A Baby in Their Crib???

I don't know why Jason and I ever bought a crib for our children....None of them have ever slept in them! Yup, you know all about it from my post a few years back about co-sleeping. As well as my several posts about trying to get my kids to sleep in their own beds! If  I am going to be completely honest: it is still a "win" when Kyle and Hailey come out in the morning and say "I slept in my bed for the whole night!" Yeah, its bad....though they do usually sleep in their own beds so I am not exactly sure why it comes up every morning, but it does.

 

You would think after years of trying to get Kyle and Hailey into their own beds we would have learned. Sleep training is a good thing! Sleep training is important! We did.....but due to lack of sleep over 5 years, or being dumb...well, we tried..... we started putting Cole in his crib (like we were supposed to) and he would cry. Which would often times wake up Kyle. For the most part he would go back to sleep fairly easily, but HE is so loud that he would often times wake up Hailey, who would then proceed to our bed. Making 4 people in our bed and not much for a comfortable sleep despite having a king size bed. To be more specific it made it very uncomfortable for me as both babies would huddle together as close to me as possible, giving Jay (what he won't admit) ample space to sleep and me balancing on the edge.

 

SO, to make life easier all around, and of course to be fair to baby #3 he slept with us too.  Then a few months back (yes, I said MONTHS) I thought, "we should really try to get Cole in his crib." BUT, I couldn't. His crib had become a storage bin. First for clothes I needed to go through. Then for laundry because I needed to go through the drawers in the boys room to get out all the clothes they grew out of to get the other clothes out of the crib. I FINALLY did that, but then Christmas was coming and it became a holding spot for new clothes and toys.  After I cleaned that, a bin for laundry again because Good LORD I needed to go through the drawers again to organize clothes and laundry, and if you know me then you know this is not a task I look forward to. Well, I was going to spring clean in about a month so why should I do all this now?!?!?!

 

You get the point!

 

Well, the other day I FINALLY spring cleaned and painted the boys room. Which means I emptied the crib. Which means......the crib was open and available for Cole to sleep in.....

 

 

Just the fact that I got him into the crib was my own little miracle! Kyle and Hailey would sense it and wake up screaming in terror!

 

Not only did I get him in his crib, but he slept in it! The entire night!

 

When he woke up in the morning he was well rested, refreshed, and happy!

 

 

In fact...he didn't even want to get out when I went to pick him up!

 

He was having so much fun in their Kyle crawled in to play with him!

 

I don't know if I can even properly define or explain how proud Jason and I were of our littlest guy.

 

I didn't want to get my hopes up...it was only one night after all.

 

HOWEVER, last night Cole went in his crib and slept in his crib the entire night! Well, until 4:50am which is a common wake up time in our home. Even better, I brought him in our bed (joining us in the morning is perfectly acceptable in our eyes), he snuggled up and fell right back to sleep.

 

I know its only 2 nights....but it was 2 nights in a row!  Could I have a baby that will sleep in their crib?!?!?!?!

 



Yellow & Orange Belt

Another test, another belt =) Today Kyle earned yellow belt with orange stripe =)

As a black belt student he gets to break a board...and he did! He was so excited for the opportunity, and his face when he broke it...PRICELESS!  The pride he had in his eyes and heart when he sat back down. Brought tears to me eyes.

So proud of you Tidbit!!!!!!!



Paaarrrtttyy!

Another weekend another birthday party. Today the girls asked me to take their picture...and I only had my phone  =(

 

 

Love seeing Hailey have fun with her friends =)

 

Happy Birthday Gina!!!



Spring Picture

 When I got the notice for pictures I assumed it was for re-takes but no....

In our town they take a fall school picture and a spring school picture.

 

 

 

He looks so grown up! Love my little man! =)

xoxoxox

I was MORTIFIED!!!!!!!

What should I do?  What would another mother do?  What is the right thing to do?  Should she apologize?  Will this scar her for life?  Will this scar this man for life?  Will this build her character? Is this a life lesson?  Is this an opportunity to teach a life lesson? Am I a good person?  Am I raising good, kind, little people? Am I a good mother?  Is she this mean?  Was this an innocent 4 year old moment?

Those were literally just the handful of questions rushing though my mind in a matter of seconds......I didn't know what to do!!!

We were in Home Depot getting paint. The kids were giggling and playing.  After paying we went back toward the entrance door so the kids could say goodbye to my mother as she was working at the returns desk. After waving and laughing goodbye we strolled toward the entrance doors.  Kyle riding on the side of the carriage. Hailey sitting in the back, and Cole sitting up front. When I saw Hailey stick her finger out and point at a man and shout "Oh my gosh! That man is so fat!!! hahaha"

I was SHOCKED! I was MORTIFIED!

I shouted HAILEY ROSE DEVINCENT!!! and while calling her name slapped her pointed hand without even realizing......I rolled that carriage through the entrance into the entry way as fast and as hard as I could!

I told her we do not point at people and we certainly do not say things like that!  We need to take other peoples feelings into consideration.  What you did was cruel! 

She said "I am sorry Mummy!"

"You need to tell him that!"

As my 4 year old walked to the door she looked back at me. Tears in her eyes with pain and fear behind them.  The thoughts and questions, doubts and assurances rushed through my mind. 

Should we just leave??  Do I make her apologize??  I rushed toward her and saw the man literally staring out the doors, standing in the same place he was as when we first flew by him with his mouth wide open.

In that second I knew....we needed to go and apologize.

She looked at me and said "I am scared Mommy....." I told her I am standing right here! Right by you. Let's go do the right thing and be brave.

Hailey walked up to him brave and true, by my side. Kyle was holding my hand

and Cole was in my arms.  She looked at him and said while crying "I am sorry for being disrespectful and for hurting your feelings."

He said "Thank you for apologizing. It's OK."

I looked at him. All I could say was "It is not OK and I am so sorry.  Thank you for understanding she is 4 years old and I am truly sorry. Thank you for being a beautiful person and accepting our apology."

Can I add that this literally all took place in under a minute and every second of this minute terrified me and every millisecond had 3 questions running through my head!

When we got to the car I felt like we did the right thing. Everyone buckled up and I sat in front of Hailey. We discussed how and why what she did and said was so wrong. We talked about treating others the way we would like to be treated, and empathy. We discussed how it would make her feel if something like that happened to her. She was more upset that I slapped her hand. I apologized for it. We also talked about how PROUD I was of her for apologizing. That it was strong and showed good character.

We have reviewed the lessons learned several times. I just hope we did the right thing for everyone in  the situation. I pray that I am raising my children to be kind, and true. I pray that I act as a positive role model and that I am leading my children with love and respect for others.

I just hope I am a good person and a good parent, and that I can let this go and that it will not haunt me.

 

Pre-K Paaaarrrttttyyy!

 

Hailey waited for this night for weeks!!!  She was so very excited for the pre-school dinner party.

 

On the way there I got to sit in the back with Kyle because Grandma (my mom had to come). =)

I got a new view of my boys =)

 

Cole posed for pictures saying "cheese" right on cue.

 

Then he passed out! Within 2 minutes....OUT!

When we first got there Buggy was so excited and having so much fun. Coloring and playing with her friends.

 

When the music started Hailey shut down and Kyle broke down.

 

He danced his heart out!

 

The "Y.M.C.A, The Macarena, Let it Go!" he danced and danced and danced!

 

Cole, woke up....wasn't up for dancing,

 

but he did make a little friend....

 

and of course found water to play with.

 

It was too bad Hailey did not make the best of the night and dance, but Kyle and Cole did.  I truly enjoyed watching them have so much fun.

 



More Quotes

LOVE when Hailey's school posts this stuff!!! From the "Someone I Love Tea"

 

It was a Morning!

This morning was a strange morning.  I really can't pin point why.  I was just off, some way...some how.

 

Kyle got dressed and when I went in to check on him I noticed he had holes at both his knees in the jeans he was wearing.  I asked "Kyle don't you have jeans without holes you could wear today?" I then dug through his drawer, checked 4 other pairs...all had holes.  Granted he had 4 or 5 more pair downstairs, clean and waiting to be folded so ultimately this is my fault, but I was annoyed! 

 

He then looked at me pointing at my knee and asked "What's the big deal?"

Touché  Kyle!

 

Then Hailey insisted on wearing her skirt/legging combo outfit only she wanted to wear a different shirt. Not wanting to argue I gave in, didn't care. "Fine!"

 

 

 

Cole who always wants to put on his sneakers when he gets dressed wanted nothing to do with them when it was actually time to put them on.  I figured, we can wait, whatever....until it was suddenly time to go and we could only find one shoe, which he cried and screamed to have on!

 

We four ragamuffins dashed out the door and went on with our day.... and guess what?! Everything was OK.  Mismatched and holey our day was OK. Maybe I need to loosen up a little =)

 



A Prom Proposal

Proms have come a long way since my day; as now I guess some boys now offer a prom proposal?!?!? Hailey's assistant dance teacher Miss. Kelsey is in high school and her boyfriend wanted to ask her to prom.  He came up with a sweet way to do it, asking Hailey's dance class to help =)

 

 

 

I can't lie, just peeking in and seeing what I could brought tears to my eyes.  She said "YES!"

 

Happy Prom!

 

xoxoxoxoxoxox

First T.O

Cole has been hitting lately.  Usually it is because he is playing, and even if he does hit out of anger if you tell him to say "sorry" he will usually lean in and give you a hug or a kiss.

 

Yesterday he was very mad at Kyle.  I am not sure why, but he hit Kyle hard!  When I told him to say sorry he pointed and yelled at Kyle...so he had his first time out!

 

It was very hard on Kyle and Hailey to see their little brother in a time out.

 

 

I don't think he fully learned his lesson that hitting is bad, but he knows no matter what his family loves him.

 

Yes, he did give Kyle a hug to say "sorry"...eventually =)



Happy St.Patrick's Day!!!

I can't tell a lie. When it comes to St. Patrick's Day I always have the idea to do some fun crafts, and make some fun food for the kids. But I never do.  I am too busy trying to figure out my plans for going out!

 

This year, most everyone had to work, or wasn't very excited. Then we had plans, and I broke them to spring clean..(I know I am embarrassed but I am really trying to get stuff done)

 

However, I did not just let the day pass.  I made the most of it. =)

 

 

Hailey and I painted our nails the night before green =)

 

 

We made shamrock pancakes for breakfast.

 

 

They loved them!

 

Then, we dressed up and geared up.

 

 

 

 

Knowing my beads were not going to be getting me any beer this year I sent Kyle and Hailey to school with enough beads for their teachers and classmates.

 

When they got home my straws went to good use =)

 

So, No I did not go out.  I did not celebrate. There was no corned beef and cabbage (I am not a huge fan of it anyway). In fact, we had American chop suey for dinner. There was no beer in hand.  No adult day out.

 

Sure, I bought pudding to make a rainbow dessert and didn't.  No I did not put out a leprechaun trap or do anything creative with my little ones.

 

BUT we DID shamROCK it out! =)

 

Maybe a party next year instead???