Feeling Like a Human Again (Maybe)

Jack sports his new leg warmers

and clambers all over creation.

I haven't posted in a few days because, well, quite honestly I've felt like a walking mucus bag. Specifically a walking mucus bag with streamy, infected eyes. Sorry, but the truth is often such a disturbing image. Today, for the first day in many, I feel something akin to hope, mainly because all the kids have had two days of antibiotics under their belts, all three eye infections look to be done, and I will be able to wear contacts again for the first time in several days after I get another trial pair from the eye doctor. (No matter how cute my glasses are, I still feel like a zombie when I wear them for prolonged periods of time, as if I'm missing something. It's like my brain is only half functioning when I wear them.) Also, I think that Charlotte's headband and crocheted beanie cap may come in the mail today.

Life is sweet, my friends.

Today is also the first day that I'm not stressing myself out about potty training. We're doing it sporadically, as I feel up to it, and while we have yet to celebrate an actual success, at least I'm trying. I'm one of those people who works as hard as I possibly can, often wearing myself out to the point of exhaustion (and crabbiness), just because I think I have to GET IT ALL DONE NOW, AS PERFECTLY AS POSSIBLE. If this doesn't happen, I feel like my life is falling apart around me, which I realize is really dramatic, but hey, I can't help myself. I am an overachieving perfectionist.

So it is with great relief and pride that I announce that I am allowing my children to wear diapers today. I want to get the house clean. Everything is coated in several layers of dust and snot, and the thought of deep cleaning AND monitoring two little peenies (yes, peenies) AND caring for a sick newborn is enough to send shudders down my spine. So the boys are wearing diapers. You have no idea how calm and in control this makes me feel.

As my mother would say, "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

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So if you are a devoted follow of this blog who checks each and every day to see just what amazing adventures we are up to (I think that I am speaking solely about my children's grandmothers), you are probably wondering what funny things have happened during this week of illness and exhaustion. Hmmm. Good question.

Well, yesterday Jack sat on the potty for about twenty minutes, very worried that he was missing out on some exciting play opportunities, and as soon as I let him off of it (he was naked from the waist down, as per Kristy's advice) he peed on his favorite dog book (Title: Dog) and a quilt. Both were washable, thankfully. It was at that point, after an entire day of struggling to communicate the joys and wonders of the potty, that I gave up and put them in diapers.

Besides refusing to go in the potty, the boys have suddenly become very, very interested in their little sister, to the point of almost accidentally crushing her this morning. They have always liked her and enjoyed petting her, but all the sudden they want to jabber to Charlotte, lean into her and kiss her when she is sitting in her swing, and attempt to pick her up and drag her around. The need to keep my eye on them became very apparent a few minutes ago, when I dared to leave the playroom and use the bathroom, leaving the boys alone with their sister, who was in a bouncy seat, for a full three minutes. When I came back, Charlotte was starting to whimper, as both of her brothers had felt it necessary to join her in the bouncy seat. Yes, they were on top of her. I shrieked and swooped in to rescue the baby, the boys cried, and Charlotte remained unharmed, although a little rumpled. She is pretty easygoing, as long as she is not underneath both of her brothers.

In news not related to kids or potty training, Stephen and I are excited about our third house-guest in a week. Last weekend his sister, Janie, and her husband, Ryan, came to visit. I would have posted pictures of them with their nephews and niece, whom they adore, but none of the pictures turned out all that well. We'll have to try again at Christmas. Anyway, this weekend our college friend Brennan is heading in to stay with us for the weekend, and we couldn't be more thrilled. We haven't seen him since he did the photography for my sister the goddess' wedding last December, so a weekend of attempting to fatten up Brennan is long overdue.

Hopefully we won't infect him with our family plague.

I'll close now, as it is almost time for the boys' nap. We still need to open up the Advent window for today to see what our activity is. Here's hoping the slip of paper says something like, "Today all three kids get to take a long, restful nap so that Mama can get things done and preserve what small amount of sanity is left to her."

Or something along those lines.