been in and out of it. There's only so much I can do. Yesterday was one of the more tricky days again. She started throwing a fit while practicing and it ended with her violin being tossed to the ground again. (Didn't this just happen in Dec.?) I so wanted to scream, but instead told her to go 'strong sit' (criss cross apple sauce folded arms tall back) to try to get control of her body. Once she was done I told her I felt bad because she wasn't going to be able to have a lesson that day as I couldn't let her touch her violin that day. I cleaned her room that day while she was at school and did some things that had been bothering her. Then later, when she got home from school I told her I felt so sad for her because Heavenly Father gave her this great musical talent and she can't develop it if she ruins her instrument. We had a little conversation about how she was made so special and I left it at that. She was remorseful then it seemed but she went back and forth between that and defiant all day. I even got my first, "You're not my real mom." It sort of hurts, but not like I thought it would. I just think of how much time and effort I put into things. She has no idea how much it takes. The mom is the one who does the work. I hope someday she realizes that and well, if she doesn't then I'll count the blessing I got trying to figure this all out myself. Luckily, bedtime came. And today, well, it was a bit better :)

C- She has been so funny lately. In the car the other day she said, "When I am mom I am going to have a big butt." Hmm... why dear darling I asked... okay... maybe not that nicely. "Because you have a really big butt." NICE kiddo. Another day she grabbed my face tenderly and said, "Mom, you are weally pwetty..... (pause pause as I think she's so precious) pwetty weird." She has an agenda for every day it seems and it often includes cutting things into small pieces. She hates ponytails these days and wants her hair down everyday (which means tangles galore!) and tries to wear the same sparkly skirt and sequined shirt. She is always wanting to eat and I don't think it's associated with hunger. The second the kids leave and she feels even a tiny bit of boredom, she wants a snack. She told me one day, "But for breakfast I had sugar (it was cereal day) and sugar doesn't feel your belly up. " That's what I tell her when I don't want her eating sugar. She totally used it on me. She's super into spelling things lately. I find papers all over covered with letters (and then of course cut up).

DH- He had the big 40 birthday. Work is busy of course. What else? He's still into listening to Guntalk on the radio. But since work has recommenced after the holiday it seems like his new found interest is slowing down. He's taken the kids all to the mountains (well tomorrow is C's first time).

Me- I aged as well. Now my age is finally catching up to how old I have felt for over a decade :) I actually have spent most of the past 2 months fighting colds. I think I am just about over this last one and hopefully I am set for the next bit. I wish I could come up with something fantastic to say that I have done but there just isn't a whole heck of a lot. It's been the same things over and over. But that's motherhood half the time I guess.

It has been FREEZING lately. (I really mean it... like sub 0 in the morning. ) The nice side in me has decided to take the kiddos to school :) I think we are all feeling a little cooped up though.

And I think that catches us up somewhat. Life just keeps moving forward and I think we are learning things that will hopefully make us better.