Life is moving rather slow these days. Before Caleb was born, I spent my mornings running one or two errands with the kids or taking Sam to his gymnastics class twice a week. If we didn’t have errands to run or a class to attend, then I tried to schedule a play date. I have discovered that while I enjoy quiet mornings at home, my children do not. They like the hustle and bustle of leaving the house, going places and meeting up with friends. They are social butterflies.
Normally, this isn’t a problem but since Caleb’s arrival, I’ve barely left the house, and neither have the kids. I stocked up on food before his birth and have my mom pick up perishables like milk, juice and fresh vegetables and drop them off at the house as needed. My mother has taken Sam to gymnastics but we haven’t had any play dates. It’s been raining all week, so they’ve barely spent any time outdoors. In other words, I think the kids are going a little nuts.
It’s a constant struggle, getting used to the fact that we are a family of five instead of a family of four. Gabe and I are outnumbered. There is no divide (evenly) and conquer. Usually, one person takes the two older littles while the other handles Caleb. Admittedly, I’m still not sure who draws the short straw in that deal. Both groups present their individual set of challenges. Eddie is still hurt since she was usurped as the baby of the family and acts out her frustrations through killer tantrums that Gabe has started filming because he’s positive that “someday we’re going to look back and find this funny.”
Right now, it’s not funny.
Sam is the kid who is handling the transition rather well, but bedtime routine has started taking forever because right as you’re getting ready to give him his good night kiss and walk out of the room, he decides to tell you about every thought, feeling, emotion, idea and observation he’s had since the moment he woke up that morning. In other words, I think he’s craving some attention. As tempting as it is to tell him to be quiet and go to sleep, Gabe and I both try to indulge him and give him a few minutes to verbally unload, so to speak. This might seem like nothing but when you’re bone tired, five minutes feels like an eternity. Gabe is much more patient than I am and will sometimes stay up there for 15 or 20 minutes. I’m grateful that Sam has a parent with infinitely more patience than myself. Right now, excess patience and energy are sparse around here.
Hugs to all of you! Peter does bedtime here which has somehow bloated over the years to 30 minutes of reading to the four year old then staying with him until he’s asleep (easily another 30) then reading to the older middles while I nurse the baby to sleep and check in with the teen. I know for sure he gets the short end of that stick but by that point in the day I have so little left. Plus it’s not like he’s going to nurse the baby ;).
In my 13 yrs of parenting the only reliable truth I’ve discerned about bedtime is that it sucks. If you’re lucky it only sucks for you and the kids get by without noticing.
You and Gabe deserve time to adjust as well…it’s a process- you’re doing great 🙂