So. How's It Going?!

Mom! Come here so I can kick you! (I'll be right there, Sweetums.)

Nobody likes me. (Nope. That's why we're devoting our lives to you right now.)

Fine. I guess I'll sit strong. (Oh, don't do it too quickly. It's only been 2 hours since I asked you to do that.)

Waaaaahhhhhhh!!!! Everybody gets to have fun except me. (Is that why you're playing with legos?)

Nobody likes me. (Nope. Still don't.)

I can scare everybody in this house. (Watch me freak out.)

Mom! Come here so I can hit you. (Of course, my dear.)

So there you have it. Our days in a nutshell. :) Really, though. We have seen vast improvement in the past week....but the days are kind of like a roller coaster.

One hour goes absolutely super, and the next is constant screaming and flopping on the floor.

One night we all sleep soundly for eight hours, and the next the adults sleep soundly while the children keep themselves entertained for the night. You know. Why wouldn't you want to stay up most of the night playing in your bedroom? Think of how strong you could be the next day. :)

As long as they don't keep me awake with their playing, I'm all for it!! Sure, I'd love to be up there making sure that they are getting the appropriate amount of sleep, but it'd be a losing battle. There's a couple things that we as the parents cannot control. Eating and sleeping are two of them. I can force a child to stick a bite in his/her mouth, but I can't force the chewing and swallowing. I can force a child to stay in bed, but I certainly can't make them go to sleep. So. We do the thing that really doesn't feel right at all, and totally ignore them after they are in bed.

And, no. We are not super-parents. We are winging it and reading the purple book, and gleaning from memory all the things that Mr. James and Miss Nancy taught us. While I've never been a huge fan of therapists, I learned in our short week that they do have their place. They are needed. They do have a special gift from God and I am so very thankful that they are available.

According to the book, (grin) they'll (our children, not the therapists) eventually learn that sleep is the only way to have a good day. Sleep is needed. Sleep is a blessing. And only they can make themselves go to sleep.

Our days are fairly scheduled. Okay. Make that really scheduled. Or perhaps even scheduled to an extreme.

Not my idea of fun. Sure, I like schedules as much as the next person, but I much prefer to wing it.

Everyone is up at 6:15. Yes. You read that correctly. 6:15AM. It doesn't matter how late the thumping lasted the night before, we get up bright and early at this house.

The children all make their beds and sit strong beside them until Jason or I check them. Usually we try to check them in about 30 seconds-1 minute after they let us know that the bed is made. Too long of sitting strong and they lose all interest in doing what they know they are to be doing.

Beds made, they get dressed and come downstairs.

Then is when the schedule isn't quite so clear. Some mornings we have breakfast right away, some mornings we head outside to do the chores.

Addie feeds and waters the chickens, and gathers eggs. Will carries fresh water to the dogs. Unless, of course, they didn't make their beds nicely and then Mommy does the chores. If Mommy has to do the chores, that means they have to do one of Mommy's chores later in the day. Sweep a floor, do the dishes, or maybe just giving a lovely backrub!

Once breakfast is over, all three of them head for their rugs and I start them on some kind of project...coloring, playing with legos, building with blocks, writing the alphabet, writing numbers, playing with tractors, playing with a baby doll, etc.

That lasts roughly 1/2 hour. Or until I remember that it's time to switch out.

Then they each have a simple chore....wash a cupboard, clean the front of the fridge or stove or microwave, dust the chairs, dust some furniture, clean the sink or toilet, take laundry to the washer, etc.

Some days the jobs are accomplished quickly....some days they take several hours. :) Especially with Will. While in Colorado he took 1 1/2 hours to fold four washclothes. Impressive. And it wasn't because he was taking such care with making sure they were folded correctly.

The first one done with chores gets to jump on the mini tramp for 25 minutes or crawl for 15. My choice...the other will be done in the afternoon.

Why the jumping and crawling? Something about those movements make the brain function in a needed way. It makes the two sides of the brain cross over and work together.

The jumping is well loved. The crawling? Not so much. There's a bell at one end of the run and a Staples "that was easy" button at the other so I can tell that it's really happening without having to be right there watching. They have a choice...crawl really well for 15 minutes, or really poorly for 30 minutes. And, no, I don't make all the rules....I simply follow the book.

After every block of time they all three sit strong to allow some time for their brains to switch gears. Not a well liked part...and often involves much screaming and flopping...all to sit strong for 30 seconds. :) BUT, that, too is improving. :)

Lunch time is right at noon.

And we start in again!!! Jack takes a nap while the other two march on through the day in 1/2 hour increments.

Puzzle time is after lunch, more lego time, book reading time (I read to them), jumping or crawling for whoever didn't get it done in the morning, perhaps some bike riding outside, or sandbox playing....or swing riding if we had a swing. It fell with the tree when the storm went through. :(

Eventually we make it to supper time and that means the day is nearly over. They go to bed between 7:30 and 8:00. I know. I can hardly stand it, but we were told while in Colorado that a child our children's ages need the opportunity to sleep for 10-12 hours a day. Wow. Opportunity is the major key word here. :) Sometimes they'll all be sleeping in 5 minutes...sometimes they're all still awake at 11:00.

And then I crash. Or catch up on things that didn't get accomplished that day. Or water flowers. Or head to the garden. Or read a book.

And try to be in bed no later than 10:00 so I can get about eight hours of sleep before starting all over again! Eight hours....IF baby George decides to lie still and sleep rather than turning cartwheels half the night.

While it doesn't sound too stressful to see it written out here, I have to admit that it gets to me at times. That's when I lock myself in the bathroom for a bit to recuperate. But the one child has to be in there with me as whenever I leave the room he is suddenly kicking the other children (no matter where they're at in the house, he chases them down and finds them) or knocking over their toys, or simply screaming at them to scare them. BUT, yes. He is improving. :)

The screaming and yelling is what gets to me the most, I guess. It's mentally exhausting to listen to that for several hours each day.

We're hanging in there. I have been ever so thankful for my husband. When he's around he takes over to give me a break. And he takes Jack with him frequently so the poor little guy isn't terrified. It really eats at Jack when the other two are having screaming parties. He doesn't know which end is up at that point and I often have to hold him or just send him outside to play to get him away from the chaos.

Yes. I said 'when the other TWO are having screaming parties'. That is one thing we did not expect. At all. While we knew that Will needed some help in the form of therapy...we really didn't catch on with Addie.

Her therapy sessions dragged up some old dirt and hurt that she really was trying hard to forget and now it's all out in the open. She's worked up about the new schedule. She's worked up about not being able to go and do and see other folks....though when she does have the chance it's proving to be too much for her right now. Simply put, she doesn't like being forced to learn to trust someone other than herself.

And, truly? That is what is happening. They are not in control of one single decision in their days at this point. Here in a week or two we are to start giving them very simple choices...do you want tea or water? Yes, very simple.

As the pictures prove, it's not all horrid. We do have fun. We do stay happy...at least the adults of the family do. We do love each other.

Yes, it's a little stressful at times now, but we have hope. We see a glint of light at the end of the tunnel. And we are learning all over again to trust God with every single little thing.