Habits, and breaking them!

We have created a creature of habit.  He is into routines, and everything same.  We did this. Intentionally.  We knew that creating sameness gives to a sense of normalcy, and security.  We wanted him to always feel safe.  I think we have done well to accomplish that.  He has little fear, although he is shy, but I believe that is passing. 

Today has me thinking about all the things we have done to create routine in this child.  It started before he was born.  When I was still pregnant, I would blast a kid's CD in the car when I was all alone, sometimes singing along.  I think I read somewhere that this was good for their development before they were fully developed... Being a good first time mommy, I did it.  Low and behold though, once he was here, and we were driving in the car, if he got irritated, I could pop in that CD, and it was an instant calm.  It was amazing, and wonderful.  We have since misplaced it, but I am planning to do the same for the new babe.  Purely for sanity's sake on long days of running errands. Or road trips.  I need to get on that......

Back to why I am thinking about routines.  Today, I made the mistake of turning on the radio in Preston's room, to let him listen to the radio while getting dressed.  I thought it would entice him back to his room so we could get ready for preschool.  It worked.  Now, though, the CD player won't play.... If you have ever been in my child's room, you know that he has 24/7 classical lullabies playing.  It has gotten to the point that Brandon can't sleep without it either. 


Rest Time is not going well.  I can't make a peep.  He hears me. There is no music in there playing to drown my noises of laundry, tidying, possibly putting more tape up for painting in the nursery.  I am closed off in my bedroom, hiding out. If you want to think of me sitting on my bed with the covers over my head, my comforter is dark gray and silver.  I'm not, but I halfway feel like I should be.  He was acting really sleepy at lunch, and probably needs a good rest today.  It might help everyone this afternoon.

He is so attached to this music, and I have been over to his room no less then 7 times in 50 minutes.  I don't think I will ever get this post out.  I like that he likes his routines and when one falls out of place, he acts as if his left arm is somehow missing.  I like that he knows what to expect.  We did this.  It is our fault that he can't rest without the precious music.  I knew this day was coming, I did get this CD player for Christmas from my parents when I was in MIDDLE SCHOOL.  I am not going to go into how many years that is, but trust me, this CD player has put in its time. 

So, in a panic, I call Brandon and tell him he must go to walmart and get a new one, as he is stopping by here before he has to go to an appointment up here.  He doesn't have time.  So here I am, hiding out.  Pray that I can find something quiet to entertain me until 3 o'clock when rest time is over! 

First Follower!

I haven't been on in a while, it has been all I can do to read my favorite blogs! I apologize for my lack of entertainment.  Maybe this is why I only have one bona-fide follower, but I know you all are out there because the stats say that you are!  Thanks Carly for being my first! ;)

Onto the good stuff... We have had a lot of spring like days lately and it has been blissful!  I was being to feel that I had lost "it,"  my desire to do anything spontaneous, fun, exciting.  We had become creatures of habit. Monday- groceries, Tuesday- preschool, Wednesday-nothing, Thursday-preschool, Friday-possibly Pump It Up.  I had lost my desire to be outside and moving.  The fact that I am 25 weeks pregnant is not helping me get off my tail either. 

However, in the last week or two we have seen lots of 50-60 degree days, and I have gotten it back.  Either that or I have started nesting.  I believe nesting has something to do with lots of cleaning and organizing, and I am ashamed to say, that is not what has started around here!  We have been what I like to call parking it a lot.  We visited the awesome park in town that has something for everyone, including a bike trail.  The day that we went though the bike trail was a bust because there was 100mph winds, making it impossible to ride anything.  Coolest thing yet, though, happened last week.  We discovered a secret, not half a mile from our house!  We have a new playground, and we found it first!  I don't know that we really found it first, we just got there first!  It is AMAZING and wonderful considering the size of our little community! It has the TALLEST slide, that Preston hugged me tight and we FLEW down! I wish I had had my camera the morning we went and snapped a thousand pictures of the joy of our discovery. 

It was so exciting that as soon as Dad walked through the door he heard all about it, until we loaded up, and walked back to the playground. We wore short sleeves and walked! It was wonderful to have the sun on our backs, heating us, while we walked/waddled back. Preston showed his dad all the cool new stuff, and gave him the grand tour before our secret was discovered by every kid in town within 30 minutes.  It was almost comical at the number of kids pouring out of the minivans!  It was fun to sit back and watch Preston make new friends and learn their games.  It is amazing how much he has grown in the past three and a half years, that now he will play with random kids at the park without us.  It makes me a little sad to see him gain that independence from us, but glad to see that he will be self-sufficient one day!

Today, though, schools were closed, yes, closed.  We got enough ice to make it dangerous for the kids to be out and about (at least at school) today.  I didn't want any part of it.  So we dropped the blinds, stayed in our jammies, and made plans to work on the nursery and get it ready for painting. Then later we planned to fill the tub, and play pool.  That is where we are now. I am typing this from my beach chair in the bathroom, while my little three year old gets wrinkly in his swim trunks.  While typing Buzz and Woody have each had a time out, and now some kind of Tarzan game ensues. It is entertaining. I hope that the promise of 50 degree comes back soon. I don't want to get back in a rut. 

It's coming, yesterday was proof!

Oh, how I love Spring and Summer, and have been looking forward to them since it officially became Fall!  It is so bad, that I even have Preston believing that winter is no good, and he will occasionally throw me a bone, and tell me he doesn't like winter either! 

Yesterday was a perfect day.  It was like God knew that we needed a reprieve from all this bitter cold and snow, and wrapped up a nice beautiful sixty degree day and plopped it on our doorstep.  Right after Phil failed to see his shadow, so only 6 more weeks until Spring!  It made me giddy!  I had to go down to my mom's in Staunton to pick up some boxes from her, so I thought we would make a day of it, and feed the ducks at the park in Staunton. 

It was gorgeous out. Preston fed himself and the ducks, although the swans were his favorite and he only wanted to let them eat. I didn't even worry about the mud. Preston had such fun running out his energy, and breathing in the fresh air.  We even took the long way out of the park to leave our windows all the way down just a little longer.  I didn't want the day to end. I wish we could have stayed in the warmer sunny air until it was time for the seventy, eighty and ninety degree days when we will sit around at the pool all afternoon. 

When we got home, I was so ready for summer, and long days at the pool, I asked Preston if he wanted to sign up for swim lessons again this year. Of course, since he doesn't truly remember the money we wasted last year pleading with him to do what his teacher asked, he was thrilled at the idea!  I called the pool this morning to sign up, and lo and behold, they haven't started lessons yet, but I am only two weeks early. 

Of course it seemed that as quickly as the wonderful day came, in came the blistering cold winds, wiping away any trace of spring.  Nothing would make me happier than to see all the snow melt, and have it be done until the next Christmas. By the time Brandon and I got home from our date night, we were freezing again, and I was wishing for summer again.  Soon, it will be here soon.