I Did It!!

I survived as a single mom for 12 days. Last Thursday Brian left for St. Louis. His brother got married on Friday, then Brian hung out with his family for a week and then attended the NCAA Midwest Regional games this past weekend. It was a LOOOOONG 12 days, but I must say that I am quite proud of myself. I instituted a new chore chart and system that has really helped the girls stay on task and keep the house more organized. Brian is not returning to a spotless house, but he is returning to one that is better than when he left!

I tend to lose my temper very quickly when I have been a single parent for more than a couple of days, so I tried really hard to keep things fun and to cut everyone some slack. I did have to raise my voice a couple of times (it really frustrates me when I will ask the girls to do something and they will blatently refuse) and I am not waiting by the garage door, ready to hand off a child as soon as he walks in the door. This is a big accomplishment for me. Usually when I know he will be gone for a while I run off to my parents' house so I have some help and support. But life is getting busier and I have more responsibilities so that option isn't always available anymore.

And to be fair -- thanks to the wonderful people who helped to entertain the kids in church, who babysat so I could attend Bunco and go shopping without three "helpers" and who called to check on me and give me some adult conversation. This week helped to remind me that I have the best KIDS in the world, and the best FRIENDS in the world. MWAH!!

It's a BUNCO MIRACLE!!

Okay, not really a miracle. But it was really funny. To give you a little bunco background, each table plays with three dice and each round you are going for a certain number (1s,2s, etc). You are partners with the person across from you and you just take turns rolling and if you get one of the numbers of that round you keep rolling, if not, you pass the dice. You get one point for each target number. If you get all three dice showing the target number, it is called a bunco and you get 21 points. Easy, huh? That's why we love bunco. We can play and still carry on conversations about whatever we want to talk about. Well, most of us can. Right, Jenn? ;)

Anyway... last night my partner and I were at the head table and the round goes until a team at the head table gets 21. My partner and I needed one more four to win. So I closed my eyes and jokingly said, "I am visualizing FOURS" and I rolled a BUNCO of fours! Right now I am visualizing a million dollars...

Pointless post, I know. But I had to write it down so I would remember. Last night was my best night of bunco EVER. I only lost once in the first half of the night. The second half I only won five times (out of 12). Still didn't get a prize. Next month it is at my house. You know what that means -- DEEP CLEANING. Woo hoo!!

Happy

Just had to share this pic of my very happy boy yesterday. He really has been so much fun lately. We have even ventured out on shopping trips because I am not afraid of him having a meltdown in the middle of the store. Now if I could only feel that optimistic when I bring my girls. ;)

Top Ten Names

A high school friend sent me this. I thought it was funny. Maybe those of you agonizing over the name of your next child can get some inspiration:

1. YOUR REAL NAME:
Paige Leanne

2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME (first 4 letters of real name plus izzle)
Paigizzle

3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME (fav color and fav animal):
Red Otter

4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, and childhood street)
Leanne Decatur

5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 3 letters of mom's maiden name)
Engparog

6. YOUR SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink):
Green Lemonade

7. YOUR IRAQI NAME (2nd letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your last name, any letter of your middle name, 2nd letter of your moms maiden name, 3rd letter of you dads middle name, 1st letter of a siblings first name, last letter of your moms middle name):
Agnovme

8. YOUR WITNESS PROTECTION NAME (grandmother/grandfather's first name):
Retta Carleton

9. YOUR GOTH NAME (black, and the name of one your pets):
Black Kramer

10. YOUR PORN STAR NAME (One of your pets names, and a street you've lived on)
Molly Lee

Results

I would just like to say that in the three days since I have been giving Jaren bottles he has been a new baby. He is sleeping better, he is happier (MUCH happier) when he is awake, and I have been much less stressed. It could just be a coincidence, but I think that he probably enjoys having a full tummy. I have nursed him at night these past two evenings but I think I will replace that feeding with a bottle soon. Thank you for all the emails and comments of support. I find it amazing how neurotic I get sometimes when it comes to being a mom. Little things become SO huge in my mind and it seems as if that problem is a matter of epic porportions, when in reality it is just a blip on the screen of life. I think all moms need friends who can keep them grounded and things in perspective. Love ya!

End of an Era

I brought Jaren to the doctor yesterday to have a little problem checked out. While we were there they weighed him and he came in at 18 lbs, 5 oz. Which I thought was great, until I put it on the chart and realized that he has dropped from the 60th percentile at birth to down in the 20s. I think I may have been unintentionally starving the kid these past few months. Maybe that's why he's been so crabby. I never had a problem with nursing and my girls. They just packed the weight on and we joked that I made half and half instead of milk. Jaren's feedings have been really short, but he never acted like he still wanted more. I figured we were just really efficient. My girls were fast eaters, too. I think that he was just getting enough to not feel hungry anymore but he wasn't full. And he wasn't getting what he needed to continue to grow.

I decided yesterday to just wean him to formula. I have been contemplating this move due to my lack of weightloss but I didn't want to quit for selfish reasons and short change him. But now I think that to keep feeding him and not know how much he is getting is probably harming him. Now I will be able to monitor how much he gets. Maybe he will be a happier kid now. It was really emotional (surprisingly so) last night when I nursed him before bed. I mentioned how I felt that my bonding had been different with him and now we will lose this closeness. I also realized last night that after going almost 18 hours without nursing him (we started formula yesterday morning) that I wasn't engorged or anything. I know that he has been getting SOME milk, but evidently my body slowed down production a long time ago. I think this is the right decision. It just makes me sad. Jaren is quite possibly my last baby. That means no more nursing, no more little clothes, no more "firsts." It just hit me that we are ending the baby era and moving on.

Silly Kids

I was reminded by a friend that I should be writing down the funny things my kids say and do because I won't always remember them later. Even when I think I will never forget. So here are a few:

Jaren is OBSESSED with taking off his socks. I am positive that he sleeps worse on nights where he has on sweat pants and socks (instead of footie jammies) because he feels compelled to rip his socks off in his sleep. And once he gets the socks off, he sucks and chews on them so I can't put them back on, I have to go find a clean pair. Some mornings I will get him up and there will be four or five different, wet socks in his bed because I went in there in the night (in my half awake stupor) and put new socks on his freezing feet without fishing around in the dark for the old socks.

Joelle thinks that the funniest thing in the world is the AFLAC duck. She finds ways to work the word AFLAC into daily conversation. The other day Brian had put them to bed and he was laying on their floor "resting." I walked by the girls' room and said, "Goodnight Girlies" and kept walking. Brian said that Joelle sat up and said, "AFLAC??" She is so funny sometimes.

Jillise got jealous that the screensavers on my computer had been of Jaren and Joelle lately, so she devised a "plan" where the kids rotate being the screen savers. And having the steel-trap mind that she has, she woke up Sunday and came to me and said, "Today is the day that you have to take a picture of me for the computer. It's my week." Hence the pictures on the post below.