13/52: bunnies

Sorry for friends who follow my instagram feed... the next several posts will probably have the same pictures you've already seen. We sold my actual camera, so while waiting for the next one the phone pics have had to compensate! (nothing too exciting on the camera front, just an updated version. But I'm plenty excited!)

Anyway, here are the two bunnies after they hunted for their eggs, but before they opened them (at least for Mont). When we got home from church, and after the kids' naps, we were getting ready to eat dinner, then afterwards have the egg hunt. Well as I was finishing up some dinner, Mont went upstairs to visit my mom who was visiting, and happened to look in her closet. AH! Having been sleepy from late-night stuffing, my mom simply laid the baskets of eggs down on the closet floor, just waiting for a wandering child. AH! My mom felt so bad, and my teasing probably didn't help, but I thought it was the funniest thing in the world!! Mont was so excited to have "found the eggs" and wanted to show me SO badly. I quickly explained to him that the Easter Bunny still had to come hide the eggs for the hunt, and we shouldn't look at/in them until the hunt-game has been finished. Not sure how it went over, but he seemed happy with that lame explanation. So we had our friend Andrew ring the doorbell so we could make a big deal that "The Easter Bunny's here!!! Go wait in your room until he hides them for you!" Eh. At least Mont picked up the concept that Easter is about something more important. He loves to say, "Jesus came alive again!" I just clap my hands and say, "That's right, Mont!! You're so smart. Isn't that wonderful?!" He said it tonight (April 10th - I'm backlogging these posts, sorry) again and all the excitement and wonder was still all there. Happy Moments.. happy moments.

painted water

After painting, whatever it is that I paint, one of my most favorite things of the whole experience is seeing the color of the water when I'm done. The hues are often times milky and colored just my favorite muted shades. I leave the jar out for hours afterwards just to remind myself that I finished. Nothing big, but something pretty.

The morning after I finished this particular painting, I woke up to the severe morning light striking the mantle where the water was resting. Ah, I love morning light.. always inspires and awakens energy if I let myself soak it in the way I believe we're meant to.

... I painted again that day, too. : )

12/52: berries

I feel a little bad that Emmy's been the subject of the recent portraits, but she is just at that age! Everything she does has a flare. Ha! Even eating berries in her cereal.

11/52: color love

Just like Mont used to, Emmy [usually] chooses colors that work well together. I love watching her come up with the swirly shapes and ideas for what draw. See that yellow below her right hand? She pointed to the spot when it was still white, handed me a yellow and said, "Rabbit." I had her say please first, (ha!) then I set to work, outlining the shape of a rabbit for her. When I was done, she reached for the yellow and commenced coloring it in like crazy. Watching her is a huge enjoyment for me; her movements on paper so specific. When she has a pencil or pen in hand, she can do the tiniest little squiggles you've ever seen - loads of them. Like little swirly stars all over the paper done by my little color lover.

10/52: snow bunnies

red handed jill

Emmy is just as much a pirate as her brother! Here she is, having donned all but the belt, by herself.. I confess I helped set the eyepatch just a bit more securely. I never know what her mind will dream up for her little daily adventures. She ran around the house in this getup for as long as she could, saying all the pirate phrases Montoya had taught her. She wouldn't hold still for a better picture, so this is what we get!

nakin' boy

First off, thanks for all your suggestions in comments, texts, and messages. I really have a lot to think about and ideas to go off. I don't think it's a medical thing, as he can hold it for hours and hours during the day. After a day of running around, he is his most thirsty in the late afternoon hours and cries and screams for water when we withhold it, even if he has been drinking through the day (not even excessively. He just likes water.). Even on nights where he doesn't drink a whole lot, I think he wakes up mostly out of the desire to just be up and do something. I'm not quite sure. We think if he were a heavier sleeper, he would wind up wetting the bed. I guess I'm grateful he is getting himself to the toilet for that reason. We've moved a small bose radio into their room and have been playing some soft music as they fall asleep, and that has helped for the past three nights. Also, the last three nights have been more restful; but probably due to the fact that he hardly slept at all last week! We shall see what comes of this.

I don't know if I could put him back in pull-ups/diapers.. he's accomplished this huge thing, and I don't want to take that away from him as a source of confidence, turning it into a failure (I know someone who this happened to, and the kid never bounced back quite the same..). So probably, I'll just have to stick it out, and outlast him. And go to bed earlier myself (10 or earlier). Something I've never liked doing..

On to the original reason for this post: My nakin' boy. He has a lot of different names for himself, this Mont boy of mine. But when he's naked, he becomes, "Naked Boy" of course. When it's morning time and he demands bacon for the reason that he is, "Bacon Boy!" Then there is also the time where he is really enjoying his cookie, and he calls himself the "Cookie Boy!" (this stems from his Uncle Michael who was dubbed The Cookie Boy out of his sheer adoration for the food). Not the most original of names, but he still loves these designated titles. Similar to Superman or Batman, I assume.

This particular occasion, my nakin' boy ran off to hide after using the bathroom (he strips down completely still whenever possible). Lovely.. I could not find him anywhere, and I couldn't even hear him giggling! Which is normally how I trace him through the house.

Fiiiinally I found him, in a place I had already glanced over. But even then I had to take a second look. When I reassured myself that I had in fact spotted his face, I made him hold still! don't move! while I ran to get the camera because I could not believe how stealthily he had been hiding. This is one for the record books for my funny little three year old. He's quickly becoming our hide and seek master!

sleep rewind

Today is one of those days, and I am going to take this therapeutic moment right now and write it out, then hopefully hit publish so I can possibly get some feedback or ideas if I'm not too embarrassed.

On this overcast Friday, we all have the hint of dark blue on the inner corners of our eyes, accompanied by blank stares. We are all exhausted from lack of sleep.

Thanks to Mont.

When I sleep trained him back in October, he started sleeping solidly through the night. We were all so thrilled. Next up was toilet training. He succeeded at that too. And since November has been successfully toilet trained.

However.

Sleep has gone out the window since then. I've been in denial to the degree of not admitting it here. He wakes up at least 4/5 times a night just to go to the bathroom, stripping down to his birthday suit, then needing us to help him put his pajamas on again, or remind him to flush the toilet and wash his hands. We would tell him to hold it, except each time he goes like a racehorse.

I've lost my temper more than I'd care to admit today, and have even tried putting myself in timeout, which still sent Mont into a tail spin of tears, leaving me wanting to bang my head into my headboard over and over again. ha! Seriously.

Lds.org has been visited as I read through a few talks on anger, feeling bad that I'm not more patient. I found one quote that I had to write down for my fridge:

"Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools." (Ecclesiastes 7:9) Nice, right?

Mont has been wandering around the house, whining in a high pitched voice, and his face all skewed up, asking me for this or that, then this again, or something else entirely. I have no patience because I've been getting 5 hours of interrupted sleep for at least 3 months again. I'm so TIRED of it!

Emmy is a sleeping champ until about 5:20, then if one wakes up, they both wake up for the rest of the morning. Without Mont's influence, she will wake up at about 6:20 on her own.

We have implemented early naps here the last while, starting at 10:30, I start gearing them up for naptime at 11. Mont will only sleep about 30-40 minutes, then wake up and whine and cry. Without naps, he sleeps only marginally better for the first 4 hours, from 7-10:30/11, then the rest of the night is still bad, waking up at 5:45/6. Later bedtimes harbor the same result.

I feel like screaming! :) I smile, because this is so ridiculous. I have no idea what to do with this kid!! My parents say I was a terrible sleeper until 3.5. Mont is one month past 3.5 years, and he is still outdoing my record.

HELP. Maybe you have the number for a night nurse? ha.

9/52: siesta

Wednesday was bed and bath laundry day over here, and with the affects of a 5 am wake up for all of us, we found ourselves looking for excuses to relax in softly lit spaces all day long. Mont was upstairs I believe, playing with dinosaurs, while Emmy and I snuck downstairs to sprawl out on a bare bed. I surrendered all the pillows so I could soak in every last minute of calm from her I could while I read a book. I believe this only lasted a few minutes, but it felt luxurious.