I don't like her, she's a girl!
I think that much of my time could be spent "retro-blogging". There is no way I could ever remember everything that I want to, and so far, I haven't done very well blogging every day. I'm sure if i did, my entries would be lots shorter! I do want to make sure I remember this:
When Amelia was born, all of the kids were upset, because they didn't get to see their new sister that day. They had to wait a whole day since she was born so late at night. Benjamin, Mathilda and Joseph were the first siblings to get to meet her. When they arrived at my hospital room, Amelia was in the nursery doing newborn stuff, so they had to wait just a little longer. I asked them if they were excited to meet their new sister. Of course, Mathilda and Joe were, but Ben had a scowl on his face and replied, "NO!" "I don't like her." I said, "You haven't even met her, how do you know that you don't like her?" "Because she' a girl! I don't want another sister!" His scowl was deep, but he was sincere. He had been saying this from the moment we found out we were having a girl, and his mind hadn't changed. The longer he waited, the more convinced he was that this baby was going to be unacceptable! Finally the nursery brought her back. Grandma held her first while the kids washed their hands and Ben was the first to jump in a chair to hold her. As soon as she was in his arms, he had an uncontrolable grin from ear to ear on his face and he beamed as he kissed her head. "Do you like her now?" "Yes."
Mathilda's comment after she had been passed around the room was simply, "I'm not letting the boys touch her!"
Once at home, the war began. It hasn't been a war in protest of a new sibling, or even a new sister, rather who gets to hold her next. They all feel they don't get a fair turn or enough time. Of course, no one is willing to change her diaper! (I do need to add though that both Joshua and Mathilda have indeed changed her) The transition has been challenging, not because it is more chaotic, just because my attention is needed by Amelia on top of the chaos. The three little ones definitely know how to manipulate things and they know that the best time to take advantage and be naughty is while I'm feeding her. Naps really don't happen regularly anymore and don't happen at all if Mathilda is home. Benjamin is still the most mischevious, but Mattie is a very close second and my top him in defiance. She has quickly learned that if she replies, "Yes mommy" that she can get away with much more, because I'll be even more off guard.
I'm sure I could fill an entire page with examples of what has happened in the last week and a half, but I'll just describe what today has been:
This morning (while feeding Amelia), the kids wanted breakfast. I told them they needed to wait 5 minutes. (The three older boys are at Uncle Todd's with Jace) Instead of waiting, Ben and Joe took it upon themselves to make breakfast. They filled the brown sugar container, took out the oatmeal, and started getting bowls out. This wasn't a big deal, but when Ben came to the living room and announced that he put the oatmeal in the microwave, I was concerned. I said that he needed to wait because I needed to add water. "I already did mom." Ok, now it was time to put Amelia down even if she wasn't done eating. The kitchen was quite the sight. There was powdered sugar and brown sugar everywhere and Ben had used twelve cups of oatmeal (I only know this because I had just filled the container full the other day and that's how much was gone). Since I said I needed to add water, he decided to dump out what he had prepared to start over. He dumped the moistened oatmeal in the sink and had already started over, so there was oatmeal on the floor, sink, stove, etc. There was an oatmeal mountain in the sink. i tried to salvage a little of what was on top to cook for breakfast. Cleaning out the sink was fun too...the oatmeal was heading down the drain.
This afternoon, despite all of my efforts to get Mathilda and Benjamin to take a nap, the mischeviousness continued. Amelia and I finally fell asleep on my bed and the other two kids (Joe was alseep in his bed) were on my floor. They were supposed to be on opposite sides of the bed, but apparently they each had magnets under their clothes, because they continued to end up on one side. After multiple threats, I think I became immune to their noise and just fell back asleep. Benjamin finally woke me up one more time with, "Mom, I spilled feathers all over." Knowing that these likely came from his "scratchy" pillow, I told him it would have to be thrown away. When he threw it at me and covered me with little feathers, I jumped up to find feathers all over the bed, floor, out the door, down the hall into the living room, in Ben's room...everywhere! He had cut holes all over in the casing. I promptly swatted his butt at which point Mattie quickly shoved something underneath her blanket on the floor. I saw the scissors. She was hiding all the little pieces of her blanket that she cut off! They both got a swat, sent to their room crying and I tried to clean up. During that time, I over heard Ben talking about going outside. Their door was shut, so when it started rattling back and forth, I knew the window was open. I went in and Ben was hanging out the window...screen out. I dragged him back inside and swatted him again and put him in his bed. Mattie got another one for not doing anything...not telling Ben no, not coming to get me, NOTHING!
They're still going strong...they've not been quiet, they've not slowed down, they've not stopped. I'm reading a book about little sugar addicts, and I think I've found a partial solution. (I must add here that I have done things with them today, so it's not like they've been neglected all day!)
Oh, the excitement continues! Calgon, take me away! :)
When Amelia was born, all of the kids were upset, because they didn't get to see their new sister that day. They had to wait a whole day since she was born so late at night. Benjamin, Mathilda and Joseph were the first siblings to get to meet her. When they arrived at my hospital room, Amelia was in the nursery doing newborn stuff, so they had to wait just a little longer. I asked them if they were excited to meet their new sister. Of course, Mathilda and Joe were, but Ben had a scowl on his face and replied, "NO!" "I don't like her." I said, "You haven't even met her, how do you know that you don't like her?" "Because she' a girl! I don't want another sister!" His scowl was deep, but he was sincere. He had been saying this from the moment we found out we were having a girl, and his mind hadn't changed. The longer he waited, the more convinced he was that this baby was going to be unacceptable! Finally the nursery brought her back. Grandma held her first while the kids washed their hands and Ben was the first to jump in a chair to hold her. As soon as she was in his arms, he had an uncontrolable grin from ear to ear on his face and he beamed as he kissed her head. "Do you like her now?" "Yes."
Mathilda's comment after she had been passed around the room was simply, "I'm not letting the boys touch her!"
Once at home, the war began. It hasn't been a war in protest of a new sibling, or even a new sister, rather who gets to hold her next. They all feel they don't get a fair turn or enough time. Of course, no one is willing to change her diaper! (I do need to add though that both Joshua and Mathilda have indeed changed her) The transition has been challenging, not because it is more chaotic, just because my attention is needed by Amelia on top of the chaos. The three little ones definitely know how to manipulate things and they know that the best time to take advantage and be naughty is while I'm feeding her. Naps really don't happen regularly anymore and don't happen at all if Mathilda is home. Benjamin is still the most mischevious, but Mattie is a very close second and my top him in defiance. She has quickly learned that if she replies, "Yes mommy" that she can get away with much more, because I'll be even more off guard.
I'm sure I could fill an entire page with examples of what has happened in the last week and a half, but I'll just describe what today has been:
This morning (while feeding Amelia), the kids wanted breakfast. I told them they needed to wait 5 minutes. (The three older boys are at Uncle Todd's with Jace) Instead of waiting, Ben and Joe took it upon themselves to make breakfast. They filled the brown sugar container, took out the oatmeal, and started getting bowls out. This wasn't a big deal, but when Ben came to the living room and announced that he put the oatmeal in the microwave, I was concerned. I said that he needed to wait because I needed to add water. "I already did mom." Ok, now it was time to put Amelia down even if she wasn't done eating. The kitchen was quite the sight. There was powdered sugar and brown sugar everywhere and Ben had used twelve cups of oatmeal (I only know this because I had just filled the container full the other day and that's how much was gone). Since I said I needed to add water, he decided to dump out what he had prepared to start over. He dumped the moistened oatmeal in the sink and had already started over, so there was oatmeal on the floor, sink, stove, etc. There was an oatmeal mountain in the sink. i tried to salvage a little of what was on top to cook for breakfast. Cleaning out the sink was fun too...the oatmeal was heading down the drain.
This afternoon, despite all of my efforts to get Mathilda and Benjamin to take a nap, the mischeviousness continued. Amelia and I finally fell asleep on my bed and the other two kids (Joe was alseep in his bed) were on my floor. They were supposed to be on opposite sides of the bed, but apparently they each had magnets under their clothes, because they continued to end up on one side. After multiple threats, I think I became immune to their noise and just fell back asleep. Benjamin finally woke me up one more time with, "Mom, I spilled feathers all over." Knowing that these likely came from his "scratchy" pillow, I told him it would have to be thrown away. When he threw it at me and covered me with little feathers, I jumped up to find feathers all over the bed, floor, out the door, down the hall into the living room, in Ben's room...everywhere! He had cut holes all over in the casing. I promptly swatted his butt at which point Mattie quickly shoved something underneath her blanket on the floor. I saw the scissors. She was hiding all the little pieces of her blanket that she cut off! They both got a swat, sent to their room crying and I tried to clean up. During that time, I over heard Ben talking about going outside. Their door was shut, so when it started rattling back and forth, I knew the window was open. I went in and Ben was hanging out the window...screen out. I dragged him back inside and swatted him again and put him in his bed. Mattie got another one for not doing anything...not telling Ben no, not coming to get me, NOTHING!
They're still going strong...they've not been quiet, they've not slowed down, they've not stopped. I'm reading a book about little sugar addicts, and I think I've found a partial solution. (I must add here that I have done things with them today, so it's not like they've been neglected all day!)
Oh, the excitement continues! Calgon, take me away! :)
