This post has been sitting in my drafts to add some photos to and then post... I'm just going to post it, okay? I'm glad you're going with me on this one, I'm trying to get posts up, they will never be perfect so just getting them published will have to be my goal, no more languishing in the drafts for months...
Things have been changing around here. Wolf got a new (long prayed for) job. Wolfs new job went from being contract to permanent. Lion started a new year at school. Dragon started a new year/class at kindy. Monkey has grown up so very much. Mummy has... done stuff... or something... I can't really remember, I am having enough trouble remember which classrooms my boys need to go to and dropping the right child at kindy and at school and making sure that at least one child comes home with me...
Anyway, part of Wolf's job now is weird shifts. His old job meant that he was around in the mornings to help (a bit) with getting us off to school before he went to work. He was then home about three quarters through the afternoon to help with dinner, bath and bedtime. His new job has some shifts that I don't like very much. I enjoy the perks of these shifts like starting at 7am means he's home at 3:30pm and we get lots more play time. Starting at 2pm means we've had the morning to play and go for a coffee if we want to. Unfortunately it also means that I get a little stressed in the mornings if he's got to head off early. Or I flip out in the evenings if he's going to be home after bedtime. The big boys are very light sleepers in the early hours so they wake up when Wolf is getting ready... at 5:30am. Which means they wake their little brother about that time too... which means I am dealing with tired cranky kids from the start. Getting tired cranky kids ready to leave the house is not fun. But at times it does come with some entertainment.
One particular night we finished two separate boxes of tissues so the next morning beside the bin were the two empty boxes. Monkey thought these were great and while Mummy was busy trying to convince Dragon that he really did need to wear clothes to kindy Monkey put them on his hands and went around the house banging them together to make as much noise as he could.
Lion always wears joggers to school, Monkey found his own joggers and decided that was what he wanted to wear today so I found him some socks and we put them on him, Dragon decided that since everybody else was doing it that he wanted to wear his joggers too. The problem with that is he never puts his socks back in the wash. Or one goes in the wash and the other disappears. So I went hunting for two matching socks. After a few minutes I called to him that I was having trouble finding two socks that matched and could he just wear his clogs today? "No mum, I want two socks that are not the same as the other one"... well, that might also account for why none of the socks I can find match, they aren't even worn as a pair! So, you can't get more mismatched than one blue sock pulled almost to his knee and one grey sock that comes about an inch above his ankle. I didn't explain to his teachers at kindy what was going on, they see me drop him off twice a week, they probably figure that it's lucky we remembered to turn up each day... and that I don't accidentally leave the wrong child behind.
On the way to kindy there was a general cacophony in the car, I assumed it was coming from all three boys. We stopped at the traffic lights and I glanced back and saw Monkey sitting in his seat, worn out look on his face, fingers in his ears. I know just how he feels. I thought I'd have a better listen to what was bringing on this reaction from him...
Dragon was burping "baa baa black sheep"... the whole song.
Lion was baaing (yes, like a sheep) the ABCs... all of it.
I wonder what effect this will have on my little Monkey, will he go for a "can't beat 'em, join 'em" approach? Will he be "the quiet one"? Will he raise his voice louder still to be heard above the din? Who knows.
*Don't forget to check out my Walt Disney Studios Alice In Wonderland 60th Anniversary Edition giveaway here. It ends this Sunday*
Just remember challenges make us stronger. You'll get the hang of it and just be grateful your mum doesn't feel the need to explain to EVERYONE you know that your husband's at work/a shift worker because she doesn't want anyone thinking your a single mum. And as you get stronger, you get better and one day you'll wonder what on earth you were worried about. It also makes those times when your husband is home feel much more luxurious. I've only just in this past week come to realise that other husbands and dads actually see their kids EVERY day! I know it sounds strange but it literally only just clicked for me this past week. Elijah can go days without seeing Justin, so when he does see him it's even more super special. The big boys get to see him a little more because they're up when he gets home from a day shift, but even they can still go 3 days in a row without seeing him {not including overtime}. I'm glad you can see the entertainment in it all.
ReplyDeleteIt seems one can never really win with work and time with kids. My hubby works int he next city- one crappy highway away. He can not possibly make mornings and evenings on a single day. So I am often alone. You just get used to it. Somehow.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am convinced there is a special little bermuda triangle for socks. And little girl's hair things.