Just A Few Things

I rearranged my living room yesterday. Because that's what I do when my mood isn't quite right. I rearrange things.

I'm trying to take a break after having all three kids at home, all day, for 21 days straight. The Monster went to his Dad's on Sunday for another two week stay. I would be lying if I said that I didn't heave a big sigh of relief. I love the Monster, a fierce firstborn type of love, but he is the type of child who is mentally exhausting. So entertaining, funny, charismatic. But so taxing on the brain and prone to know-it-allism, with a bad penchant for backtalk, and having to have the last word, which almost always lands him in time out. School is necessary for him. He needs that stimulation and interaction with other people in order to be able to behave at home. He starts First Grade on August 19th. I swear I am not counting down the days.

Cashman also starts school in August. Preschool. His first time ever to be away from home for extended periods during the day. I thought about it last night and I wasn't sure why it was making me feel so sad. I'm not that type, to get all weepy over little milestones. But I realized that he has been by my side every day for the last three years and nine months. We've had our occasional splits but babysitters have never been readily available and he's only spent a night away with Supergrandma when he was about 8 months old. I know he'll do fine. I'm not worried so much. It just feels like this huge huge thing.

Sugarbaby and I have big plans for when the boys start back to school and it's just us two at home. Library visits, park outings, shopping. I won't know what to do, not having to unbuckle and unload two or three kids every time I have to go somewhere.

And on the subject of Sugarbaby, this little gal is quite amazing to me. She is 14 months old. She attempts to diaper herself and will retrieve a diaper when asked. Tell her no and she ceases whatever she was doing immediately (unless it is tantruming). Tell her to spit out whatever foreign object she put in her mouth and out it comes. She plays with her tea set realistically by pouring you a cup, handing it over, and then drinking her own. Hand her a doll and she hugs and kisses it as hard as she can. She eats absolutely anything you put in front of her: zucchini, avocado, yogurt, meatloaf, salmon, broccoli, lemon slices. She can devour a whole peeled peach right to the pit in about a minute and a half. I'm sure this is just par for the course with lots of toddlers (omg she is a toddler!), but I just don't remember the boys acting so mature and aware of having such a sense of what everything was. They seemed more like babies at this age than she does.

And to completely change the subject but still be on the topic of children, my nephew Trip is set to come home from Children's Hospital on Wednesday. HOORAY! More on that complete with pictures next week.