I've Moved...

Hi All -

I've moved over to wordpress! Please check me out at www.thedailychroniclesofasahm.com.

See you there,

Almost 16 weeks

Secret....

About 16 weeks ago, I shared that I had a secret but couldn't reveal it just then. Well, after serious boughts with morning sickness cravings, exhaustion, mood swings and sleepless nights due to more frequent trips to the bathroom...can you guess what that secret is?

Barton's Apple Orchard

A few weeks ago, we took our annual trip to Barton's Orchard in Poughquag, New York. This year was really exciting because it was the first time that Grant could participate in the day. Barton's is a great place for families and could even prove to be a cool date for you and the hubby too. With open fields, rows of Gala, Macintosh, Red Delicious apples there are plenty of places for the kids to run, hide and play not to mention places for playful couples to hide away as well.

Some of the spoils from our trip were delicious eggplants, apples, cucumbers, green beans and juicy apples. I was really surprised to find so many trees full of ripe juicy apples so late in the season (mid-October).

Eryn was excited to show off her big sister style, climbing trees to pick apples for her little brother. Grant wasn't too bad himself...picking apples from lower branches and from higher places with the help of Dad.

One of our favorite parts of our trips to Barton's are the homemade donuts. We always allow a little indulgence in the the soft, warm, sugary confections. This time we devoured a dozen of the yummy confections on our way through face painting, the petting zoo, imaginary play stations and mingling with all the other families who were there for the day.

As much as I wish and try, the apples were all eaten as healthy snacks rather than becoming part of a delicious apple pie, streusel or some other traditional SAHM baked good. Baby steps ladies....perhaps next year I'll take the big leap and bake a pie....

XOXO

Secret....

I have a secret to tell you all but you'll have to wait until next time...

Can you guess what it is?

Enough Time...

The return to work has been quite an adjustment for us all.

Thank goodness for my mom. She's been really helpful lately. She watches Grant during the day, picks Eryn up from school until I get home from work, and has been amazing while helping Eryn readjust to my time outside of home and her new school.

Lately, I've felt stretched thinner than ever and as if I have little time for anything beyond our normal routine and work.

Our six year old, Eryn, has been displaying some unusual (yet familiar) behavior. Tantrums, crying, yelling, bullying her brother and most annoying of them all defying my requests and direction. The defiance typically shows up when I'm in a rush, on time, early morning, late at night, when I have lots of energy, when I'm exhausted, at home, or in a crowded public place. You get the drift...during any hour of the day whenever she feels like it.

Thank goodness for Barnes and Nobles and the Internet.

After some searching, I reaffirmed what I knew...I needed to create more time for Eryn and display a bit more empathy towards her. The new school, new friends, parents away from home, new siblings, etc...it's all very overwhelming!

In any case (without running on) here are my public commitments to helping restore Eryn's behavior by creating more time for her:

- Leave work on time to ensure a consistent pick up time each day
- Never bypass our bedtime story
- Take time to listen to what she has to say
- Respect her age and experience
- Create a more consistent system for rewards and discipline that my husband and I agree to - no more middle of the week "guilt surprises".
- Follow through on my verbal commitments to her (I couldn't count the number of times that I've heard "But...you promised!")
- Prioritize time to do things that Eryn loves, i.e. board games, arts & crafts and family movie night.

Has your little one's behavior ever taken a sudden turn? How did you handle it?

AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

I am feeling really alone right now. It's 5:14 am, I've been up since 4:00am preparing for a meeting this afternoon with my boss and replaying yet another argument with my husband last night.

This time, we fought over the kids. I learned to appreciate very early in our relationship that we were raised very differently and immediately knew, my husband would be the perfect compliment to everything that I wanted in a family.

He's fun, loving, spontaneous, loves and respects his family, friendly and a little disorganized.

My upbringing was very structured. Tidy home, regular routines, a system of earning and rewards and a relatively consistent mother; although void of anything that resembled nurturing and/or loving behaviors. My sisters and I knew there was an underlying purpose of love and care, but it resembled more of a military boot camp rather than a home with three little girls.

My husband's on the other hand was slightly different, tons of love and respect (albeit tough love and respect) and togetherness.

Neither of our families were rich, or able to provide anything more than we needed.

When I had my children, I decided I would be a little different than my mother. I envisioned I would maintain a home that was clean, full of routine, toghterness, love and nurturing, but my husband on the other hand has decided that we should take another road.

Because we didn't have much growing up, my husband decided that he wanted to give our children everything he never had and that everything would always be done "BIG" as he describes it. Routine structure, order and all of those other things that are high on my list of importance fall to the bottom of his.

Okay, so in the middle of this post...he decides that he has to get up and begin cleaning out of sock drawer and closet at 5:30 in the morning....ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

I need a tall glass of wine....

So, my husband and I have to get back on the same page because our lives are no longer moving with the same deliberation and purpose as they once were.

I want to sleep or have quiet me time and he wants to turn on the light and clean....

I want to clean on a Saturday afternoon and he wants to sleep....

I want to put the kids down for bed and he wants to run through the house with Mouseketeer ears from our Disney vacation.

I put the kids in their beds, he takes them out and puts them in ours.

I say one snack per day and he's say three....

I just don't get it....

This is not what Bill and Claire Huxtable did...

This didn't happen in the Brady's house...

What the hell?!!!!!

Well at least I'm not lonely at this moment...and I guess I should take whatever he's willing to do and whenever he is willing to do it...because it may be a long time before he decides to pick anything up again....