Whiney Wednesday XXIII

I really have tried to resist whining.  Really.  This post has been in my head for over a week now though, and maybe if I get my whining out I can just move on and things will be better.  One can always hope...

1. My dear children have been a particularly nasty flavor of difficult lately...sassing, hitting, aggressive behavior, failure to listen, running off from me at the library with a look of glee in (his) face all the while.  You name it.  All the things "those people's kids" do.  My kids are doing.  And it is driving me just a leeeeetle bit bonkers.  

2.  Bedtime.  Where do I even begin?  The new beds and all the arrangements that go along with those are going all right.  And night time itself is really pretty good most nights.  Bedtime however has turned into my worstest most awful nightmare.  Gemma is doing all right, but Kolbe has turned super needy.  Like, wow, really child?!  Prior to moving to the same room as Gemma, either Aaron or I rocked him to sleep in either the baby room rocker or on the back deck which was not ideal but it worked pretty well most nights.  Now it's light too late and hot and buggy so the deck isn't really an option, and Kolbe has no interest in the baby room any more (which is probably good, however...).  When we try to leave the room if he's still awake, he cries, and yells, and stands at the door and yells "mommy night-night" or "daddy night-night" until one of us goes in and lays with him.  And then he flips and flops and tosses and turns and is generally annoying.  So we leave.  And he gets upset, so we come back.  Repeat.  Repeat repeat repeat until he finally tires himself out enough to go to sleep.  He does the same thing at naptime, taking forEVER to get him down.  We've tried keeping him up from his nap and that only results in a very grumpy child all. afternoon. long. and then an even more difficult bedtime believe it or not.  I know this too shall pass but holy cow, I do believe I may lose my mind in the process.  Did I mention they've been waking up earlier than normal in the mornings as well?  The joys just never end.

3.  I feel big and pregnant and tired and uncomfortable and big and it's hard to roll over in bed and I have to pee all the time and I'm often nauseous and I (and the kids) sense a change coming and all the unknowns of the near-future are weighing heavily on my mind and heart.  Add to that #1 and #2 and you get one grumpy, snappy, short-tempered mama and wife.  And it's just this big awful cycle that feeds on itself all day (and night) long if I let it.  And you know what they say if mama ain't happy...  Yep.  The old saying is right.  Turns out no one around here is happy.  And don't get me wrong, I'm very, very excited for this new little addition to our family, we all are; it's just...overwhelming too.

So there you have it.  WHEW, I already feel better just getting that all out there.  And I will say, after all that, today has been a pretty great day around here.  But overall lately I just feel like things fail more than they succeed.  God is humbling me, and giving me ample opportunities to grow in grace, so for that I am grateful...I just need to actually be able to let go enough to learn and grow.  God help us all.  

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Whiney Wednesday XXII

I haven't whined in quite awhile, so I figure I have some "rollover".

1.  Pink.  Everything is pink.  Pink.  Pink.  Pink.  Everywhere I look. The firemen are wearing pink shirts.  There are pink ribbons on my packages of paper towels and even my natural deodorant spray.  I do not like pink, specifically Komen.  In fact, I dislike it a lot, for multi-faceted reasons.  This article sums up my thoughts quite well, as does this one.  I really don't want to hurt feelings or step on toes by my position, so I'm not going to go into it a whole lot more (seriously though, if you're curious, please read the articles), but this is how I feel and the onslaught of pink especially this time of year honestly almost makes me nauseous.

2.  Gemma has been particularly unbearable lately and, well, it's getting to be pretty unbearable.  

3.  Kolbe.  Sweet sweet Kolbe.  I love that you know how to use the potty.  But seriously.  Pooping seven times in a row with a trip to the big toilet to dump, wipe and flush between each poop is getting a little ridiculous.  And seriously, the kid can pee like a half teaspoon every 15 minutes if he puts his mind to it.  Aaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!

4.  Workers in my house.  Loud nail guns hanging windows.  Noxious fumes.  Flies.  Cold air.  Hot air.  Blinds down.  Bright sun.  Curtains lying here there and everywhere.  Many, many items out of place. Trying to keep my children out of aforementioned items and maintain my sanity.  It's. Not. Working.

5.  Feeling like I'm being pulled a million different directions and then not really doing anything well.

6.  Lack of patience.  My horrible lack of patience.  And kindness.  And lovingness.  And all those other fruits of the Spirit that I just completely let fly out the window (because it's probably open or missing) on such a terribly regular basis. 

Okay, I'm done.  I could probably go on, but then alas, I probably shouldn't.  God, help me offer these "pebbles" for those who truly suffer.

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Whiney Wednesday XXI

1.  Kolbe has outgrown (by several pounds) the weight-limit (and the height limit for that matter) on his "bucket" car-seat.  Not that we ever used the bucket feature (yay baby-wearing), but this was my great rear-facing option.  Our Britax Boulevard actually will fit rear-facing in  my '99 Accord, but because it's a '99 it doesn't have LATCH and I just can't get a tight rear-facing fit with the seat-belt no matter what I try (any tips? I haven't given up yet...)  So forward-facing he went.  He looks very sweet and grown-up, and it does make things easier; but for safety reasons I really would prefer him to still be rear-facing.  Blah.

2.  Dear face: You are not a teenager anymore.  Please quit breaking out as if you were.

3.  Dear recent hailstorm:  While I am appreciative that you didn't destroy our roof like your cousin did last fall (and I am very thankful for all the rain that came with you), I am rather irate that my dear annuals - that were finally starting to grow and look pretty - are now beat to a bloody-pulp. 

Join in the whines each Wednesday, check here with Simplemama for the rules and info!

Whiney Wednesday XX

1.  Somehow almost every shirt in my son's wardrobe this summer is striped.  I mean, it's not really a big deal, and he looks very handsome in stripes (I guess that's why I bought over half a dozen striped shirts in the first place...)  But really?  I mean, could I have not been just a little more creative when it came to variety?

2. I am noticing that I often talk to my daughter with the same tone/words that I often turn my nose up at in a very judgmental way when I hear another parent talking to their children in the same manner (at the store, the park, etc.)  This frustrates me greatly at myself. 

3. I washed our bed linens this past weekend.  As I was putting them back on I somehow cut my thumb (because I am clever like that) and bled on the clean sheets in several places.  BLAST!  (And for the record, yes, I left it and didn't rewash the sheets.  Don't judge.)

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Whiney Wednesday IXX

1. I shrunk one of my nice "church" shirts.  Apparently it was "hand wash only".  I read this on the tag after rendering it unwearable. Bleh.

2.  Dear ice cream struck: Please PLEASE, for the love of my sanity, stop driving down my street with your annoying music blaring loudly during my childrens' nap-times (on school days no-less, really??).  You are going to make me lose my mind.

3.  Never again will I buy shoes in advance for my children only to find they are too small by the time the appropriate season rolls around.  Never again will I buy shoes in advance for my children only to find they are too small by the time the appropriate season rolls around.  Never again will I... you get the picture.  ACK!  To clarify, I was able to take said shoes - yes plural - back for exchanges/refunds etc.  Even so...didn't really save a lot of time buying them ahead as I'd intended.  Live and learn.

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Whiney Wednesday XVIII

1. Princesses.  Be forewarned, you're in for a rant.  I am tired of everyone (people at the bank who give us stickers, perfect strangers who talk to us at Target, many other well-meaning people, you get the picture) thinking that because Gemma is the ripe old age of three and because she happens to be a girl that this automatically means she should be completely obsessed with anything and everything princess.  Princesses are something we have chosen not to encourage in our home.  I think the whole mentality promotes self-centered, materialistic and shallow attitudes in today's young girls, and thanks to rampant commercialism the "target audience" for this is becoming younger and younger.  Our society is over-saturated enough with sex as it is.  I feel like I owe my daughter more than the status quo.  A pretty gown, high heels, a tiara and some lipstick aren't what is going to make her happy, fulfilled and successful in this life, and they are certainly not the tools she needs for our ultimate, eternal Goal.   I currently have this book on hold at the library (I'm 13th in line on the hold list, so apparently others feel this way as well). I heard a piece on it on NPR about a month ago and the author brings up some very good points.  I'm anxious to read or at least peruse it.  I'm not dead-set against princesses per se, and I realize we can't "shelter our children from everything" (oh how often I hear that line), but the whole princess phenomena as it currently is simply drives. me. CRAZY.  And now you know.

2. And while we're on the subject of things I tire of hearing...no, Gemma is not currently in preschool and no she is not going to go next year or the year after.  And please don't look at me like I'm from another planet simply because I don't feel that preschool is all that necessary for my child.

3.  I bought some hairspray and got a pretty good deal on it. And then found a coupon that would have saved me five more dollars.  After the fact.

mmmmkay.  Done ranting.  Thanks for bearing with me (if you made it this far).  Feel free to join in the whining each Wednesday.  Check with simplemama for the rules and info.

Whiney Wednesday XVII

1.  Epic three-year-old meltdowns.  We're talking epically epic.  Arrrrggghhhhhh!!!!

2.  Dear Monica: When you put the steamer basket in the pot, and put the green beans in the steamer basket, it is a very good idea to put water in the bottom of the pot before putting it on the burner and turning it on high.  And then wondering why it's not boiling.  And why the kitchen smells kind of funny.  Oops.

3.  Why is it that some days it seems like nothing goes right? Like, the harder I try the worse it gets.  Oh life.

Just keepin' it real.  Join in the whining fun, each and every Wednesday if you wish!  Click here for the rules and info.

Whiney Wednesday XVI

1. I love my children.  And I love going to Mass.  But some Sundays, especially the ones when my husband sings with the choir, I feel like asking for a bourbon on the rocks at coffee and donuts instead of the usual orange juice.

2.  The screaming game.  I do not like the screaming game.  AT ALL!!!  

3. Grumpy teething baby.

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Whiney Wednesday XV

1. Children. Enough with the fevers already. Seriously...

2.Trying to get spring/summer wardrobes together for both kids.  I really don't mind this, and it is kind of fun.  Just tedious.  They need so much, ACK!!

3. I. Am. Ready. For. Spring.  Period.  DONE with winter.  SO over it.

To share in the whining each Wednesday, visit Simplemama for the details!

Whiney Wednesday XIV

1. Gemma. Must you take your pants and underwear completely off every time you use the restroom. Really?

2. Our December and January have been inordinately busy (by our standards) and it is about to push me over the edge. The holidays, parties, birthdays, weddings, showers, professional pictures, a couple out-of-town trips, taxes, projects, ACK! I need a break from life.

3. OH my children. How I love you and how you drive me crazy. I feel like I can't spend any time with Gemma one-on-one anymore. Kolbe is kicking the morning nap, and they nap at the same time(ish) in the afternoon. This would be super-duper handy if Kolbe slept in his bed. Lately though nothin' doing. (and I do love the snuggles, really, they make me smile and feel all warm and fuzzy and I know I'm going to miss them when they're but a memory, but at the same time, the 24/7 incredible neediness is just getting exhausting.) I try to do things with Gemma and Kolbe is either needy or getting into things. I can't even read her a story anymore without being interrupted no less than seven times. Forget puzzles, painting and all those other things we'd been having fun with. Then I turn my back to do something and if Kolbe isn't getting into something Gemma is knocking him over or trying to smother him with...hugs? Or something. I guess I'm just at a stage in my children's lives where I feel incapable of doing anything right or well some days and my patience gets oh so thin. How do you moms of four or five or six do it?! And homeschool on top of that?!!!! HELP!

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Whiney Wednesday XIII

1. Jeans. I just want a pair that fit well, look nice, aren't made of stretchy material, and won't rip in the butt every few months. Seriously, is that too much to ask??! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

2. Kolbe does not want to nap in his bed. He will nap for 2 or more hours no prob if he's laying on me (in the mei tai carrier) but wakes up as soon as I try to lay him down. He has been doing marginally better on this though. Marginally. (And I do love the snuggles, I just miss the opportunity for efficient productivity).

3. Feast of St. Nicholas, Christmas, Epiphany, birthdays, Baptism anniversaries. All within a little over a month of each other. Seriously? Could we not spread this all out a little more??! (Don't get me wrong, each is a blessed, wonderful occasion...but the close proximity in which they fall is sometimes just a bit overwhelming for this mama.)

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Whiney Wednesday XII

All right. I haven't whined in awhile. It's time.

1. Kolbe seems to be giving up his morning nap. This is fine, I knew it would happen. And he took two naps a day longer than Gemma did (and still does some days). But it's still hard. I enjoyed having some time to spend one-on-one with Gemma in the mornings, and it was nice to get a few things done as well while he slept. Then lately (the past week or two) come afternoon he goes down for his nap about the same time as Gemma, but awakens restlessly about 10 minutes later. He'll go back to sleep (for several hours sometimes) in the front carrier, but wakes up and cries every time I try to put him down. I'm certainly not going to leave him to scream helplessly in his bed in order to teach him some sort of "lesson", but I'm frustrated. Teething? Probably. Blasted teeth. This too shall pass, I know. But in the meantime...

2. Dumb birds. Why did you poop on my deck windows right before it snowed and got super cold. Now I am looking at dirty, poopy windows all day. It's gross and it's driving me crazy.

3. There were several errands I really wanted to run this week and the weather has prevented me from doing so. It's all good, I've enjoyed our snow days. But the "driver" in me wants to "git 'er done!"

And there you have it! If you want to participate in Whiney Wednesday, click here for more info.

Whiney Wednesday XI

1. Sick children (they are well now, thankfully).

2. Why do the people at the health food store (at least the one I frequent) always have to be so snotty. Or at least seem that way. I'd go there twice as often (and probably spend twice as much) if they were nicer. Maybe I'm just sensitive.

3. Gemma has been reallllllly trying my patience lately. Strong-willed (not always a bad thing), obstinate, tantrums, and I mean EPIC tantrums, you name it. It frustrates me. A lot. I love her oh-so much, but I am really struggling with how to patiently deal with this stage of her childhood in a grace-filled way.

To join in on Whiney Wednesday and 'keep things real' on your blog, click here for more info.

Whiney Wednesday X

1. For quite awhile now I've been wanting to get a blue flannel sheet for Kolbe's bed. We already had a green one and an ecru one, so it wasn't really something I needed but I found someone with whom we could share the ecru sheet and had a coupon for the new one, so decided to go for it. I bought the sheet on a Friday afternoon (both kids in tow), washed it on the following Saturday morning and excitedly (yes, I'm a nerd like that) put it on Kolbe's bed...to find it was faded in several big squares. Almost looked like the package had sat in the sunlight and it faded where it was folded. If it were a garage sale or consignment find it would have been fine, but if I pay new price for something, then I want it to look new. The entire reason we'd gone to the store on Friday is because the weather was warm. By Saturday it was a brisk 30mph north wind and about 30 degrees. Ugh. But alas, off we went (yes, both kids in tow again) to exchange the sheet. That was the plan anyways. Not only did they not have another one in stock, but they couldn't order me one, couldn't ship one from the east store, and wouldn't hold one and send it to my house when it came in. They told me I could call Wednesday when their truck came in and see if they had another. And then make a THIRD trip to their store to get it. Blurg.

2. Gemma will not let me do a thing to her hair besides the usual spray/part/comb routine. Really, I should be grateful that she is very low-maintenance (in that department), but what I wouldn't give to do a ponytail or piggies or barrettes or SOMEthing girlie and cute!

3. Kolbe has been wanting to nurse all. night. I don't know if it's a growth spurt, the remnants of the sniffly nose he had last week, or if he's just not eating enough during the day. Or if he just wants to nurse all night. I am glad he'll snuggle in bed with us (most of the time) and that does make it easier, but it's still just been kind of wearying.

If you want to take a day of the week to get your whines out, click here for the details.

Whiney Wednesday IX

1. When we get ready to go somewhere I always use the restroom. Then I get the kids around, bag(s) packed, do all the other incidental things required to leave the house with my entourage, errr, children. By the time all children and items are loaded in the car, I inevitably have to use the restroom again. I guess that means I'm drinking enough water, but it still annoys me.

2. Meltdowns at the library. Seriously, these are worse than church meltdowns. At church at least most people (seem to) understand, especially in a parish with lots of young families. But the library...have you EVER seen the way those librarians look at you??? (no offense if you're a librarian and reading this...) Holy cow...it is like ice-daggers. Whew! I'm glad they let us back in the following week.

3. Bedtime with Gemma takes an inordinate amount of time. Granted, my husband does most of the work, but I still find the whole process to be highly annoying.

Sometimes it's nice to take a day of the week to whine a bit. It keeps things real in this bloggy-world. If you'd like to join in the 'fun', click here for more info.

Whiney Wednesday VIII

1. Gemma hits Kolbe on the head - either with her hands or some random object - sometimes multiple times a day. And she bites him too. And smothers!!! Sometimes she is devious about it, sometimes she just does it when they are playing. Either way it hurts him. It is driving me crazy and I am having trouble figuring out how to nip it in the bud.

2. "Little Bear" has expired from our OnDemand on the DVR. I'm pretty picky about what Gemma watches, and we had been doing really good with a 25 minutes episode of "Little Bear" sometime during our day. It was such a sweet little show. Anyone familiar with any good Catholic/Christian programming (EWTN or elsewhere)? I've checked and we don't get Veggie Tales. Just something simple, cute, and around 30 minutes long.

3. We can't seem to get into a good cleanup routine around here. Gemma is better sometimes about helping than others, and it's on the "schedule", it's just one of those things that easily gets put off or forgotten and then I end up doing it by myself. I know the only way she'll learn is by working with us, and we do that sometimes, just not as regularly as I'd like to. ACK!

And there you have it. If you'd like to take a bit of time out of your regularly scheduled blogging to "whine" a bit each week, click here.

Whiney Wednesday VII

1. Flies. BLLLAAARRRRGGHHHH! Go a-freakin'-way already! You make me want to scream and beat holes in our walls with the fly-swatter.

2. The time change. Although it has honestly worked in our favor with Gemma this go around, it just annoys me in general (and is messin' with my baby). And the novelty and coziness of the dark evenings wears off by about December. Or after a week. Is it April yet?

3. Have I mentioned I have patience issues in general? God, grant me patience.

Keepin' it real, keepin' it real. Happy middle-of-the week! If you're feeling whiney and want to vent, check out the rules from my friend Erika Marie.

Whiney Wednesday VI

1. Lunch-time. It is my very least favorite time of the day hands-down. Everyone (including myself) is hungry, needy, tired and grumpy. And it makes me want to run screaming from my house. Nearly every day. Without fail.

2. Clothes hangers. Gemma likes to hang them on every hook, handle and knob imaginable when she gets ahold of them. It is cute for sure and she enjoys it (and this is why I don't discourage it, it really is harmless), but I feel like I am constantly clunking into hangers wherever I turn.

3. People who are devious and conniving. Pooey on you!

If you'd like to take a day of the week to get your "whines" out, click here for the rules.

Whiney Wednesday V

1. This is one of those dumb little things that is hardly worth complaining about, but I'm going to anyways because it annoys me: I am tired of getting mail addressed to "Dr. Aaron and Monica Ourlastname". If you're going to use his title, use mine as well and put "Dr. and Mrs." I realize he worked hard for his title (and I totally respect that and am not irritated that people use it, don't get me wrong), but by-golly I work hard to be a Mrs. as well. And anyways, you wouldn't address something "Mr. Aaron and Monica Ourlastname", you would naturally put "Mr. and Mrs." Why does this bother me so much? Am I really that nit-picky?

2. Gemma's new-found defiance is nothing short of unbearable. I'm told this comes with the threes, which are coming up for us. Oh dear Lord, grant me patience and kindness and gentleness and self-control and all those other good "fruits". Please. She is a very sweet girl, don't get me wrong, but does she ever have a streak!

3. Oh patience and sanity, why must you elude me when I need you most?

All right, keepin' it real here folks. But in all reality, life is good, I am blessed, and heaven knows I'm a work in progress. Help me Lord to offer these pebbles up for your greater glory and honor. If you want to take a day a week to vent a bit and keep things real on your blog, click here for Whiney Wednesday rules and info.

Whiney Wednesday IV

1. Got a new email address and am trying to consolidate everything to it. Why does this have to be so difficult? Why won't blogger let me use a Gmail as my primary for this account?? Will someone just come and do all this for me??? Bleh.

2. Why do I have to lose my patience at the end of a day that went really well? Fit throwing two-year-old, woken up baby. If I had just shut the laptop and focused on one thing instead of being lazy, none of it would have happened. Bleh. Bleh.

3. Can we please come to a happy medium between naps and bedtime, dear two-year-old? Three + hour naps are nice, but the late bedtime that proceeds these is, well, not nice. But then it just turns into a big, vicious, messy, off-balance sleep-cycle, and it's irritating. me. How did this happen? A one-and-a-half to two-hour nap and reasonable bedtime would be perfect. Why can't we seem to figure this out?? Bleh. Bleh. Bleh.

Okay, now that I've gotten that out of my system I'm going to try to be a reasonably positive person. To participate in Whiney Wednesday click here for the rules. Happy middle-of-the-week, everyone!!