To give in...

I gave up, I caved, admitted defeat, surrendered, conceded, submitted, gave up, quit, threw in the towel, ...and so on and so forth!


No paci at nap was turning my wonderful 2 year old into ... not a wonderful 2 year old (I was going to call her some name and figured I'd regret it later so "not wonderful 2 year old" will do)
I decided I'd give her paci back which didn't change a thing. Great.

She still wouldn't nap and I'd let her win the paci battle.

So I sat her down yesterday (yeah, she does well with this most of the time) and talked to her before nap time...I explained that the paci's were really gone and I was sorry I confused her, but that she was a big girl who did not need a paci at all. I got her in the bed, kisses and hugs, and explained that I would not be coming back in until she took her nap. And guess what? She slept...for 2 hours. Coincidence? Maybe, but wow I was so excited. Next test was bedtime would she be up until 10 or later? (We have been dealing with late night Taylor for almost a week now...) I told her the same thing, that I would not be coming back and she was asleep within 15 minutes...another coincidence...I hope not!

Today at nap I repeated that I would not be coming back and got another 2 hour nap! YAY!

To sum it up...I don't think taking the paci away bothered her sleep, I think it was a phase that happened to coincide with me taking the paci's. Now we are on track...I hope...to good naps and great bedtimes again.

I'll update later on this, hopefully to express my excitement of continued no paci success!

What is a rut?

Rut: boring situation: a routine procedure, situation, or way of life that has become uninteresting and tiresome


I have used the expression "I think I'm in a rut" quite a bit over the last week or so, which led me to look up the word rut.. After reading the meaning, I really need to say something very different.

My life is a routine procedure, but it definitely isn't boring and never uninteresting. My two girls are my life and they keep my days from being anything like a rut...

I think that we all go through seasons.
Ups, downs, sideways, fast, slow. Lately I feel there have been more downs than ups and way more sideways movement than I wish for. Kind of makes me motion sick =0)

Through the downs of life though, I feel that I realize that I need to be closer to God, personally. I need to chat with him much more often than I do and I really need to rely on His word. So I took a moment and looked for some verses on encouragement.

•  “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33          

                                    

• God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. Psalm 46:1-3,7 

• ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 41:10 

• For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 2 Tim 1:7

• I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Psalm 16:8

• Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail). Psalm 55:22

• He only is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved. Psalm 62:6

• Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. 1 Peter 5:7

• The Lord is good, a Strength and Stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows (recognizes, has knowledge of, and understands) those who take refuge and trust in Him. Nahum 1:7

• “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3

 

 

Was it a BIG mistake?

This is all I have been thinking since Thursday afternoon that and DO NOT GIVE THEM BACK...

So I have known for quite a while (like a year) that we had to get rid of Taylor's paci addiction...which has only been at nap and at bedtime, not sure if that makes it better or not, but it makes me feel better  =0)

I had a friend who , when getting rid of her daughter's, she took her to "Build A Bear" and they put them inside a bear she picked out and everything was wonderful. (imagine fluffy clouds, sweet music, butterflies...etc.) I thought that sounded like a great idea talked it up to Taylor (she never caught on to the idea) and then ...

I was off for the summer and decided no, I just want to take them away, she doesn't need a fluffy story or a bear she can hold....

now, I wish maybe that I hadn't decided that...we'll see.

Thursday we went to swim lessons at noon and headed back to the house. We came in and while Taylor sat at the table eating lunch, I put Shelby down for a nap, or so Taylor thought...HeHe...I took a detour into Taylor's room and took the paci's...no better time to take them away, I thought, (I have begun to really question my thinking lately, I am not really sure that thinking was even involved)

Nap was GREAT, really. About 5 minutes of whinning and then sweet dreams. Bedtime Thursday was a little longer on the whinning/crying, but overall not bad. I thought, this is going to be wonderful...

I was WRONG! Friday through Sunday she did not take a nap...at all. We had places to go in the afternoon so I was not able to make her stay in the bed until she went to sleep.

So on Monday I decided she'd stay until she realized she must take a nap. So my child sang, played, changed clothes (like 5 times) cried, screamed, etc. from 2:30 - 5:00. and Finally went to sleep... I went in every 20 minutes or so to check on her. Mostly she was up playing or changing clothes. Anything instead of sleeping. Monday night was fine.

Today was another nap battle. She went down around 1:40 and immediately began singing the ABC's over the monitor (cute...atleast for the first few verses). Then the singing became playing and I went in and told her to take her nap. She pretty much stayed in the bed, which was a change from yesterday. Then about 2:30 she began knocking on her door...Oh dear!

When I opened the door she had said she went to the potty. And she did, in her pants...UGGGH! Of course it was a plot to not take a nap. After cleaning her up, giving her a good talking to, and a little pop on the bootie, she was back in the bed and asleep within 5 minutes.

I am not sure how many days I can take... at least there seems to be a trend (after 2 days) of the time it takes for sleep to occur is shortening. Monday it took 2.5 hours and Today took about 1 hour. So maybe, just maybe, the trend will continue. Here's to hoping and praying!

(but secretly, I really want to give the paci's back to her and deal with it another day...like a year from now)

A Little Game We Like to Play

Shelby or Taylor?

Why I became a teacher....

SUMMER BREAK!!!

Well, not totally...I love to teach. It is my passion, but the summer break doesn't hurt a bit!

And this summer I get to enjoy 2 beautiful little girls!

I have enjoyed being with my girls so much, especially being able to spend time with Shelby when she's in  GREAT mood. She's hardly ever in a really bad mood, but when I was working I usually picked her up around 4 from the sitters and 4PM-bedtime is not her time slot for being in a particularly good mood. She is the happiest first thing in the morning. These pictures are just a few that I was able to capture one morning after breakfast...

The bonding of sisters...

Sisters, brothers, siblings...it's really something I know nothing about. So watching my girls play and love on each other is absolutely amazing to me and my love for them has increased ten-fold. When we were a family of 3, I knew I loved Taylor with everything in me, but after adding Shelby I love Taylor so much more. Sounds crazy doesn't it? But I swear my love for taylor intensified, multiplied, just grew... I see her love Shelby and my heart literally swells, if you have loved anything or anyone more than yourself you know that feeling...it is so hard to describe. I feel like my heart could just burst for all the love inside. And for Shelby, my love grows everyday, especially now that I see her look at Taylor for approval to laugh or cry (example: Daniel will play with Shelby by "surprising" her when he knocks ont he table loudly at dinner. There have been a few times when he has caught her so off guard she doesn;t know whether to laugh or to cry. She'll immediately look to Taylor to find out how she is reacting...of course Taylor is always laughing and Shelby's trembling little lip will curve into the sweetest smile as she begins to laugh.)

To sum it up...the love they have for each other makes my love for them so much stronger.

When it comes to bonding I guess I just hope that I am teaching them how to love one another and how to appreciate each other. I didn't grow up with siblings around (I do have a half brother but he never lived with me and the most we saw each other was every other weekend, maybe. He is also about 11 years younger than me.), so raising them to not be the siblings that hate each other and be the ones that love, love, love is a lesson that is completely foreign to me.

I don't know what it's like to

1. fight over stuff (some call that spoiled, I am not sure I really like that term, but I guess that's what it is)
2. have a sibling to share secrets with (maybe I don't want them to know how to do that either)
3. have someone stick up for me when I'm in trouble
4. know there is someone else who feels the same as me about my mom or dad. (for them hopefully it will always be a feeling of great love and admiration =)  )

The list is really endless...so how do I teach them to share, confide in one another, stick up for the other, etc. when I've never been there myself?