Stolen

Everyone is asleep.  I crept downstairs for my first shower in four days.  EW. True.  Aha. I just heard Peter get up.  Typical. 

We have good days and bad.  I am trying to remind myself that parenting is a marathon and not a sprint, and that I can be good enough.  That I am good enough.  Mostly I feel like I am torn between giving everyone what they need and trying to remain a person. 

In the grand tradition of her brothers, Allison is a big fan of being held.  I'd like to say I hold her safely and lovingly while I help the boys to craft and/or play and/or read.  Sometimes? Sometimes( more often, fine. MOSTLY) James and Peter are fighting and Allison is crying and Handy Manny watches Peter and James while I soothe Allison. 

I hate that.  But I am kind of stuck. I just keep telling myself that soon she will be bigger and it will be easier to keep them all together playing. 

On a great day, Allison takes a two or three hour nap in the swing in the morning and I take the boys outside to play. Then I wash the twenty pounds of mud off them and give them lunch and she wakes up. Then happy play times til Allison takes an hour long afternoon nap in the swing. LOVE YOU SWING. Then Daddy, dinner, bed.

On a good day, Allison takes one nap, and I also take her outside for a bit and I do not dream of day drinking.

On a day like yesterday, Allison cries unless held ALL DAY, and Peter and James fight and fight and FIGHT.  Also cry and whine. AND THEN MORE FIGHTING. And then I scream and put them in their rooms.  Repeat x 5 but feel free to swap out with putting them in the corner. 

We try to make it so they can both have alone time with daddy three times a week.  Sometimes it's errands, and sometimes they go to the YMCA to swim. 

Almost four months

Well, that's incredible.  I've stolen this time by way of Allison napping and giving the boys an excessive amount of cookies. 

We are busy.  BUSY.  It's kind of like when I worked in a restaurant and was constantly doing three things at once. 

Peter is really enjoying being read chapter books, so far Ramona the Pest, The Fantastic Mr Fox, Dinosaurs After Dark, and we are in the middle of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I think next we will go with Charlotte's Web.  He will sit spellbound for half an hour at least, just drinking in the story. 

James has given up his nap.  He is talking much more now, and has complex sentences.  He and Peter can really play together now, and enjoy it.  And fight like mad but still.  They enjoy each others company very much.  It's wonderful to see them developing secrets and games and hopefully laying the groundwork for a lifetime of fun. 

Allison is growing so quickly.  She is growing much faster than her brothers did at this stage.  Thankfully though she is not rolling over yet. Most likely because she is hardly ever on the floor, it's a bit dangerous there with the children racing all over like mad. She is such a happy, happy baby.  Her whole face lights up with enormous smiles.  Also( sorry boo) she is a CHAMPION FARTER.  whooooeeeee.  It's kind of awesome because Peter and James both had a hard time passing gas and she just shocks us all with these really loud ones.  HAHAA( Don't kill me, Allie of the Future).

I really want to do a long post about Allisons birth before I forget everything but who knows when I'll have the mental focus for it.  I still have not driven, it's been seven months.  It's really hard for me to drive when nursing because if the baby cries I can't focus on the road.