San Diego here we come!

Aidan and I went to visit the Davidson clan in San Diego last weekend and here are the pictures of our amazing trip! We had a party for Rob for re-enlisting, a party for Trisha turning 3 years old. We drove up to Mission Beach, and Solana Beach and went to the beach and drove through Balboa Park!

It was awesome! Plus since Aidan woke up Atlanta time (think between 3:30 and 4:30 am) I got to drive around Coronado and see all the houses and cool lawns. It was perfect!
And i got pampered with Mochas every morning!

We love you and miss you Sheilah, Rob, Trish and Nolan!

The rollercoaster

No, that isn't a reference to my fleeting everchanging emotions, it's for the rollercoaster that we happily inherited from Kathleen recently. I can't think of a nicer addition to my house, both Brendan and Aidan LOVE it. LOVE it. LOVE it.

When is this going to get easier?

Holy Cow!

I really really thought parenting would get easier, at least a little bit when your kids got older. Brendan is now almost 4 (April 28) and he had two almost hour long screaming sessions this morning because he just won't listen and do what he is told. In this case, it involved sitting in time out and then apologizing for not listening. I just don't know what to do with him sometime, make that most of the time.

Just last week, he just woke up screaming in the middle of the night. Bryan went in to see what was wrong with him and he immediately started screaming "go away daddy, go away". The rational part of you thinks that perhaps he doesn't want you in the room. Bry turned to walk away and he immediately started screaming "come back daddy, come back". When i say screaming, I mean writhing on the bed, purple faced, can't breathe, something is wrong with me screaming. It's amazing. He did that little number all night long. Quite literally. Bryan finally just layed on his floor and let him scream once we realized that he was just mad.

He woke up the next day and said he just woke up sad in the middle of the night. What can you say? I am just at a loss for words. Some say that he isn't afraid enough of Bryan or me (John Rosemond route), some would say that he's being naughty and doens't know his limits (Super nanny), I don't know what to say.

We have tried so many things with him. About a year ago we tried timeout in his room and he would just ransack the entire room. Pull everything out, all his toys, clothes and run around like he was on fire. We tried making the bathroom his time out place until he turned the water on and sprayed water everywhere. We have tried spanking, which did (and does) nothing. We have tried taking toys away, which works with some success but in the middle of a tantrum saying "stop kicking me brendan or you lose all your puzzles" just makes me sound and look like an idiot.

I just really thought if we were firm and consistent at enforcing what we say that it would get easier the older he got and it just has not at all. It's good that 80% of the time he's a great thoughtful, patient kid, but the other 20% is literally killing me!

Holy Day or Garbage Day?

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday and I wanted to take the boys to church. Brendan had been sick the night before but was acting fine, so I said to him, "Kiddo, today is a Holy Day so that means that we are going to go to Mass and Get ashes on our forehead. Do you understand?" and he looked up at me and said "Mommy, it's not a Holy Day, it's Garbage Day!". So funny.

And he's off....

I can't believe it has been this long since I blogged. Aidan started walking about 3 weeks ago and he just won't stop. He is so sure footed and confident and cute about it.
Brendan is home sick today, minor stomach flu, compared to some of the nasty bugs we have had, this one is cake!

I filled up the sandbox yesterday because it has been really warm here and they have both been loving playing in it and dumping the sand in various places in the yard. A lot of my kitchen utensils have been confiscated to the sandbox and I am remembering that last summer I ran out of most of my spatulas and tupperwares in May and found them all in the Fall.

I took Brendan to see Curious George two weekends ago and it was a great success. We tried to see a movie with Sheilah and her kids and Aidan too last summer but it didn't go well and involved all of them running up and down the aisles while the movie played. But this time, it was a big deal and we went alone together and the movie was so cute and age appropriate. But, George the monkey reminds me so much of Aidan it's crazy. Since Aidan only has a few words(mama, dada, hi/hello/hiya, bye-bye) and he mimics words you say but I don't think that really counts. So, he kind of makes a "uhhhhh" sound and points at what he wants and sometimes he will make the more sign (finger tip in the palm of the opposite hand) and then go "uhhhhh???" and more for bananas. Today he would grab my finger or hand and walk me to the door and make the sound b/c he wanted to go back outside and play when I was fixing lunch.

So cute. Crafty. He's a climber too and loves phones. He will stalk out all the portable phones in the house and if i've used one and left it somewhere he'll go and find it and point to it or "UHHHHH" to it. so cute.

That's all for now!